tipping on Seabourn ???

[marypatrick]

I know that tipping is not required on Seabourn; that being said, do people ever leave an end of cruise tip (and if so about how much?) for the following:

Bartender/Server: (if you have spent considerable time at a particular bar)

Evening Dining service team: (again,if you have had the same group for most of your cruise)

Room Steward (they have been with you the whole time)

Other: ???

We will be cruising for more than a week this fall and would appreciate any input here.

Thanks

MP

[Chairsin]

GIve some money to the crew welfare fund if you have had a nice cruise.Please don't start tipping individuals. The only exception we ever make is we leave a little money in a little embroidered silk bag to our stewardess( no stewards on Seabourn).

[oregon50]

Chairsin has it correct. It's been three weeks since the last tipping thread ended.

[JaneBP]

I always tip my stewardess at the end, and might include a small momento from one of the ports, like a refrigerator magnet. (And there are stewards on Seabourn. They clean the officers' quarters and the like.) It's more important to specifically name a crew member who has been particularly outstanding when you fill out the end of cruise review. I always send laundry and tuck in some candy with a thank you note. Those crew work very hard. And yes, the crew welfare fund is the way to go. A nice note to the crew via the Captain can be sent, too.

[marypatrick]

Thanks that really helps -:confused: a quick question on the crew welfare fund -would we donate to that through the purser or somwone else?

Thanks again

mp

[Roxburgh]

I always tip my stewardess at the end, and might include a small momento from one of the ports, like a refrigerator magnet. (And there are stewards on Seabourn. They clean the officers' quarters and the like.) It's more important to specifically name a crew member who has been particularly outstanding when you fill out the end of cruise review. I always send laundry and tuck in some candy with a thank you note. Those crew work very hard. And yes, the crew welfare fund is the way to go. A nice note to the crew via the Captain can be sent, too.

 

This ^^^^^

 

We were on one cruise and there was one waitress who was particularly outstanding so we made a point of saying so. Fast forward 6 months and the young lady is now an Assistant Maitre D' when we board again. She made a point of thanking us for our comments (and obviously others had done the same) which had resulted in her getting promoted.

 

Comments matter more than tips.

[JaneBP]

You donate to the Crew Welfare Fund via the Pursers' Desk, They will give you a form for you to write the amount and sign you name and it's processed through your onboard account. Easy.

[Poppy1966]

It's more important to specifically name a crew member who has been particularly outstanding when you fill out the end of cruise review.

 

 

 

....Any comments from anyone regarding the new procedure for filling in the guest questionnaire? I'm just back from two b2b trips. The Herald now states that, to reduce their paper consumption, the paper version has now been binned in favour of an email version to be completed on return from holiday. I've received mine and the scoring has changed from 1-10 to 1-7! Not sure why!

We always enjoyed filling ours in onboard and tbh I doubt scrapping the guest questionnaire (which was printed on the flimsiest paper they could find on board) will make a huge difference in reducing their consumption considering the volume of Heralds, menus, invites, envelopes, brochures, port info etc that arrive in each cabin per day.

Oh and mid cruise you still receive the 'your views are important to us, please feel free to fill in any comments' on this Seabourn quality headed paper!!

Obviously a computer is now calculating and averaging the scores per dept per cruise rather than people before sending it to the ship for the staff to see.

Old way I would have filled in two questionnaires while everything was fresh in my mind and current while enjoying a glass of wine onboard. Now I'm home, one email covers the entire trip and tbh I keep putting off filling it in.

Think the staff prefer the old version. I wonder if there has been a reduction in number of online replies compared to the handwritten form?

[wripro]

I bet fewer people will take the trouble to fill in the form online once they get back home.

[Harvey2442]

The real downside is that on the old system the forms were looked at on board at a senior level and comments about individual people and matters could be note and perhaps acted on. The computer form will make it very impersonal and to the detriment of individual staff who have done well - and I agree less will fill it in. Not a good motivational move for the hard working and excellent staff on board.

