Tipping

[bafinegan]

Booking my first cruise on MSC for Jan. -family reunion (yippee!)  Have cruised on Disney, Carnival and Viking ( river and ocean) where tipping above the preset gratuities was not required nor expected, but was greatly appreciated ( especially lately!)  

 

MSC website states extra tipping is not expected.  But in the US market, we think differently about tipping for great service.   DO other US cruisers on MSC tip extra ( room steward, room service, drinks waiter) ?  Or is it really frowned upon?  I don't want to be "THAT American"! 

 

Thanks ya'll

[Beamafar]

Where’s the popcorn ? 🍿🤪

[codeyell0]

I have no idea on cruises
But I read all the time slip them some greenbacks. I can only imagine for all the requests you ask your room steward, or people who you ask for things will come running or get your request quickly if you give them something everytime you ask or slip them something nice up front. 
I doubt anyone ever thinks of "that American" when getting handed money to say thank you. with the amount of people who don't tip. I bet if you tip well and you don't have to. but If you do I can only imagine those requests where its I'll see what i can do become no problem.  
But I'm just thinking out loud from my days being tipped.   

one thing i remember from my first cruise at 17 was i forgot my key walked up to my door and the steward said hold on mike let me get that. I never saw this guy before. but he knew who I was. Since then I've been impressed with those guys. I'm so bad with names unless i say it 4 times.

[shipgeeks]

Like the other lines you mentioned, there is a daily service charge (or similar wording) added to your account each day, which is an automatic tip.  If you wish to add to that, you are welcome to do so.  Either way, you're covered.  The only caveat I would make is to never remove that charge!

[tallnthensome]

That last sentence above.... golden rule. 

[bafinegan]

1 hour ago, shipgeeks said:

Like the other lines you mentioned, there is a daily service charge (or similar wording) added to your account each day, which is an automatic tip.  If you wish to add to that, you are welcome to do so.  Either way, you're covered.  The only caveat I would make is to never remove that charge!

Oh I would NEVER remove.  ALways prepay those.  Was just wasn't sure about extra. Usually give steward extra cash ( $10 per day)  room service $5 each time and cpl dollars for a drink at the bar.  Just wanted to be sure that was ok on MSC.  Thanks ya'll!

[shipgeeks]

OP, Just to clarify that your MSC cruise will be from US?  (Things might be different elsewhere.)

[miataman19]

First time in The Yacht Club. Depending on how you utilize your Butler and Concierge what is the typical gratuity for them? When we stayed in The Haven on NCL we tipped our Butler $100 and the Concierge $50. We utilized the Butler for some in room things but only utilized the Concierge a couple of times.  

[no1talks]

10 minutes ago, miataman19 said:

First time in The Yacht Club. Depending on how you utilize your Butler and Concierge what is the typical gratuity for them? When we stayed in The Haven on NCL we tipped our Butler $100 and the Concierge $50. We utilized the Butler for some in room things but only utilized the Concierge a couple of times.  

An MSC Yacht Club concierge is very different from a Haven concierge.

 

I'll leave it to the Yacht Club veterans to go into detail...

[bafinegan]

1 hour ago, shipgeeks said:

OP, Just to clarify that your MSC cruise will be from US?  (Things might be different elsewhere.)

Yes , it is bahamas/caribbean from Miami.

[GOLDENBONNY]

We only pay additional if someone went an extra mile . If they jut do their job auto tip is good enough . 

[Toofarfromthesea]

8 hours ago, bafinegan said:

Booking my first cruise on MSC for Jan. -family reunion (yippee!)  Have cruised on Disney, Carnival and Viking ( river and ocean) where tipping above the preset gratuities was not required nor expected, but was greatly appreciated ( especially lately!)  

 

MSC website states extra tipping is not expected.  But in the US market, we think differently about tipping for great service.   DO other US cruisers on MSC tip extra ( room steward, room service, drinks waiter) ?  Or is it really frowned upon?  I don't want to be "THAT American"! 

 

Thanks ya'll

When I was in the YC on a Divina Med Cruise in 2018 I got to chatting with my assistant Butler (who was better than my Butler) and he was really excited about the Divina relocating to the Carib.  When I asked him if it was because they get more Americans and they do more extra tipping he just grinned nodded.

It is rare that someone will get offended because you gave them money.

[ditmar2007]

8 hours ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

It is rare that someone will get offended because you gave them money.

Tipping is a way of showing who's in command. Your pay is not a right, but something you get if you submit to the other person. That is why I prefer a system with a predictable salary.

 

How would you feel if we met and had a pleasant conversation and I said thanks for the time spent together and gave you five euro when I got up? Or if I left money if you invited my to dinner? Sometimes tipping IS offensive - in some situations or cultures.

Edited August 23, 2021 by ditmar2007

[no1talks]

3 hours ago, ditmar2007 said:

Tipping is a way of showing who's in command. Your pay is not a right, but something you get if you submit to the other person. That is why I prefer a system with a predictable salary.

