Tipping

[nandl2009]

I've been reading a few posts on here and I'm a bit concerned about the tipping aspect.

 

In England, we don't tend to tip for anything aside from at the end of a good meal or the odd cabbie. We have pre-paid our gratuities but what does that really mean? Will the staff on the ship think we are mean if we don't tip again? Do we have to tip everyone?

 

Thank you, I'm so confused!

 

Lucy

[rskjas]

Hi Lucy,

 

If you have prepaid your tips then don't worry, you will only have to tip for bar drinks, as your waiting and cabin staff are included in your prepaid tips. You will probably tip extra for great service though :p

 

Sue :D

[Andee]

In addition to the pre-paid gratuities and the 15% automatically added to your bar bill, we tip in cash for room service and the porters at embarkation.

[paul929207]

With pre-paid gratuities, you have already taken care of the cabin steward, the waitstaff and those behind the scenes who help them. With each beverage order, they will add 15% gratuity, so that takes care of that. That leaves a tip for the porter who takes your bags, the kids program, spa and casino people, and tour guides.

[EmJakeBubbie]

One makes pre-paid gratuities and that covers most of the tips, as stated above.

Be prepared, with dollar bills, to tip the folks who take your bags upon embarkation. Anyone you interact with, for your bags, expects money. The on board tips are automatically added to your charge for beverages - nothing extra expected, nor required.

If you use the Kid's Program, they accept cash tips.

If you use any Concierge Lounge/Service, they accept cash tips.

If you go on tour, the bus driver accepts cash tips, as does the tour conductor - this is a very personal decision, based on your satisfaction (or not).

 

Basically, bring about 50 one dollar bills and be prepared to part with them, as you go along on your cruise experience. Bon Voyage :)

 

The difference in tipping is between expect and accept.

[John Bull]

I've been reading a few posts on here and I'm a bit concerned about the tipping aspect.

 

In England, we don't tend to tip for anything aside from at the end of a good meal or the odd cabbie. We have pre-paid our gratuities but what does that really mean? Will the staff on the ship think we are mean if we don't tip again? Do we have to tip everyone?

 

Thank you, I'm so confused!

 

Lucy

 

 

As you can see from the replies, Lucy, no worries.

 

You've taken care of the cabin attendant & waiting staff. No more expected, though if one goes a long way out-of-their-way with a special favour, I usually show my appreciation with a little cash.

 

You will automatically take care of the bar staff cos there's a mandatory 15% service charge on top - even if you buy over-the-counter.

I've heard that RCI's Indy out of Southampton to Med/Canaries now incorporates that charge in their bar prices, much more transparent pricing, because of customer-dissatisfaction amongst we Brits.

 

Room service if you use it, a dollar or two a time - customary but not mandatory, any sensible currency will do. So sterling or euros perfectly acceptable out of Southampton.

 

Porters at the quayside - we Brits sailing from europe at least, don't tip.

Never cruised out of a US port, but as per this thread, our American cousins tip.

Could never figure that. :confused: The guy who takes your case just puts it on the conveyor/trolley/whatever & others further down the line do the heaving & grunting & sweating. If I could get a dollar or two for each case I put on a conveyor I'd come out of retiirement & work for free.:D

Probably I'm missing something, & I'll get flamed by others on this thread - but what the hell, I'm used to it :p

 

Never had a concierge, never had a spa treatment, never played in a kids club, can't help on those.

 

Have a great cruise

 

JB :)

[bbwex]

There is a great article about tipping on the headline links on CC's home page. The writer points out that the difference is that gratuities are not automatically built into the bill for the initial charge, though the way they are done, they might as well be. As you will see from the article, the staff is generally somewhat underpaid, and they are told that they will be getting the "tips" from everyone and that's how it works for them. (This way the cruise line keeps their salary costs down, and can advertise somewhat lower prices.) So, the "tip" is more of a service charge than a tip. Additionally, in the U.S. tips are not automatically added to bills when we get them (in most cases) and we tend to add the tip. In Europe the tip is generally added up front, so no additional step is needed. If you look at it that way, then those from Europe understand the system, and understand that the tip really is necessary, and if there is some outstanding person, you can give them something extra to show your appreciation.

