Tipping advice

[mercedes28]

I'm not sure what the recommended tips are on Princess. I'm going on a 7 night cruise and there will be 2 adults. So my questions are:

 

1. can the tips be pre-paid ahead of time? how and where?

2. what is the recommended amount of tips for this length or cruise? is it based per person or per room?

3. will anything (besides room service, of course) require additional tips?

4. bar bill- tips added automatically?

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[caribill]

I'm not sure what the recommended tips are on Princess. I'm going on a 7 night cruise and there will be 2 adults. So my questions are:

 

1. can the tips be pre-paid ahead of time? how and where? There will be a daily hotel service charge added to your onboard account. This is for tipping. If you wish to prepay, you can "gift" yourself the money by calling Princess and giving them a credit card number to charge a gift of onboard credit to yourself. When you get onboard, your account will have this gift to yourself on it. In effect, you pay for it in advance instead of after the cruise.

2. what is the recommended amount of tips for this length or cruise? is it based per person or per room? Per person is $10.50/day except for suites and mini-suits were are $11.00/day/person. 3rd and 4th passengers in a cabin, even children, also pay this.

3. will anything (besides room service, of course) require additional tips? See item 4. Also, Spa services do not include a tip. If you use the children's program, that staff is often given tips by the parents at the end of a cruise.

4. bar bill- tips added automatically? Yes, 15% is added to any bar service (including soft drinks).

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

And, you are free to tip extra to staff that you feel deserve it.

 

Note: Although you can remove or lower the daily hotel charge, if you do so, any tips you give your cabin steward and waitstaff will be turned into the overall tipping pool and not stay with the people you tipped. If you do not remove the daily hotel charge, they can keep any additional tips you give to them.

[kooljamming]

This site has the 'recommendation' for many of the cruise lines. Princess has an area for regular cabin and suites:

 

http://cruisetip.tpkeller.com/

[Tina G]

The automatic tipping policy is really easy and convenient for us. Just leave the auto-tip in place, and you will be charged the correct amount. You will see this on your final bill, and if you are charging it on a credit card, you won't have to pay the tip until the next month. It sort of spaces out the payment. We just consider it all part of the cost of cruising. You need not give anyone cash on board, but if you want to reward a special staff member, quietly hand it to them on the last day in a white envelope. This is not required, of course. You WILL be expected to tip while on land.:rolleyes:

[paul929207]

I always leave the autotip. When I get extra service, I give that individual a little more at the end.

[Minoushka]

Apparently even if you give a little more to one personhe cannot keep it .Must share with all others Autotipping covers all

[paul929207]

Apparently even if you give a little more to one personhe cannot keep it .Must share with all others Autotipping covers all

If you leave on the autotip and give extra to one person he/she gets to keep it. It is only if you have reduce or eliminated the autotip that the individual money goes into the pool

[mercedes28]

Thanks for the advice. Just wasn't sure how much to bring in smaller bills for this. Will keep the auto tip on and not worry about it :) 15% added to bar bill....no wonder they won't let us take our own booze on board...haha. I was a little concerned because I tend to tip quite well and was worried the cost of this cruise might be out of my means, but with auto tip, I won't feel obligated to tip everyone I see.

[steponboard]

Room service is included in the tipping pool so you're already set there.

[jackdiamond]

Room service is included in the tipping pool so you're already set there.

However, whenever we use room service we tip extra in cash.

[steponboard]

However, whenever we use room service we tip extra in cash.

 

That's always an option in any venue but not expected and certainly not required but nice of you.

[CruiserGus]

We do the auto-tip, but always give a little extra for special requests. i.e egg crate mattress, robes, room service, etc. Note: If you leave an extra tip in the envelopes at the purser's desk, it goes into the tip pool. That's why I always give the person who gives a little extra the money in cash.