Alternative tips for staff

[Velvetwater]

I see all the comments about crew being "them" or "they" as if the entire crew has no individual tastes or desires. These people are not single minded puppets.

 

My experiences have been very much different from a lot of you because I do take gifts for some of the crew members and many remember it.

 

A recent exlample on the Crown Princess, a waitress was wearing an item I gave her three years ago on another Princess ship. She remembered when I gave it to her and asked how my wife was doing--calling her by name. It isn't all about money for many of the crew members I know.

 

Some of you comment that they are not "kids". We know a lot of crew menbers who call us Mom and Dad, so again, I reiterate -- Crew members are not single minded puppets.

 

Completely agree with this.

 

Theres also people here saying 'does your boss pay you candy?' and whatnot...which is an odd comparison.My Local education Authority pays my wages but I am touched when those I teach and their families give me gifts.

 

Hubby and I have never,ever tipped above and beyond the standard amount on a cruise and almost always had stellar service with the only exception being an incident that happened in our cabin before we even met our steward. We talk to,smile and treat our stewards like someone would want to be treated no matter what job they were doing.

[chrispb]

Completely agree with this.

 

Theres also people here saying 'does your boss pay you candy?' and whatnot...which is an odd comparison.My Local education Authority pays my wages but I am touched when those I teach and their families give me gifts.

 

QUOTE]

Yes, I find it an odd comparison too.

 

It always sweetens meetings if the boss brings cakes or sweets. This has nothing to do with salary or bonuses, just a nice little extra which is much appreciated.

[navybankerteacher]

Since ships' service staff sign contracts stipulating very low base pay, which is presumably supplemented by cash tips, it is clear that they feel they are working for, and expect to receive, cash tips. Anything else, unless it was something truly useful AND GIVEN IN ADDITION TO APPROPRIATE CASH TIPS ABOVE THE MINIMUM suggested would be highly inappropriate.

[NMLady]

I agree that they should be given money. However if i remeber correctly from my behind the fun tour. I think they do use calling cards. That is the reason you will see pay phones at ports of call near the cruise ships. Could you imagine the cost of calling back to Indonesia or the Philippines

 

Most crew nowadays can be seen at wifi hotspots Skyping their families on their iPads, or using the Internet connection for their smart phones to connect with family. Calling cards are no longer as welcome as they once were.

[sail7seas]

The best way to thank crew is with cash. You don't know their allergies, their likes and dislikes, the limited amount of storage space in their cabin, you can't buy as good calling cards as they can get and they use Skype and computer phone connections the same as many of us.... they don't want key chains and t-shirts or Dollar Store junk from our home towns. Cash. It always fits, travels, light and provides them the ability to get what they want and need. This is not a hobby for them. Many are supporting several generations of family. They are grown men and women who work to earn money....... same as we do.

[sail7seas]

Completely agree with this.

 

Theres also people here saying 'does your boss pay you candy?' and whatnot...which is an odd comparison.My Local education Authority pays my wages but I am touched when those I teach and their families give me gifts.

 

QUOTE]

Yes, I find it an odd comparison too.

 

It always sweetens meetings if the boss brings cakes or sweets. This has nothing to do with salary or bonuses, just a nice little extra which is much appreciated.

 

Your boss and co-workers know you and likely most of you know most like a donut or muffin or bagel etc

 

We know nothing about the stewards/crew who we encounter on our cruises. We don't know their dietary restrictions possibly because of health, religion or taste. With cash, they can buy whatever treats they want.

[whogo]

I pass out envelopes near cruise end to select crew members. The envelopes contain a wallet sized portrait of me. The crew members always thank me profusely, I assume they treasure the gift.

[GUT2407]

If you were them, trying to send every spare cent home to family, living in a shoe box with little storage space what would you want? A bag of candy or $5.

[GUT2407]

I'm going in a seven day cruise & plan to purchase 7 candy bars. Inside the wrapper will be a $5 bill. One for each day. In addition to the tip that is auto-added to the bill. I stole this idea a few years ago & it went over well.

