How much do you leave as an EXTRA Tip??

[InEEDofAcruise]

Some of you people must be made of money!!!

 

Geez, I pay the $10 "suggested" automatic tip and try not to make a mess of the room and try not to be a pest at dinner.... for those who might suggest I am simply cheap - so be it, but I sleep fine at night!

[picklebongo]

Agree, I don't get it either. I have never received anything but outstanding service with not one bribe up front. I think people that do that are fooling themselves.

 

I totally agree with you. Now this is my personal opinion, but I think some folks get a kick out of swaggering around acting as though they are some multi millionaires throwing money around at the guys from third world countries. Just imagine, virtually everybody here claims to tip extra and I'm talkin' big money extra, these guys must be pocketing a small fortune.

[gaylensgigi]

I tip extra if service is above and beyond.One cruise,my grandson became ill, and I stayed on board with him in Key West.Our steward knew this, came by several times with ginger ale,offered to stay while I went to go get lunch.And after my grandson recovered, he brought him a ship pin and some little stuff they give away,like a toothbrush that would have normally been put out in the bathroom goody basket.Not that gig a deal to some,but sure made my 6 year old feel special;.This was the biggest extra tip I have given,tho I dont feel compelled to say how much.

 

I have been on the other end as well,and have wished I could appropriate the tip elsewhere,but I do not believe in removing the tips

[SnowWhiteNYC]

20 the first day for the room steward for keeping the cooler filled with ice

20 the last day for the room steward if he/she has exceeded our expectations

 

20 to the head waiter

10 to the assistant waiter

 

5 - 10 for the maitre d and that depends....

 

I don't believe that the automatic gratuities is enough for all that most do...so we go above...but that's our choice...

[kris12]

I used to give the cabin steward 20 at the beginning of the cruise until one cruise when the cabin steward REFUSED it saying if I felt he had earned an additional tip at the end of the cruise then he would know he deserved it. I was impressed and since then wait until the end of the cruise.My sister and I have a running joke of finding a bartender that we can call Armando. He's usually the one we find for our morning Bloody Mary/Mimosa's, if we find our Armando we tip him 20 to 25 extra on the last full day.We also tip the waiter/asst waiter about 10 each. and the Maitre D depends, there have been cruises when I couldn't have picked the Maitre D out of a crowd in which case I don't.

[billnye97]

I'm a little torn reading all these posts. On one hand I get the above and beyond deserves something extra but also the auto tip functionality is built in. I'm going on my first cruise that I am paying for (the others were when I was 15 and on mom and dads dime) and I do want exceptional service. I guess I'll play it by ear but to give out an extra 100 in tips might be a little extravagent (but I don't disagree with people who do that).

[Perfect Stranger]

So now the automatic tips aren't enough...it's become automatic to tip extra? Pretty soon the "extra tips" will be the "standard" and people will be tipping even more than the "standard extra tip". :rolleyes: I cruise on a budget and don't wave $20 bills around at everyone.

[PoofyTheCat]

So now the automatic tips aren't enough...it's become automatic to tip extra? Pretty soon the "extra tips" will be the "standard" and people will be tipping even more than the "standard extra tip".

 

Very good point.

[Traveler353]

let me translate : I don't believe in tipping .

 

traveler , did I get it right ?

 

I never have said anything like that. Not sure why you would say something like you did. I mean exactly what I said. I have never taken off the auto tip and don't plan on doing so. If and how much I tip extra is no bodies business. If an extra tip over and above the auto tip is deserved the staff get it from me. How about you?

[MrPete]

I have no idea what to tip and here is my point for answering this thread.

 

I think a lot of people, especially those who live in bigger cities, take for granted that most people know proper tipping etiquette. I know tipping depends on the individual and the service, but there has to be some kind of avg. and I think that's what people are looking for when they ask these kinds of questions.

 

I come from a small rural town and besides eating out we don't have much tipping going on. I had never heard of tipping the maids for hotels. I just always thought that was part of the cost of the hotel. I've learned that it is more common to tip them now (from this board actually).

 

I'd like to thank the people of this thread for answering the question and not getting all over the OP. I don't know what his situation is, but I know these threads give me a better idea ("standard") for tipping, so that I don't feel bad for not tipping enough or bleed my funds dry from tipping too much.

 

Sometimes people just don't know and what to learn........others just want to start stuff.:D

 

In case you didn't know it, it's also customary to tip in the casino.

[imagine8]

I've only been on one cruise and we tipped $20 to our room steward, $20 to our head waiter and $10 to our assistant waiter on the last day. I have questioned if this was enough. I feel that the $10 a day in auto-tips is spread out to so many people that it's not enough for the deserving, hard-working staff. However, we did NOT tip the maitre' d (sp?) as was strongly urged by the CD on the intercom because the only thing he did was smile and greet us......didn't really think that deserved anything extra. I guess if we would have had some sort of special need and he accomodated us I would have felt differently.

 

I do appreciate reading all of this feedback as it is a confusing issue!

[luvscruising2007]

Question about the extra tips.

Do you give the extra tip directly to the intended recipient or in the

envelope on the last day?

If you put the cash in the envelope who receives the cash? Is it distributed

to everyone or does that person get it?

We have only sailed on RC so far and always put the extra in the envelope.

We have never used the auto tip option.

My point is that if I give extra ton the cabin steward, I want him to receive

it.

As you can see I am a little confused by Carnivals method.

[imagine8]

We gave ours directly to the intended in an envelope.

[MrPete]

Question about the extra tips.

