Extra Tipping

[Iamcruzin]

For those of you saying "I won't tip extra since the cruise lines started adding automatic gratuities," allow me to offer an alternate perspective:

 

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. Unless you have documented proof, this is just hearsay.

Second, your decision not to tip "because the cruise line thinks it knows better" punishes the workers, not the cruise line. The workers have to do their jobs regardless of whether you auto-tip, tip according to your own concept, or - since the lines allow passengers to remove the auto-gratuities and there are those lowlifes who remove the auto-tips from their bills - don't give ANY tips, so the hardworking service staff are stiffed. The cruise line makes it too easy for the passenger to remove the tip. If they have a legitimate issue then only the person who is not providing service should be penalized not every one who is dependent on the auto tip. Therefore only that portion of the gratuity should be removed. While I agree that the staff works hard and deserves to be compensated they also receive room and board,a uniform that is cleaned by the cruise line, medical and they get to travel the world. They signed a contract agreeing to the compensation that they receive and many renew their contract so I'm guessing overall they are happy in their situation.

The cabin attendants, waitstaff, and others work their tails off for peanuts, and for those who provide service above and beyond, ANYTHING extra - even if it's a measly dollar a day - will absolutely make the service person's day. I always give some cash, handed DIRECTLY to the service person, on the last day or two of the cruise (and sometimes, if I'm enjoying a particular bar or bartender, I'll give some bucks on the first day or two, because you'll be remembered and get great service!). Always tip a buck or two for room service, too.

 

You'd tip a buck at Starbucks for someone who's spent under five minutes making you a specialty drink. Why on earth would you think it's okay to go cheap when someone's been working for you long hours for days on end? Just my thoughts; YMMV.

I don't drink that overpriced pretentious coffee but it really irks me when I see a tip cup at Dunkin Donuts and or deli establishments. Why do they expect a tip for selling me coffee at a counter. Their only job is to make my coffee. Most are paid off the books and don't pay income tax on their earnings.

:)

 

There is a difference in tipping for service that is unexpected such as the waiter remembering what you drink and tipping because the waiter was nice and chatted you up. They are in the service business it's their job to be nice.

[leisuretraveler223]

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.

 

 

Completely false. Yet it remains here....

[leisuretraveler223]

Second, your decision not to tip "because the cruise line thinks it knows better" punishes the workers, not the cruise line.

 

 

Again, "not tipping" implies removing the automatically charged gratuity. That is NOT what people here were referring to. Blurring those lines is totally inappropriate.

[cruziJenn]

There is a difference in tipping for service that is unexpected such as the waiter remembering what you drink and tipping because the waiter was nice and chatted you up. They are in the service business it's their job to be nice.

 

Agree 100%. A number of times I/we have encountered service professionals that are clearly in the wrong job....and at other times it has been really obvious that someone is doing what they are really good at. To me bartenders are a perfect example, the ones that are able to truly remember you, SERVE YOU WELL (absolutely required!!) and always have something apropos to say to you, even when the bar is a madhouse of chaos. People like that really deserve having the tip glass stuffed to the brim....even when they are also getting 'standard' autograts on the baseline. It is my firm opinion that because they stand out in how they serve their customers then they really deserve sonething extra. It is not about how much they make in salary plus tips overall compared to my income or whether they are from Indonesia or Poland or UK or Russia or America, it is always about recognizing better than average service with better than average income. A job is a job is a job and when someone is at least a little 'outstanding' at their job then they should be rewarded for that.

[ryano]

And let passengers use TIPS as they are really meant for...To Insure Proper Service!

 

Then Im about 100% sure it should be called TEPS then if this were true. You arent getting insurance coverage on anything.

 

This acronym is just false anyway. If you were going to try and ensure prompt or proper service, wouldnt the tip need to be given at the beginning of the meal? The waitress/waiter has no idea what you are going tip or if you are even gonna tip at all. This is one that has never made sense to me

Edited June 28, 2018 by ryano

[leisuretraveler223]

Then Im about 100% sure it should be called TEPS then if this were true. You arent getting insurance coverage on anything.

