This is interesting

[Sunshine required]

Well as a first time cruiser I am very confused as to how to pay our tips.

 

After reading a thread on this site saying that people were CHEAP for not handing over their envelopes at the end of the cruise we decided to remove the pre-paid tips from our account and pay in cash so as everyone would then see us paying our tips and we could not be classed as CHEAP.

 

Now we are classed as CHEAP as we have removed the pre-paid tips from our account (even though we fully intend on paying in cash, probably over and above the recommended values, if the service is good)...

 

What are we to do?? :eek: :(

[suvicki]

This will be our first cruise and we have prepaid our tips.

We are traditional dining not MTD but decided it was the easiest way to go.

We can give more to staff if we want to but dont have to worry about how much to tip who.

[SamFritz]

I used to prepay before the cruise, but my wife had such a negative experience in the MDR on the Monarch, (she and my son ended up eating every meal in the Windjammer) and I had that invisible Headwaiter on the Voyager, that I want to have some assurance that my service will be good before I commit to a level of tips.

 

I have another question: This summer we're going to have four in a Junior Suite. Since a JS doesn't get all the amenities of a Grand or Family Suite, does the Steward get paid Suite tips or regular? We're already going to have four in the room, so he/she will be doing pretty well by us. But Suite Stewards get about $2 per person per day more.

[temple1]

Well as a first time cruiser I am very confused as to how to pay our tips.

 

After reading a thread on this site saying that people were CHEAP for not handing over their envelopes at the end of the cruise we decided to remove the pre-paid tips from our account and pay in cash so as everyone would then see us paying our tips and we could not be classed as CHEAP.

 

Now we are classed as CHEAP as we have removed the pre-paid tips from our account (even though we fully intend on paying in cash, probably over and above the recommended values, if the service is good)...

 

What are we to do?? :eek: :(

 

Hi Sunshine, sorry if all this tip foolishness is confusing. Sometimes regular posters think what we're posting is crystal clear. :o

 

Part of this discussion is because of the difference between RCI and some of the other cruise lines. On RCI it is your choice to prepay or pay cash or pay during the cruise on your seapass. Other cruiselines charge you automatically which can be removed from your account once you are on board. That one confuses me also.

 

Whether you prepay your gratuities or not, on the last day of the cruise you will receive envelopes for the individuals who are normally tipped for their services - cabin steward, head waiter, waiter, assistant waiter. If you prepay your gratuities, you will receive vouchers to go into the envelopes and you can always add additional cash.

 

Where the cheapness charges come in is when people avoid the Main Dining room on the last night because they are stiffing the waiters. What the individuals making the charges of cheapness don't know is if you chose to dine in another venue on the last night (which I frequently choose to do) and stopped by earlier to express your thanks (tip envelopes in hand) to the staff.

 

I choose to prepay for convenience. I try to pay for everything I can before stepping on the ship just so I don't have to worry about this stuff during my vacation. :D

 

Have a wonderful cruise and don't worry - handle the gratuities however works best for you and have a great cruise.

[kyriecat]

Holland America (and I assume Carnival since CCL owns HAL) does not call them gratuities or tips. The fee is listed as a "hotel service charge" and is $11per person/day that is automatically added to your shipboard account. I always put my "tips" for RC on my Sea Pass account anyway so didn't really have a problem with HAL automatically doing it.

 

I was kind of sad how many people didn't read the booklet that HAL sent with the documents or the information posted on their website regarding the hotel service charge. I was standing in line to get some change at the front desk and listened to a man complain that he had brought his family of 16 onboard for a vacation and didn't think it was fair that HAL expected him to pay a $2500 service charge after he'd already paid over $20K in fares for his family. When asked, he said the service was excellent and far exceeded his expectations, but he didn't want to pay extra for it. Later, there was a woman complaining that her cabin steward didn't leave her fresh fruit one day so she wanted her whole service charge removed.

 

I've always thought the cruiselines should simply increase the fares by the "gratuity" amount and simply do away with hotel service charges, recommended gratuity amounts, or whatever.

[CruisenGoddess]

Just curious to all those in favor of:

 

Would you still consider it cheap if you had a room steward that put stained/torn sheets on your bed several times? Ratty towels? Closet mirror all smeared with finger prints, didn't dust, empty the trash, smeared soot on your balcony and chairs for an aft cabin?

 

I had such a cruise and thankfully it was only one cruise out of twenty plus cruises - but there are circumstances that reflect whatever you want to call it: tipping/service charge/gratuity. Personally I feel that room steward deserved to be as you called "stiffed".

[PattyG12]

I use a TA that prepays gratuities. That way I tip extra to whoever I want to tip extra. Usually the assistant waiter and the room steward get extra.

[livylotte]

Well, with 3000 people on board I imagine it would be a very long list :p

We went on our first RCI cruise last year but our D+ table mates had cruised for over 40 years and they told us that most people they'd met over the years preferred to tip in cash at the end of the cruise.

[temple1]

Well, with 3000 people on board I imagine it would be a very long list :p

We went on our first RCI cruise last year but our D+ table mates had cruised for over 40 years and they told us that most people they'd met over the years preferred to tip in cash at the end of the cruise.

