How much to give for "extra" tips?

[NHCruisr]

Our service on HAL has almost always been excellent. I have food allergies and need some extra attention in the dining room. As a result, we always tip our dining steward, assistant steward and the supervisor extra. We also tip the wine steward extra as we use his services each night. We tip our cabin steward extra. Generally, each of these people gets between $25-40 for the week. I write personal thank you notes to each person.

 

We also have gotten into the habit of surprising someone (such asa drink server on first contract) on each cruise. I think it's important to recognize someone just starting out.

 

We just budget for the extra tips and bring the cash with us to do it. We feel no pressure to tip extra and if we did not receive outstanding service, we would not tip extra.

[earl_m]

If somebody does something above is normal chores, Its only right to give him or her a little extra tip

[USNDiver]

Like most of you, I like to tip extra where deserved. Something simple, like an extra buck, added to the bill for a cocktail(s) will go a long way. In my past cruises, I've always liked to slip the serving staff a little something, along with a thank you note, because it seems that the dining room staff can really make or break a cruise (kinda like the bartenders.) I sail on the Oosterdam in a few days and, with this new dining routine that I keep hearing about (and still don't understand), it appears that you may not have the same servers for the entire cruise. Could make the tipping thing a little tricky.

 

Any thoughts, advice, opinions on this?

 

 

Did I mention I sail in a few days?:D

 

 

 

Dave

[tomc]

The dining system I had on the April 11 Noordam (which could have changed) was first seating and you arrived anytime between 5:30 and 6:00 at your assigned table. Theoretically, orders were taken as you arrived and that way you didn't have to wait for people who might not show up.

 

In practice, our large table tended to show up pretty much all at once. Orders taken and meals served. No big deal.

 

Same server, same tablemates.

[SDHALFAN]

we always tip our dining steward, assistant steward and the supervisor extra

 

Okay, now here is where my total ignorance comes into play. I cannot believe after all these years, cruises, sailing days, with HAL I still don't have a clue. I always tip extra to my cabin steward, Dining Room steward and his assistant, but I have never figured out whether or not one is supposed to tip the Maitre D', or the Dining Room supervisor - the guys in the white uniforms. We became quite friendly with a Dining Room supervisor on one cruise but I did not tip him at the end of the cruise and I got the distinct impression that he was not happy with that state of affairs.

 

Does anyone know the protocol here?

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Valerie:)

[dakrewser]

Okay, now here is where my total ignorance comes into play. I cannot believe after all these years, cruises, sailing days, with HAL I still don't have a clue. I always tip extra to my cabin steward, Dining Room steward and his assistant, but I have never figured out whether or not one is supposed to tip the Maitre D', or the Dining Room supervisor - the guys in the white uniforms. We became quite friendly with a Dining Room supervisor on one cruise but I did not tip him at the end of the cruise and I got the distinct impression that he was not happy with that state of affairs.

 

Does anyone know the protocol here?

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Valerie:)

 

Like everything else aboard ship, there's no strict protocol here. Back in the day when the white-jacketed asst maitre d' would filet the dover sole and prepare the flaming desert table-side we certainly did throw him a tip at the end of the cruise (of course, there was no auto-tip then). Nowadays we rarely see the asst. supervisor (area captain?), and actually begrudge him his share of the auto-tip. But, occasionally, one will help us pass the time, and help the steward and asst to assure an excellent dining experience for us . We had one like that on Prinsendam last summer where the steward had a very demanding table of 6 Germans to take care of, so the supervisor frequently filled in at our table, clearing, serving, chatting, etc. He deserved a "little something extra"....

[seaisme]

We also tip additional...usually an additional $50 to both room steward and dining server and $25 for asst. server. And we love tipping the Yumyum man...he is always so surprised and appreciative. There's just the two of us, we keep a neat cabin, and all we ask for is to have our ice bucket full of fresh ice for evening sunset drinks. Service on HAL is always good, and the crew works so very hard.

Enjoy your cruise.

[SabreSailor]

I wish we could get away from the whole tipping thing. I'd prefer to have an "adequate" amount added to my bill - call it an "auto-tip" or whatever - and then get away from additional tipping. It's almost as though there is a competition for who can exceed the auto-tip by more!

 

We had very good service on our last Noordam cruise. We left the auto-tip in place, and instead of additional tipping, I sent a letter to Stein Kruse copying the Noordam Captain with a list of the stewards/etc. who gave us the best service. The response I received suggested to me that this isn't done very often. Seattle assured me that my letter would go into those employees' personnel jackets. When it comes time for the next promotion, do you think a steward would rather have $20 now or a slew of letters in their jacket?

[peterv]

EXACTLY the way it is supposed to work. The auto tip covers doing an excellent job. Any extra tip is for an OUTSTANDING job!

