Question about tipping on a Vantage cruise

[H2Otstr]

Just received our Travel Guide for our Vantage trip in 2014. This will be our first trip with them, and under the Tipping Guidlelines it says:

 

Ship Staff: The required gratuity on board your ship is $12 (9 - 11 Euros) per person per day :confused:.

 

The Drivers, Local Guides, and Discovery Leader all have suggested guidelines for tipping.

 

Are these REQUIRED tips put on our bill?

 

I have traveled with five other cruise lines and have never seen the words REQUIRED for any of the tipping guidelines.

[Talisker92]

We just got off a Vantage cruise in Russia. Those tips are the suggested amounts. In the document package we received prior to our cruise, here are the words-

"While tipping is at your discretion, we recommend the following guideline: $12 per person per day."

This is for the crew. Tipping the Program Managers is another matter. The recommended tip is $5 to $8 per person per day. I gave ours a little more than the max because she was fantastic and was very helpful with resolving some personal issues.

[H2Otstr]

We just got off a Vantage cruise in Russia. Those tips are the suggested amounts. In the document package we received prior to our cruise, here are the words-

"While tipping is at your discretion, we recommend the following guideline: $12 per person per day."

This is for the crew. Tipping the Program Managers is another matter. The recommended tip is $5 to $8 per person per day. I gave ours a little more than the max because she was fantastic and was very helpful with resolving some personal issues.

 

Steve, our handbook says that the tips are REQUIRED, not requested, for the Ship Staff.

[Bill'sBride]

I entered a comment earlier, hope it was removed as I tried to take it off. Just realized you said Vantage not Viking. I have had mandatory on an ocean cruise before, but wish it were up to me how much to tip.

[tiegs]

Which Vantage trip and ship are you traveling on??? I have never seen required tipping on any Vantage trip only suggested guidelines. I would like to check in to this further.

[H2Otstr]

Which Vantage trip and ship are you traveling on??? I have never seen required tipping on any Vantage trip only suggested guidelines. I would like to check in to this further.

 

The trip is called Croatian Odyssey and Venice. The ship is the M/Y Harmony G.

 

This is NOT a river boat cruise or an ocean cruise, it is a yacht cruise. Maybe tipping is different for yacht trips.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

It only holds 30 people ...