Tipping stewards

[Taxguy77]

On our Noordam cruise a few weeks ago, a number of other passengers told us they were removing their HSC and giving tips directly to the staff.

 

I was surprised by the number of people doing this, as we would have never even considered this as an option.

 

So, on one of my visits to the front desk, I asked if the HSC was removed and one gave the tips directly to the staff, do they have to hand it in to be distributed to others in the tipping pool.

 

I was told that the steward could keep the tip.

 

Like others here have stated, I'm not sure if that is correct or not.

 

I know for a 21 day cruise it does add up ($483) but we leave it in place and budget the amount as part of the cost of our cruise.

 

Of course!:)

The first cruises we took, we had to take loads of bills from home and dole them out into different envelopes the last night of the cruise. We usually had never seen the Matre'D (sp) so we gave that to the waiters.

It's easier nnow, but I feel it is a way to reduce the pay for some, like the folks in the laundry room.

We leave it in and tip additionally to one or two people who have given us outstanding service.

[jtl513]

Question: Why does HAL even allow the HSC to be removed? Perhaps they should not...

 

I think there has to be a 'sure route' for a guest who truly feels they did not receive good service despite reasonable requests to speak with their wallet. Sadly, there are those who abuse that ability.

I wish that it wasn't openly stated up front, just quietly done for people who have a legitimate beef. Also I think it should be much more difficult to do than simply signing a form. I think it should require a meeting with some authority higher than a front desk clerk. Edited March 14, 2014 by jtl513

[sail7seas]

I wish that it wasn't openly stated up front, just quietly done for people who have a legitimate beef. Also I think it should be much more difficult to do than simply signing a form. I think it should require a meeting with some authority higher than a front desk clerk.

 

 

I get your point but can envision a huge time eater.

Folks who really want to save that money will show up for the meet and explain session. Depending how many on a given cruise, lots of work hours could be spent trying to coax folks to do what they know is right.

Edited March 14, 2014 by sail7seas

[Stratheden]

We would never remove our HSC but if we were to tip our room steward on the first day of the cruise, would he get to keep that?

 

That is what we usually do - we always thought he would get to keep it. Don't know now.

[HamOp]

Well there is one member of our little group here who knows the answers to these questions for sure. And he ain't talkin. And I don't blame him!:p

[jtl513]

I get your point but can envision a huge time eater.

Folks who really want to save that money will show up for the meet and explain session. Depending how many on a given cruise, lots of work hours could be spent trying to coax folks to do what they know is right.

Set a fixed window of, say, two hours on the last night of the cruise ... for everybody. If the line is long maybe a lot of them will give up and leave. I think just telling them that a meeting is required would discourage a lot of phonies who can't truly cite specific instances of inadequate service. Stress that it's a charge that can only be refunded if they didn't get the service, and stick to that. Too many people, including the OP when titling this thread, think it's a gratuity.

 

- we always thought he would get to keep it. Don't know now.

He would get to keep it, but wouldn't be sure about it until disembarkation day.

.

Edited March 14, 2014 by jtl513

[sail7seas]

We would never remove our HSC but if we were to tip our room steward on the first day of the cruise, would he get to keep that?

 

That is what we usually do - we always thought he would get to keep it. Don't know now.

 

 

If you leave the HSC in place, your cabin steward can keep whatever extra you give him. Anyone you choose to tip 'over and above' can keep extra tips as long as you leave HSC charges on your account.

[nana51]

Adding to the can of worms let me just ask.......How much do most people tip the dinner steward? We will be a group of 7 women. Each of us will contribute to the pot. Would $20.00 each be appropriate? My husband always did this but I'll be without him this time.

Edited March 14, 2014 by nana51

[sail7seas]

Nana,

How many days is your cruise?

[nana51]

Nana,

How many days is your cruise?

 

7 days out of Alaska.

[RuthC]

How much do most people tip the dinner steward? Would $20.00 each be appropriate?

 

7 days out of Alaska.

That amount, in addition to the HSC, sounds generous to me.

Your steward should be pleased.

[innlady1]

Adding to the can of worms let me just ask.......How much do most people tip the dinner steward? We will be a group of 7 women. Each of us will contribute to the pot. Would $20.00 each be appropriate? My husband always did this but I'll be without him this time.

 

That's great, nana. They'll appreciate it. That's what we leave on a 10 and 11 day cruise for two.

[sail7seas]

Have a great cruise. :)

 

[OVgirl]

I asked about this issue over on the HAL page on FB.

A few people responded and then I got an answer from HAL.

Here is what they said in their response.

Take it for what it is worth, one person's response. Maybe it's right and maybe not.

