Opinions please -- Tipping "extra" to the cabin stewards when sailing solo

[saatuk]

I travel solo. I leave the HSC in place. Since I rarely see the Main Dining Room (from New Orleans, do not cruise for the food), I cannot speak to that. However, I always tip my steward in advance, room service, and bartenders. Oh, and the wonderful members of the crew who get me on/off the ship in a wheelchair!

 

Thank you for mentioning the bartenders. They aren't often mentioned. As a solo cruiser I regularly sit at the bars and appreciate the attention I get - and yes, I have often had bartenders go way above what's necessary.

[DrTee]

I have no way of knowing what other people tip, but I'm a big tipper all the time, and gauging from the thanks I get from stewards, I think I might be tipping close to double if not more.

 

I think my cabin is pretty easy to clean, as I'm pretty OCD about picking up after myself, so I don't think I should be expected to tip double. As someone said, we're already paying double for the cruise. Just give what you want to give. I'm sure they'll be happy with that. And they are always gracious.

[hal lover]

When I cruise solo, I leave the HSC in place and leave a cash tip on the last day for the cabin steward and assistant. The last time I cruised solo though the cabin steward was so rude to me. I did not leave anything extra that time. :eek:

[solocanadian]

After seeing what I saw on the Maasdam at the Front Desk (people removing hsc which amazed me as the food and service on this ship was just fine).quote]

 

 

 

 

Makes me see RED!!!!! HAL need to something about 'hsc'. Anyone who wants to remove their hsc must write their reasons and their answer to the GRM or Hotel Manager. Grrrrrr!

 

What makes me red? Because the most of us are fine with the service and food and know what hsc is all about and we know that most of us are likely to an additional tip. That is fine... additional or not.

 

The thing is that passengers that are nothing than cheapskates are nothing than STEALING.... not only to the waiters etc, but stealing from those passengers who tip additional. That tip is for OUR waiters for the work that WE have paid for.... as a grauity. Passengers additional tip are adding for the crew. The cheapskates are just STEALING!:mad:

 

End of rant! :D

 

How about this.... if you want you hsc removed... your name should be posted on the front page of the Daily News. Unless you have a valid reason for removiong hsc.

LOVE your idea, Stephen about posting the names on the Daily News. I live in a condominium and get annoyed when owners don't pay their monthly maintenance. Would love to post their names in a public place but we are not allowed to do that. I Cannot tolerate freeloaders. They are the scum of the earth.

[solocanadian]

I travel solo a lot. If the steward and/or wait staff are exceptional, I tip extra, if not I don't.

 

And I do not feel guilty that they are not getting two tips out of my cabin.

Me too!:)

[kazu]

I know I will get flamed for this, but if the stewards do the job they are being paid for, like making the bed and putting clean towels in the bathroom and vacuuming, does that mean you are suppose to tip extra? What do you mean by going beyond their duties? We do not expect them to pick up our clothes or put away items we may leave out. On a number occasions on our last Maasdam cruise I went and got ice. No problem, no fuss it had melted. We don't want to "stiff" them, but if they simply do their job, are they suppose to be rewarded extra for that? Help me understand the logic?

 

Easy, if they go above and beyond. Not just do their job but excel at it. It could be remembering that we want ice at 4:00 clock and it is there. It could be encouraging get togethers and putting together special towel animals to show off the room when you are doing a wine tasting. There are all kinds of things they do that are not required. It shows when they like their jobs and they are appreciated and we are happy to extend our appreciation back in a bit of an additional monetary gesture :D

 

 

 

 

 

Makes me see RED!!!!! HAL need to something about 'hsc'. Anyone who wants to remove their hsc must write their reasons and their answer to the GRM or Hotel Manager. Grrrrrr!

 

What makes me red? Because the most of us are fine with the service and food and know what hsc is all about and we know that most of us are likely to an additional tip. That is fine... additional or not.

