HOW do you tip?

[geoherb]

We leave the autotip in place and will give those who have served us extremely well a little extra the last night of the cruise.

 

I tried to give a tip to our waiter extra at a specialty restaurant a couple of weeks ago on the Caribbean Princess by writing it on the charge slip for the cover. He did not get it. I asked at the passenger services desk about it not appearing after the cover charge had. The answer I got was that it may be posted later. Next time I'll know to bring some cash to leave as a tip.

[fortinweb]

On some lines they still have to hand the tips into the pool

so you are defeating yourself

 

Actually, this is the process on most lines. If a person removes the auto tips, any cash given to individuals MUST be turned over to the supervisor who will add it to the tipping pool so everyone get's their fair share. If a crew member doesn't turn it in, they face reprimand that may include being fired. The crew live in very close proximity. Everyone knows what everyone else is doing - including hoarding tips if that is what they are doing.

 

With auto tips in place, however, any ADDITIONAL tips can be kept by the crew member.

 

This process has been well documented in many threads over the last few years.

 

The general advice is to leave auto tips in place and tip extra those people you feel gave you better than expected service. Anyone who removes auto tips so they can tip "those who provide exceptional service" are only fooling themselves and are only complicating things, and probably end up giving everyone less than the auto tips would provide.

 

RCI doesn't "Pool" tips.....and I guarantee if you hand someone cash, it will go into their pocket....absolutely, positively.

 

And how can you "guarantee" your claim? During a Q&A session two years ago, the head of housekeeping revealed that Royal DOES pool tips. I prefer to believe an actual ship officer.

Edited January 12, 2015 by fortinweb

[spookwife]

 

In this case, we will be doing the prepaid gratuities, but if I want to give something extra to say, the waiter, or the stateroom attendant, how do I do that? many lines have stopped giving out envelops, but you can always go down to Guest services and request some. slip the each in and hand it to the appropriate person on the last night.

 

Last cruise I was on we simply left money on the desk when we left the ship, kind of like I would at a bar (we also filled in the card with who we felt gave great service), but preparing for our next Cruise I have read some posts and people seem to give money directly to people in envelopes. for the state room attendant That is fine( although I would make sure and write their name on the envelope.) for dining staff and whatnot, directly handing iota on the last night at dinner seems to be the norm

 

I tried once when we had room service, but the person delivering pretty much just came in, left the food, and was gone. Can you just stop someone and tell the to wait while you get money? absolutely! we just cheat and have it in our hand when we open the door.Should you give it to the people in the restaurant on the last night when you order or when you pay? you don;t pay at all in the MDR. for specialty dining you will receive a slip to sign with a line to add an additional tip IF YOU WANT( the fee soupy includes one already) And is it ok to leave money on the desk as we did or was that really rude? Should you be discreet (I read something about shaking hand and palming a bill?), or just hand them a bill? this ain't the movies, you do not need to do anything covert or sneaky

 

So many questions :confused:, hoping for some help from you guys.

 

for the most part you do not need cash on board at all except for Room service. everything else can be added to your on board account and they WILL get it.

[spookwife]

You only eat one meal a week? I guess you go on a cruise to lose weight.

 

You do realize that the staff in the buffet, room service and specialty restaurants share in these tips along with staff in the main dining room.

 

actually the staff is the same all the way around.. my Assistant waiter at dinner was also the guy that poured my OJ every morning, and the waiter was in the Buffet more than once. and the 'water boy' bussed tables by the pool.

[kelmac]

I still don't get the idea of tipping people that we never see or hear from. If they don't provide a personal service, they should be paid a salary that is not tip dependent. I am comfortable with the method I choose to tip so you shouldn't feel sad. I let my conscience be my guide.

 

YS,

 

I hope you understand that this system is not our standard American system of tipping. It is a hybrid system. The cruise lines pay service workers $50 -- $100 a month + their share of the tipping pool. In other words, cruise customers pay their salary. Why, because some cruises are in the Red and some are in the Black (think cruise fares), but always the service workers get paid the same amount because of the tipping system. This is why cruise lines have these fire-sales to make sure every cabin is occupied (they need that tip money to make it work). Think of that counter worker in the buffet that does not create a relationship with the customers. Would you work seven days a week, 12 hours a day for $100 and no tips?

