Well Kept Secrete about Tips

[ava_girl_123]

Again.. To each his own.. ;)

[Crusin6]

Oh well.. To each his own.. We were on an All Inclusive vacation in Playa Del Carmen a few years ago, and again since I was a service worker, I tipped the bathroom girl that was mopping the floors in the restroom..Not the attendant in the bathroom, we tipped her too, but also the woman who was actually mopping the floors.. I didn't have to, I just did. As I walked out another guest replied very nasty "Huh, great now all the people mopping the floors will expect it"

 

I don't assume... never liked it.. ;)

I have to add that one of the reason that we don't over tip is that we don't like when anything is expected of us.....sometimes less is more and we would rather be considered poorer than richer by the staff...on cruises...restaurants...anywhere....

 

 

We find the extra attention they push on you if they think you can tip extra to be disgusting.

[dan40]

I thought it was mandatory. That if you did not pre-pay your gratuities like we did, that at the end of the cruise, your SS card has the $140 in gratuities added to it automatically.. So it does not then?

I like the idea pre-paying and then giving more as I go.. ;)

 

If your gratuities were $140 [2 pax X7 days] they would add $140.00 to your S&S account on DAY ONE. That is a memo billing. You are not actually charged on your credit card until the last day. From day one, hour one, until the end of the cruise, you may go to the Purser's Desk and change the amounts for each individual, up or down any amount you wish.

This info applies to Carnival ONLY. It does NOT apply to any other line including Carnival owned lines, as each line does tips their own way.

 

For instance, MSC adds $12.00 pppd to the onboard account. And does NOT add a 15% tip charge to bar tabs. But the total tips collected are divided among ALL service workers. So on that line you may be tipping a person you have never seen. I prefer Carnival's way, with YOUR personal servers receiving your tips.

 

On NCL the tips are called a 'service charge' and are not adjustable.

[glrounds]

I thought it was mandatory. That if you did not pre-pay your gratuities like we did, that at the end of the cruise, your SS card has the $140 in gratuities added to it automatically.. So it does not then?

I like the idea pre-paying and then giving more as I go.. ;)

 

It may NOT be the policy now, but in the past my Sail'n'Sign account was hit with the $70 charge ($10 per day for 7 days) on the FIRST day.

Barring something intentionally rude or vicious by a crew member, I can't imagine anyone even thinking about removing the tips, EVER.:(

[StevieG]

I always tip at the end of the cruise. but after reading these posts maybe I will tip the room steward at the begining on the cruise. Also based on some of the numbers being thrown around maybe I am tipping too much.

[dan40]

I just don't make assumptions.. For all we know he could be worth millions and felt that he wanted to tip extra to whomever..

 

That is just me though..;)

 

 

You make hundreds of assumptions about dozens of things every day. What you mean is you try not to be judgmental.

 

But I do not try to not be judgmental.

[Crusin6]

If your gratuities were $140 [2 pax X7 days] they would add $140.00 to your S&S account on DAY ONE. That is a memo billing. You are not actually charged on your credit card until the last day. From day one, hour one, until the end of the cruise, you may go to the Purser's Desk and change the amounts for each individual, up or down any amount you wish.

This info applies to Carnival ONLY. It does NOT apply to any other line including Carnival owned lines, as each line does tips their own way.

 

For instance, MSC adds $12.00 pppd to the onboard account. And does NOT add a 15% tip charge to bar tabs. But the total tips collected are divided among ALL service workers. So on that line you may be tipping a person you have never seen. I prefer Carnival's way, with YOUR personal servers receiving your tips.

 

On NCL the tips are called a 'service charge' and are not adjustable.

Thanks for the info about NCL...as we are cruising them next. It is $12 a day there btw. So my family..only 5 sailing this time...will be charged $60 a day for 7days...so $420.......I think that will be enough for us to give as an "extra" I don't see how $420 would ever make us look cheap. Maybe the steward gets $20 extra..ditto the waiter...if we have him/her more than once...but other than that $420 is way plenty to tip.

[Crusin6]

I always tip at the end of the cruise. but after reading these posts maybe I will tip the room steward at the begining on the cruise. Also based on some of the numbers being thrown around maybe I am tipping too much.

If you tip early...he will still expect more at the end. You might get beter service...or might not. We always tip at the end and have always had excellent service...of course we don't need 2000 pounds of ice every day either:D

[Aknot]

We always do the auto tip thing plus tip over that amount directly to the persons involved. Also, at the beginning of a cruise, I usually tip my room steward $25. From what I can tell, the crew works hard and I've never had any problems with the service I receive. :)

 

Do you have the same room steward for the whole trip? (7 days for me) along these lines (say that a lot) is there a cheat sheet of titles and responsibilities of each job function on a Cruise ship listed somewhere?

 

when I google it all I get are job listings... :D

[ava_girl_123]

You make hundreds of assumptions about dozens of things every day. What you mean is you try not to be judgmental.

 

But I do not try to not be judgmental.

