Method of Adding Extra Gratuities from OBC for Specific Crew Members?

[Luvcrusn]

We always leave the required daily gratuities, but always give extra in cash to various crew members at the end of our cruise. On our upcoming cruise we have a great deal of nonrefundable OBC and would like to leave some of it to specific crew members rather than have it go into a general pool. Has anyone found a way to do this? If not, we'll just use cash since we want to make sure that the crew members who go the extra mile to make our vacation wonderful are specifically rewarded. Please, please, please don't let this thread degenerate into another "merits of tipping and how much" threads. Thanks!

[Sail Girl]

I’ve been told that this isn’t possible. If you use your OBC for grats it will be distributed as are other pre-paid gratuities. 

[Luvcrusn]

That's what I've always thought. In cases where we had refundable OBC we've gotten in back in cash the least night and distributed it, or if not just gave out of pocket cash. I was hoping that one of the CC smart folks would have a way I've never thought of using since we've so much nonrefundable OBC this time. If I can't use it in the way that will benefit the specific crew members, we'll use cash for them and figure other ways to make the OBC disappear (DH says I have a knack for making money disappear!)

[NAGooner]

Luvcrusn,

 

We had the same challenge on our last cruise in August (more nonrefundable OBC than we could use).  A few days before the end of the cruse we received our remark/comments form and it had a place for additional tips. We filled in the names of the staff and the amounts we wanted to give them, took it to guest services, checked that we had filled it out properly and handed it in.

 

We told the staff members what we had done (the amounts were

added to their wages). One of them came up to us and told us that he had already been advised what we had done and the amount.

 

The amount of the daily gratuiites goes into the tip pool, additional gratuities, over and above the daily amount, go to the staff member regardless as to how you provided it. If you remove the daily gratuities than any amount given to the staff member goes inrto the tip pool.

 

NAGooner   

 

[CHEZMARYLOU]

Just ask Guest Services for a form for additional tips.  It is usually limited to dining and stateroom staff.  Not sure if you want to give anyone an additional tip if you could put it on the form.  We've done this on our last 4 or so cruises because of the NOBC.

[JerseyGirlatHeart]

1 hour ago, NAGooner said:

Luvcrusn,

 

We had the same challenge on our last cruise in August (more nonrefundable OBC than we could use).  A few days before the end of the cruse we received our remark/comments form and it had a place for additional tips. We filled in the names of the staff and the amounts we wanted to give them, took it to guest services, checked that we had filled it out properly and handed it in.

 

We told the staff members what we had done (the amounts were

added to their wages). One of them came up to us and told us that he had already been advised what we had done and the amount.

 

The amount of the daily gratuiites goes into the tip pool, additional gratuities, over and above the daily amount, go to the staff member regardless as to how you provided it. If you remove the daily gratuities than any amount given to the staff member goes inrto the tip pool.

 

NAGooner   

 

 

Did exactly the same thing on our last two cruises, Summit in Jun, and Reflection in Nov.  

[jelayne]

I have used form to tip extra to the Butler and cabin attendant.  I wanted to use the form to give an extra tip to a sommelier and was told by GS that if I used the form for the sommelier the amount would go into the tip pool for the Sommeliers.  I decided to give him cash directly & if he put it in the pool that was up to him.

[cruisestitch]

Get the form at Guest Relatiins.  I do it nearly every cruise.  Be sure to tell the person you are giving the extra tips to that they will be receiving it in their next paycheck because otherwise they will not know.

 

The recipient must be someone who normally receives tips.  To be specific, you can’t choose to give a tip to say a security officer, or a guest relations staff member, an Activity staff member, or an entertainer.  It has to be a waiter, a bar server, a bartender, or your steward, someone like that.

Edited October 26, 2018 by cruisestitch

[Luvcrusn]

Ever try leaving a tip that way for the Concierge, Captains Club Host/Hostess, Maitre d or sommelier? Last time we wanted to do the extras the was you suggested was on Connie and we were told we couldn't, that the extras would go into a general pool. We wanted to give it to specific people who'd gone the extra mile for us, so we just gave them cash.

