Phone cards as a tip?

[artistsj]

Does the grew like to recieve phone cards as a tip? When is it appropriate to tip using a phone card and is it; as, more or less appreciated than cash?:confused:

[shoreguy]

Does the grew like to recieve phone cards as a tip? When is it appropriate to tip using a phone card and is it; as, more or less appreciated than cash?:confused:

 

Phone cards are a nice gift. keep in mind all cards are not created equal. A 120 minute domestic card may only be good for a 10 minute call home for many.

 

As far as I am concerned cash is always the most welcome tip.

[98Charlie]

all cards are not created equal

There have been other threads on this topic that indicate that some cards cannot be used at all by the crew. One thread said that the crew can buy phone cards at their own ship store onboard.

 

At any rate, the crew knows where to get the best buys on the products that they need the most. Cash is the way to go.

 

Charlie

[Tomct]

We've been using the cards as "extra" tips for our stewards. They seem to appreciate them. I realize they can purchase cards, but maybe the card we give them allows them to make some calls they might not otherwise make. I know our last steward used one of them I gave him the same day. Some do not seem be that familiar with them, at least the penalties involved, so I do explain it to those that need some help. Others knew exactly where and where they could use the AT&T cards we game them.

[newmexicoNita]

I agree with Tomct, they are a great addition to the tipping, but not to totally replace tips and you do need to make certain the cards your select are good anywhere in the world. NMNita

[cliffd64]

If you wanna give cards of some sort, why not get a AAA Visa gift card... which ends up the same as cash and can be used anywhere...

[kalamari]

cash, cash, cash. With some of the "new" ways of tipping crew and contrary to popular belief, they do NOT realize all of the 10.00 auto-tipping and the auto-tipping is divided up in a myriad of ways so in the end they actually receive less than what most people think they do, and definately less than if they were "working" for tips. Gifts are thoughtful gestures and phone cards appreciated (if they can use them from a certain locale and also if they have time off to actually use them) but gifts can take up room in a cabin and money always is appreciated. Menina

[Tomct]

I agree with Tomct, they are a great addition to the tipping, but not to totally replace tips and you do need to make certain the cards your select are good anywhere in the world. NMNita

 

I'm glad you agree. I certainly understand the importance of cash, but as you understand, the EXTRA gift may allow them to make a call they might not otherwise make. When I've given the cards, I've also made sure they can be used along the way of their itinerary.

 

Our cash tips are generous, so the card in no way impacts the cash tip.

 

My sugggestion to others, try it, you'll see they appreciate it!!!

 

By the way, if any of the recipients are truely in need of every penny they can get their hands on, and/or have no use for the card, they can always sell it to another crew member.

[amy417]

IMHO the extra cash allows them to immediately make extra calls they want to make or anything else they really need. This way there is no hassle to exchange or sell cards. Also from becoming friends with some crew members, I know they would never NOT show appreciation for anything given to them by passengers. It would be rude.

I usually bring $100 in one dollar bills to immediately tip for drinks and small kindnesses along the way. Then I tip extra for the stewards and special people at the end. Kalamari is correct..that auto tip gets split several ways and the extra money we give is greatly appreciated.

[celem]

I have collected some crew's comments posted in the past on this subject into a single file. Telephone cards are mentioned so I am posting it to shed another light on the topic - FYI.

--------------------------------

The Lowdown on Shipboard Tipping

Author: George Haswell (---.tcn-catv.ne.jp)

Date: 09-18-02 03:16

 

Tipping on Cruise Ships has become a very confusing concept for many, but it really shouldn’t be at all. I have worked on many different ships in my career. Please allow me to clarify some of the confusion.

 

I have worked on many different styles of ships in my career; large, small, upscale, economy, Caribbean, Mediterranean, World-wide, Scandinavian, Greek, Italian, American, German, Chinese, Russian.

 

On nearly every ship, the tipping system was always the same. The passengers gave envelopes of money to the stewards at the end of the cruise. Why did they do this? It is a long standing tradition - and the cruise lines recommend that they do it this way. Most stewards on most ships earn about US$30 - US$80 per month in salary. Anything else they earn comes form tips. Why is it done this way? Who knows? It just seems to have always worked that way. Do you like the traditions of cruising? This is one of them.

 

On nearly every ship the procedure was always the same; at the end of the cruise we all pooled the cash we had received and then received a cut of the pool, depending on our seniority, position, and a number of other factors determined by the Maitre d`s point system. It has always been pretty much this same way on every ship. Why? It has been a tradition for a long time - and nobody ever came up with a better way to do it.

