TIPPING Question

[lastcall4all]

Hi ya'll. First time cruiser here with a quick question that I hope someone can answer. We have already prepaid our $10 per day per person tip for our cruise (one less expense to worry about) however, I was wondering, if the service is out-of-this-world great, how do we tip extra and how much(per person or just a lump sum for family of 4)? I'm sure cash is always appreciated directly but do they get special notes made in their records for adding it in at the end of cruise? Oh, yeah, one more question. When we have visited Vegas in the past and seen shows we always "grease the palm" (as my mother used to like to say) of the matre'd seating us and we always got right down front. Is that acceptable on a cruise or are show seats pre assigned and how early should we begin seating? I'm so excited, booked on Carnival Freedom for April 4-11, but also a bit nervous as I have never been cruisin' before. Glad I found this site. Thanks for any help. Mitzie:D

[luv2gonow]

Hi ya'll. First time cruiser here with a quick question that I hope someone can answer. We have already prepaid our $10 per day per person tip for our cruise (one less expense to worry about) however, I was wondering, if the service is out-of-this-world great, how do we tip extra and how much(per person or just a lump sum for family of 4)? I'm sure cash is always appreciated directly but do they get special notes made in their records for adding it in at the end of cruise? Oh, yeah, one more question. When we have visited Vegas in the past and seen shows we always "grease the palm" (as my mother used to like to say) of the matre'd seating us and we always got right down front. Is that acceptable on a cruise or are show seats pre assigned and how early should we begin seating? I'm so excited, booked on Carnival Freedom for April 4-11, but also a bit nervous as I have never been cruisin' before. Glad I found this site. Thanks for any help. Mitzie:D

 

As for shows.....you just show up and take a seat....1st come 1st serve.

 

Extra tipping.....i pretip...and usually just give extra cash to my steward and waiters on the last night for extra good service....BTW...i give it unless it is bad service.

happy planning

[Frank12]

Cash is king for extra tips. It all depends on the service and personal preference. I usually give the room steward an extra $20. Also if I find a favorite bartender, I tend to visit them often and tip accordingly. Room service is usually 2 or 3 bucks, depending on what you order.

 

As far as the shows, no one seats you. It is first come first served. If you want a good seat get there early.

[Aske]

I generally just give those who went out of their way for me a little extra. I generally tip a little extra to a bartender outside of the 15% that I visit on a regular basis.

 

Best to arrive early for shows if you wanted the front row seats. It's on a first come first serve basis.

[lastcall4all]

Thanks for all your help.

[dan40]

Thanks for all your help.

 

 

In addition to xtra tips, you will fill out a comment card at the end of the cruise. High praise on the cards seems to be important to the workers.

[onthehighseas606]

We gave extra $$$ on our Splendor cruise. We waiter and cabin steward were awesome--best we've had so far on any cruise. Greasing the palm isn't necessary for any of the shows, just get there before everyone else and take a seat.

[waldocruiser1]

I generally just give those who went out of their way for me a little extra. I generally tip a little extra to a bartender outside of the 15% that I visit on a regular basis.

 

Best to arrive early for shows if you wanted the front row seats. It's on a first come first serve basis.

 

also for the shows the first row is okay, but unlike vegas the stage it raised about 3 to 4 feet, so if you are to close you will be looking up and have a wall in front of you.

[yogi2929]

Remember to tip the Room service guy/gal a buck or two.

 

Have fun on your cruise.

[RWolver672]

If you do have exceptional service from someone, get their name. At the end of the cruise, you can e-mail Carnival and let them know about the service you received. We have in the past and got a reply back from Carnival thanking us and letting us know that our letter was forwarded to that person's supervisor for appropriate action. I have no idea what that action was but it sounded good.

[mousey]

I agree with the above posters. I always tip extra when I've gotten good service. I don't frequent the bars much except for soda and the occasional martini, but I do tip whoever serves me above the 15%. Also, it really does make a difference to fill out the cards at the end of the cruise and let Carnival know if someone has gone out of their way for you. We had a waiter refuse our tip at the end of the cruise and asked us to just please fill out one of the cards and let them know we enjoyed his service. Carnival was having a contest and the prize was an extra day off for whichever staff member got the most cards stating they had given special service. We made him take the tip and promised to fill out a card, which we did. I hope your first cruise is as wonderful and memorable as mine was oh so many years ago!:D It was on the Jamaica Queen out of Miami back in 1965 or '66 I think.

[cruisingbajan]

Hi ya'll. First time cruiser here with a quick question that I hope someone can answer. We have already prepaid our $10 per day per person tip for our cruise (one less expense to worry about) however, I was wondering, if the service is out-of-this-world great, how do we tip extra and how much(per person or just a lump sum for family of 4)? I'm sure cash is always appreciated directly but do they get special notes made in their records for adding it in at the end of cruise? Oh, yeah, one more question. When we have visited Vegas in the past and seen shows we always "grease the palm" (as my mother used to like to say) of the matre'd seating us and we always got right down front. Is that acceptable on a cruise or are show seats pre assigned and how early should we begin seating? I'm so excited, booked on Carnival Freedom for April 4-11, but also a bit nervous as I have never been cruisin' before. Glad I found this site. Thanks for any help. Mitzie:D

 

Most folks have already answered your questions so I will just like to welcome you to cruise critic. I know you will enjoy your first of many cruises:)

[Rosefloater]

FYI - There is a cabin steward and 2 assistants. 1 for the morning & 1 for the night. Most people don't realize this. We didn't the 1st few cruises.