Tipping on ship?

[BekkaW]

We eat lunch and breakfast at the buffet. If someone clears plates and serves drinks then I tip them accordingly. We spoon out our own food and fix our own drinks on the ship. Thus, one meal in the MDR at dinner where we are served. I didn't think the example was that hard to follow. But, by all means, you can pay more than you should just because the cruise line "suggests" to do so. It's your choice.

 

You don’t need to, they’re already covered. I notice you also didn’t address the issue other posters raised of your assertion of ‘$25 for one meal’ being demonstrably false

[soremekun]

No - you can cancel by phone!

It seems as if you're familiar with this process. I think your answer may be the correct one.

 

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[Thorben-Hendrik]

Usually they also have the GS "line-checker" do it immediately by phone - so you do not need to wait until it is your turn in the GS line...

[Ocean Boy]

Having been on over 20 cruises, I have never ever observed anyone tip the staff in the buffet. Just saying.

I have tipped in the Windgammer. We now eat most of our dinners there. We sit in the same area every night and the same person will work that area so we get to know them just like the servers in the MDR. Though I will say that lately with so many people now opting to eat dinner in the Windjammer the service is becoming less personable.

[L1211]

We leave a couple bucks on the table in the buffet too. What’s a couple bucks? We’d do it stateside...

 

 

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[L1211]

It comes from the attitude "it's our way or the highway!"

 

 

 

Why does it matter where we’re from? It’s the tipping etiquette of the ships we choose to sail and the service we therefore accept. It has nothing to do with the customs of Home. We know cruise workers are terribly low paid and rely on our tips. Sad but that’s the custom of sailing. Don’t like it, we can choose to vacation elsewhere or pay up our share for the people who serve us all equally.

 

 

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[Reds4life]

You don’t need to, they’re already covered. I notice you also didn’t address the issue other posters raised of your assertion of ‘$25 for one meal’ being demonstrably false

I tip at US buffet restaurants where they have a waitress bring drinks and clear plates. If this was the case on the ship, then I would as well. We help ourselves in the buffet, thus no tip. As far as the second statement,maybe there's a language barrier here since I'm from the US, but "demonstrably" false? I think it's pretty clear we base the amount we tip on the ONLY meal in which we are served with wait staff which is dinner. If the wait staff wants to split that with others then that is their choice - same as on land. We also base it on an estimate of 15-20% of the total bill as we would in a US restaurant. It's somewhat of a slap in the face to wait staff in local US restaurants to tip on the ship differently for the same job in my opinion. Again, it's everyone's choice if they want to pay more. I choose not to do so.

[Reds4life]

Regardless of what anyone says here and many of us have options, which should be clear by now, it is your choice.

 

By the contract you are not required to pay any daily service fee, you are 100% in control of the amount. Drinks, bar service are not the say, they all have a fixed service charged added to them.

 

But the daily charge is optional, you can remove and pay in cash, or reduce or make higher. It is all your choice. Do what you feel is right for you and you are comfortable with.

 

That said I agree with the last part of your post, that is why I always remove the daily service fees and tip those I want directly in cash.

100% Agree! Great post

[Iamcruzin]

What people fail to consider when they tip at home is that at the end of the shift the server tips out the bus person, and the chefs. They cruise line has made it easy for everyone by collecting the gratuity and dispersing it accordingly. I haven’t read through the thread but I’m sure someone mentioned that the cruise lines should pay a living wage or the cruise line should add it to the price of the cruise. To that I say the crew all agreed to the contract. They get a place to sleep, they are fed and receive medical attention when needed and get to travel the world. They are making more money than they could at home. If they added the gratuity to the price of the cruise we would be paying tax on that gratuity. Don’t think for one minute that when cruise lines offer paid gratuity that they don’t hike up the price. Yes the crew all work hard but haven’t we all at one point in our lives. Leave the auto tip on and don’t give it another thought.

 

 

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[bluehens10]

These people deserve the automatic tips. They do practically everything for you. I have a friend that cruises and brags how he hardly tips. It is BS to mess with the tips. People have to stop being CHEAP!!!

[Expat Cruise]

Why does it matter where we’re from? It’s the tipping etiquette of the ships we choose to sail and the service we therefore accept. It has nothing to do with the customs of Home. We know cruise workers are terribly low paid and rely on our tips. Sad but that’s the custom of sailing. Don’t like it, we can choose to vacation elsewhere or pay up our share for the people who serve us all equally.