 

In the past few years a few of the cruise lines have tried a new system. The ship charges the recommended tip to the cabin account automatically. From the employees point of view this is great news. We no longer need to chase people on the last day. On many ships as much as 20% of the guests "mysteriously disappeared" before giving out any envelopes. This really hurt us a lot. Was the service bad - or were they just being cheap? We never knew. We just lost the money. The cruise line never knew either. Was the service bad? If so, who were the bad waiters? We knew, but our bosses did not.

With this new system, far fewer passengers leave without tipping. We make more money. We still pool the tips the same way we always did - by the point system - but now we know which waiter is not doing his share. If the guests are not happy, they don’t just disappear. They fill in a form at the front desk and name the waiter who did a lousy job. Then the company sacks him and we get better help.

 

We do miss the personal touch of the guest handing us an envelope with cash. It’s a great way to say "Farewell". But more importantly now, I make more than before and am better able to support my family back home.

 

By the way, telephone cards and $2 bills are very cute, but I really need cash to support my family. Plain old dollars are the best tip for any steward.

…

Why is it so surprising that tips are pooled? On a ship, the crew works, eats, sleeps, and parties together as a team. That is a very important concept to them - and to the guests. Close teamwork delivers more efficient and professional hospitality services.

Did you really think that your favorite waiter set the table, plated all the food, ordered the drinks - and still had time to smile and chat you up? Of course not. He has quite a few "helpers" in the background whom you never see, making him look good and giving him the time to deliver that extra service you are expecting.

 

Did you think that your Stateroom Steward had time to scrub all the toilets, carry all the bags, dispose of all the garbage, pick up all the fresh linen, and a thousand other things - for all 18 cabins in his station every day, and then still have time to smile and chat you up ( and the other 17 cabins as well) several times a day? Of course not. He has many "helpers " who take care of those things so he can take care of you.

 

Since we find ourselves in the very traditional practice of using gratuities to pay salaries of shipboard workers, who is going to pay all those people you never see, who are doing the dirty work?

That`s why most ships pool tips.

 

Is it fair for the cruise lines to use tips to pay salaries to their staff? Who knows?

Is it fair that most restaurants in America use this practice to pay their service staff?

Is it fair that taxi companies do this to pay their drivers?

Is it fair that hotels do this to pay their bellmen?

 

It` s just the way it gets done.

…

Author: cap'nkruzer

Date: 04-17-03 07:15

 

Question for George Haswell...what’s wrong with $2.00 bills??

…

Author: Bruce Chafkin (12.8.177.---)

Date: 04-17-03 13:40

 

There is nothing wrong with $2 Bills, so long as you plan to give more than one or two.

But bare in mind that this is a rather rare type of American currency. If a Filipino or Indonesian ship employee takes this bill back to his home country, the local bank will probably refuse to change or accept it. In most of Asia, even a regular bank note with a slight tear or a pen mark is not accepted anywhere.

…

Author: Bruce chafkin (12.8.177.---)

Date: 07-11-03 22:55

 

Some answers:

Most waiters prefer the new auto-tipping system. They make more money; their weaker colleagues are "found out" very quickly by management and replaced; everyone is happier (including the guests) and wealthier.

 

Crew working on ships are a very close and tight team. They live, work, sleep, breathe, eat, party, win, lose, celebrate, and fail as a team. Pooling tips doesn't sound like much fun for the guests, but the staff loves it. As a passenger, are you tipping to please yourself - or are you tipping to please the people who took care of you?? Think carefully about this one........................

 

Yes, the cruise lines should just add the proper amount to the fares, eliminate tipping, and pay a proper wage to their employees. So should every sit-down restaurant in America and every taxi company around the world. Only a fool believes it will ever happen. There are very good - but not necessarily logical - reasons why human beings do the things we do. In a perfect world, nobody would pay good money to get on a ship that travels in a circle and drops you off where you started.

 

As far as dragging the cruise lines into more modern times, let's clean up our own business first, shall we?

 

Peeling Portuguese tree bark and using it to close wine bottles??

Mixing gin with a medicine for malaria and calling it a cocktail??

Measuring time by the distance between two medieval castles (fortnight)??

Calling your currency a "pound". What's that all about??

Measuring weight by stones??

Serving deep fried fish on an old newspaper??

 

---------------------------------------

Subject: Protest of Automatic Tips

…

Author: Bruce Chafkin (BChaf@hotmail.com)

Date: 09-16-02 01:52

 

Your comments are valid, but your logic is faulty. I agree that service on ships generally has gotten worse over the years.

 

But please read carefully: I hae worked on 18 ships for 11 different cruise liines over the past 27 years. The internal tipping policies have been the same on every ship - ALL TIPS WERE POOLED. Please read that last sentence again. Its important.

