Please help with tipping etiquette

[kiwi_family6]

Hi there, my husband & I & four kids are cruising for the first time in 2 staterooms on Allure of the Seas in Jan 2016 on the Western Caribbean 7 night cruise. We are from New Zealand and tipping is very foreign to us. Could you please provide some guidelines on who/when/how much to tip:

 

1. do we pay the person who looks after our rooms each day? How much per room? When do we pay them? Also we were told that room tipping is automatically added to our bill but we should go and get that removed and tip directly - is that right?

 

2. at dinner, do we pay the wait staff?

 

3. at bars, what do we pay the bartender - is it per drink or per round? How does that work if you take the Soda Package?

 

4. on excursions, do we pay the guides & drivers?

 

Anybody else I've missed? Thanks so much for your help!!

Edited February 24, 2015 by kiwi_family6

[Merion_Mom]

Hi there, my husband & four kids are cruising for the first time in 2 staterooms on Allure of the Seas in Jan 2016 on the Western Caribbean 7 night cruise. We are from New Zealand and tipping is very foreign to us. Could you please provide some guidelines on who/when/how much to tip:

 

1. do we pay the person who looks after our rooms each day? How much per room? When do we pay them? Also we were told that room tipping is automatically added to our bill but we should go and get that removed and tip directly - is that right?

 

2. at dinner, do we pay the wait staff?

 

3. at bars, what do we pay the bartender - is it per drink or per round? How does that work if you take the Soda Package?

 

4. on excursions, do we pay the guides & drivers?

 

Anybody else I've missed? Thanks so much for your help!!

 

#1 & #2 are covered by your automatic gratuities. You either pay those with your cruise fare (look on your invoice) or RC will put $12 US on your SeaPass account each day per person during your cruise.

 

#3 is put on your bill automatically. If you WISH to tip more, throw a dollar on the counter. :) There is also a line on the charge slip for adding a tip if you want to tip more than the automatic tip and don't have or want to carry money.

 

#4 is TOTALLY up to you. Some people tip, some don't.

 

ETA: The soda package has the gratuity added at the time of purchase. It is your choice if you want to tip more. Most people do not.

 

I do not know why you would remove the auto tips and then tip in cash. Just leave the tips there and relax and forget about it.

 

But most of all:

 

WELCOME TO CRUISE CRITIC.

 

BON VOYAGE.

Edited February 24, 2015 by Merion_Mom

[tidygirl]

If you pay your $12 a day in gratuities I believe that covers all of the people you listed except the tour guide and drivers. On the tours many times they will say tips are appreciated and then that's your choice.

[nolimits]

Tipping is a sensitive subject on CC ,If not from the US just leave auto tip and view it as part of your fare.If you have a Crew member go above and beyond when serving you then you can always give more in cash at that time.

[OzKiwiJJ]

1. Also we were told that room tipping is automatically added to our bill but we should go and get that removed and tip directly - is that right?

 

 

NO. Leave the auto-gratuities in place, They cover your room steward, waiters and a number of behind-the-scenes people that help to make your trip more enjoyable. This gratuity is apportioned out by the cruise line in a (presumably) fair manner.

 

If you wish to tip extra to those who have given you exceptional service, maybe your room steward, or a waiter, or a barman, then you should do so on the last night, in cash, in an envelope.

[stewpapa]

tip your bartender extra as soon as you find "the one" and you will be glad you did. Last night is a waste.

[George C]

I agree with previous posts, just want to add most people tip luggage handlers when you drop off bag before getting on ship and we also tip 5 or 10 when we eat at specialty restaurants , again this is all up to you as said basic tips will be added to bill and that will be a little higher if your in a suite

[Langley Cruisers]

Also we were told that room tipping is automatically added to our bill but we should go and get that removed and tip directly - is that right?

 

Mind if I ask who told you that? Curious.

[Miryam1234]

May I add another question on this etiquette as a foreigner, coming from non-tipping culture:

 

How to had the tip the proper way to a person, like somebody delivering room service, or to the dining room waiters?

