Tipping counselors in kids program

[gummie22]

Hi:

This is our first time cruising with our 4 1/2 year old son. We're going on the Caribbean Princess 8/21! How much do you tip the counselors at the end of the cruise? Thanks!

 

Lorri

[cruisinqt]

It all just depends on how things go during the cruise and how well my kids are cared for. These people are not minimum wagers. They are college educated professionals that make a salary. I know they do not rely on my tips for their salary. However, I can't help but feel appreciative towards the person who is taking such good care of my little ones.:) I usually give them at least $20 bucks, sometimes more depending on whether or not I really like them. Since both of my kids are in the same age group now, they have the same counselor each day. I have found that I get to know the person and can even find out their preferences. On our last cruise I not only gave the counselor the money, but I picked up a box of her favorite candy bars while I was in port. It was that time of the month and she was craving chocolate. I caught her eating a certain chocolate bar on more than one occasion. You could buy the candy bar on board, but it was outrageously priced. I was pleasantly surprised when I found it while shopping at one of our ports. Since it wasn't too expensive, I bought her a box of the candy bars. I don't know how my tipping is compared to everyone else's. I could be a little high, or a little low. I haven't seen too many specifics on what people tip. My tips vary based on service and how much I like the person.

 

Some CCers may get upset about how I tip the counselors saying that they are paid a salary already. But I tip anyway because my child's care is of utmost importance to me. And when someone does a really good job taking care of my child, I like to show some appreciation. We always get a gift for my children's teachers at the end of each school year. And they are salaried professionals too. As for the tipping amount, as I said it varies according to how good they are and how much I like them. I think $20 is a good starting point. I have paid much more than that, but $20 is usually where I start at.:)

[LesThePrez]

Thanks for your valued opinion. I totally agree with you, just wanted some validation. When my son was an infant, I tipped my regular babysitter and bought her presents too.

 

My dh and I are diving in the mornings on our cruise while in port, and without good child care, we couldn't do what we love to do.

 

Thanks again!

Lorri

[HOSKI]

My experience has been on NCL and Carnival but I usually tip $40 for a 7 day cruise and $25 for a 5 day. I have one child and it will also depend on how much you use the service.

[Suebee]

We tipped 40 or 50 (dont remember really) for two counselors.

We offered to pick up something in port for them but they said that they just got back from vacation and were set. But a phone card or Wal-Mart (or whatever store is near port) Certificate would be a nice 'tip' as well.

[CASkippr]

We usually tip $50 extra for a 7 night cruise. We tipped more on our 10 night cruise...but I don't remember how much. At that time, this was only for one child.

 

Your kids will love Adventure Ocean. I know that our daughter did and has even kept in touch with one of her counselors.

[cruisinqt]

I'm glad to see that I'm not the only parent that tips these people or buys them gifts. I thought I might get "flamed" for it, but I was pleasantly surprised.:D I think my $20 might have seemed low compared to the others, but we always take our kids into port with us. We also always dine with our children and spend lots of quality time with them too. So I don't think they are in the program quite as much as some of the kids are. On one cruise our kids loved their counselor so much that they spent every moment possible in the kids program. We tipped $45 that time. Our tips are based on how good the counselors are and how much time they spend there. The more time they spend there, the more we tip. The better the counselor is, the more we tip. :) The least I paid was $20, but my kids didn't really spend much time at all there on that particular cruise. So I guess the amount of time they spend in the kids area will help dictate how much to tip them.

[CASkippr]

Cruisinqt,

 

I think $20.00 is fine. You should tip what your comfortable with. I'm sure the staff appreciate any and all tips!

[mamakinrocks]

We took our 7 and 8 year olds on a 7 day Southern Caribbean cruise aboard the Constellation in January. There were just a few children in the program...they all became great friends and had an absolute ball. There were a total of 5 counselors and we tipped each one $40. What is more important than the people taking care of your children and providing them with a wonderful experience. They only attended in the evenings and on one sea day, but we really wanted to show them our appreciation!