 

When you gave me an envelope of some cash, it didn`t stay in my pocket very long. As soon as the last passengers disembarked the ship, all the service staff met at the Captain`s table in the diningroom. We all put ALL cash tips on the table for counting. Then the Maitre d` split and handed the money out to EVERYONE, based on a complicated point system administered by him. Today with auto-tipping, the smae system is in place. The only difference is that most of the cash comes from the Purser`s office. We still pool ALL the money in EXACTLY THE SAME WAY. NOTHING HAS REALLY CHANGED. Please read those last two sentences again. They are important.

 

To repeat, we ALWAYS knew we would receive a tip regardless of service levels. We still do know today that we weill receive a tip regardless of service levels.

 

Now please explain to everyone how auto-tipping has damaged service levels.

 

Once again, I agree that service levels have generally deteriorated over the years (I also observe that the quality of guests has deteriorated at the same pace), bu tyoumay be blaming the wrong reasons for the problems that exist.

By the way, you should be aware that with "traditional tipping" (the envelope at the end of the cruise) an average 15% of the guests tipped nothing at all.

The new auto-tipping system makes it more difficult and potentially embarrassing for the Cheap Charlies to get out of tipping the staff. The average number of guests who remove the auto-tip and leave nothing at all has shrunk to 1% or 2 %. This means that the average waiter or steward working with auto-tipping is getting a bigger lump sum from the tipping pool.

 

------------------

bear in mind that a US $2 Bill is "cash" only in a very few countries. If you try to exchange it in the Philippines, China or in Europe, you are out of luck. Banks there have never seen them before and suspect that they are counterfeit. You should see a waiter trying to "dump" his $2 bills the day before he signs off to go home. Nobody - including many US Businesses - will take them.

[Rumncoke]

celem, fabulous post!! Thanks. I'm a big believer in good old cashola.

[Tomct]

IMHO the extra cash allows them to immediately make extra calls they want to make or anything else they really need. This way there is no hassle to exchange or sell cards. Also from becoming friends with some crew members, I know they would never NOT show appreciation for anything given to them by passengers. It would be rude.

 

After reading the comments from several crew members, I remain comfortable with our tipping approach. One of them mentioned they can purchase cards with their own cash. Well, since we tip generously to begin with, and the phone card is only given as an extra to someone we already tipped, the card will allow someone back home to hear from them, through a call they might not otherwise had received.

 

Also, it's hard to share your phone card with anyone if you are in a group that continues to pool cash tips.

[kalamari]

as I was told today.."cash, cash, cash, and why do passengers think we have time to make phone calls?"

 

so there you have it..straight from my darling's mouth..we had a half hour today together and the next half hour was spent with him eating while talking to me on the phone before reporting to work (but we didn't use phone cards haha) M.

 

 

IMHO the extra cash allows them to immediately make extra calls they want to make or anything else they really need. This way there is no hassle to exchange or sell cards. Also from becoming friends with some crew members, I know they would never NOT show appreciation for anything given to them by passengers. It would be rude.

I usually bring $100 in one dollar bills to immediately tip for drinks and small kindnesses along the way. Then I tip extra for the stewards and special people at the end. Kalamari is correct..that auto tip gets split several ways and the extra money we give is greatly appreciated.

[cod]

Maybe this has been pointed out, but how would they use one of our cards from anywhere but here when they have an 800 access # to dial? Can that be dialed from anywhere but in the US? If not, I'd say they don't get much time off the ship in a US port what with the repassagering (I did it..made a new word!!) to make use of it.

 

I'd have to agree with all those who say money is the way to go and I'm sure the most appreciated.

[kalamari]

They can't really use them anywhere but from US ports, for the ones that can be used in the US the rates generally are better ..for example, a $10 card might buy 45 minutes to talk to Indonesia if using it from Miami, but there may be a different card that can be purcahsed in the Carribean for the equivalent of $10 US but it might only give them 10 minutes to talk to Indonesia. The cards ususally tell them where they can use them from and what countries can be called

 

Like the "horse" said "cash, cash, cash"..

 

Maybe this has been pointed out, but how would they use one of our cards from anywhere but here when they have an 800 access # to dial? Can that be dialed from anywhere but in the US? If not, I'd say they don't get much time off the ship in a US port what with the repassagering (I did it..made a new word!!) to make use of it.

 

I'd have to agree with all those who say money is the way to go and I'm sure the most appreciated.

[chatisfaction]

Okay I don't want to offend anyone but what would be the advantage to giving phone cards unless you can get them cheap or something. If a $10 card costs $10 why not just give them the money and let them decide what to do with it?

 

The only reason I can see for tipping with phone cards is if you somehow have ended up with ones you can't or don't want to use you might give them away but why go out and buy phone cards to give. Just give them the money.

