Prepaid Tipping vs. Tip as you Go.......Which is Better???

It is my opinion that the only reason people insist on handing tips directly to "select" staff is to be thanked personally from the staff member in question. It has nothing to do with wanting to reward that specific person, but only to receive adulation from that person. It is an ego thing. One person who occasionally posts on these threads even boasts that he always hands them their tip in secret, away from the prying eyes of other people. Presumably so the staff member can lay on the adulation extra thick if no one can witness it. After all, just remotely giving the staff their tip denies them the superior feeling gained from the staff member grovelling at their feet in gratitude.

I have to agree with this. A lot of cruisers on CC list dollar amounts for additional tipping that are staggering. It goes to reason that adoration is the end result they are looking for. Then again, if you're Oprah rich ... hey share the wealth in as heavy handed way you wish.

They ONLY turn in cash tips IF/WHEN you do NOT pre-pay gratuities/service charges, etc. OR opt OUT of the auto gratuities all together.

 

IF you pre-pay the tips OR keep them on a daily basis and pay at the end of the cruise AND give additional $$ cash $$, then the steward, dining staff, who ever, gets to keep that cash.

The staff has to turn in the cash tips and have it recorded in all cases. After the cruise is over, accounting will reconcile passenger and crew accounts and only then will they know who can keep their cash tips. What complicates the whole issue of who gets to keep their cash tips is that some people remove the auto tips on the last day of the cruise. The only way to account for all contingencies is to have all cash tips turned in every time and given back if the auto tips are found to have been left in place.

This has been explained by cruise industry experts with experience in this procedure.

I have to agree with this. A lot of cruisers on CC list dollar amounts for additional tipping that are staggering. It goes to reason that adoration is the end result they are looking for. Then again, if you're Oprah rich ... hey share the wealth in as heavy handed way you wish.

It is even worse in the all-inclusive world. Here is a message from tripadvisors forum in response to a tipping inquiry:

$2.00 for breakfast

 

$2.00 for lunch

 

$5.00 for dinner

 

about $7.00/day for drinks throughout the day

 

$2.00 for maid service AM

 

$2.00 for turndown service PM

 

$2.00 -- person who restocks the fridge/booze

 

Figure about $22.00/day X 7 days = $154.00

 

But then you also have about an additional $50.00 for trans tip to resort and then back to airport and luggage person and other "thank you's". Maybe the personwho makes the omlets/eggs at breakfast. We try to tip everyone that made our vacation special

B) this resort already has the gratuities included in the room price.

Always pay on board as if something isn't up to scratch or your steward really isn't great you can adjust or remove much more easily. I also find it odd to pay for a service I haven't recieved yet.

I understand that this is super rare but I had to adjust my tips when our room steward lost an item of bed

time clothing. Which was on my nightstand then disappeared. She also turned in our power strip when we had checked by guest services if it was ok to use in our cabin as it was a British brand and they had okayed it.

I took the cost of the item ($20) and put it on as extra to the wait staff.

Thankfully no other problems since then.

While I think this can be true, it is not always. One reason I like the auto-tipping is because I felt so awful on the last day of the cruise (in the old days, before auto-tips) having to, in a way, force people to act so grateful and having to hover around, waiting for the largess.

 

We usually do tip our steward extra, but it's no big production. I have just left it in the room with a thank-you note or handed it to them and quickly got out of the way. I do not want anyone feeling as if they have to show excessive gratitude, grovel, etc. I am fine with being truly anonymous, if possible, and really want or need no thanks. It makes me very uncomfortable.

I agree completely and found the process of direct tipping at the end of a cruise awkward and uncomfortable. There is no "ego boost" giving a tip when the cruise is over. The auto gratuities relieve me of having to think about tipping at all if I so choose.

I may however provide tips in the moment for exceptional service or a means to encourage preferred service for the remainder of the cruise.

Always pay on board as if something isn't up to scratch or your steward really isn't great you can adjust or remove much more easily. I also find it odd to pay for a service I haven't recieved yet.

 

I understand that this is super rare but I had to adjust my tips when our room steward lost an item of bed

time clothing. Which was on my nightstand then disappeared. She also turned in our power strip when we had checked by guest services if it was ok to use in our cabin as it was a British brand and they had okayed it.

 

I took the cost of the item ($20) and put it on as extra to the wait staff.