[Roxburgh]

I bet fewer people will take the trouble to fill in the form online once they get back home.

 

Absolutely agree. The downside on the old forms is that there was never enough space to write everything I wanted. But the advantage is that we always made a point of doing it.

 

But once you get home and 'normal' life kicks in ... it will get relegated down the list of priorities. Which would be a shame.

[Poppy1966]

The real downside is that on the old system the forms were looked at on board at a senior level and comments about individual people and matters could be note and perhaps acted on. The computer form will make it very impersonal and to the detriment of individual staff who have done well - and I agree less will fill it in. Not a good motivational move for the hard working and excellent staff on board.

 

 

 

.....Harvey2442, there is space on the electronic version to add comments on exceptional staff, depts etc. Another thing to note is Seabourn has given me a date to reply by, which is approx 2 weeks from when I disembarked. These forms presumably go to Seattle for analysis before being sent back to the ship. This could I guess mean that from leaving the ship to the staff receiving their results and/or any comments made could take up to three weeks. Surely the old paper system was much quicker than this and kind of defeats the purpose of the exercise.

[Ravenscroft]

I bet fewer people will take the trouble to fill in the form online once they get back home.

 

Agree with this.

 

I did complete ours, but memory (or lack of) plays a part too. Once I'm home and away from the ship, details are easily forgotten. We received it about a week after the cruise had ended. There were a couple of crew names that we just couldn't remember any longer.

[Patti22]

On our recently completed cruise, we were on B2B. Missed the mid-cruise form for the first cruise but filled out the second and within one hour had a phone call from the Hotel Manager.

 

We did complete our forms on the computer when we got home. We kept a piece of paper on our table in the suite and when someone deserved a comment, we wrote down their name and dept. I found it very easy to do and have had contact with Seabourn since we got home. No need to mention the issue, most can guess.

[Keith1010]

The reality is some people do not tip.

 

Some tip their stewardess. Some tip some selected crew members. And some give money to the crew fund.

 

In the end, do what you think is best and do not concern yourself with what others do.

 

There is no right or wrong on this. It's a personal decision.

 

Keith

[seabournaddict]

I disagree with Keith saying there is "no right or wrong way" to tip! On our last cruise I witnessed a very wrong way! Final morning, Veranda (The Pride) for breakfast.....one lady going around the Veranda handing out envelopes to "certain" wait staff.....I found this very wrong and very hurtful to all the other wait staff. How can you just pick out a couple of people when everyone of these people look after you? Its not like on the mass market where you have the SAME table and SAME waiters etc EVERY meal. This passenger had obviously come off a mass market because she made quite a show of how much money she was handing out. I found it very wrong and very embarrassing for the crew!

[Keith1010]

Seabournaddict, my comments had to do only with the fact that there is no right or wrong whether you tip. My comments had absolutely nothing to do with if one tips how they

give the tip to the crew.

 

Of course my view is that regardless of whether or not you tip it is something that is personal and should be done "discreetly" without making a scene.

 

I also believe that for those who tip they do not need to announce it to the world.

 

Sorry if I did not make that clear.

 

But when it comes to tipping a member of the crew on an inclusive cruise line it comes down to a personal decision and there is no right or wrong as to whether or not to give a tip. to members of the crew and is not for us to judge what others do. NOTE: I am discussion whether or not you give a tip only and NOT how one gives a tip out.

 

Keith

[JenBelle]

We agree tipping is a personal decision!! When we see crew members in port having a nice afternoon off we secretly pay their lunch bill. The look on their faces is priceless. We never tell.

Pay it forward!!!

[Francophile]

Love the "pay it forward." I wonder how impactful a simple handwritten note would be to management about particularly stellar staff? Honestly, I'd rather do that than a questionnaire weeks later when I'm engaged again with the quotidien.