Some way secretly or just bluntly handing the money?

 

I always feel awkward with the money in hand. Tipping seems like proper thing to do, but somehow the delivery person always seems also "surprised" to get the money. May be because I am doing something the odd way...

 

My Dear Husband is total chicken what comes to tipping situations and hides himself onto balcony or into toilet while the delivery is being done, just to avoid the scene, leaving me to deal with it. :p

[Merion_Mom]

May I add another question on this etiquette as a foreigner, coming from non-tipping culture:

 

How to had the tip the proper way to a person, like somebody delivering room service, or to the dining room waiters?

Some way secretly or just bluntly handing the money?

 

I always feel awkward with the money in hand. Tipping seems like proper thing to do, but somehow the delivery person always seems also "surprised" to get the money. May be because I am doing something the odd way...

 

My Dear Husband is total chicken what comes to tipping situations and hides himself onto balcony or into toilet while the delivery is being done, just to avoid the scene, leaving me to deal with it. :p

 

Straightforward. Just extend your hand with the cash, while smiling and saying, "Thank you very much."

 

I have never had a delivery person refuse the tip. Some are surprised. I fear that this is because many do not tip him/her.

[kiwi_family6]

Thanks so much for all your help everyone!! Re the comment about getting the auto tips removed from our bill - many people I've spoken to in NZ about cruising have mentioned this so I just assumed that was what you did so you actually tipped the person who gave you the good service directly. Also for our party of six $12 x 6 x 8 days (or is it based on 7 nights?) = $576 (is that tax inclusive?) it is something we need to budget for especially if we are to then tip everyone on top of that per meal/per drink/per room servicing etc.

[BekkaW]

Thanks so much for all your help everyone!! Re the comment about getting the auto tips removed from our bill - many people I've spoken to in NZ about cruising have mentioned this so I just assumed that was what you did so you actually tipped the person who gave you the good service directly. Also for our party of six $12 x 6 x 8 days (or is it based on 7 nights?) = $576 (is that tax inclusive?) it is something we need to budget for especially if we are to then tip everyone on top of that per meal/per drink/per room servicing etc.

 

Asan Aussie we have also heard a lot of talk about removing the auto tips but let me tell you from experience it is much better just to leave it in place. We always leave it in place and have received very good service on all our cruises. It is per night so $12 x6 people x 7 nights. There is no tax on gratuities.

 

Regarding the section I have highlighted above - no you don't then tip again for all of these things. It is all covered. The only thing you need to tip for is room service if you choose to have any, I tip about $2 per delivery.

 

If you wish to you can tip some additional to your bartenders but you DON'T HAVE TO. 15% (possible recent increase to 18%) is included already in the price you will sign the slip for.

 

You can also tip some additional at the end of the week for your dining room wait staff or room steward if you feel they have gone above and beyond the service you expected. Again you don't have to, leaving the auto gratuities in place has you covered :)

[GUT2407]

Asan Aussie we have also heard a lot of talk about removing the auto tips but let me tell you from experience it is much better just to leave it in place. We always leave it in place and have received very good service on all our cruises. It is per night so $12 x6 people x 7 nights. There is no tax on gratuities.

 

Regarding the section I have highlighted above - no you don't then tip again for all of these things. It is all covered. The only thing you need to tip for is room service if you choose to have any, I tip about $2 per delivery.

 

If you wish to you can tip some additional to your bartenders but you DON'T HAVE TO. 15% (possible recent increase to 18%) is included already in the price you will sign the slip for.

 

You can also tip some additional at the end of the week for your dining room wait staff or room steward if you feel they have gone above and beyond the service you expected. Again you don't have to, leaving the auto gratuities in place has you covered :)

 

 

I'm an Aussie too and as your a Kiwi, near enough. I agree with the above leave the auto tips on and then if you want to throw in a bit more do so. I've never pre-tipped as some here suggest you do and never had other than good service.

 

Also in spite of what many will say the crew actually are aware that some cultures are not big on the tipping front and again we've never had any problems.