 

The thing is that passengers that are nothing than cheapskates are nothing than STEALING.... not only to the waiters etc, but stealing from those passengers who tip additional. That tip is for OUR waiters for the work that WE have paid for.... as a grauity. Passengers additional tip are adding for the crew. The cheapskates are just STEALING!:mad:

 

End of rant!

 

How about this.... if you want you hsc removed... your name should be posted on the front page of the Daily News. Unless you have a valid reason for removiong hsc.

 

I would love that Topsham. I really got my eyes opened on the Maasdam. Although I complained about the PG in my live thread, that was the only area lacking. Our MDR service was exceptional, the food was very good, the CD exceptional - it was a lovely cruise and I could not find any justification in my mind to remove the hsc. what really blew me away was when a SUITE passenger did it on the last morning stating 'he takes care of his people'. well, if you truly take care of them then why not leave the hsc and just tip extra???

 

It really saddened me to see the people doing this. The crew was good, the food good and it was not warranted IMO.

Edited April 30, 2014 by kazu

[Typhoon1]

Tip the same amount. Your steward will be attending to your cabin the same number of times.

[Watson's aunt]

I know I will get flamed for this, but if the stewards do the job they are being paid for, like making the bed and putting clean towels in the bathroom and vacuuming, does that mean you are suppose to tip extra? What do you mean by going beyond their duties? We do not expect them to pick up our clothes or put away items we may leave out. On a number occasions on our last Maasdam cruise I went and got ice. No problem, no fuss it had melted. We don't want to "stiff" them, but if they simply do their job, are they suppose to be rewarded extra for that? Help me understand the logic?

 

yes

 

I leave the Tip in place but when I asked my steward to use his vacumn to let air out those space bags he stopped what he was doing and did it for me. I have a bunch of them. When I asked for something.

 

I was eating lunch in the lido I saw my wine steward I ask did he know what was on the menu (dinner) He said he did not know 5 minutes later he returned with one.

Yes some go above and beyond.

 

They work hard and have a lot of cabins to clean.. If you hire someone and there go do the job but they go above and beyond what they job you don't give them a extra tip??

 

a few years ago I bought a new matress the men brought it in and asked for the sheets and made the bed..

 

there are a lot of people who do things for you These men and women on HAl ships are always smilling and will go above and beyond.. this is why I sail with me.

 

Mary

[Watson's aunt]

HI

 

The HCS Hope thats right should not be able to be removed. Hal made a big mistake telling passangers they can remove this. These folks will be the ones who demand extra service in MDR or other places or even in thier cabins and the walk out leaving no tip. or maybe a $5.00.. You know who they are as they never never come to the MDR on the last night of the cruise. The MDR loses a lot of people that night. But they will be the first to yell if thier kids works in a restaurant and some one stiffs them by not giving them a tip

 

 

Mary

[ScriptOhio]

This was in a Carnival email, probably applies to HAL too::p

 

[Wendy-Europe]

I cruise solo - I always pay the service charge as recommended (most time we have anytime dining or prepay the service charge).

 

I have no special requests to my steward and I do not leave a mess when I leave the cabin. Try to make it easy for the steward (if I see him, when I am leaving I tell him if I am back soon or if is has enough time to do his work in his way.....

 

I give a little extra during the cruise, most time I have some german chocolate or sweets with the envelope and I had never a cabin attendent which does not love chocolate.....

 

I think thats OK.

 

But I don´t think I have to pay twice the HSC - most time I pay twice the price of the cabin if I am cruising solo...... (and I don´t eat for two....)

 

Wendy

[Lizzie68]

HI

 

The HCS Hope thats right should not be able to be removed. Hal made a big mistake telling passangers they can remove this. These folks will be the ones who demand extra service in MDR or other places or even in thier cabins and the walk out leaving no tip. or maybe a $5.00.. You know who they are as they never never come to the MDR on the last night of the cruise. The MDR loses a lot of people that night. But they will be the first to yell if thier kids works in a restaurant and some one stiffs them by not giving them a tip

 

 

Mary

 

On our RCI cruise we didn't go to the main dining room on the last night because we had a dinner reservation in Chops. But we gave our servers their tips the night before, So you can't always tell, if diners don't come on the last night.

