My husband and I were talking this morning.......

[dpump]

our tips (yes, that dreaded word) are already included/paid for on our upcoming cruise. We are in a suite and always leave an additional tip for our cabin stewards and also the concierge in the Neptune Lounge.

Do they get to keep that personal tip we give at the end of the cruise or does that also go in 'the pot' that is shared by all? We put their names on envelopes as we leave our cabin.

 

Thanks!

[mllewis48]

our tips (yes, that dreaded word) are already included/paid for on our upcoming cruise. We are in a suite and always leave an additional tip for our cabin stewards and also the concierge in the Neptune Lounge.

 

Do they get to keep that personal tip we give at the end of the cruise or does that also go in 'the pot' that is shared by all? We put their names on envelopes as we leave our cabin.

 

 

 

Thanks!

 

 

 

I would say that since your Grat's are paid by HAL any additional will be kept by whomever you give them to, most likely you are tagged as free Grat's.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Crew News]

Unless you have rescinded your Hotel Service Charges, crew members are permitted to keep any additional gratuities you may feel that they deserve.

[easyboy]

They do keep the extra tip you will give,

[Krazy Kruizers]

Being as your tips for your cabin stewards and wait staff are already pre-paid, anything you give them , they can keep (no pool sharing).

Your concierges are not part of Hotel Service Charge since they are really workers from the Front Office. And they do get to keep any tips that are given to them.

The Bar Tenders and Bar Servers do not get anything from the Hotel Service Charge as they are not part of that group of workers. They do share the 15% service charge that is added onto all bills for drinks, bottled water, sodas, specialty coffees and specialty teas, etc., that you order from them. Any extra tips you give them, they can keep without it being placed in a pool.

[mysticsailor]

our tips (yes, that dreaded word) are already included/paid for on our upcoming cruise. We are in a suite and always leave an additional tip for our cabin stewards and also the concierge in the Neptune Lounge.

Do they get to keep that personal tip we give at the end of the cruise or does that also go in 'the pot' that is shared by all? We put their names on envelopes as we leave our cabin.

 

Thanks!

 

Two years ago our transfer service had us stay onboard until last disembarkation and while staying late in our room we were surprised when several employees ( assigned as helpers to our stewards? ) entered at least 10 minutes before our room steward. They changed the bedding; emptied trash; bar staff checked the cooler, etc. This of course may have been an anomaly but the possibility exist that someone other than your room steward will come across envelopes first. Fortunately we have always hand delivered extra gratuities to the stewards and servers.

[sail7seas]

Two years ago our transfer service had us stay onboard until last disembarkation and while staying late in our room we were surprised when several employees ( assigned as helpers to our stewards? ) entered at least 10 minutes before our room steward. They changed the bedding; emptied trash; bar staff checked the cooler, etc. This of course may have been an anomaly but the possibility exist that someone other than your room steward will come across envelopes first. Fortunately we have always hand delivered extra gratuities to the stewards and servers.

 

 

It is a good idea, to hand the envelope to your steward the last day/night. We always left it on the bed with their name on it when we leftr for dinner the last night if we didd not see them before that. We left one for both stewards in the years since there are now two fo ead Neptune suite.

[MaxThrusters]

How does it work for the surcharge restaurants? A Pinnacle Grill waiter when asked told me they do not get any of the HSC money on my last cruise. There might have been a language barrier though.

[Cruising-along]

Two years ago our transfer service had us stay onboard until last disembarkation and while staying late in our room we were surprised when several employees ( assigned as helpers to our stewards? ) entered at least 10 minutes before our room steward. They changed the bedding; emptied trash; bar staff checked the cooler, etc. This of course may have been an anomaly but the possibility exist that someone other than your room steward will come across envelopes first. Fortunately we have always hand delivered extra gratuities to the stewards and servers.

 

I have seen this happen too. That last morning is so busy, sometimes extra help comes in. We now leave our extra tips on the last night in an envelope with our stewards' names if we haven't seen them personally before that.

[catl331]

... entered at least 10 minutes before our room steward. They changed the bedding; emptied trash; bar staff checked the cooler, etc. This of course may have been an anomaly ...

Not an anomaly. Ever since they started having all cabins ready before boarding starts they have enlisted many non-stewards to help turn the cabins around quickly. We always leave extra tip envelopes on the bed when we go to dinner on the last night.

 

How does it work for the surcharge restaurants? A Pinnacle Grill waiter when asked told me they do not get any of the HSC money on my last cruise. There might have been a language barrier though.

I believe everyone in the Hotel Department except officers gets a share.

[RuthC]

How does it work for the surcharge restaurants? A Pinnacle Grill waiter when asked told me they do not get any of the HSC money on my last cruise. There might have been a language barrier though.

Pinnacle, Tamarind, and Canaletto stewards get a portion of the Hotel Service Charge. However, if you are pleased with the service, and are so inclined, you are free to leave an additional tip.

