Best way to leave tips???

[goLC]

I know... I should know this by heart, but my memory is cloudy... and no matter what I typed in the "search," I couldn't zero in on what I need to know.

 

We need to know if it is best/easiest/most convenient/most appreciated by staff to:

a) take our own envelopes to leave tips on the final night

b) have them added to our set sail account. If we do this, do we need to go to the pursur's desk and request this? If we do this, how do our stewards/waiters/etc. know they haven't been stiffed?

 

Thanks in advance for answering something I know has been answered in the past!

[temple1]

LOL - I'm the same way. Maybe we should cruise more often so we will have fresher memories.

 

You can tip in one of several ways - prepay and have it charged to your account now. If you do this or pay at the pursers desk on your seapass account you will receive envelopes the day before you return to port with slips indicating how much you're tipping. If you choose to pay cash you will also receive envelopes with a suggestion of how much to tip.

[cb at sea]

I believe the staff prefers cash--and you don't need to bring envelopes--the ship will leave them for you in your cabin on the last evening.

If you do the pre-paid route, those who have served you have to wait until their next paycheck to get the tips. If you give them cash, they will be able to immediately use that cash--and most of them send it home to families.

Figure $9.75 per person, per day unless you are in a GS or above. Then, figure around $12.00+ pp, pd.

[dougt1957]

The last few times I put them on my Sea Pass and added a little extra in cash in the envelope. I also add a dollar bill per drink for cocktail waiters. They seem to really like getting cash.

[cruiseguy1016]

I always tip with cash. I hand it to the staff member, shake their hand and say "Thank You". I like to say "Thank You" in person and hand them the money. This way they know they are appreciated and I know the money intended for them gets in their hand.

[keep on cruisin]

If you do the pre-paid route, those who have served you have to wait until their next paycheck to get the tips. If you give them cash, they will be able to immediately use that cash--and most of them send it home to families.

 

I'm not sure that you are correct regaurding the cash being available to them right away. My understanding is, if they receive cash as an added tip from someone who had their tips on the sea pass they can keep that money. However if they receive cash from someone who did not tip via the sea pass, they are required to turn it in as part of the tip pool. If they do not turn it in, they can be terminated.

 

I don't have first hand knowledge of this, but I do know I have read it here many, many, many times. Lots of tipping threads, maybe they will have the search function fixed at some point.

 

David

[bubbadog]

i do the same thing as cruiseguy,they get there usual tips,plus i give extra when i want good drink service,and when i order room service,and they are very happy when they leave me,and quick when i call or motion:D

[critterchick]

I'm not sure that you are correct regaurding the cash being available to them right away. My understanding is, if they receive cash as an added tip from someone who had their tips on the sea pass they can keep that money. However if they receive cash from someone who did not tip via the sea pass, they are required to turn it in as part of the tip pool. If they do not turn it in, they can be terminated.

 

I don't have first hand knowledge of this, but I do know I have read it here many, many, many times. Lots of tipping threads, maybe they will have the search function fixed at some point.

 

David

 

I believe that's the case on Princess. On RCI there is no tip pool for the waitstaff - each person keeps what he or she is given whether in cash or on your Seapass.:)

[sharod]

I always tip with cash. I hand it to the staff member, shake their hand and say "Thank You". I like to say "Thank You" in person and hand them the money. This way they know they are appreciated and I know the money intended for them gets in their hand.

 

Exactly what I do. I like to let the crew know how much I appriciate everything they have done for me.

[bigsky]

Not sure if all the lines give their employees a list of people that took their tips off of their accts. I always tip cash and have them removed from our acct. I've had problems with some Carnival employees on the last night. (before I give them their tips in cash) I get this attitude from them. Like they're being stiffed on their tips!

Makes me not want to give them out, but I do!

 

I wonder if all the lines do this as far as the list?

 

Just makes it more personable to hand them out and say thank you.

[mamaza]

I believe that's the case on Princess. On RCI there is no tip pool for the waitstaff - each person keeps what he or she is given whether in cash or on your Seapass.:)

We met a very nice girl on NOS who has since left the company and gone home to Ukraine. We still email and I did ask her this question after she left the company. Unfortunately, I have deleted the email. But, she did state that tipped employees get to keep ALL of the tip regardless of how it's paid. They have suffered a loss in base pay over the years, down to about $50 a week salary. Her work load was an overload although she did get off a month every 6 (or was it 2 months every 6 months) for vacation (but you don't get tips while on vacation. She worked 7 days a week, 3 meals a day and occationally had to do a stint at the Windjammer where tips are lower.

[Barbee524]

I personally prefer to tip with cash. But really the real guideline is to tip. Whether you do so with vouchers or with cash. I always wonder about the many empty seats I see in the dining room on the last night of a cruise and just hope they tipped with vouchers.

[katiel53]

We do our tips on the SeaPass and the extra tips we give are in cash. A few years ago we asked our waiters what they preferred and we were told that they don't care either way. Many of them do send the money home, and if they get cash, there is a tendency to spend before they send what they should home.

 

It's up to the individual. I think they just want to be sure to get tipped and giving them extra in the form of cash, gives them some spending money. JMO.

[Mark_K]

We do our tips on the SeaPass and the extra tips we give are in cash. A few years ago we asked our waiters what they preferred and we were told that they don't care either way. Many of them do send the money home, and if they get cash, there is a tendency to spend before they send what they should home.

 

It's up to the individual. I think they just want to be sure to get tipped and giving them extra in the form of cash, gives them some spending money. JMO.

Yes, whether you tip - and how much, is far more important to them than the method you use.

[danp]

Another thing that we do is at the first port is we will get the room steward a $10 calling card so that the following week when the ship is in the same port they can call home.On our cruise last April the steward couldnt thank us enough.