[ghgeckos]

We tip $5 per day per child when the kids go into the children's center. Last year we tried to tip on Disney and we were told that they are not allowed to accept tips.

[eastexascruiser]

Well, now I feel terrible because we never even thought to tip the counselors. My bad. Thanks for the tips on tips!

[JUST ADD WATER]

Here's what we do for the youth staff:

 

Our son is 5 years old. He loves the programs and usually goes in the afternoon on sea days (Spends port days with us on beach. He is a water nut!), evenings after dinner (8PM) every night, and stays for the group sitting most nights (10PM-?). He is never there in the mornings because we sleep in and have a late breakfast. So he is there a good amount of the open times, but not always.

 

We tip the staff $40 on the last day regardless. More if our son really had "favorite" staffers. We also tip any night he stays for "group" sitting. On most of our cruises that is 10PM-1AM. I know we are paying around $5.00 per hour already for this service (hello shipboard account), but time to see a show, have a drink, and visit the casino is HEAVENLY! We tip $5.00 or so each night when we pick him up.

 

From what we have been told the staff splits all the tips any of them receive during the week. We have also purchased AT&T phone cards for extra special staffers. Tipping is personal and situational, so do what you feel is right. This is just what we do for what it is worth!

[julierika]

I see you leave your son at the kids' clubs after 10pm. My daughter is also 5 years old and we have taken her cruising before but never left her that late. My question is: what happens if they are sleepy? can they bring pillow or blanket? Can they lie down? Do they just watch movies or do quiet things? Thanks for any info anyone can share!

[Rusty Nail]

The last time we cruised with our daughter, she was 4 and we didn't leave her past 10pm because it was our bed time, ;) . When we would pick her up, they were usually sprawled out on the floor with blankets and pillows watching movies and eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches ordered from room service.

 

Wendy

[jkthelen]

Tipping is personal and situational, so do what you feel is right. This is just what we do for what it is worth!

Tipping is not based on feeling or worth. Perhaps this is a question for "Miss Manners," but there are certain times when it is (and professions which are) inappropriate to tip.

 

I do not intend to tip those in the youth program on our upcoming cruise because I feel this is an insult to them! Do you tip the ship's Captain or Cruise Director? How about your Dr. or Bank Teller? NO, because these are professionals who are not in a "service" profession. They would be insulted!! If they're not, they should be!

 

I feel keeping the ship afloat is very valuable and important so the implication is that I should give a REALLY big tip if this happens. That is outrageous!

 

Here are two examples:

-My hair salon does not allow tipping because they are trying to raise the image of their profession from service oriented to professional.

 

-As a former H.S teacher, I would have been offended if a parent would have offered a "tip" at the end of the school year. I view the child care professionals in the youth program on the ship the same way...school at sea not as babysitters or service staff.

 

Please do not misunderstand. There are proper ways to show appreciation to professional staff (i.e. gifts, cards and letters copied to the director/adminstrator over the program). I do intend to show appreciation in that way.

 

I hope someone who knows more about etiquette can enlighten this forum.

 

Don't feel bad EASTEXASCRUISER, you may have done the right thing by not tipping! Sorry for "flaming" you, Cruisinqt.

 

JKT

[Maria65]

I'm not sure how the staff in the kids club would feel but I'm a nurse and I have had patients or their families force a $20 tip on me and I find it mortifying. I try to refuse but I've had people literally force their hands in my pocket. When this happens, I give the money to our unit secretary who keeps us stocked with snacks and such. I'd never keep the money and I do find it insulting, though I understand the intentions are kind.

 

I'd love to know how the kids club staff feels about this. RCI doesn't include them in the recommended tips that I've seen.

[elaineo]

I tip my child care professional at home, sometimes when she has done a good job--taken them to a special event, etc., and sometimes just to say that I really appreciate her, so I use the same standard at sea. I doubt these counselors are making top dollar. I also tip about $25 for 4-5 night.

