Tips in dollars on Med cruise?

[rch3]

Searched and no luck so apologies if previously addressed.  But I have a “habit” of collecting small bills over the few months in advance of every sailing to be able to tip staff as services are performed.  It occurred to me that dollars might not be as well received as euros by staff who are on the ship for months in the euro zone. I don’t want to pay the exchange rate/fee for a bunch of small denomination euros, but at the same time, don’t want staff to have eat the fees.  Does X have a conversion option for staff that is fee-free, or will it charge a premium for the service?  First time this occurred to me.  Thanks.

[Denny01]

Dont know about how the staff handles exchanges, but we always use US$ for tipping. And many of the staff send their money home which in many cases isn’t Euro’s anyway so they’d be exchanging anyway. And the US$ is getting stronger lately. 

 

Tipping is up to us and is an addition so make it easy for yourself and tip away…very nice to tip no matter what ‘form’! I have a friend who loves to bring US $2 Jefferson bills for tips, and no one has ever reacted to such an uncommon bill. 

 

Den

[jelayne]

Ships currency is USD no matter where they are.  Staff will take any but USD is the  norm.  

[Bruin Steve]

For the crew, their pay is in US Dollars anyway...and pre-paid gratuities are also in US Dollars...There doesn't seem to be any great reason to tip them in currency other than that...A lot of the crew rarely gets off the ship in port...and, even in Europe, not every port is one that uses Euros--Dubrovnik, where we just were twice on Apex, for example, uses the Croatian Kuna...The UK uses the British Pound...And, yes, a lot of the crew either sends money home or keeps it until they end their contract and go home...and most of the crew comes from countries where neither the US Dollar nor the Euro is used...so they are using it for exchange either way...

 

For tour guides while in port, best to use whatever the local currency is...But, when I've found myself short on Euros or where I've not had the reason to exchange to local currency (like in Dubrovnik where I was on shore excursions, then paid for things by credit card while on my own, I've just given the guide and driver tips in US Dollars...and none seem upset about getting those...I think they are all accustomed to seeing US dollars and know how to exchange them...

 

But, on another note, I've never seen logic in carrying around lots of $1s and $2s on the ship...Gratuities should be prepaid...Grats on drink packages are included...If not on a package, they bill you with the gratuity and you can add to it on the slip...In the case of crew deserving additional tips (like my regular waiters or cabin steward or my regular bartenders and servers in the Retreat or the Elite drinking lounge), I, generally, tip ONCE, at the end of the cruise with much larger bills than ones or twos...Part of the deal with a cruise is to be able to lock your wallet in the safe and walk around the ship cash-free.

[Miaminice]

They even prefer Dollars because they can use them on board.

 

[rch3]

 

 

Guess I should have been more clear to avoid the lecture. Always pre-pay grats. Question pertained to bartenders/servers, specialty restaurants, sommelier, etc. Dollars it will be.  Thanks

[LGW59]

1 minute ago, rch3 said:

 

 

Guess I should have been more clear to avoid the lecture. Always pre-pay grats. Question pertained to bartenders/servers, specialty restaurants, sommelier, etc. Dollars it will be.  Thanks

"Lecture", where, when did I blink and miss it???  You asked a question and got some answers to your "should have been more clear" question.  Enjoy your cruise and tip early and tip often!  

[cangelmd]

21 minutes ago, rch3 said:

 

 

Guess I should have been more clear to avoid the lecture. Always pre-pay grats. Question pertained to bartenders/servers, specialty restaurants, sommelier, etc. Dollars it will be.  Thanks

Don’t feel lectured at! Yours was a good question, just said to DH, hey, just read a great question a d answers on CC - not what do I eat in Luminae or when do I go to the pier - please don’t get offended.

The different answers, long and short, give different perspectives to those reading them. It’s a good thread!

[the penguins]

On 8/21/2021 at 3:33 PM, cangelmd said:

Don’t feel lectured at! Yours was a good question, just said to DH, hey, just read a great question a d answers on CC - not what do I eat in Luminae or when do I go to the pier - please don’t get offended.

The different answers, long and short, give different perspectives to those reading them. It’s a good thread!

In addition if we have odd money in a currency we are unlikely to use again we also give that as a "bonus" to our cabin Steward or coffee girl in Al bacio. The ship will convert anything for the crew.

[JeanieC,Aston]

I don’t know about US cruises but on Med cruises most staff get off if opportunity allows.

You see staff heading for the shops,,,,follow them then know the cheapest ones,,even the officers.

I never carry $ but do carry Euros and £ and tip with those.

The staff use them to buy packs of bottled water,,toiletries and even packets of buscuits.

 

At the end of the day staff will accept any currency.

Ps,,I found all shops in Dubrovnik accept Euros,,the buses only take Local currency.

Taxi drivers would rather take £,$,€ than their own currency.

[cruisestitch]

With the current protocols, staff are not allowed off as they were in the past. Let’s hope that changes for them soon.

[excitedofharpenden]

On 8/20/2021 at 6:50 PM, rch3 said:

Searched and no luck so apologies if previously addressed.  But I have a “habit” of collecting small bills over the few months in advance of every sailing to be able to tip staff as services are performed.  It occurred to me that dollars might not be as well received as euros by staff who are on the ship for months in the euro zone. I don’t want to pay the exchange rate/fee for a bunch of small denomination euros, but at the same time, don’t want staff to have eat the fees.  Does X have a conversion option for staff that is fee-free, or will it charge a premium for the service?  First time this occurred to me.  Thanks.

Your tips will be gratefully received in € or USD. You'll be fine and they will appreciate it. 

 

Phil 

[the penguins]

6 hours ago, JeanieC,Aston said:

I don’t know about US cruises but on Med cruises most staff get off if opportunity allows.

You see staff heading for the shops,,,,follow them then know the cheapest ones,,even the officers.

I never carry $ but do carry Euros and £ and tip with those.

The staff use them to buy packs of bottled water,,toiletries and even packets of buscuits.

 

At the end of the day staff will accept any currency.

Ps,,I found all shops in Dubrovnik accept Euros,,the buses only take Local currency.

Taxi drivers would rather take £,$,€ than their own currency.

In the US a lot of supermarkets (Walmart for example) provide free shuttles for the crew to and from the store.

[Jim_Iain]

I don't think it really matters.    I've ask our butler before and he said that if they are allowed off the ship it is nice to have Euros and not have to get monies converted.    He said most of the time he just deposits it to his account which he uses his badge to charge things on the ship.

 

 

[ORV]

This is a moot point now since you've decided on US dollars, but if I'm not mistaken the smallest paper Euro is a 5 note. 

[HappyCamper49]

17 minutes ago, ORV said:

This is a moot point now since you've decided on US dollars, but if I'm not mistaken the smallest paper Euro is a 5 note. 

You are correct.  When we arrived in Barcelona for our eastern Med cruise, we got a bunch of Euro "one dollar" coins for our Room Service delivery person.

[glmacruise]

Ive used pounds,euros,dollars. No one turned down our tip.

[MamaFej]

4 hours ago, HappyCamper49 said:

You are correct.  When we arrived in Barcelona for our eastern Med cruise, we got a bunch of Euro "one dollar" coins for our Room Service delivery person.

Same. We tip 1-2 Euros or dollars for room service, or up to 5 if it's a bigger order. We love our morning coffee/tea on the balcony. We don't really rise and shine; we caffeinate, and hope for the best. 

[ShawninFL]

When on European cruises, you can tip in dollars, euros or pounds.  Yes, the official currency on the ship is US Dollars, but staff will happily accept any.