[NYKshipping]

Seabournaddict, my comments had to do only with the fact that there is no right or wrong whether you tip. My comments had absolutely nothing to do with if one tips how they

give the tip to the crew.

 

Of course my view is that regardless of whether or not you tip it is something that is personal and should be done "discreetly" without making a scene.

 

I also believe that for those who tip they do not need to announce it to the world.

 

Sorry if I did not make that clear.

 

But when it comes to tipping a member of the crew on an inclusive cruise line it comes down to a personal decision and there is no right or wrong as to whether or not to give a tip. to members of the crew and is not for us to judge what others do. NOTE: I am discussion whether or not you give a tip only and NOT how one gives a tip out.

 

Keith

 

I agree Keith!

We ALWAYS tip our cabin stewardess without fail as they work so hard.

[oregon50]

I disagree with Keith on the tipping issue. Silversea and Seabourn were designed as lines that included tipping in the cost of passage. This has not changed. The passengers have changed. I understand how people coming onto these ships do not understand the concept and bring their well intentioned, but vulgar tipping methods with them.

 

Last week, I watched a fellow in R2 hand the maître d' a $20 bill for seating him. And I am seeing more and more of this dreadful behavior.

[Keith1010]

I stil think there are two different issues here.

 

Maybe what has changed is that some passengers are not discreet about tipping.

 

On my first Seabourn cruise many years ago I didn't see anyone handing out tips. But I remember asking a some fellow passengers if they tipped being a newbie and several of the experienced ones told me they did.

 

But my comments should not be misconstrued as recommending that someone tip or not tip. To me that is their choice. Naturally a tip is not required.

 

However, when I say it's a personal thing to me I do not condone anyone being indiscreet when they tip or mouthing off when they tip. In other words should I tip, no one else will know except the front desk personnel if I give a tip to the crew fund or use my shipboard account to tip or the person that I give the gratuity to. No one else needs to know and in my humble opinion it should not be done where others would see it. To me, that is tacky. But when you choose to sail with others you are going to see some things that you do not find to be good behavior.

 

Keith

[Tothesunset]

Don't overlook the cultural aspect of this.

 

For example, in the USA tipping is so common and ingrained in the service industries that not to tip is considered almost theft! The Japanese consider tipping vulgar, demeaning and somewhat feudal. In most of Europe tipping is generally a matter of rounding up to the next whole Euro. The British tend to fall somewhere in the middle and, I posit, tending towards the US way of tipping.

 

My stance is that if someone is employed to do a job then they should get a decent wage - relying on the generosity or fiscal pomposity of customers is an uncertain way of making a living. As I understand it, Seabourn pay good wages compared to many cruise lines. As tips are already included in the cruise cost and the staff get fair wages that's job done.

 

Throwing money at staff to get preferential treatment is just so vulgar and arriviste, no?

[Prunella1]

I agree, but that said we always leave our stewardess something and when filling out the form at the end of the cruise mention the staff that have impressed us by name. Also we have written directly to said staff to thank them for going the extra mile and sometimes donate to the crew welfare fund.

 

I did witness another example of crass tipping in the MDR once when this man had a wad of cash in his hand pressing it into a wait staff's hand and felt embarrassed for him, but as you say it is a cultural thing.

[markham]

"Here's $50 and there's more where that came from!"

 

I heard this Greenspan look-alike holler across the QE2's Princess Grill 15 years ago to the waiter during our first dinner. I will probably never forget the disgusted look then and thereafter on the faces of others there.

 

So Seabourn passengers, if you tip, please do so discreetly so as not the embarrass anyone or otherwise upset the tone. After all, tipping is a personal gesture, not a broadcast bulletin.

 

I tip my stewardess in the privacy of the cabin. For others, and as veteran Seabournites have explained, it's the crew fund and the mentioning of specific crew members' names on the end- of -cruise feedback forms.

 

Happy sailing!