Tipping on Oceania

[Free and Easy]

Tipping is always a controversial (and at times emotional!!) subject I know, but I'll ask anyway! Can fellow frequent Oceania Cruisers advise if it is a common practice to tip Room attendants and waiters in restaurants in Oceania, over and on top of the Gratuity? Regent adopts and advocates a No-tipping policy (any extra guests want to contribute goes to a common pool); other Cruise lines don't have such policy and I do know many Cruisers tip extra. So, any advice specifically for Oceania will be much appreciated.

[nigelc]

Not sure if it is common practice, but it is what I do - both on Regent & Oceania I always tip the Room Attendants. They work so hard and provide such a high quality service that I like to thank them personally and give them a tip. As to the waiters in the restaurants, it is rare to get the same ones twice, so it is a thank you after each meal but I do not tip.

[edgee]

I always tip the lead stateroom attendant and the assistant. Usually between forty and seventy five dollars each depending on length of cruise. Usually do not tip in restaurants unless we have had same waitstaff for most nights and service has been really exceptional.

[jojoparlin08859]

Having been only on 3 Oceania cruises and 3 old Home Lines cruises, these are my thoughts.

 

Since I greatly appreciate the  fabulous and difficult (twice daily, and many times more) services that the cabin attendants  provide, I always introduce my wife and myself to them upon our first meeting and give them a gratuity, with a promise of additional at the end of the cruise. These people work very, very hard and  most are supporting a large family in their home country.  

 

Unfortunately, due to the open seating dining arrangements, we almost always are served by different waiters and this is why the included  gratuities method excels.  If and when something extraordinary is requested then we always reward the supplier.

 

Because of medical reasons I do not drink , and Oceania Lines includes free non alcoholic  drinks in the public rooms (i. e. Bar and Lounges areas) we always tip the waiters and waitresses because they would have received  a 18%  gratuity for the alcoholic drinks that they would have served.  They still provide a  "freebie drink" service to us and we feel that they are missing out of the mandatory 18 % alcoholic drink fee and it is only fair to compensate them for their loss revenue stream . We always tip them.

 

Superior services should be rewarded! 

 

We worked hard to afford  these Oceania Cruises and those Cruise personnel who provide a most enjoyable vacation should be rewarded. 

[nigelc]

13 minutes ago, jojoparlin08859 said:

Because of medical reasons I do not drink , and Oceania Lines includes free non alcoholic  drinks in the public rooms (i. e. Bar and Lounges areas) we always tip the waiters and waitresses because they would have received  a 18%  gratuity for the alcoholic drinks that they would have served.  They still provide a  "freebie drink" service to us and we feel that they are missing out of the mandatory 18 % alcoholic drink fee and it is only fair to compensate them for their loss revenue stream . We always tip them. 

 

While I would like to think that the staff receive the mandatory 18% service charge - I am yet to be convinced that they do. That said, I always tip drinks waiters if they provide excellent service - especially, poolside waiters/waitresses. As you say, excellent service should be rewarded.

[Rob the Cruiser]

I agree with the statement "superior service should be rewarded" but not at the beginning of a cruise. We have no idea at that point if we will receive superior service or ordinary service.

 

Sometimes we tip, sometimes we don't. We don't tip a cabin attendant, bar tender, waitperson, whomever for just doing their job. You can't tip everyone.

 

When we do tip, I will give cash when nobody else is present. We don't make a big deal about it. Just fold the bills and shake hands. I don't know if they are required to share but it's my way of letting the person decide whether to share or keep it for themselves.

 

 

Edited April 15, 2019 by Rob the Cruiser

[nigelc]

2 minutes ago, Rob the Cruiser said:

Sometimes we tip, sometimes we don't. We don't tip a cabin attendant, bar tender, waitperson, whatever for just doing their job. You can't tip everyone. 

 

I could not agree more - in fact, on lines where gratuities are not included in the cruise fare, I have removed them from the bill where we have received poor service. While excellent service should be rewarded, I feel average service does not need further reward and poor service should definitely not be rewarded.

[orchestrapal]

Since we know much of the dining room staff we frequently sit with someone we know serving us.

We do tip these servers and head waiters at the end of the cruise.

We also always tip room attendants and butlers at the end of the cruise.

I was told many years ago that a tip up front is look at as a bribe.

 

 

 

[Classiccruiser777]

One of the best “tips” you can give on Oceania is to recognize deserving people by name in the feedback questionnaires.

[pinotlover]

Near the end of a cruise, we give additional tips: nearly always to the room attendants, the Butler, and bar staff and waiters that provided exceptional service. I have also once’s tipped a head sommelier that was exceptional. Since we typically do sail away in Horizons during and after Happy Hour, we get to know the wait staff and bar tenders there fairly well. 😂 We reward those waiters quite well. Having sailed with several of them on multiple cruises, it impressive on how we always get wonderful service there even during crowded events. 😁

 

The amout of tip tip varies by cruise length and service received. Some room attendants and Butler’s are just far better than others and the better ones get far more in tips. We always recognize the best ones , by name, in our end of cruise comments.

[robbie21]

3 hours ago, Classiccruiser777 said:

One of the best “tips” you can give on Oceania is to recognize deserving people by name in the feedback questionnaires.

