Tips - A bit of advice please

[dual]

Hello All

 

Just wanted a bit of advice on tipping.

 

Orginally I was going to pay my tips in cash to the various attendants at the end of my cruise on LOS in November - but reading a few threads recently I thinks its best to just pay them via my on board expense account - realising its only about $68 for a week - it seems well worth it to me not to have the hassle of sorting it all out on the last day.

 

My questions are - If I feel someone should be tipped in addition to what I am paying, whats the rule in terms of how much and how often?

 

1. every time I get a drink from the bar - do I tip every time and if yes, how much?

 

2. On what other occasions would a tip be advisable? I can only think of at the bar or perhaps if I order room service.

 

3. Waiters - do I always have the same waiter at my table and should I tip him/her everytime I ask for something or just again at the end of the week?

 

4. Do most of you give your actual room attendant an additional tip at the end of your trip - is it expected?

 

Im just working out a budget for myself and my mum. We are travelling as a group of 10 and Mum told me last time she went (GOS - November 2008) at the end of the week, the whole group of 15 had the same room attendant and all put money in one envelope for her on the last day - Im assuming thats OK?

 

Im a virgin cruiser myself so Im keen to do things properly in terms of tipping. Im not loaded by any means but good service should be rewarded. I just dont want to give someone a $1 or $2 tip when it should be more and I end up looking like a cheapskate.

 

Or - do you all leave it down to good old discretion?

 

Thank you

[Moondawgie]

My questions are - If I feel someone should be tipped in addition to what I am paying, whats the rule in terms of how much and how often?

 

1. every time I get a drink from the bar - do I tip every time and if yes, how much? There is a 15% gratuity automatically added, but some tip more on top of that (all on Sea Pass card).

 

2. On what other occasions would a tip be advisable? I can only think of at the bar or perhaps if I order room service. Room service, baggage handlers, if you are going to the private island, you can tip the person who gets you a lounge chair.

 

3. Waiters - do I always have the same waiter at my table and should I tip him/her everytime I ask for something or just again at the end of the week? You tip once at the end of the week - the suggested amount and more if you wish.

 

4. Do most of you give your actual room attendant an additional tip at the end of your trip - is it expected? No additional is expected, but if you ask for something special, a little extra is nice and appreciated.

 

Im just working out a budget for myself and my mum. We are travelling as a group of 10 and Mum told me last time she went (GOS - November 2008) at the end of the week, the whole group of 15 had the same room attendant and all put money in one envelope for her on the last day - Im assuming thats OK? That is fine, but RCI has vouchers to show that you tipped already. I think prepaying is better and you can add more cash pooled together if you wish.

 

Im a virgin cruiser myself so Im keen to do things properly in terms of tipping. Im not loaded by any means but good service should be rewarded. I just dont want to give someone a $1 or $2 tip when it should be more and I end up looking like a cheapskate. $2 is good for room service and baggage handlers get about $1/bag.

 

Or - do you all leave it down to good old discretion? Discretion is good.

 

 

It will all make sense when you get there. Enjoy.

[temple1]

Orginally I was going to pay my tips in cash to the various attendants at the end of my cruise on LOS in November - but reading a few threads recently I thinks its best to just pay them via my on board expense account - realising its only about $68 for a week - it seems well worth it to me not to have the hassle of sorting it all out on the last day. The stated gratuity on the website is per person.

 

My questions are - If I feel someone should be tipped in addition to what I am paying, whats the rule in terms of how much and how often?

 

1. every time I get a drink from the bar - do I tip every time and if yes, how much? It is your option, Drinks, wine, drink cards all have a 15% gratuity added. If you like the service or you want to be remembered, add a $ or 2 to the tip.

2. On what other occasions would a tip be advisable? I can only think of at the bar or perhaps if I order room service. Room service is about the only time the only way to tip is in cash. Everything else can be added to your sea pass account.

 

3. Waiters - do I always have the same waiter at my table and should I tip him/her everytime I ask for something or just again at the end of the week? If you have traditional dining you will have the same waitstaff every night. Your suggested gratuity amount includes the main dining room staff. You will be provided envelopes on the last day of your cruise along with the suggested gratuities to give to your dining room staff. It is up to you depending on how you feel about the service they provided whether or not to add extra.. If you opt for My Time you prepaid your gratuity.

