Tipping stewards

[jtl513]

Sorry but that seems like a bribe to me. It's like they won't do a good job unless you bribe them.

I agree - unless you're requesting some special service(s) to be done regularly, to me it smacks of asking for favoritism over other passengers ... i.e., a bribe.

[Randyk47]

Which kind of brings us back to just rolling the service charge into the basic fare as an unidentified separate charge. You don't pay the fare, you don't cruise. :)

 

Exactly right. But that won't happen because the published per diem will be higher and seem less competitive. The nickle-and-dime-'em-to-death business model seems to be working too well for HAL thus far.

 

Which of course kind of reminds me of some airlines who have started charging for all sorts of stuff from checked bags to preferred seats to boarding priority and so on. Kind of getting like trying to buy a car at the advertised price and getting asked "Did you want tires with that car?" :rolleyes::D

[Boytjie]

The nickle-and-dime-'em-to-death business model seems to be working too well for HAL thus far.

 

Most cruise lines operate the same way.

[Stratheden]

Which kind of brings us back to just rolling the service charge into the basic fare as an unidentified separate charge. You don't pay the fare, you don't cruise. :)

 

I agree. Would much rather go with an all inclusive. (Which is what we really do because we would never remove it) why give anyone the option to remove it?

[Typhoon1]

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. "

 

I am glad to hear this and hope HAL is being truthful. The stewards work the hardest of any crew members and should be entitled to keep any additional tips for themselves.

[RetiredMustang]

Perhaps a slightly different view:

 

1. I started my U.S. Navy career as a very junior-rank person (think, cleaning the toilets as a routine duty).

 

2. I came from a Northwest U.S. background (think salmon charter deck-hand, logger, or commercial fisherman). I joke that they had to chase me down and put shoes on me to join the Navy.

 

3. I had a wife, and, seemingly instantly, two sons. I, and DW, took after-hours jobs (want fries with that?) to put aside a nickel or two. We loved tips.

 

4. I later lived in Norfolk, Washington, London, Naples and Rome, among many others, and visited many cities around the world, from Istanbul to Tokyo. I listened, messed up a great many times, and learned. I rose in rank, and (I flatter myself perhaps), in experience. The world is not the same as the U.S. I learned to tip, and the difference between tips in the UK, the Netherlands, Greece, Italy, Japan, etc.

 

5. But, what I never forgot, is that someone has to clean the toilets. Extrapolate that. You have spent thousands to be on board. Spread the jing around.

 

We never reduce the auto-tip. We tip (bribe if you insist on that term) our room stewards to do special favors. We tip the laundry room early on in a cruise; a total coincidence: we get great and fast service. We tip the bartenders every time they bring us a drink; and again a total coincidence, always have great service. We tip the tour guides. We tip the bus drivers. Etc. I understand that other cultures do not do this (such as Australians, I've heard). HAL is not from those cultures. Tip.

 

We have been there.

 

Dave

Edited March 16, 2014 by RetiredMustang

[1313steve]

I agree - unless you're requesting some special service(s) to be done regularly, to me it smacks of asking for favoritism over other passengers ... i.e., a bribe.

 

 

Favoritism is EXACTLY my goal! And worth paying for!!

[POA1]

Really great response, Dave/RetiredMustang. :thumbup:

[CowPrincess]

We tip >snip< >snip< >snip< We have been there

 

Yes. That.

 

We are on vacation, and happy to share the joy.

[Stratheden]

I understand that other cultures do not do this (such as Australians, I've heard). HAL is not from those cultures. Tip.

 

Dave

 

This is true. Australians do not tip at home. It is not expected - we are fortunate that our hospitality industry is quite highly paid compared with the US and Canada. (These are the only ones we have compared, usually when we have friendly discussions with bartenders and waiters). At home we usually just round up the bill to the nearest $5-$10.

 

That said, when we (my husband and I) travel, it can cause a lot of stress because we don't know who we are supposed to tip nor how much. I have sat in a taxi with my phone set on the tip calculator waiting for the journey to end so that I can calculate how much to tip him. Not a relaxing journey. We have been abused, quite loudly, in a restaurant in NY for not tipping enough. :mad:

 

A lot of Australians will select all inclusive tours and cruises so that they don't have to think about it.

[nana51]

This is true. Australians do not tip at home. It is not expected - we are fortunate that our hospitality industry is quite highly paid compared with the US and Canada. (These are the only ones we have compared, usually when we have friendly discussions with bartenders and waiters). At home we usually just round up the bill to the nearest $5-$10.