[Jana60]

I've been reading a few posts on here and I'm a bit concerned about the tipping aspect.

In England, we don't tend to tip for anything aside from at the end of a good meal or the odd cabbie. We have pre-paid our gratuities but what does that really mean? Will the staff on the ship think we are mean if we don't tip again? Do we have to tip everyone?

Thank you, I'm so confused!

Lucy

 

If you have prepaid gratuities you do not need to tip ANYONE. The prepaid gratuities tip everyone except the bar tenders and they automatically add 15% to your bar tab so you don't need to add extra tips to them either. If you desire to tip extra you may certainly give additional tips but it is neither expected nor does it result in preferential treatment. Some folks reccomend giving your cabin steward an extra tip at the beginning of the cruise to ensure preferrential treatment during the cruise. I've tried that and got no better service and in some cases worse service than on cruises with no extra tipping. On a few occasions, I have been on cruises with exceptionally poor service and have even pulled a percentage of the tips off due to the service. Even if prepaid, its still a tip and you can adjust the amount if desired. However unless service is atrocious I would not adjust the tip because the cruise line employees earn very little apart from the tips and depend on these. It is a good idea to take some $1 bills with you and give a buck or two to the room service person if you order room service. They don't demand or expect it but they really appreciate it. You will also need $1 for small bags and $2 per large bag for porters who handle your luggage. Bus drivers, tour operators, ect will always say tips are appreciated but you should pay only if you think they deserve extra. If they seemed to go above and beyond to make your tour great then certainly tip them.

[MrYellowDuck]

On our two most recent cruises we have turned-off the auto-tip with the expectation of paying the tip at the end. Philosophically this seems the right way to do it.

 

The staff on the ship know when this happens.

 

The first time we did this everything worked out nicely. We paid the tip plus some generous extras at the end e.g. an extra $150 for the cabin steward (Princess ship, ordinary cabin and on a 7 day trip).

 

The second time saved us money. The service was terrible. In the restaurants there were looks of shock as staff looked at their computer screens as we arrived for bookings and we were sent to tables where the wait staff then proceeded to do nothing for us. The room attendant did the bare minimum needed to have been doing her job. We didn't really care one bit since these interactions with staff were incidental to what we enjoy about cruising. For our part we paid what we thought was a fair tip based on our experience i.e. nothing; the exact same tip we would pay on shore for that quality of service in a country that expects a tip to be paid.

 

Having done this now we've permanently moved to a service-first tip-later basis. If staff are nice to us and treat us as people of integrity then we'll tip and add what we think is an over the top extra for those that appear genuine. If on the other hand we're treated like spongers then we'll reinforce the staffs' prejudices by acting the part just for them. This approach does have some collateral damage but this is always true - it's the staff customers interact with that sets the tone for everyone else.

[cb at sea]

Even when you prepay upfront, the folks serving you do NOT recieve the tips until your cruise is over.....so you can always adjust for poor service, if that happens. Most of the time, service is fine.

 

To the OP...you've paid your tips...you're done. Don't think about it anymore! Whenever you purchase a drink, 15% will be added to the cost...so you don't really need to think about that, either!

[brfan]

On our two most recent cruises we have turned-off the auto-tip with the expectation of paying the tip at the end. Philosophically this seems the right way to do it.

 

The staff on the ship know when this happens.

 

The first time we did this everything worked out nicely. We paid the tip plus some generous extras at the end e.g. an extra $150 for the cabin steward (Princess ship, ordinary cabin and on a 7 day trip).

 

The second time saved us money. The service was terrible. In the restaurants there were looks of shock as staff looked at their computer screens as we arrived for bookings and we were sent to tables where the wait staff then proceeded to do nothing for us. The room attendant did the bare minimum needed to have been doing her job. We didn't really care one bit since these interactions with staff were incidental to what we enjoy about cruising. For our part we paid what we thought was a fair tip based on our experience i.e. nothing; the exact same tip we would pay on shore for that quality of service in a country that expects a tip to be paid.

 

Having done this now we've permanently moved to a service-first tip-later basis. If staff are nice to us and treat us as people of integrity then we'll tip and add what we think is an over the top extra for those that appear genuine. If on the other hand we're treated like spongers then we'll reinforce the staffs' prejudices by acting the part just for them. This approach does have some collateral damage but this is always true - it's the staff customers interact with that sets the tone for everyone else.

