Tipping Poll

[JJPacer]

The amount can be subjective. In an attempt to standardize the average dollar amount, let's assume we're taking a 10 day cruise. We choose to tip the waiters and room stewards in addition to the automatic amount per day added to our ship board account. We'll also assume the room stewards and waiters provide the exceptional service we are accustomed to receiving. They have provided friendly, timely service, and fulfilled our every request. What would you tip each individual employee?

[CruiserBruce]

Oh boy. Another tipping thread:confused:

[jkrislc]

I'm a little confused about the poll. I'm assuming that the amounts are in addition to the auto-tip. However, is this on a per cruise basis, per position basis, etc.?

[sail7seas]

Impossible to answer that poll as it locks one into one set amount for everyone they tip 'over and above'. We might give one amount extra to our cabin stewards but a different sum to dining stewards. Definitely it would be still another amount to wine steward or bartenders shoudl we choose to tip them extra on a given cruise.

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

i couldn't vote -- we don't give the same amount of extra tips to everyone -- it varies as some people work harder for us -- some we don't see as often as others, etc.

[kazu]

ok - this is a really tough one. so many things are dependent upon this - different people do different things for you. and tipping amounts to different people vary for us:)

[SmokinActuary]

I didn't answer either as I agree with what the last three posters have written.

[Harry1954]

While I tried to comply with the poll by answering based on the total sum that we give for a cruise, there are many variables, some of which were mentioned already. the key ones in my HO are:

 

length of cruise (10day, world cruise, 16 day etc ...)

location of cabin (suite, penthouse, etc)

fixed or as you wish dining

pinnacle visits

one's general temperament as it related to money

economic situation

 

harry

[jtl513]

same as others have said: we give different amounts to different people, and couldn't vote

[catl331]

It looks like 5 of every 6 thread readers aren't voting.

[travelmatron]

I'm with those who can't answer the poll. I sort of think of the $11/person/day as adequate for standard service. We don't have a fixed dining time, have never requested the same server, and don't drink with our meal, so we don't tip in the dining room at all. We have always had good service, but it's at a level I expect. If we use a particular bar on a regular basis we would add to the 15% gratuity to bring it more in line with the 20% we would generally tip at home. I tip for room service; not much, but a few dollars for breakfast and more for full meals. I would tip in the Pinnacle Grill if I had good service there. (We only went once, had a poor cold meal with very bad service, didn't tip and never returned, YMMV). We've always tipped the cabin stewards an additional amount. We have special requests, and use the laundry service several times/week. How much we tip the cabin stewards, though, varies by what has happened during the cruise. We tip the staff in the Neptune Lounge, but again that varies by our experience during the cruise.

So we are happy to tip when someone has done more than necessary to make our time aboard enjoyable, and don't feel guilty about not tipping when someone has simply done their job. I suppose if the cabin stewards didn't clean the room, the linens and utensils in the dining room were dirty, we didn't get the meals we ordered, and the food in the lido was slopped all over everything we might consider removing the $11/day HSC. I just can't imagine that would ever happen.

[IRL_Joanie]

for the same reasons others have stated, various $ amounts per job/service given.

 

Joanie

[doncarlos]

for the same reasons others have stated, various $ amounts per job/service given.

 

Joanie

 

Same here.

[m steve]

from cabin to dining room and the bars it will be over $100. We do the cabin stewards at the beginning and end but the others usually at the end unless we find a bartender we like and go there every night.

[photomikey]

exceptional service we are accustomed to receiving

Either the service is exceptional - above and beyond what I am accustomed to receiving, or the service is average - it's what I am accustomed to receiving. I have a hard time having both exceptional service, and being accustomed to it - that would make it average service.

 

I also didn't vote in your poll, it is fatally flawed.

 

To answer the general question, if I leave my room in the morning and the bed is unmade and the towels are in a wet heap on the bathroom floor, and I return in the afternoon and the beds are made and there are fresh towels in the bathroom, I feel the auto-tip is sufficient for this standard service. From time to time I will get a steward who sees fit to do minor upgrades to this service - put my hats in a neat stack on the desk, line my shoes up in a neat line with the toes under the bed so they are out of the way yet I can still see the pair I want to wear... I will occasionally give $20 at the end of the week.

 

The room service steward (this is always a hot button issue here) comes in, sets the breakfast tray down, turns around and leaves. IMO, this is his job. People always say that they tip because this person goes above and beyond and provides that "exceptional service that we are accustomed to receiving"... it's hard for me to imagine a way in which a room service deliveryperson could go so above and beyond that I could justify at tip for him (when I am already compensating him via the auto-tip), but I'm not ruling it out... just saying that it's hard for me to imagine what would be above-and-beyond for him.

