Extra Tipping

[cb at sea]

They absolutely do NOT "skim" the tips...all who are supposed to be tipped, all be tipped their entire portion.

[bill0021]

Originally posted by JMTtor

First, from people in the industry, the cruise lines don't give all of those auto-tips to the people serving you on your cruise; they skim some off the top for themselves.

I am curious about this myself. Has it been determined that the auto-tips do not all go to the staff or is this myth?

[ScottVV]

exactly!

 

Exactly X2!!!!

[DrD]

I usually give waiter $40 and asst $20 for a week for a family of 4.

[ryano]

 

They skim some off the top for themselves.

:)

 

Hearsay.

[2Long2NxtCrz]

We had a party of eight that ended up at the same table every night after the first one. There was a night where five of us ate at Wonderland, but the Maître D' didn't want to switch things up since our waiter often gets requests for his tables. So, in effect every night we all were served by the same staff.

So we gave them $140 which was a bit more than $20/day. The service was worth it and they gave us that amazing service before they knew they were going to get tipped extra at all.

[Toofarfromthesea]

Hi,

 

Here's a good tip, "don't polish your boots when they are wet" :):):)

 

And don't bet on slow horses.

[Havingfun2010]

A person in Indonesia gets on average $350.00 per month in salary. The same person in the USA gets $2985.00. So a $20 tip is the same buying power as $150.00 in their country.

 

I don't care what a person makes, or how they get it. What I do know is that the hard working folks on the ship, get paid a sum of money that far exceeds their expectations in their home country. You can't apply your standard on their standard. Cruise industry is a unique animal, that is just best left alone to figuring out.

 

Now, I earlier made a bid that I tip $200.00. So far, only one other person bragged that they tipped higher than me. Lets get back to the fun stuff, and lets see who can brag the best.

[BNBR]

A person in Indonesia gets on average $350.00 per month in salary. The same person in the USA gets $2985.00. So a $20 tip is the same buying power as $150.00 in their country.

 

I don't care what a person makes, or how they get it. What I do know is that the hard working folks on the ship, get paid a sum of money that far exceeds their expectations in their home country. You can't apply your standard on their standard. Cruise industry is a unique animal, that is just best left alone to figuring out.

 

Now, I earlier made a bid that I tip $200.00. So far, only one other person bragged that they tipped higher than me. Lets get back to the fun stuff, and lets see who can brag the best.

 

One of the most ignorant things I've read in quite some time. Congrats.

[cruisebabe50]

We always used to tip for room service when it was free but now we were charged $7.95 and were told the tip is included sooooo...

 

 

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[geomancer]

We always used to tip for room service when it was free but now we were charged $7.95 and were told the tip is included sooooo...

 

Now it's $7.95 + 18%

 

Everything has an auto-tip.

[geomancer]

Ya know, I've never found anything that disputes the claims and information in his articles. I'm glad we have an industry watchdog like him. If you won't read the articles or verify information, how do you know it is worthless? I've tried to find reasonable counterclaims to what is on his website.

 

I read that article, and there is pretty much zero facts in there. It's paragraphs and paragraphs of "maybe" "could" "possibly" "might" "guess" "may" and rhetorical questions. It's nothing at all but his opinion. His only "proof" is a quote from a crew member who confirms that back of the house staff also gets a cut of the gratuities. Something that's public knowledge and not hidden.

[Host Star]

On several different cruises I have asked waiters if they preferred the tips (gratuities). Put into their accounts or if they preferred the old personal envelope way. Surprising or not too surprising every one that I questioned said they preferred the grats automatically put in their accounts. Especially since my time dining. Several also said they were more apt to receive a little extra in cash above and beyond the auto tip and a couple of them said they weren’t so quick to spend it if it was put directly into their acts. Also asked them if Rci charged a fee for handling their acct and they said. No

[ryano]

I read that article, and there is pretty much zero facts in there. It's paragraphs and paragraphs of "maybe" "could" "possibly" "might" "guess" "may" and rhetorical questions. It's nothing at all but his opinion. His only "proof" is a quote from a crew member who confirms that back of the house staff also gets a cut of the gratuities. Something that's public knowledge and not hidden.

 

Exactly. I guess it was my post that was deleted that LMaxwell responded to but I will just refer to what you said. EVERY single thing he has ever posted about the cruise industry is nothing but HIS opinion and Ive yet to ever see him back things up with facts.

 

A "watchdog". That is TOO funny!

