Jump to content
Cruise Critic Community

Towel Animals and Tipping

swimmingotter

By swimmingotter,
in Norwegian Cruise Line

 Share

Recommended Posts

ncklhaus

ncklhaus

Posted
Posted
We always tend to overtip, but that's because we spent plenty of time in the service industry.

When we cruise, we make a list of the people we believe should be tipped. Then depending on the length of the cruise, we choose how much we would tip for satisfactory service. I split that in half and write up Thank you cards to be given on day 1 with half of the cash tip in it. The note usually says something like "Thank you in advance for making our cruise special." We include our names, room number, and reservation number. At the end of our cruise, the second thank you card goes with a note saying how much we appreciated the fantastic cruise and the other half of the tip. Plus we tend to tip a bit more during the cruise when someone goes above and beyond what is expected.

I'm not saying that you should do what we do, but we've never had poor service.

 

Please let me also point out that if after giving out the first tip envelopes our service was anything less than we expected, our extra cash tip would be reduced. But we would never remove the DSC.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
mugtech

mugtech

Posted
Posted
With the prepaid tips, is the cabin steward aware of this upon our arrival? I just don’t want it to feel awkward at the end of the cruise when we don’t hand him an envelope. Granted I do plan to tip a little if warranted throughout the cruise but is it necessary for me to inform the cabin steward that I prepaid?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

You did not prepay tips you prepaid services charges, while everyone else will be paying daily through their on board account. How and when you pay the daily service charges has nothing to do with tipping.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ready2cruzagain

ready2cruzagain

Posted
Posted
You did not prepay tips you prepaid services charges, while everyone else will be paying daily through their on board account. How and when you pay the daily service charges has nothing to do with tipping.

Then someone needs to tell the big online TA companies this "fact" that it is not tips because this is what they state:

 

Tipping Guidelines Norwegian will automatically add $13.99 per day, per guest to your onboard account for any category up to a Mini-Suite ($16.99 per day, per guest for any Suite or Haven category). These amounts can be adjusted onboard. An 18% tip is added to all beverage orders, spa and salon services and all specialty restaurant or entertainment-based dining. There is no charge for children under the age of 3.

 

Notice the first word: TIPPING

Link to comment
Share on other sites
CruiseMstr

CruiseMstr

Posted
Posted
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 a fraction of that amount goes to the cabin steward. The daily service charge gets disseminated to all the waitstaff, cabin stewards and some housekeeping.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites
swimmingotter

swimmingotter

Posted
  • Author
Posted
I think it's a lovely idea.

These are hard-working people who are away from their family, and any kind of little gift is appreciated no matter what part of the world you are from!

 

I also do not agree with someone saying that you should never tip before hand.

As soon as I'm on the ship, I'm handing out five dollar bills for anybody helps us.

If you want to call it a bribe, go ahead.😁 You won't hurt my feelings, but it sure gets me seated a bit quicker at times !

And I also found I rarely had to ask for anything twice after giving someone a gratuity.

I don't think they make a lot of money working on the ships, and if I can afford a cruise, I can afford showing someone my appreciation .

Just my thoughts! :*

. Well said!
Link to comment
Share on other sites
swimmingotter

swimmingotter

Posted
  • Author
Posted

quote=sumonami;54424455]I disagree that tipping on the front-end is construed as an insult to a service professional. As a very seasoned traveler, I prefer exceptional service over "satisfactory" service any day of the week. As such, I always give a 20 to my room steward upon our first meeting when I request more/better pillows, a plush robe, ice at both am/pm service, and any other little extra requests I may have. I also give various other staff members a generous tip on day one- ensures a better table at dinner, a better pour at the bar, etc.

If you'd like to call it a bribe, well, that's your prerogative. I'll sit back comfortably in my plush robe, stiff drink in hand, feeling happy on the inside knowing I scratched their backs and in return, they scratched mine;-)

 

I agree wholeheartedly Sumonami. The smiles all around are truly worth the extra effort.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites
FranknBeans

FranknBeans

Posted
Posted
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.

 

 

We too tip on last day and have never ran into problems with cabins stewards. As for towel animals and pillow waxed chocolates we tell the steward not to waste his time. There is enough food on board with out the waxed chocolates, however the platinum box of chocolates that went from 6 to 4 is worth eating. As for towel animals we don't have kids so just don't waste your valuable time for us.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
aussiehall1

aussiehall1

Posted
Posted
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.

