Non-Cash Gifts for Staff

[carqueen1]

We tipped a bottle of chardonnay to our room steward on the last cruise...he appreciated it.

[ccrain]

Started during an Alaskan cruise when we bought different kind of fudge from that shop in Juneau. The divinity was a big hit with the wait and cruise staff.

 

Progressed from there to salt water taffy on one cruise from the shop in Seward, then Halloween candy (Jolly Ranchers) , Espresso pocket rockets, lollipops, Easter candy (solid chocolate bunnies), etc, etc. But we always get something unique. Like the liquor or espresso infused candies from Europe, according to one crew they lived on those things during the last dry dock, or Jolly Ranchers, or Salt Water Taffy, or lollipops - stuff that they can't get on the ship or a quick trip off the ship.

 

We don't substitute candy for tips, we just pass it out on a random basis during the cruise to any and all crew and staff we run into. Even the purser's desk! The bands love lollipops or hard candy, the cruise staff any sweet jolt of sugar they can get - but they especially like the chocolates and the espresso candies.

 

Trust me. they like it. It not just being polite.

 

We would fill a glass up at the Elite lounge with assorted chocolates, sit down and have a drink while watching the staff, including the supervisor and the bar tenders make it a point to go by the glass and grab a candy. And then walk around chewing vigorously trying to get the salt water taffy to let go of your bottom teeth.

[swedish weave]

I agree, however there are some that think they are being smart and doing the crew a favor by substituting trinkets for tips. :(

 

I enjoy giving the items to ALL of the crew --- whether they do anything for me or not.

 

I will relate another incident that is non-cash. We had a couple of waitstaff who had never been ashore at a certain port, and were interested when we told them about some of the things we did there. We asked the restaurant manager if they could get enough time off so we could take them on about a two hour tour. He agreed, so we took them on a short tour, bought them a beer, and when we stopped an a market, they gathered up some candy, chips, snacks, sodas, and a few personal items. I told the cashier to tell them the items were free, and I paid for them.

 

Over a year later, we met those two again on a cruise, and the squeals and hugs were unbelievable !! They even remembered our names.

[Loonbeam]

A couple of notes - calling cards have to work with various phone systems, etc. They also often have vastly higher charges for calling mobile phones, which is what are often in use as primary lines in many countries. In the days of Skype, more trouble than they are worth.

 

Secondly - the reason cash is preferred over random practical gifts is simple. Cash can buy those items. Those items cannot buy cash.

 

Now, if you have an ongoing relationship with a crew member over many cruises, or have inquired as to what may be needed and wanted, a small gift or service is certainly a nice appreciation.

[karatemom2]

I think it all depends on your level of familiarity with a particular crew member. Cash is always the best bet as a reward for great service and of course it is appreciated. But in a few rare instances where we have had the pleasure to really get to a know a particular crew member on a somewhat more personal level a small gift seemed appropriate. Such as when a certain waiter befriended my daughter on our first Christmas cruise. She made him a special card on her last day in the kids club and presented it to him at our last dinner. A couple of years later when we cruised with him again we were shocked to find that he had saved it and pulled it out to show it to my daughter. Her sweet note meant that much to him. And another waiter shared with us his excitement over the fact he was expecting a baby daughter, so when I ran across a pair of adorable pink booties in one of our ports I couldn't resist. And I could tell he was genuinely touched by the gift. And when we returned to cruise with a very special staff member who favors jaunty bow ties, we surprised him with a very fashionable addition to his collection.

 

So it really all depends. I wouldn't run around handing out trinkets to every crew member who provides me with service, but on those wonderful occasions when you are able to make a personal connection it seems thoughtful and welcomed.

[notentirelynormal]

I think it all depends on your level of familiarity with a particular crew member. Cash is always the best bet as a reward for great service and of course it is appreciated. But in a few rare instances where we have had the pleasure to really get to a know a particular crew member on a somewhat more personal level a small gift seemed appropriate. Such as when a certain waiter befriended my daughter on our first Christmas cruise. She made him a special card on her last day in the kids club and presented it to him at our last dinner. A couple of years later when we cruised with him again we were shocked to find that he had saved it and pulled it out to show it to my daughter. Her sweet note meant that much to him. And another waiter shared with us his excitement over the fact he was expecting a baby daughter, so when I ran across a pair of adorable pink booties in one of our ports I couldn't resist. And I could tell he was genuinely touched by the gift. And when we returned to cruise with a very special staff member who favors jaunty bow ties, we surprised him with a very fashionable addition to his collection.

