Cabin Steward Left Envelope for His Tip

[spunks]

I find the theme of this thread to be somewhat surprising. It would not occur to us to not seek the steward out and give him/her at least an extra $20.00. This is in addition to the auto tip.Rather stingy not to in my opinion.

 

Doug

[diane.in.ny]

Got off the Grand in November. Noticed a box of envelopes sitting on the counter at the passenger services desk. So obviously people ask for them and Princess has no problem with money being left in them for the staff.

 

We prefer to just hand the money to the designated person.

[Wiusa]

I was on the same cruise. Our steward left 3 envelopes with an exceptional service comment card. I wouldn't think anything of it.

Just saving people the walk to the service desk.

[-Lew-]

I will usually get a few envelopes from passenger services. If you want your steward, wine steward (Vines), waiter, etc. to be able to keep a tip you need to put it in an envelope with your cabin number on it.

We always give extra tips, over and above the auto-tip, in unmarked envelopes. I would think if it were important that we add identifying information we would have been told by a recipient.

 

[Colo Cruiser]

Just off the Crown. We have cruised over 20 times on other cruise lines, as well as, several on Princess. On the last full day, the cabin steward left a blank envelope with the Disembarkation info. I know in the "olden days" envelopes were given for the different departments for tips. Since the automatic tips, we have never been given an envelope to tip the steward. We have given tips to stewards in the past.

 

We interpreted this envelope as a suggestion for his tip and did not appreciate it.

 

Is this a normal thing for stewards to do?

 

 

Did you remove the auto tip?

They know who does.

[Stimpac]

Thanks for your replies, unless the service is bad then I will certainly give a cash tip to the room attendant.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[midasman7]

I only tip in person on the last night for "good service".....also often a bartender for making my drink special each time.

[ExDean]

We don't use the PSD blank envelopes, but bring our own "Thank You" notes for when we decide to leave an extra cash tip for either cabin steward or other crew member who served us well. These notes, we feel, are much more meaningful as we always put a personal note with the extra tip. Also, we understand that when crew members receives a tip personally addressed they are not "required" to donate to the crew tip pool. Works for us.

[Mediterranean honeymooner]

We are due to cruise on the Crown in July. Originally we were going to turn off the auto gratuities and tip when we had good service but after discussing it with my in-laws to be (they have cruised before) we decided to leave that on.....it's more than covered for on our obc but this tipping thing is alien to me as a Brit. In the UK tips are not expected and only given when it is earned. I am sure that when we get on board and we will be blown away by the service etc. However I really feel this is going to be an expensive trip if we are paying auto gratuities and tipping on top of this? Don't get me wrong I work for living so I know that good service should be rewarded but once! Does that sound cheap?:eek:

[Kingofcool1947]

I've never had that happen, but agree it's rather tacky .... kind of like a tour guide who make a little speech at some point during a tour indicating they they appreciate tips. That's a total turnoff to me, and will probably negatively affect the amount of tip I am likely to give.

 

You don't show your appreciation verbal, or otherwise, to your tour guides? Especially if the tour or guide was enjoyable? :confused:

 

Anyway, tips and amount, are always your choice to make, and to give or not, correct?

 

There are some PAX from countries who don't have a tip culture. So, as I see it, there is no harm for a tour guide to mention for you to tip if you appreciatied their service and you do give them a tip, or not. Whether the guide mentions it early, middle, end of the tour should be in no way impact your decision to tip or not. Many people are hard of hearing, pay no attention to the tour guide, or are people where tipping is not the norm in their culture.

 

For DW and I, we are lesser that we are in good health, and are financially able to go on cruises, and to experience other cultures and their people. A small token of our appreciation to the tour guide is no big deal for us. :)

 

Just wondering, were your tours in third world countries where the saleries are low?

 

May you enjoy your furute cruises and tours, and if God wills, give you good health, and you live and not die before your next cruise.

[Astro Flyer]

We always give extra tips, over and above the auto-tip, in unmarked envelopes. I would think if it were important that we add identifying information we would have been told by a recipient.

 

 

 

 

Cabin attendants know our name & cabin number so they don't need to ask for our identifying information & can add it to the envelope. Dining room staff would ask us for that information & said it was necessary to have that information in order to receive our additional cash tip after turning it in.

 

That's been my experience so we now automatically add our identifying information in addition to their name & a brief thank you note before giving it to them.

[donaldsc]

We don't use the PSD blank envelopes, but bring our own "Thank You" notes for when we decide to leave an extra cash tip for either cabin steward or other crew member who served us well. These notes, we feel, are much more meaningful as we always put a personal note with the extra tip. Also, we understand that when crew members receives a tip personally addressed they are not "required" to donate to the crew tip pool. Works for us.