 

 

 

Amen! I totally agree with you. Respect and treating others as you would like to be treated goes a long way. Recently on a B2B whilst waiting for the cruisers to depart the first cruise crew taking the wheelchair cruisers saw me sitting there and came over to say hi and glad I was coming back. Most I’d just spoken to, it wasn’t just because of my tipping skills. Caring goes along with sharing! Yes, I tip, I tip well, but above that I care about others. Plus, I’ve always had a clean cabin, mine is never messy to start with!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites
NMLady

NMLady

Posted
Posted
With the prepaid tips, is the cabin steward aware of this upon our arrival? I just don’t want it to feel awkward at the end of the cruise when we don’t hand him an envelope. Granted I do plan to tip a little if warranted throughout the cruise but is it necessary for me to inform the cabin steward that I prepaid?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Doesn't matter if he knows or not that you prepaid the DSC since if it is not prepaid then it is automatically billed each day to your onboard account.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Paul S

Paul S

Posted
Posted

I've been following this thread with interest. It seems to be mostly a US thing and divides posters and drives more threads than any other topic on this baord. Everyone will doubtless do at the time what they feel is right for them.

 

However, for those who claim tipping uipfront gets better service, better tables, bigger drinks, etc., if everybody (or at least a sizeable majority) did so, not everybody can have the best table, be served first, etc.

 

Back in the day there used to be a common view of US citizens abroad as waving large wads of dollar bills and expecting everyone to jump. Those times are long past, but for me anyway, tipping up front has a feel of reverting back to then, waving money at someone and demanding or at least expecting better than everone else. There is an unequal realtionship between the status and income of the giver and receiver, and from this side of the pond certainly feels like a bribe. Just one example, if drinks come in defined shot sizes, expecting a bigger pour in return for an advance tip is bribing the staff to give you something you are not entitled to and could put their job at risk.

 

I am paying a sizeable chunk of money for my cruise plus a DSC on top (though as I booked in the UK it's all wrapped up in the overall price) for which I expect a good level of service, the same as when I go into a restaurant and there is a service charge added to the bill. I don't feel any need to tip extra unless somebody has done me some special service over and above what is expected of them as part of their job.

 

There are many minefields when tipping. If the wait staff are good but the food is below expectation, should I still tip the wait staff because it wasn't their fault? If the wait staff are poor but the food is excellent do I remove or reduce the service charge? It may be going into a tronc (shared pooling of tips for supervision and distribution by a troncmaster chosen by the staff), in which case the kitchen staff get less because of the poor wait service.

 

I. for one, much prefer to have an egalitarian DSC rather than the old days of an envelope to give to the waiter and another for the cabin steward. Perhaps it's my Englishness showing but I found that embarrassing, compounding the feel os a servant/mmaster dynamic. If, as I understand to be the case, bar-tending, table waiting and cabin stewarding are sought after jobs and well rewarded compared to local wages, surely they will all do their best for the guest because they want to keep their job, regardless of the tips, and fior those who tip in advance they woud probably have got the same service regardless, as has been suggested by others.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
BenDover

BenDover

Posted
Posted

(y)(y)

I've been following this thread with interest. It seems to be mostly a US thing and divides posters and drives more threads than any other topic on this baord. Everyone will doubtless do at the time what they feel is right for them.

 

However, for those who claim tipping uipfront gets better service, better tables, bigger drinks, etc., if everybody (or at least a sizeable majority) did so, not everybody can have the best table, be served first, etc.

 

Back in the day there used to be a common view of US citizens abroad as waving large wads of dollar bills and expecting everyone to jump. Those times are long past, but for me anyway, tipping up front has a feel of reverting back to then, waving money at someone and demanding or at least expecting better than everone else. There is an unequal realtionship between the status and income of the giver and receiver, and from this side of the pond certainly feels like a bribe. Just one example, if drinks come in defined shot sizes, expecting a bigger pour in return for an advance tip is bribing the staff to give you something you are not entitled to and could put their job at risk.

 

I am paying a sizeable chunk of money for my cruise plus a DSC on top (though as I booked in the UK it's all wrapped up in the overall price) for which I expect a good level of service, the same as when I go into a restaurant and there is a service charge added to the bill. I don't feel any need to tip extra unless somebody has done me some special service over and above what is expected of them as part of their job.

 

There are many minefields when tipping. If the wait staff are good but the food is below expectation, should I still tip the wait staff because it wasn't their fault? If the wait staff are poor but the food is excellent do I remove or reduce the service charge? It may be going into a tronc (shared pooling of tips for supervision and distribution by a troncmaster chosen by the staff), in which case the kitchen staff get less because of the poor wait service.

