Currancy for tipping on British Isles cruise

[EllieinNJ]

Trying to figure out how many GBP and euros we need for our upcoming cruise.  We have private excursions booked for most ports that have already been paid by credit card.  Will they accept USD for tips or should I give the tip in their currency?

[picsa]

UK and Europe, there will be no need to tip - until you speak and they realise you are American and will have their hand out to see how much you will foolishly give them.

 

As for USD, really? Should I tip a cab driver in New Jersey in GBP.

[GrJ Berkshire]

4 hours ago, picsa said:

UK and Europe, there will be no need to tip - until you speak and they realise you are American and will have their hand out to see how much you will foolishly give them.

 

As for USD, really? Should I tip a cab driver in New Jersey in GBP.

Totally agree, UK does not need tipping, what you pay is the expected price

Equally do not use US$ at all in London, would you offer Norway Krone in NJ ?

No hand out culture here.

[EllieinNJ]

Did not mean to offend anyone.  On our cruise to Argentina and Chile in February, everyone took USD. 

[John Bull]

Sorry, I have to respectfully disagree with picsa & GrJ.

 

I used to drive coaches, many drives were for visitors to England including cruise ship excursions and ships' London or airport transfers.

 

Some Brits simply don't tip, that's not a problem because tips aren't expected as of right - although to get away with that you'll need to work on your Noo-Yoik accent, don't you know, old bean 

But even most Brits recognise good service from drivers, guides, waiting staff etc though at about half the level in North America. And nobody tips for below-par service.

 

Tipping in USD or euros isn't a problem for those whose work involves international visitors and who therefore accumulate those currencies- and they spend them when travelling abroad (they've covered my spending money on several US road-trips ) or change them in bulk with friends or colleagues or through an exchange bureau. So have no worries about tipping guides, private transfer drivers etc in USD.

 

I would guess the same applies to waiting staff in tourist-orientated establishments in places like central London, but ............. 

in central London and other touristy places, far too many establishments slip a service charge onto the bill. By law a service charge must be displayed on menus, but folk don't always notice it.

If I can't avoid an establishment which adds something to my bill - a service charge or a cover charge or a charge for un-requested bread or for foodstuff like potato or veg that you'd normally expect with a main course -  I don't leave a tip regardless of the standard of service. And if occasionally that service or meal is below par I ask to speak to the manager, which results in the service charge being removed. On one occasion in Hungary  I was charged for bread brought out with the soup plus a service charge . I refused to pay either, I paid cash for the meal (an advantage of having local currency) and walked away.

  

Tipping in USD or even euros for a local taxi driver or waiting staff somewhere remote from international visitors isn't helpful. For instance what would a waitress in a far corner of Kansas do with euros or pounds?

If you wish you can usually add a tip when paying with plastic, same as the USA..

 

Brits usually tip hairdressers, sometimes hotel room staff, usually round-up taxi fares.

But we don't tip bar-tenders, though if you & your hotel bartender spend half an hour sorting out the world's problems you can include him in the next round of drinks. 

 

But, to stress, there's no real protocol for tips in the UK, you are free to do what you want. If you tip over-the-top nobody's likely to refuse, but if you don't tip at all nobody's going to chase you down the road.

 

Just MHO, as always

 

JB  

[CruiserBruce]

There is a difference between a second or third world economies versus a first world economy. That being said, tipping in US dollars in most locations in the world is just being lazy...making the employee deal with any exchange issues, rather than you dealing with those same issues. 

 

As asked above, do any of your favorite restaurants in "central New Jersey" appreciate tips in euros, pounds, pesos or even Australian dollars?

[mrgoalie]

What about the baggage porters in Dublin when we board.... I have NO PROBLEM to insure luggage gets to the cabin, customary or not.

Do you tip them?..... Euros?

[ducklite]

57 minutes ago, mrgoalie said:

What about the baggage porters in Dublin when we board.... I have NO PROBLEM to insure luggage gets to the cabin, customary or not.

Do you tip them?..... Euros?

I would, and definitely in Euros.  The Republic of Ireland is NOT part of the UK.  It has it's own unique cultural identity and is fully part of the EU and on the Euro.  It is considered rude to use pounds sterling in the Republic, and I wouldn't be surprised if something less than polite is said to you in Gaelic if you were to hand off sterling to them.

[John Bull]

1 hour ago, mrgoalie said:

What about the baggage porters in Dublin when we board.... I have NO PROBLEM to insure luggage gets to the cabin, customary or not.

Do you tip them?..... Euros?

 

Tipping longshoremen seems to be an American thing.

 

If a porter transports luggage for you from a parking lot or wherever, yes - one or two euros.

But those who take your luggage at the cruise terminal & put it on a conveyor / trolley, - No, it's not the norm.

 

JB 

[EllieinNJ]

On 8/2/2019 at 10:35 PM, CruiserBruce said:

There is a difference between a second or third world economies versus a first world economy. That being said, tipping in US dollars in most locations in the world is just being lazy...making the employee deal with any exchange issues, rather than you dealing with those same issues. 