 

First of all, I always treat my cabin stewards with courtesy and respect during the cruise. I also thank them for any extra work that they do and I am not demanding. That said, I really do not think that they care if you put a personal note in a custom envelope when you give them an extra tip. All they care about is the picture of the president on the bills.

 

DON

[lindyloo17]

We are from UK. We were going to turn off auto tipping and tip based on service.

We are on anytime dining.

We will tip waiter and cabin attendant.

 

Is that OK? .

[Kingofcool1947]

First of all, I always treat my cabin stewards with courtesy and respect during the cruise. I also thank them for any extra work that they do and I am not demanding. That said, I really do not think that they care if you put a personal note in a custom envelope when you give them an extra tip. All they care about is the picture of the president on the bills.

 

DON

 

:D Is it all about the money?

 

Enjoy your cruise. And if God wills, grant you good health, and you live and not die before your next cruise.

[Kingofcool1947]

We are from UK. We were going to turn off auto tipping and tip based on service.

We are on anytime dining.

We will tip waiter and cabin attendant.

 

Is that OK? .

 

Sure. If that's what you do for service industry employees in the U.K. That's in your culture, correct?

 

Enjoy your cruise. And If God wills, grant you good health, and you live and not die before your cruise.

[jefa]

We are from UK. We were going to turn off auto tipping and tip based on service.

We are on anytime dining.

We will tip waiter and cabin attendant.

 

Is that OK? .

 

I am from the UK also and have never turned off the auto tip.

 

What about the other staff you don't see, who also get a portion of your auto tip. Are you going to seek them out and tip them something as well? How much do you intend to give your waiter and cabin attendant? Are you going to save money by tipping them and only them?

 

I'd keep the auto tip on if I were you

[ckb104]

We don't use the PSD blank envelopes, but bring our own "Thank You" notes for when we decide to leave an extra cash tip for either cabin steward or other crew member who served us well. These notes, we feel, are much more meaningful as we always put a personal note with the extra tip. Also, we understand that when crew members receives a tip personally addressed they are not "required" to donate to the crew tip pool. Works for us.

 

I also plan to take some thank you cards for that purpose. I like the more personal touch and the chance to write a nice note.

[Astro Flyer]

In addition to giving cash tips when appropriate, we also commend any crewmembers for their exceptional service in the emailed post-cruise survey.

 

I've learned that these commendations are better for crewmembers than the onboard you made a difference ones because the survey goes directly to Princess HQ. I take the time at home to commend deserving crewmembers because it can have a positive affect on their job which for some crewmembers is also their career. It can affect promotions based on job performance which can result in excellent crewmembers becoming excellent supervisory staff members. :)

[rdsqrl]

We are from UK. We were going to turn off auto tipping and tip based on service.

We are on anytime dining.

We will tip waiter and cabin attendant.

 

Is that OK? .

It's OK to do that in that it certainly is allowable. That said, if I may offer a couple of things to consider about your proposed plan of action . . .

Since you're in Anytime Dining, you will quite possibly have different waiters each night. Will you carry cash each night to tip them then and there, as you may not see them again? Also, the autotip covers wait staff in the buffet, who set the tables, bring you coffee/iced tea/water, clear your plates, etc. Will you be tipping each time you sit down for a meal there? One of the boons of the autotip is that it makes the whole thing so easy. On the last day, I don't have to go hunting around for the various servers in different food venues who gave me such excellent service.

And, while I have no evidence to back this up, I'm guessing that removal of autotips might make a supervisor question the steward/waiter, as the presumption of most bosses is that the customer is responding to a problem. The cultural niceties of tipping norms might or might not be the first thing the average headwaiter or housekeeping manager thinks about. I'd hate to think I got a good worker jammed up with their boss because I went outside the norm.

Anyway, just some things you may not have thought of. Have a wonderful cruise.

[Lucky TGO]

Maybe someone asked for an envelope and he got the rooms mixed up? It could have been a simple mistake.

I just really want to believe your answer!! Because I never receive a blank envelope and I think your right.

Tony

[Shmoo here]

It's OK to do that in that it certainly is allowable. That said, if I may offer a couple of things to consider about your proposed plan of action . . .

Since you're in Anytime Dining, you will quite possibly have different waiters each night. Will you carry cash each night to tip them then and there, as you may not see them again? Also, the autotip covers wait staff in the buffet, who set the tables, bring you coffee/iced tea/water, clear your plates, etc. Will you be tipping each time you sit down for a meal there? One of the boons of the autotip is that it makes the whole thing so easy. On the last day, I don't have to go hunting around for the various servers in different food venues who gave me such excellent service.