 

Just for your information, but I believe on Princess if you remove the auto tips any amount that you give the crew has to be turned into the tip pool, if they don't they will risk losing their jobs.

 

If you received poor service in the dining room, did you not speak to a supervisor to get it fixed?

 

Also, if you do keep the auto tips on, your credit card is not charged until the last evening and the crew does not receive the money until after your cruise is over, so there is no tip first get service later.

[donaldsc]

Porters at the quayside - we Brits sailing from europe at least, don't tip.

Never cruised out of a US port, but as per this thread, our American cousins tip.

Could never figure that. :confused: The guy who takes your case just puts it on the conveyor/trolley/whatever & others further down the line do the heaving & grunting & sweating. If I could get a dollar or two for each case I put on a conveyor I'd come out of retiirement & work for free.:D

Probably I'm missing something, & I'll get flamed by others on this thread - but what the hell, I'm used to it :p

 

 

 

JB :)

 

This is one American who totally agrees with you on this point. However I will go one step further. The porters are overpaid goons who try to convince you that if you do not pay them to carry your bags 5 feet, the bags will end up in the drink or on another ship. Unless we have a lot of stuff such as 2 - 3 cases of wine, we never tip the goons and our bags have always made it.

 

DON

[MrYellowDuck]

If you received poor service in the dining room, did you not speak to a supervisor to get it fixed?

 

There was nothing worth complaining about. The service passed a minimum threshold of effectiveness but was below the standard at which a tip could reasonably be offered. The staff decided themselves that they didn't want a tip through their actions - that was fine by us.

 

The argument about staff not getting the money until after the cruise is weak since they assume they are going to get it based on the auto-tip being turned on. You can test this yourself so easily on the next cruise - turn the tip off and if things are as you expect pay the amount at the end - everyone should be equally happy, right?

[JustDisGuy]

If you have prepaid gratuities you do not need to tip ANYONE. The prepaid gratuities tip everyone except the bar tenders and they automatically add 15% to your bar tab so you don't need to add extra tips to them either.

 

Can you tell me how the automatically added 15% gratuity to beverages works with regards to a beverage package? Is there an additional 15% of the cost of the beverage package gratuity added to the bill, or is it included in the cost of the package?

 

We have not purchased our beverage package yet, but we did prepay our gratuities, and by doing so had expected to relieve ourselves of the concern of inadvertently stiffing anyone on-board or getting hit with additional charges at the end of the cruise, and now I see all these messages.

 

 

Having to worry about shipboard staff being upset with me about not getting tipped enough, or about additional bills at the end of the cruise is stressful, and we're going on a cruise to get *away* from stress.

 

It's almost enough to make me want to stay home...:confused:

[fabnfortysomething]

Can you tell me how the automatically added 15% gratuity to beverages works with regards to a beverage package? Is there an additional 15% of the cost of the beverage package gratuity added to the bill, or is it included in the cost of the package?

 

We have not purchased our beverage package yet, but we did prepay our gratuities, and by doing so had expected to relieve ourselves of the concern of inadvertently stiffing anyone on-board or getting hit with additional charges at the end of the cruise, and now I see all these messages.

 

 

Having to worry about shipboard staff being upset with me about not getting tipped enough, or about additional bills at the end of the cruise is stressful, and we're going on a cruise to get *away* from stress.

 

It's almost enough to make me want to stay home...:confused:

 

usually the 15% is added to the beverage package on purchase

[paul929207]

Can you tell me how the automatically added 15% gratuity to beverages works with regards to a beverage package? Is there an additional 15% of the cost of the beverage package gratuity added to the bill, or is it included in the cost of the package?

 

We have not purchased our beverage package yet, but we did prepay our gratuities, and by doing so had expected to relieve ourselves of the concern of inadvertently stiffing anyone on-board or getting hit with additional charges at the end of the cruise, and now I see all these messages.

 

 

Having to worry about shipboard staff being upset with me about not getting tipped enough, or about additional bills at the end of the cruise is stressful, and we're going on a cruise to get *away* from stress.