 

:D

 

Hmmm, oddly enough in 28 cruises on most of the lines I've never had anything more than someone doing their job. I guess I'll need to cut that auto-tip in half then.

 

Cheers,

Peter

[Route6A]

My husband and I generally tip beyond the suggested minimum on Holland America. I was surprised to learn, however, when I chatted with a shoreside Holland America employee in San Diego, that the crew are supposed to turn in the extra tips, and they are pooled and divided among all the crew members. So, if we reward a particularly attentive cabin steward, or our dining room staff, the total tip does not find its way into their respective pockets. Perhaps HAL thinks this system encourages everyone to work harder.

 

In spite of this system, we intend to continue to reward excellent service with an additonal tip. Many restaurants follow the same system.

[gratefulguy]

Since "systems" devised by human beings are doomed to less than perfect execution, it isn't surprising that the subject of "tipping" generates so much controversy. Attempts by companies to standardize how customers react to those hired to serve them usually create confusion and anxiety on both "sides". In American society, where (rightly or not) status is based on material accumulation instead of an accident of birth, those of us not born to great wealth or status tend to feel uneasy about maintaining a sense of detachment from the feelings and experiences of people who do the "dirty work". When leisure travel by ship was the province of the wealthy, no one had to worry about what was "proper"--you just knew. This applied to dress, table manners, and how to treat servants. Cruising is very different, and as a menber of the class who wouldn't/couldn't travel in Cunard's "Queen's Grill" class, I'll continue to share what little I have with those who make cruising so enjoyable for me.

Others will make other choices--and those will be valid for them.

[serendipity1499]

This question comes up every few months & we all have different opinions..We always give a little extra for Exceptional Service but not nearly as much as some of you do..We keep our cabin fairly neat & all the Steward really has to do is make the bed, perhaps dust & clean the bathroom..All of our clothing & incidentals are neatly put away..We do not leave articles on our dressing table or the counters in the Bathroom..We rarely ask for something out of the ordinary during dinner & always thank our Stewards with a smile, when they do even the little things which many take for granted, such as refilling our water glasses..

 

Several months ago I downloaded an interesting article from the Cruise Critic Newsletter on Tipping..

"Q&A: The Controversy of Tipping"

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/features/articles.cfm?ID=263

 

 

Joyce Gleason-Adamidis,wife of a Celebrity Cruise Ship Capt., who has also worked on many ships, published an interesting article some time last year entitled:

 

"Under the Captains Table: Gratuities-What's the Point"

 

The Editors at CC had so much feedback from that article, that they had Joyce answer some of the questions in the above piece..Both of those articles were very informative..

 

I believe the way Oceania does it by charging the Tips for inside, outside & basic veranda Cabins$11.50 per day & $12.50-$13.50 (can't remember the exact amount) for suite passengers is an excellent idea...Many posters on the Oceania Board including a TA who is well versed on Oceania say additional tips are rarely given..They also say it is not necessary to tip in the Specialty Restaurants, which are all inclusive in the Cruise fare)..

 

Good luck in your search & Happy cruising..:) Betty

[hammybee]

. In American society, where (rightly or not) status is based on material accumulation instead of an accident of birth, those of us not born to great wealth or status tend to feel uneasy about maintaining a sense of detachment from the feelings and experiences of people who do the "dirty work". When leisure travel by ship was the province of the wealthy, no one had to worry about what was "proper"--you just knew. This applied to dress, table manners, and how to treat servants. Cruising is very different, and as a menber of the class who wouldn't/couldn't travel in Cunard's "Queen's Grill" class, I'll continue to share what little I have with those who make cruising so enjoyable for me.

Others will make other choices--and those will be valid for them.

 

Gosh....that was beautiful. Clearly you live up to your screen name. Thanks you for making my day.

[MercedMike]

Hmmm, oddly enough in 28 cruises on most of the lines I've never had anything more than someone doing their job. I guess I'll need to cut that auto-tip in half then.

 

Cheers,

Peter

 

How strange -- In 30 cruises, we have almost every single time had one or more staffers who went way beyond EXCELLENT and did a great deal more than their job required for us. I can only think of about three or four servers in all those cruises who did not get an EXCELLENT rating, and I can think of dozens who got an extra tip, and especially a mention on the comment card for their OUTSTANDING attitude.

 

Wonder if there is a reason in your attitude that keeps you from getting that same service?

[RetiredMustang]

My husband and I generally tip beyond the suggested minimum on Holland America. I was surprised to learn, however, when I chatted with a shoreside Holland America employee in San Diego, that the crew are supposed to turn in the extra tips, and they are pooled and divided among all the crew members. So, if we reward a particularly attentive cabin steward, or our dining room staff, the total tip does not find its way into their respective pockets. Perhaps HAL thinks this system encourages everyone to work harder.