 

I. for one, much prefer to have an egalitarian DSC rather than the old days of an envelope to give to the waiter and another for the cabin steward. Perhaps it's my Englishness showing but I found that embarrassing, compounding the feel os a servant/mmaster dynamic. If, as I understand to be the case, bar-tending, table waiting and cabin stewarding are sought after jobs and well rewarded compared to local wages, surely they will all do their best for the guest because they want to keep their job, regardless of the tips, and fior those who tip in advance they woud probably have got the same service regardless, as has been suggested by others.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
mypleasure

mypleasure

Posted
Posted
I've been following this thread with interest. It seems to be mostly a US thing and divides posters and drives more threads than any other topic on this baord. Everyone will doubtless do at the time what they feel is right for them.

 

However, for those who claim tipping uipfront gets better service, better tables, bigger drinks, etc., if everybody (or at least a sizeable majority) did so, not everybody can have the best table, be served first, etc.

 

Back in the day there used to be a common view of US citizens abroad as waving large wads of dollar bills and expecting everyone to jump. Those times are long past, but for me anyway, tipping up front has a feel of reverting back to then, waving money at someone and demanding or at least expecting better than everone else. There is an unequal realtionship between the status and income of the giver and receiver, and from this side of the pond certainly feels like a bribe. Just one example, if drinks come in defined shot sizes, expecting a bigger pour in return for an advance tip is bribing the staff to give you something you are not entitled to and could put their job at risk.

 

I am paying a sizeable chunk of money for my cruise plus a DSC on top (though as I booked in the UK it's all wrapped up in the overall price) for which I expect a good level of service, the same as when I go into a restaurant and there is a service charge added to the bill. I don't feel any need to tip extra unless somebody has done me some special service over and above what is expected of them as part of their job.

 

There are many minefields when tipping. If the wait staff are good but the food is below expectation, should I still tip the wait staff because it wasn't their fault? If the wait staff are poor but the food is excellent do I remove or reduce the service charge? It may be going into a tronc (shared pooling of tips for supervision and distribution by a troncmaster chosen by the staff), in which case the kitchen staff get less because of the poor wait service.

 

I. for one, much prefer to have an egalitarian DSC rather than the old days of an envelope to give to the waiter and another for the cabin steward. Perhaps it's my Englishness showing but I found that embarrassing, compounding the feel os a servant/mmaster dynamic. If, as I understand to be the case, bar-tending, table waiting and cabin stewarding are sought after jobs and well rewarded compared to local wages, surely they will all do their best for the guest because they want to keep their job, regardless of the tips, and fior those who tip in advance they woud probably have got the same service regardless, as has been suggested by others.

 

You absolutely nailed it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
marazad16

marazad16

Posted
Posted
I disagree that tipping on the front-end is construed as an insult to a service professional. As a very seasoned traveler, I prefer exceptional service over "satisfactory" service any day of the week. As such, I always give a 20 to my room steward upon our first meeting when I request more/better pillows, a plush robe, ice at both am/pm service, and any other little extra requests I may have. I also give various other staff members a generous tip on day one- ensures a better table at dinner, a better pour at the bar, etc.

If you'd like to call it a bribe, well, that's your prerogative. I'll sit back comfortably in my plush robe, stiff drink in hand, feeling happy on the inside knowing I scratched their backs and in return, they scratched mine;-)

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

 

This is us, stated perfectly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
NLH Arizona

NLH Arizona

Posted
Posted

 

Back in the day there used to be a common view of US citizens abroad as waving large wads of dollar bills and expecting everyone to jump.

Funny you mention this, because on my first cruise on Crystal (so many years back, I don't want to remember), the one thing that has stuck in my mind after all these years is one gentleman. He was a heavy set man, very loud, from a northeastern state and he walked around with a wad of cash tipping just about everyone he saw. He would give them cash, slap them on the back and say "buddy, I know you will take really good care of me and if you do there is more where is came from". I was totally shocked that anyone would act this way. Thankfully, I never saw that kind of behavior ever again.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
mugtech

mugtech

Posted
Posted
I prepaid my DSC so considered I'd already tipped up front, and received good service. Our DSC was almost 10% of the cost of the entire cruise.

 

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Forums mobile app

Prepaying the DSC is not the same as tipping out of your pocket on day one. Having the DSC deducted every day is not the same as tipping every day.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • Hurricane Zone 2024
      • Cruise Insurance Q&A w/ Steve Dasseos of Tripinsurancestore.com June 2024
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...