Suggested gratuities

[wesgabler]

Hello CC community,

I'll be sailing RC in a few weeks and wondering what your thoughts are to a suggested gratuity to our cabin steward to ensure superior treatment? I prepaid my gratuities but thought an extra cash gratuity (half on embarkation) would create a better experience. Any thoughts?

[Scotty G]

Hello CC community,

I'll be sailing RC in a few weeks and wondering what your thoughts are to a suggested gratuity to our cabin steward to ensure superior treatment? I prepaid my gratuities but thought an extra cash gratuity (half on embarkation) would create a better experience. Any thoughts?

 

No need to do that. If you like the service and want to give more then you can leave it in the WOW envelope provided. Bon voyage!!!

[Clarea]

We have never pre-tipped and have always received excellent service.

[Langley Cruisers]

....suggested gratuity to our cabin steward to ensure superior treatment? I prepaid my gratuities but thought an extra cash gratuity (half on embarkation) would create a better experience. Any thoughts?

 

You have prepaid and thus you have tipped everyone who needs to be tipped. If you want to tip your room service delivery person and the porter who takes your luggage at the pier, it is always appreciated. Having said that, extra tipping is a very personal matter; what is extravagant for you may be normal or average for someone else. We prepay our gratuities and never prepay additional to our cabin steward upon embarkation, because we always receive excellent service. If s/he has provided outstanding service or gone above and beyond, we do tip extra on our last day of the cruise. Others do tip up front. *shrug*

 

The amount is up to you; I'm not going to suggest anything for reasons already stated. :)

 

Have fun.

[molsonschooner]

As others have said, we have never pre tipped. Only 1 time our cabin steward was not up to par.I don't think any amount of up front money would have made a difference

[joeyancho]

What do you consider to be superior service? IMHO, it is insulting to give money up front to the steward. He will do his job. If you want anything extra, just ask. If he or she can provide it they will. A tip is in appreciation for what you have been provided, not bribe.

[LilBlackDress]

I have to agree with what others have said. I have read on here where people would 'bribe' their attendants the first day and they receive excellent service. But my question has always been what makes them so sure they wouldn't have received excellent service if they hadn't bribed them....

 

You have to do what you think is best for you.

[Tripper10]

People give extra on day one all the time as a tipping tactic. If you feel comfortable doing so, go for it.

[Merion_Mom]

I don't think that it's insulting at all to give extra gratuity up front.

 

But I don't do it.

 

As Karen said, if service has been extraordinary throughout my cruise, I will give more on the final night in the "wow" envelope left on my bed for that purpose.

 

:)

[tinkertwo]

i'm the minority here. we always give the room steward a tip on meeting him/her as well as the regular tip at the end of the cruise. does it make a difference? I don't know but I have never regretted it. I always feel that the room steward goes out of their way to make sure I am attended to.

 

again, something we always do and I have never felt that it was a waste. jmo.

[silvermcs]

I agree, to each his own. However, we do engage the cabin steward in conversation on the first day and talk about our schedule and things that are important to us. We usually ask about how long they have been with RCCL, where are they from, when is their next time off, something about their family, where do their closest friends on the ship work (we meet many other staff on the ship this way) etc, etc. And we thank them in advance for all they will be doing to ensure we have a great vacation. Then I give him/her cash, usually a $50 (also tip additional at the end for great service). Some stewards are better than others but we have NEVER had a service issue. This is over and above what is expected and you will probably have fine service regardless. This is just what we do.

[tserface]

We don't just tip extra up front, but we have been known to leave a $5 with a thank you note (even on the first day) if the attendant does something special we ask for... we often ask for extra pillows, or ice, or a top sheet, etc. These are all things they'd likely do anyway, but $5 is not a lot and they always appreciate the note and we tend to get more towel animals... and that's what it's really all about.

 

:rolleyes:

 

Tom

[sg1phileshipper]

I always tip upfront too. Somehow the bed in our cabin always ends up as a queen, even though I always request the beds apart. I always put a note on the bed to get them apart and a little some money has a thank you for the trouble :D

 

Cindy

[dunaldo]

I don't tip on the first day and usually only ask for ice and wine glasses. When we are going into a port I ask the steward if there is anything I can pick up for them. You never know what they might need or have run out of. I do tip on the last day.

[wesgabler]

Dunaldo, great idea to pick something up in port!

[cruzsnooze]

Hello CC community,

I'll be sailing RC in a few weeks and wondering what your thoughts are to a suggested gratuity to our cabin steward to ensure superior treatment? I prepaid my gratuities but thought an extra cash gratuity (half on embarkation) would create a better experience. Any thoughts?

 

Why reinvent the wheel. The cruise already figured out what they need and want regarding tips. No one will turn down your money if you're anxious to part with it unnecessarily.

[wesgabler]

Just remember those guys work VERY hard for relatively very little pay. Even with the mandatory gratuities. Nothing wrong with wanting to compensate them more, motivate, and reward exceptional services.

[Paul65]

Just remember those guys work VERY hard for relatively very little pay. Even with the mandatory gratuities. Nothing wrong with wanting to compensate them more, motivate, and reward exceptional services.

 

I doubt the upfront tipping will "create a better experience," but there is certainly nothing wrong with wanting to compensate them more. And if it makes you perceive that you're getting more attention than the cabin next to you, and that makes you feel good, have at it.

[aviator1945]

Is it customary to tip the concierges?

[blueblock]

Is it customary to tip the concierges?

 

Yes, I believe it is, if you have used their services.

[Langley Cruisers]

...When we are going into a port I ask the steward if there is anything I can pick up for them. You never know what they might need or have run out of...

 

Have any of them ever taken you up on it? We once asked one of our stewards if he needed/wanted anything from port and his reply was, "All I want is for you to come back home safely.". :) I have always remembered that. As well, I can't believe a crew member would ever ask a passenger for something - it just seems wrong. :o They get time off and can go into port, plus they can purchase anything they need at the crew/staff commissary (or whatever they call it).

 

.

Edited February 17, 2016 by Langley Cruisers

[jenjen13]

We always leave a daily tip of 5$...those poor souls work their butts off for literally nothing. Depending on the service and how they are throughout the cruise - we'll leave a larger $10-$30 more when we depart.

Edited February 17, 2016 by jenjen13

[dunaldo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dunaldo

...When we are going into a port I ask the steward if there is anything I can pick up for them. You never know what they might need or have run out of...

 

Have any of them ever taken you up on it?

 

As best I can recall I don't think anyone asked for anything. Even so I think my simply asking might make them feel better. I certainly would have got whatever they may have needed (unless they asked for a scooter or the like).

[abbflex]

What is normal amount to tip the delivery of room service?

[cruzsnooze]

What is normal amount to tip the delivery of room service?

 

It's included in the daily amount of tips so nothing more is expected.