PartyPlannerLady

IMHO cash is always best, but as has been said there are other options. You can have a tip added to your on board account and you can go to the casino and get cash for a 3% fee. Whatever you are most comfortable with is OK. Just remember that there is no right. wrong, of usual amount to tip anyone. Give whoever you tip whatever amount you deem appropriate for the service provided. They won't turn it down! 🙂 Hope you have a great cruise. The Haven is amazing...

Some of you folks who are in my age group might get a chuckle out of this. When I first glanced at the title of this thread, my dyslexia and the fact I grew up in the 60s led me to read it as "Hash BROWNIES and cookies". I thought to myself, someone is going to have a GREAT crusie! 🙂

My all time favorite cookies are the plain old butter cookies that the Girl Scouts sell. I normally buy 3-4 boxes every year!

OK so you got one out of three! 🙂

This is GREAT news. While having the dinner with the officers on my last cruise, I actually suggested to the food manager tha they add Thi dining as tehir next new one. Amazing timing. We LOVE Thai food.

Having held several jobs in the service industry, I am pretty sure the cash tips are handled in many various ways. I have heard and read from several sources that cash tips can be kept by the crew member to whom they are given, However that does not preclude any group of servers (the barkeepers at a given bar any particular shift for example) choosing to pool the cash tips instead of each keeping what they are given and even sharing with the bar backs,. When I waited tables we often tipped out the bus staff. IMH once I tip someine, what they do wtrh that money is their business, not mine. Akk that aside It is good to see that a number of people here do actually tip thise who take care of them, Kudos to all who do.

Some folks just are not happy unless they can drum up something to complain about, no matter how silly and absurd the complaint is!

I never said that was the reason they stopped. I said it was no wonder that they did. As I said, I did not defend anyone. I merely pointed out how absurd it was for NCL to waste that much money and man hours on such a stupid thing. BTW what difference does it make and who gives a rat's red a-- what reason they gave. Bottom line is that not getting a stupid towel animal on yoru bed each day makes little. if any, difference in a cruise. Anyone who uses that as an excuse to complain is just looking for something to complain about and probably should find a different vacation experience.

It kind of amazes me that so many people get all flustered about the topics of lobster and tipping. God forbid there is ever a thread about how much to tip for lobster! The entire Cruise Critic web site might coem crashing down like the Key Bridge... 🙂 🙂 🙂

As far as those silly towel animals go, do the math and see how much money and how many man hours were wasted on them. If it takes just one minute to make each animal, on a ship such as the Encore that has over 2000 cabins, they are spending over 450 HOURS per 7-day cruise making those dumb things. On an annual basis that is over 11 FTEs. A total waste of resources. That is not defending NCL, it is a srarement of fact.

Literally? WOW! 🙂

That is all a matter of personal preference and how YOU define "better:. Only you can answer that for yourself. Personally I think any expenditure for internet on a crusie is a complete waste of money. You are on a great crusie vacation, unplug for a week and enjoy the real world. NO ONE 'has to be' on line during a cruise. I run a web dedign and hosting business and I have employees who can run things for a week without me. But whatever works best for you is the thing for you to do. Run the numbers and comapre the benefist of all options, then choose. Have a great cruise...

Now THAT was a harsh post. Pot meet kettle! 🙂

As with many if not most assumptions, that is very poor, The prior post was not harsh at all it was factual.

Oh well expensive lesson learned. Never ler someone else (including a travel agent) make your vacation/travel plans. Saving a few bucks is not worth the inherent risks involved. Always fly to your cruise post city at least one day early. Just becasue soemting is not require (in this case a passport) does not mena you should not have it.