 

Second this comment.  Having named exceptional staff on our end of cruise questionnaires we have been gratified to see those staff members  on subsequent cruises serving in new jobs, and, on three occasions, have them thank us for the reviews that aided their promotions. 

 

Oceania really does pay attention to those mid and end of cruise reviews both good and bad. I would also note that every time I have made a "complaint" or suggested an improvement on the mid cruise review I have been contacted by senior staff the next day.  Better to complain to someone in a position to immediately take action than to fuss about it a month later on this web site.

 

Robbie

[CintiPam]

20 minutes ago, robbie21 said:

 

Second this comment.  Having named exceptional staff on our end of cruise questionnaires we have been gratified to see those staff members  on subsequent cruises serving in new jobs, and, on three occasions, have them thank us for the reviews that aided their promotions. 

 

Oceania really does pay attention to those mid and end of cruise reviews both good and bad. I would also note that every time I have made a "complaint" or suggested an improvement on the mid cruise review I have been contacted by senior staff the next day.  Better to complain to someone in a position to immediately take action than to fuss about it a month later on this web site.

 

Robbie

+1

[Redtravel]

Tips on most luxury ships are included in the basic fare.  With that we often tip additional when the service is outstanding. Oceania has excellent service. However, for those passengers that have the tips posted to their account, looking at the $$$ on the final statement might not tip more.  

Don’t know if the crew pools tips. On some lines, any additional tips must be placed in the pool.  I extend additional tips out of sight of supervisors. 

[JudyDee]

We just returned from our 6th Oceania cruise, we always pay tips that are added to the account and hope that some of this also goes to other unseen crew members such as chefs and laundry staff but we do not tip otherwise.. $644 for 2 of us in a suite for 14 days is a good enough amount for tips and if we are paying Oceania prices we expect to get good service anyway.

Edited April 19, 2019 by JudyDee

[Sny]

We do:

1.  Mention superior employees by name on the mid and end of cruise questionnaires

2.  On the night before disembarkation, we give butler, attendant and her assistant separate envelopes

with cash tip and a note of thanks.

Both are important to them, for purposes of maintaining their positions and/or promotion and supporting their families at home.

Edited April 19, 2019 by Sny

[rucruisn2]

I believe Oceania charges $16.00 per person per day for tips.  I do not think this is in  any way excessive.  We never remove these tips from our account as the staff works for low wages and relies on their tips.  We will add additional amounts for those who go above and beyond for us.  If you don't want to tip ANYTHING, stay at home.

[Paulchili]

3 hours ago, rucruisn2 said:

I believe Oceania charges $16.00 per person per day for tips

While that is correct it is $23/pp/day in PH and above.

[Paulchili]

5 hours ago, Sny said:

We do:

1.  Mention superior employees by name on the mid and end of cruise questionnaires

2.  On the night before disembarkation, we give butler, attendant and her assistant separate envelopes

with cash tip and a note of thanks.

Both are important to them, for purposes of maintaining their positions and/or promotion and supporting their families at home.

Well said - we do exactly the same thing. Both actions have merit and are beneficial to the deserving recipients.

[rucruisn2]

4 hours ago, Paulchili said:

While that is correct it is $23/pp/day in PH and above.

Guess I wasn't paying attention on our last cruise, we were in a PH.  Butler did absolutely nothing for us, but I left his tip in place.  I only asked him to unpack for me and after waiting 2 hours I did it myself.  Didn't want the snacks, nor in room meals, so never saw him again.

[Mura]

That is very different from our experience with butlers.  At first we didn't use them and they were constantly volunteering.  Later on, we discovered their value and started to use them frequently.  Not as frequently as some, but frequently.  On a recent cruise (where we were in an OC) we had a cocktail party in our suite for a group of 8 and our butler deserved every extra penny.

 

For exemplary service, we give cash at the end of the cruise.

 

Mura

[keithm]

On ‎4‎/‎19‎/‎2019 at 1:25 PM, rucruisn2 said:

I believe Oceania charges $16.00 per person per day for tips.  I do not think this is in  any way excessive.  We never remove these tips from our account as the staff works for low wages and relies on their tips.  We will add additional amounts for those who go above and beyond for us.  If you don't want to tip ANYTHING, stay at home.

Thank You!

[keithm]

On ‎4‎/‎15‎/‎2019 at 9:36 AM, nigelc said:

 

I could not agree more - in fact, on lines where gratuities are not included in the cruise fare, I have removed them from the bill where we have received poor service. While excellent service should be rewarded, I feel average service does not need further reward and poor service should definitely not be rewarded.

Some how I get the feeling that few if any staff get tipped by you!

[Classiccruiser777]

When in Rome...

[jackdeb]

Tipping is for good service above and beyond what you think you are entitled too. The added gratuity on your end bill is to be shared with all the hospitality staff not the officers and crew. Of the 80  days of sailing with Oceania I have yet to receive anything but stellar service from the staff and do not begrudge them the gratuity. Always give something extra to the room attendants and bar staff that we often meet.

[jackdeb]

Obviously have touched a nerve with UK cruisers about tipping, it is a good thing they have their famous sense of humour to see them through this crisis.