How much do we tip our Room Stewards?

[sailorboy05]

What about tipping the cabin attendant in advance? I've read both pro's and con's in various threads. Anybody have any experience with it?

[serendipity1499]

What about tipping the cabin attendant in advance? I've read both pro's and con's in various threads. Anybody have any experience with it?

 

We've never tipped the cabin attendant in advance..We wait until the end & include any extra tips in a thank you note..We also mention our Steward (s) names on the critique form which HAL, leaves for us toward the end of our cruise..It's very much appreciated & is read by the appropriate Dept. Head..

 

Betty

[sail7seas]

Same for us.

We never tip in advance of service.

 

We always tip the last night of the cruise and write a note of thanks.

 

[durangoscots]

One thing that happened to us on the Panama Canal trip was that our steward from SD to FLL had said he would be with us on the return - we had booked as 28 days. He then was suddenly moved. We had a similar thing happen on a segment of a world cruise a year or so ago when our steward was moved at the end of one segment..... both times we had wonderful stewards .... chasing them down to give them a tip was a bit daunting but we managed. Now I tip at the end of each segment ... especially for the stewards. Waiters are easier to find. But whe have tipped mid-cruise when we know one is leaving the ship.

 

susan

[Tamaracboy]

The $11 per person per day covers your room stewart, your waiter, ass't waiter and head waiter. That's the recommended amount.

If you feel the service was waaaay above and beyond from any of those serving you, you can feel free to tip additional amounts, based upon the service you received.

Your room attendant will share his/her tip with his/her assistant....this is standard procedure.

As long as you tip the recommended amount, you're good to go. Of course, if the service is truly horrible (and I truly doubt that will happen!!!), feel free to reduce your tip amounts accordingly.

 

This is MOST IMPORTANT to figure into any tipping considerations:

 

IF you have some bad or unacceptable service and request that the Auto-Tip be reduced or removed (some do) because of only one offending party, and you think that you will compensate the "other" waiters or stewards with direct gratuities,

THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS:

If the auto-tip is reduced or eliminated, any person within your "tipping pool" that does get a cash tip from you MUST turn it in and it is divided among that entire pool, and yes even to the offending party you wanted punish !

SO, unless you want to punish your entire tipping pool (and I think it is more than just your two stewards and two waiters) leave the auto tip intact !

Believe me, any "offending party" will hear that his mates did get a tip from you and realize that he was singled out for nothing.

And these mates get to keep your individual gifts because you left the auto tip intact.

 

Hope this is clear enough,

 

r.

[cp556]

On one 15-17 night Panama Canal cruise, our cabin steward told us he'd had a baby daughter a few months previously, and had never seen her in person. He proudly showed us her photo (and what a cutie she was!!).

 

While in a port in Mexico we bought a tiny beautifully embroidered Mexican dress (weighed nothing and took up little room when folded) and gave it to him for her at the end of the cruise along with a little cash tip. He got tears in his eyes, saying that this was the first present his daughter had received.

 

We'll never forget that....

[jtl513]

What about tipping the cabin attendant in advance? I've read both pro's and con's in various threads. Anybody have any experience with it?

To me that smacks of bribery - trying to gain favorable treatment, possibly at the expense of others.

[martinimadam]

I may have my cruise lines mixed up; but, I thought I was able to increase the amount of the auto tip for individual employees, i.e., more for the assistant waiter and more for the room steward, leaving the rest of the auto tip the same. Seems to me you should be able to do the same thing in reverse, i.e., reduce (but not eliminate) the autotip for one employee without affecting the rest. Maybe this was on Crystal???

[jtl513]

I may have my cruise lines mixed up; but, I thought I was able to increase the amount of the auto tip for individual employees, i.e., more for the assistant waiter and more for the room steward, leaving the rest of the auto tip the same. Seems to me you should be able to do the same thing in reverse, i.e., reduce (but not eliminate) the autotip for one employee without affecting the rest. Maybe this was on Crystal???

Maybe it was Crystal, but it definitely wasn't HAL! You can't alter the allocation of the Hotel Service Charge in any way. If you increase or decrease the amount, everyone benefits or suffers the same way.

[catl331]

On our last cruise we had open seating but for the last 3 nights we asked for and got the same table with the same waiters whose service we appreciated so we left $15. I think we shocked them. I really appreciate it when someone knows I like decaf coffee with dessert, or ice tea unsweetened etc. Yeah, I know a good waiter should remember that but it means alot to me.

[Tamaracboy]

On our last cruise we had open seating but for the last 3 nights we asked for and got the same table with the same waiters whose service we appreciated so we left $15. I think we shocked them. I really appreciate it when someone knows I like decaf coffee with dessert, or ice tea unsweetened etc. Yeah, I know a good waiter should remember that but it means alot to me.

 

I think given half an opportunity all the HAL staff want to provide "Above & Beyond" service.

However, their employer (HAL) has decided to reduce the staffing in the Dining Room and for Cabin Stewards (and probable for positions we never see as well). This does nothing except reduce the quality of service every paying PAX receives, as well as stress out and abuse the workers.

The "Bean Counters" at HAL genuinely need to learn the meaning of the words "False Economy" AND "Penny Wise And Pound Foolish"

 

I go out of my way to tip properly for service rendered.

 

r.

[yellowbird23]

On our last cruise we had open seating but for the last 3 nights we asked for and got the same table with the same waiters whose service we appreciated so we left $15. I think we shocked them. I really appreciate it when someone knows I like decaf coffee with dessert, or ice tea unsweetened etc. Yeah, I know a good waiter should remember that but it means alot to me.

I'm usually not into the fancy schmantsy dining and go to the buffet for all my meals. On one particular cruise, I did like you. At the end of the cruise, I gave a hefty tip for the waiter's excellence. He even went to the main dining room for me because they didn't serve the chilled soup that was in the dining room that evening...two huge bowls, which I shared with a woman who never tasted it. He was also surprised. I give tips where tipping is due for a job well done.

[fun_seeker]

Although our children earned their way through college either as cooks or waiters, we never consider tipping beyond the auto-tip as mandatory. When we get service that we consider to be above and beyond by the cabin stewards or waiters (we always get fixed dining hours), we will give a tip at the end of the cruise that will average out to between $1 and $4 per day depending on the level of superior service we get. We formerly lived in New York City and as many in the service industry know, many New Yorkers tend to be more demanding, but they also recognize the extra effort and reward accordingly. They usually identify us as New Yorkers the minute we speak. ;)

[Topsham]

I agree, but someone on another thread pointed out one thing. If it gets built in to the cruise fare, it becomes commissionable, thus that would put a significant amount of the "extra" in the TA's pocket.

On some cruises, the pre-paid grats are broken down on the invoice, thus maybe these are non-commissionable. I'm not a TA, and don't know how this actually works, just pointing out a potential issue.

 

 

 

I'm not so sure. All cruise lines have a 'non commissionable fare'... that portion of the fare that includes taxes and port charges. They coulkd just list it under that.. It would be easier for sure.

[pipedreams62]

Tipping is good,it all comes back tenfold anyway.