Tipping-Question

[1timecruzer]

As a cruise-novice and my first cruise EVER comming up in march, I have a question about tipping.

Can someone please explain to me the difference about "pre-tipping" and tipping "by hand"? How does it work? Pro/cons?

 

We're on the Summit in a Sky Suite, so what to do with the butler? Is the service equaly, no matter how we choose to do the tipping?:confused: This is very confusing to me, so I would be happy to get some advice from you guys!

[firstplacechef]

First, welcome to the world of cruising.

 

There are suggested guidelines for tipping on the X website. These are pre-paid when you book your cruise and will be given out to those that you have contact with throughout the cruise at the end of the cruise. You do not have to tip any extra, unless you feel someone gave you exceptional service. When ever you purchase a beverage there will be an added 15% to your bill. You do not need to butler each time he/she does something as those are included in your pre-paid tips.

 

Some people say they "oil" the hand of there room steward at the beginning of the cruise, but we never have and have always had wonderful service!

[Lsimon]

We've found that service has always been great with no need to tip beforehand nor on the spot in most cases. In fact on an early Celebrity cruise I offered our cabin attendant an extra tip on embarkation day just after going over a list of requests for the cruise. He refused and told us to see how he does during the cruise and to take care of him at the end. Now the only time we tip ahead is if someone who is not part of our normal staff does something special for us which deserves a tip.

 

The Celebrity guidelines and procedure for gratuities are on their web site here: http://www.celebritycruises.com/beforeyourcruise/faq/home.do;jsessionid=0000bneg2tasVPvKJ_WanLKhtrZ:12hdebcnj;jsessionid=00009Mlz6vd78r4y_yXc87cGsx_:12hdebf7u?faqSubjectName=Payments&faqId=551&pagename=faq_answers

 

The same information will be in your cruise documents and on information sheets on the ship, These tips take care of the basic gratuity for your cabin staff, your butler, dining room staff as well as a general allowance for other personnel. While there is no need to tip beyond this basic amount, many cruiser (including myself) typically give some additional gratuity at the end of the cruise, usually in cash, if they feel the service is deserving.

 

As you see in the link to the gratuity information, the normal procedure is for the gratuities to be added to your shipboard charge account daily. If you are in select dining they will be prepaid before the cruise and some others choose to prepay as well. I believe you can make certain adjustments on board to the auto-charge gratuities as well as long as you do it before a certain number of days before the end of the cruise. The service staff gets a printout of the gratuities two days before the end of the cruise and before then they do not know.

 

This whole gratuity procedure, of charging tips to one's account or prepaying them, is relatively new. Prior to a couple of years ago most tipping was done in cash at the end of the cruise. Some passengers still prefer to do it that way and have their gratuities adjusted once on board so they can tip in cash at the end of the cruise. But there is no benefit in doing so. Those who wish to personally thank the staff can do so verbally, with a thank you note, good comments on the evaluation forms (very important to the staff) or a little extra cash.

 

There will also be a base gratuity included as part of your bill for the specialty restaurants, any beverages purchases and spa treatments. The charge slips will also have a spot for an additional gratuity if one chooses to tip extra. If we are regulars at one lounge and receive great service from a particular waiter or bartender there we'll often give a little extra cash to them at the end of the cruise as well.

[backyardponder]

Tipping is a personal decision. Some will say their tips are charged to their account and that is adequate. Some will provide additional tips to people providing services. I can only tell you what I do...

 

When I use room service, I give the person delivering $3 in cash. I take a bunch of singles with me for this. At the end of the cruise I give the room steward, assistant room steward, waiter (for assigned seating) and assistant waiter between $25 and $50 each...depending on how I feel the last night.

 

I take envelopes with me to use for my tips. I write a short note on the envelope. When I pack the envelopes, I put them in a zip lock bag since the humiditiy on the cruise can be high and I've had envelopes self-seal on me in the past.

[1timecruzer]

Thank you for your answers! It helps a newbie like me!;) Just want to do anything right and be done with the deciding till entering the ship. Then I just want to turn on "vacation-mode"! And with the pre-tipping thing, I can just relax and enjoy!

 

Now I just have to think about premium alc-beverage-package or not....hm....:confused::rolleyes:!!

 

Still SOOO many days untill embarkation........:eek:

[retiredldo]

I would like to add my thoughts, i feel that the tip that is automatically taken out covers what you need to do for tips, assuming you dont have all sorts of additional requests. for example on our most recent cruise on the equinox, it was with a Concierge Cabin. Now we would not do that style of cabin again, did not see the value in it. And as far as the room steward, we made two requests (1) was for a pillow (2) the beach towels had not shown up yet and he said he had forgot. We had no additional requests, so therefore we left the tip the way it was. Similiar with dinner, in the MDR , they provide us with a service, nothing over the top. So left the tips alone. I will also suggest to you before I get all this stuff about how hard they work etc, I am a very fair tipper. But I feel this has gotten a bit out of whack. There were many threads when some of the lines first moved to having the tips taken out automatically some years agon, but in conversation with a couple of the cruise lines , there were many many folks who would skip the last night at the MDR and there fore NO tips were forth coming. I forget the percentage but it is up since they went to auto tipping. Now it is almost implied that there should be an additional tip. IMHO you get additional service tip on, if they do the job all set

Regards

Out to snow blow the driveway

 

Pete

[JFontaine]

Since you will have a butler he/she will likely serve all of your room service meals (except ordered during 'off times' like middle of the night). No need to tip your butler for each food delivery. On the last evening I gave my butler extra money based on how much he did for me in this regard. There are blank envelopes available at the reception desk for this purpose (do not wait on line if you see them). Have a great trip.

[fleckle]

There are blank envelopes available at the reception desk for this purpose (do not wait on line if you see them).

Good point! They typically have them out on the counter the last day so people can walk right up and help themselves. Or request them earlier in the week if you think of it. In addition, there should be some envelopes for your use inside the big blue book that Celebrity puts in each cabin.

 

Also, there is no need to bring a bulky stack of singles with you. We stop off at reception to exchange a couple of twenties for singles and fives at the beginning of each cruise, and again as needed after that.

[1timecruzer]

Again, thank you all!!

One day less to ship out, but still too many to go....:(

Have a nice day wherever you are!

[Can'tstopcruising]

The good thing about auto-tipping is that it becomes a "no-brainer". Don't lose sleep over tipping. You can tip extra if you are so inclined, but if you don't, that's fine, too.

[1timecruzer]

@ Can'tstopcruising

:D

[Wine-O]

On Summit, in addition to the automatic tipping, they let you give extra tips for just those you feel gave you excellent service to be placed on your seapass account. They did have a cutoff time -- a day or so before the end of the cruise. This made it convenient for those who didn't carry a lot of cash. I would guess the other ships would be the same.

[retiredldo]

On Summit, in addition to the automatic tipping, they let you give extra tips for just those you feel gave you excellent service to be placed on your seapass account. They did have a cutoff time -- a day or so before the end of the cruise. This made it convenient for those who didn't carry a lot of cash. I would guess the other ships would be the same.

 

That was or is the same on the Equinox

 

Pete

[Joedog]

As most have said, how you tip and how much you tip is a personal matter. I have always just used auto-tipping (if available) and if I felt it warranted I would give a little something extra in cash on the last night to the key players.

 

Besides that type of tipping I ALWAYS tip (or over tip) waiters & bartenders who give/bring me drinks a dollar in cash. I know it is not necessary but I want/like to do it. That said, when there is a deck party or a crowd at the bar I never have to look too hard for the waiter or bartender they usually find me.