Tipping question.......

[Kurbanfan]

I will be on my first Carnival cruise in Oct. I have read that Carnival automatically charges you for tips. Is there anyway to change that so that you personally have control? Don't get me wrong, I know the crew works hard for their money and I always tip well. I guess it is just a control thing, but I want to decide, not them.

 

Thanks

 

 

Yes you have that option. Your welcome aboard booklet covers this.

 

 

 

I was sort of expecting the tipping was all paid, but I guess you are saying if someone goes above and beyond what you expect you would want to tip more.

 

Joking aside about the gifts and spider rings etc. (I'm sure it the intention was to try to be more 'personal' than just giving money, which I do agree with in normal situations at home), but would it be nice to take a couple of little cards (maybe thank you cards) to put any extra tips in and write a message if you felt appropriate?

 

Your auto tips are added to your S&S card or you can pay it ahead of time. That is all they expect and you are not obligated to pay more.

One of the best things you can do for them is to give them a great review on the comment cards left in your cabin....

Good luck!

[AZ Karaoke Girl]

If my service was bad enough to warrant lowering the autotips, I would be complaining about the service & worrying less about the tip they are getting. I take it as a part of the cost of the cruise and much easier than tracking everyone down at the end of the cruise. I tip extra to my dining staff if they exceeded my expectations (usually do). For my room steward, I take little Kit Kat candy bars and wrap money around them and leave it in my room with a post it note along with anything I might need handled like ice etc and my notes always say something like have an awesome day and call them by name too. I didn't do the candy bar thing on my last cruise cuz to be totally honest, we saw our steward "Prasit" several times a day and never had to ask him for anything cuz he took care of it before we had to ask. We gave him an extra $40 on top of the autotips. He deserved the extra and of course the comment cards left in the room are great. If someone does something really special and memorable, write a letter to Carnival guest relations and be sure to include their name. That gives them extra bonuses and you might end up with a nice bon voyage gift (45 day letter) for your next sailing. I like the idea of the personalized thank you notes.

[dan40]

I have never understood why people want to go and stand in a long line at the Purser's desk and take all that valuable time from their cruise just to adjust tips! :confused: Just makes things more complicated than they need to be. Prepayment of the tips is so easy and simple' date=' and then you can always give them extra cash at the end of the cruise if you deem fit. [/color']

You are very kind. They stand in line and waste their cruise time because they have no intention of tipping anyone for anything.

 

Dan

[brt49]

Has anyone ever tipped their cabin steward at the beginning of the cruise? Is this a good idea? I guess if the service was not up to par you could always reduce their tips at the end of the cruise.

[Donray]

You are very kind. They stand in line and waste their cruise time because they have no intention of tipping anyone for anything.

 

Dan

 

 

I agree; how many threads are there on how to increase the auto tips?

 

Most people that ask don't intend to tip.................. FACT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[VentureMan_2000]

Has anyone ever tipped their cabin steward at the beginning of the cruise? Is this a good idea?

 

 

Yes I have. I won't do it again. Not because I did not get good service... but more because after I TIP'd up front... I felt my expectations were then higher... like I was more judgemental. That was not my intention.

 

I now prefer to TIP someone a little more on the last night, if I intend to TIP extra at all. :)

[katiel53]

I agree that the people who remove their auto-tips to have "control" or whatever flimsy excuse they are using are just cheap. If you don't have the money to do the tips, then perhaps cruising isn't something for you.

 

How would they like to work all week and have their boss or company not pay them? That's what it amounts to as most of their pay is tips. They should be ashamed of themselves. Cheapskates with tips, but I bet they are big spenders at the bars etc.

 

What goes around comes around and hopefully, they will get their due too.

[katiel53]

I agree that the people who remove their auto-tips to have "control" or whatever flimsy excuse they are using are just cheap. If you don't have the money to do the tips, then perhaps cruising isn't something for you.

 

How would they like to work all week and have their boss or company not pay them? That's what it amounts to as most of their pay is tips. They should be ashamed of themselves. Cheapskates with tips, but I bet they are big spenders at the bars etc.

 

What goes around comes around and hopefully, they will get their due too.

[yearnin4cruisin]

One of the big reasons why I like pre-paid gratuities is that there isn't that weird awkwardness at the end of the cruise. Remember when staff you've never seen for the whole cruise were popping out of nowhere on tip night? I have always, always tipped but "tip night" was kind of creepy for me. I'm sure some of them felt odd about it too, no matter how well-deserved they were.

