Another Tipping Question

[cherbear4000]

I want to start this by saying that I personally believe that the $11.50 pp per day is a small price to pay for the excellent service we always receive. In fact, I always tip extra in cash. I do not agree with lowering the daily tips, even for the children, but I am asking just for information.

 

My parents pay for the family cruise each year, with the exception of the tips and our bar tabs. My parents feel since we 'kids' are adults we can pay for these ourselves, since they pay for everything else. My sister's family is cruising with us. This will include my sister, her husband, their 4 kids, ages at the next cruise, 2, 4, 7, 9, being booked in 2 adjoining rooms. From what I am seeing, it looks like the kids pay the same tipping rate as the adults. Plus, I believe, it is customary to tip the Camp Carnival workers. This puts my sister at paying $552 just for the DSC (it's an 8 day cruise) plus Camp Carnival. She feels that is just too much money to pay in tips for her family.

 

First I want to verify that kids are charged the same as adults. If I remember it used to be lower for kids. My sister doesn't feel that she should pay the full amount for the 2 younger kids and plans on lowering or removing them. I am still trying to dissuade her. How difficult is it to lower or remove the auto tips? Do you have to give them a reason? Do the waiters/ cabin stewards get in any kind of trouble?

[klfrodo]

UNDER 2 ,,, kids don't pay.

 

Suggest she look at it this way,,, her ENTIRE family gets to go on an 8 day cruise for only $552. NOT $552 per person but a grand total of $552. Sounds like a deal to me.

[luddite]

Here's the reality: six can live as cheaply as .... six.

It might be more than she wants to pay but it isn't too much.

[bzpilot]

I am still trying to dissuade her.

I wouldn't worry yourself about it. It is her and her family's choice. You can't help what other people do, even if it is your sister. Just give her the facts and let her decide.

 

How difficult is it to lower or remove the auto tips?

Very Easy, just go to purser's desk and they will adjust or remove them for you.

 

Do you have to give them a reason?

No. They may ask if there was a problem the service, but you don't need to give any reason.

 

Do the waiters/ cabin stewards get in any kind of trouble?

No. They will probably never even know you removed them.

[katisdale]

Plus, I would suggest to her that the two younger children require at least as much (if not more) service from the steward/wait staff than the adults and older children. They are still eating, using the toilet, needing their bed made, etc. I would have no bar tab before I would stop the tips.

[jburk]

4 kids make a bigger mess than 4 adults....in the dining room and cabin. It's the same here at home. Junk left out in the living room, toothpaste oozing out the tube in the bathroom, and dont even get me started on my toilet with 4 boys. I just figure my steward will be doing MORE cleaning up after my 2 kids than if they were adults. Same for the dining room. But hey, to each there own I guess. Honestly, I wouldnt worry about her tips. It's her choice and her business. I don't get it, but whatever.

[IGGY63]

Plus, I would suggest to her that the two younger children require at least as much (if not more) service from the steward/wait staff than the adults and older children. They are still eating, using the toilet, needing their bed made, etc. I would have no bar tab before I would stop the tips.

 

I agree. If you don't feel comfortable with the amount you 'should' tip......then think about those that are working very hard all week for YOUR benefit.

 

I would never reduce the gratuities because I thought they were too much. That's just being cheap.

 

I would however consider reducing them if the service is not provided, but that is another topic.

 

 

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[georgiacruizer]

When you lump it all together like that, it seems like a huge amount. Maybe ask her to sit down and realistically think about how much she would spend in tips at a restaurant for a family of 6, 3 meals per day, for 8 days. And hopefully she'll be so impressed with the service from the cabin stewards (just think of all those towels that will get used everyday...) that she won't want to lower any of the tips.

[Zoedokey]

I have heard that if you reduce the tips, the staff does know and they do get reprimanded. If after watching them work hard for her all week, she still feels OK with getting them in trouble to save money on a free cruise, then There is nothing you can do about it. It's a ****ty thing to do though.

[sanmarcosman]

What does your BIL have to say on the subject?

[bzpilot]

I have heard that if you reduce the tips, the staff does know and they do get reprimanded. If after watching them work hard for her all week, she still feels OK with getting them in trouble to save money on a free cruise, then There is nothing you can do about it. It's a ****ty thing to do though.

 

I heard just the opposite. Many people remove automatic tipping because they prefer to tip face-to-face. They can't assume the removal of automatic tips has anything to do with bad service. Who are they going to reprimand when you remove them - are they going to track down everyone who your tips now go to? They'd need to track down your...

 

1) Waiter

2) Assistant waiter

3) Head Waiter

4) Room Steward

5) Hotel Staff

6) Kitchen Staff

7) Entertainment Services

8) Guest Staff

 

...yeah, there is NO WAY they do that!

[freagan]

All kids are charged the same.

 

It is not customary to tip the camp staff, though some do.

 

If she wants to cut somewhere then that is the place to do it. The counsellors are paid a decent salary and don't depend on tips to make their living.

[DaytonCruiser]

I heard just the opposite. Many people remove automatic tipping because they prefer to tip face-to-face. They can't assume the removal of automatic tips has anything to do with bad service. Who are they going to reprimand when you remove them - are they going to track down everyone who your tips now go to? They'd need to track down your...