And, while I have no evidence to back this up, I'm guessing that removal of autotips might make a supervisor question the steward/waiter, as the presumption of most bosses is that the customer is responding to a problem. The cultural niceties of tipping norms might or might not be the first thing the average headwaiter or housekeeping manager thinks about. I'd hate to think I got a good worker jammed up with their boss because I went outside the norm.

Anyway, just some things you may not have thought of. Have a wonderful cruise.

I have a couple of questions about the auto tipping and whether it can be turned off.

 

I thought if you had Anytime Dining, you had to auto tip?

And, I've been told that removing the auto tip and then tipping directly, the person who receives the cash tip must turn it in, for a determination to be made if they get to keep the cash tip (if you've kept your auto tip in place) or the cash tip being placed in the pool to be divided (if you've removed your auto tip). True?

[rdsqrl]

I have a couple of questions about the auto tipping and whether it can be turned off.

 

I thought if you had Anytime Dining, you had to auto tip?

And, I've been told that removing the auto tip and then tipping directly, the person who receives the cash tip must turn it in, for a determination to be made if they get to keep the cash tip (if you've kept your auto tip in place) or the cash tip being placed in the pool to be divided (if you've removed your auto tip). True?

No, re Anytime. That may be a rule on another cruise line (it does sound vaguely familiar, like I've heard/read it before), but it is not the case on Princess.

Your second statement is what I have believed to be the case. And, frankly, what makes sense to me (otherwise you'd have waiters and stewards constantly jockeying for their passengers to remove the autotip and give them cash, and the whole system would collapse). Some posters vehemently deny that is the case, but as they are often the ones who post in opposition to the autotip, I'm not inclined to believe them. And, frankly, I don't care. The behind-the-scenes aspect of it are really none of my business and of no interest to me. Princess has instituted a procedure; I personally find it easier on me to adhere to that procedure; and, finally, I can see no good reason for eschewing said procedure except just to be a contrarian (or to be a cheapskate and skip out on tipping completely. Which is fine, if that's what some of the anti-autotippers are all about. I just disdain their ridiculous attempts to put lipstick on that particular non-kosher farm animal). In short, the whys are immaterial to me.

[tailspintom]

We are from UK. We were going to turn off auto tipping and tip based on service.

We are on anytime dining.

We will tip waiter and cabin attendant.

 

Is that OK? .

Hello Lindyloo,

 

Of course it is OK for you to turn off the auto tip. In doing that, any tips that you give to the cabin attendant and waiters will be turned in to be placed in the pool to be shared with all of the general service personnel.

 

That is the benefit of the auto tip process. It gets payment to all of the wait staff, and hotel personnel that may not be on the front line of service servicing the client directly. Like those wait staff that fetch your coffee, tea and juice in the morning. And those folks that deliver your room service orders. One could tip these folks as service is delivered, but I find it convenient and fair to leave the auto tip on and then enumerate for service beyond the norm.

[Shmoo here]

No, re Anytime. That may be a rule on another cruise line (it does sound vaguely familiar, like I've heard/read it before), but it is not the case on Princess.

Your second statement is what I have believed to be the case. And, frankly, what makes sense to me (otherwise you'd have waiters and stewards constantly jockeying for their passengers to remove the autotip and give them cash, and the whole system would collapse). Some posters vehemently deny that is the case, but as they are often the ones who post in opposition to the autotip, I'm not inclined to believe them. And, frankly, I don't care. The behind-the-scenes aspect of it are really none of my business and of no interest to me. Princess has instituted a procedure; I personally find it easier on me to adhere to that procedure; and, finally, I can see no good reason for eschewing said procedure except just to be a contrarian (or to be a cheapskate and skip out on tipping completely. Which is fine, if that's what some of the anti-autotippers are all about. I just disdain their ridiculous attempts to put lipstick on that particular non-kosher farm animal). In short, the whys are immaterial to me.

I agree. I like the auto tip procedure. And, if I feel that's not enough, I'll tip in addition.

 

I'm surprised about the "no" to "must auto tip if on Anytime dining". It just makes things easier, ensuring that those who serve you do get a tip. Since tipping each and every time you eat something can get burdensome.

[Thrak]

We are from UK. We were going to turn off auto tipping and tip based on service.

We are on anytime dining.

We will tip waiter and cabin attendant.

 

Is that OK? .

 

Obviously that is your prerogative. However, the tip you leave "based on service" won't go to the person you are tipping. It will get turned in to the general pool and the person you are trying to tip will ultimately end up with less in the way of a tip. It definitely won't be beneficial to the person who gave you the good service.