Cash tips

[CATBOATER3]

We like to tip our stateroom attendants and others aboard the ship during our cruise. For an upcoming three week Baltic trip, should we tip in Euros is the USD acceptable?

[hamrag]

Either Euros or USD will be gladly accepted....in addition to the daily HSC, which will be applied to your on-board account!;)

[jtl513]

$US is the standard currency on board, but since the Euro is currently about 18% higher than $US they might be preferred! :) And I do hope you are talking about cash tips in addition to the daily HSC.

[taxmantoo]

$US is the standard currency on board, but since the Euro is currently about 18% higher than $US they might be preferred! :) And I do hope you are talking about cash tips in addition to the daily HSC.

I've seen this mentioned in many posts on the same subject and I simply do not understand.

 

Staff on board very rarely, if ever, spend any money on board so that logic does not necessarily hold up in this case.

 

I would rather give any additional tip in the currency of the area of the world we are in, so that they can spend it ashore if they want to or exchange on board if they want to send some home.

 

In any event, I think most staff is like me and would never turn down a tip regardless of the currency. ;p

[Krazy Kruizers]

I would give Euros at the end of the cruise rather than bring it home where I can't exchange it.

If I feel I do not have enough Euros, I would give them first and then use US dollars.

[rkacruiser]

Sailing from Victoria, B. C. on the Amsterdam that last evening, I wanted to offer an extra gratuity to my Wine Steward. I found that I only had Canadian Dollars on my person. I gave him my gratuity with apologizes that it was not U.S. dollars. He thankfully accepted the gratuity and assured me that whether Canadian or United States, it made no difference to him.

[easyboy]

We always give cash tips in US$. Other currencies are appreciated as well.

[take us away]

It is my impression that there is a 'bank' on board so they can exchange monies if they want but most staff wait and do this on shore. The staff buys their internet time, they have a bar and they used to have a small sundries store so they do spend a bit of US$$ on board. IMO, if you have US$$ it may be best to tip with that but if the ship is staying in Europe for a while, euros would work well.

[jtl513]

$US is the standard currency on board, ...

 

I've seen this mentioned in many posts on the same subject and I simply do not understand.

What's to understand? It's a simple statement of fact.

[taxmantoo]

What's to understand? It's a simple statement of fact.

I do not understand that people use this assertion to justify tipping staff in U.S. dollars.

I know quite well everything on board is in U.S. dollars for us (our bill is usually high enough) but staff do not spend on board. Whatever they purchase on board (internet time, sundries, etc..) is deducted from their pay so does not involve any currency transaction.

[jtl513]

I do not understand that people use this assertion to justify tipping staff in U.S. dollars.

I was not justifying anything - just stating a fact. You chose to read into it something that was not there. Maybe the best thing to do would be ask the steward which he prefers.

[kazu]

A few cruises ago, I asked our concierge what currency to top in. I told her I was thinking of doing euros. (The shp was sailing in Europe).

 

She just smiled and said, the crew will happily accept a tip in any currency (other than currencis like rubles).

 

Crew do have a "bank" on board and some of them exchange among themselves for those going ashore.

[visagrunt]

In my view, tip in whatever currency you have on hand. For many crew the vast majority of their tips are being sent home, so they are going to be converted into Rupiah or Pesos, anyway, so it matters not whether you give them USD, Euros, CAD, Sterling or whatever is at hand.

[catl331]

I do not understand that people use this assertion to justify tipping staff in U.S. dollars.

Actually he was justifying tipping in €, even though they are not the standard currency on board, because € are worth more. Edited August 2, 2017 by catl331

[taxmantoo]

I was not justifying anything - just stating a fact. You chose to read into it something that was not there. Maybe the best thing to do would be ask the steward which he prefers.

 

Actually he was justifying tipping in Euros, even though they are not the standard currency on board, because Euros are worth more.

 

I'm sorry if my posts caused some confusion. I did not mean to say that jtl was incorrect nor put words in his/her mouth. I used the general term "people" because a lot of "people" are always saying it is better to tip in U.S and I was trying to say it may not be necessarily so.

The important thing here is for the OP to know that HAL's employees appreciate money in any currency ;)