Tipping the Crew Welfare Fund

[Dynacruiser]

Dear all,

In case you did not know, Azamara has the general Cruise Walfare Fund, where you can tip all the Azamara staff and not just one person.  This is not broadly advertised, I found out about it years after sailing with Azamara, and now I am glad to do it every time I'm on board.

 

All you need to do is head over to the Guest Relations desk at any time (preferably before disembarkation day) and ask that they put X amount on the fund.  They will use OBC, cash, or charge your card.  I have heard that you cannot use nonrefundable OBC, but perhaps other can clarify.

 

This is a great way to tip everybody on board at once.   

 

@uktog and others summarized the advantages when they wrote:

“That fund pays for crew parties celebrating national days etc [snip] excursions, buys prizes for the very popular crew bingo etc and is managed by the crew not head office. 

“I will always place funds to a crew fund where the unseen laundry person, waste operative and all staff rather than those who catch my eye or ear can be looked after.”

 

In other internet forums, folks have made it clear that this money does not go to the Captain perhaps not even to the officers, but to everybody else, including the unsung heroes who are working behind the scenes.

 

 

REQUESTS:

1. 1) Is there any other info that you can add so everybody knows about this wonderful option?
2. 2)I humbly ask that folks refrain from making this a "Tip versus Don'T Tip" discussion.   Let’s assume that this is a conversation for folks who believe that tipping in Azamara is appropriate.  If you want to discuss the  appropriateness of tipping in general, please start your own separate thread.

 

Thanks for  @wjfan417 for prompting me to realize that we needed to highlight this topic.

Edited August 11 by Dynacruiser

[nordski]

40 minutes ago, Dynacruiser said:

 

 

REQUESTS:

1. 1) Is there any other info that you can add so everybody knows about this wonderful option?
2.  

I can only add that the staff at Guest Relations are invariably very excited and thankful when I tell them the purpose of my end-of-cruise visit; namely, a contribution to the fund.

i assume that those feelings reflect those of many on the staff across the various departments.

 

We also receive a nice thank you letter.

 

Therefore, both for the crew and for us, it is a very positive way to end a cruise.

[takemewithyou]

I don’t think most people know about this fund.  I never knew about it until @uktog and Phil mentioned it several years ago!  It’s a great thing!  

[crzrr]

We learned about this early on in our AZ travels and so make a donation to the fund every time that we cruise.  We always receive a very nice thank you note from the hotel director.  It's a nice way to show appreciation to ALL of the staff and crew that make our vacations so wonderful.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Many cruise lines (most? all?) have this, but only a few make it visible to passengers.  And the cruise line doesn't want to subsidize it, so my experience has been that you can't use left-over OBC for the donation.  In fact if you wait until the last night you may not even be able to use a credit card (happened to me recently – they had 'closed the books' so it was cash only).

[excitedofharpenden]

It's a great way to recognise everyone. Spread the word!😎

 

Phil 

[marinaro44]

What makes doing this especially thoughtful is that you are not expecting anything in return, just expressing gratitude to a terrific crew.

[uktog]

9 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Many cruise lines (most? all?) have this, but only a few make it visible to passengers.  And the cruise line doesn't want to subsidize it, so my experience has been that you can't use left-over OBC for the donation.  In fact if you wait until the last night you may not even be able to use a credit card (happened to me recently – they had 'closed the books' so it was cash only).

You can use refundable obc 

[Dynacruiser]

13 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

 if you wait until the last night you may not even be able to use a credit card (happened to me recently – they had 'closed the books' so it was cash only).

 

On one of our recent cruises we waited until the day of disembarkation, and they were able to put it on a credit card, last minute.   I agree with you, though, I will not wait until the last day again, as some front-desk staff may reject it.

 

 

4 hours ago, marinaro44 said:

What makes doing this especially thoughtful is that you are not expecting anything in return, just expressing gratitude to a terrific crew.

 

I think sometimes a tip can feel as bribery, we sometimes give a tip at the beginning of a service because we obviously want to get special service.  I've done it before in some semi-budget Mexican resorts where early tips can dictate how good the service will be throughout the stay. Somehow, donating to the fund feels the right way to anonymously say Thank You.  

 

Of course, I also show my appreciation by recognizing special people when I respond to the end-of-cruise survey.  I even thank the folks behind the scenes and  those who may not have outgoing personalities but quietly work very hard to provide great service.  Some folks are introverts, but they deserve recognition nonetheless.

 

 

3 hours ago, uktog said:

You can use refundable obc 

 

That's what I had been told, but it wouldn't surprise me if this is not consistent practice.

 

I can see that Azamara may not fully advertise this, as they would prefer that you use your refundable OBC to buy services and stuff onboard, but as @excitedofharpenden said, we should spread the word!

[PirateWife]

I am wondering if I can donate my unused foreign currency.

[Rosroz]

I did know about this fund, can anybody tell me do you contribute to this as well as tipping say your favourite bartender , room steward etc.   and do the front facing crew know if you have done this

[uktog]

7 minutes ago, Rosroz said:

I did know about this fund, can anybody tell me do you contribute to this as well as tipping say your favourite bartender , room steward etc.   and do the front facing crew know if you have done this

If they have done more than just what is expected of them by the cruise line yes. If they just do their job effectively and not above and beyond I transfer what I would have given them to the general donation. I come with a budget based on the number of days the cruise and use it all but the vast proportion is to the general fund 

[Dynacruiser]

19 hours ago, PirateWife said:

I am wondering if I can donate my unused foreign currency.

 

I doubt that this is a preferred or usual option.  

 

If I was in a situation that I had a good amount of extra foreign currency and wanted to donate it to the fund, I would first ask the Guest Relations desk if they can accept it.  If they say no, then I'd find a senior person like the Hotel or Guest Relations Manager and ask them if they can please find a way to exchange it and add it to the Fund.   If you ask them in front of other staff like the Guest Relations Desk, they would have a hard time saying no.  This would be done as a favor, since they would have to find a way to exchange the currency and then deposit it into the fund.

 

It's not an easy process, but if the amount is good enough to buy a few things, then somebody may be willing to pursue the task.