 

Thankfully no other problems since then.

Considering you when in to cruising intending to not pay tips at all, this is not surprising.

I agree completely and found the process of direct tipping at the end of a cruise awkward and uncomfortable. There is no "ego boost" giving a tip when the cruise is over. The auto gratuities relieve me of having to think about tipping at all if I so choose.

 

I may however provide tips in the moment for exceptional service or a means to encourage preferred service for the remainder of the cruise.

That is why the deadbeats ate on Lido the last night so they could avoid the "awkwardness" and oh, because "they needed to pack.".:(:(:(

Considering you when in to cruising intending to not pay tips at all, this is not surprising.

If you read the post carefully It mentions I still paid my tips/the same amount as normal but the waiters got more and the steward got less. With the carelessness displayed that is only fair...some people would have removed the tip entirely.

I have no idea why you are obsessed with me/my posts after 5 years...it is a bit odd.

If you read the post carefully It mentions I still paid my tips/the same amount as normal but the waiters got more and the steward got less. With the carelessness displayed that is only fair...some people would have removed the tip entirely.

 

 

I have no idea why you are obsessed with me/my posts after 5 years...it is a bit odd.

No, it wasn't fair and like crew, I remember non tippers.

No, it wasn't fair and like crew, I remember non tippers.

Of course it was fair...she lost or took a personal item of mine from my cabin. Carnival asked me to fill out an item report with their security staff after the incident so they obviously took it seriously also. I can't ever remember saying 'I didn't tip on my cruises' in any post and I am therefore not a 'non tipper'. You just want to vilify me for some bizarre reason.

You really need to get another hobby instead of stalking me on here. It is obviously not doing you any good.

Can anyone tell me about the tipping process on Princess Cruiselines or any other cruiseline for that matter? We are taking our first cruise to Alaska (honeymoon:hearteyes:) Saturday, July 21st and were told we could prepay our tips. If we choose to do this, how do the service people know that we have prepaid and we aren't just stiffing them? How do most of you go about tipping and why have you chosen this way of tipping? Thank you in advance for your replies!! Happy Sailling!:cool:

they have a list prominently posted/available in both the kitchens and the housekeeping common areas. heck I have seen the list on the housekeeping carts in the hallways.

you do not 'pay as you go' if you do not prepay. the amount is added to your account every night and you pay it all off at the end.

that being said, nothing prevents you from tossing dollar bills around to room service, or the bar steward that schleps your drink all the way from the bar to your pool side lounger

we prepay because quite frankly it is a non optional cost of cruising( regardless of what others may argue) and we don't get caught up in semantics. we prefer to have as much of our anticipated expenses paid for up front( leaves more room for souvenirs)

If you read the post carefully It mentions I still paid my tips/the same amount as normal but the waiters got more and the steward got less. With the carelessness displayed that is only fair...some people would have removed the tip entirely.

 

 

I have no idea why you are obsessed with me/my posts after 5 years...it is a bit odd.

I believe people when they show who they are..

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1828315

Especially when they determine before sailing they are going to hose crew.

I believe people when they show who they are..

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1828315

 

 

Especially when they determine before sailing they are going to hose crew.

Instead of spending your time searching back for a post of mine from 5 years ago BEFORE I ever set foot on a cruise ship maybe you should find another interest. I also said before that cruise I was not going ashore in Amsterdam as we knew it well...but we went ashore as it was a lovely day.

What I did on that cruise and on my other cruises in reality may have been quite different and I have discussed my cruising experiences in length on these boards and everything that goes with them.

I have to insist your sort out your own issues before attacking others. Only then will I be able to converse with you again on CC.

Until then..Au revoir.

Instead of spending your time searching back for a post of mine from 5 years ago BEFORE I ever set foot on a cruise ship maybe you should find another interest. I also said before that cruise I was not going ashore in Amsterdam as we knew it well...but we went ashore as it was a lovely day.

 

What I did on that cruise and on my other cruises in reality may have been quite different and I have discussed my cruising experiences in length on these boards and everything that goes with them.

 

I have to insist your sort out your own issues before attacking others. Only then will I be able to converse with you again on CC.

 

Until then..Au revoir.

What you planned to do to crew before stepping on board is what you continue to look for situations to justify what you plan to do. All I do is call you on your own words. ...choose the behavior, choose the reputation.