[Kari and David]

On several different cruises I have asked waiters if they preferred the tips (gratuities). Put into their accounts or if they preferred the old personal envelope way. Surprising or not too surprising every one that I questioned said they preferred the grats automatically put in their accounts. Especially since my time dining. Several also said they were more apt to receive a little extra in cash above and beyond the auto tip and a couple of them said they weren’t so quick to spend it if it was put directly into their acts. Also asked them if Rci charged a fee for handling their acct and they said. No

 

Thanks for sharing the point of view of the staff. I travel with a teenager who never dines with us so I make it a point on day two to remove all mandatory tips and pay as I go. I used to get a "suggested" grat list and it does include a daily fee for back of house. The majority of the tip goes to dining at about $8 so that is the bench mark we use on the night we have sit down dinner. On my last cruise they no longer offered the "suggested" grat list so good think I remembered it.

[JMTtor]

On several different cruises I have asked waiters if they preferred the tips (gratuities). Put into their accounts or if they preferred the old personal envelope way. Surprising or not too surprising every one that I questioned said they preferred the grats automatically put in their accounts. Especially since my time dining. Several also said they were more apt to receive a little extra in cash above and beyond the auto tip and a couple of them said they weren’t so quick to spend it if it was put directly into their acts. Also asked them if Rci charged a fee for handling their acct and they said. No

No question that cruise staff like the auto-grats; I've never messed with those daily charges. But if you want to give extra (understanding that this is TOTALLY up to each individual passenger), the staffers appreciate that in cash, at least according to those with whom I've spoken (admittedly a microscopic portion of the thousands of cruise ship service workers out there).

Most cruise lines, as I understand it, allow you to add extra tips to your onboard account, but then they're apportioned among EVERYONE in your service area; there's no way to give someone who has delivered truly exceptional service a special "extra" tip through your onboard account, so - cash it is if you want to reward a specific individual. If there IS a way to do it through the onboard account, please share - I'd love to get the extra "points" on my RCCL VISA! :D

[setsail]

500$ min for the week

[GUT2407]

500$ min for the week

Tight wad:D;p

[Bird82]

Zero. I'm a pathologically generous tipper everywhere I go. But once the cruise industry decided to automatically include tips, I took the hint. They don't want me to tip any more than they have automatically taken out. No one gets anything.

 

Sad, they used to get a couple hundred more out of me every cruise. Oh well, at least I have that to use for other things now!

 

This! ........ I'm an excessive tipper. But if the company is going to dictate to me how much to tip regardless of level of service them I'm not going to tip beyond that. They are losing money with me but I guess it averages out in the end because there are some real lousy tippers out there. I wish they would just increase the price of the cruise and pay their employees a fair wage. And let passengers use TIPS as they are really meant for...To Insure Proper Service!

[NavyCruiser]

"First, from people in the industry, the cruise lines don't give all of those auto-tips to the people serving you on your cruise; they skim some off the top for themselves. "

 

 

So why not put that rumor to rest & remove auto-grats & give cash tips directly to the individual crew members?

Like the good old days...

 

 

" But if the company is going to dictate to me how much to tip regardless of level of service them I'm not going to tip beyond that. "

Then it's no longer a "Tip", but a business expense or profit for the cruise line...

[itsmeagain]

And don't bet on slow horses.

 

Or as I do a lot, don't bet on three legged horses.

[LSUfan4444]

We are on the Allure. Although we have MTD we have been eating dinner at the same table each evening and we are a party of 10. What would be an average additional tip to leave the waiter; assistant? They are both very nice.

 

 

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My "standard"(7 night cruise with AT LEAST 3 nights in the MDR) is usually $20 to my cabin steward, waiter and asst waiter...my head waiter usually gets $10. From time to time that changes but the service I've received in the MDR has been pretty consistent across the board EXCEPT for our sailing on Liberty right out of dry dock in 2016 when we did my time dining...nobody in the MDR got extra. Service was bad and very inconsistent.

Edited June 28, 2018 by LSUfan4444

[Iamcruzin]

Zero. I'm a pathologically generous tipper everywhere I go. But once the cruise industry decided to automatically include tips, I took the hint. They don't want me to tip any more than they have automatically taken out. No one gets anything.

 

Sad, they used to get a couple hundred more out of me every cruise. Oh well, at least I have that to use for other things now!

It all works out because now you need that extra to spend on board just to get close to the experience that you had before they started the auto gratuity.

[Ocean Boy]

Nope, I'm not part of the Starbucks crowd. Perhaps a better question is why do you tip a buck at Starbucks to someone that has only spent a minute or two on your drink.

I don't do the Starbuck's stuff either. But at least they spend more time making a coffee than the guy puts in at the Cafe Promenade to hand you a can of coke for an 18% tip on top of a way overpriced can.

[Panda3]

I don't do the Starbuck's stuff either. But at least they spend more time making a coffee than the guy puts in at the Cafe Promenade to hand you a can of coke for an 18% tip on top of a way overpriced can.

 

 

Yes, agreed!