 

" Hi Annemarie, thanks for the great question! A Hotel Service Charge of USD $12.00 per day for suites, and USD $11.50 for other staterooms for dining and stateroom services will be automatically added to your shipboard account on a daily basis. A 15% service charge will be automatically added to bar charges and dining room wine account. We are confident that you will find the service onboard exemplary and, should you wish to make adjustments, you may do so at the end of the cruise by contacting the front desk. If you choose to opt out of the automatic hotel service charge and leave a gratuity with the crew directly the crew is required to keep track of any gratuities. In these cases the crew will turn in their gratuities and then they are divided among the crew as noted above. If no tips are left and the guest opted out of automatic gratuities the cabin stewards are asked if there were any service issues. If a guest leaves the hotel service charge on their bill, and also tips the stateroom steward additional gratuities, then the steward can then keep the additional gratuity. "

[CowPrincess]

OVgirl thank you SO much for getting that information.

[Typhoon1]

We've heard so many contradictory statements regarding cash tips lately. I don't know which is accurate.

 

We'll continue to do what we have always done. Leave the HSC in place. Give our steward an additional cash tip at the end of the cruise.

[AlohaPride]

I was just wondering how much extra work it is for our stewards to ALSO keep track of a list, money, and who does and doesn't leave the HSC on their account. Sounds like an accounting nightmare IMO.

 

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy

[serendipity1499]

Adding to the can of worms let me just ask.......How much do most people tip the dinner steward? We will be a group of 7 women. Each of us will contribute to the pot. Would $20.00 each be appropriate? My husband always did this but I'll be without him this time.

 

We normally tip approx. $2.00 per day for our DR & Cabin Steward's & approx. $1.50 per day for The DR Assistant Waiter.. Actually on the last cruise I tipped both DR stewards the same as they both were fantastic..Our Assist Waiter even looked after DH & found me when DH was lost in the Lido.. I really appreciated that..

 

IMO if each lady puts in $20-$22 to be split between the two Stewards that would be appreciated for a 7 day cruise.. We also tip the Wine Steward depending on how many bottles we've ordered but that is usually less as it usually takes us 2 days to finish each bottle..

 

If the Assist. DR Mgr. (our Stewards immediate boss) does special things for us we also give him something & we also tip the wine Steward..

 

Be sure to tell the ladies to mention their names on their cruise evaluations if they were happy with their Stewards.

 

Betty

[serendipity1499]

I asked about this issue over on the HAL page on FB.

A few people responded and then I got an answer from HAL.

Here is what they said in their response.

Take it for what it is worth, one person's response. Maybe it's right and maybe not.

 

" Hi Annemarie, thanks for the great question! A Hotel Service Charge of USD $12.00 per day for suites, and USD $11.50 for other staterooms for dining and stateroom services will be automatically added to your shipboard account on a daily basis. A 15% service charge will be automatically added to bar charges and dining room wine account. We are confident that you will find the service onboard exemplary and, should you wish to make adjustments, you may do so at the end of the cruise by contacting the front desk. If you choose to opt out of the automatic hotel service charge and leave a gratuity with the crew directly the crew is required to keep track of any gratuities. In these cases the crew will turn in their gratuities and then they are divided among the crew as noted above. If no tips are left and the guest opted out of automatic gratuities the cabin stewards are asked if there were any service issues. If a guest leaves the hotel service charge on their bill, and also tips the stateroom steward additional gratuities, then the steward can then keep the additional gratuity. "

 

Thanks Annemarie for finally getting the information from the "Horses mouth"!:)

 

Cheers..Betty

[Swelldame]

I asked about this issue over on the HAL page on FB.

A few people responded and then I got an answer from HAL.

Here is what they said in their response.

Take it for what it is worth, one person's response. Maybe it's right and maybe not.

 

" Hi Annemarie, thanks for the great question! A Hotel Service Charge of USD $12.00 per day for suites, and USD $11.50 for other staterooms for dining and stateroom services will be automatically added to your shipboard account on a daily basis. A 15% service charge will be automatically added to bar charges and dining room wine account. We are confident that you will find the service onboard exemplary and, should you wish to make adjustments, you may do so at the end of the cruise by contacting the front desk. If you choose to opt out of the automatic hotel service charge and leave a gratuity with the crew directly the crew is required to keep track of any gratuities. In these cases the crew will turn in their gratuities and then they are divided among the crew as noted above. If no tips are left and the guest opted out of automatic gratuities the cabin stewards are asked if there were any service issues. If a guest leaves the hotel service charge on their bill, and also tips the stateroom steward additional gratuities, then the steward can then keep the additional gratuity. "

 

This is EXACTLY what should be on HAL's information page for booked guests. And I would even add it should be on everyone's pillow a couple of nights before the end of the cruise. There are many people on board who don't understand it, and I really feel the staff gets the short end of the stick with the confusion.

 

Nothing you can do about the cheapos anyway; they're gonna do what they're gonna do.