[navybankerteacher]

The daily service charge is actually pretty low. If you ate at restaurants for three meals per day and were staying at a hotel, how much in tips do you think you would leave for waiters for those meals and your hotel chambermaid.

 

The "bar" for thinking they had done anything above and beyond is not that high.

[TiogaCruiser]

This was in a Carnival email, probably applies to HAL too::p

 

 

Love it!

[DaveOKC]

I see the OP's point that the cabin steward has to do about the same amount of work for one or two, so perhaps she should leave an extra tip (its kind of like leaving extra tips due to having a Neptune suite and the cabin being larger and more things for them to do).

 

However, remember that in the cabins with 3 or 4, the auto tips they get are for each passenger, so they get more for a little more work (I assume). So it sort of evens out I guess.

 

As to the dining staff, I do not see where the fact that you are solo makes any difference in work to them (again think of the 3-4 passenger cabins).

 

If they do a great job, of course I would tip extra.

 

DaveOKC

[RuthC]

I was cruising when this thread started around the first time, so it's nice that it popped back up. Interesting reading.

 

From my solo passenger point of view, I look at extra tipping as just that---something over and above for efforts expended for me. It has nothing to do with how much I paid for the cabin, the single supplement, or how much the HSC or salary is.

I leave my HSC in place, then give extra for extra service as I deem acceptable, and leave it at that.

 

Someone was wondering what kind of over and above things a cabin steward might do. Well, let me say that on my recent cruise I was using a scooter for the first time ever. When my steward saw me heading for the cabin, he would head there and open the door for me, and set the door stop in place. That saved me getting off, setting the door, and getting back on to drive the scooter into the cabin.

The first few times he saw me coming, he actually backed the scooter into the cabin for me (there's about a 1" clearance on each side; maybe a tad less). Then, when I pointed out that I couldn't count on him always being around, and asked that he teach me how to do it more easily, he took the time and did.

THAT's what I call "over and above".

[Scrapnana]

 

From my solo passenger point of view, I look at extra tipping as just that---something over and above for efforts expended for me. It has nothing to do with how much I paid for the cabin, the single supplement, or how much the HSC or salary is.

I leave my HSC in place, then give extra for extra service as I deem acceptable, and leave it at that.

 

 

Exactly my position, too. Very well put, RuthC!

[Ottawa traveller]

I travel solo and it depends on the length of the cruise as to what I do. On shorter cruises, I probably end up doubling the tip for MDR waiters and cabin stewards. I have done 3 cruises of over 70 days. On all three, the gratuities were paid by HAL as an incentive for early booking in an outside or above cabin. These cruises were to exotic locations - Africa and Asia Pacific. In these cases the gratuities would have been $800 to $900. At various ports, I would give the waiters and cabin staff $75 or $100 or so to do shopping or send home to their families. I would do this a few times during the cruise and then at the end. The tips would have probably not been quite the $800. but close. The crew really appreciated it and I did get things like having my room cleaned first thing in the morning while I was a stretch class. I'm sure they might have done that anyway, but as the gratuities are a large part of their compensation and they work so hard, I always feel good about giving the extra. If you book spa services such as personal training or massages, don't forget to tip those staff. Again, gratuities are part of their compensation.

[lcand1923]

My last cruise was my first solo one. I left the HSC in place. On the last night of the cruise I left a Thank You note and small extra tip from my Cabin Steward and His Assistant because they had done "little extras" for me throughout the cruise. I also gave a little extra to one bar tender who treated me like a queen (she seemed shocked) and a young man in the Lido. I did not tip extra in the PG or the MDR. The service in both was what service should be, nothing special. I did not feel it necessary to "up" my tips to be equal to what a second person HSC would be.