 

The OP was about Carnival which requires prepayment of gratuities that can be removed once you are on board. On RCI you are not required to prepay so the staff does not know if a particular passenger plans to stiff them or will pay with cash later on.

[kyriecat]

Just curious to all those in favor of:

 

Would you still consider it cheap if you had a room steward that put stained/torn sheets on your bed several times? Ratty towels? Closet mirror all smeared with finger prints, didn't dust, empty the trash, smeared soot on your balcony and chairs for an aft cabin?

 

I had such a cruise and thankfully it was only one cruise out of twenty plus cruises - but there are circumstances that reflect whatever you want to call it: tipping/service charge/gratuity. Personally I feel that room steward deserved to be as you called "stiffed".

Were you on Legend? I'm asking because that sounds familiar from my last experience. Except instead of ratty towels, we didn't get any several times. We had to go up to the pool deck to take some. I don't think the steward ever dusted or vacuumed the entire two weeks. We saw several of the other stewards around but ours was never to be found and didn't answer when we paged her. We were in an aft cabin last May (8084). We left only the recommended amount for the service - nothing extra. We filed a complaint with the head of housekeeping and he said he would speak to her about the service but it didn't do any good. I think it made it worse. We also included our complaints on the survey form for the end of the cruise. Our steward knew we didn't think she was doing her job and refused to give us the survey form. I went to the purser's desk and got one anyway. I got a call from RC after we got home that they would look into our complaints but that was it.

[crusinmama06]

Hey Gordon :D

 

I knew that's what you were posting as soon as I saw the subject. ;) And yes, you are correct, it is VERY interesting.

 

And to those saying its a fake, it's not. The poster had other CCers with him when he took the picture.

[jhk1206]

Interesting - we do the pre-paid tips out of convenience (I don't usually have a ton of cash left at the end of the cruise... ;)), but we typically will give extra throughout the cruise to the Cabin Steward (assuming they're worthy - they usually are), as well as a few little chotchkey things like candy, etc. I don't tip extra to the head waiter typically, although we did have a AWESOME head waiter on Enchantment and he got extra. We typically give our waiter extra, as well as the asst waiter, because again, they typically earn it.

 

Plus, I always assumed that the pre-paid grats they'd have to 'turn in', but the cash we give they might be able to keep for themselves without sharing.

 

Interesting list though - I see both good and bad service in the dining room usually, even by the same servers, but I'd be willing to bet it has a bit to do with the clientele as well. I've seen some miserable diners in the dining room - I wouldn't want to be nice to them either (hence the reason I'm not in that type of career, I guess). I'd probably tell most of them where to go...

 

Thanks for posting!

[Sunshine required]

Hi Sunshine, sorry if all this tip foolishness is confusing. Sometimes regular posters think what we're posting is crystal clear. :o

 

Part of this discussion is because of the difference between RCI and some of the other cruise lines. On RCI it is your choice to prepay or pay cash or pay during the cruise on your seapass. Other cruiselines charge you automatically which can be removed from your account once you are on board. That one confuses me also.

 

Whether you prepay your gratuities or not, on the last day of the cruise you will receive envelopes for the individuals who are normally tipped for their services - cabin steward, head waiter, waiter, assistant waiter. If you prepay your gratuities, you will receive vouchers to go into the envelopes and you can always add additional cash.

 

Where the cheapness charges come in is when people avoid the Main Dining room on the last night because they are stiffing the waiters. What the individuals making the charges of cheapness don't know is if you chose to dine in another venue on the last night (which I frequently choose to do) and stopped by earlier to express your thanks (tip envelopes in hand) to the staff.

 

I choose to prepay for convenience. I try to pay for everything I can before stepping on the ship just so I don't have to worry about this stuff during my vacation. :D

 

Have a wonderful cruise and don't worry - handle the gratuities however works best for you and have a great cruise.

 

Hi Temple! Thanks so much for clarification. This is just our first cruise so will pay the tips in cash this time but hopefully we will cruise again and try the pre-paid - as you say it would be better to have as much as possible paid for before you sail!

Thanks again :)

[EVALUATOR]

I usually charge the tips to my seapass at some point during the cruise. Unfortunately they will only allow you to charge the recommended amount. On our last cruise our Head Waiter was so invisible that we decided to only charge one set of gratuities, (he probably didn't even deserve that) we then supplemented our other servers and stewards with cash equal to or above the recommended amount. Does anyone know if there is a tip pool, or some minimum guaratnteed income for the waitstaff? On shore, waiters can be paid well under minimum wage, but if their reported tips don't bring them up to minimum the employer is required to make up the difference. As a part-time tour guide I know that three quarters of my income comes from tips and only one quarter from my hourly wage. If they're working hard to make you happy, be sure to tip them well.

 

I have been on many cruises where the Head waiter only showed up at the last day for his envelope. And there were times when they got nothing. I have also been on cruises where we tipped the waiter $200 over the recommended amounts.

Here is a suggestion on tipping if you want great service.

