Tipping-HELP

[Cotton]

[quote name='CM2J2R2S']So, for our family of eight, it would be $560 plus $50 for the maitre d'? Plus, potentially the pool waiter? and/or servers in lounges etc.? Do you just tip everyone? Love the aol website, thanks for that.[/QUOTE]
[b][color=darkslategray]Whoa! $50 for the maitre d'? Pool waiters? Y'know, tipping could very easily get out of hand. But then, there are those who just seem to love to tip everybody.[/color][/b]
[b][color=darkslategray][/color][/b]
[b][color=darkslategray] I'm not a cheapskate, and I leave ALL tips on my S&S account, always tip my steward extra at the end of the cruise......but that's IT! Sometimes I tip the maitre d', but more often not.[/color][/b]
[b][color=darkslategray][/color][/b]
[b][color=darkslategray] Remember that if you purchase any beverage from the bar or pool waiter, there is an automatic 15% added to your bill already.[/color][/b]

[hstrybuf]

And in case I missed it above, you tip for room service. $1 to $5 depending on what you order.

[GoinCruisin]

They get paid $1.50 a day... they rely solely on tips as a source of income. It should be considered as part of the price to cruise... They deserve SOMETHING as they ARE working... I don't know what in the world it would take for me to adjust down... and doubtful I would. If they perform average or below, the tips will remain the same... above and beyond deserves more, IMO.

[VentureMan_2000]

Tip of $10 per day per person is adequate.

Maitre D need not be tipped. Can if you desire, but not necessary.

15% tip added automatically added to beverage purchase. Careful not to tip twice (i.e., the tip has already been added). If you tip over, I would be willing to guess that you will get more prompt service.

$1 to $2 tip for room service. Room service is free.

Any other tipping is above and beyond normal expectations.

[Cotton]

[color=darkslategray][b]Ooooops, I forgot about room service personnel. [i]Of course[/i], I tip them $1 to $2 when service is rendered.[/b][/color]

[mohavemommy]

[quote name='Cotton'][color=darkslategray][b]Ooooops, I forgot about room service personnel. [i]Of course[/i], I tip them $1 to $2 when service is rendered.[/b][/color][/QUOTE]
We kept an envelope of $1 bills in our safe to tip the room service personnel with. It worked very well. :)

[Mrs. Connie]

[quote name='vesw01']
I can always slip them money in the end if I wanted to - right?[/QUOTE]

lol - somebody not busy cleaning their monitor please answer this....
Connie

[hstrybuf]

Sorry Connie, but I was laughing so hard that I couldn't type for a minute! :D

Yes, you can slip them some cash at the end of the cruise.

[Retired LEO]

I take it it's possible to get change at the Pursers desk. I leave for Miami tomorrow and I'd like to have enough dollar bills. Would they be able to give me perhaps 100 singles. I could go to the bank before I leave, but that would be quite a stack to be carrying around.

[hstrybuf]

Personally, I'd rather go to the bank and get the money than have to waste vacation time standing in who knows how long of a line at the Purser's desk. Maybe less in ones and more in fives?

[pholter]

I just have to post one more time...... $10 per day is a STEAL for probably 4-5 meals each person per day (I'm counting the midnight buffet and all the extra grill and pizza service). That also includes getting your room cleaned twice per day and special treats waiting like chocolates and towel animals. If I were eating in Houston, $10 tip would be just for dinner. Please don't consider taking these tips off, but DO consider always tipping more! I rarely tip the Maitre'D cuz it really pisses me off when he's only nice and at the table on the last night :(

[fanofseas]

I plan on sitting by one of the pools for a few hours if I can find a deck chair...LOL. I was wondering how should I tip the person bringing the drinks? Do you tip a fair amount at the start or should you tip every drink?