 

They are contract workers, so taxes are something between the worker and their home country.

 

We always leave the "auto-tip" in place and then tip for exceptional service to our cabin steward, waiter, asst' waiter and sommelier. That's about 95% of the time, as service has always been outstanding.

 

Enjoy!

Kel:)

[SantaFeFan]

I still don't get the idea of tipping people that we never see or hear from. If they don't provide a personal service, they should be paid a salary that is not tip dependent. I am comfortable with the method I choose to tip so you shouldn't feel sad. I let my conscience be my guide.

 

One thing that I have always wondered about is how much do these "remove tips" people actually give. Many lines include auto tips in the $12 per person per day range. For a 7 night cruise, that equates to about $84 per person per week, or about $168 per couple.

 

Do those people who insist on removing tips so they can tip the "appropriate" people tip that much to those people?

 

The cynic in me thinks "I doubt it", that they tip much less in the end, and the whole idea is to give less in tips than the auto tips would total. In other words, it's just a sneaky method of stiffing the staff without the guilt.

Edited January 12, 2015 by SantaFeFan

[NMLady]

First of all, I'd like to say that I don't want this to turn in to a discussion on how much to tip. I need to know the logistics of tipping. Might sound really stupid, but I'm not really used to tipping other than at restaurants and in taxis, and then I just add it to the bill, or leave the change on the bar when I get a drink and pay cash. I'm not used to giving it to people in person.

 

In this case, we will be doing the prepaid gratuities, but if I want to give something extra to say, the waiter, or the stateroom attendant, how do I do that?

 

Last cruise I was on we simply left money on the desk when we left the ship, kind of like I would at a bar (we also filled in the card with who we felt gave great service), but preparing for our next Cruise I have read some posts and people seem to give money directly to people in envelopes.

 

I tried once when we had room service, but the person delivering pretty much just came in, left the food, and was gone. Can you just stop someone and tell the to wait while you get money? Should you give it to the people in the restaurant on the last night when you order or when you pay? And is it ok to leave money on the desk as we did or was that really rude? Should you be discreet (I read something about shaking hand and palming a bill?), or just hand them a bill?

 

So many questions :confused:, hoping for some help from you guys.

 

For room service I put the money out the night before so i can pick it up and have the money in my hand when I open the door so I can give it to the server as soon as he puts the tray down. You are right, they are quick to leave.

 

If you leave money on the desk when you leave, be sure to include a note so the steward knows it is for him/her and not just forgotten there. I usually either hand it directly to the steward the day before disembarkment or I put it in an envelope (from front desk) with Steward's name on it, and write Thank You on outside of envelope.

 

I rarely ever tip MDR waiters or buffet workers. I have occasionally praised a particular server on a comment card from front desk.

 

At specialty restaurants, if the service has been great I add a tip to the charge slip, or if there is no charge slip I leave a $5 bill on the table under my saucer or wine glass or salt shaker.

 

I rarely tip bartender extra but if so, either add it to bill or leave bill(s) under my glass when I leave.

[Hardrocknerd]

Thanks again everyone for your great comments. :) Hopefully I won't feel so awkward on our next cruise. :p

[lilm201]

right when we got on the ship we cancelled prepaid gratuities (do it early so your not waiting in a big line) then at the end of the trip we just left an envelope of money in the room. however much you think they deserve

[luddite]

right when we got on the ship we cancelled prepaid gratuities (do it early so your not waiting in a big line) then at the end of the trip we just left an envelope of money in the room. however much you think they deserve

 

thisisterribleadviceto begivingoutto peoplewhoarenewtocruising

[Cruisin' Chick]

thisisterribleadviceto begivingoutto peoplewhoarenewtocruising

 

I guess no matter how many times it's pointed out about the pooling...:(

[SantaFeFan]

I guess no matter how many times it's pointed out about the pooling...:(

 

So true. These people must work at going through life with blinders on. It amazes me how clever these people think they are, when all they are doing is making it harder for the very people they claim they are rewarding. I continue to be convinced that these people do this for their own self satisfaction, and not one iota for the staff's benefit. A convenient way for them to give less than they would if they went along with the program as 99% of the people do.