[cb at sea]

The tips that are included cover your cabin attendant, waiter, ass't waiter and head waiter. If you order room service, give the person who delivers it $1-2....that's fine.

 

Porters are generally tipped $1-2 per bag.

 

Excursion tipping...totally up to you. If you enjoyed the tour...tip about $5 pp. If you found the excursion to simply be "transportation"...then don't tip. There are no guidelines. It's what YOU feel the experience is worth to YOU!

 

Now that you're getting out into the world, tipping will no longer "be foreign" to you!!! It's not hard, or embarrassing!!

[nycruise]

We always tip the room steward extra, generally on the next to last day of the cruise. Since we see this person at least twice a day it just seems appropriate unless the service is horrendous. On a 1 week cruise we (2 people/1 cabin) generally give $20 to $30, cash in hand.

 

Luggage porters we give $5 per checked bag.

 

We're not big drinkers and usually add an extra $1 per drink.

 

We always rotate through the different dining rooms so we never see the same waiters twice and leave no extra tips in the main dining room(s).

 

For specialty restaurants we generally tip about 20% of the bill.

 

As to tour guides, based on how long the tour is and how involved the guide is, we give between $0 and $20 per couple.

 

All in all it adds less than $100 (about 2%) to the cost of the cruise and we don't have to do a lot of debating if we should tip or not.

 

I find it interesting that some people will give no extra tips and then toss tons of money away on drinking, gambling, shopping, spas, etc.

[Sir Cruise-a-Lot]

Being a country boy I have always felt the tipping policy of the cruise lines to be high. But having said that we do tip the recommended amount grudgingly. Think of it this way, you go to restaurant and pay 8 dollars for a meal. Your 15% tip would be $1.20. You go to another restaurant and pay $16 for a meal with the same level of service. Why do you pay them $2.40? $24 dollars a day where I come from is a bunch of money and a 7 day cruise it comes to $168. Wow, someone is getting off really good. Maybe being from a rural area we learn to value our money a little better than others because we don’t make as much as those in a more urban area would make. Also being retired and on a reduced income should tipping be the reason I stop cruising? Cruise prices have come down a great deal in the twenty some years I have been cruising but tipping??? Again why so high.

[bigque]

Ok Sir Cruise A Lot! You just opened up the tipping can of worms! :eek:

Edited February 24, 2015 by bigque

[Paul65]

Thanks so much for all your help everyone!! Re the comment about getting the auto tips removed from our bill - many people I've spoken to in NZ about cruising have mentioned this so I just assumed that was what you did so you actually tipped the person who gave you the good service directly. Also for our party of six $12 x 6 x 8 days (or is it based on 7 nights?) = $576 (is that tax inclusive?) it is something we need to budget for especially if we are to then tip everyone on top of that per meal/per drink/per room servicing etc.

 

Relax, budget the $12/person/day, and don't feel like you are ever expected to tip above that per meal/per drink/per room servicing. And it will actually be based on the number of nights, so 7. Some people want to tip extra, but it's certainly not necessary. And there is no tax added to that amount.

 

For every beverage you purchase, whether it's individually or in as a package, it will have a gratuity added to it automatically. But, if you're budgeting, know that they tend to advertise the package prices before the gratuity is added, so you do need to add an 18% gratuity on top of the price (unless you know you're being quoted a price including the gratuity).

 

As others have said, you may need a few dollars here and there to tip people who help you with your bags at the airport (usually $1 or 2 per bag) or perhaps a few dollars for excursion guides, if they provide some exceptional service.

Edited February 24, 2015 by Paul65

[bighairtexan]

EXCEPT FOR ROOM SERVICE do not bother to tip "extra" with each meal or each day. That's covered in the auto tips. IF (and often this is the case) your wait staff gives you an exceptional over all experience, you can THEN tip extra at the end of the cruise.

 

I think many (most?) tip room service at the time of delivery. From a dollar or 2 for a pot of coffee to maybe $5 for a full tray.

