How do you handle tips on long cruises?

[swedish weave]

Explain to me exactly where I criticized her/him for not tipping? I expressed MY beliefs for MYSELF and my main objection was the comparison of waiters to doctors it's just obsurd to make that type of comparison for good service. People really just see what they want to see and dont read the entire post

 

If you re-read your post, no explanation is necessary. If you still don't understand, no explanation is possible. Goodbye !!!

Edited May 14, 2016 by swedish weave

[candigirl41]

Really????? You make no sense at all. Wait staff and jobs like this make very small amounts even on land. When I was a waitress I made $2 an hour I counted on MY TIPS TO HAVE A REAL SALARY. The wage I made for a 5 hour shift was $10 but with tips it was more like $100 or more so obviously you have no clue what your talking about comparing doctors to wait staff is ridiculous think before you type next time please.

 

I think it's awful how some states handle servers in restaurants and bars. My daughter is a server and she makes a base salary of $10.00 an hour. I was surprised when I heard from friends from other states that they made such low hourly minimum and are expected to live off tips. This is just wrong. As for tipping additional to servers for drinks I usually find one or two who are very attentive and will tip extra.

 

Candi

[Bra_BE2014]

Thanks guys, I do feel more reassured now that I won't be persona non grata on the ship for not being able to tip each drink.

 

I will follow your advise and save my tipping budget for special occasions to reward good service. I do wish those one-way flights to the U.S wouldn't weight so much on my solo pocket but well, I'm more then greatful That I get to cruise even on a tight budget!

 

Happy cruising everyone!

[sjbdtz]

Really????? NCL has made it so you never have to tip. They built in the 18% gratuity on ALL drinks, for your convenience of course. The culture on these boards of 'shame' tipping is ridiculous. The staff are getting their basic salary and their basic tips. Tipping beyond that is overkill. If it makes you feel good, go for it. However, don't do it because you have incorrect information that these 'poor' workers are not making any money. The crew renew their contracts year after year because they are making a good income. These people that double and triple tip do it mostly out of pure ignorance.

 

 

 

Ugh. Say it ain't so. :( I find myself actually agreeing with you on something.

 

I also believe that with the DSC in place, and the 18% automatically applied, the crew are well taken care of. Do I occasionally want to recognize somebody over & above? Certainly.

 

More than 1 good server has gotten an extra green chip on their tray, in the casino. But that's my choice. I could tip them $1, or nothing at all, and they would be compensated (because the drink card includes a basic 18% gratuity per drink) (I asked point-blank).

 

 

Tip extra IF YOU WANT....but you don't have to, and shouldn't feel guilty for not doing so.

 

 

 

Stephen

 

 

.

[FreestyleNovice]

A certain poster be like:

 

[IrieBajan54]

As part of the budget for our cruise we bring tips for good service. It is the practice in the U.S. - for a U.S. Bound cruise I would consider this as standard practice. .

 

So if the cruise is going in the other direction, to Europe, do you feel it should be based on European standard practice? :confused:

[trivimp]

I'm still working out how tipping a buck a drink comes out to "hundreds" of dollars. Let's see, if you average 18 drinks a day....

 

Maybe just set aside two or three bucks per day for particularly good service, if you feel so inclined, and let the UBP 18% gratuity do the rest.

 

Edit to add: I'm not a heavy drinker, maybe 3 a day on vacation, but not being judgmental to those who drink more. Everyone's got his own level.

Edited May 14, 2016 by trivimp

[luddite]

Ok - I know I'm going to get flamed for this but...

 

I don't understand this tipping thing...it's your job, you get paid for it, so that should be it...

 

Does every job out there get a tip? If you doctor goes above and beyond (i.e. actually sees you on time), do you tip him/her for that? If the person who takes your special order from McD doesn't screw it up, do you tip for that? Probably not, so then why tip the guy who brings you a beer.

 

Now after a long cruise, you find you have a bond with your bartender, he/she tells you great stories, etc... then sure, show some appreciation (I am not saying not to tip...just saying we need to be selective not mechanical...here's your drink, here's your $1).

 

The best example is at the port...the guy grabs your bag, we tip him $5 for lifting it less than a ft to the trolley. We are scared that if we don't tip that our bags won't make it there...

 

So again, to make it clear so my flamming is limited -- GREAT service would get a tip, service gets a thank you... but again, this is IMHO

 

You're correct--you do not understand.

[swedish weave]

As part of the budget for our cruise we bring tips for good service. It is the practice in the U.S. - for a U.S. Bound cruise I would consider this as standard practice. At 3-4 drinks per day and we tip about $2/round, it is not a huge amount of money, maybe $10 a day, and it is returned to us with extremely prompt service and sometimes upgrades. By the end of our last cruise the bartender was making my drinks so strong with a premium rum I had to ask him to lighten up a bit - I was completely drunk after one drink!! Hence I always know when someone complains about week drinks - they probably didn't take care of their bartender/ were otherwise impatient or rude. Treat people well and you will be treated well in return.