 

In spite of this system, we intend to continue to reward excellent service with an additonal tip. Many restaurants follow the same system.

 

 

Route6A,

 

Actually, I believe I have a different understanding of the tip pooling thing. I could be wrong, and often am :rolleyes: , but my understanding is that if a passenger opts out of the auto-tip, then any tips received from that passenger go into the pool. However, if you maintain the auto-tip, any extra you give to someone who gave you personally the extra service is able to keep the extra you give him/her.

 

On the general subject of tips, I have worked a few part-time jobs for which a major part of my pay was from tips, so I tend to have a "been there, know what it's like" attitude and probably over-tip -- not from any desire to one-up fellow pasengers, but rather simply to recognize the extra effort in the way that is most appreciated by those earning the tips.

 

I liken the auto-tip to the restaurants etc. I have visited in Europe -- some, and now probably most, automatically add a service charge to your bill, and nothing extra is supposed to be expected. I found that in most cases, there really wasn't much expectation of much extra, except rounding up to the nearest mark or so for small tabs and to the nearest five marks for larger ones (this was pre-Euro).

 

On HAL, we keep the auto-tip going, but will tip those who give us good personal service. In general, a bartender/waiter or waitress will get a dollar or so from us when they bring our order; we've also found that as a result we get served and our drinks faster that way. On most cruises, and specifically on Westerdam this spring, we met our steward the first day, and went over what we wanted from him. He provided all of that and more, and we tipped him extra at the end. And, when we left a note and asked him to do something we had not anticipated, we tipped then and there. We tipped a couple of bucks to the steward who brought us our morning coffee, on time and as we requested it, each time he delivered the tray. The wine steward went out of his way to help us to pre-order wine and had it on our table waiting for us, so he got the green handshake as well.

 

We have been a young low-rank enlisted military family with almost no money, and now can enjoy being pampered by the HAL people (yes, now is better than when we were young :D ). That pampering is the biggest thing about HAL that brings us back. We tipped well before auto-tip, probably usually higher than cruise-line standards, and continue to make some smaller tips on top of auto-tip now. We single out on our comment cards those who have been particularly superb; there are always a couple to mention each cruise.

 

Dave

[newmexicoNita]

It seems incredible how the automatic tipping has now become part of the "fare" and the expectation of tips beyond that is apparent. We are fairly low maintenance people, and on our last cruise we had an average cabin steward. I left the auto tip in place and at the end I gave him an extra $20. He looked insulted that it was so little.

 

Gary

Gary,either you had a totally clueless or insulting cabin steward or you are a litttle defensive:we have cruised 3 different lines since the auto tipping became common place. Usually we have given an extra $20 and always had thanks on top of thanks. nmnita

[peterv]

How strange -- In 30 cruises, we have almost every single time had one or more staffers who went way beyond EXCELLENT and did a great deal more than their job required for us. I can only think of about three or four servers in all those cruises who did not get an EXCELLENT rating, and I can think of dozens who got an extra tip, and especially a mention on the comment card for their OUTSTANDING attitude.

 

Wonder if there is a reason in your attitude that keeps you from getting that same service?

 

Doubtful, we always have smiles on our faces, treat the staff well and are very pleasant. They simply do nothing more then clean the room and serve either drinks or food.

 

Perhaps it's more that we do not need anything else, nor do we request anything else. I actually can not think of anything they could do that would raise it above simply doing their job, but quite a few things where it would be less than that. But I suppose some people are more demanding than others.

 

We have also never rated any cruise we have ever taken as more than having met our expectations, and some categories are often times marked less, depending on the experience received. I am sure others are perhaps more easily impressed, or swayed by the CD to mark everything as excellent. In our minds someone needs to actually earn an excellent rating by doing more than what was expected.

 

Cheers,

Peter

[sail7seas]

I'm very interested to know what a dining steward, for example, would do that would bring him to 'exceeded your expectations'? PLEASE do not take this as critical in any way. It isn't. I'm interested in your opinion. Thank you.

 

[peterv]

I often read these comments about how fantastic the service is on a cruise, but to me they do nothing more than what they are supposed to be doing. I am given a menu, I choose the dishes I wish to partake and they are brought to me. I am not fawned over, not that I would want that in any event, I normally have to wait for my water goblet or coffee to be refilled, I need to ask to receive anything additional, for example bread or butter, I have never been offered any advice as to a chosen course being less than desirable, nor given opinions if I appear undecided.

 

I receive that same level of service in just about any eating establishment that I attend, from a local cafe to some top-rated restaurants in London.

 

Perhaps you would be so kind as to state the type of service that is provided to you so that it exceeds your expectations?