 

So it really all depends. I wouldn't run around handing out trinkets to every crew member who provides me with service, but on those wonderful occasions when you are able to make a personal connection it seems thoughtful and welcomed.

 

We too have made friends over the years with crew members. When we lived in Vancouver we met the ship every weekend and gave the guys a quickie tour of Stanley Park. We've had one crew member come to our house that we met up with every weekend for the season. Another not only came to our house in Vancouver but when we moved back to LA came to our house here. My kids grew up "knowing" some of these guys. I have to say I gave them my time when in port and never even thought to "tip" my friend extra. Nor did they expect it.

 

When my daughter's luggage didn't appear for 8 days on a 12 day cruise one of the gals at the Purser's Desk lent her clothes - including underwear. How did we reward her? On our next cruise a year later she was working and we remembered her birthday and had the staff make a cake for her. She cried she was so happy we remembered her. :eek: You wear someone's underwear - you remember them LOL.

 

I think we can all agree that no one knows what a stranger wants and therefore in that case should only give cash. Anything else is about you, not the recipient. Some people get to know the crew members better and they are more likely to be able to give them something personal they want or need. I think the latest examples show people that really do get to know crew members and in that case something besides money is okay.

 

Let's face it. Most people do not really get that involved with crew.

[cr8tiv1]

These type of gifts wind up in the trash as soon as you are out of sight. The crew are there for the almighty dollar.

 

 

This is the definition of a gift. The receiver may do as he/she pleases with my "gift". If it ends up in the trash, then so be it. In the meantime, I had the pleasure of giving. I agree, the dollar is very important, and they will get that plus recognition. In the meantime, it never hurts to be kind, generous, and thoughtful.

[Kmkub]

If it ends up in the trash, then so be it. In the meantime, I had the pleasure of giving.

 

If you are the only one getting something out of the deal, than it's not a gift for them. A gift is something totally different.

[poolreader]

I just got off the Crown for the Easter Cruise. I brought some treats to give out to the children, mini see through egg cartons, with colored gum balls, and little bunnies with arms and legs that stretch out. I always ask the parents first if it is okay, before I show it to the kids. A few times the waitstaff would see them and comment on how cute they were, I asked if they wanted one and they would get the biggest smiles, then run around showing the gumball eggs, or bunnies to others. This was all for my enjoyment.

 

I brought a good amount of dollar bills to give out to the workers in the International Cafe, and at the bars, that was for them.

[PescadoAmarillo]

I remember hearing that they appreciated getting DVD's which they could share amongst the crew, as well as magazines.

Here's what they currently do for movies, etc. Most of them have hard dives with huge storage. They share hundreds of hours of video content by copying from each others' hard drives. They really have little use for DVDs while on the ship; someone there already has the content and shares. They load up more when at home and bring it on their next contract and repeat.

 

They make their phone calls over the internet and do not need phone cards. They welcome money for additional internet time, though. Most that we met video call home every day. That's what's using the bandwidth on the ship during certain hours.

 

As for gift cards, I'm not certain of their value (money is better) but for the ships out of Fort Lauderdale, Ross Dress for Less would be the best, then Publix then Walgreens. KMart in St. Thomas would be good too, but if the ship is at Crown Bay, they can't always get there.

[Wehwalt]

I thought that I had replied to this thread last night but apparently not.

 

I do not think material gifts a good idea, at least in my situation. YMMV. The crew is in little need of food and the rest of it seems questionable due to the very small amount of personal space they have for storage and the likely difference in taste. The DVDs seem useless in an era when fewer and fewer computers have a slot for them.

 

Let me put it this way: I long ago gave up hope of being able to track my nephews' wants as they grow, and just give them an appropriate amount of cash for birthdays and Hannukah. I have yet to hear a complaint from them.

 

Personally, I consider that the auto tip and the service charges entirely answer any need to tip I may have on the ship. I usually do the survey, and I have been known to hand in those cards. I don't think I play Lord Bountiful well and don't want the whole "oh what a nice gift! Thank you!" scene which may or may not be sincere. I assume by the nature of their jobs, they can turn on the charm as needed.

