Tipping

[Deettet]

Since the tipping is included in my cruise price I heard that it is a good idea to give an extra tip to your cabin steward and they will furnish you with some extra freebies. Is this true?

[GoinCruisin]

Freebies? Such as? I have never prepaid my tips... I just leave them on my S&S account, but I do give the cabin steward and dining team extra tips... they seem to take such great care of me, that it is well worth it. I also tip my main pool waiter extra as well. As far as freebies, I'm not sure what freebies they could give you, other than maybe an extra razor or shampoo :p LOL.. although I have gotten free drinks from my pool waiters...

[tef43]

Since the tipping is included in my cruise price

:confused:

What cruise line are *you* sailing on?

 

Gratuities are definitely *not* included in your price on Carnival.

[neverenufcruising]

I assume by "included in my cruise price" you mean you prepaid the tips. If not they will get added to your S&S card first thing. I generally tip my room steward up front for any special requests that fall out their normal duties. For example, I bring along a collapsible cooler and tip the steward to keep ice in it for the duration of the cruise. Most would probably keep it full anyway but I want them to know I'm going to take care of them if they take care of me.

 

 

BTW, where's Steve when you need him....

 

 

Oh Steveaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[hstrybuf]

Since the tipping is included in my cruise price I heard that it is a good idea to give an extra tip to your cabin steward and they will furnish you with some extra freebies. Is this true?

Are you sure the tips were included in what you paid for the cruise? If you pre-paid them, then they are. If not, they will show up the first day on your Sail & Sign card bill. Usually the price of the cruise includes only the cruise, port charges and taxes, not the tips. FYI, we tip the recommended amount and add extra for special requests (at the time of the request) and good service (at the end of the cruise). There will also be additional tips for other services once you are aboard such as room service or spa treatments.

[Deettet]

Sorry, I mean that it is automatically put on my S&S card.

[Cotton]

Dee, I thought that was what you meant.:D

 

I don't tip my cabin steward anything extra at the start of the cruise. You will get a little amenity basket/bowl in the bathroom, but I don't know of any extras the steward could provide. (Should you run out of the little samples in the basket, he/she will be glad to provide more for you.)

 

What I do is: I leave $2 and a mini-candy pack on the bed each morning, just as a 'happy', and give him a $5 tip as I'm leaving the cabin on the last morning. So, what it ends up being (for a 5 night cruise) is $15 in addition to what's on the S&S account.

[mjmiller]

On the Triumph (I believe) we left a couple $1 coins everyday for our cabin steward. We always left the money in the hand/paw/?? of whatever towel animal she had created the prior night.

 

We had several bottles of wine in our room, and she brought us an opener that first day when we asked. Sometime around day 5, she asked "you like wine?" we said yes, and she said "just wait" and she brought us back a bottle of wine (complimentary) and two wine glasses.

 

She also left a pile of bedtime chocolates the last night.

 

Guess those would be extras...

[MamaParrotHead]

in my price as well. is that really unusual, or impossible even? better figure that one out before cruise time, eh? :eek:

[serene56]

Mama: figure on paying 10.00 per person for day is what is suggested. This is tips for your cabin steward who will make your cabin up twice a day. and your waitstaff. (waiter and asst waiter) These people work the buffet on their days off so you may see them there too.

[MamaParrotHead]

I assume the waiters/bus person after dinner? do we leave the tip on the table, like in a restaurant? and what about the cabin steward? just leave the money on a nightstand or something in the morning? GOD, you people need to write a BOOK on all the ettiquette! it's really important, but there's so MUCH of it. :)

[tef43]

I assume the waiters/bus person after dinner? do we leave the tip on the table, like in a restaurant? and what about the cabin steward? just leave the money on a nightstand or something in the morning? GOD, you people need to write a BOOK on all the ettiquette! it's really important, but there's so MUCH of it. :)

Ok, a *really short* elementary definition of the three "common" methods:

 

Pre-paid - the tips are added to your final invoice. You have *no* flexibility in reducing or removing them.

 

Auto-tipping - the "recommended" gratuities are added to your S&S account. You may increase/decrease them as you see fit.

 

Traditional - gratuities are extended in cash on the final night of the cruise.

[neverenufcruising]

If you prepaid the tips when you booked your cruise then the recommended amounts have already been covered. If you didn't prepay the tips, then they will automatically be charged to your Sail and Sign card. This will be the first thing that appears on your account. You can go to the purser's desk to have them removed if you wish to extend all of your tips to your Room Steward and Wait Staff yourself.

 

Although people handle their tips differently, the most common way seems to be leaving the tips on the S&S card (unless you've prepaid in which case they wouldn't be on the S&S card). Anything you wish to tip above and beyond you can extend to the Room Steward and your Wait Staff the last evening of the cruise. You can get envelopes from the purser's desk, hand them the cash yourself, or leave it in the room the last evening.

 

Some people do like to extend tips a little at a time which is fine as well. I've never seen anyone leave a tip on the dining room table although I suppose you could. The staff doesn't expect something each evening.

[Cotton]

Mama, your TA obviously didn't go a very good job of informing you about tips. (If you have a Carnival brochure, you can find all this info in there, as well.)

 

When booking a cruise, you CAN pre-pay your tips. This would then be added to the price of your cruise - and you will be quoted the entire price. (Most folks do NOT pre-pay tips.)

 

What happens is: You will have a folio on the ship. Carnival 'suggests' an amount of $10 per person per day. These 'automatic' tips are the first entry on your Sail and Sign account. You can leave these tips as is - the accepted practice - OR you can adjust them, or have them removed.

 

The $10 per person per day amount breaks downs as follows:

$5.50 per day for dining room team

$3.50 per day for cabin steward

$1.00 per day for alternative dining (buffet service personnel

 

....and No, it is NOT like restaurant tipping. You do not leave a tip on the table after meals. This is included in the automatic tipping.

 

Should you wish to tip (in addition to the S&S account), you could give your waiters and/or cabin steward additional tips on the last evening of your cruise.

 

Hope this is a clear explanation. I can't imagine your TA not explaining these things to you.:rolleyes:

[steveaaaa]

 

BTW, where's Steve when you need him....

 

 

Oh Steveaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

I'm here,I figured I would let you guys handle it!

Steve:D