 

 

Tipping the bartender so you get more booze in your drinks is encouraging him to steal.

 

In order to give you more booze, he either has to steal it from the company or from other patrons. If everybody tips him, he steals from the comany, doesn't he?

[CasinoCruzGirl]

Tipping the bartender so you get more booze in your drinks is encouraging him to steal.

 

 

 

In order to give you more booze, he either has to steal it from the company or from other patrons. If everybody tips him, he steals from the comany, doesn't he?

 

 

 

Lol

 

Edited May 15, 2016 by CasinoCruzGirl

[Love my butler]

Ugh. Say it ain't so. :( I find myself actually agreeing with you on something.

 

Welcome to the dark side. Common sense isn't common any more.

[em-sk]

Really????? You make no sense at all. Wait staff and jobs like this make very small amounts even on land. When I was a waitress I made $2 an hour I counted on MY TIPS TO HAVE A REAL SALARY. The wage I made for a 5 hour shift was $10 but with tips it was more like $100 or more so obviously you have no clue what your talking about comparing doctors to wait staff is ridiculous think before you type next time please.

 

I don't understand the point your making. The problem is not tipping or not tipping the problem is legal structure that established a minimum wage of $2 per hour. That is insane and most 1st world countries would not tolerate a business employing staff at $2 an hour in the hope that customers know staff are underpaid and chip in so their waiter/waitress has a living wage. In Canada the minimum wage varies from province to province but it is around $10 to $12 per hour for most workers and $9-11 for bar workers. Personally I think it should be higher and the same for bar workers.

 

In Europe restaurant workers make a fair wage. The end result is the expectation of a tip just is not there in the same way as it is the US. In some countries in Asia leaving a tip is considered an insult to the waitress.

 

When you get on a ship that is sailing from Europe to North America: The fact that NCL figures out how much it takes to pay its employees a "fair wage" and takes care of its people by automatically charging it is fine. The fact it calls some aspect of it a gratuity and collecting it on a daily basis instead of ahead of the time is amusing but it is still part of the cost of taking the cruise. It is much better that some of the old ways of doing it where the passengers guess at what it should be and either pay it case or in little envelopes.

 

If you in Belgium I think it is going to be very hard to get a stack of US $1 and $2 bills to hand out. I would not even bother. If you go into a bank in a foreign country you are not likely to find small US bills in large quantity.

Edited May 15, 2016 by em-sk

[GUT2407]

Hello,

 

I'm from Belgium and I will take my first NCL cruise next year, a 16 day transatlantic, yay!

 

However, I'm a bit worried about what's appropriate when it comes to tips.

 

I'm traveling on a budget and if I tip on every single drink I will have that can quickly become hundreds of dollars I can't afford (I have the UBP perk)

 

So I'd like to ask you experts, how much and how often you tip on long cruises?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Priscila

 

A few points if I may

 

1. To me a 16 day cruise isn't a long one, it's about average

 

2. I leave the auto tips in place, that covers everyone

 

3. I tip anyone who has made my cruise extra special towards the end of the cruise regardless if it's 5 days or 105 days, unless a favourite crew member indicates they are leaving the ship as sometimes happens in longer cruises.

 

4. If anyone has been fantastic a note goes to the head of the hotel, sometimes in the first few days. Those notes and mentions in surveys etc, so crew have told me, mean more to them than any tip as that's what lead to promotions and new contracts.

 

Now what do they need to do to get the extra?

 

Basically make my cruise enjoyable.

 

Steward: be unobtrusive, not complain, not enter the cabin when the do not disturb is out, say hi when I see them in the corridor, pretty much covers it.

 

Waiter: know I want chips (fries) with my din dins and ice cream to finish, know I want a large glass for my Diet Coke not those fiddling things that only hold a mouthful. Know Mrs Gut wants extra vegetables, that's about it and be a bit of fun, have a joke alls good.

 

Bar staff: again quickly pick up that it'll be a Diet Coke (biggest glass they have) for me, have a joke or a bit of a chat when it's quiet.

 

Me I try to always be polite, please and thank you go a long way, friendly, without thinking they're my best friend and will remember me forever, and treat them like people not slaves.

 

But then I don't expect special treatment happy to walk to the bar to get a drink, happy to wait my turn to be served, happy to hear about their lives.

 

Anyway that's what works for me.

[kathybelcher2433]

Would those in the service industry posting here: would you be pleased with an 18% tip on every check? I would think the answer is yes. So these $1 to $2 tips above that in each drink amount to a 25% tip. A $25 tip on a $100 bill for example seems excessive. If that feels right for you great. For me 18% seems just fine.

