Tipping

[Stealthdog]

1 hour ago, tallnthensome said:

Ummm .... I’m well aware of that. However, if 10 people are sitting at the pool bar and one person at the bar is tipping $1 cash per drink, the bartenders notice . Seems like that statement is pretty cut and dry. I can go on all day about what those few extra dollar tips have gotten me ..... like pool servers bringing me buckets of beers hidden under white cabin towels to me pool side so no one else will see is just one example .....making anything my two kids want from the bar (virgin drinks and smoothies) at no added cost is another . For those who tip extra they may have their own special treatment . Those who don’t may not ....

So what you are saying is you tip to entice the crew as a bribe to break the rules and give you things you didn’t pay NCL for or aren’t entitled to (I’m not judging).  😂

 

I do what a few others have mentioned - at the end of the cruise if a certain crew member made my cruise that much better, I’ll give him/her an envelope on the way out.  I’ve never tipped per drink and have only received great service on the ships.  If you treat people with respect and are pleasant to them, you will get good service (maybe not buckets of beer service, but good service).

Edited June 28, 2020 by Stealthdog

[tallnthensome]

2 minutes ago, Stealthdog said:

So what you are saying is you tip to entice the crew as a bribe to break the rules and give you things you didn’t pay NCL for or aren’t entitled to (I’m not judging).  😂

 

I do what a few others have mentioned - at the end of the cruise if a certain crew member made my cruise that much better, I’ll give him/her an envelope on the way out.  I’ve never tipped per drink and have only received great service on the ships.  If you treat people with respect and are pleasant to them, you will get good service (maybe not buckets of beer service, but good service).

Hahahaha! I think you have it backward, dog. I tip cash on every drink and I am pleasant . If they want to offer me buckets of beers or my kids whatever they want it for a few singles then it is THEM that are making kind gestures to me. I don’t ask them for free anything or special treatment . They offer it TO ME out of appreciation. Obviously some of you don’t understand because you never tip cash along the way and are just cheap .... I doubt any of you tip anything at the end but if you do it is no different then what I do but I do it smartly along the way. Can’t get the nicer gestures at the END of the cruise and I doubt any of you have been given buckets of beers poolside without tipping $$ singles along the way. You do it your way, I’ll do it mine.

 

When we were on the Escape a few years back I went to the upper pool bar to grab my wife and I couple drinks. It was around 1:30. I gave the bartender my usual $2 cash tip. He rang a small bell.He stated loudly making sure the rest of the people sitting at the bar heard  him say” It’s 1:30 and this is the first tip I have received all day “ ....and thanked me repeatedly ..... So the rest of you can do whatever you want but don’t kid yourself. They know who is tipping cash and who else just makes excuses. 

[AK Dreaming]

I usually tip at least $1 per beverage, even diet soda.  Of course it is a personal choice, but if you do it on land why would you not do it on the ship.  These bartenders are working way harder than land based bartenders.  The ridiculous excuse of "it is included in my package" is laughable.  Just be a decent human being.

[PTC DAWG]

2 hours ago, tallnthensome said:

Ummm .... I’m well aware of that. However, if 10 people are sitting at the pool bar and one person at the bar is tipping $1 cash per drink, the bartenders notice . Seems like that statement is pretty cut and dry. I can go on all day about what those few extra dollar tips have gotten me ..... like pool servers bringing me buckets of beers hidden under white cabin towels to me pool side so no one else will see is just one example .....making anything my two kids want from the bar (virgin drinks and smoothies) at no added cost is another . For those who tip extra they may have their own special treatment . Those who don’t may not ....

Someone people just don’t get it, never will...you can’t convince them...

 

No doubt, I get it...it makes a difference...I thought everyone rolled on cruises with a few hundred In singles and fives...this thread proves otherwise. 

[PORT ROYAL]

First apologises.

Came across this thread by accident, and can confirm our own personal tipping policy (over and well above Standard Grats) does return great benefits on Cunard.  Not going to list here, but they, in many ways, do enhance our cruise experiences.

To coin a Bajan phrase, "What goes around.....,"

 

 

[jcool]

Thanks for answering my question. I thought to get good service you had to tip. I am very polite. I used to love to tip in cash but my love one said with what’s going on today you cannot.  