 

Can anyone tell me if it's better to tip above and beyond in cash, or add it to your room so there is a record of extra going to a certain individual?

[Kurbanfan]

Most people that ask don't intend to tip.................. FACT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Really:confused: Show me the fact:cool:

[Kurbanfan]

Has anyone ever tipped their cabin steward at the beginning of the cruise? Is this a good idea? I guess if the service was not up to par you could always reduce their tips at the end of the cruise.

 

Yes we always have our room steward keep our ice chest full.....he/she always gets tipped extra the first day........and always had excellent service;)

[blackrose602]

Has anyone ever tipped their cabin steward at the beginning of the cruise? Is this a good idea? I guess if the service was not up to par you could always reduce their tips at the end of the cruise.

 

That's exactly what happened on our recent Victory cruise. Let me stress that I have always, always left the auto-tips on, plus tipped extra. But this time we got stuck with the room steward from hell. His attitude started almost as soon as we gave him the up-front tip (maybe he was offended?) We tried to ignore it and play nice until it all came to a head on the last day.

 

We couldn't get the up-front tip back, but we went to the Purser and removed his auto-tips. We tipped his assistant, a really great guy, a healthy amount of cash, and we had the auto-tips redistributed to our wait team and the buffet staff.

 

I hated doing it, but his attitude was really appalling.

[Cotton]

Has anyone ever tipped their cabin steward at the beginning of the cruise? Is this a good idea?

 

No. Actually, that makes it seem more of a 'bribe'. You will get the same great service if you simply leave your tips in place. They are given a printout of who has removed, reduced, or kept the tips as is.

 

I guess if the service was not up to par you could always reduce their tips at the end of the cruise.

 

Of course you could. I hope you wouldn't remove all the amount though, if at least the effort was made to keep your cabin clean, beds made, etc.

[luvmygirlz]

The tips added to your S&S account are only $10.00 per person per day. Of that amount only $1.00 is pooled for the buffet staff. The remaining $9.00 is split up among the EXACT people that service YOUR room for YOU and the EXACT people that serve YOU at YOUR table in the dining room. If you decide that those exact people are doing a poor job, HIGHLY UNLIKELY, you may go to the Purser ANYTIME up to and including the final day and adjust the tips to whatever you want. Understand that 80 to 90+% of all people that adjust the tips FOR ANY CLAIMED REASON, do not tip anyone anything. They are pure out and out cheapskates. Do you wish to be thought of in that group for the duration of your cruise? I sure wouldn't want to be. And be sure, officially or unofficially the crew WILL KNOW.

 

Dan

 

Relax. It was just a simple question. I am not one of THOSE people. I have cruised other lines before and this was not the norm. I always tip better than carnivals automatic $10 pp/pd. I just like to have control over it and actually give it to them myself....and make sure they are actually getting it. We also have young kids and typically eat in the buffet instead of the dining room. I would like to have a way of distributing those allocated funds to the buffet staff and not the dining.

[CC Help Michell]

Relax. It was just a simple question. I am not one of THOSE people. I have cruised other lines before and this was not the norm. I always tip better than carnivals automatic $10 pp/pd. I just like to have control over it and actually give it to them myself....and make sure they are actually getting it. We also have young kids and typically eat in the buffet instead of the dining room. I would like to have a way of distributing those allocated funds to the buffet staff and not the dining.

 

Leave autotips in place, then, and just tip buffet staff a bit extra in cash? That might solve it. Regarding "to be sure they are actually getting it" -- rest assured, in this era of the internet, if the cruiselines were stiffing staff on autotips we WOULD know it. There are blogs a plenty about life on cruiseships, plus this site and dozens of others. I've never read a single post by a crew member, anywhere, stating that they are unhappy about the pooled autotips -- the crew comes out much further ahead than they did under the old voluntary tipping system, where folks just "oops, had to pack" on the last night, etc.

[trock]

Relax. It was just a simple question. I am not one of THOSE people. I have cruised other lines before and this was not the norm. I always tip better than carnivals automatic $10 pp/pd. I just like to have control over it and actually give it to them myself....and make sure they are actually getting it. We also have young kids and typically eat in the buffet instead of the dining room. I would like to have a way of distributing those allocated funds to the buffet staff and not the dining.

 

 

From what I read your dining staff and buffet staff are one and the same...

But you are entitled to do what you want.. Its your money..

Enjoy your cruise

[steveaaaaa]

I will be on my first Carnival cruise in Oct. I have read that Carnival automatically charges you for tips. Is there anyway to change that so that you personally have control? Don't get me wrong, I know the crew works hard for their money and I always tip well. I guess it is just a control thing, but I want to decide, not them.