 

It's almost enough to make me want to stay home...:confused:

If you purchase a beverage package, they add 15% to the cost. So a soda sticker is $4.25 per day on Princess. They add the gratuity so it is $4.89 (I think I got the math right) per day. Then when you get a soda, there is no tip needed.

[English Tim]

Obviously different cultures handle tipping in different ways.

 

When we first started cruising, there was no auto-tipping, we just tipped at the end of the cruise, but many people used to avoid the dining room on the last night, thus avoiding tipping. I guess the staff get philosophical and realize that however hard they try to serve, some will not tip.

 

European based cruisers are known for not tipping or tipping much lower than those from across the 'Pond' and as a consequence, I believe that fares can be much higher for these countries.

 

I also believe that tipping is a very personal thing and only 'you' can decide what is right for you. Some will say that if you visit another country then you should behave in the customary way for that country. Others will say that it is up to the government and companies to pay a reasonable wage.

 

We now leave the auto-tip in place, as it saves the embarrassment that we 'Brits' still feel when tipping. I rarely use room service, but wouldn't have a standard tipping policy. We have never tipped for kid's club and dislike the soliciting for tips policy in the spa, so may well not tip in this area.

 

We expect good service wherever we go as any customer has the right to this, but if we receive exceptional service we may tip extra.

 

The above is the view of a thrifty Brit. Some will call me cheap, but that doesn't bother me.

[helpthejuggler]

To the OP, you are already taking the least stress route with pre-paying the dining and room service charges. The 15% drinks charge is either added visibly on the bill you sign or for RCI & Celebrity departures from Southampton included in a higher price.

 

Celebrity drinks packages incur the 15% charge when you buy them but clearly if you drink more then you save money. The staff are paid based upon how many drinks they serve, so are happy with the packages.

 

Having the system handle charges through pre-pay or automatic on board account charges also means that you need not waste the last night of your cruise with tipping.

 

Those not in the MDR on the last night are most likely not avoiding tips, but have removed the hassle from their day.

 

The last night doesn't cost you any less. Everyone deserves to enjoy it as they wish, in the MDR or not.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

Since you have prepaid your tips, you are obligated to give anyone extra tips unless you want to.

 

We do tip extra to those crew members who have gone out of their way to make our cruise an enjoyable one. That is just us.

[Jana60]

Can you tell me how the automatically added 15% gratuity to beverages works with regards to a beverage package? Is there an additional 15% of the cost of the beverage package gratuity added to the bill, or is it included in the cost of the package?

We have not purchased our beverage package yet, but we did prepay our gratuities, and by doing so had expected to relieve ourselves of the concern of inadvertently stiffing anyone on-board or getting hit with additional charges at the end of the cruise, and now I see all these messages.

Having to worry about shipboard staff being upset with me about not getting tipped enough, or about additional bills at the end of the cruise is stressful, and we're going on a cruise to get *away* from stress.

It's almost enough to make me want to stay home...:confused:

 

Its really very simple. If you prepaid your gratuities you really don't have to worry about anything. They will automatically add the 15% to the drinks just like tax and when you sign the ticket you will see that the price is 15% higher than the quoted price of the drink. It certainly should not cause undue stress. :rolleyes: I assume you are kidding about this issue making you want to stay home. If your not kidding, I would tend to suggest that you need more help than a cruise to treat your anxiety level. :eek: Would you like referral to a professional to help you with that???

[brfan]

There was nothing worth complaining about. The service passed a minimum threshold of effectiveness but was below the standard at which a tip could reasonably be offered. The staff decided themselves that they didn't want a tip through their actions - that was fine by us.

 

The argument about staff not getting the money until after the cruise is weak since they assume they are going to get it based on the auto-tip being turned on. You can test this yourself so easily on the next cruise - turn the tip off and if things are as you expect pay the amount at the end - everyone should be equally happy, right?

 

You actually spoke to the dining room waitstaff and they told you they didn't want a tip? I find that hard to believe since the tip makes up the majority of their pay. :eek: Or is this speculation on your part? Again, if the service wasn't to your liking you should have spoken to a supervisor instead of making such silly assumptions.

 

If you turn off the tip, many cruise lines require the crew to turn in what they are given to the tip pool. If they are caught not doing that, they can lose their jobs. So I'm guessing that wouldn't make them very happy. Plus turning off the tip may be viewed by supervisors as service issue and that the crew members aren't doing a good job, which could influence whether they get any privledges, such as time off or what tables/rooms they get assigned and may even determine if they get a new contract.

