Tipping

[mom_n_mi]

From what I have read on here, the daily service charge does not include the staff inside the children's area. I have read that people, in the past, have tipped.

 

I was curious on how much to tip for a 7 day cruise? Do you do 1 big tip or break it out for each employee?

 

Any insight/suggestions are greatly appreciated!

[Onessa]

We have typically tipped the counselors who were with the age group my DD was in. Whether they all "share" or what I do not know. Amount varies by the level of service we have recieved. In some cases DD has sprent more time in the kids club than on other cruises. In more than one case a counselor has really gone "above and beyond" and we increased our tip.

 

DD is now 18YO so the rates I used don't really apply anymore :) -- but I based it upon what I'd spend for 1hr of babysitting back home, that amount per day, per kid.

 

I know that there are lots of differing ideas out there -- that was what made sense to me at the time. A lot of folks do no tip at all, that is your purogitive!

[Mom2kmo]

Crazy to think you would tip what oh would pay a babysitter. I'm paying over $9,500 for just my 3 girls to cruise in June and it would cost me another couple thousand dollars if I'd tipped what I paid my sitter.:eek:

[cb at sea]

The kid's club staff isn't included because they get paid a lot more than the service staff! If you want to tip, that's fine. It's not suggested or required.

[Mom2B&Z]

I do agree that some people post what I consider to be exorbitant amounts for kids club staff tips. I give my cleaning lady $80 at Christmas and she spends more time providing a service to my family! I don't doubt they work hard, but I do think one needs to keep things in perspective.

Personally we tip $40/child for a 7day cruise if they spend 2-3 hrs/ day in the kids club. I reduce it if they spend less time. I know the staff were surprised I gave them anything for our youngest on our last cruise as he spent less than 2 hrs there on the whole cruise.

 

 

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[gymbomb]

Crazy to think you would tip what oh would pay a babysitter. I'm paying over $9,500 for just my 3 girls to cruise in June and it would cost me another couple thousand dollars if I'd tipped what I paid my sitter.:eek:

 

I think she meant she tipped the equivalent of 1 hour babysitting per day in the kids club, not 1 hour babysitting per hour of use :)

[Onessa]

Crazy to think you would tip what oh would pay a babysitter. I'm paying over $9,500 for just my 3 girls to cruise in June and it would cost me another couple thousand dollars if I'd tipped what I paid my sitter.:eek:

 

Read what is in red . . .

I. . . 1hr of babysitting back home . . . per day, per kid.

So when DD was 10YO I paid a neighbor girl $7.00 per hour to sit . . . when we were on Splendour of the Seas, I tipped $7.00 per day (7 days times $7 per day =$49.00) -- so no, I did not tip $56 dollars a day.

 

$49 times three kids would be $150 total for the trip not another couple of thousand dollars. Even $10 per day per kid for a seven day would be just over $200 for three kids. Not sure where another couple of thousand dollars would enter in. Even if you paid $20 per day per kid for a 10 day cruise, you would not be close to one thousand, let alone a couple of thousand?

 

In the case of the counselors, it truly is a "tip" -- they typically recieve a "living wage" (particularly considering room and board and many other expenses are covered). With the wait staff and with room stewards, the tip is really more their salary.