 

 

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If the average guest here paid a fare "American" wage tot he workers for everything they buy in a year they would be unable to cruise.... No extra money left...... The simple fact is we as Americans purchase products everyday made by poor underpaid factory workers. We cannot and should not try to save the World it is not our job as cruise guest. If the crews are underpaid it is up to the cruise lines to pay them, not tried to guilt guest into a system that the lines can skim cash off the tops.

 

If guest feel so bad for the crew stop cruising and demand the lines pay fair wages. But do not claim with Gratuities guest should be required to fix. Because it will not happen.

[Grandma Dazzles]

I tip at US buffet restaurants where they have a waitress bring drinks and clear plates. If this was the case on the ship, then I would as well. We help ourselves in the buffet, thus no tip.

 

Never eaten on a ship, especially in the Windjammer, where my dishes have not been cleared. Staff also serves/refills beverages. Assume you do your own dishes, wipe off table, etc.

[Reds4life]

Never eaten on a ship, especially in the Windjammer, where my dishes have not been cleared. Staff also serves/refills beverages. Assume you do your own dishes, wipe off table, etc.

I have not gotten any dishes taken away until we leave. Never got a refill. Again, if the wait staff wants to split the tips with the bus boy, dish washer, etc. then they can do that. Keep wasting your money, but I prefer not to.

[lucymorgan]

Why does it matter where we’re from? It’s the tipping etiquette of the ships we choose to sail and the service we therefore accept. It has nothing to do with the customs of Home. We know cruise workers are terribly low paid and rely on our tips. Sad but that’s the custom of sailing. Don’t like it, we can choose to vacation elsewhere or pay up our share for the people who serve us all equally.

 

 

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I think the problem stems from people not understanding the different cultures. We have always left the autograts on - indeed if booking from Australia you cannot now book without them being included (our laws say that the total price of any holiday must be advertised - including taxes, service fees/grats etc). We usually give our stateroom attendant and waiters and some bar staff extra too. But we are used to the different tipping culture in the US.

 

Some Aussies used to get a surprise to find all of these extra charges when travelling to the US or on a US cruise line because according to our laws they pay the full amount when booking (including what would go to employees earning a decent wage). Now RCI has fixed this issue for their cruises by complying with the norm in Australia.

 

I do find some (not most) US people very opinionated about tipping - again stemming from their life experience and culture - US people who have traveled outside the US less so. I object to the thought that people from non-tipping cultures are cheapskates - we are usually just people used to living in societies that pay people a decent wage.

[Sam Ting]

What people fail to consider when they tip at home is that at the end of the shift the server tips out the bus person, and the chefs. They cruise line has made it easy for everyone by collecting the gratuity and dispersing it accordingly. I haven’t read through the thread but I’m sure someone mentioned that the cruise lines should pay a living wage or the cruise line should add it to the price of the cruise. To that I say the crew all agreed to the contract. They get a place to sleep, they are fed and receive medical attention when needed and get to travel the world. They are making more money than they could at home. If they added the gratuity to the price of the cruise we would be paying tax on that gratuity. Don’t think for one minute that when cruise lines offer paid gratuity that they don’t hike up the price. Yes the crew all work hard but haven’t we all at one point in our lives. Leave the auto tip on and don’t give it another thought.

 

 

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In the USA Tipping out traditionally non tipped workers, chefs etc is actually a violation of federal laws according to the dept of labor, so if that is happening where you work you need to file a complaint.

[Livelikeagypsy]

This is one of the more convoluted and nonsensical explanations of resort fees I've every heard. It's also completely false. Resort fees exist for one reason and one reason only: They can have a lower room price when people search. There is absolutely no requirement that certain charges "be recorded separately". The operator may choose to do that for their bookkeeping purposes. But pretty much everything in this post is garbage.

 

First of all... there is zero need to attack a poster because you're grumpy and disagree.

 

Second... what experience do you have? I've actually worked in a 5 star hotel kitchen and can confirm that the poster youre replying to is correct depending on the laws where they live. Laws are different in terms of hotel pricing and some counties do force hotels to do it that way.

 

If you think staff gets paid from surcharge then you have a lot to find out.

[Grandma Dazzles]

I have not gotten any dishes taken away until we leave. Never got a refill. Again, if the wait staff wants to split the tips with the bus boy, dish washer, etc. then they can do that. Keep wasting your money, but I prefer not to.