Most service is at its best on the first night of the cruise. If you go to the dining room with your significant other and get great service, tip the waiter that night. Recommended is $7 for two. If you get great service and usually tip more than recommended, Tip the Waiter $10.00 the first night. Then they will know you do tip, enjoyed the service, and the next night the service might even be better. You don't have to wait until the end of the cruise to show your appreciation. The same can be done for the assistant waiter, cabin attendant, concierge, etc.

Heck, RCL includes a gratuity on all the bar service at time of service. They don't wait until the end of the cruise. I don't think that helps with better bar service, but I know in my case, it ensures better service in the MDR.

[negc]

Heck, RCL includes a gratuity on all the bar service at time of service. They don't wait until the end of the cruise. I don't think that helps with better bar service, but I know in my case, it ensures better service in the MDR.

 

And you know that for a fact? How do you know that you wouldn't have received the same excellent service if you hadn't, in effect, bribed the server? Comparing the tips given to the wait staff and the gratuity automatically added to you bar tabs is really an apples and oranges thing and isn't relevant to the discussion.:rolleyes:

[Carolyn R]

Why anyone would tolerate poor service for an entire cruise in silence and then not tip is beyond me. It did not make your cruise better. Can anyone explain this to me? Wouldn't it be better to state your expectations up front and enjoy your vacation?

[EVALUATOR]

And you know that for a fact? How do you know that you wouldn't have received the same excellent service if you hadn't, in effect, bribed the server? Comparing the tips given to the wait staff and the gratuity automatically added to you bar tabs is really an apples and oranges thing and isn't relevant to the discussion.:rolleyes:

 

I think you mis-read or mis-interpreted my point. What I am saying is if you get great service, don't wait to show your appreciation. If you go into the Concierge Lounge or diamond lounge, and get the "free" drinks, tipping the bartenders there, when you get the drinks, is appropriate. Some people go to the lounges, drink like crazy, and tip the barstaff there at the end of the cruise, if at all. They will even complain that the bar service has declined during the cruise. If you tip when and where you receive great service, those providing the service will remember you and usually give better service. Some of the staff work very hard for their

"anticipated" tips, and letting them know you enjoyed the service isn't a bribe.

Some lines don't add gratuities to the drinks, and they pool tips with the servers bar staff and other help. RCL adds 15% to the bar tab automatically. In my opinion, the bar staff, for the most part, puts a lot less effort into their attempts to give great service. But if you have used the same bar staff outside the "free drink" lounges, and have tipped them there, usually, they remember you and give better service elsewhere on the ship.Mention of the bar tips is relevant.

[negc]

I think you mis-read or mis-interpreted my point. What I am saying is if you get great service, don't wait to show your appreciation. If you go into the Concierge Lounge or diamond lounge, and get the "free" drinks, tipping the bartenders there, when you get the drinks, is appropriate. Some people go to the lounges, drink like crazy, and tip the barstaff there at the end of the cruise, if at all. They will even complain that the bar service has declined during the cruise. If you tip when and where you receive great service, those providing the service will remember you and usually give better service. Some of the staff work very hard for their

"anticipated" tips, and letting them know you enjoyed the service isn't a bribe.

Some lines don't add gratuities to the drinks, and they pool tips with the servers bar staff and other help. RCL adds 15% to the bar tab automatically. In my opinion, the bar staff, for the most part, puts a lot less effort into their attempts to give great service. But if you have used the same bar staff outside the "free drink" lounges, and have tipped them there, usually, they remember you and give better service elsewhere on the ship.Mention of the bar tips is relevant.

 

While I don't necessarily disagree with you when talking about bar service, my point was that in the dining room, an upfront tip, doesn't necessarily guarantee that the service will be any better than it would have been had you not tipped up front. When we have received excellent service from our wait staff in the main dining room, which was the case more often than not, I would have had a difficult time imagining how an up-front tip would have made it any better.

I really do think we are talking about two different things when we talk about bar service and dining room service.:)

[EVALUATOR]

While I don't necessarily disagree with you when talking about bar service, my point was that in the dining room, an upfront tip, doesn't necessarily guarantee that the service will be any better than it would have been had you not tipped up front. When we have received excellent service from our wait staff in the main dining room, which was the case more often than not, I would have had a difficult time imagining how an up-front tip would have made it any better.

I really do think we are talking about two different things when we talk about bar service and dining room service.:)

Re read my first post.

I said if you received great service feel free tip that night, you can do the same each night "after" service. I did not say tip upfront.

If the servers give great service, and are then rewarded for it, the great service is likely to continue. And because a tip greater than the recommended daily amount was given, it should show you know how to express your satisfaction.

[bubbadog]

We leave outo tips on,and then give extra if service was great or did extra things,glad my name is not on any list:eek:

[CruisenGoddess]

kyriecat, no it was actually on a different line. It was a disgusting experience and I took pictures and sent them into corporate when we got home - pictures told the truth. Fortunately corporate agreed it was awful.

[BirdOPrey5]

It's very unprofessional to have a list of people who have chosen not to tip upfront- it invites bad service- or worse- and can not possibly 'end well' for the staff or the travelers.