Tipping issue - specifically for room steward

[vmt514]

I know there are many threads on tipping. But this isn't about prepaid or cash for servers. And I know that room stewards get part of the prepaid, but here's my question:

 

Does anyone give their room stewards the cash up front? I read one person that said they did, but can't find a discuss on this. Do those of you who do tip up front feel you get better service? I'm pretty sure we did this 2 years ago on our last cruise and said we like to have ice in the room. We had new ice morning and night without asking again. I'm just trying to decide what is the right amount - I can't remember what we did. So, anyone out there with an opinion? Thanks!

[papaflamingo]

I tip the Cabin Steward $20 on the first meeting and ask that ice be filled daily. I think that I get better service. He knows I have already up-tipped and they always seem to drop anything they're doing and tend to me if I need something. They always greet us when they see us in the hall, and are always asking if we need anything. When they see us headed to our room, they will often rush over an open the door for us.

Does the "tip up front" help? Can't say for sure. But I will say that I will continue to do it, and I always am pleased with the service.

I have had one or two who have disappointed me during the cruise. Not that there was anything wrong, but for a couple we needed to ask more than once, etc. We are not "high maintenance," and always recognize how hard the job is. But if I tip on day one and have to keep asking for ice, then I will not up-tip much (if anything) at the end.

But again, my experience has been that the Cabin Steward, after the initial up-tip, has always rushed to help me. So, I also tip at the end accordingly.

One other comment. We just did Alaska and one of our friends had the Premium Drink Package. On the first night he had to keep trying to get the Drink waiter over to get another glass of wine. I suggested he slip him a $10 or $20 the next night and tell him what type of wine he likes, etc. He did so quietly, and mentioned to me a couple of days into the cruise that the Drink waiter was "Johnny on the spot" with wine. His glass was never empty and he was being offered a refill.

These guys work for tips. So, if you tip well, they will fall all over you trying to please you.

[GTO-Girl]

I know there are many threads on tipping. But this isn't about prepaid or cash for servers. And I know that room stewards get part of the prepaid, but here's my question:

 

Does anyone give their room stewards the cash up front? I read one person that said they did, but can't find a discuss on this. Do those of you who do tip up front feel you get better service? I'm pretty sure we did this 2 years ago on our last cruise and said we like to have ice in the room. We had new ice morning and night without asking again. I'm just trying to decide what is the right amount - I can't remember what we did. So, anyone out there with an opinion? Thanks!

 

I have NEVER tipped up front and have always gotten great service. If I ask for something extra like wine glasses & keeping my wine chilled then I do leave a little extra with my request.

 

I have read about people tipping up front and telling the room steward "if they do a good job more $$ will be coming"....:rolleyes:. Personally I think it would be a bit insulting to the room steward to imply they had to be bribed to do their job.

 

We have really been fortunate to have wonderful room stewards!!!

Edited June 15, 2014 by GTO-Girl

[cruzincurt]

There is another thread on this same issue. I don't and have never lacked excellent service. Some believe this has great merit. But then they go on to describe their list of special wants and needs.

[Sitzmark]

 

I have read about people tipping up front and telling the room steward "if they do a good job more $$ will be coming"....:rolleyes:. Personally I think it would be a bit insulting to the room steward to imply they had to be bribed to do their job.

 

I agree with this, tipping in advance comes off as rude to me. What some would call gauche.

[xxoocruiser]

Any additional tip I give is at the end of the cruise. Generally I've always had exceptional service but there are occasions that there have been room attendants that have gone over and beyond that I choose to reward at the end of the cruise.

Edited June 15, 2014 by xxoocruiser

[Sat1]

A few bucks in a monkey towel, or others.

[Langley Cruisers]

I know there are many threads on tipping....I read one person that said they did, but can't find a discuss on this...

 

Yep, this has been discussed many times before. I ran the search for you and found these two threads:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2034876

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1922505

 

.

[CruisinKibble]

There is no need to bribe (tip upfront) your room steward. It is, in my opinion, okay to tip up front if you are asking for something extra / specific (loungers, constant ice supply)

[jaydc2]

Our steward on the Oasis essentially held his hand out for a tip on the first day, it was very awkward. I guess he got used to tipping the first day.

 

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[Clarea]

Our steward on the Oasis essentially held his hand out for a tip on the first day, it was very awkward. I guess he got used to tipping the first day.

Wow, I've never seen anything even close to that.

[jaydc2]

Wow, I've never seen anything even close to that.

 

I hadn't either, it took me back a little.

 

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[luvscruising2007]

No we have never tipped at the beginning of the cruise. We ask for ice and sometimes hangers. If the steward gives exceptional service we will give extra at the end of the cruise.

We have always been given wonderful by the steward and that includes the extras we might ask for, stopping in the hall to greet us and chatting, smiling joking around. RC knows how to train their stewards and they don't need a bribe to provide you with that service.

[cruzsnooze]

Asking for wine glasses or extra hangers is part of a normal request that I don't tip extra for. I don't bribe anyone and have always received excellent service.

[Desert Cruizers]

Best room steward we had was on our recent ROS NZ & Transpacific cruise. She went out of her way to assist us and am sure she did this for all others assigned to her rooms. she was ready to open our door and greeted us with a smile everytime we saw her.

[Merion_Mom]

I do not tip in advance.

 

I ask for ice twice a day.