 

AGAIN DO NOT BOTHER TO TIP YOUR CABIN STEWARD EVERY DAY either. Again covered by autotip but again if service is fantastic, some extra cash at the end of the cruise is much appreciated but CERTAINLY not necessary.

 

Yes it does add up when you factor in 6 people for 7 days. However, if they don't have this system set up, and if they actually paid the crew in "normal wages" then your cruise fare would just be that much higher up front.

 

As for removing auto tip, please do not. There are so many behind the scenes folks that benefit. Housekeeping is more than just 1 cabin steward who cleans your room. You can see people cleaning elevator buttons, bannisters, public toilets at all times of day. There are servers in the buffet and Promenade Cafe at all hours of the day. I doubt anyone is going to remove auto tip, then go around finding all the "Behind the scenes" people and tip them.

Better to leave the auto tip in place and not tip a dime extra than to remove it and try to distribute your own cash equitably.

[dvcdisney]

Being a country boy I have always felt the tipping policy of the cruise lines to be high. But having said that we do tip the recommended amount grudgingly. Think of it this way, you go to restaurant and pay 8 dollars for a meal. Your 15% tip would be $1.20. You go to another restaurant and pay $16 for a meal with the same level of service. Why do you pay them $2.40? $24 dollars a day where I come from is a bunch of money and a 7 day cruise it comes to $168. Wow, someone is getting off really good. Maybe being from a rural area we learn to value our money a little better than others because we don’t make as much as those in a more urban area would make. Also being retired and on a reduced income should tipping be the reason I stop cruising? Cruise prices have come down a great deal in the twenty some years I have been cruising but tipping??? Again why so high.

 

I, somewhat, agree with your argument that the service for an $16 meal does not necessarily double in quality as compared to an $8 meal, so why tip double? The premise is that the atmosphere/service/quality should be better in the $16 meal (and even much better for a $40 meal) and that's why you would pay more.

 

But this is not always the case. As an example, we had lunch at a restaurant with excellent service and only had a total of $80 for my family of 4. We spoke to him and explained to him how much we appreciated his service and how he was one of the best waiter we've come across. My husband also spoke to the manager on the way out and I provided an excellent review. So, of course, we tipped him very well. As a comparison, my husband and I ate at a fine dining restaurant which, sadly cost us almost $200 (no alcohol or specialty drinks). The service was non-existent and probably the worse we've ever had. We spoke to the manager and he wasn't surprised (which I felt made the situation worse) and found out that the tips are not pooled and since no one else served us, we did what the manager insisted -we didn't provide any gratuity. Although we did feel a bit strange not leaving anything, we felt it was justified. That's why I do believe that tipping is subjective.

 

We generally tip between 15% to 20% in restaurants - sometimes a bit more and one time (example above) not at all.

 

We are sailing on Allure (first cruise with RCCL) soon, so our experience has always been with DCL. And with our party of 4, the server would receive $16 in gratuity each day. Even if you don't count breakfast and lunch, this would equate to between $80 (20% tip) to $106 (15%) a day for dinner which is reasonable for us. However, if I paid this amount and our server is non-existent or horrible, I do not have a problem lowering it. I believe in tipping based on service, not as a requirement. If the service is good, tip them...if the service is fantastic, tip them well...if the service is poor, tip them less.

Edited February 24, 2015 by dvcdisney

[tserface]

This is kind of off topic, but I have the same feelings about going into a cheap restaurant (like a diner). For example, if we go to a diner and breakfast is $10 I still tip $4 because the waiter does as much work as the one where I would pay $20. I figure just because the food is cheaper it doesn't mean the service is less worthy.

 

Tom

 

Being a country boy I have always felt the tipping policy of the cruise lines to be high. But having said that we do tip the recommended amount grudgingly. Think of it this way, you go to restaurant and pay 8 dollars for a meal. Your 15% tip would be $1.20. You go to another restaurant and pay $16 for a meal with the same level of service. Why do you pay them $2.40? $24 dollars a day where I come from is a bunch of money and a 7 day cruise it comes to $168. Wow, someone is getting off really good. Maybe being from a rural area we learn to value our money a little better than others because we don’t make as much as those in a more urban area would make. Also being retired and on a reduced income should tipping be the reason I stop cruising? Cruise prices have come down a great deal in the twenty some years I have been cruising but tipping??? Again why so high.