 

In the dining room, taking my order and bringing the food is your job. I tip you (via the auto-tip) for doing this service well. From time to time I will find a steward who will have an iced-tea waiting for me, or bring me an extra appetizer because I commented on how much I liked it yesterday... IMO, this is above and beyond, and it's the kind of guy I would give $20 to at the end of the week.

 

I generally take 7-10 day cruises, and it is difficult for me to envision tipping more than $20-$40 to any one person (and more than a total of about $100 to everyone put together) for that time period.

[serendipity1499]

This Tipping Poll is over a year old, but I'm bringing it forward because it's a good poll & is still relevant..

So please don't condemn me & knock it because it's old!

Cheers....:)Betty

[kazu]

This Tipping Poll is over a year old, but I'm bringing it forward because it's a good poll & is still relevant..

 

So please don't condemn me & knock it because it's old!

 

Cheers....:)Betty

 

So, it's your fault:):):)

 

another resurrection:D

[George C]

Depends on service , always disliked the auto-tip.

[jaguarstyper]

The poll options don't really work for me. I will tip extra to individuals who I feel exceed the minimum expectations. The amount varies. There have been some that I wish I could have had excluded from the automatic tip. But, they are very few and far between. I read somewhere that individuals receiving tips have to put them into a tip pool to be divided among all crew. That's disturbing and I sure hope its not true. They all get a piece of my auto tip and I like to reward individuals for their personal effort when it is extraordinary.

[canadarocks]

I read somewhere that individuals receiving tips have to put them into a tip pool to be divided among all crew. That's disturbing and I sure hope its not true. They all get a piece of my auto tip and I like to reward individuals for their personal effort when it is extraordinary.

 

That only applies if you cancel or change the auto-gratuity daily charge. Otherwise each crew member gets to keep whatever extra you give them. :cool:

[maxout]

<Snip> I read somewhere that individuals receiving tips have to put them into a tip pool to be divided among all crew. That's disturbing and I sure hope its not true.

 

This is ONLY TRUE if you "opt out" on the HSC. If you leave the HSC in place, any additional cash tip you give them will go only to the individual(s) (who may or may not have his/her own arrangements for sharing with others).

[jaguarstyper]

I read somewhere that individuals receiving tips have to put them into a tip pool to be divided among all crew. That's disturbing and I sure hope its not true. They all get a piece of my auto tip and I like to reward individuals for their personal effort when it is extraordinary.

 

That only applies if you cancel or change the auto-gratuity daily charge. Otherwise each crew member gets to keep whatever extra you give them. :cool:

How would they know to keep it for themselves of put it in the pool?

[canadarocks]

How would they know to keep it for themselves of put it in the pool?

 

It is my understanding that if you remove the auto gratuity your servers and room stewards are questioned as to why. They are then obliged to turn over to the collective pool any separate tip they receive.

[fleckle]

This poll was poorly designed, confusing and meaningless, as many pointed out when it was originally posted over a year ago.

 

Did anyone really expect it to improve with the passage of time by resurrecting it? :confused: :D

[serendipity1499]

How would they know to keep it for themselves of put it in the pool?

 

I believe the Stewards are advised the names of the people who cancel the Auto tip..

 

This poll was poorly designed, confusing and meaningless, as many pointed out when it was originally posted over a year ago.

 

Did anyone really expect it to improve with the passage of time by resurrecting it? :confused: :D

 

I knew someone would complain about the resurrection of this thread..May I suggest that, instead of condemning the fact that I brought it forward, perhaps you could come up with a poll that is not flawed & might better answer some questions? I brought this forward, only because I knew that many people would hesitate to answer the survey, which another poster started..

 

Also wish to point out that even though 24 of you posted that you could not vote there were 153 other posters which did vote..Therefore, only about 16% of the posters felt they could not vote as it did not pertain to them..That is fine as nothing is perfect.. However it does answer questions which many of us have..One is that approx 36%-37% of those who voted feel that the auto tip is adequate, & do not leave extra.. And more than 70% of the posters who voted, either leave less than $29.00 per steward or leave nothing extra at all for a 10 day cruise, which the original OP asked of them..

 

So, it's your fault:)

 

another resurrection:D

 

:)LOL I confess!

 

Cheers...:)Betty