Tipping guidelines

[cjruns]

I see that NCL automaticly adds $12.oo per day for tips.While Holland charges $11.oo and RCL suggests $10.25 a day.Does anyone know how much of the auto tip on NCL goes directly to the stewarts and waiters .Does it all go to the employees and not to NCL?Would I be better off not letting them take the tips automaticly and hand delivering them to the staff at the end of the cruise.I always tip more then is suggested and want to make sure the great service is rewarded.

[paulred]

I would suggest doing both. The cruise lines have their reasons for auto tipping, and clearly the staff must agree, or else they would be fleeing to other lines. Use their autotip to ensure the behind the scenes people get their due, and then do something for those you find went out of their way for you.

 

There are so many threads about cruising, and many people lose sight of reality. Everyone on board, and all those behind the scenes on land get paid by cruise line income, either from the tip charge, the cruise fare, or from amounts spent on board. Since you never worry about how the the deck hands or the officers are getting paid, why worry about the hotel staff. let the cruise lines handle it, then tip extra if you wish.

 

Paul

[retiredonthesea]

After being on many NCL cruise I can tell you YES the tips go into the tip pool where all the service help split it. This is why it's so important to leave the service chg. on ---all those that clear the tables, help in the kitchens, serve your food ect. ect. get part of that. We leave extra to those who do an outstanding job. Our room steward usally gets extra and our Butler & Concierge are not in the tip pool so we give them accordingly to how much we have used them, so happens to be alot.:o The bartenders have a 15% already included, but again a little extra will land up getting you a little extra!:D One more note-- at the end of the cruise it's hard to find all those outstanding waiters/waitress as you will have had so many different ones throughout your cruise.

[Arwenmark]

Also, if you do remove the service charge and you give out money to say your room Steward, he/she will have to turn that money in and will not see it again. they will instead get their share of the auto tip pool and the money you have given them will also go into that pool.

If however you leave the service charge alone, you are free to tip extra to who ever you like and while they still have to report and turn it in, once the cruiseline has determined that you did not remove your auto service charge, those extra funds will go directly back to whom you gave it too.

[cjruns]

Thank so much for the great input.It is nice to have a forum to ask these questions.

[ohioNCLcruiser]

Thanks for posting the daily service charge for the other two cruise lines also. I wish the people who yelled because NCL is the only company who does the service charge would see this!

 

James