Edited April 27, 2014 by Wehwalt

[Cruise-a-holic444]

I do believe that the crew want and need cash- However, I do want them to have a little something special. Being from Oklahoma, I bring a few postcards of Oklahoma things- cowboys, American Indians, tornadoes- that kind of thing that are extremely rare for most folks internationally. I place a few cards WITH the extra tip... most seem to enjoy! :p

[Iamcruzin]

To me a gift given is something personal and if you know the person well enough you know what they like. I realize a few of you sail enough times to get to know the crew in which case you may know what they like and by all means a gift would be welcomed. The majority of us will never see these people again and cash is the best option for us. If you have to ask what an appropriate gift would be then you should be giving cash and if you want to make it special bring along a thank you card and write a nice note to them. If the crew really wanted gifts they would be registered some place.

[PescadoAmarillo]

To me a gift given is something personal and if you know the person well enough you know what they like. I realize a few of you sail enough times to get to know the crew in which case you may know what they like and by all means a gift would be welcomed. The majority of us will never see these people again and cash is the best option for us. If you have to ask what an appropriate gift would be then you should be giving cash and if you want to make it special bring along a thank you card and write a nice note to them. If the crew really wanted gifts they would be registered some place.

This is a very valid point. When we've given gifts, it's after we've gotten to know the crewmember, and even then only for very special, personal reasons that they had already chosen to share with us (exception: giving big bags of M&Ms to the PSD- they LOVE those things).

 

I have never gifted anyone on the crew for cruises of less than a month, and have never brought anything from home that was special to me and assume it would be special to someone else (also why I never do gift exchanges at CC Meet and Greets...besides, who has room?).

[AliceS]

There is no better gift than a little extra cash. I do sometimes bring some candy, etc. just to pass out for a holiday, but cash rules.

 

I have friends who always bring the temporary tattoos and have fun asking about them the next day. They also tip very well, but have lots of fun with the tattoos.

[shredie]

I don't think I play Lord Bountiful well and don't want the whole "oh what a nice gift! Thank you!" scene which may or may not be sincere. I assume by the nature of their jobs, they can turn on the charm as needed.

 

Looking at it from this perspective, it seems a little sad that people who insist on giving trinkets and what not are just being tolerated by the recipients. Given the vehemence expressed by the "givers" on this thread, it appears that no amount of reasonable argument will convince them otherwise. They will believe want they want to believe. I think it says more about the "givers" than it does about the recipients.

[Paula_MacFan]

I do believe that the crew want and need cash- However, I do want them to have a little something special. Being from Oklahoma, I bring a few postcards of Oklahoma things- cowboys, American Indians, tornadoes- that kind of thing that are extremely rare for most folks internationally. I place a few cards WITH the extra tip... most seem to enjoy! :p

 

I'm from Kansas where those same things are common (cowboys, tornadoes, etc), and it would never occur to me that a ship steward would have any interest in them. I guess I just don't get it. We leave on the auto-tips and fill out the comment cards.

[Iamcruzin]

I don't get it either. Imagine the postcard I could bring from New York. Everything from Native Americans (still have reservation on Long Island) to terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. Unless there is a thank you note written on it I don't think they would understand.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited April 27, 2014 by Iamcruzin

[BoxerMomNC]

In reading all of these responses two stood out...1 that mentioned a 30 day cruise and another that said many people do not take the time to get to know their servers/stewards/etc. I can only hope that the second understands that some of us are only cruising for shorter periods as we are still putting in our time working and it will be a very long time before we can do a long enough cruise to get to know people (much less a 30 day cruise). I was on a 5 night trip this past week and made every attempt to get to know the workers..the casino dealers knew me by name at the end (I knew some of their names as well) and I did tip them well... and my steward was very nice, we left auto tip on (because of what we read on here!) and we gave him a nice cash tip as well as a bottle of champagne that we had been gifted (couldn't take it back on the plane and didn't want it to go to waste.) We ate at different places each night so weren't able to get to know any of the other servers.....just wanted to put that out there so that people who assume just because we don't know the workers as well as they do, will know that it isnt done intentionally.