Frequently, the stewards in the specialty restaurants pool additional tips within the restaurant, as there are usually several of them who assist in serving you.

[RJ2002]

Since we are see the Pinnacle Grill staff practically each morning for breakfast, and if we are pleased with the service (usually are!), we will give a tip to the PG Manager at the conclusion of the cruise to distribute to the servers.

[drowelf]

It is a good idea, to hand the envelope to your steward the last day/night. We always left it on the bed with their name on it when we leftr for dinner the last night if we didd not see them before that. We left one for both stewards in the years since there are now two fo ead Neptune suite.

 

I generally give a small tip to the steward on our first day or 2 of a cruise, when I schedule our daily ice deliveries. We like to have fresh ice in the room for before dinner and have it refreshed during the turn down service. Then based on service they get more tip at the end of the cruise. I've found over the years that this works out very well. We've never had poor cabin steward service on any HAL Cruise.

 

The only problem we've had is finding our stewards on the last days of a cruise. They are always super busy and never seem to be around. But we know they are around and doing a great job, as our room is always clean and taken care of.

 

Cheers,

[cdnmr]

Hey OP.....you need to work on your post subject line. Make it relevant to your post.

[cbr663]

According to HAL documents, crew are able to keep any additional tips when the passenger does not opt out of the HSC. As your HSC is already paid, the crew would be able to keep the tips.

 

BUT, and this is a big BUT, there is nothing preventing any group of crew from creating a tip pool that is shared by all members in a group. This is common in areas where there are multiple service providers and no one has any control over who gets to serve whom. These types of tipping pools are informal agreements amongst crew and can vary from ship to ship and sailing to sailing. So while HAL's policy is that the crew member gets to keep the tip, the crew member may still share it with others in a pool.

[DeeniEncinitas]

We always on the first day of our cruise

Give both our stewards envelopes with a card and cash with a note and explain there will be again another at the end of the cruise. The note is of appreciation.

All our years with HAL we have never had

A bad cruise. They work hard and deserve it.

Denise:)

[mysticsailor]

we always on the first day of our cruise

give both our stewards envelopes with a card and cash with a note and explain there will be again another at the end of the cruise. The note is of appreciation.

All our years with hal we have never had

a bad cruise. They work hard and deserve it.

Denise:)

 

 

amen !

[mllewis48]

We always on the first day of our cruise

 

Give both our stewards envelopes with a card and cash with a note and explain there will be again another at the end of the cruise. The note is of appreciation.

 

All our years with HAL we have never had

 

A bad cruise. They work hard and deserve it.

 

Denise:)

 

 

 

Having cruised on HAL for over 30 years why would you do that? We appreciate all crew members and have tipped in addition to the HSC but it seems to me that your approach is unnecessary, JMHO. We always get the excellent service as expected.

 

 

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[bUU]

BUT, and this is a big BUT, there is nothing preventing any group of crew from creating a tip pool that is shared by all members in a group. This is common in areas where there are multiple service providers and no one has any control over who gets to serve whom. These types of tipping pools are informal agreements amongst crew and can vary from ship to ship and sailing to sailing. So while HAL's policy is that the crew member gets to keep the tip, the crew member may still share it with others in a pool.

Interesting, and it pays to keep in mind that a lot of the crew comes from places where such mutual support is far more de rigueur than we Americans may expect.

[hrhdhd]

In many land-based restaurants, tips are pooled or shared among positions. That's not new or unusual, and it's none of my business if people decide to do that.

[DoggyDaddy]

I would never do this, but what would prevent someone from giving the room stewards a tip at the start of a cruise to get better service and near the end of the cruise removing the automatic gratuity to save themselves cash.

 

DD

[RuthC]

I would never do this, but what would prevent someone from giving the room stewards a tip at the start of a cruise to get better service and near the end of the cruise removing the automatic gratuity to save themselves cash.

Nothing, but it really isn't going to get them anywhere.

First, the premise is bad. People who 'pre-tip' get the same service they would have gotten anyway had they not done so.

Second, the steward would have to hold that money aside to be sure they don't have to turn it over to the pool. Why create extra work for the steward, especially if you know you are going to remove/reduce the HSC at the end?

[shrimp56]

I would never do this, but what would prevent someone from giving the room stewards a tip at the start of a cruise to get better service and near the end of the cruise removing the automatic gratuity to save themselves cash.

 

DD

Why would you remove the automatic gratuity in any case? There are people that you don't see who get a share of that tip pool. And that makes in many cases, a large part of what they earn. Given the quality of service we receive on HAL (absent the occasional burp) I wish we could afford to add MORE on top of the automatic gratuity. But we always add something.

[cb at sea]

I guarantee if you leave cash for your attendant, it will go directly into their pocket.

[DoggyDaddy]

I hope my post did not give anyone an idea.

 

On one of our river cruises, it was stated that everyone shared in the tipping pool, even the Captain! We thought this was a bit much.

 

DD