 

Last cruise, when there was no lounger on my balcony when I arrived, I asked for one and my wonderful cabin steward got one for me.

 

I tell them that they can concentrate their energies elsewhere: I don't need towel animals.

 

I often but not always give extra on the final night.

[jd07]

On the ROS transpacific in April this year we hardly saw our steward. Took a few days to find out she was our steward. Then over a week to learn her name. We had perfectly satisfactory service. Always a very clean room. Just no contact with our steward on any level. It became a real question for us if we were to provide a tip at the end of the cruise.

 

 

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[yolanda1]

We have, with only one exception, received outstanding service - a cheery welcome in the corridor, having the door opened for us, friendly chat, regular supply of ice and wine glasses, towel animals, chocolates etc We have never tipped upfront.

 

Even the one exception was perfectly adequate just not outstanding! We always say goodbye and leave an extra tip at the end for the great service.

 

Perhaps we have been lucky, or perhaps we are just very 'easy' guests, but I suspect that the people who tip up front are just receiving the same high standard of service as the rest of us but believe they are getting 'extras' :D

 

 

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[caribbean sailor]

I have NEVER tipped up front and have always gotten great service. If I ask for something extra like wine glasses & keeping my wine chilled then I do leave a little extra with my request.

 

I have read about people tipping up front and telling the room steward "if they do a good job more $$ will be coming"....:rolleyes:. Personally I think it would be a bit insulting to the room steward to imply they had to be bribed to do their job.

 

We have really been fortunate to have wonderful room stewards!!!

 

 

I was going to say the same thing,we never tip up front. Ask that he /she keep ice bucket full.Out of twelve Royal cruises only had a problem with one room steward.Talked to her about what we were unhappy about,problem was solved.There was no need to go to customer relations.:)

[GaryT-UK]

They always greet us when they see us in the hall, and are always asking if we need anything. When they see us headed to our room, they will often rush over an open the door for us.

 

I generally take this level of service for granted and I've never tipped up front, but as others have said I don't often have special requests either. I tend to pre-pay tips, I might give extra to the odd other person, but I always give extra to my cabin steward on the last night, as they are the one person who I always see as looking after me day to day.

[FLACRUISER99]

It makes no sense to me to tip up front, as all of us will receive mediocre service once in a while. This rarely happens on RCI but it does happen. If it hasn't happened to you you haven't cruised enough. I would be very unhappy if I tipped say $ 20 extra and received mediocre service.:mad: I usually give the extra at the end of the cruise in the WOW envelope.

[impatientlywaiting]

I tip the Cabin Steward $20 on the first meeting and ask that ice be filled daily. I think that I get better service. He knows I have already up-tipped and they always seem to drop anything they're doing and tend to me if I need something. They always greet us when they see us in the hall, and are always asking if we need anything. When they see us headed to our room, they will often rush over an open the door for us.

 

We have never tipped up front and have always had exceptional service. I ask for my ice to be filled in the evening and it always is. Our cabin stewards have always called us by name from the very first meeting. If I happen to be coming to my cabin my myself, they always ask where Mr. Jim is, and vice versa if Jim is by himself they ask where Miss Anita is. The same with our cabin door - always opening it for us whether we have things in our hands or not! On our last cruise, Ferdinand asked if we wanted to watch him make our towel animals and that he would wait until we got back after dinner to make them. We made sure and got back early so he wouldn't have to wait around for us and when I asked if I could video tape him, he was over the moon happy! Now that's service with a smile!

 

We always tip our cabin steward extra on the last night. If we find a bartender that we have had a great time with, we'll tip that person. On our last cruise, the girl that helped us in the Windjammer would have our table for 7 already set up with silverware and water - obviously she got a nice tip, too!

[Nebr.cruiser]

We've never tipped extra up front and have always had excellent to superb service. We're not needy; The first day I ask for extra hangers and a top sheet, if there isn't one, that's about it.

 

It seems like we always get ice twice a day anyway. We tip extra at the end of the cruise, unless we get poor service, which has never happened. I don't believe in tipping ahead, which seems more like a bribe to me.

[papaflamingo]

Obviously a lot of opinions. However how is tipping up front a "bribe?" I am asking that ice be delivered twice a day (a requested service now), and a couple extra towels. That is really just it. Now, I could leave a couple of dollars, as some have suggested, every day he brings ice. Or I can go ahead and give him a little extra with the request. But how is that a "bribe."

On the same line those who called it a "bribe" basically stated that they only tip at the end "if" the service is good. So in their minds, are they not simply "testing" the Cabin Attendant?

These people work for tips. There is no bribery involved. I have asked for a bit extra, and have shown my appreciation for the service. I never follow it with "there will be more at the end if you do a great job." That WOULD be rude. But slipping the Cabin Attendant a bit at the front for a requested daily service, is not, IMHO, rude or a bribe.

Truth is, you'll likely get great service whether or not you tip at the front, the back, the middle, etc. In fact, you'll likely get great service even if you remove your tips and stiff the poor guy. Me, I'll continue to show my appreciation for the hard work that they all do.

[caribbean sailor]

Our steward on the Oasis essentially held his hand out for a tip on the first day, it was very awkward. I guess he got used to tipping the first day.

 

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I would shake his hand and wish him a great day.NOW THAT IS A LOT OF NERVE.Would also call public relations and ask for a new room steward.:mad: