Tipping room stewards

[perkyblue]

I've read on these boards that some people tip their room steward in cash early in the cruise in order to get better service. Others think that you should just leave the standard tip on your S&S account. Please share your opinions on this.

 

Do you think it's better to tip at the end of the cruise so that the steward works harder to earn the tip, or should you tip early on to get on his/her good side, or just stick with the standard S&S tip? If you give cash at the beginning of the cruise, is it in addition to the standard tip on your S&S?

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

We leave the standard tips on the S&S card. We typically tip (UPFRONT in CASH) about $10 to $20, and then half-way through the cruise about the same again...

 

On our last cruise, late on the first day, our steward brought us a hard sided cooler, filled with ice - for our use the remainder of the cruise ... GOOD 'OLE STEWART!!!;)

 

That same $ goes A LOT more quickly in the CASINO, but it is much more appreciated by your cabin steward.

 

Cabin stewards have been around long enough to know that MANY people will not give them diddly in addition to their S&S tips... So I seriously doubt that they will BUST A$# trying to EARN their tip.. You will either, right from the start, have a very good Steward, or NOT...:eek: !!!

 

If he/she falls in the latter category, then FORGET the additional cash a few days later!!!

 

Tom

[Hawaiianjessica]

I didn't tip at the beginning and got great service. They came through twice daily and cleaned up everything and left the cute towel animals. There was a few different people who cleaned the room so I just stuck with the standard S&S tip. We also didn't have any special requests or anything so I figured the standard was fine

[Wennfred]

I always tip my Steward, Waiter and assist Waiter a 20.00 each in the middle of the cruise, and I find out that they are going ashore for a break I will tip them then so they can go out and get something like a drink or pizza. Works well and they do show how appreciated they are. :)

[GerryC]

I always tip my Steward, Waiter and assist Waiter a 20.00 each in the middle of the cruise, and I find out that they are going ashore for a break I will tip them then so they can go out and get something like a drink or pizza. Works well and they do show how appreciated they are. :)

 

Just curious, how did they show how appreciated they are ?

[Wennfred]

Just curious, how did they show how appreciated they are ?

 

Well lets put it this way, We told Babalito our Waiter that we wont be eating in the dinning room that night because we made reservation to eat at the Supper Club (Scarletts) and told him that the reason we picked this night was, we didnt like the stuff on the menu, He told us, if you dont like whats on the menu, I can always go back and get you a Filet Mignon, any night you want... I knew they have steaks in the back for people that requested them but they usually dont let you know, He made sure we knew and kept us very happy the whole week, Even Elena was amazing.

 

My Steward about broke out in tears when I slipped him the 20.00, I told him that he was always there for us and made the repairs to the cabin in a fast and timely manner. When we requested the Fridge to be open, he did it right away, when we requested an additional 4 pillows, he went up to get them, no questions asked. Thats truely a great guy. So a well deserved 20.00 spot was in order. Its the little things that do matter.

[GerryC]

Thank you for the answer. However, I don't know what the room steward has to do with the diring room. Only once have we had a problem with getting a filet when we were not happy with the menu. It has been my experience that we never see our cabin steward unless we spend a lot of time in the cabin. Incidently, I always leave an extra tip for the steward, just as I always leave a tip for housekeeping in any hotel I stay in.

[Wennfred]

Thank you for the answer. However, I don't know what the room steward has to do with the diring room.

 

My point is I tip whom ever I want if I get great service, If I saw you on my next cruise I would give you a tip also, just help me with my bags:D

[GerryC]

Well, I guess we are from a different generation. I tip those that give me great service, not those that I think will give me great service if I tip them. ]

 

By the way, I am a great bag carrier (as long as you don't have any alcoholic beverages in them, in which case I might get lost along with your bags) if you are willing to tip me the cost of the cruise, of course. :)

[Wennfred]

My thing is that these guys are working extremely hard, who knows what problems they has on the last cruise, so just to see a smile on their faces is Priceless. The way I see it, after a hard day, one with fire drills, removing baggage on the last night and then bring on more new bags on the first day of the next cruise, I could use a drink after all that.:)

 

Besides with all the money I donate at the CASINO, 60.00 isnt going to break me.

