Question about tipping guidelines

[bicycledude]

Tipping Guidelines - These would be in addition to the auto tips. Would you experienced cruisers please provide advice.

 

 

Baggage Handler

• $1 per bag or $2 per bag if heavy or large.

Stewart

• 1. Room Service - $2 per delivery
  
• 2. Special requests for items, (ie, robes, wine glasses, egg crates, extra towels, anything else not normally in the room). How much ? $2 per request ? Or $20 at end of week ?
  
• 3. Leaving the cabin in a huge mess from party or children. $5 or more depending upon the mess ?
  
• 4. Being a nice/friendly person ?
  
• 5. Anything else ?

Waiter

• 1. Special dinner orders. For example I am picky about what I eat - cooked without any oil or butter, plain steamed vegetable, salad with no dressing, no meat other than fish and want it cooked plain. If he succeeds in getting me food how I like it, then how much to tip ? Each night or at the last meal ? Or is this "just his job" ?
  
• 2. Off menu items ?

Bartender

• 15% is automatically included in the bill so no extra tip needed

Deck Hand

• I am not sure the right title here. I am thinking that you are sitting by the pool and ask someone to get you fresh towels.

Child Care

• Do you tip the employees who watch your kids in the child care during the normal child care hours ? How much ? What about for extended baby sitting ? 10-15 percent ?

On Ship Class Leader

• For an exercise class, ship tour, etc. No tip needed unless the leader spends extra time individually with you ? How much ?

Spa

• 10 - 15 percent ? Is it automatically included ?

Exercise Room

• One of the machines is broken and someone comes and fixes it. No tip needed since the crew is supposed to take care of these things ?

Excursion Guide

• A group tour off the boat. Do you tip the leader ? Does it matter if the tour was booked via the cruise line or by yourself ? How much ?

Did I miss anything ?

[Bequia]

I always slip the Captain a sawbuck in appreciation of his fine skippering skills. :p

[Iz]

You forgot: -

 

*the airline pilot who flew the plane that got you to the ship (the cruise would never have happened without him)

 

* all the performers in the ship's theatre (they keep you entertained every night)

 

* the men who tie the ship up with the enormous ropes at every port (well, the ship might drift away without them)

 

* every, but every, member of the crew who smiles at you and says "Good morning" during the cruise

 

What's that ? These people are only doing their jobs ????

 

You don't say.....................................................:p

[Southbound]

You must have taken a mind-reading course ;) ;) ;)

[geoherb]

My advice is don't overthink tipping.

 

For cabin stewards, we just tip at the end. If they've provided exceptional service, we give more than the autotip. Getting you robes or extra ice is just part of regular service.

 

Same with our waiters. There's no need to tip extra unless they've gone above and beyond for us, and when we do tip extra, it's the last night.

 

Room service is usually delivered by someone other than your cabin steward. We tip $2 for a simple order and $5 for a full meal.

 

Spa services usually have a tip included, at least they did on our last cruise (Celebrity). You're free to tip more if you want.

 

I've never asked anyone for more towels from the pool attendants, don't have children, and don't take the exercise classes. My instinct would be to tip the babysitters during extended hours whenever using the service, to tip the youth activities staff at the end of the cruise, and not tip the fitness instructors and definitely not the maintenance people who fix equipment.

 

I tip excursion guides depending on the tour. A $2 tip would be adequate for a bus tour. A $40 tip was our largest tip. That was on a kayaking trip in Alaska where it was just one guide and the two of us.