Tipping For Spa Treatments

[lilant]

I am an American. I have never been pressured to tip at the spa, or asked to tip at the spa, or have anyone at the spa verbally suggest or hint that I should tip. Your singling out of the treatment of Americans in this regard is a bit insulting. It is my belief that tipping at the spa is not included in the Silversea cruise price. Therefore I will continue to tip. All others, of course, are free to do as they please.

 

i'm an american too, and dont find the truth a bit insulting. my partner and i travel the world and find that not only are we(americans) big mouths and stand out in crowds, we do over tip. example. in thailand ive gotten massages for $5.00us for a hour, now is it my fault its only $5.00? no. now should i feel guilty? no. at the end i give them two or three dollars tip. thats a 40-60% tip. i know, have seen people give $10 dollars and up tip. why? you wouldnt give a 200% tip at home? then the locals start to think they can charge "stupid americans" more. its the truth. i heard a porter call an old american lady, "crazy". she had given him a $20us tip for carrying a bag to the dock. if a service is provided i do believe in tipping but, "when in rome". if the local custom is to "leave the change" then "leave the change". but to go over board, no pun, spoils the experience for the rest of us.

[Sweetpea711423]

Dear friends:

 

As many of you who read my posts know, I have a home in New York and spend a good deal of time there, when we are not in Madrid or Barcelona.

 

It is naturally not my intention to insult or offend anybody. My statement about American overtippers comes from various tipping threads on various boards within Cruise Critic, in which we Europeans try to explain to the Americans that in Europe (and I for one speak for Spain, which is where I live) absolutely no tipping is necessary or expected, but 80% of the American posters come back with remarks to the effect that "I am going to tip the same 20% in Europe as I tip here in the United States because that is my custom and I am going to follow it".

 

My immediate reply is always "Well then, since it is my custom not to tip, then I can go to a Manhattan restaurant and walk out without tipping".

 

Of course, I would never do that, because it is important to follow the customs of the place you are visiting. However, there is an important American faction on cruise critic that believe that only their customs should be followed throughout the world.

 

Using this same logic, I believe there should be no tipping on Silversea. I have already quoted the website advertisements where Silversea clearly says "ALL ONBOARD GRATUITIES INCLUDED -- NONE ARE EXPECTED".

 

On this basis, I do not tip in the Spa.

 

However, since this seems to be causing a bit of confusion as to whether tipping in the Spa is or is not expected (although I do think that the Silversea statement speaks for itself), I do believe that Silversea should step in and specifically clarify this point.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

 

 

I am afraid that I once again take offense. The reason that I tip at the spa on Silversea is not because I think American customs should be followed throughout the world. While you might not have intended it, that's a pretty insulting way to put it. When I travel to other countries I make sure to research and follow the tipping customs of the particular country I'm visiting. It's part of my standard trip preparation (including for my upcoming Silversea cruise in relation to ports). The reason I tip in the Silversea spa is because I believe that the "no tipping" policy of Silversea does not extend to the spa, which is a separate operation run by a separate company. And it is further my understanding that tips for spa staff are not included in spa prices or as part of the Silversea cruise price. Therefore I tip. If others have a different view and choose not to tip, that is of course their prerogative.

[CruisinGerman]

Dear friends:

 

So that nobody will continue to "take offense", I have written an e-mail to Mr. Lefebvre requesting clarification on this matter.

 

I will report back as soon as I hear from him or his office.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[Goldens4]

Thank you very much for sending the email. I am looking forward to reading his reply.

[MJN1]

We just came off the Spirit two days ago (a more detailed review will follow later). Based on the above thread and the argument that the Spa services are outsourced, we were prepared to tip for Spa services this time (we never did before given the "all inclusive, no tipping expected" policy).

Alas, when it came to sign the - now computerized- chit after the massage there was no line to add a gratuity (there was a line for this on ALL previous trips). The chit simply read "account closed, amount, time, name, cabin number" and that was it...

[chicagogal]

We just came off the Spirit two days ago (a more detailed review will follow later). Based on the above thread and the argument that the Spa services are outsourced, we were prepared to tip for Spa services this time (we never did before given the "all inclusive, no tipping expected" policy).

Alas, when it came to sign the - now computerized- chit after the massage there was no line to add a gratuity (there was a line for this on ALL previous trips). The chit simply read "account closed, amount, time, name, cabin number" and that was it...

 

How odd (and good!) Just two weeks ago there WAS a gratuity line on the Spirit in the spa!

[CruisinGerman]

Dear friends:

 

I'm still waiting for a response from Mr. Lefebvre's office on this question.

 

In any case, my wife and I are going on Silversea at the end of next week, so I'll be sure to let you know first-hand directly from the ship.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[billphelps]

I have just returned to my cabin on the Whisper from a massage in the Spa. The phamplet in the spa does suggest an 18% - 20% gratuity. After my massage the bill was presented with the massage amoune and there was a place to add the tips and then total and sign the bill. So, we can put this thread to rest! Tipping is expected in the Spa.

[Host Dan]

I have just returned to my cabin on the Whisper from a massage in the Spa. The phamplet in the spa does suggest an 18% - 20% gratuity. After my massage the bill was presented with the massage amoune and there was a place to add the tips and then total and sign the bill. So, we can put this thread to rest! Tipping is expected in the Spa.