[pholter]

The drink tips are an automatic 15%, but if you are getting exceptional service then you may consider tipping an extra buck here or there and you'll be remembered on the following days for sure! :)

[lpglarry]

That is reason why they deduct 10.00 per person a day, because after a great week at sea on the last night cheap basta -ds,would not go to dining room,so they could get away from paying tips.
It may sound high,but you take your family out for 3 meals aday and figure out the tips you pay for that. The tips also pay for staff in buffets,busboy,assistance waiters,etc. If you know ahead whats the problem.
Ok, we went to Outback 3 people,bill came to $80.00, we gave 20.00 tip, waitress was great, thaT IS ONE MEAL FOR 3, ON CRUISE YOU EAT GREAT MEALS,THEY GO OUT OF WAY TO PLEASE YOU,IF YOU WANT LEMON WITH YOUR WATER ,THE NEXT MEAL YOU WILL ALREADY HAVE LEMON THERE. THEY CARE FOR PEOPLE. PLEASE LETS NOT BE CHEAP PEOPLE. lARRY

[wenhigh]

On my first cruise, I thought it was on the high end to tip cruise staff in this manner. Think, though, of the "hand and foot" service you receive for anywhere from 3-7 days. Actually, the $10 a day is minimum. If you get excellent service, they deserve more. You should always figure this in as a part of your cruise costs and on board expenditures. It is worth it!:)

2 cents worth

[vesw01]

I am not sure why everyone is in such an uproar over this topic. It is a bit of a shock when you book your first cruise and you find out about the gratiuties. Nobody mentions this cost when you call to talk to them. I don't have an issue with tipping - BUT at the same time I am already paying for the meals as part of my package and not knowing otherwise - I would have thought that was all included and that the staff were paid a "normal" salary.

I have read over and over again about the great service (after I posted this) and about what they get paid and like anyone of us, at then end of the week, we would like a decent paycheck.

Having said that, and not to rock the boat further, isn't their choice of occupations? They knew what the pros and cons were before they signed up and since there are so many cruise ships with such a large staff, they must be doing well for themselves or no one would take the job.

All I guess I was trying to say (initially) is I wish they would tell you the policy when you are signing up so you can make an informed decision when you are budgeting your money (yes I know it is in the brochure etc., but a large automatic charge should be brought to your attention)

[GoinCruisin]

Vesw, it is always a heated topic, not your fault... Your TA should have told you about the tipping upfront... the cruises are so inexpensive, they just can't afford to pay these people more so they rely on tips... sure, they have a choice, but you will see when you get onboard, these people are NOT from the US, they are from countries around the world and yes, this is a good living for them (not great, they are NOT rolling in dough) and they can send money home to their families. It is a very tough job and they earn those tips... even at the bare minimum they deserve what is on the S&S card, most of the times more... Now you know though, and you can be prepared.... great thing about this board is you get all the real scoop here :D Enjoy!!!!

[pholter]

[quote name='vesw01']I am not sure why everyone is in such an uproar over this topic. It is a bit of a shock when you book your first cruise and you find out about the gratiuties. Nobody mentions this cost when you call to talk to them. I don't have an issue with tipping - BUT at the same time I am already paying for the meals as part of my package and not knowing otherwise - I would have thought that was all included and that the staff were paid a "normal" salary.

I have read over and over again about the great service (after I posted this) and about what they get paid and like anyone of us, at then end of the week, we would like a decent paycheck.

Having said that, and not to rock the boat further, isn't their choice of occupations? They knew what the pros and cons were before they signed up and since there are so many cruise ships with such a large staff, they must be doing well for themselves or no one would take the job.

All I guess I was trying to say (initially) is I wish they would tell you the policy when you are signing up so you can make an informed decision when you are budgeting your money (yes I know it is in the brochure etc., but a large automatic charge should be brought to your attention)[/QUOTE]
Welcome to cruising! Any Carnival brochure and their website are very clear about the recommended tipping, so hopefully you were able to get a brochure or an online brochure of sorts before making that final decision. Also, if I receive a coupon and use that coupon for a "free meal" at any restaurant, that never includes the tip- the same is applied on prepaid meals. Basically, you tip for service anywhere you go (well, I do, so I'm assuming that everyone tips for service). It can be confusing, but hopefully the brochures and the websites have given you all the answers you need.