 

 

 

Correct... But in this case, it was an assumption that the poster lied and really didn't tip the lowry worker.. ;)

[Litewait]

I thought it was mandatory. That if you did not pre-pay your gratuities like we did, that at the end of the cruise, your SS card has the $140 in gratuities added to it automatically.. So it does not then?

I like the idea pre-paying and then giving more as I go.. ;)

 

The first charge to hit your S&S card (most the time) is your gratuity charge.

There is no reason to take it off. I guess unless you have really crappy service. As stated if you go and remove it it will not be put back on. I always leave mine, never think about it and pay cash in addition at the end.

 

I go to the pursers desk and ask for envelopes put the cash in and thank them and give it to them the last night. The only additional "pretip" I do is to my room steward to keep ice in my cooler. That is usually $10 for a 7 day cruise. That is above and beyond his/her responsibilities.

 

I have also read.. If you remove your tips and then give cash, that money is pooled and divided. They don't get it all. That is not $$ in addition to the tips but only money received in leiu of the them being charged to the S&S.

[Nunu]

This just in: The world is round.

[n2knight]

Do you have the same room steward for the whole trip? (7 days for me) along these lines (say that a lot) is there a cheat sheet of titles and responsibilities of each job function on a Cruise ship listed somewhere?

 

when I google it all I get are job listings... :D

 

Yes same room steward during you entire trip.

 

FYI - you are going to love the Pride.

[Traveler353]

This just in: The world is round.

 

 

Or maybe it is just an opinion based on perception. http://theflatearthsociety.org/cms/:D

[MrPete]

I have also read.. If you remove your tips and then give cash, that money is pooled and divided. They don't get it all. That is not $$ in addition to the tips but only money received in leiu of the them being charged to the S&S.

 

This is not true.

[Litewait]

This is not true.

 

Wasnt sure if they still required that. Glad they don't.

[n2knight]

This just in: The world is round.

 

You and that Chris Columbus. You crazy kids!

[jordanaire]

I have wanted to see Crete myself. I hear the Minoan ruins are amazing....

 

If I had a dollar for every misspelled word seen on these boards, I'd be able to afford one of those cruises around the world!

 

:cool:Bill

[woodey]

I am being lazy and not reading all the pages... but I also want to add The Casino Dealers into the Mix... there wages are tip driven also and i would like to add that tipping is not a place in China...rofl sorry i had too :D

[astropilot]

You know, I really could care less what Carnival pays their staff. That's between the staff and Carnival. What I have a problem with is people acting like these poor souls are being taken advantage of, and then trying to make the rest of us feel like it's our fault.

 

I'm sorry, but I don't feel sorry for those folks in the slightest. I'm sure they knew the terms of their contract before they signed on, and if they didn't they should have.

 

Unless I receive the service that I think I should have you can be sure that I would not hesitate to remove tips.

 

On the other hand, if the service is above par, so will be the tip.

[Nunu]

You know, I really could care less why Carnival pays their staff. That's between the staff and Carnival. What I have a problem with is people acting like these poor souls are being taken advantage of, and then trying to make the rest of us feel like it's our fault.

 

I'm sorry, but I don't feel sorry for those folks in the slightest. I'm sure they knew the terms of their contract before the signed on, and if they didn't they should have.

 

Unless I receive the service that I think I should you can be sure that I would not hesitate to remove tips. On the other hand, if the service is above par, so will be the tip.

 

lol it really is that simple

[elcuchio24]

If I had a dollar for every misspelled word seen on these boards, I'd be able to afford one of those cruises around the world!

 

:cool:Bill

 

iTS unbaleevable. Sum peepul.

[elcuchio24]

You know, I really could care less why Carnival pays their staff. That's between the staff and Carnival. What I have a problem with is people acting like these poor souls are being taken advantage of, and then trying to make the rest of us feel like it's our fault.

 

I'm sorry, but I don't feel sorry for those folks in the slightest. I'm sure they knew the terms of their contract before the signed on, and if they didn't they should have.

 

Unless I receive the service that I think I should you can be sure that I would not hesitate to remove tips. On the other hand, if the service is above par, so will be the tip.

 

I agree with you. I have lived in countries where the yearly wage was under $500 US. We may think crew gets paid poorly, but its a sliding scale. Many people around the world would love to have one of these cruise jobs, especially with room and board, and tax free income......Thats just the world we live in, like it or not.

[alwayshappytocruise]

iTS unbaleevable. Sum peepul.

 

True......not a secrete........

[CorvetteLady]

When we took our first cruise I read that tips given on the last day go into a pool and are divided, is this not true? I always tip on the 2nd or 3rd day so they don't have to share their tips with anyone else.

 

When I first heard about having to tip on a cruise I was very surprised. I thought my fare would cover that and then found out how the employees depend on the tips. Still wasn't sure but then took my first cruise and saw how hard they work and the hours they work and felt they all deserve their tips.

 

Just think about the room steward that cleans the room twice a day and keeps that ice bucket filled. The only place I've stayed that even filled the ice bucket once a day was The Ritz. It's really hard to get the level of service you get on a cruise anywhere else without having to pay a lot more.