[GerryC]

I am not trying to be ornery. I agree they are hard working and deserve the extra tips that someone might leave them. As far as I am concerned, if they go to the trouble to make my bed, clean my commode and make my cabin as comfortable as possible, they need more than their salary + their share of the tip pool.

[Wennfred]

I am not trying to be ornery. I agree they are hard working and deserve the extra tips that someone might leave them. As far as I am concerned, if they go to the trouble to make my bed, clean my commode and make my cabin as comfortable as possible, they need more than their salary + their share of the tip pool.

 

They earn 40.00 per month, the rest is tips which they have to share with others helping them clean the cabins. The majority of their income they send home to their families. That why Im generous when it comes to helping good people.

[GerryC]

I am afraid that we are getting off topic here. I always tip the deserving individuals, like the room stewards, whom I have never had a problem with. I just don't believe in tipping in advance hoping that it will give you better service, which is the topic of this thread.

 

When are you cruising again? I hope we can be on the same ship sometime and I will buy you a beer (or two or three). My next cruise will be in October (another curise line).

[Wennfred]

I am afraid that we are getting off topic here. I always tip the deserving individuals, like the room stewards, whom I have never had a problem with. I just don't believe in tipping in advance hoping that it will give you better service, which is the topic of this thread.

 

When are you cruising again? I hope we can be on the same ship sometime and I will buy you a beer (or two or three). My next cruise will be in October (another curise line).

 

Yeah, that would be cool, Im cruising on the Pride 09/10/06 and on the Spirit 04/08/07 and probably back on the Valor later in 07.

 

Hope to see ya on one of them cruises. Well I have to head to bed, We got a big Sailboat race tomorrow, you take care.

 

Fred

[GerryC]

Good luck with the races Fred. Hope to enjoy your company on a cruise someday. :)

[BigGreg]

im more then likly going to tip at the beginning for my room steward.. im sure well be an annoying couple for him so the $$ will be compensation for the aggrivation we may cause... and ofcourse the traditional 10$ a day for the staff as well.. Probally give the steward 25$ first day and another tip when we leave or midcruise

[sinkers22]

We decided to tip the Cabin Steward $20 at the beginning of the cruise, thinking it would help with the service. It worked like a dream for us. Our Stewards on all our cruises, were so wonderful. Anything we asked for, we got. It seemed like everytime we went back to the cabin, at any time of the day, they were there, and would open our door for us before we could even get our S & S card out of our pockets. Always had a smile and a kind word.

[Cotton]

Well, if I can jump into this "Fred/Gerry" thread...:D...I've said many times before that I think tipping the cabin steward on the first day is like a bribe, and totally unnecessary.

 

For those who say they got better service doing it that way - How do you know you wouldn't have gotten the same great service otherwise?;)

 

I have never, and will never, tip up front - and I have always had really good service throughout my cruises. I leave the auto tips in place on my S&S card, and tip the steward a little more the last morning of the cruise.

[cre8tive1]

I have done both. I do think an initial show of goodwill goes a long way. We normally have a couple of special requests the first day, so that is when we tip extra. Upfront, we normally ask for a couple more towels, ice for our sodas, and a new comforter for our bed. (I've heard these do not get washed and changed each time:eek: ). Those are usually the only special things we require.

 

Like someone else said, these folks do not make much and work their a** off. They work from early in the morning until around 10pm at night. Yes, I've have better stewards than others during my relatively short cruising career, but the good ones normally get rewarded even more at the end.

