Suite Tipping Questions

[Bippie]

I've read elsewhere on CC that other lines recommend a $5.50 a day tip per person for a suite attendant. Is that amount in addition to the cabin attendant tip included in the standard tip added to the shipboard account? Does HAL provide a recommended tip for a suite attendant? If I add even more to my shipboard account, will my suite attendant actually get the tip? I don't like to travel with too much cash but the tipping situation seems to require a LOT of cash for attendants, waitstaff, shore excursions, etc.

 

Would the amount be different for the penthouse? (I can always drean of that being a problem......)

 

Thanks in advance for any advice. Most other questions have been answered on CC (except why the starbord side sold more quickly than the port side on an upcoming Baltic cruise). What a wealth of information on CC!

[CruiserBruce]

I don't know where that $5.50 comes from, but that isn't HAL. The $11 pp, per day "hotel service charge" applies to each and every cabin, no exceptions. Suites and the Penthouse are not different. You may tip extra. The Hotel Service Charge is put on the credit card you associate with your room account, if you do that. So no cash there. Extra tipping, above the Hotel Service Charge, is usually done in cash.

 

There are many, many, many threads here on tipping.

[GmaPajama]

Holland America doesn't have anyone with the job title "Suite Attendant". If you've booked the categories S, SA, SB, SC, or PH - you will have access to the Neptune Lounge and the Concierge there.

 

The Concierge's tip is included in HAL's $11 per person per day Service Charge, but many people do tip them something additional - especially if they use their services frequently. The amount is totally up to you - and I've not heard any specific guideline for that.

[Bippie]

Thanks - I had not even thought about the concierge.

 

What have others tipped their cabin attendant for a suite above the daily amount charged to the shipboard account for a 12 day cruise?

[Randyk47]

Since HAL went to the Hotel Service Charge I don't think I've seen any suggestion as to how much to tip if you decide to give an additional tip. We leave the charge in place and give a small additional amount to the staff we think have made our cruise that little bit extra special. Last cruise it was our cabin steward and his assistant, our dining room wait staff, and the Pinnacle Grill staff. We had a good Neptune Lounge concierge but we didn't really use him that much so no additional tip there.

[kazu]

Thanks - I had not even thought about the concierge.

 

What have others tipped their cabin attendant for a suite above the daily amount charged to the shipboard account for a 12 day cruise?

 

 

Technically speaking, there is no need to tip your cabin steward extra. A lot of the extra services that you may get (room service, in room course by course dining, hors d'hoeuvre) are all performed by different people, not your room steward.

 

If I am pleased with the service, I always give a little bit extra - usually to the room stewards, dining room, wine steward, pinnacle grill staff and concierge.

 

Again, it is up to each person. It is not obligatory. Depends upon how special they made your cruise :) and how impressed you are and if you WANT to tip extra :D

[Crazy Gramps]

I've tipped a concierge $50 for doing everything for us. She was amazing.

I've tipped concierges nothing too.

 

I've tipped cabin stewards extra for doing incredible jobs.

I've tipped them nothing. Had one who's name I didn't know after a 10 day cruise.

 

Extra tips are all up to you.

 

If you feel you didn't get good service you can go to the concierge and tell them to take the automatic tip off your bill. They will do it.

 

If you don't get the service you expect tell the concierge immedately. Tell them nicely and be specfic.

In suites I expect more.

 

Gramps

[bcd2010]

I don't know where that $5.50 comes from...

 

IIRC, before HAL instituted the HSC, they suggested tipping each of the cabin and dining room stewards $3.50/pp/day and the assistant stewards half that, plus this much for lounge stewards and that much for someone else, etc. I think it all added up to $10-11/pp/day, and there was some policy of distributing some of that amount to behind-the-scenes workers. The HSC covers that now and is distributed to the crew, both visible and behind-the-scenes, as per their contracts.

 

$5.50 may be the suggested tip for more upscale lines.

 

OP - Some people choose to tip individuals additional amounts, which they may keep if the HSC is not removed. If it is removed, those additional monies go into the pool to be divided among all.

[richnot]

How does one tip a "staff", such as the staff in the Pinnacle Grill? Whom does one give it to?

[Krazy Kruizers]

How does one tip a "staff", such as the staff in the Pinnacle Grill? Whom does one give it to?

 

the pinnacle staff do get a tiny bit of that $11 per person hotel service charge

some people as a result choose not to tip them at the end of the meal

we do -- and we personally tip each person -- usually 2 at dinner -- the amount varies on hoe good the service was

[kazu]

How does one tip a "staff", such as the staff in the Pinnacle Grill? Whom does one give it to?

 

As we have breakfast there, we like to leave an appreciation tip at the end of the week. We give our envelope to the PG dining room manager with a sincere thank you and a smile. It is clearly marked for all of them as they all contribute to breakfast :) If it's dinner/lunch, you can leave it on the table if you so wish.

 

Or if someone has made your dining memorable, pass them the envelope. I do believe they pool them though.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I've read elsewhere on CC that other lines recommend a $5.50 a day tip per person for a suite attendant. Is that amount in addition to the cabin attendant tip included in the standard tip added to the shipboard account? Does HAL provide a recommended tip for a suite attendant? If I add even more to my shipboard account, will my suite attendant actually get the tip? I don't like to travel with too much cash but the tipping situation seems to require a LOT of cash for attendants, waitstaff, shore excursions, etc.

 

Would the amount be different for the penthouse? (I can always drean of that being a problem......)

 

Thanks in advance for any advice. Most other questions have been answered on CC (except why the starbord side sold more quickly than the port side on an upcoming Baltic cruise). What a wealth of information on CC!

 

only the ps, sa, sb and sc deluxe suites have use of the neptune lounge and the concierges

we tip according to how long the cruise is and how much we have used the concierges -- the concierges do not get any anything from the $11 per person hotel service charge

when we stay in the penthouse -- yes we do tip more than when we stay in the sa

we don't carry a lot of cash -- travelers checks can be cashed on the ship without a charge

[kazu]

only the ps, sa, sb and sc deluxe suites have use of the neptune lounge and the concierges

 

we tip according to how long the cruise is and how much we have used the concierges -- the concierges do not get any anything from the $11 per person hotel service charge

 

when we stay in the penthouse -- yes we do tip more than when we stay in the sa

 

we don't carry a lot of cash -- travelers checks can be cashed on the ship without a charge

 

Good point by KK - when we stayed in the penthouse we tipped more too. (only did it once - hopefully the upsell fairy smiles on us again :))

 

when you are in the penthouse, you tend to have more guests (at least we did), more clean up and more course by course dining. so definitely, worthy of more of a tip. :)

[Lefty Bob]

How much is the additional cost for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner?

 

Bob

[CruiserBruce]

How much is the additional cost for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner?

 

Bob

 

Breakfast is free, and is for Suite passengers only. Lunch is $10 and dinner is $20.

[hpf]

I have a different question. In Europe do you tip in Euros, Krones, Pounds or American dollars ? Helen

[sail7seas]

On all of our European cruises, we tipped in U.S. $$. That is the only currency we have experienced HAL using on their ships.

 

[hpf]

On all of our European cruises, we tipped in U.S. $$. That is the only currency we have experienced HAL using on their ships.

 

 

Thank you Sail. Helen

[GrammieK]

On Oceania, pax in PH's and above have a butler. The tipping structure on O is a certain price per person, with an additional price per person for those with the services of a butler.