[Tomct]

Okay I don't want to offend anyone but what would be the advantage to giving phone cards unless you can get them cheap or something. If a $10 card costs $10 why not just give them the money and let them decide what to do with it?

 

The only reason I can see for tipping with phone cards is if you somehow have ended up with ones you can't or don't want to use you might give them away but why go out and buy phone cards to give. Just give them the money.

 

I don't mean to sound rude, but try reading through this thread. I've tried to make my intent clear. First, we tip generously, and any phone card is above and beyond. A single phone card is pretty cheap, so it's the thought behind it. As I mentioned a few times, the card allows them to make a call they might not otherwise make, and accordingly I'm making the assumption that someone is happy about that, even if you're not. Do you think many of the recipients are saying accusing us of being cheap or inconsiderate, when early on in the cruise we give him a $20 bill and a phone card, and wishes we gave him $23.20? We still exchange emails with one of our last stewards, so I guess we must have done something right.

 

The other cabin steward on that cruise specifically thanked me after our stop in St. Thomas, as he called home to the Phillipines. On our Dawn to Bahamas cruise, the ship stops twice in Florida, and of course New York, so 3 of the ship's stops are on US soil. There are no phones on the private island, so only the Nassau stop is not accessible.

 

I do happen to check the card before giving it to them, as I do want them to be able to use it.

 

One other point I made in my last post concerned the sharing of tips. The card can not be shared, and therefore I know it will be used by the recipient. I'm never really sure what happens to the cash given to a cabin steward or a waitperson. I know I was told on several occasions a couple of years ago, that the steward's cash tips were not given to them if that cabin had opted to pay cash instead of using the automatic daily charge. I also realize that each contact we have is supported by others, esp. in the restaurants, so again I don't know if they pool them with others or not.

 

My final point is a reminder that our phone card gifts are FREE to the recipient. Last time I checked, "Free beat Fee"!

[chatisfaction]

"The card can not be shared, and therefore I know it will be used by the recipient."

That is something I hadn't thought of and could be an advantage if you want to make sure that the tip is enjoyed only by the person you gave it to and they are not forced to share or split it.

 

I didn't mean to imply that you (or anyone else) were being cheap by giving phone cards but just that it seemed like an unneccessary complication for you to go and buy the cards to give them, when they might prefer cash.

[Tomct]

"The card can not be shared, and therefore I know it will be used by the recipient."

That is something I hadn't thought of and could be an advantage if you want to make sure that the tip is enjoyed only by the person you gave it to and they are not forced to share or split it.

 

I didn't mean to imply that you (or anyone else) were being cheap by giving phone cards but just that it seemed like an unneccessary complication for you to go and buy the cards to give them, when they might prefer cash.

 

We are thankful for everything these folks do for us so that we can enjoy our cruise vacations, and it is just another token of our appreciation. I've purchased the recent cards at Sam's Club, and actually had the last batch leftover from a previous purchase.

 

Besides cashs, and the constant thank yous we provide, there isn't too much we can do for them in the short time we are on board, and the short amount of time we have to actually get to know them. Of course an important part of the appreciation is a well stated compliment on our cruise response card. We take them very seriously, and take the time to let management know who we feel has done the best job, especially those "above and beyond" deeds.

[NYCruiseMom]

Does the grew like to recieve phone cards as a tip? When is it appropriate to tip using a phone card and is it; as, more or less appreciated than cash?:confused:

 

 

I say skip the phone cards! We just got back from 9 days in the southern caribbean and had an awful time trying to use those stupid cards! one phone actually ate my first card! LOL! on another island the phone cards I had were not accepted. it's really hit or miss. I wound up making a five minute call to my husband from St. Lucia and charging it to my AmEx..that cost me $75!!!!!

 

If anyone is thinking about taking a phone card, take the one that bills to your home phone, NOT one you buy in the stores!!

[Tomct]

I say skip the phone cards! We just got back from 9 days in the southern caribbean and had an awful time trying to use those stupid cards! one phone actually ate my first card! LOL! on another island the phone cards I had were not accepted. it's really hit or miss. I wound up making a five minute call to my husband from St. Lucia and charging it to my AmEx..that cost me $75!!!!!

 

If anyone is thinking about taking a phone card, take the one that bills to your home phone, NOT one you buy in the stores!!

 

This thread has been discussing the use of the cards as gifts to crew members. They rely on the use of such cards, mostly purchased on their own, possibly on the ship, so they are very familiar with how and where to use them.

 

I've been using them for years, though not too frequently, and it's usually a cheap one at that, and have yet to have any trouble. The only thing close to a problem was in St. Thomas, I think, where we had to put $.50 in the pay phone to use the card. I tend to do my homework in advance so there are no suprises if and when I need to use them.

 

It seems you can purchase cards on the islands that will work there, but we haven't had to do that.