[MadManOfBethesda]

$24 dollars a day where I come from is a bunch of money and a 7 day cruise it comes to $168. Wow, someone is getting off really good. Maybe being from a rural area we learn to value our money a little better than others because we don’t make as much as those in a more urban area would make. Also being retired and on a reduced income should tipping be the reason I stop cruising? Cruise prices have come down a great deal in the twenty some years I have been cruising but tipping??? Again why so high.

 

You do realize that the entire $24 ($12/pp) isn't going to just one person, right? Although I haven't seen where Royal breaks down the amount, Carnival also charges $12 pp and breaks it down thusly: $3.90 for cabin attendants, $6.10 for dining staff, and $2.00 for other service staff. So going by that, you're paying less than $8/day for someone to clean and straighten your cabin, clean your bathroom twice a day, make your bed every morning and turn it down every evening, and generally be at your service for 12-14 hours a day to fulfill any special requests you might have. And he or she is doing that 7 days a week. Now think long and hard about that. Does that really sound to you like someone is "getting off really good" or that you're paying a lot of money for such service?

[tserface]

I fully believe in tipping for good service, but to be fair, part of what your quoting here is supposed to be covered by the cost of the cruise. Otherwise why are we paying typically about $150/day each for the cruise? I thought that is cost partially included the room. if not, why are different rooms different prices?

 

Tom

 

You do realize that the entire $24 ($12/pp) isn't going to just one person, right? Although I haven't seen where Royal breaks down the amount, Carnival also charges $12 pp and breaks it down thusly: $3.90 for cabin attendants, $6.10 for dining staff, and $2.00 for other service staff. So going by that, you're paying less than $8/day for someone to clean and straighten your cabin, clean your bathroom twice a day, make your bed every morning and turn it down every evening, and generally be at your service for 12-14 hours a day to fulfill any special requests you might have. And he or she is doing that 7 days a week. Now think long and hard about that. Does that really sound to you like someone is "getting off really good" or that you're paying a lot of money for such service?

[MadManOfBethesda]

I fully believe in tipping for good service, but to be fair, part of what your quoting here is supposed to be covered by the cost of the cruise. Otherwise why are we paying typically about $150/day each for the cruise? I thought that is cost partially included the room. if not, why are different rooms different prices?

 

Tom

 

No, it's not. I've been cruising for 35 years, and paying cabin stewards and dining personnel has always been done via tips. When you go to a restaurant in the U.S., is the cost of the waiter's or waitress' service included in the price of the food? No; it's extra and you pay for it by way of a tip. Similarly, when you check into a hotel, you tip valets, bellmen, and housekeeping for the services they provide to you (at least you should be tipping them) even though you've paid $ XX amount for the room.

 

Another thing to keep in mind is that cabin and dining stewards don't receive a salary; tips aren't "extra" payment to them; tips in effect are their salary. If you have a problem with their service, let them or their supervisor know about it so it can be corrected during the cruise. Don't just wait until the end of the cruise and reduce their pay because you didn't like something and never told them about it. How would you like it if you did something wrong at work and your boss just arbitrarily cut your pay that week without giving you a chance to correct the situation?

[MadManOfBethesda]

I fully believe in tipping for good service, but to be fair, part of what your quoting here is supposed to be covered by the cost of the cruise. Otherwise why are we paying typically about $150/day each for the cruise? I thought that is cost partially included the room. if not, why are different rooms different prices?

 

Tom

 

Just realized that I forgot to address your last question. Cabins are priced according to their location on the ship and any amenities it may have over a basic cabin, e.g., larger size, window, veranda, etc. It has nothing to do with the cabin steward servicing that room. (Although passengers in suites are expected to tip a little more and the automatic charge reflects that.)