 

4. Do most of you give your actual room attendant an additional tip at the end of your trip - is it expected? It is strictly up to you - if you have them doing a lot of extras or need additional towels or ice, etc it wouldn't hurt to put some extra cash in the envelope at the end of the cruise.

 

Im just working out a budget for myself and my mum. We are travelling as a group of 10 and Mum told me last time she went (GOS - November 2008) at the end of the week, the whole group of 15 had the same room attendant and all put money in one envelope for her on the last day - Im assuming thats OK? I would not do that. You don't know what some folks in your group might think is an appropriate tip. If you are trying to budget - prepay your gratuities and then at the end of the week your room steward will leave envelopes and vouchers in your room. You can then add additional at your discretion.

 

Im a virgin cruiser myself so Im keen to do things properly in terms of tipping. Im not loaded by any means but good service should be rewarded. I just dont want to give someone a $1 or $2 tip when it should be more and I end up looking like a cheapskate. It is good you are concerned. The main person to be concerned about cash tips is the room service person. We tend to tip $2 for our morning coffee and if we get appetizers or a full meal we will go for $5.

 

Or - do you all leave it down to good old discretion? RCI has provided great guidelines. So you don't have to worry too much about what is or is not appropriate.

 

Have a wonderful cruise.

[amybeth4]

 

1. every time I get a drink from the bar - do I tip every time and if yes, how much? It's added into your bill. Beware that if you want to write in an ADDITIONAL amount, that money gets pooled. I spoke to a bartender about that on the Majesty in Feb. He basically said, "You can add more if you want, but it's gonna be shared by the whole staff." That turned me off of THAT idea. Of course you could hand him a couple of dollar bills, but I have NO idea if he's actually allowed to keep that either, or if that goes into a "tip jar" to be dispersed later on.

 

3. Waiters - do I always have the same waiter at my table and should I tip him/her everytime I ask for something or just again at the end of the week? Like everyone said, end of week in an envelope that's provided for you (wheter you put tips on your account or pay in cash). Handing the waiter money each night would look a little strange.

 

 

Im a virgin cruiser myself so Im keen to do things properly in terms of tipping. Im not loaded by any means but good service should be rewarded. I just dont want to give someone a $1 or $2 tip when it should be more and I end up looking like a cheapskate. $1 or $2 here and there is always appreciated, I'm sure, esp. if it's on top of RCI's suggested guidelines.

 

...

[UK Cruiser2]

...

 

Refering to question 1...Is it ok to tip a bartender a couple of bucks in cash now and then,has anyone done this before ?

[MrsPete]

It is easier just to do the automatic tipping; that way you know that the "main folks" are taken care of ahead of time. If you've asked for "extras" during the week (for example, if you've requested extra blankets or pillows, or if they've brought you special items not on the menu), it would be nice to give a little extra at the end of the week -- but that's up to you.

 

I do keep a couple $1s in the little wristlet in which I carry my SeaPass. If a waiter at breakfast or lunch does something really special (like maybe bringing out a peanut butter and jelly for my child, even though it's not on the menu), I'll leave a dollar or two.

 

When you get a drink from the bar, the tip is already added. 15% is a decent tip, especially if you're talking about just asking for a bottle of beer. If you don't tip "above and beyond", do draw a line through the tip spot on the receipt; otherwise, someone could write in his own tip later.

 

We bring a handful of $1s for room service tips, and we instruct the children that they are NOT to order without being gracious enough to tip their room service waiter! $2 for a pot of coffee, $5-6 for the family's breakfast.

 

I understand there's a new late-night fee for ordering room service. Does this go to the delivery person? If so, I wouldn't tip again.

 

In general, you won't find that the crew keeps its hands held out for tips through the week . . . but on the last night, they do sort of go all "sob story" on you, and I consider it begging for tips. On the last night they'll show you pictures of their kids back at home, etc.

[amybeth4]

Refering to question 1...Is it ok to tip a bartender a couple of bucks in cash now and then,has anyone done this before ?

 

No one's going to turn down cash, but unless someone actually asked a bartender, there's no way of knowing if he/she gets to keep it. If the hand-written 'extra' tips are pooled and NOT given to each bartender that you give these extra tips to, I would IMAGINE the cash ones are the same thing. Hopefully someone actually knows the answer.

