Towel Animals and Tipping

[swimmingotter]

I have a simple trick to getting the best service from your room steward and seeing one towel animal per day in your stateroom.....

 

Tipping above and beyond the daily service charge

 

Start with a $5.00 or $10.00 tip on the first day.

 

Works like a charm - to date, after 8 cruises, we have never experienced an unfriendly steward, run out of towels or found messy a messy cabin after a day away. :):):)

[NLH Arizona]

After 50 some cruises, I've never tipped the first, second or third day, only on the last day and I've never experienced an unfriendly Cabin Steward, never had a messy cabin and had all the towels and towel animals I could handle. Treating crew members with respect, works like a charm.

[cb at sea]

We've NEVER "pre-tipped" on any cruise, and still get the towels animals, and great service. There is NO NEED to hand out bribes!

[swimmingotter]

Not a bribe, a tip, you know, a small token of appreciation. Makes me feel good inside.

[Apsalar]

I've done it both ways. Some cruises tipped $5 per day, and some waited and left a bigger tip at the end. Didn't seem to correlate with towel animals. One cruise we went 2 or 3 days without any towels animals, and we mentioned it to the steward when we finally saw him, and the next night we had I think 4 or 5 different ones. He said the reason we didn't have any for those days and that we hadn't seen him around was because he'd been pulled to some different rooms for a few days to cover someone who was sick, and we'd gotten someone who was very new. I don't know if that was true, but at least he made up for it.

[roger001]

In 20 NCL cruises, we've yet to have a room steward that we pretty much didn't just love. And the towel animals have been plentiful. However, we've never tipped until the end of the cruise, the last night, which we then certainly do. So, I think you would have been just as happy without the tip at the beginning. But it doesn't matter either way. And you're right. Tipping these wonderful folks extra makes me feel good.

[OneWord]

After 50 some cruises, I've never tipped the first, second or third day, only on the last day and I've never experienced an unfriendly Cabin Steward, never had a messy cabin and had all the towels and towel animals I could handle. Treating crew members with respect, works like a charm.

 

Ditto

[Jantoo]

First, I give a tip (not a bribe) at the beginning of a cruise when I make specific requests for my cabin -- such as extra ice and the way I prefer to have my bed made. I leave other tips during the cruise and also, at the end. I've never felt I have offended anyone and believe my tips were appreciated.

[ready2cruzagain]

I have a simple trick to getting the best service from your room steward and seeing one towel animal per day in your stateroom.....

 

Tipping above and beyond the daily service charge

 

Start with a $5.00 or $10.00 tip on the first day.

 

Works like a charm - to date, after 8 cruises, we have never experienced an unfriendly steward, run out of towels or found messy a messy cabin after a day away. :):):)

 

Not a bribe, a tip, you know, a small token of appreciation. Makes me feel good inside.

To me a tip is something you give after great service, not before. I do not tip Before Hand.

 

If a crew member goes above and beyond then I will tip more.

 

On our last 2 NCL cruises the crew did nothing above and beyond. I did tip the DSC and did not change it but everyday I had to call for towels, wash clothes, beach towels, soap, or something else.

 

It seems as though, not only with NCL, that crew members feel as though you are suppose to tip more than what the gratuities are set at. I totally disagree.

 

 

At $14pp, say if there are only 2 people even in a cabin, that is $28 per day and multiply that times 7, that is $196 a week.

 

I am not sure how many cabins the stewards on NCL have but I do know that on Carnival they have 27 cabins each. At $196 per cabin a week, that is $5,292 per week. And you really think we should tip MORE for better service? I think not. Wouldn't the gratuities I am already paying be a token of my appreciation?

[2ManyCruises]

We're getting close to 40 cruises on multiple lines. We have always had excellent service from our room stewards and have never tipped on the first day, only on the last.

 

Tipping on any day I'm sure is appreciated.

 

Next up - Getaway Thanksgiving week.

[Cruiser Bruiser]

I guess I'm becoming a cranky old man, but I would tip to not have towel animals. I guess I feel a little guilty about dismembering them when the steward doesn't take them away.

[daughterofsarah77]

First timer here....how does one tip? Leave it somewhere, or hand it directly to the person? Sorry,,,I have a lot to learn!

[Shawnino]

I guess I'm becoming a cranky old man, but I would tip to not have towel animals. I guess I feel a little guilty about dismembering them when the steward doesn't take them away.

 

Have you tried tipping the steward with a towel animal?

[ColinIllinois]

I would never insult a service professional by "tipping" them on the first day to give me good service. I treat them like I know they will give me prompt and satisfactory service and will reap the rewards accordingly. 99% of the time I am not disappointed.

 

Personally, I think doing what the OP suggested just makes you look like a tacky tourist who has little experience traveling or dealing with customer service professionals. In other words, disrespectful.

 

As someone else said though, to each their own.

[roger001]

First timer here....how does one tip? Leave it somewhere, or hand it directly to the person? Sorry,,,I have a lot to learn!