 

They have chronic cluelessness.

Edited January 13, 2015 by SantaFeFan

[Karysa]

One thing that I have always wondered about is how much do these "remove tips" people actually give. Many lines include auto tips in the $12 per person per day range. For a 7 night cruise, that equates to about $84 per person per week, or about $168 per couple.

 

Do those people who insist on removing tips so they can tip the "appropriate" people tip that much to those people?

 

The cynic in me thinks "I doubt it", that they tip much less in the end, and the whole idea is to give less in tips than the auto tips would total. In other words, it's just a sneaky method of stiffing the staff without the guilt.

 

It is totally against human nature to create work for yourself without rewarding yourself. I say they keep at least half. Come on who really believes that someone is going to stand in line, embarrass themselves as we all know what the desk staff is thinking ( these folks are stiffing the crew) and then track down the staff of their choosing and keep handing money out until it at least equals the auto tips. No way, no way, no way. Not a chance!

[LandlockedColorado]

So true. These people must work at going through life with blinders on. It amazes me how clever these people think they are, when all they are doing is making it harder for the very people they claim they are rewarding. I continue to be convinced that these people do this for their own self satisfaction, and not one iota for the staff's benefit. A convenient way for them to give less than they would if they went along with the program as 99% of the people do.

 

They have chronic cluelessness.

 

I have my own personal theory about these people. I don't think they are "clueless"; I think they just don't care. They put themselves first; no empathy for anyone else.

 

So what if some gets the short end; they can pat themselves on the back for saving a few bucks--for what they think is "beating the system". They are probably the ones that step in front of a scooter or wheelchair so they can have the elevator themselves, etc.

 

They understand the system; you can not "shame" them; they think that they have "won". I'm just grateful that most of the people I meet while cruising aren't in that category.

 

JMHO

 

LC

[Harry and Lucille]

I have my own personal theory about these people. I don't think they are "clueless"; I think they just don't care. They put themselves first; no empathy for anyone else.

 

So what if some gets the short end; they can pat themselves on the back for saving a few bucks--for what they think is "beating the system". They are probably the ones that step in front of a scooter or wheelchair so they can have the elevator themselves, etc.

 

They understand the system; you can not "shame" them; they think that they have "won". I'm just grateful that most of the people I meet while cruising aren't in that category.

 

JMHO

 

LC

 

From what I have seen. We folks from Colorado think along the same lines. Would be nice to fill a cruise ship with Colorado cruisers. At least, we have a few on our next trip in Feb. Always cool cruisers.:cool:

[lilm201]

thisisterribleadviceto begivingoutto peoplewhoarenewtocruising

 

whyisthatterribleadviceto begivingtoanewcruiser imyselfamanewcruiser

 

how do you like it

[mlgml1]

I do the prepaid gratuities and tip as I order drinks from a bar-just like at a restaurant back home-and the folks that have helped me thru the cruise we always tip extra at the end. They'll usually leave envelopes in the room one of the last cruise days. I try to find out how to say "Thank you" in their language. (The customer service desk will always find out for you) I figure they've spent a week trying to please me-I want them to understand how much that means to me. On one of our cruises our server from the MDR was also a server in one of the other restaurants for lunch. She always made a special point to find us a seat, get us extra napkins if we needed etc etc. I told her one day that she always took such good care of us-she responded that she'd love us for 7 days and then she'd say goodbye. I'm hard to love so I know that deserves something extra.

[SantaFeFan]

whyisthatterribleadviceto begivingtoanewcruiser imyselfamanewcruiser

 

how do you like it

 

Anyone who advises new cruises to do whatever they can to either avoid or reduce their tips is being irresponsible. Giving advice on how to ignore conventional practice is about as low class as a person can get. If you find this statement insulting, then perhaps you need to be more responsible with the advice you give out.