 

Cheers,

Peter

[Jade13]

We handed out small thank you cards with cash tips on the last night of our Noordam cruise last month. I did not notice anyone else at our dining table handing out envelopes, though, so I think that we were the exception rather than the rule. Our room steward seemed genuinely surprised and grateful - either he is deserving of an Oscar or he really doesn't get an extra tip from everyone. I'm hoping our dear Noogie gets tips regularly and is just practicing for that Oscar.

 

That said, we tipped extra because we received service that we felt was above and beyond. We purchased the unlimited laundry service, so there were clothes almost every day for our room steward to remove, plus he was extremely friendly and always had a nice smile. We tipped him an extra $40 for our ten day cruise. It didn't seem like a lot to us.

 

We tipped the dining room steward and his assistant $40 each because some nights we ordered multiples of some of the courses and they were very quick about bringing us the second appetizer (or whatever) so that no one else had to wait. One night I was so thirsty that the poor guy had to fill my water three times before we even ordered, and he did it with a smile. Again, $40 each didn't seem like a lot of money, given the cost of the cruise and what we would have paid in tips on a land-based vacation.

 

And finally, we tipped the wine steward an extra $50 because he never once charged us a corkage fee, despite the fact that we brought our own wine every night. Again, considering the cost of the corkage fees would have been $150 for the ten nights, a $50 tip was a bargain.

 

Anyway, that is my long-winded tip rationale.

 

How did you know the corkage fees would not show up on your state room bill by the end of the cruise? Do they usually have pax sign off on the fee each night? How does it work?

[Jade13]

Question, do people usually tip the person who brings your bags to the cabin? To me they are heavy and more extra work than anything else.

 

Last cruise we had no idea who that person was. After boarding at 11:30 and having lunch we then left and reboarded about 6:30pm (departure ended up being about 11:00pm because of airport security and late arriving guests).

 

Our luggage was in our cabin and we never saw or met our cabin steward for the entire week. It is interesting that others seem to know the names of their stewards? Our beds were made everyday by the time we go back from breakfast. We liked the invisable service.

[mim100]

Okay, now here is where my total ignorance comes into play. I cannot believe after all these years, cruises, sailing days, with HAL I still don't have a clue. I always tip extra to my cabin steward, Dining Room steward and his assistant, but I have never figured out whether or not one is supposed to tip the Maitre D', or the Dining Room supervisor - the guys in the white uniforms. We became quite friendly with a Dining Room supervisor on one cruise but I did not tip him at the end of the cruise and I got the distinct impression that he was not happy with that state of affairs.

 

Does anyone know the protocol here?

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Valerie:)

 

I'm glad this particular question came up....just off the Zuiderdam and was faced with the same question....the "head steward" did very little but walk around talking to people ( at dinner ) and we felt our servers deserved the major portion of our tip budget....we did tip the head steward ( a lesser amount ) because his staff do a good job partly because of his management...however, the head steward really did very little directly to either enhance or lessen our dining room experience..

[mim100]

We already knew what our overall tip budget would be, and kept in mind that we were on board for almost 3 weeks....we listed the people that we wanted to include in our tip-giving and then "weighted" each person based on what they did to make the cruise more memorable/enjoyable/etc...we then used this "weighting" to divide up the total budget...it was quick, easy and fun ! I enjoyed giving the staff their tips and hand-written notes....

 

by the way, that $10 per day goes 70% to dining room and housekeeping stewards and the balance of 30% to all those behind-the-scenes workers like laundry, kitchen, dishwashers, etc....

 

the bar staff get their 15% which is added to each bill

 

we used cocktail cards & coffee cards and always gave the staff $1 - 2 for each drink

[SakeDad]

the bar staff get their 15% which is added to each bill

 

we used cocktail cards & coffee cards and always gave the staff $1 - 2 for each drink

If the 15% is already included why give an additional tip?? Does this get you better service? Also, since I pre-purchased my wine card who gets that 15%??

[jtl513]

I agree...I wonder how long it will be until the cruiselines are "suggesting" how much the extra tipping should be plus the "automatic" tipping.

 

I wish we could get away from the whole tipping thing. I'd prefer to have an "adequate" amount added to my bill - call it an "auto-tip" or whatever - and then get away from additional tipping. It's almost as though there is a competition for who can exceed the auto-tip by more!

 

I liken the auto-tip to the restaurants etc. I have visited in Europe -- some, and now probably most, automatically add a service charge to your bill, and nothing extra is supposed to be expected.

Now that the $10/p/d is being shown on the final bills as a Service Charge instead of a gratuity, I think it is inevitable that more and more people will begin to think of this as something that goes into HAL's pocket, and therefore feel obligated to give a "tip" on top of that "charge".