 

As asked above, do any of your favorite restaurants in "central New Jersey" appreciate tips in euros, pounds, pesos or even Australian dollars?

That is why I ASKED and didn't ASSUME. 

[Kay.redmann]

What about the people working on the ship. I like to tip in cash to a few that go above and beyond, is it ok to tip them in cash. 

[John Bull]

3 hours ago, Kay.redmann said:

What about the people working on the ship. I like to tip in cash to a few that go above and beyond, is it ok to tip them in cash. 

 

You're sailing Princess, right?

You might be cruising the UK, but when you step onto the ship you're on American turf. 

 

Yes, provided that you don't remove or reduce the daily service charge I'm fairly certain that those you tip in cash are permitted to keep those tips.

USD are always very acceptable on Princess ships, and if this isn't the ship's last European cruise of the season sterling and euros will also be very acceptable.

 

JB 

[Kay.redmann]

3 minutes ago, John Bull said:

 

You're sailing Princess, right?

You might be cruising the UK, but when you step onto the ship you're on American turf. 

 

Yes, provided that you don't remove or reduce the daily service charge I'm fairly certain that those you tip in cash are permitted to keep those tips.

USD are always very acceptable on Princess ships, and if this isn't the ship's last European cruise of the season sterling and euros will also be very acceptable.

 

JB 

Yes  we will be on the Princess Crown. I have some Pounds and Euros but hope to spend those on fun souvenirs 😉 

 

I like to give some cash as tips

so I know it goes directly to the server thanks 

[CruiserBruce]

57 minutes ago, Kay.redmann said:

Yes  we will be on the Princess Crown. I have some Pounds and Euros but hope to spend those on fun souvenirs 😉 

 

I like to give some cash as tips

so I know it goes directly to the server thanks 

First of all, it is the Crown Princess.

 

Secondly, Princess has a hotel service charge, which is essentially automatic tipping. Are you leaving that in place, or canceling the auto tips? That will affect if your money "goes direct" to the employees.

[Kay.redmann]

10 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

First of all, it is the Crown Princess.

 

Secondly, Princess has a hotel service charge, which is essentially automatic tipping. Are you leaving that in place, or canceling the auto tips? That will affect if your money "goes direct" to the employees.

If I just admit I am an idiot will you feel better that I messed up the name of the boat 😉

 

second I hand out cash tips on top of the paid gratuities.  I am not convinced that princess (or any cruise) hands these out the way I would so I like to give extra by cash.  

 

Hope my answers help your day get a little better, sounds like you might be a little stressed and need a vacation  

[adstz]

On 8/5/2019 at 4:47 PM, Kay.redmann said:

If I just admit I am an idiot will you feel better that I messed up the name of the boat 😉

 

second I hand out cash tips on top of the paid gratuities.  I am not convinced that princess (or any cruise) hands these out the way I would so I like to give extra by cash.  

 

Hope my answers help your day get a little better, sounds like you might be a little stressed and need a vacation  

 

Be sure to put your "extra" tip in an envelope (available at the pursers desk). Put your name, cabin number, your steward's name, and "auto tips left on" on the outside of the envelope. Princess employees have to report all tips received. Give it to your steward. He will have to report it at the end of the cruise. After ensuring that you left the automatic tip on, they will give the money to the steward. Otherwise, it may end up in the tip pool.

Go to the Princess boards and search for tips to see all the controversy about extra tipping.

[caripoo]

Use local currency.....get some before you leave home, then use the ATM's at banks.

[Earl Rosebery]

I imagine £,$, and € are interchangeable among the staff

[ducklite]

9 hours ago, Earl Rosebery said:

I imagine £,$, and € are interchangeable among the staff

Unless the ship is almost done with the season and will be repositioning to US or Caribbean based ports within the next two weeks or so.  Or it the ship was doing British Isles but is returning to the Med, I wouldn't offer pounds in that case.

[LondonTowner]

On 8/3/2019 at 1:30 PM, mrgoalie said:

What about the baggage porters in Dublin when we board.... I have NO PROBLEM to insure luggage gets to the cabin, customary or not.

Do you tip them?..... Euros?

If they are as quick and efficient as they are in Southampton you won’t have time to even take your money out of your pocket. They will have disappeared with your luggage in the blink of an eyelid.

[nini]

We tipped in USD on the full transit Panama Canal ( was never an issue) cruise and Euros for Italy and Greece.

[yorkshirephil]

On 8/2/2019 at 4:56 PM, EllieinNJ said:

Trying to figure out how many GBP and euros we need for our upcoming cruise.  We have private excursions booked for most ports that have already been paid by credit card.  Will they accept USD for tips or should I give the tip in their currency?

Ideally tip in the countries own currency. However if you were to tell someone that you only had USD available I am sure they wouldn't  decline a tip.