Tipping, here's how we handled it

[daka]

Just off Oasis this morning.......May 2 '15

In addition to the "regular" gratuities, we tipped our cabin attendant $20, waiter, assistant waiter and Head waiter $10 each, after the 3rd day...we waited to see how we were being treated.

Waiting till the end of the cruise is nice, but, in advance gets you even better service....(they were all excellent from the beginning anyway)

We tipped the bar waiters $1 for each of our free (Diamond) drinks, otherwise they get nothing for serving them.....when you add it all up,,,it's a small figure, these people work VERY hard...7 days a week...

So many of the guests are a real PIA's....

[negc]

Just off Oasis this morning.......May 2 '15

In addition to the "regular" gratuities, we tipped our cabin attendant $20, waiter, assistant waiter and Head waiter $10 each, after the 3rd day...we waited to see how we were being treated.

Waiting till the end of the cruise is nice, but, in advance gets you even better service....(they were all excellent from the beginning anyway)

We tipped the bar waiters $1 for each of our free (Diamond) drinks, otherwise they get nothing for serving them.....when you add it all up,,,it's a small figure, these people work VERY hard...7 days a week...

So many of the guests are a real PIA's....

 

Since they "were all excellent from the beginning" how could you determine that advance tipping "gets you even better service"? We have found that inevitably the service we have received during our cruises is almost always excellent and have not seen any reason to believe that by tipping in advance, that service would improve. Like you, we always tip the wait stiff in the CL or DL when they serve our free drinks and consider it to still be a bargain.

[Saab4444]

We are just off Britannia from P&O and are frequent cruisers with RCL. P&O charges half the amount for daily gratuities and I must say service was much better than it was recently with RCL. Many more and very attentive service staff in all restaurants and bars. Costs for all kind of drinks are far below RCL and no 18% service staff added automatically. We found this quiet interesting as service staff on both lines comes mainly from the same countries but only RCL has increased costs and reduced staff heavily at the same time.

[Ashland]

Since they "were all excellent from the beginning" how could you determine that advance tipping "gets you even better service"? We have found that inevitably the service we have received during our cruises is almost always excellent and have not seen any reason to believe that by tipping in advance, that service would improve. Like you, we always tip the wait stiff in the CL or DL when they serve our free drinks and consider it to still be a bargain.

Agree...however we always tip the CL & or DL (sometimes we use both) at the end..we don't usually bother carrying cash nightly.

[cb at sea]

We never tip in advance...(or bribe!)...we tip as is traditionally done...on the last evening.

 

Only once did we not have stellar service, and I'm 100% positive that pre-tipping wouldn't have made one iota of difference.

[tm3750]

We never tip in advance...(or bribe!)...we tip as is traditionally done...on the last evening.

 

Only once did we not have stellar service, and I'm 100% positive that pre-tipping wouldn't have made one iota of difference.

 

So you consider "pre tipping" a Bribe? Really????

[ocav]

We are just off Britannia from P&O and are frequent cruisers with RCL. P&O charges half the amount for daily gratuities and I must say service was much better than it was recently with RCL. Many more and very attentive service staff in all restaurants and bars. Costs for all kind of drinks are far below RCL and no 18% service staff added automatically. We found this quiet interesting as service staff on both lines comes mainly from the same countries but only RCL has increased costs and reduced staff heavily at the same time.

 

 

That's generally the difference in cultures though. P&O follow British culture where everything's thrown in to the initial cost, if we go to a restaurant, a tip is optional, because the staff actually get paid a decent wage (possibly not liveable though for those with families but it means they don't rely on tips to get paid).

 

How much were the gratuities for waitstaff/cabin attendant?

[Dead-metal]

So you consider "pre tipping" a Bribe? Really????

 

Yes, it is a bribe, or a "look at me, I'm paying you to be nicer to me"

[Ashland]

Yes, it is a bribe, or a "look at me, I'm paying you to be nicer to me"

I too am uncomfortable giving cash tips upfront and never do...

 

A bit insulting I think..that you're expecting/assuming anything less than good service.

Edited May 2, 2015 by Ashland

[molsonschooner]

I too am uncomfortable giving cash tips upfront and never do...

 

A bit insulting I think..that you're expecting/assuming anything less than good service.

 

I agree 100%. I have never tipped in advance, don't ever plan to.It does seem like a bribe to me and I am not certain that it would guarantee better service.

[Barnaby100]

That's generally the difference in cultures though. P&O follow British culture where everything's thrown in to the initial cost, if we go to a restaurant, a tip is optional, because the staff actually get paid a decent wage (possibly not liveable though for those with families but it means they don't rely on tips to get paid).

 

How much were the gratuities for waitstaff/cabin attendant?

 

RC cruise we are booked on this summer £11,000. Similar p and o- less than £6,000. RC is very slightly longer but not enough to justify that uplift

[Ocean Boy]

I too am uncomfortable giving cash tips upfront and never do...