 

Again, this is a personal decision, and not everyone feels the same way. I have worked in the service industry and I can appreciate what these people do. For one, I know I wouldn't have a smile on my face 24/7 when I knew I will have to clean 5-10 toilets and sinks a day.:eek:

 

For waitstaff, we generally tip at the end in addtion to our S&S tips. I think on our next cruise we will try tipping a little in advance to see if it makes a difference. I know they choose this job, but they too make pennies for the work they do. DH and I try to set aside nightly tips as we would tip for a meal of that class at home. We will adjust it depending on the level of service and the amount of times we eat in the dining room. We then split that money between the two waiters. It generally ends up being an extra $140 between the two or we may give a little more to one over the other depending on the service. A while back, we had two waiters that were worlds better than anything we had ever seen. Kudos to Jun and Romeo (then on the Celebration). If anyone gets a chance to have this duo, it will change the standard of fine dining for you.

 

I have found that the more I cruise, the more I tend to tip. For me, it has taken a while to realize what these people go through and to get used to the system. You also begin to see what the standard is for good. You know if your steward is going out of their way to be good for you. I think after staying in other resorts non cruise related you begin to appreciate what they do even more too.

 

I will leave you with this. Tipping is really more of a personal issue. Generally the service level will be much better if a small (@$10-20) tip is rendered up front. It is not always the case, but I would venture to say 8 out of 10 times it will be. Tip the way you feel, but do keep in mind what you would be willing to do, and then what they do for you. I'm sure then you will realize that they work hard and deserve more than the minimum tip you get added to your S&S.;)

[Kittybork]

We tipped the steward 20. on the first day of the cruise because we asked him to see to the ice for the ice chest. I felt that this was above what I considered his normal duties. I didn't think of it as a bribe; it was more of a payment in advance for a special request. The tips on the S&S stayed in place. If he had gone above the norm during the cruise, I would have left more at the end, but I didn't think it was necessary or deserved, so I didn't leave more.

[Cotton]

quote=Kittybork]We tipped the steward 20. on the first day of the cruise because we asked him to see to the ice for the ice chest. I felt that this was above what I considered his normal duties. I didn't think of it as a bribe; it was more of a payment in advance for a special request.

 

Kitty, I agree that you asked for a special service, and it's nice to tip for that.

 

However, for those who tip up front thinking they will get better service, that is a bribe. To me, that would be like saying to the cabin steward, "I probably won't get good service from you unless I give you some money NOW.":(

[mrdood]

However, for those who tip up front thinking they will get better service, that is a bribe. To me, that would be like saying to the cabin steward, "I probably won't get good service from you unless I give you some money NOW.":(

 

So agreed, when something above and beyond is provided based on a need, then yes, feel free to tip, but just "here is a $20 because without it your won't do you job" that is wrong, but that is my warped opinion!!!

[glr068]

I've done both as far as the room steward goes. For the dining staff, I hate to say it but I usually remove those charges as I only use the dining room one night while on a 7 day cruise. That night, we will give the wait staff a cash tip. On one particular cruise, I removed most of the room steward's gratuity because of terrible service...(not a Carnival Ship). My finance says I tip way to much in restaurants but I've always been like that if I get good service. These people work for pennies on the dollar and I reward them if they exceed expectations and in most cases they do.....

[martdm]

I give the cabin steward a tip up front not as a bribe so much as a gesture of our good will toward them. I know on debarkation/embarkation day, these folks are run ragged with turning over cabins and accomodating special requests. Given some of the posts I've seen here and other message boards, they likely will go without tips from any number of other folks as well, which must be very disheartening.

 

These folks bust a$$ all day everyday and with as fortunate as we are to be able to cruise, I have no problem sharing a small token of that fortune with an individual who has one of the hardest jobs I've ever seen. I guess I do it as a gesture of appreciation for the hard work they are doing for everyone, not just to gain a favor for myself.

 

We give the waitstaff and the cabin steward additional tips on the last night on top of the monies charged to our sign & sail. Like Wennfred said, with all the money we spend elsewhere on the ship, a few extra $20s throughout the week to the crew isn't going to break us and is well deserved on their part.

[habby]

For the dining staff, I hate to say it but I usually remove those charges as I only use the dining room one night while on a 7 day cruise.

 

If you ate anywhere on the ship, by removing the automatic tips, you also removed any tips that would be given to the staff who works during the breakfast buffets, lunch buffets, and dining room lunches and breakfasts.