[cali-croozer]

I say to each his own. Tip if you want, but don't feel bad if you don't. The people who remind everyone that the kids counselors are salaried just want to inform those who don't know this. Tipping is such a hot topic, people just want to make sure they do the right thing. In the case of the kids counselors, it is not required.

[Ta421sBtrHalf]

-As a former H.S teacher, I would have been offended if a parent would have offered a "tip" at the end of the school year. I view the child care professionals in the youth program on the ship the same way...school at sea not as babysitters or service staff.

 

I wish I knew where you were a teacher at, maybe in your area the teachers love their profession and aren't there for what they can get. I know so many people that are school teachers (relitives, neighbors, and friends) and all they talk about are what the kids parents got them for the holiday season and for end of the year presents. I have heard such awful remarks about some of the presents because they might have not cost what they thought they deserved, and how they know it is time to go to a school in a better neighborhood because the presents are getting scarce where they are at. It makes me upset.

 

BTW to get back to the original question:

 

We tipped the camp counselors $20 each.

[Marge M]

Just an FYI. On our recent cruise on the Victory, at the disembarkation talk the cruise director suggested that we tip the camp counselors, so it is certainly encouraged (at least on that ship).

[ingreece]

Question for you all.

We are sailing on Celebrity Constellation and plan to leave our son onboard most port days. He is six.

We read that we have to pay $6 per hour from 12-2pm. Where does that money go? On HAL it was split between the staff. If we're paying them $12 a day should we still tip at the end? Thanks in advance.

Jennifer

[Warmer Climes]

I always tip about $60 for a week's cruise. I think it's like tipping summer camp counselors and if these young people have helped my daughter have a great cruise, it's worth showing them the appreciation. I enclose the $ in a note thanking them.

 

It's certainly not mandatory to tip them but they have always acted appreciative rather than insulted or mortified. On our first cruise it was suggested in the disembarkation speech that we tip them if we wanted to because they are not in the tip pool.

[ingreece]

I always tip about $60 for a week's cruise. I think it's like tipping summer camp counselors and if these young people have helped my daughter have a great cruise, it's worth showing them the appreciation. I enclose the $ in a note thanking them.

 

It's certainly not mandatory to tip them but they have always acted appreciative rather than insulted or mortified. On our first cruise it was suggested in the disembarkation speech that we tip them if we wanted to because they are not in the tip pool.

 

That is very generous of you. Let me ask you though have you ever been required to pay extra for certain hours? For example, on our Aug 2010 HAL cruise, we were told that we needed to pay $5 per hour between 4-6pm. Most port days we did because we were touring and didn't get back until 5:30 or so. We had to pay cash when we picked up our son. The employees in the kid's club kept that money.

I don't know whether staff keeps the money or not on Celebrity but we will have to pay $12 per day. So in that case do you still tip?

[Warmer Climes]

That is very generous of you. Let me ask you though have you ever been required to pay extra for certain hours? For example, on our Aug 2010 HAL cruise, we were told that we needed to pay $5 per hour between 4-6pm. Most port days we did because we were touring and didn't get back until 5:30 or so. We had to pay cash when we picked up our son. The employees in the kid's club kept that money.

I don't know whether staff keeps the money or not on Celebrity but we will have to pay $12 per day. So in that case do you still tip?

 

I have cruised only Royal Caribbean and NCL and haven't encountered that. If I was using the pay service (which on NCL is port days before 6:00 I think or after 10:00) I wouldn't tip additionally.

 

I think there's no right answer- it's whatever you feel comfortable with. As my DD gets older and uses the kids' club less I will tip accordingly.

[notentirelynormal]

Just want to add something about the phone cards. Be aware that the phone cards you bring from home (or buy at the port) may not be useful to the staff. Every card has different rules. For example, not all can be used outside the US or to call some countries. Plus, they can buy phone cards on the ship at reduced rates.