 

This acronym is just false anyway. If you were going to try and ensure prompt or proper service, wouldnt the tip need to be given at the beginning of the meal? The waitress/waiter has no idea what you are going tip or if you are even gonna tip at all. This is one that has never made sense to me

 

 

Just because something is false and totally absurd, why shouldn't people constantly post it here?;p

[martyap]

Almost all of the service we have encountered on the Allure this week has been excellent and professional. The reason I posted is simply to get an idea how much to tip for 5 cabins/10 passengers in the two categories that have been not only more personal but extra special.....MDR waiter/assistant waiter and room steward. I understand this is additional compensation and very personal and I am sure whatever I decide to leave will be received with appreciation.

 

 

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[Iamcruzin]

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?

I have been on CC for 10 years on many different cruise line boards and many threads on tipping. This is the first time in all of those years and treads that I have ever seen that statement written. IMO it's an erroneous comment that invalidates the entire opinion of that post.

[ryano]

Just because something is false and totally absurd, why shouldn't people constantly post it here?;p

 

You got me! I have nothing! :cool:;p:D

[martyap]

The gratuity RCCL adds to my bill comes to $203 for the week. Of that how much could my waiter, assistant waiter and steward end up with in their pockets. Even if they got half of the total that only comes to $34 each.......

or about $5 a day

 

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[lenquixote66]

We were on a cruise a few years ago with a group of strangers .One couple made a point to tell everyone at every dinner that they were extremely wealthy .They got very good service from the Waiter,possibly because he heard their stories .On the last night they told all of us that they never tip anyone ,on a cruise or anyone else.

 

We all knew how they amassed their supposed weaith.

[CruiseGal999]

$200 as an additional TIP? Thats seems sorta high to me.

 

Did you read the whole post? He/she was KIDDING. :rolleyes:

[Stultzy]

I will provide additional tips based on the service.  Depending on the length of the cruise my cabin steward or stewardess will get anywhere from $50 to $100 cash in their hand.   They clean your bathroom all week!  The Head waiter $40 to $50 and $25 to $30 for assistant waiter- but only if service was top notch.   Beyond that there are bartenders, the concierge in the Diamond Club and even the waiters in the specialty restaurants.  They're all deserving at times.  I always do cash and give it directly to the individual with a thank you!  I know some are just doing their job, but many go above and beyond to make my vacation very enjoyable. Part of the reason I cruise is to interact with the employees of the ship and learn about their cultures and experiences.  Enjoy Life! 

Edited January 15, 2020 by Stultzy

[spookwife]

On 6/26/2018 at 7:13 AM, martyap said:

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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 there are no  averages.   for good reason.   its strictly a personal decision.    for us, being ' very nice' is not worthy of an additional gratuity on top of the daily surcharge.   

[spookwife]

On 6/27/2018 at 9:57 AM, JMTtor said:

 

 

You'd tip a buck at Starbucks for someone who's spent under five minutes making you a specialty drink. Why on earth would you think it's okay to go cheap when someone's been working for you long hours for days on end? Just my thoughts; YMMV. 🙂

 have never tipped at Starbucks or any other similar type venue.  

[Baggies58]

Sorry People, just posting this again here as I may have put in the wrong discussion about an hour ago

 

Hi all, thank you for all your help so far as we will be on our first ever cruise in August.

 

I have found the discussion on tips very interesting and helpful and I know different people have different views on tips and that is of course fine.

 

Call me naive to cruising anyway and don't get me wrong, I have no issues with tipping. I booked our cruise over 8 months ago and I included pre paid gratuities in my cruise. This I thought at the time would mean I did not have to worry about all that because as new cruisers we would have no idea what way to tip. Now I find it seems to be the norm that you do in fact tip extra. That makes me wonder why I pre paid gratuities in the first place. Now it also seems that some take off the pre paid gratuities at the start of the cruise and pay direct at the end. There also seems issues with, if you pre pay, do the right people share in that which is a surprise.

 

So, after reading this discussion I actually, now, as a new cruiser, feel the need to tip extra and yes, I know many will say, that is not the way you should feel but I just don't want to feel or look awkward if extra tipping is going on.

 

Genuinely by nature, cruises are expensive and I am sure like me, first time cruisers are not aware of the full nature of tipping. I know for a start, when I booked our cruise, as part of the deal we got the Deluxe Drinks package and I know while it said it was part of the cruise (offer), this was factored into the price and I know full well, there is NO way as moderate drinkers we will get no where near the value from that so I know the Cruise Ship benefits from that not the staff.