Did you ask your TA if there were any other charges once you arrive? I would hope they would have answered your question if asked in case it wasn't seen in the printed information.

Overall, Carnival cruises are the best value for the money even with the $70 tacked on to the S&S account. I always bring enough extra to make that at least $100 if the service warrants the extra. I'm normally a 20- 30% tipper all the time though. There are probably over 900 crew Members on each ship with 75% of those depending on the $10 per person per day so they can feed their families back home. They signed up knowing what the normal average pay for working the cruise ship on a given week- that includes base + tips on average.

Hope this thread has helped the first timers out there.... Cruising is awesome!
:) ;) :p

[hstrybuf]

vesw, I'm not offended. As a first timer you are learning every day about the ins and outs of cruising. Many people in your position are never informed about tipping, dress codes and the extra expenses involved in a cruise. They assume that it's all inclusive kinda like the Love Boat. Just keep asking those questions! :)

[Bunkie103]

Since you also have a thread going about a holiday cruise for 2005 you'll know all about the tipping for that one.

[dan40]

Well we could go on RCl. They treat tipping pretty much the same as Carnival.

Or we could go on NCL where they add a $10pppd service fee and tipping is on top of that.

Or we could go on HAL where tipping isn't necessary. [like hell its not].
Or we could go on Seabourn, where everything is included, tips, drinks, excursions. [strangely, people still tip there too] Oh, I almost forgot, a week on Seabourn on sale is about $3000.00 per person.

A rule of life--Get service, leave tip.
Dan

[basketsiam]

[quote name='vesw01']I am not sure why everyone is in such an uproar over this topic. It is a bit of a shock when you book your first cruise and you find out about the gratiuties. Nobody mentions this cost when you call to talk to them. [/QUOTE]

Doesn't this go back to the thread "Can I get rid of my TA?" A good TA certainly would have pointed out that drinks, gratuities, and shore excursions are in addition to the price of the cruise. But then again, you wonder in another thread if you can expect a gift from your TA from booking your cruise with her.......I don't get it :confused:

[pholter]

[quote name='basketsiam']Doesn't this go back to the thread "Can I get rid of my TA?" A good TA certainly would have pointed out that drinks, gratuities, and shore excursions are in addition to the price of the cruise. But then again, you wonder in another thread if you can expect a gift from your TA from booking your cruise with her.......I don't get it :confused:[/QUOTE]
Well, I think that would have to depend on the customer. Did the customer tell the TA that I've never been on a cruise, so please tell me everything I need to know?? Or, did the customer go in and pick up brochures to read, then come back and book the cruise? Or, did the customer talk to the TA and say I've been on the Carnival website and all over the message boards getting information and I'd like to book a cruise? No TA is going to read a customer all the in's and out's that are printed in the brochure- or no TA that I've ever met has the time to spend a full day with a customer while they take notes.

I agree with your post, but only if the customer actually told the TA my item 1 from above that they needed to know everything and was this just like an All Inclusive Vacation. Some responsibility does lie with customers. Would you expect your TA to warn you about the possibility of tropical storms and hurricanes during the 5 months of the big season or would you expect that your customer already knows weather in the Caribbean region? Just a thought.... Have a great day everyone!

[basketsiam]

pholter,
Yes, some responsibility absoulutely does lie with the customer.....but it should not be beyond a TA to ask if this is the customer's first cruise and give them some much-needed direction, or at least where they can find such information. The original poster currently has numerous controversial threads on this board. Just wondering what her actual goal in all of this is.

[iluvdoxies]

Vsw, tipping is part of your cruise expense- just like paying for parking. Would you like to make 1.50 a day, work like a dog and then not get tipped? If service is average, we leave it on our s & s card, if it is exceptional, we give extra the last night.
ALso I am curious, you say this is your first cruise, but on another thread about a holiday cruise in 2005, you say you "have done the eastern Caribben"-I'm sorry, I'm just confused.
ALso as others have stated, it's customary to tip the room service people 1-2 dollars each time.