[GUT2407]

Beliefs? Why is this sounding like a religion as opposed to what it is? Another tipping thread gone to hell.

 

Because they all do.

[GUT2407]

Would those in the service industry posting here: would you be pleased with an 18% tip on every check? I would think the answer is yes. So these $1 to $2 tips above that in each drink amount to a 25% tip. A $25 tip on a $100 bill for example seems excessive. If that feels right for you great. For me 18% seems just fine.

 

I find the whole % thing for tipping crazy, example a few cruises back I go to the bar, can of Coke, my tip about 90c, bloke beside me get a can of beer, his tip about $1.50. Why???

 

Grab a can, pop the top hand it to you.

 

Exactly the same service.

[CasinoCruzGirl]

I don't understand the point your making. The problem is not tipping or not tipping the problem is legal structure that established a minimum wage of $2 per hour. That is insane and most 1st world countries would not tolerate a business employing staff at $2 an hour in the hope that customers know staff are underpaid and chip in so their waiter/waitress has a living wage. In Canada the minimum wage varies from province to province but it is around $10 to $12 per hour for most workers and $9-11 for bar workers. Personally I think it should be higher and the same for bar workers.

 

In Europe restaurant workers make a fair wage. The end result is the expectation of a tip just is not there in the same way as it is the US. In some countries in Asia leaving a tip is considered an insult to the waitress.

 

When you get on a ship that is sailing from Europe to North America: The fact that NCL figures out how much it takes to pay its employees a "fair wage" and takes care of its people by automatically charging it is fine. The fact it calls some aspect of it a gratuity and collecting it on a daily basis instead of ahead of the time is amusing but it is still part of the cost of taking the cruise. It is much better that some of the old ways of doing it where the passengers guess at what it should be and either pay it case or in little envelopes.

 

If you in Belgium I think it is going to be very hard to get a stack of US $1 and $2 bills to hand out. I would not even bother. If you go into a bank in a foreign country you are not likely to find small US bills in large quantity.

 

What don't you understand? Granted I was a waitress many years ago (25) when my son was a baby so I could stay home with him during the day. I left a full time job making a decent salary but this was my choice to waitress during that time. I worked 2/3 nights a week at a local small family italian restaurant and yes I received $2 per hour but the tips I receieved made it a $200 or $300 weekend of work. This was my pocket money. My husband had a good job and paid the bills. I did not complain about getting $2 per hour in my post because the tips made up for it. I hope that helps explain what I was saying. It's not that difficult. And if I wasn't ok with it I would not have done it. Here in NJ is very different than abroad when it comes to tipping which im sure your aware of.

Edited May 15, 2016 by CasinoCruzGirl

[SuiteCruiser]

Would those in the service industry posting here: would you be pleased with an 18% tip on every check? I would think the answer is yes. So these $1 to $2 tips above that in each drink amount to a 25% tip. A $25 tip on a $100 bill for example seems excessive. If that feels right for you great. For me 18% seems just fine.

 

Yes it would if they got the 18%, but they don't, they get a flat salary and the service charge goes to NCL. They are making a good living though and seem to be happy.

 

I do tip $1 a drink because it actually goes to your server. In the casino I never have to wait for a drink, which I like, but I also get to know the servers and am happy to hand off that white chip to them everytime I order something.

 

Everyone is different, do what makes you feel comfortable.

[em-sk]

What don't you understand? Granted I was a waitress many years ago (25) when my son was a baby so I could stay home with him during the day. I left a full time job making a decent salary but this was my choice to waitress during that time. I worked 2/3 nights a week at a local small family italian restaurant and yes I received $2 per hour but the tips I receieved made it a $200 or $300 weekend of work. This was my pocket money. My husband had a good job and paid the bills. I did not complain about getting $2 per hour in my post because the tips made up for it. I hope that helps explain what I was saying. It's not that difficult. And if I wasn't ok with it I would not have done it. Here in NJ is very different than abroad when it comes to tipping which im sure your aware of.

 

What I don't understand is defending a system where employees are paid unreasonably low wages far below the cost of living. Then expecting the customers to leave extra money on the table for the staff knowing they are underpaid.

 

I realise some foreign countries (such as the US) have these unreasonable low wages. That is simply not normal in most other parts of the world including many places where NCL sails. I tip when in CDN or the US, but I still expect the employer is paying a fair wage.

 

So for an international cruise line such as NCL, I think it is a positive step that the gratuity or daily service charge (or what ever you want to call it is automatic). That means your not dealing with every server being and independent contractor but instead you have a management team and crew that are reasonable for delivery an acceptable level of service. It would be better if it was all charged upfront, however this system also works.

[GUEST080219]

Hello,

 

I'm from Belgium and I will take my first NCL cruise next year, a 16 day transatlantic, yay!