 

I will never agree with you - have read many of your posts in the past, along with Sam Ting, ExPat and other non-tipping cruisers.

 

For the sake of newcomers to cruising and this thread, however, I have to disagree with you. Dishes are removed - when returning to a buffet you are required to take a clean plate - roaming staff take dirty dishes from your table. They also frequently top up coffee, or any other drinks.

 

Tips billed to your account cover all eating venues that you choose to use, not just MDR.

 

I don't like your tipping attitude and disagree, but it's your opinion and I know you will not change. However, please at least don't post incorrect information.

[cello56]

Cheap people will always rationalize their actions. That doesn't make them less cheap. I feel blessed that my family can afford to cruise. There is no way that I would remove gratuities from hard working crew members. Anyone who feels it is ok, in fact their 'right' to stiff the crew is not someone I would want as a friend. You can pontificate all you want about how the cruise lines 'should' pay their staff a living wage, but in reality, the crew all work on a gratuity basis. They knew that when they signed their contract. But YOU also knew that when you booked YOUR cruise. Pretty low to know full well how things work, and then make excuses about why you are cheating the crew.

[Ocean Boy]

I have not gotten any dishes taken away until we leave. Never got a refill. Again, if the wait staff wants to split the tips with the bus boy, dish washer, etc. then they can do that. Keep wasting your money, but I prefer not to.

Well as someone who eats a good number of meals in the Windjammer, my experience is that dirty plates are often removed from my table as I am eating the last bite of food from it and the staff is constantly asking if I want more to drink.

 

Are you sure you have cruised on RCI?

[Desert Cruizers]

We have always pre paid the gratuities then tipped extra at the end, much easier. The crew work very hard.

[maryred]

First of all... there is zero need to attack a poster because you're grumpy and disagree.

 

Second... what experience do you have? I've actually worked in a 5 star hotel kitchen and can confirm that the poster youre replying to is correct depending on the laws where they live. Laws are different in terms of hotel pricing and some counties do force hotels to do it that way.

 

If you think staff gets paid from surcharge then you have a lot to find out.

 

Thank-You, the info was shown to me by the onsite manager (for out of country owners) of a small beachfront resort here. He is a friend of my DH and it made me doubt the validity of his explanation.

[ryano]

Cheap people will always rationalize their actions. That doesn't make them less cheap. I feel blessed that my family can afford to cruise. There is no way that I would remove gratuities from hard working crew members. Anyone who feels it is ok, in fact their 'right' to stiff the crew is not someone I would want as a friend. You can pontificate all you want about how the cruise lines 'should' pay their staff a living wage, but in reality, the crew all work on a gratuity basis. They knew that when they signed their contract. But YOU also knew that when you booked YOUR cruise. Pretty low to know full well how things work, and then make excuses about why you are cheating the crew.

 

[Scotty G]

Well as someone who eats a good number of meals in the Windjammer, my experience is that dirty plates are often removed from my table as I am eating the last bite of food from it and the staff is constantly asking if I want more to drink.

 

Are you sure you have cruised on RCI?

 

Agree 100%

 

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[IceManCan]

I leave $1.00 pp at every meal and $2.00 pp at specialty restaurants. $1.00 for every drink I order at the bars(i am the only drinker in my family). I also slip my room steward $20.00 as soon as I meat him or her. This is in addition to the prepaid gratuities. I also tip anyone who goes above and beyond to assist me or my family.

 

Because of this I never wait for drinks even when the bars are busy, always have fresh Ice and often times what ever I am drinking waiting for me in my cabin. Always have an extra lobster tail waiting for me on lobster night(without asking) we have never gotten off a cruise without a hat, pin, lanyard or other logowear for my kids. This only scratches the surface of enhancing our vacation. An extra few $ added on to the cost of our trip always pays off.

 

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[JHU]

Cheap people will always rationalize their actions. That doesn't make them less cheap. I feel blessed that my family can afford to cruise. There is no way that I would remove gratuities from hard working crew members. Anyone who feels it is ok, in fact their 'right' to stiff the crew is not someone I would want as a friend. You can pontificate all you want about how the cruise lines 'should' pay their staff a living wage, but in reality, the crew all work on a gratuity basis. They knew that when they signed their contract. But YOU also knew that when you booked YOUR cruise. Pretty low to know full well how things work, and then make excuses about why you are cheating the crew.

 

Also agree with this post. Leave the suggested tips in place and bring extra cash to reward those who provide direct service to you.