 

First....tipping is strictly your choice, not required or expected. You should get the same great service regardless. However, I choose to tip. I think all the crew with whom we interact are such hard workers and it makes me feel good to help them a bit extra. For a 7 day cruise, we usually leave $40 for the cabin steward in an envelope on the last night. Some guests leave more, some leave less or nothing. Nothing right or wrong. I tip my drink servers when at a bar setting usually a dollar with each round he/she brings. Sitting at the bar, I'll usually leave $3 or $ 4 when we get up, depending on how many drinks were served. For sit down dining, I usually leave $5 or hand it to our server when we get up. If we use the free room service, I'll give the person that delivers it $2. Again, there is no right or wrong. If you've really enjoyed a persons service and wish to do so, leave a tip, how much is up to you. The crew do not expect a tip when providing for you. If you are a suite guest then there are additional guest tipping considerations that are basically expected. I might add, there are just two of us. If you had kids and family with you, you might want to consider more.......or not.

[pieshops]

Not a bribe, a tip, you know, a small token of appreciation. Makes me feel good inside.

then by all means do it but know that it is not making a difference, if you get a bad steward(rare) he will be bad no matter how much you pretip. In all myth cruises I have never pretipped anyone and have had nothing but awesome experiences.

[SeaShark]

Makes me feel good inside.

 

I don't think THAT is the purpose of the tip.

[wdsted]

I think that people should be able to tip at any time they choose without judgment. Now, as for those who line up at the service desk to get the DSC refunded...

 

 

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[BenDover]

28 days from my cruise on Epic and I prepaid the "service charge". I have no plans on tipping my room steward unless I make a special request. I expect good service and could care less about towel animals.

[oncruisecontrol]

First, I give a tip (not a bribe) at the beginning of a cruise when I make specific requests for my cabin -- such as extra ice and the way I prefer to have my bed made. I leave other tips during the cruise and also, at the end. I've never felt I have offended anyone and believe my tips were appreciated.

Yes. Exactly this. I am very particular about the way my bed is made up, and particular about one or two other things as well that may require a little extra work on the part of the cabin steward. So, we always leave a written note with our requests on the bed upon boarding with a $10 bill on top of it. Mid week we leave another written note of thanks with another cash tip. Of course, this is in addition to the "auto-tips". I greatly appreciate the great service we've gotten on our more than 20 cruises, and I am happy to tip extra (even in advance) as I have never been disappointed. Yes, some stewards have been extra extraordinary, and some not as good as that, but all have been above average. I will continue to give tips in advance. I don't think stewards expect it, but they do appreciate it, and it shows with the service we get.

[jaymarycruisers]

this is for ready2cruzagain ---your calulations are wrong ---the $14 per person per day goes to not only the room stewards but food people and behind the scene people

[NMLady]

I have a simple trick to getting the best service from your room steward and seeing one towel animal per day in your stateroom.....

 

Tipping above and beyond the daily service charge

 

Start with a $5.00 or $10.00 tip on the first day.

 

Works like a charm - to date, after 8 cruises, we have never experienced an unfriendly steward, run out of towels or found messy a messy cabin after a day away. :):):)

 

We never tip cabin steward until the very last day and we have always had friendly stewards, plenty of clean towels, and a clean cabin whatever time we return to it. :confused::D:)

[cabincop]

I have a simple trick to getting the best service from your room steward and seeing one towel animal per day in your stateroom.....

 

 

 

Tipping above and beyond the daily service charge

 

 

 

Start with a $5.00 or $10.00 tip on the first day.

 

 

 

Works like a charm - to date, after 8 cruises, we have never experienced an unfriendly steward, run out of towels or found messy a messy cabin after a day away. :):):)

 

 

 

If it’s not a bribe why do you say it works like a charm? I’ve been on almost 60 cruises & never tip till end. And always had amazing service without a bribe. Just sayin

 

 

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[cabincop]

I don't think THAT is the purpose of the tip.

 

 

 

I agree

 

 

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[NMLady]

To me a tip is something you give after great service, not before. I do not tip Before Hand.

 

If a crew member goes above and beyond then I will tip more.

 

On our last 2 NCL cruises the crew did nothing above and beyond. I did tip the DSC and did not change it but everyday I had to call for towels, wash clothes, beach towels, soap, or something else.

 

It seems as though, not only with NCL, that crew members feel as though you are suppose to tip more than what the gratuities are set at. I totally disagree.

 

 

At $14pp, say if there are only 2 people even in a cabin, that is $28 per day and multiply that times 7, that is $196 a week.

 

I am not sure how many cabins the stewards on NCL have but I do know that on Carnival they have 27 cabins each. At $196 per cabin a week, that is $5,292 per week. And you really think we should tip MORE for better service? I think not. Wouldn't the gratuities I am already paying be a token of my appreciation?

 

Only about 1/3 of that $14 goes to the cabin steward. Some goes to waiters, some to those working behind the scenes, like laundry workers.