[roger001]

I tip a buck a drink if at the bar, two bucks to a server for each delivery if sitting out at a table.  I do it only because I like the very hard working folks that make me very, very happy.  I have no idea how much of the built in tip they actually get.  In the total price of a cruise, this amounts to very little extra for me, but helps them a lot.  I do not expect any extra service and am not bribing.  I do it because I like to....makes me happy to help them just that little bit extra.  

[adam_s_allen]

4 hours ago, AK Dreaming said:

I usually tip at least $1 per beverage, even diet soda.  Of course it is a personal choice, but if you do it on land why would you not do it on the ship.  These bartenders are working way harder than land based bartenders.  The ridiculous excuse of "it is included in my package" is laughable.  Just be a decent human being.

Why would that be laughable? I tip well above and beyond the autograts but I would never say anybody that doesn't tip above what they've already paid are not a decent human being.

[SouthLyonCruiser]

22 hours ago, tallnthensome said:

$1.00 per drink is my standard and that goes a long way with me and my experiences . They know who tips and who doesn’t ...... Not necessary, but it is nice.

At the price of drinks on board you are already giving a mandatory tip of more than $1; if you tip beyond that, it is up to you. 

[seaman11]

6 hours ago, tallnthensome said:

Ummm .... I’m well aware of that. However, if 10 people are sitting at the pool bar and one person at the bar is tipping $1 cash per drink, the bartenders notice . Seems like that statement is pretty cut and dry. I can go on all day about what those few extra dollar tips have gotten me ..... like pool servers bringing me buckets of beers hidden under white cabin towels to me pool side so no one else will see is just one example .....making anything my two kids want from the bar (virgin drinks and smoothies) at no added cost is another . For those who tip extra they may have their own special treatment . Those who don’t may not ....

especially at the busy bars like the clubs  and pool.  i get great service tipping a buck or two. 

 

for the others-   when i said ignored i didnt mean they wont serve you at all ,i just mean you will be served after an extra tipper. 

[seaman11]

3 hours ago, jcool said:

Thanks for answering my question. I thought to get good service you had to tip. I am very polite. I used to love to tip in cash but my love one said with what’s going on today you cannot.  

you can also write in a buck or something with the drink tab they print out, even with a package.  that's your choice. 

[MNcruisingcouple]

I agree with most on this thread about tipping but whether you tip per drink, at the end or beginning, it also goes along way to fill out a hero card for the servers and bartenders that have provided extra good service.  After giving tips to bartenders, they have reminded us to also fill out hero cards.  So obviously they see that as something of value to them.

[BirdTravels]

7 hours ago, jcool said:

Thanks for answering my question. I thought to get good service you had to tip. I am very polite. I used to love to tip in cash but my love one said with what’s going on today you cannot.  

Cash is king. We were at a resort last week and the bar wait staff, in masks, were more than happy to accept a tip. And I would rather tip I cash than to have them paid through a credit card charge to a bar with dozens of servers. 

[Georgia_Peaches]

We are in the $1 per drink club...not that we think service is bad if we don't tip, but it is noticeably different when we do.  And by different I mean, the bar tenders get to know and remember our drink preferences and sometimes even our names.   

[drafterdw]

20 hours ago, brookie848 said:

I am a tipper, but I am also pleasant and friendly to the servers. They thoroughly appreciate both. A few years ago I spent a decent amount of time sitting at the bar at Gatsby's on the Dawn. The bartenders gave everyone great service, but they had an extra touch for the people who were "nice" to them or regulars for the week.

 

My drink was made with a different liquor than the standard drink and two bartenders made sure they were always the ones to take care of me. When I sailed on the same ship 16 months later, one of the bartenders was there and remembered me.

 

Tipping extra is nice if you are inclined to do so (like BirdTravels I make sure I have a supply of $1s and $5s for any vacation), but being friendly and respectful goes a long way as well.

We tip but not every time. When we find a bar & bartender we like we will tip every 3-4 days (we tend to take longer cruises). I do think it pays off a little but that is not why we do it. We do it because we feel these people have gone above & beyond the level of service to be expected.

