Room Steward duties / Tips

[TwoMateys]

I have read about tipping the room steward extra (more than the usual inclusive tips charged) given the extra extras. I am curious as to what stewards usually do (I'm 1st time cruiser) and what people are looking for in the extra tipped duties.

[melika091900]

usually if they do what you ask, like sometimes ill leave a note asking for extra breakfast order forms, or extra towels or something, nothing too picky, but if they do it , i feel they should get more,

 

but then again i heard they all put all the money together and split it between everyone so im not sure if they even really get to keep the extra money you might hand them, if you do it with cash.

[Wylie Coyote]

I have read many threads about this subject, and I my first cruise, I pre-tipped the Room Steward $20 on the first day...on top of what was already charged to my account. My room steward did nothing speacial for me other than their appointed duties....clean the room. So, I am not sure if the extra $20 was warranted. In hind site, I would have probably given the extra $20 to the outstanding bartender I frequented. That is on top of the extra I had already given him.

 

Now, if you are the type that wants ice in coolers re-filled, extra pillows...and just ask for the room steward to do extras for you in general, then an extra tip might be in order. I recommend giving the extra tip at the end of the cruise...it somehow seems to mean more to them at the end to get the extra tip. Not sure why.

[iheartbda]

usually if they do what you ask, like sometimes ill leave a note asking for extra breakfast order forms, or extra towels or something, nothing too picky, but if they do it , i feel they should get more,

 

but then again i heard they all put all the money together and split it between everyone so im not sure if they even really get to keep the extra money you might hand them, if you do it with cash.

 

It's my understanding that they DO get to keep any extra if it's given at the end in cash. Putting the tips on your onboard card is when the money is split among several.

 

People will swear that giving extra at the beginning gives them better service but how can they know if they would have not gotten the same service without the pre-tip?

 

As far as pre-tipping, when Wylie Coyote stated that they got no extra service when they pre-tipped extra it could be the steward already had the extra money so why do anything extra?

 

What are some extras? Our steward always gave us extra towels and we hadn't even asked for them. This is certainly specific to me but I had a lighted makeup mirror with a broken knob that would fall into the casing of the mirror, something not easily seen. Somehow the steward noticed it and did his best to fix it.

[NCTribeFan]

I personally think it's silly to tip extra up front. You have no idea what sort of service you'll get either way, since there's no parallel universe in which you can compare with and without the upfront tip!

 

Some people sound as though they expect their room steward to act as their private butler/maid for a week, and expect them to be available 24/7, as though they have nothing else to do and no one else to help.

 

I don't even care if I never see my steward! In fact, we never met or saw our steward on our Elation cruise and the cabin was probably kept the best ever.

 

Now, if I were one of those who demanded a ton of extra services (like requiring that my cooler full of smuggled beer be iced 3 times a day), an extra tip should be given. At the end, if the extra service were actually provided as requested.

 

I just want my cabin straightened while I'm not there, my beach towels replaced when used, my ice bucket filled. Nothing exceptional.

 

I "expect" good service from everyone on board the ship. I do not "expect" to be treated as though I'm the only person cruising and that it's my private yacht! I treat the crew with respect and expect the same.

 

Unless I have a horrible experience (have had a couple "bad" but not horrible, thankfully), I'll adjust the tip down but only for that particular person.

[Krazy Kruizers]

On HAL, they have the $10 auto tip per person per day. Of that amount, the room steward gets $3.50 --JMO - we don't feel that is enough. So depending on how good he/she is, depends on how much extra we give the person at the end of the cruise.

[cb at sea]

We never tip (or bribe!) upfront, and our service has always been exemplary! We do tip in cash, because then it's up to the attendant to "report" those tips, if they wish. With cash, they are free to keep it all! And, they don't have to wait until the next paydate to receive their tips, like they do when it's charged to your seapass.

If we make a special request, and it's fulfilled in a timely matter, the attendant gets more. If they do the bare minimum, they get the standard tip.

So far, all but 1 attendant has received more than the recommended amount.

[agabbymama]

I usually tip only the recommended amount. I feel the cruiseline has set that tip as the guideline for the job they do, the same as our restaurant waiter tips here in California are supposed to be 20% now.