[LMaxwell]

One thing that I have always wondered about is how much do these "remove tips" people actually give. Many lines include auto tips in the $12 per person per day range. For a 7 night cruise, that equates to about $84 per person per week, or about $168 per couple.

 

Do those people who insist on removing tips so they can tip the "appropriate" people tip that much to those people?

 

The cynic in me thinks "I doubt it", that they tip much less in the end, and the whole idea is to give less in tips than the auto tips would total. In other words, it's just a sneaky method of stiffing the staff without the guilt.

You have no data with which to base your cynical fantasies on.

 

Auto tipping is fairly new in the cruise world. My first cruise was 25 years ago and they gave you a suggested breakdown for the staff that served you. Then you tipped in cash directly to those that provided you services and in my case, on occasions that merited, above the suggested amount.

 

The cruise line offers guests an option. By default they can automatically charge you their predetermined amount, or you can elect to handle things yourself. Both are within the rules so what is the sense of looking down upon someone who wants to do it the time honored traditional manner.

 

And before someone starts telling me about the laundry crew or deck crew that get a cut of the auto tips; why should they get a tip? They are not guest facing service personnel, they are behind the scenes staff essential to hotel maintenance and operations and they should be paid a fair salary by their employer for such work. Why is their salary reliant on the subjective service and subsequent discretionary gratuity a room attendant or waiter received from a guest they served?

 

I am NOT against tipping the crew but the auto system is far from ideal. The piety of people here because they "leave their auto tip intact" or aren't even really paying because they have OBC is completely out of line where I might be removing my auto tips and tipping out $20 pp, per day, split between room attendant and wait staff with cash. And we don't even stay in suites so that can be quite a jump!

 

It's a shame they have to pool tips. It dissuades the hardest workers and does little to encourage the worst and breed mediocrity in service. I have often tipped in segments during a cruise. That way the people that served me get their fair share IN HAND IMMEDIATELY in case they are sick or absent later I the cruise, and I also hope they can use the money ashore without having to tally it with the purser or some other company store nonsense.

 

Gratuities are given in a discretionary manner, they are not demanded at a set rate. As long as the staff do their jobs pleasantly and efficiently they are remuneration by me greatly above suggestions, in cash, and by me doing my level best to keep any middle men out of it. And I'm not breaking any rule at all, just choosing from the options the line offers[emoji568]

[LMaxwell]

Anyone who advises new cruises to do whatever they can to either avoid or reduce their tips is being irresponsible. Giving advice on how to ignore conventional practice is about as low class as a person can get. If you find this statement insulting, then perhaps you need to be more responsible with the advice you give out.

Just give people the facts about the policy and let them make their own choices. Simple.

[SantaFeFan]

You have no data with which to base your cynical fantasies on.

 

Auto tipping is fairly new in the cruise world. My first cruise was 25 years ago and they gave you a suggested breakdown for the staff that served you. Then you tipped in cash directly to those that provided you services and in my case, on occasions that merited, above the suggested amount.

 

The cruise line offers guests an option. By default they can automatically charge you their predetermined amount, or you can elect to handle things yourself. Both are within the rules so what is the sense of looking down upon someone who wants to do it the time honored traditional manner.

 

And before someone starts telling me about the laundry crew or deck crew that get a cut of the auto tips; why should they get a tip? They are not guest facing service personnel, they are behind the scenes staff essential to hotel maintenance and operations and they should be paid a fair salary by their employer for such work. Why is their salary reliant on the subjective service and subsequent discretionary gratuity a room attendant or waiter received from a guest they served?

 

I am NOT against tipping the crew but the auto system is far from ideal. The piety of people here because they "leave their auto tip intact" or aren't even really paying because they have OBC is completely out of line where I might be removing my auto tips and tipping out $20 pp, per day, split between room attendant and wait staff with cash. And we don't even stay in suites so that can be quite a jump!