 

Thanks

 

Go mid week to the pursers and ask to remove them.Then tip in cash at the end that way you are sure that there is no administration fee taken out of their hard earned money.

They do get a list,but its not until after the cruise is over so as not to impact customer service.

Steve

[solle1]

Should you tip the same based on a child in your cabin ? ie based on the auto tipping scale ?

[Rowan555]

Should you tip the same based on a child in your cabin ? ie based on the auto tipping scale ?

 

Yes, it's the same $10 pp per day for everyone, regardless of age.

[soulfulone]

I think and this is just me.. Was glad they did it up front. With that out of the way. We enjoyed our trip. Now i will say we did do another 100.00 for tipping.. extra. But it was well worth it.. These people work hard for there money..

[dan40]

Relax. It was just a simple question. I am not one of THOSE people. I have cruised other lines before and this was not the norm. I always tip better than carnivals automatic $10 pp/pd. I just like to have control over it and actually give it to them myself....and make sure they are actually getting it. We also have young kids and typically eat in the buffet instead of the dining room. I would like to have a way of distributing those allocated funds to the buffet staff and not the dining.

 

Other lines have their way but you are not cruising on other lines. You now know how Carnival does it. Dining room staff work in the buffet for lunch and breakfast AND dinner if they have empty tables in the DR. The control thing is your need to be appreciated by the workers. How long would they be working for a line that was taking their money? A ship is a small closed society, EVERYBODY knows EVERYTHING that is going on.

Also

No one can say if this is fact or not. [i think it is]

There is a strong possibility that IF you remove the auto-tip FOR ANY REASON, the worker/s in question are asked why you were unhappy. AND they must turn in ALL cash tips to be pooled. If the auto-tips are left in place, they are not questioned and keep all the auto-tip from their passengers plus ANY extra cash tips.

Some think Carnival wouldn't/doesn't do this. Others swear that they do and have said the workers tell them that.

Either way, there is NO good reason to have to tip them in person unless you are talking about extra tips over and above the auto-tip. I have the strong feeling that is not your intent.

 

Dan

[yearnin4cruisin]

 

There is a strong possibility that IF you remove the auto-tip FOR ANY REASON, the worker/s in question are asked why you were unhappy. AND they must turn in ALL cash tips to be pooled. If the auto-tips are left in place, they are not questioned and keep all the auto-tip from their passengers plus ANY extra cash tips.

 

Dan

 

I don't understand. Why would they have to pool their tips only if someone removed auto-tips? Maybe I'm missing something.

[sam1148]

Has anyone ever tipped their cabin steward at the beginning of the cruise? Is this a good idea? I guess if the service was not up to par you could always reduce their tips at the end of the cruise.

 

I'm one of those people. I tip my cabin steward up front 20..and I leave the autotips. I want my little cooler filled with ice and tell her/him.

 

The 20 says "I'm willing to tip and might have requests, take care of me". It always works for me. At the end of the cruise they get another tip and a comment card if they've done well. I never, ever take back anything.

 

Last cruise the head steward was great. Her assistant really, really sucked.

No refills on bathroom stuff, (IE: no Soaps when first boarding and no hand towels, toilet tissue) didn't clean the balcony and once refused to fill the (small) ice chest because he would have to walk back. She snapped him back in and line "I Kill my Assistant, I will take care of you!"

At the end of the cruise she thanked us for putting up with her assistant, apologized saying he was new..and we still gave her an extra 30 at the end of the cruise and comment card. She gave us a hug and was aware of the problems and was really grateful we weren't complainers.

[Aurori]

I slipped my room steward a $10 when i asked for extra pillows. We got the extra pillows but he turned out to be one of the less attentive stewards we've had. He wasnt horrible, but seemed to miss random things on a nightly basis. We gave him no bonus at the end. We'll probably continue to give a small pre-tip and see how things go.

[dan40]

I don't understand. Why would they have to pool their tips only if someone removed auto-tips? Maybe I'm missing something.

 

One simple reason is that they are guaranteed to make a certain amount. If a worker [or a large number of workers] advise pax to remove the auto-tip and tip in cash, then the line has no way to know their guarantee has been met. The requiring of a tip turn in when auto-tips are removed is a disincentive for the workers to request cash tips.

Another is the line doesn't want the workers talking to the pax about money.

Another is basic fiscal security, if an employee handles a customers money, the company should know about it.

Another is the lines want the auto-tip program to be successful.

 

There could be a dozen more reasons.

 

Dan