Tipping

[gingernick]

Hi guys, cruising the Med 3rd April on Island Escape. My question is who to tip, when to tip and how much? Never cruised before. Thanks.

[Sailaway487]

Due to tips being included in the price of your cruise, you don't have to tip anyone if you don't want to.

 

However, we have always tipped our cabin steward at the end of our cruise, as the work they do is excellent. They really do a great job of tidying your cabin twice a day, plus making your towels into art really adds that extra special touch.

 

Also, we sometimes tip certain bar and waiter staff. Many try really hard to remember your name and remember your favourite drinks within the first couple of days on being onboard the ship.

[kruzseeka]

As Sailaway has said, you shouldn't feel under any obligation to tip however, we too choose to tip our cabin steward - they work so hard keeping the cabin immaculate and seldom seem to see the light of day as far as I can tell! We also tip our waiters in the main dining room simply because we go to the same table every night and they do look after us very well - if we ate in the self-service or had a different table each night then we wouldn't.

 

As far as how much goes, that's got to be a personal choice - but whatever you give, it's all a bonus as far as the staff are concerned so they will be grateful anyway. (And I often think how much we tip for one meal at a local restaurant or I give my hairdresser or the taxi driver to the airport - and by comparison what we give for one or two weeks' service to the cabin steward or waiter is quite modest although they seem very pleased with it.)

[gingernick]

Hi guys, many thanks for your replies. I didn't know that the tips were included.

Is the cabin steward like a maid in the hotel? ie makes the bed up etc.

There will be 13 in our group on the cruise, will we have to be seated (at dinner) at 2 different tables.

[ekco]

There is buffet dining on the IE. If you want to be seated together you will have to get down early, 6.30-7.00pm. There are large tables so you should be ok, maybe not 13 though, but the later you leave it more likely it is that you will have to queue and be slotted in wherever. It's a bit of a rush but we prefer to go down early as it is a bit calmer at the buffet then. The Oasis restaurant has a cover charge but is waiter served and well worth it for a treat, the food is lovely in there and I think if you buy so many nights you get one free. You can eat in the Beachcomber at night as well but it is a bit more cafeteria style in there.:):)

 

Jan

[Rebel Rouser]

Make sure you tip the drinks waiter on the 1st day :D you won't regret it ;)

[kruzseeka]

Oops! Didn't take in that it was IE - so ignore my comments about having the same table each night - that applies to Celebration, Spirit and Dream in the waiter-served main dining rooms. (Destiny is fixed dining anyway.) IE is different - as ekco has described.

 

Yes, gingernick your cabin steward looks after your room - he/she will make up the beds, clean the bathroom - twice a day on the Thomson ships we've been on and turn down the beds in the evening, deliver the Cruise News (or equivalent telling you about the next day's activities) - they seem to be busy all day. I imagine it will be the same on IE. They are so hard-working. I think most people are really impressed by them.

[Jim The Scot]

Make sure you tip the drinks waiter on the 1st day :D you won't regret it ;)

 

I concur

 

He/she is the first person we tip,usually in the time it takes us to get from the quayside to the Medusa.:D