[cbr663]

 

" Hi Annemarie, thanks for the great question! A Hotel Service Charge of USD $12.00 per day for suites, and USD $11.50 for other staterooms for dining and stateroom services will be automatically added to your shipboard account on a daily basis. A 15% service charge will be automatically added to bar charges and dining room wine account. We are confident that you will find the service onboard exemplary and, should you wish to make adjustments, you may do so at the end of the cruise by contacting the front desk. If you choose to opt out of the automatic hotel service charge and leave a gratuity with the crew directly the crew is required to keep track of any gratuities. In these cases the crew will turn in their gratuities and then they are divided among the crew as noted above. If no tips are left and the guest opted out of automatic gratuities the cabin stewards are asked if there were any service issues. If a guest leaves the hotel service charge on their bill, and also tips the stateroom steward additional gratuities, then the steward can then keep the additional gratuity. "

 

Thanks OV. A little clearer, although it is interesting that HAL interprets no tip as an indication of a service problem.

 

For what it is worth, I have been doing a lot of research on employment conditions on cruise ships and have come across references that highlight that the introduction of automatic tipping has been met with great resistance from cruise staff. The argument being that they experienced a reduction in their total compensation after its introduction, even on the "no tipping required" lines.

[Windsailer]

This is the entire post by HAL - interesting about the breakdown:

 

 

Holland America Line

Hi Annemarie, thanks for the great question! A Hotel Service Charge of USD $12.00 per day for suites, and USD $11.50 for other staterooms for dining and stateroom services will be automatically added to your shipboard account on a daily basis. A 15% service charge will be automatically added to bar charges and dining room wine account.

 

We are confident that you will find the service onboard exemplary and, should you wish to make adjustments, you may do so at the end of the cruise by contacting the front desk. The hotel charge goes beyond your stateroom steward and waiter: There are also many others that tend to your care that you may never meet, such as galley and laundry staff. To breakdown where your money is going, 70% goes to your stateroom and your dining room stewards. The remaining 30% is divided among the supporting crew. In terminals, airports, and ports of call and on shore excursions, we suggest that you extend gratuities consistent with customary local practices.

 

If you choose to opt out of the automatic hotel service charge and leave a gratuity with the crew directly the crew is required to keep track of any gratuities. In these cases the crew will turn in their gratuities and then they are divided among the crew as noted above. If no tips are left and the guest opted out of automatic gratuities the cabin stewards are asked if there were any service issues. If a guest leaves the hotel service charge on their bill, and also tips the stateroom steward additional gratuities, then the steward can then keep the additional gratuity. Similar information is on our website at

http://www.hollandamerica.com/.../PlanningAndAdvice...# - click on “Is There A Hotel Service Charge (Gratuity/Tip)?” We hope you found this information helpful. Happy cruising!

[cruz chic]

Thanks OV. A little clearer, although it is interesting that HAL interprets no tip as an indication of a service problem.

 

For what it is worth, I have been doing a lot of research on employment conditions on cruise ships and have come across references that highlight that the introduction of automatic tipping has been met with great resistance from cruise staff. The argument being that they experienced a reduction in their total compensation after its introduction, even on the "no tipping required" lines.

 

With all due respect I don't think researching that type info on the net is all that telling. I don't see how this type of tipping can be worse then the people that used to stiff the crew in the past.

[cbr663]

With all due respect I don't think researching that type info on the net is all that telling. I don't see how this type of tipping can be worse then the people that used to stiff the crew in the past.

 

With all due respect I suggest that you re-read my post. No where did I state that I was researching anything on the net.

[OVgirl]

This is the entire post by HAL - interesting about the breakdown:

 

 

Holland America Line

Hi Annemarie, thanks for the great question! A Hotel Service Charge of USD $12.00 per day for suites, and USD $11.50 for other staterooms for dining and stateroom services will be automatically added to your shipboard account on a daily basis. A 15% service charge will be automatically added to bar charges and dining room wine account.

 

We are confident that you will find the service onboard exemplary and, should you wish to make adjustments, you may do so at the end of the cruise by contacting the front desk. The hotel charge goes beyond your stateroom steward and waiter: There are also many others that tend to your care that you may never meet, such as galley and laundry staff. To breakdown where your money is going, 70% goes to your stateroom and your dining room stewards. The remaining 30% is divided among the supporting crew. In terminals, airports, and ports of call and on shore excursions, we suggest that you extend gratuities consistent with customary local practices.

 

If you choose to opt out of the automatic hotel service charge and leave a gratuity with the crew directly the crew is required to keep track of any gratuities. In these cases the crew will turn in their gratuities and then they are divided among the crew as noted above. If no tips are left and the guest opted out of automatic gratuities the cabin stewards are asked if there were any service issues. If a guest leaves the hotel service charge on their bill, and also tips the stateroom steward additional gratuities, then the steward can then keep the additional gratuity. Similar information is on our website at

http://www.hollandamerica.com/.../PlanningAndAdvice...# - click on “Is There A Hotel Service Charge (Gratuity/Tip)?” We hope you found this information helpful. Happy cruising!

 

Thank you for reposting this as HAL edited their response after I copied it the first time.