 

That said, when we (my husband and I) travel, it can cause a lot of stress because we don't know who we are supposed to tip nor how much. I have sat in a taxi with my phone set on the tip calculator waiting for the journey to end so that I can calculate how much to tip him. Not a relaxing journey. We have been abused, quite loudly, in a restaurant in NY for not tipping enough. :mad:

 

A lot of Australians will select all inclusive tours and cruises so that they don't have to think about it.

 

I understand where you are coming from. My husband is French and they don't tip either. It is because the waiters etc. are paid a decent wage and don't need the tip. Of course considering how nasty French waiters are maybe they should change that. My husband's family (from France) tip well because they know better now.

[erewhon]

 

We never reduce the auto-tip. We tip (bribe if you insist on that term) our room stewards to do special favors. We tip the laundry room early on in a cruise; a total coincidence: we get great and fast service. We tip the bartenders every time they bring us a drink; and again a total coincidence, always have great service. We tip the tour guides. We tip the bus drivers. Etc. I understand that other cultures do not do this (such as Australians, I've heard). HAL is not from those cultures. Tip.

 

We have been there.

 

Dave

 

May I ask how do you tip the laundry early on in a cruise?

[erewhon]

This is true. Australians do not tip at home. It is not expected - we are fortunate that our hospitality industry is quite highly paid compared with the US and Canada. (These are the only ones we have compared, usually when we have friendly discussions with bartenders and waiters). At home we usually just round up the bill to the nearest $5-$10.

 

That said, when we (my husband and I) travel, it can cause a lot of stress because we don't know who we are supposed to tip nor how much. I have sat in a taxi with my phone set on the tip calculator waiting for the journey to end so that I can calculate how much to tip him. Not a relaxing journey. We have been abused, quite loudly, in a restaurant in NY for not tipping enough. :mad:

 

A lot of Australians will select all inclusive tours and cruises so that they don't have to think about it.

 

Totally understand your views, we are the same, spend taxi and dinner time trying to work out what to tip,& probably tip far too much.

[Stratheden]

Yes we know we have tipped far too much because a taxi driver tried to give us some back in NY. Still don't know how much we tipped him. :eek:

That is what happens when all the paper money is the same colour.

[mudscraper]

Really great response, Dave/RetiredMustang. :thumbup:

 

Double thumbs up to Dave.

[serendipity1499]

We have never removed the auto gratuity / hotel charge. We also do not wait until the last day to tip. Put yourself in the employee's shoes. Would you work harder for a guest who is known to appreciate good service or for one who definitely does?

 

:confused:

 

Well we don't tip in advance & we get excellent service.. We leave the service charge on our bull & normally give extra with a personal thank you note..And we've been on 27 cruises.. Only on our 68 day cruise did we give them an envelope twice during the cruise & once at the end because we wanted the wonderful stewards to have spending $$$ when they had a day off.. Only once did we have mediocre service & only once did not give extra but left the Service charge on our bill..

 

I hat checked for tips in a fancy restaurant in my home town & needed spending money when I first joined the airlines to travel..I know how much tips are appreciated.. The only time someone tried to tip me in advance was when he/she was trying to BRIBE me to take a fur coat, which I could not do..I returned the tip to them nicely & explained that I would lose my job if I took it..

 

Which kind of brings us back to just rolling the service charge into the basic fare as an unidentified separate charge. You don't pay the fare, you don't cruise. :)

 

On May 26 2008 Phillip 217 (a cruise line Officer) explained why tipping can't be incorporated into the fare..He said it would be both taxable & commissionable ..The thread with his post is not available, but look at my post number 35 in this thread:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1043415&page=2

 

He has several other posts in the same thread that were interesting & I downloaded many of his remarks but failed to download the URL..

 

Betty

Edited March 17, 2014 by serendipity1499

[TiogaCruiser]

Betty,

I believe BruceMuzz posted something similiar about 2-3 years back, but I can't find it.

[POA1]

I hat checked for tips in a fancy restaurant in my home town & needed spending money when I first joined the airlines to travel..I know how much tips are appreciated.. The only time someone tried to tip me in advance was when he/she was trying to BRIBE me to take a fur coat, which I could not do..I returned the tip to them nicely & explained that I would lose my job if I took it..