Do you give the extra tip directly to the intended recipient or in the

envelope on the last day?

If you put the cash in the envelope who receives the cash? Is it distributed

to everyone or does that person get it?

We have only sailed on RC so far and always put the extra in the envelope.

We have never used the auto tip option.

My point is that if I give extra ton the cabin steward, I want him to receive

it.

As you can see I am a little confused by Carnivals method.

 

However you decide to do it, ALL of it goes to your servers and steward. Nothing is pooled.

[balcony bound]

On most of our cruises we've felt that we wanted to tip extra to certain individuals. Usually that would be our room steward, MDR staff, or favorite bartender. I can only think of maybe twice that we gave no thought to tipping anyone extra. "Extra" is usually in the form of a $20. In a very few cases, it has been more than that - for very good reason :)

[Vanessa L]

We typically give our steward $20 at the end of the cruise. The waiter and asst. get an extra $10 each (we have done $20 for waiter and $10 for asst. with exceptional service). I tipped the bar waiter $10 on my last cruise, not so much for me, but his interaction with my 12 year old son. Each night he would bring his virgin drinks with different straw designs and spent quite a bit of time talking with him.

[Sabreshockey32]

This is what we have done-

 

Victory 5/08-

Waiter- 25- Extraordinary service

Asst. Waiter- 20 - Also excellent service

MDR drink waiter - 20 - Simply the best, always took care of us on Lido during the day

Steward- 10- nothing special

 

Valor 5/09

Waiter -20- Good but not outstanding.

Asst. Waiter- 20 - He worked very hard

MDR drink waiter- 0- He sucked

Steward- 20 - Exceded our expectations

[Cruise Organizer]

We usually give more, but not to all.

The MDR staff - we always get excellent service. Our waiters will ask and bring more dishes for us to try. They remember who has tea, cappicino.

Some will offer to bring seconds or double orders.

if they enhance your experience, give a little extra

Room stewarts - most are great, but we did have one that wasn't. He just got the auto tip.

You will get many different opinions - do what you feel is best

[Perfect Stranger]

This is what we have done-

 

Victory 5/08-

Waiter- 25- Extraordinary service

Asst. Waiter- 20 - Also excellent service

MDR drink waiter - 20 - Simply the best, always took care of us on Lido during the day

Steward- 10- nothing special

 

Valor 5/09

Waiter -20- Good but not outstanding.

Asst. Waiter- 20 - He worked very hard

MDR drink waiter- 0- He sucked

Steward- 20 - Exceded our expectations

 

Why an extra $20 to the waiter who was only "good but not outstanding"? Aren't we supposed to get good service? That's what the auto tips are for.

[Hooking4]

I never have said anything like that. Not sure why you would say something like you did. I mean exactly what I said. I have never taken off the auto tip and don't plan on doing so. If and how much I tip extra is no bodies business. If an extra tip over and above the auto tip is deserved the staff get it from me. How about you?

 

 

 

 

I agree with you , your posts just sounded like you were anti tipping . sorry bout that .

[Traveler353]

I agree with you , your posts just sounded like you were anti tipping . sorry bout that .

 

No problem, that is one of the problems with internet discussions, no face to face. There is so much more to communication than just the use of words.

[katiel53]

On one cruise we tipped in advance because on our previous cruise, our friends traveling with us did so and they told us how great the service was doing so. Well, our service was no better than we had before and we tipped $20 in advance.

 

Fast forward to many other cruises and I think we like extras. We tell the cabin steward when we meet him/her that we want extra towels, ice as soon as he/she comes around to service the cabins, and want the "refrig" emptied as my husband puts meds in there. We usually tip at least $20 extra if these things are done.

 

For the dining room waiter we have tipped $20 extra when he brought us something that we requested that wasn't on that night's dining room menu. My husband also tips the bartender he uses the most. I guess it all depends on what you ask of someone. We are not those that feel we are entitled or that everything is part of the job for the crew. JMO.

[Lady_Jag]

We tip our room steward extra throughout the cruise, as we make our special requests to do things like empty the fridge, change the sheets, bring extra ice, etc.

 

Then on the last night, I write out thank you notes to all the people who made our cruise special, like the room steward, waiter, assistant waiter, bar server, Camp Carnival, maitre d', etc., and include some extra cash and a scratch-off lottery ticket from my home state. (On the back, I highlight the address and the instructions on how to claim the smaller winnings by mail.)

 

The amount of cash I include in the thank yous varies based on the service, how much we've interacted with them, and how much cash I have left at the end of the cruise. ;)

[pnjkeith]

Some of you people must be made of money!!!

 

Geez, I pay the $10 "suggested" automatic tip and try not to make a mess of the room and try not to be a pest at dinner.... for those who might suggest I am simply cheap - so be it, but I sleep fine at night!

 

Many posters feel need to brag on boards. Biggest braggers usually leave no tips.

[sxyshell]

I've waited tables for many years and it's a tough job. Knowing this and knowing the crazy hours the servers put in working on a cruise ship, if I have good service I leave $50, but on my last cruise, our server wasn't good and dinner took hours and I didn't leave anything. I admit I did feel guilty, but he didn't go above and beyond. I just left the automatic tip. I have only been on 3 cruises and I tipped the stewards 2 of the 3 times. The time I didn't tip, we had a lousy steward that didn't even make us the towel animals a few of the nights. The employees on the ship work extremely long hours and if they give me good service, I always tip a little extra. Oh and I'm a single mother and I'm not made of money.

Everyone has their own reason why they tip or don't tip and that's their prerogative.