 

That said, on my New England/Canada cruise, we had cabin 6143 on Constellation (in amongst all the suites on Penthouse deck 6). She was a honey of a cabin and balcony and our cabin steward also served the suites, so he knew how to take care of us. In Bar Harbor we ran into a store that was having Buxton wallets at 75% off. My friend and I each bought one. When we returned to the ship, I put mine away waiting until I got home to switch to the new wallet. My friend however decided to switch right then. She emptied her old wallet and put it in the trash can. Putting everything into the new wallet. We dressed for dinner and exited the cabin. After dinner and the show when we returned to the cabin, her wallet was laying on the desk. I asked her if she had decided not to throw it away. She said no, throw it away. I picked it up and out fell a plastic insert filled with grocery store cards (not credit cards). I showed it to her and she was aghast that she had missed taking that out. I then decided to look through the wallet. Tucked in a back corner pocket was 3 $100 dollar bills. I jokingly asked her if I could have whatever I found still in the wallet. She said "WHY?" I pulled out the emergency cash and she about fainted. Our cabin steward or housekeeper had to be the one to take that wallet out of the trash and see that there was still something in it. They could have gone through the wallet and kept the $300 and thrown the wallet away and we would have been none the wiser. We each tipped them an extra $20 each for their honesty.

 

Tipping is definitely up to each person. If I feel like tipping more and I have it, then I do. Sometimes, I've gone into a restaurant with only enough for the meal, and unfortunately very little left over for the tip. Sometimes I'm loaded therefore the tip is more. Just depends on the circumstances. For the cruise, in my opinion you should plan for at least the minimum tip.

 

Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to get the whole story across.

[blindrid]

Here's mey 2 cents. If I request something beyond the call of duty, I tip extra. I do not if they perform the tasks that are expected. Some like the interaction with the steward. I believe that if they are doing their job, I will rarely see them (unless one stays in their room alot).

[sultan_sfo]

We have not had any problem with clean cabins on boarding. But we will be on a 31 day cruise next month. I was thinking of giving $30 on first day and suggesting that although the cabin is clean, he share it with a helper to "thoroughly" clean the cabin at the first port of call. Is this a good idea? Will I be insulting the steward with this suggestion? Any comments? We always give extra for extra services and extra at end of the cruise/Sultan

 

PS: On Princess, the steward's $3.50 pp per day has to be shared with a few others -- cabin steward end up with $1.75 pp per day.

[agabbymama]

We have not had any problem with clean cabins on boarding. But we will be on a 31 day cruise next month. I was thinking of giving $30 on first day and suggesting that although the cabin is clean, he share it with a helper to "thoroughly" clean the cabin at the first port of call. Is this a good idea? Will I be insulting the steward with this suggestion? Any comments? We always give extra for extra services and extra at end of the cruise/Sultan

 

PS: On Princess, the steward's $3.50 pp per day has to be shared with a few others -- cabin steward end up with $1.75 pp per day.

 

Are you sure? I was told that the $11 is divided up that the cabin steward and the waiter get $3.50 the assts get $1.50 and $1.00 for misc people you never see. I think whoever you talk to you gives you a different story.

[sultan_sfo]

Yes -- but I know of Princess Only. The "cabin" share ($3.50) of auto-tip is divided (not equally) among the laundry staff, the person who sets up the Steward's cart, and the helper who does the deep cleaning on turnaround. Similarly, the waiter does not get to keep all of $3.50 either.

 

Are you sure? I was told that the $11 is divided up that the cabin steward and the waiter get $3.50 the assts get $1.50 and $1.00 for misc people you never see. I think whoever you talk to you gives you a different story.

[suzimack]

I pre-tip the room steward an extra ten when I arrive and the steward usualy asks if there is anything I require. I indicate a cooler full of ice, extra beverage/wine glasses and anything else. It usually arrive by that evening and each day thereafter..The ice is always fresh. I figure that I only have a week and don't want to "see if I get good service or not"...I guess I feel that I deserve a nice vacation and if my requests are reasonable that they should be fulfilled. At the end of the cruise I tip addtional monies if the service has been good or better...it ususally is