[cruisestitch]

Not I haven’t tried for any of those but I have done it successfully for my room steward, specific wait staff in Tuscan and waiters in Cafe al Bacio.  In each case I said “watch for something extra in your next paycheck” and on payday I was thanked by each of them.  

 

This was on Eclipse, winter and spring cruises 2018.

[Alakegirl]

Perhaps the abilty to send OBC to specific personnel is ship-dependent, but we have done so on Solstice.

[jody75]

Everything goes into a Dark Hole unless its cash

[shirazcruiser]

On our Sept Equinox cruise we were told by Guest Relations that even if we specified a particular waiter that the funds would go into the pool so we gave cash. However, we could specify our room steward and butler. 

[Luvcrusn]

I guess we'll ask both Guest Services and the crew members in question and go with the answers (putting the most weight on what thecrew members tell us). Thanks for everyone's input. It sounds like there's not just one definitive answer.

[Jim_Iain]

I have added extra tips before from my OBC and found you could not necessarily use it to tip an individual crew member.    In my case they gave me a form that listed classification like Room Attendant, Butler, Dining Room  etc.    They said that If additional tips were added to the wait staff it would be shared among the waiters, assistant waiters and kitchen staff.  It was clear that in the case of Butler and room attendant they would receive the extra.

 

[cruisestitch]

Currently on Reflection.  Here is what Guest relations just told me to do in order to get the tip to the specific person instead of to the general waitstaff

Edited October 26, 2018 by cruisestitch

[Luvcrusn]

That's really interesting Cruisestitch.  When we were aboard Reflection in December they didn't have that form when we asked at GS and said it wasn't possible so we just got envelopes from them and gave cash. Did you check with the crew member in question to make sure they would actually receive the whole $ amount you left directly?

[gerelmx]

I prefer to give in CASH the extra gratuity, put it in a envelop (provided by the ship) and write a note saying thank you for your service etc, for me  it's more personal and it's not shared with any one.

[cruisestitch]

Luvcrusn, See post 10.

 

gerelmx, because we are discussing ways to use up OBC, cash isn’t really an option here.

 

 

[Jim_Iain]

1 hour ago, cruisestitch said:

Currently on Reflection.  Here is what Guest relations just told me to do in order to get the tip to the specific person instead of to the general waitstaff

 

Appreciate the information.   It would have been nice that when I asked they had told me this.   As we all know that sometimes different ships handle things differently or the agent just didn't know.

[Luvcrusn]

1 hour ago, gerelmx said:

I prefer to give in CASH the extra gratuity, put it in a envelop (provided by the ship) and write a note saying thank you for your service etc, for me  it's more personal and it's not shared with any one.

We prefer to do it that way as well, however as I mentioned in the OP, we have a great deal of nonrefundable OBC on our next cruise and if we could use some to benefit specific crew members we'll do that. If not, we'll revert to out of pocket cash.

[Algebralovr]

I was also previously told that if I wanted to leave an extra for a specific waitress or sommelier, I could do so by asking them to print a sale ticket with no charge on it.  We took care of our wonderful sommelier on a previous cruise that way.  The sommeliers and bar servers do receive pay based on their pours.  

We had even asked our favorite sommelier whether he received anything if we upgraded from Classic to Premium bev packages on one cruise, and when he said yes, we made sure to upgrade through him rather than at the sale table upon boarding.  That was on a B2B, and it was something like our 5th or 6th cruise with the same sommelier.  We made sure to look for him.  🙂  On turnover day, we had lunch in Blu (before they did the Concierge Class lunch), and the sommelier automatically poured me better wine and said his roommate had told him to take good care of me.  We upgraded during dinner with our favorite.

 

At the end of the cruise, we burned off the OBC-N with extra given to the sommelier and the Cafe Al Bacio.  Great way to use it up.

[mackjack9139]

If it is a bartender you wish to give extra tip to, you can ask for a slip and they will print you the receipt where you can include a tip amount, even if the drink is $0 from beverage package. 

[cruisestitch]

This is a new method (to me) and one I am glad to know about!  Thanks!

[Algebralovr]

Wow!  The bartender, bar waiter/waitress and sommelier definitely get what is left for them on their sales slips as tips.  I asked about that one directly, to make sure.