 

Personally I would never turn off the tip as that is the way that cruise line handles paying their crew. If I didn't agree with that policy, I would pick a line that had a policy I did agree with.

[paul929207]

You actually spoke to the dining room waitstaff and they told you they didn't want a tip? I find that hard to believe since the tip makes up the majority of their pay. :eek: Or is this speculation on your part? Again, if the service wasn't to your liking you should have spoken to a supervisor instead of making such silly assumptions.

 

If you turn off the tip, many cruise lines require the crew to turn in what they are given to the tip pool. If they are caught not doing that, they can lose their jobs. So I'm guessing that wouldn't make them very happy. Plus turning off the tip may be viewed by supervisors as service issue and that the crew members aren't doing a good job, which could influence whether they get any privledges, such as time off or what tables/rooms they get assigned and may even determine if they get a new contract.

 

Personally I would never turn off the tip as that is the way that cruise line handles paying their crew. If I didn't agree with that policy, I would pick a line that had a policy I did agree with.

I took Mr. Yellow Duck's comments to mean that the crew told him not to tip by giving poor service rather than saying it with words.

[JustDisGuy]

Its really very simple. If you prepaid your gratuities you really don't have to worry about anything. They will automatically add the 15% to the drinks just like tax and when you sign the ticket you will see that the price is 15% higher than the quoted price of the drink. It certainly should not cause undue stress. :rolleyes: I assume you are kidding about this issue making you want to stay home. If your not kidding, I would tend to suggest that you need more help than a cruise to treat your anxiety level. :eek: Would you like referral to a professional to help you with that???

 

I appreciate the offer, but if it gets to that I can find my own way to a shrink. Thanks...

[Post Captain]

Porters at the quayside - we Brits sailing from europe at least, don't tip.

Never cruised out of a US port, but as per this thread, our American cousins tip.

Could never figure that. :confused: The guy who takes your case just puts it on the conveyor/trolley/whatever & others further down the line do the heaving & grunting & sweating. If I could get a dollar or two for each case I put on a conveyor I'd come out of retiirement & work for free.:D

Probably I'm missing something, & I'll get flamed by others on this thread - but what the hell, I'm used to it :p

 

JB :)

JB, don't tell me you've never seen the classic 1954 film On the Waterfront. In the words of the ironically named Johnny Friendly, the corrupt boss of the longshoremen's union (played by Lee J. Cobb):

 

"We've got the fattest piers in the fattest harbor in the world. Everything moves in and out, we take our cut!":D

The tip to the "porters" (aka shakedown artists) is for "insurance"--to ensure that your bags don't "accidentally" wind up on the wrong conveyor belt that deposits them someplace where you'll never see them again!:eek:

[jocap]

I've been reading a few posts on here and I'm a bit concerned about the tipping aspect.

 

In England, we don't tend to tip for anything aside from at the end of a good meal or the odd cabbie. We have pre-paid our gratuities but what does that really mean? Will the staff on the ship think we are mean if we don't tip again? Do we have to tip everyone?

 

Thank you, I'm so confused!

 

Lucy

l

Lucy, just to add to what JB and others have written:The bar tips on Independence and Celebrity Eclipse are added into the original price, as Brits were not happy.....RCI has removed tipping on Australian cruises.

In Fort Lauderdale, on a coach load of Brits from a charter flight, there was a vast notice saying that the porters were already paid, and not to tip.

In Southampton, and the rest of Europe, porters are paid a living wage, as is everyone, by law. The porters normally don't hang around long enough for a tip.

Douglas Ward, writer of Berlitz books on cruising states that room service is"part of normal onboard duties that the hotel staff are paid to carry out".

On a UK forum, we discovered that very few had ever thought of tipping for this, but coming on to an American site had made some of us rethink.

It's like tipping a chambermaid....it's quite rare in the UK, as they're paid a living wage, but we're more likely to put a pound a day aside after cruising.

Don't worry about it too much...it may seem a strange way of paying the staff, but it works on American ships, so the rest of us go along with it, but still fight for this to be shown in the adverts.

Jo.