Thanks for the clarification! Enjoy the rest of your cruise!

 

Host Dan

[lilant]

we just got home yesterday, and had four treatments on the wind (6/23-7/3) and all of the invoices from the spa were pre-filled out with the total and no where was there a line for a tip. we were asked to "sign at the bottom". in fact two of the treatments were cheaper on the ship then listed on-line.

 

:D

[CanadianKate]

I am afraid that I once again take offense. The reason that I tip at the spa on Silversea is not because I think American customs should be followed throughout the world. While you might not have intended it, that's a pretty insulting way to put it. When I travel to other countries I make sure to research and follow the tipping customs of the particular country I'm visiting. It's part of my standard trip preparation (including for my upcoming Silversea cruise in relation to ports). The reason I tip in the Silversea spa is because I believe that the "no tipping" policy of Silversea does not extend to the spa, which is a separate operation run by a separate company. And it is further my understanding that tips for spa staff are not included in spa prices or as part of the Silversea cruise price. Therefore I tip. If others have a different view and choose not to tip, that is of course their prerogative.

 

Hmmmm. You are traveling on an Italian Cruise Line. So wouldn't the European customs prevail? As well, this is an all-inclusive cruise line. Finally, there's the website quote stating all on-board gratuities are included.

 

Given those three facts, I'd choose no tipping. (Actually, I go with option 3 - avoid the spa because it isn't worth the expense to me, I'm relaxed enough on board so I'd rather have 3 massages when I'm at home, than one on board!)

 

When I take clients out in Europe the conversation is completely in English because it is the common language to a group in my industry. But the Europeans are shocked that I'm expected to tip when the bill arrives (and that the waiter will often point out gratuities are not included.) They can't believe the advantage such servers are attempting to take of me and comment they are never solicited that way.

 

Now that I know I'm being classed as an American and targeted as such it is easier for me to side with Gunther and Uta.

 

I don't want to be the "rude American" and insult anyone, nor to I want to be the "stupid American" and fall for the scam. So I choose to avoid as many of these situations as possible. Silversea is one way I do that.

[Sweetpea711423]

Hmmmm. You are traveling on an Italian Cruise Line. So wouldn't the European customs prevail? As well, this is an all-inclusive cruise line. Finally, there's the website quote stating all on-board gratuities are included.

 

Given those three facts, I'd choose no tipping. (Actually, I go with option 3 - avoid the spa because it isn't worth the expense to me, I'm relaxed enough on board so I'd rather have 3 massages when I'm at home, than one on board!)

 

When I take clients out in Europe the conversation is completely in English because it is the common language to a group in my industry. But the Europeans are shocked that I'm expected to tip when the bill arrives (and that the waiter will often point out gratuities are not included.) They can't believe the advantage such servers are attempting to take of me and comment they are never solicited that way.

 

Now that I know I'm being classed as an American and targeted as such it is easier for me toif side with Gunther and Uta.

 

I don't want to be the "rude American" and insult anyone, nor to I want to be the "stupid American" and fall for the scam. So I choose to avoid as many of these situations as possible. Silversea is one way I do that.

 

 

Well, I guess we simply disagree. My preference is always to be more generous to service people.

[CruisinGerman]

Dear friends:

 

I was on Spirit June 5 - 12. Yes there is a brochure in the room printed by the Spa that says "suggested gratuities are 18%-20% of your bill" or something like that.

 

However, the people in the Spa did not press for tips and the bill came for us to sign completely filled in with no tip line to fill in.

 

It seems to me that the Spa is trying to take advantage of the Americans that travel onboard by printing the brochure to entice them, and I do believe this should stop.

 

For the person who feels the need to be generous with service people, do you tip your doctor, your lawyer, your child's teacher? They are also service people. For the same reason you would not tip these people, we in Europe do not tip our service people, who include waiters, spa therapists, etc.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[quest145]

We have just got back from shadow in alaska. The spa receipts still had a line for tips. My wife did not leave a tip because she was not keen on the hard sell of their treatment products at the end of the massage.

[Sweetpea711423]

Dear friends:

 

I was on Spirit June 5 - 12. Yes there is a brochure in the room printed by the Spa that says "suggested gratuities are 18%-20% of your bill" or something like that.

 

However, the people in the Spa did not press for tips and the bill came for us to sign completely filled in with no tip line to fill in.

 

It seems to me that the Spa is trying to take advantage of the Americans that travel onboard by printing the brochure to entice them, and I do believe this should stop.

 

For the person who feels the need to be generous with service people, do you tip your doctor, your lawyer, your child's teacher? They are also service people. For the same reason you would not tip these people, we in Europe do not tip our service people, who include waiters, spa therapists, etc.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

 

 

I don't think of doctors or lawyers (of which I am one myself) as service people. I think of them as well-paid professionals, and do not tip. Teachers are in fact "tipped", but the form it takes is a nice gift at Christmas time. Same with the individual who delivers my mail, delivers my daily newspaper, and cleans my home. They are "tipped" via a nice gift at Christmas (generally a monetary one).