 

 

And what happens if you give them a candy bar they don't like / are allergic to and they give it away or throw it out?

[sail7seas]

I'm going in a seven day cruise & plan to purchase 7 candy bars. Inside the wrapper will be a $5 bill. One for each day. In addition to the tip that is auto-added to the bill. I stole this idea a few years ago & it went over well.

 

:eek: In order to put your $5 into the candy wrapper, you have to open the factory wrapping. I would never eat food (candy) given to me by a stranger where the factory wrapping has been disturbed. That is just common sense safety precaution in this crazy world.

 

Steward doesn't know you..... I'm shocked they don't toss the candy.

These grown men and women aren't children. Why play games with providing tips they have worked hard to earn. It seems so juvenile to treat them as children and hide money in a candy bar. JMO....... I think it's demeaning.

 

 

 

Edited February 23, 2015 by sail7seas

[Cruisin' Chick]

True but not all the crew have devices to Skype. And as outdated as phone cards seem to us. Some of the crew do still use them. I agree with everybody else. Give them MONEY!!! Lol but i remeber the behind the fun tour guide saying they use phone cards and i believe they even sell them in the crew area.

 

This is one unique idea that I may borrow/steal. Cash is best, but who can pass up a snickers bar or reece cups, with five bucks wrapped around it? Hell I may even do something like this at work for "on the spot" incentives!

 

Even so many years ago, it was mentioned several times on this site and on others that some calling cards are best for some countries and bad for others. You don't know ahead of time the countries your steward and wait staff will be from. But if you give cash, they can buy the specific one they need, IF they use them.

 

As for food items, you don't know their dietary needs or taboos. Not everyone likes Snickers (believe it or not -- I certainly can't stand them) or might have an allergy to nuts. Maybe their religion doesn't allow them to drink alcohol. If you give them something they can't eat or drink or some tschoke, they're certainly not going to grimace and tell you they're going to toss it.

 

These discussions (which seem to pop up every once in a while) remind me of one place I worked for. Every year, the head office will arrange with one of the clients to get enough of one of their products (usually something that didn't sell so well) for each employee as a bonus. And then, right after getting it, many employees will be calling local stores (on company time, of course) to find one that would be willing to buy it back without a receipt.

[notentirelynormal]

:eek: In order to put your $5 into the candy wrapper, you have to open the factory wrapping. I would never eat food (candy) given to me by a stranger where the factory wrapping has been disturbed. That is just common sense safety precaution in this crazy world.

 

Steward doesn't know you..... I'm shocked they don't toss the candy.

These grown men and women aren't children. Why play games with providing tips they have worked hard to earn. It seems so juvenile to treat them as children and hide money in a candy bar. JMO....... I think it's demeaning.

 

That's what I was thinking. Why would anyone want to eat a candy bar that has been tampered with. Give Stewart money instead.

[Rena921]

My daughter is a server in a restaurant making $2.70 an hour. She relies on tips and counts on them for her income. She busts her butt giving good service and some people tip well. Many tip poorly, but the people that do tip well make up for the cheapskates.One dude gave her his phone number in lieu of a tip...like she would ever call a cheap looser. I can only imagine if someone tried giving her candy or some dollar store trinket (ever see the movie waiting?). Your room steward and wait staff - heck, the entire crew bend over backwards to make your vacation memorable. They work HARD and no one is more deserving of tips than they are. Remember, you are fortunate enough to take a vacation on a cruise ship. They are working long, hard hours on a cruise ship trying to please many demanding passengers.

[chrispb]

 

Your boss and co-workers know you and likely most of you know most like a donut or muffin or bagel etc

 

We know nothing about the stewards/crew who we encounter on our cruises. We don't know their dietary restrictions possibly because of health, religion or taste. With cash, they can buy whatever treats they want.

 

I didn't mention giving the crew cakes, biscuits, etc. It wouldn't actually enter my head to do so.

[Flatbush Flyer]

That's what I was thinking. Why would anyone want to eat a candy bar that has been tampered with. Give Stewart money instead.