[swedish weave]

I listen to the crew and learn a lot about them in a short time. These people come from all sorts of backgrounds and have widely varied interests. Those who say they only want money are not in tune with the majority of the "kids" who spend a great deal of their youth on ships.

 

I know one who likes dominos and plays every day with his co-workers. When he goes on vacation, he takes his family to a resort rather than stay home. His reason --- If he is home, he is pestered constantly by others in the town wanting him to give or loan them money because they consider him wealthy.

 

I gave him a nice set of dominoes, and he mentions that every time I see him.

 

I wore a Lakers shirt one day, and many of the crew commented that they were Lakers fans. They play basketball almost every day on the ship.

 

I gave the shirt to one of them and before my next trip, I gathered up an assortment of Lakers stuff to give the rest of them.

 

The comments from the uninformed about the crew tossing gifts in the trash disturb me because I know it is not true. I do not do this to replace tips, because a lot of these people are never in position to serve me.

 

I will comment that I receive the best possible service, because the ship is like a small town, and what you do is known by almost everybody in a very short time. That includes both the good and the bad !!!

 

If you are inclined to take gifts for the crew, JUST DO IT...

Edited April 28, 2014 by swedish weave

[caribill]

I know one who likes dominos and plays every day with his co-workers. When he goes on vacation, he takes his family to a resort rather than stay home. His reason --- If he is home, he is pestered constantly by others in the town wanting him to give or loan them money because they consider him wealthy.

 

 

This confirms what many others have posted on various threads, although staff earnings may be considered to be low by USA/England/Canada/Australia/etc. standards, these earnings are considered to be excellent in the countries that many of the staff come from.

[LMaxwell]

I think Swedish Weave is in a very distinct minority here who has spent more time around staff and knows some of them personally and I can understand how at a certain tipping point it may be ok to give an item or goods. This is not the case for MOST cruisers.

 

Therefore the best tip is still cash; show your gratitude and allow the recipient to choose what they most need or want to do with that money. I give my pet treats. I give service personnel money.

[FritzG]

I think Swedish Weave is in a very distinct minority here who has spent more time around staff and knows some of them personally and I can understand how at a certain tipping point it may be ok to give an item or goods. This is not the case for MOST cruisers.

 

Therefore the best tip is still cash; show your gratitude and allow the recipient to choose what they most need or want to do with that money. I give my pet treats. I give service personnel money.

 

Excellent analogy!

This topic comes up a lot especially near the holidays, and those who insist their gifts are appreciated will never be convinced that cash is the reason the staff is on board. Of course they will show gratitude for a gift because they have to; they're certainly not going to throw it out in front of you or make a sour face. However, candy bars and little gifts won't feed the family they support. On our last cruise our steward told us he is supporting his wife and children along with his parents which is pretty common.

 

We would never think of removing the auto-tip, and we also give cash tips to our steward, wait staff, and anyone else we have frequent contact with during the voyage like the barista. We also fill out the survey in detail and fill out the You Made a Difference cards. We keep some in our cabin and fill them out as we travel rather than waiting until the last day.

Edited April 29, 2014 by FritzG

[Loonbeam]

Agreed. The vast majority of cruisers do not cruise enough to form relationships with specific crew members. In those cases, cash is king.

 

If you are lucky enough to cruise enough that you get to know people, a gift IN ADDITION to cash is appropriate.

 

If you are giving something that you know that a specific individual wants and values, that is a gift for them. Anything else is a gift about you.

 

I think Swedish Weave is in a very distinct minority here who has spent more time around staff and knows some of them personally and I can understand how at a certain tipping point it may be ok to give an item or goods. This is not the case for MOST cruisers.

 

Therefore the best tip is still cash; show your gratitude and allow the recipient to choose what they most need or want to do with that money. I give my pet treats. I give service personnel money.

[Ethel5]

..............................SNIP.................................

We would never think of removing the auto-tip, and we also give cash tips to our steward, wait staff, and anyone else we have frequent contact with during the voyage like the barista. We also fill out the survey in detail and fill out the You Made a Difference cards. We keep some in our cabin and fill them out as we travel rather than waiting until the last day.

 

What a great idea!!! I never would have thought of that. I will start on my next cruise.:)