 

Yes, when we give the room stewards a gratuity and ask them to refresh our wine bucket ice in the afternoon so we can chill our wine before dinner, that's exactly like a cash inducement to steal a fur coat.

 

When we tip on a round of drinks, that probably equates to asking the waiter to steal jewelry. :rolleyes:

[serendipity1499]

:rolleyes:

Betty,

I believe BruceMuzz posted something similiar about 2-3 years back, but I can't find it.

 

I thought so too, but also can't find it.. Have several of Bruce Muzz's posts as well as Phillip's but could only find my post on Phillips's remarks..

 

Yes, when we give the room stewards a gratuity and ask them to refresh our wine bucket ice in the afternoon so we can chill our wine before dinner, that's exactly like a cash inducement to steal a fur coat.

 

When we tip on a round of drinks, that probably equates to asking the waiter to steal jewelry. :rolleyes:

 

What has stealing got to do with it..Obviously you did not read my post:rolleyes: so I'll explain it to you..When I Hat Checked a Customer tried to TIP (Bribe) me to take their fur coat while they dined & I explained why I could not do it..I also explained we receive excellent service on HAL & have never tipped in advance as don't want to insult our cabin steward..

 

Tipping for a round of drinks when you get them or Room Service when it's delivered IMO is not a Bribe!

But tipping a cabin steward in advance when you request something be done during your cruise IMO is a Bribe!

 

Obviously you don't think so..

To each his own:rolleyes:

Edited March 17, 2014 by serendipity1499

[RetiredMustang]

May I ask how do you tip the laundry early on in a cruise?

 

We take one of the many thank you cards and envelopes we have brought aboard, write a short note on the card and put in the envelope, enclose a different kind of note or two, and mark the outside "Laundry Personnel" or something similar and leave it with our stuffed blue laundry bag and filled-out form. We also usually leave a tip for the room steward who collects the laundry bags.

 

We started doing this years ago, after DW got some red mud on her trousers in a Costa Rica rain forest. She was not optimistic about ever getting the stains out, but sent them to the laundry anyway. They came back pristine! She was so happy, she wrote a thank-you note addressed to the Laundry Room guys, and enclosed a nice tip. Our room steward later said the laundry room personnel were floored, because nobody ever thinks of them. He said they were really appreciating the couple of cases of soft drinks they bought and shared.

 

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

... At home we usually just round up the bill to the nearest $5-$10.

 

That said, when we (my husband and I) travel, it can cause a lot of stress because we don't know who we are supposed to tip nor how much. ... We have been abused, quite loudly, in a restaurant in NY for not tipping enough. :mad:

 

A lot of Australians will select all inclusive tours and cruises so that they don't have to think about it.

 

Rounding up is a pretty common tipping custom, such as in Germany. So, I guess Australians do "tip" in the widest sense of the word, but certainly not to the extent as in the U.S.

 

I, too, have been in places where I did not know the tipping customs, and it can be a bit unnerving -- that much (insultingly low?), or this much (insultingly high?), or is simply offering the tip itself insulting? I try to talk to someone who is from that culture or has been there before, or read a travel guide about the destination beforehand -- the Fodors, Lonely Planet, etc. books are usually pretty helpful in that regard.

 

The abuse from the restaurant in NY was not called for (but unfortunately not unknown in NY).

 

Dave

[jtl513]

Tipping for a round of drinks when you get them or Room Service when it's delivered IMO is not a Bribe!

But tipping a cabin steward in advance when you request something be done during your cruise IMO is a Bribe!

To me a tip or gratuity is a gift for a service rendered. Money "slipped" to a Maitre 'd or steward etc in advance to bend or break rules for you, or give you favorable treatment to the detriment of others, is a BRIBE. Edited March 17, 2014 by jtl513

[chrispb]

To me a tip or gratuity is a gift for a service rendered. Money "slipped" to a Maitre 'd or steward etc in advance to bend or break rules for you, or give you favorable treatment to the detriment of others, is a BRIBE.

 

Absolutely right. A good room steward (or waiter, whatever) will give good service without being bribed first.

 

Yuck, it's a horrible habit which is totally unnecessary.

[nana51]

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

Your steward should be pleased.

 

thank you.

[nana51]

As to tipping ahead I'm for it. It can be a small one, just to let the stewards know you are not miserly. They always do a good job and know many people don't tip till the end. I'm just used to tipping as I go. I doubt any of the stewards are offended.