 

 

Not to mention the germ laden money pressed up against the candy. Yuck!

Edited February 23, 2015 by Flatbush Flyer

[spookwife]

Hi cruisers. Recently DH and I had a conversation with my MIL/FIL re tipping staff aboard the ships. We usually give additional cash tips individually but the in-laws said that they have alternative tips such as candy and calling cards from the 99 cent store. I understand why those would be welcomed by the staff but am not comfortable with the idea just yet.

Opinions/Suggestions. GO!

 

 

 

BTW I started a thread earlier tonight and haven't seen it in the feed so I apologize if this comes through as a duplicate :)

 

money is the universal tip. the only time I see/endorse anything else is if this is a crew member you KNOW..as in they have been your cabin steward for 15 cruises, the bar tender that serves you every night for years and you have exchanged christmas cards.

 

not all calling cards are created equal and not everyone likes/eats candy.

 

I dress ours up by using hand made thank you cards. they do not take up any room, and if they wish to use them in their cabin to brighten the place up, fine. if not, it's a card and if it gets recycled, so does every one I mail to my family at home. I feel better knowing I gave them something that took little more effort on my part, and they still get their moolah.

[OctoberKat]

:eek: In order to put your $5 into the candy wrapper, you have to open the factory wrapping. I would never eat food (candy) given to me by a stranger where the factory wrapping has been disturbed. That is just common sense safety precaution in this crazy world.

 

Steward doesn't know you..... I'm shocked they don't toss the candy.

These grown men and women aren't children. Why play games with providing tips they have worked hard to earn. It seems so juvenile to treat them as children and hide money in a candy bar. JMO....... I think it's demeaning.

 

Bang on the money, sail7seas, very much appreciated your post.

[mips]

I tip extra cash at the end of our trip, I feel a tip at the beginning is more of a bribe, but I'm from Europe so maybe that's a cultural thing.

 

But at the first or second port of call I ASK my room steward if there is anything s/he NEEDS. Some will say no thank you, but others will ask for T-shirts, shampoo, toiletries, candy, small trinket. I personally feel that this is treating them like an equal and a grown up. I have never had to go out of my way to find anything that was asked for since we always do a little shopping. I for one never go to a store at lunchtime without offering to pick up anything that any of my colleagues needs.

 

One cruise I met our room steward in the ships store he was going home the following month and buying bars of tolberone, he told me he had 3 left to get then he had a gift for everyone back home, you bet that there was three left in our cabin when we disembarked.

[OctoberKat]

On a cruise, I tip the stewards and butler in advance because my husband can be disorganized and messy. I acknowledge up front that we may be more high-maintenance so we want them to know we are appreciative. And needful of their efforts. We tip again, usually a smaller amount, at the end of the voyage.

[sail7seas]

 

<snip>

 

One cruise I met our room steward in the ships store he was going home the following month and buying bars of tolberone, he told me he had 3 left to get then he had a gift for everyone back home, you bet that there was three left in our cabin when we disembarked.

 

 

Very nice. :)

 

[swedish weave]

I will make one more comment on this subject before I leave it.

 

I see many of you refer to gifts as "cheap trinkets" and other derrogatory descriptions, and that is not the case in our gifting.

 

We see some of the same items we take to give away in the ships store selling for prices up to $12.95. Of course, the crew members can use the money you give them to purchase these, but we don't pay anywere near that for them. Also, we buy them by the case and usually give all we take to those we know and also to their friends who are curious and indicate they like the items. They are definitely not substitutes for tips !!!

 

I suggest opening up your minds, treat these people like you would like to be treated, and realize they are not all money hungry. Some are very well situated with their incomes and not all of them are subject to the "pity party" that is frequently posted on these boards.

Edited February 24, 2015 by swedish weave

[Flatbush Flyer]

I will make one more comment on this subject before I leave it.

 

 

 

I see many of you refer to gifts as "cheap trinkets" and other derrogatory descriptions, and that is not the case in our gifting.