 

A bit insulting I think..that you're expecting/assuming anything less than good service.

 

I agree 100%. I have never tipped in advance, don't ever plan to.It does seem like a bribe to me and I am not certain that it would guarantee better service.

 

I did it once on our last cruise on Independence. I got a drink in the Schooner Bar, tipped the bar tender (half of my indended amount) and told him that he would be taking care of my diamond drinks for the rest of the week. I then gave hem the other half at the end of the week. I did it this way because I don't carry cash with me on the ship and I didn't want him to think all week long that I was stiffing him.

[artypharty]

We used to wait and try to find a bar server in the MDR, and then tip a little extra for each drink. The waiting (and waiting) sometimes got quite annoying.

 

We now generously tip our bar server in the MDR on the first night. We are usually one of the first to be served and as we always drink the same thing, the drink is oft times sitting on the table waiting for us. It makes the server and us happy, so where is the rub? (And we usually give another nice tip at the end of the cruise too)

 

Never have and never will pre-tip anyone else, if the service is good, everyone gets a generous "parting gift". :D

Edited May 2, 2015 by artypharty

[ocav]

RC cruise we are booked on this summer £11,000. Similar p and o- less than £6,000. RC is very slightly longer but not enough to justify that uplift

 

 

I didn't ask how much your cruise was, I asked about your gratuities? All cruise lines differ in prices, it's the gratuities you were mentioning.

[PesterGal]

I was told it means " to insure prompt service" so an up front tip would not be a bribe. You are then free to add a gratuity at a later time.

[Ashland]

I did it once on our last cruise on Independence. I got a drink in the Schooner Bar, tipped the bar tender (half of my indended amount) and told him that he would be taking care of my diamond drinks for the rest of the week. I then gave hem the other half at the end of the week. I did it this way because I don't carry cash with me on the ship and I didn't want him to think all week long that I was stiffing him.

We've only sailed once since the new policy of loading drinks onto our SeaPass card...just checked with DH and he said he tipped the bartender each time he ordered a drink in the Schooner Bar..funny I didn't think DH carried any cash "ever" :D. I wasn't with him on those trips to the Schooner Bar ;). So I can see now with the new policy we will need to carry some cash if we plan on drinks other than from the CL/DL.

[cincicruisers]

Very interesting post. I hope that the tipping up front does not become 'the norm' as more people tip in the beginning to entice exemplary service.

 

When we pay upfront for a drink package we don't immediately think about the 18% we have already paid. It almost seems unnatural to get served a drink and not tip..

[BeachChik]

I was told it means " to insure prompt service" so an up front tip would not be a bribe. You are then free to add a gratuity at a later time.

 

If that were actually true, which it isn't, it would have to be teps (to ensure prompt service). You can't insure service.

 

And I agree it's bribing. If you go to a restaurant you tip the server after your meal.

[splash_in_the_water]

call it bribing, "to insure prompt service" , whatever you want.....it's pretty well known that often times a server, waiter, or bartender will give you a little bit better service if you cough up a few $$ at the beginning of the trip...they were going to serve you anyway, but a few $$ later, now you really just made them helping you out a little more worth it.

 

I'm sure there are those that got the same service with or without bribing or let's call it "pre-tipping" didn't feel like their service was any better. I say, if you want to make a quick friend, get your drinks a little faster, maybe even a little stronger (yes yes, measured pours, blah blah- save it :D ) , then go ahead....makes no difference to me- I may just do the same!

[splash_in_the_water]

remember, just because things have been done one way for a long time, doesn't mean we can't change the way they're done in the future....think about it, like Florida and solar power.....oh wait too political...nevermind :D

[Ocean Boy]

So it is ok to pre-pay gratuities to RCI before you even cruise but it is not ok to destribute tips once you board the ship until the cruise is coming to an end or it's a bribe. Just saying.;)

[daka]

I don't care if you call it a bribe, we did get exceptional and quick service....would we have gotten the same with out the "bribe", I doubt it.....and when we left the Schooner bar we did get a additional "splash" in our drinks....oh, and my wife did get a coupe of glasses of champagne (on the house) ... bribe ?? maybe....!!

[lbocola]

What interest me in reading the post was the cruisers experience on tipping extra. Really do the rest of you need to criticize the comments and opinions It's really annoying.

[negc]

What interest me in reading the post was the cruisers experience on tipping extra. Really do the rest of you need to criticize the comments and opinions It's really annoying.

 

The topic in question is not about tipping extra but about the efficacy of giving an additional tip up front. In logic there is something called the "post hoc ergo proper hoc" fallacy which is what I believe those who feel that their advance tip was the reason for the excellent service they received.

Edited May 2, 2015 by negc

[nolesrule]

So it is ok to pre-pay gratuities to RCI before you even cruise but it is not ok to destribute tips once you board the ship until the cruise is coming to an end or it's a bribe. Just saying.;)

 

When are the pre-paid gratuities actually distributed? I would assume at the same time as the gratuities billed daily to the onboard account.