[PelicanBill]

We also don't tip every time but many times I walk up with $1 and my card in my hand. they notice and you never wait too long to be served. My drinks are always high quality and longer pours.  When hanging out at Spice H2O or a pool bar I am remembered and greeted and get much better than average service and better drinks. I get doubles and the good stuff without asking.  They work hard and make little and really appreciate the extra.

 

As someone else said - we bring $100 in $1s and use them often.

[mpk]

On 6/27/2020 at 3:46 PM, valleyvillage said:

Tipping is such a private and personal matter that often people will argue their take on it with great vehemence! And some strange logic. 

 

Politics used to be private and personal too...  not any more.

[sanger727]

20 hours ago, AK Dreaming said:

I usually tip at least $1 per beverage, even diet soda.  Of course it is a personal choice, but if you do it on land why would you not do it on the ship.  These bartenders are working way harder than land based bartenders.  The ridiculous excuse of "it is included in my package" is laughable.  Just be a decent human being.

It’s not ‘included in my package’. If I get the package they charge an extra $20 pp pd for the gratuities. I typically drink 3-5 drinks a day if I have the package. So even if I max out ever drunk at $15 a drink it averages to a 26-44% tip. In my world that’s a very high tip; so no, I don’t feel any need to tip on top of that.

[yankees111]

Cash tipping probably a thing of the past and not allowed post Covid-19 cruising pre vaccine.

[farmersfight]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe the extra $20 pp pd gratuities in the drink packages are totaled up and then divided among all the bartenders (and servers?) on the ship. IMHO, this is perfectly fine and you do not have to tip extra for each drink or every few days, however, by doing so you will undoubtedly receive extra special service/attention from the bartenders and/or servers. I agree, these people work very hard on these foreign flag cruise ships and I'm sure they don't make a whole lot in salary, so these extra tips on top of their share of the prepaid gratuities are probably more than appreciated.

[adam_s_allen]

32 minutes ago, farmersfight said:

Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe the extra $20 pp pd gratuities in the drink packages are totaled up and then divided among all the bartenders (and servers?) on the ship. IMHO, this is perfectly fine and you do not have to tip extra for each drink or every few days, however, by doing so you will undoubtedly receive extra special service/attention from the bartenders and/or servers. I agree, these people work very hard on these foreign flag cruise ships and I'm sure they don't make a whole lot in salary, so these extra tips on top of their share of the prepaid gratuities are probably more than appreciated.

Servers are part of the DSC.

[farmersfight]

5 hours ago, adam_s_allen said:

Servers are part of the DSC.

 

Roger that. Thanks...

[Sam Ting]

On 6/28/2020 at 7:01 AM, tallnthensome said:

Ummm .... I’m well aware of that. However, if 10 people are sitting at the pool bar and one person at the bar is tipping $1 cash per drink, the bartenders notice . Seems like that statement is pretty cut and dry. I can go on all day about what those few extra dollar tips have gotten me ..... like pool servers bringing me buckets of beers hidden under white cabin towels to me pool side so no one else will see is just one example .....making anything my two kids want from the bar (virgin drinks and smoothies) at no added cost is another . For those who tip extra they may have their own special treatment . Those who don’t may not ....

Basically enticing them to steal for you.  

[tallnthensome]

1 minute ago, Sam Ting said:

Basically enticing them to steal for you.  

That’s my plan and certainly hope so . Works great and and I will continue with the bribes that most other people living in reality call a tip ..... 

[BirdTravels]

9 hours ago, farmersfight said:

Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe the extra $20 pp pd gratuities in the drink packages are totaled up and then divided among all the bartenders (and servers?) on the ship. IMHO, this is perfectly fine and you do not have to tip extra for each drink or every few days, however, by doing so you will undoubtedly receive extra special service/attention from the bartenders and/or servers. I agree, these people work very hard on these foreign flag cruise ships and I'm sure they don't make a whole lot in salary, so these extra tips on top of their share of the prepaid gratuities are probably more than appreciated.

Our experience is that a few dollars in tips will get you great service. By night 2, the bartenders are pouring my standard drink before I get to the front of the queue. Great service rewarded by a little cash a hero cards carefully written.