 

 

 

We see some of the same items we take to give away in the ships store selling for prices up to $12.95. Of course, the crew members can use the money you give them to purchase these, but we don't pay anywere near that for them. Also, we buy them by the case and usually give all we take to those we know and also to their friends who are curious and indicate they like the items. They are definitely not substitutes for tips !!!

 

 

 

I suggest opening up your minds, treat these people like you would like to be treated, and realize they are not all money hungry. Some are very well situated with their incomes and not all of them are subject to the "pity party" that is frequently posted on these boards.

 

 

Don't leave just yet.

When I was a younger fellow, I spent quite a few winters working in a ski resort as an instructor. Unlike many of my colleagues who relied solely on the meager income and lived very frugal lives to get through the cold (and expensive) Lake Tahoe winters, I had other income sources that provided a reasonable standard of living. However, and like all of my fellow resort "service providers," cash was king when it came to gratuities. This was true even for me in that I could share my good (gratuity) fortune by picking up a co-workers' bar or food tab once in a while.

 

Somewhat like cruise personnel, we shared cramped living quarters, seldom made it to "the city" to find merchandise that was either overpriced or unavailable in Truckee, CA and smiled nicely when customers gave us well-meaning gifts (some of which were not cheap in any sense of the word).

 

In my case, I remember amassing a box full of knit ski caps gifted to me. Some were handmade, others store bought with a range of value from "army surplus" to designer chic. Because we wore company issued uniform hats, maybe one or two of the hats in the box would ever see snow. Usually I gave them away to others, ironically, who had their own box of hats.

 

Were the gifted hats appreciated? Sure they were. Were they helpful or anywhere nearvwhat we needed? No!

 

This thread is very interesting in that so many posters are projecting their own value system on others who may have very little in common with them: candy, key chains, tee shirts, food, the list goes on...

 

All service workers throughout the worldwide tourism industry understand and appreciate ONE common gratuity denominator - US dollars (or Euros In a pinch). Remember that the point of the gratuity is to make the worker happy more than it is to make you happy.

Edited February 24, 2015 by Flatbush Flyer

[CanadaDeb]

I always give a thank you card with cash....I also bring a small bottle of maple syrup to give to our cabin attendant. We once sailed on Valentine's day and I had brought several small chocolate hearts and gave them to a few staff we had spoken to....just a little extra...who doesn't love a little surprise?

[NewSalt]

In my world, a tip is, by definition, cash.

 

But last year friends went on a river cruise, and the tour guide was pregnant. They also struck up a friendship with their room steward, who had a son the age of their DGS.

 

When they returned home, my friend crocheted a baby blanket and mailed it to the guide, and they also bought a Christmas gift and mailed it to their steward's home. (They had exchanged information.)

 

I thought these were lovely gestures. (They were in addition to the cash tips they had given.)

[Beachdude]

This thread is very interesting in that so many posters are projecting their own value system on others who may have very little in common with them..............................All service workers throughout the worldwide tourism industry understand and appreciate ONE common gratuity denominator - US dollars (or Euros In a pinch).

 

I'm not sure your second sentence isn't hypocritical to your first, but the point you are trying to make is probably right.

 

I learned from this forum several years ago to find an excuse when we first meet our room steward to tip them a $20 bill. I typically ask that clean wine glasses be brought each day and we usually get really good service the rest of the cruise along with the wine glasses. If we ask for something out of the norm like an egg crate mat to soften the mattress, I will add another $20. Rarely are my unusual request turned down like adding lounge chairs to the balcony. I also tip a couple bucks for room service and once learned that the extraordinarily quick delivery we had been getting all week was unusual for that cruise. Not always, but tipping during the cruise tends to improve the service we experience.

 

I know I know, all of us are tight wads to some degree, but consider how much you might be willing to pay at the beginning of a cruise for a better than normal services. Then get that amount in one dollar bills and stuff them in a place where you can quickly grab a couple bucks for a tip. You might be surprised by your improved service.

 

Burt

Edited February 24, 2015 by Beachdude