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RCCL Veterans -- Tipping question.

hadleys9538

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hadleys9538

hadleys9538

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Can you tell me if the tipping can be put on a charge card (as is possible on Celebrity cruises) or does one have to bring the correct cash amount for the various tips. Thanks in advance for your input. We leave on the Vision in a week and a half, and I want to make sure I have everything ready.

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KamloopsCruisers

KamloopsCruisers

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You have the option of paying your tips either in cash, or adding them to your Seapass account. If you elect to add them to your Seapass account, you will be given vouchers to hand out to the various staff. A few days before your departure information will arrive in your cabin about how to pay using the voucher system. If you prefer to pay in cash, you can either bring cash with you, or visit the casino, give them your Seapass card and ask for cash. This will be shown on your final bill as a casino charge.

 

 

Hope this helps.

 

Happy cruising,

 

Sue

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TPKeller Excellent Advice! Rare

TPKeller

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The calculator at the link below will tell you how much the standard amount is, according to the length of your cruise and number of people you are tipping for.

 

If you choose to pay in cash, it will also help you assemble the proper bills for each of the envelopes.

 

Theron

 

http://members.aol.com/CruiseTip/

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smeyer418

smeyer418

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What is the RCI standard amount that they will add to the sea pass if you chose this route? We don't sail til next year so I have nothig to refer to yet.

I believe its about 10.50 per adult per day. This includes the waiter, his assitant, the room attendant and the maitre d.

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BobbieSu

BobbieSu

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If you put your tips on the seapass account, does the amount automatically go to the correct person? or do they have to turn in the voucher to collect the money?

 

Maddle

 

 

You need to hand the voucher in its envelope to the correct person/server. He/she will then be able to redeem it for the standard charge. I found this a very convienient way to handle tips. No messing with having all that money waiting until the end of the cruise, no need to figure out who gets how much. We added a little gift in the envelope as well. Just be sure to read the compass for what day you need to go down to the guest relations and fill out the form stating you want to put the charge on your seapass account.

 

Su

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PawsMa

PawsMa

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Can you tell me if the tipping can be put on a charge card (as is possible on Celebrity cruises) or does one have to bring the correct cash amount for the various tips. Thanks in advance for your input. We leave on the Vision in a week and a half, and I want to make sure I have everything ready.

I'm going on the Monarch in May. This will be my first cruise and I can't wait. I've been wondering about tipping too. I have a child traveling with me, do I tip the same for them . I've also heard that it's good to tip your room steward as soon as you meet them to receive better service. Has anyone out there done this?

I've also heard that International Calling cards are good tips. If I give one of them do I still tip the standard cash amount?

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dc-snoopy

dc-snoopy

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I'm going on the Monarch in May. This will be my first cruise and I can't wait. I've been wondering about tipping too. I have a child traveling with me, do I tip the same for them . I've also heard that it's good to tip your room steward as soon as you meet them to receive better service. Has anyone out there done this?

I've also heard that International Calling cards are good tips. If I give one of them do I still tip the standard cash amount?

 

You should tip the same per person even if one passenger is a child. The amount of work done is often the same or more for children. You do not need to tip in advance. Many passengers have received excellent service without advance tipping (DW and I have always had top-notch service and never advanced tipped, although always tipped above the recommended tip afterwards). Although many people like to give International calling cards, some people in the cruise industry have suggested that this doesn't always work as well as anticipated. In many of the Caribbean countries the cards do not work, or are very expensive to use. Extra cash is generally considered a better tip.

 

And a personal tip from me, I heard that cash is preferred to the Seapass vouchers. The vouchers have to be redeemed and the money then added to a later paycheck. Cash is available immediately and can be used immediately (including in port after docking). The best way to have the same effect for the passenger is to go to the Casino and ask for cash on your Seapass. The cash will be charged as a purchase and not as a cash advance (worth double points on an RCCL Visa). Take the cash and put the cash in the same tip envelopes. You are still billed on your CC the same way you would have been with the voucher, but the staff is tipped in cash.

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lul113

lul113

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I raised this question on Brilliance in Feb. We had a really bad Head Waiter, and have put in a complaint about him, as well as all of the others on our table. On the last day spoke to only one couple on our table and ignored the other 3 parties, so he did not get the tips from any of us. I went to Guest Rel, and asked what happens with the vouchers, I was told that it didn't matter, as they know where you sit/cabin is, and if you pre-pay, they are automatically given the tip, they do not even need the voucher. (This may be different if they are put on Seapass, as they don't have a lot of time to arrange). We later spoke to the other people at our table, and all of us, except this couple, had pre-paid.

 

Maybe in future we will not pre-pay, and see what happens...

 

Matthew

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Christina1003

Christina1003

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I raised this question on Brilliance in Feb. We had a really bad Head Waiter, and have put in a complaint about him, as well as all of the others on our table. On the last day spoke to only one couple on our table and ignored the other 3 parties, so he did not get the tips from any of us. I went to Guest Rel, and asked what happens with the vouchers, I was told that it didn't matter, as they know where you sit/cabin is, and if you pre-pay, they are automatically given the tip, they do not even need the voucher. (This may be different if they are put on Seapass, as they don't have a lot of time to arrange). We later spoke to the other people at our table, and all of us, except this couple, had pre-paid.

 

Maybe in future we will not pre-pay, and see what happens...

 

Matthew

 

Is tipping *required*? If so, why isn't it included in the price of your cruise? If you don't do so - do they charge you anyway?

 

My point is - if you have bad service, and don't feel that they're worth the $70 for the week...they're only worth the $50 - is that still up to you? Do the tip police come and add it to your bill?

 

(Disclaimer: I'm not saying I would ever do this - but I'm curious since I've had bad service at all-inclusive resorts, and I was never *required* to tip there)

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Christina1003

Christina1003

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the staff really depends on tips, they are paid very low wages. I pay extra for good service but do not stiff for bad service.

 

I remember a post a while back, stating that the staff gets paid a good amount besides the tips :confused: Am I mistaken? Do they include tips as part of their salary package? (I.E. like waitresses?)

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smeyer418

smeyer418

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you are mistaken. The staff that gets tips are paid a nominal amount only. There wages depend on the tips. Its much like a waiter/waitress on land their minimum wage is about $3.00 per hour the rest they get is tip based. In any case your tip should be based on the service you recieve in my opinion. The problem is even when the service is good-great some people stiff the staff. As to adding it to the basic fare, if its added it becomes more complicated for the cruise line. Even though tipping is complicated enough, having it added is easier for me. NCL has made the minimum tip amount mandatory but will adjust for complaints.(although they claim they would rather fix the problem) NCL also has stated that about 1/2 of the people who said they would tip in cash when it was optional to remove it, stiffed the staff of all or part of the minimum tips...

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