 

1) Waiter

2) Assistant waiter

3) Head Waiter

4) Room Steward

5) Hotel Staff

6) Kitchen Staff

7) Entertainment Services

8) Guest Staff

 

...yeah, there is NO WAY they do that!

The reason why many feel that staff are alerted is because of this.

 

A cruise critic member was on a galley tour and found a list of pax that removed their tips. Carnival denied this was standard protocol, but many felt it was..

 

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-1180762/Outrage-cruise-passengers-dont-tip-revealed-staff.html

[MrPete]

I want to start this by saying that I personally believe that the $11.50 pp per day is a small price to pay for the excellent service we always receive. In fact, I always tip extra in cash. I do not agree with lowering the daily tips, even for the children, but I am asking just for information.

 

My parents pay for the family cruise each year, with the exception of the tips and our bar tabs. My parents feel since we 'kids' are adults we can pay for these ourselves, since they pay for everything else. My sister's family is cruising with us. This will include my sister, her husband, their 4 kids, ages at the next cruise, 2, 4, 7, 9, being booked in 2 adjoining rooms. From what I am seeing, it looks like the kids pay the same tipping rate as the adults. Plus, I believe, it is customary to tip the Camp Carnival workers. This puts my sister at paying $552 just for the DSC (it's an 8 day cruise) plus Camp Carnival. She feels that is just too much money to pay in tips for her family.

 

First I want to verify that kids are charged the same as adults. If I remember it used to be lower for kids. My sister doesn't feel that she should pay the full amount for the 2 younger kids and plans on lowering or removing them. I am still trying to dissuade her. How difficult is it to lower or remove the auto tips? Do you have to give them a reason? Do the waiters/ cabin stewards get in any kind of trouble?

 

She should figure out the amount of tips she would be shelling out if she was taking a service vacation on land and eating out 3 meals a day.

 

I assume she knows she would not tip on a vacation where she tidied her own room, and cooked and served her own meals for her and her family.

 

But if she plans on being served and have her room services, she should plan on paying for those services through tips.

[jdvmd]

The reason why many feel that staff are alerted is because of this.

 

A cruise critic member was on a galley tour and found a list of pax that removed their tips. Carnival denied this was standard protocol, but many felt it was..

 

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-1180762/Outrage-cruise-passengers-dont-tip-revealed-staff.html

Thanks for finding this. I was going to mention the same thing. The staff does know when your gratuities are removed.

[rickechambers1@aol.com]

Suprise her and pay the equivalent of the two kids tips for her. Eliminates the dilemna without further discussion.

 

This topic has been discussed to death and typically becomes heated...here's a link speaking similarly to your circumstance: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=883745

[Colorado Kat]

Yes, the staff know when tips are removed, and often have to justify themselves to management.

[bplazo]

The woman needs to stop having childen if she does not want to pay for them. If it were my sister I would want to smack her silly.

[jburk]

Suprise her and pay the equivalent of the two kids tips for her. Eliminates the dilemna without further discussion.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=883745

 

So OPs sister gets her cruise paid for by her parents and some of her tips paid for by her sister. Wow! I want to be in that family. Lol.

[zqvol]

I heard just the opposite. Many people remove automatic tipping because they prefer to tip face-to-face. They can't assume the removal of automatic tips has anything to do with bad service. Who are they going to reprimand when you remove them - are they going to track down everyone who your tips now go to? They'd need to track down your...

 

1) Waiter

2) Assistant waiter

3) Head Waiter

4) Room Steward

5) Hotel Staff

6) Kitchen Staff

7) Entertainment Services

8) Guest Staff

 

...yeah, there is NO WAY they do that!

 

 

You heard incorrectly. When people remove gratuities the staff is questioned about what they did to offend the passengers and a list of people who remove tips is posted for all of the service staff to see (this has been documented by passengers on the behind the scenes tours.).

[sail2sea]

The woman needs to stop having childen if she does not want to pay for them.

 

Or at least stop taking vacations.

 

So OPs sister gets her cruise paid for by her parents and some of her tips paid for by her sister. Wow! I want to be in that family. Lol.

 

Just make sure you are the sis, not her parents or siblings.

[shixie]

My sister doesn't feel that she should pay the full amount for the 2 younger kids and plans on lowering or removing them.

 

On our last cruise, the 2 youngest kids in our group (one of which was mine) made the biggest messes. Both got sick and threw up multiple times, in addition to normal kid messes.

[bplazo]

Suprise her and pay the equivalent of the two kids tips for her. Eliminates the dilemna without further discussion.

 

This topic has been discussed to death and typically becomes heated...here's a link speaking similarly to your circumstance: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=883745

 

Oh my gosh, I was wondering how I missed such an entertaining thread and then saw that it was from 2008. :)

 

I do agree that people like this should go on a camping trip.

[jdvmd]

Oh my gosh, I was wondering how I missed such an entertaining thread and then saw that it was from 2008. :)

 

I do agree that people like this should go on a camping trip.

 

That was a good thread. Thanks to the poster who shared the link.

[classychick]

You heard incorrectly. When people remove gratuities the staff is questioned about what they did to offend the passengers and a list of people who remove tips is posted for all of the service staff to see (this has been documented by passengers on the behind the scenes tours.).

 

Why would they question the staff when the passenger clearly states why and what they want to do with their tips?