 

However, I'm a bit worried about what's appropriate when it comes to tips.

 

I'm traveling on a budget and if I tip on every single drink I will have that can quickly become hundreds of dollars I can't afford (I have the UBP perk)

 

So I'd like to ask you experts, how much and how often you tip on long cruises?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Priscila

 

I will be on the same cruise.

I do tip more on longer cruises compared to shorter one just because there is more time to get to know the staff better. I do not tip per drink at a bar but after a couple of days when I have seen the bar staff interacting I will give $5 here and there to those I think do a very good job.

As others have said I never noticed a difference how I was treated before and after the tip, which can be 5 or 6 days into the cruise. Just being a nice person already gives you the best possible service.

[Bra_BE2014]

I'm still working out how tipping a buck a drink comes out to "hundreds" of dollars. Let's see, if you average 18 drinks a day....

 

Maybe just set aside two or three bucks per day for particularly good service, if you feel so inclined, and let the UBP 18% gratuity do the rest.

 

Edit to add: I'm not a heavy drinker, maybe 3 a day on vacation, but not being judgmental to those who drink more. Everyone's got his own level.

 

I know, right? I didn't think it would be much either, but when I did a projection based on my vacation habits, I came up with:

 

1 drinks at lunch

2 drinks at dinner

5 drinks at night while partying :eek:

 

If I tip Two dollars per drink as some suggested: 8 drinks x 2 = 16

 

16 dollars a day for 16 days = 256 Dollars

[FreestyleNovice]

LOL at the poster raving about getting stronger premium drinks via tipping, you're actually a cheap skate by not ordering that drink the normal way and thereby saving 2 bucks a drink? ;)

 

At OP/Priscila; I never tipped 256 USD on a transatlantic, more towards 100-125 USD in small bits above the DSC at bars and of course a few for the room steward when in a non-Haven stateroom.

All staff we encountered were very happy, exchanged great stories, had some good laughs, warm welcomes and the occasional free drink and never got bad service, no "weak drinks" or stronger/premium for that matter.

And I am pretty sure that roughly only 25-50% of all pax on board tip on the line or in cash, just from personal observation and a lot of Med cruises.

 

Even with just a few bucks here and there I am sure your cruise wouldn't be less than anyone's else, despite how much some posters would like to let you believe that. Enjoy your cruise!

[Casino Comp Chick]

I know, right? I didn't think it would be much either, but when I did a projection based on my vacation habits, I came up with:

 

1 drinks at lunch

2 drinks at dinner

5 drinks at night while partying :eek:

 

If I tip Two dollars per drink as some suggested: 8 drinks x 2 = 16

 

16 dollars a day for 16 days = 256 Dollars

 

First off, I have yet to pay the 18% gratuity to NCl. All my bookings were made before that was implemented. I still have 2 cruises booked under the old way and I also stay in suites most of the time so they are exempt anyway.

 

I only started doing the two dollar bills recently for MY convenience.

#1. I am usually with someone else ordering drinks, so I cover both tips.

#2. I hated carrying around a huge stack of singles (and the casino is kind of a pain to break down bills).

#3. I do get better service, all I have to do is make eye contact with a server and nod yes and my drink will appear in a minute no matter how crowded it is.

 

Is that worth a couple of bucks to me? Abso-Freaking-lutely!

[shanefm3]

I bartended for years in NYC and survived on tips. I'm also from Europe where tipping is not the norm ( it's changing to a tipped environment slowly ). However a bartender in Ireland will get paid 7-800 weekly and receive zero tips, a waitress around 500 but will get tips.

I never received a paycheck in NY as I was taxed on the gratuities left on credit cards. The staff was also audited by the IRS and the way they factored the Tips was as follows , the restaurant made 1 million , the tips were 15% average divided by number of staff and voila, here's your tax bill with interest.

 

My point as someone who lived on tips is I hate it. Id prefer If I was paid a good wage and if I received a tip it was for the good service I gave . I saw too many poor staff benefiting just because of the expectation of having to tip. But unless people want to pay $25 for a cheeseburger to cover the cost of paying staff, then it won't happen.

I too found it hard where to draw the line, I felt mcds staff should be tipped, a cashier who rang my weeks groceries should be tipped . It's all too manipulative .

 

Do I tip well , yes I do. Do they always deserve it , no. It's truly a broken system. I try now to tip well to the people who truly seem to enjoy their work . I still tip everyone but not as automatically as before . If I recognize good service being given to another table , I have no problem telling the manager that I wish I had that server and that I watched him do a great job.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bra_BE2014]

 

Even with just a few bucks here and there I am sure your cruise wouldn't be less than anyone's else, despite how much some posters would like to let you believe that. Enjoy your cruise!

 

Thanks! :) I'm so looking forward to it!