 

Anyway, I hope you don't mind me giving my insight from a new cruiser into discussion, I am sure I will be on again asking more questions (smiles)

 

Sorry, just to add to the above, do staff actually know if you have pre paid gratuities ?

[Clarea]

13 minutes ago, Baggies58 said:

 ...

 

Sorry, just to add to the above, do staff actually know if you have pre paid gratuities ?

 

Yes, they do.  They also know if people have removed auto gratuities.

[marci22]

19 minutes ago, Baggies58 said:

Sorry, just to add to the above, do staff actually know if you have pre paid gratuities ?

 

They may. I have always gotten good service no matter which way I chose to tip. The times I got bad service it was just the personality of that person for ex. they just don't care no matter how you tip.

 

Anyway much worse than not tipping and getting poor service is tipping and getting sub-optimal service.

[brillohead]

59 minutes ago, Baggies58 said:

Anyway, I hope you don't mind me giving my insight from a new cruiser into discussion, I am sure I will be on again asking more questions (smiles)

 

Sorry, just to add to the above, do staff actually know if you have pre paid gratuities ?

I've been cruising since the 1980s, so I'll tell you what I do.  

First, I always leave my automatic gratuity on my account.  Normally I just pay it on the bill at the end of the week, but I've also done it prepaid when I had a credit that was applied to my account from a previous cruise.  I've not noticed any difference in service quality between prepaying and paying at the end of the week.  

The official word is, if you've paid your automatic gratuity, THAT IS ALL THAT IS EXPECTED OF YOU.  You will not be looked down upon by the staff if you pay your auto-gratuity.  With that being said, I do normally tip an extra $20-$40 to my waiter, assistant waiter, and room attendant, however, I do base it on the level of service that they provide.

 

If my meals are served properly, with a smile on the face, my water glass refilled without me constantly having to ask for more, etc., that's good enough for me.  Basically, I judge whether or not to leave an additional tip at the end of the week based on if I come to dinner and leave dinner happily, or if I dread going to dinner and feel frustrated afterward. 

 

Honestly, I've only had one cruise that the MDR staff didn't earn an additional tip from me... they weren't "mean" or anything, but I just felt like we were overlooked the entire week... constantly had to ask for more rolls/butter, constantly had to ask for drink refills, constantly had to ask them to remove a chair from the table for a member of our party who is in a wheelchair -- these are all the kinds of things that normal MDR teams figure out after the first night, and a conscientious waitstaff will just automatically take care of things after that.  

Same for my room attendant.... I make a couple small requests at the beginning of the cruise (separate the beds, leave extra towels in the bathroom in case I'm sleeping in the morning and they can't service the room, etc.).  As long as they keep my room in shape and smile/say hello if we happen to see each other in the hallway, I'm a happy camper, and I leave some cash on the last evening.  

[Tulsacoker]

The one (ones) I typically have always give extra is stateroom attendants. As brillo stated, I request ice filled everyday and want the room serviced. With that I will always leave extra in the tip envelope. 

[Wine-O]

3 minutes ago, Tulsacoker said:

The one (ones) I typically have always give extra is stateroom attendants. As brillo stated, I request ice filled everyday and want the room serviced. With that I will always leave extra in the tip envelope. 

 

Those are just their typical/normal stateroom attendant duties.  Doesn't sound like anything above & beyond to me.  🍷

[Tulsacoker]

Just now, Wine-O said:

 

Those are just their typical/normal stateroom attendant duties.  Doesn't sound like anything above & beyond to me.  🍷

Maybe but they sure are the ones I interact with the most on a cruise 

[FLACRUISER99]

I leave all my extra "Tips" because I want to, not because I feel its expected.

[Tulsacoker]

A Tip spelled backwards is PITA.   that is the lesson for the day .

[NavyCruiser]

1 hour ago, FLACRUISER99 said:

I leave all my extra "Tips" because I want to, not because I feel its expected.

 

So you're sayin' that your "extra Tips" are real Tips, &  Pre-Paid Gratuties / Auto Gratuities are considered Expected... as in expected expenses...?