 

It's a shame they have to pool tips. It dissuades the hardest workers and does little to encourage the worst and breed mediocrity in service. I have often tipped in segments during a cruise. That way the people that served me get their fair share IN HAND IMMEDIATELY in case they are sick or absent later I the cruise, and I also hope they can use the money ashore without having to tally it with the purser or some other company store nonsense.

 

Gratuities are given in a discretionary manner, they are not demanded at a set rate. As long as the staff do their jobs pleasantly and efficiently they are remuneration by me greatly above suggestions, in cash, and by me doing my level best to keep any middle men out of it. And I'm not breaking any rule at all, just choosing from the options the line offers[emoji568]

 

Thanks for proving that the cynic in me is spot on again.

 

I'm looking forward to the day when auto tips become non-negotiable and people will no longer be able to use whatever fantasy justification they can conjure up to stiff the staff. It will be very difficult for the control freaks to deal with.

Edited January 13, 2015 by SantaFeFan

[Karysa]

You have no data with which to base your cynical fantasies on.

 

Auto tipping is fairly new in the cruise world. My first cruise was 25 years ago and they gave you a suggested breakdown for the staff that served you. Then you tipped in cash directly to those that provided you services and in my case, on occasions that merited, above the suggested amount.

 

The cruise line offers guests an option. By default they can automatically charge you their predetermined amount, or you can elect to handle things yourself. Both are within the rules so what is the sense of looking down upon someone who wants to do it the time honored traditional manner.

 

And before someone starts telling me about the laundry crew or deck crew that get a cut of the auto tips; why should they get a tip? They are not guest facing service personnel, they are behind the scenes staff essential to hotel maintenance and operations and they should be paid a fair salary by their employer for such work. Why is their salary reliant on the subjective service and subsequent discretionary gratuity a room attendant or waiter received from a guest they served?

 

I am NOT against tipping the crew but the auto system is far from ideal. The piety of people here because they "leave their auto tip intact" or aren't even really paying because they have OBC is completely out of line where I might be removing my auto tips and tipping out $20 pp, per day, split between room attendant and wait staff with cash. And we don't even stay in suites so that can be quite a jump!

 

It's a shame they have to pool tips. It dissuades the hardest workers and does little to encourage the worst and breed mediocrity in service. I have often tipped in segments during a cruise. That way the people that served me get their fair share IN HAND IMMEDIATELY in case they are sick or absent later I the cruise, and I also hope they can use the money ashore without having to tally it with the purser or some other company store nonsense.

 

Gratuities are given in a discretionary manner, they are not demanded at a set rate. As long as the staff do their jobs pleasantly and efficiently they are remuneration by me greatly above suggestions, in cash, and by me doing my level best to keep any middle men out of it. And I'm not breaking any rule at all, just choosing from the options the line offers[emoji568]

 

The workers get judged by complaint cards and praise cards and their superiors.. I don't think that taking the auto tips off makes anyone judge the workers. They are most certainly judging you though.

 

The main problem is with your thinking. Perhaps 25 years ago the money you gave the crew was a tip. Now the money that is referred to as an auto tip is actually a service charge. Tip on top of that if you get great service and can afford it and stay home if you can't.

[Karysa]

The workers get judged by complaint cards and praise cards and their superiors.. I don't think that taking the auto tips off makes anyone judge the workers. They are most certainly judging you though.

 

The main problem is with your thinking. Perhaps 25 years ago the money you gave the crew was a tip. Now the money that is referred to as an auto tip is actually a service charge. Tip on top of that if you get great service and can afford it and stay home if you can't.

 

Sorry too harsh even for me. :D I meant to say " and stay home if you can't afford the auto tips"

[luddite]

Anyone who advises new cruises to do whatever they can to either avoid or reduce their tips is being irresponsible. Giving advice on how to ignore conventional practice is about as low class as a person can get. If you find this statement insulting, then perhaps you need to be more responsible with the advice you give out.

 

This.

[pinoycruiser1995]

My rule: Prepay all gratuities. Tip only to the room steward. :)

 

 

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