 

How would you feel if we met and had a pleasant conversation and I said thanks for the time spent together and gave you five euro when I got up? Or if I left money if you invited my to dinner? Sometimes tipping IS offensive - in some situations or cultures.

Note to self...

 

Don't tip ANYONE in Denmark.

😉

[ditmar2007]

43 minutes ago, no1talks said:

Note to self...

 

Don't tip ANYONE in Denmark.

😉

Mostly we don't. Service is included in the price. At one time it was listet on the bill. I'm not sure it still is. Occasionally we round up - around 5-10 kr or such (apx $1) at restaurants and taxis. I could say: "Keep the change" when we used cash. Now with cards most machines at restaurants don't even have a tip-button. 

People in service jobs get a salary they can survive on. A waiter is probably paid around $25-30 an hour.

Hairdresser/massage - NEVER. 

If you tip in Denmark you'll be That American. 

 

ETA: Just checked the salaries: more like $20-25 per hour for both waiters and hairdressers.

 

Edited August 23, 2021 by ditmar2007

[shipgeeks]

That's why I asked the OP to confirm that he would be sailing from the US.

Personally, I wish tipping did not exist, but I can't change things, so I go with the system we have.  Good to know about Denmark.

[ditmar2007]

1 hour ago, shipgeeks said:

That's why I asked the OP to confirm that he would be sailing from the US.

Personally, I wish tipping did not exist, but I can't change things, so I go with the system we have.  Good to know about Denmark.

I found it was a very relevant question. I tip when I'm sailing on a US ship or if I travel to tipping countries. 

[deliver42]

I tip bartenders and servers per drink, as well as room service. At the end of the cruise I tip the cabin steward, waiter, and ass't waiter if I have the same ones throughout the cruise.

[zekekelso]

There are places in the world where tipping is an insult. Cruise ship are not one of those places. You wanna go above and beyond the service fees, good for you. The crew will appreciate it. Me? I’ll stick with the set fees. 
 

 

[GA Dave]

15 hours ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

When I was in the YC on a Divina Med Cruise in 2018 I got to chatting with my assistant Butler (who was better than my Butler) and he was really excited about the Divina relocating to the Carib.  When I asked him if it was because they get more Americans and they do more extra tipping he just grinned nodded.

It is rare that someone will get offended because you gave them money.

I just won a bid up to YC for my cruise Friday on Mera.  I have previously sailed Haven on NCL and it was known there that the Butlers and Concierge employees were NOT part of the DSC.  Are they compensated in YC from the DSC?  Or are they just receiving a better salary than a "normal" employee like server or room attendant.  

[Beamafar]

Congratulations on your successful bid.  Hope you enjoy YC.

 

All the crew in YC are included in the DSC. 

[tallnthensome]

3 hours ago, ditmar2007 said:

Mostly we don't. Service is included in the price. At one time it was listet on the bill. I'm not sure it still is. Occasionally we round up - around 5-10 kr or such (apx $1) at restaurants and taxis. I could say: "Keep the change" when we used cash. Now with cards most machines at restaurants don't even have a tip-button. 

People in service jobs get a salary they can survive on. A waiter is probably paid around $25-30 an hour.

Hairdresser/massage - NEVER. 

If you tip in Denmark you'll be That American. 

 

ETA: Just checked the salaries: more like $20-25 per hour for both waiters and hairdressers.

 

Well, this is MSC Cruise where most people if any at all working on board are from Denmark . These people are relatively poor and should be tipped accordingly . I’m sure they would appreciate it and the chances of being insulted if they are would be virtually zero. 

[JAGR]

1 hour ago, tallnthensome said:

Well, this is MSC Cruise where most people if any at all working on board are from Denmark .

I think you meant not from Denmark, but I wouldn't be too hard on Ditmar. They did say they tip on US based cruises.

 

[ditmar2007]

1 hour ago, tallnthensome said:

Well, this is MSC Cruise where most people if any at all working on board are from Denmark . These people are relatively poor and should be tipped accordingly . I’m sure they would appreciate it and the chances of being insulted if they are would be virtually zero. 

I replied to a posting about Denmark 🙂

[ditmar2007]

19 minutes ago, JAGR said:

I think you meant not from Denmark, but I wouldn't be too hard on Ditmar. They did say they tip on US based cruises.

 

I do. Also: I wouldn't DREAM of removing the automatic gratuities. In fact I pay up front.

MSC is an Italian cruise line sailing (in my case) in the Baltic Sea. None of the countries around the BS (perhaps with Russia as an exception) have a tipping culture as in the US.
 

There is also a small practical problem: They use Euro. The smallest bill is 5 euro - around $5-6. That leaves you with coins if you want to tip an amount equivalent to a dollar or two for each drink. If you are a heavy drinker that's going to be a lot of weight to carry around 😄

 

Edited August 23, 2021 by ditmar2007