[DaveOKC]

I travel solo and it depends on the length of the cruise as to what I do. On shorter cruises, I probably end up doubling the tip for MDR waiters and cabin stewards. I have done 3 cruises of over 70 days. On all three, the gratuities were paid by HAL as an incentive for early booking in an outside or above cabin. These cruises were to exotic locations - Africa and Asia Pacific. In these cases the gratuities would have been $800 to $900. At various ports, I would give the waiters and cabin staff $75 or $100 or so to do shopping or send home to their families. I would do this a few times during the cruise and then at the end. The tips would have probably not been quite the $800. but close. The crew really appreciated it and I did get things like having my room cleaned first thing in the morning while I was a stretch class. I'm sure they might have done that anyway, but as the gratuities are a large part of their compensation and they work so hard, I always feel good about giving the extra. If you book spa services such as personal training or massages, don't forget to tip those staff. Again, gratuities are part of their compensation.

 

On our cruise two weeks ago, a 15% service charge was added to the massage bill, just like the bar bills, so you really do not have to tip extra now.

 

 

DaveOKC

Edited May 23, 2014 by DaveOKC

[Watson's aunt]

On our RCI cruise we didn't go to the main dining room on the last night because we had a dinner reservation in Chops. But we gave our servers their tips the night before' date=' So you can't always tell, if diners don't come on the last night.[/quote']

 

On the last few cruises I have been on the MDR is almost empty. Table that were full evey night are empty

 

Mary

[DaveOKC]

On the last few cruises I have been on the MDR is almost empty. Table that were full evey night are empty

 

Mary

 

I noticed that as well. On our last cruise a nice, friendly couple at our table who we had some good conversations with "disappeared" the final night, without saying anything to us or our server the night before (when they went to the Pinnacle for dinner in the middle of the week they were sure to tell us and the server so that we did not have to wait on them). We thought it was "funny" and likely they were part of the group that you mention.

Edited May 26, 2014 by DaveOKC

[RuthC]

On the last few cruises I have been on the MDR is almost empty. Table that were full evey night are empty

In the days before the Hotel Service Charge' date=' that behavior might have been telling, but no longer. To imply that people who don't go to the dining room on the last night are somehow "stiffing" the stewards is unfair at best.

 

People have already paid their "tips" via the service charge, and should not feel compelled to pay any more unless they want to. It is a choice.

For all you know, they may even have gone to the Front Office and [u']increased[/u] the amount of their Hotel Service Charge!

[erewhon]

I was cruising when this thread started around the first time, so it's nice that it popped back up. Interesting reading.

 

From my solo passenger point of view, I look at extra tipping as just that---something over and above for efforts expended for me. It has nothing to do with how much I paid for the cabin, the single supplement, or how much the HSC or salary is.

I leave my HSC in place, then give extra for extra service as I deem acceptable, and leave it at that.

 

Someone was wondering what kind of over and above things a cabin steward might do. Well, let me say that on my recent cruise I was using a scooter for the first time ever. When my steward saw me heading for the cabin, he would head there and open the door for me, and set the door stop in place. That saved me getting off, setting the door, and getting back on to drive the scooter into the cabin.

The first few times he saw me coming, he actually backed the scooter into the cabin for me (there's about a 1" clearance on each side; maybe a tad less). Then, when I pointed out that I couldn't count on him always being around, and asked that he teach me how to do it more easily, he took the time and did.

THAT's what I call "over and above".

 

You had a great steward, definitely "over and above".

[sapper1]

I have never travelled solo but if I did I would continue to tip the room stewards the same weekly amount as we usually do at the end of the cruise. The work would not be measureably less with only one of us in the cabin. We fall in the group who tidy up before we leave in the morning so the stewards don't have to work around our clutter.