 

I'm sorry I didn't ask the bartender who told me the hand-written extras are pooled! :(

[Kurbanfan]

Refering to question 1...Is it ok to tip a bartender a couple of bucks in cash now and then,has anyone done this before ?

 

You can tip whatever you want.......but keep in mind you are already tipping 15%......do you normally double tip for a drink anywhere else?

[SusieV]

Honestly, I am surprised at how much people tip for room service. Look at your waiter who only receives $3.50pp for serving you for the length of a meal rather than just dropping off some dishes.

 

We tip a dollar or two depending on what we order.

[dual]

Thats extremely useful information from everyone, many thanks for your advice.

 

The point about pooling tips for the room steward not being a good idea is also something to think about. I am going with a seasoned group of cruisers so Im assuming they all agree an amount per room to avoid someone tipping short - but thanks for pointing that out - I'll mention it to my mum :)

[lady_cruiser]

A couple more people you might want to considered that is not mentioned yet is your tour guide and bus or cab driver. BUT only if you think they did a good job of driving you around and doing a good job on your tour.

[Name Of The Game]

I wouldn't tip $2.00 on a $6.00 drink. It takes them what like two minutes to make it?

[RetireeWannabee]

It is easier just to do the automatic tipping; that way you know that the "main folks" are taken care of ahead of time.

YES, I like doing it this way. Hate the handing out of tips on the last day. It's uncomfortable for me. Cabin steward usually gets a hand-written thank you card with extra $ in it. Like to deliver that personally.

[amybear912]

I wouldn't tip $2.00 on a $6.00 drink. It takes them what like two minutes to make it?

 

 

Sure... 2 minutes... but an extra dollar or two every now and then (not every time you order) can often result in a bit more booze in your cup, a free drink, quicker service... you get the idea... or, at least, we do... :)

[amybear912]

I would IMAGINE the cash ones are the same thing. Hopefully someone actually knows the answer.

 

 

cash tips are their's to keep... :)got this from a buddy of ours who works onboard Mariner...

[cruisinfreedom09]

I have read on other websites about giving candy, phone cards, etc. Anyone usually do that in addition to tips, of course!?

[Kurbanfan]

Sure... 2 minutes... but an extra dollar or two every now and then (not every time you order) can often result in a bit more booze in your cup, a free drink, quicker service... you get the idea... or, at least, we do... :)

 

So some think;)

[cb at sea]

If you give a person cash, you can bet they keep it---no one is going to "pool" cash that no one else knows about!

There is no need to "tip" for every little thing...the standard tip amount is fine, and if someone goes above and beyond, then a little extra is nice.

Don't give "trinkets"--the folks on the ship will use the cash they get to buy the things they want....they have no room in their teeny tiny cabins (that they share with another employee) for gifts. Cash is KING!

[amybear912]

So some think;)

 

 

That has been our experience on every cruise we have taken... YMMV...

[Name Of The Game]

So you'd have to seek out the same bartender and hope they remember which passengers out of the hundreds they serve every week tipped them extra. I can't imagine them paying that much attention, remembering you, and then "paying you back".

[amybear912]

So you'd have to seek out the same bartender and hope they remember which passengers out of the hundreds they serve every week tipped them extra. I can't imagine them paying that much attention, remembering you, and then "paying you back".

 

 

Yep... that's how it works for us... I'm a server myself... remembering customers is part of the job... and you tend to remember the good tippers....it's not really that hard...

[Kurbanfan]

That has been our experience on every cruise we have taken... YMMV...

 

So if you have done this on every cruise.....how would you know if the service would be any different if you didn't tip extra?

[amybeth4]

cash tips are their's to keep... :)got this from a buddy of ours who works onboard Mariner...

 

Good to know...thanks!

[jtwisconsin]

Sure... 2 minutes... but an extra dollar or two every now and then (not every time you order) can often result in a bit more booze in your cup, a free drink, quicker service... you get the idea... or, at least, we do... :)

 

I also tip an extra dollar or two when ordering from our favorite bartenders, and that has always resulted in extremely good service and a free drink now and then. Maybe it isn't necessary, but I will continue to do so.

[Kurbanfan]

So you'd have to seek out the same bartender and hope they remember which passengers out of the hundreds they serve every week tipped them extra. I can't imagine them paying that much attention, remembering you, and then "paying you back".

 

They will actually remember the people that order more then anyone else........