Who do you tip in cash?

[Mary229]

12 hours ago, Laminator said:

Some guests are down at the front desk on embarkation day removing the HSC. 

If you  can't afford the tip, you can't afford the service.  

[rkacruiser]

5 hours ago, Mary229 said:

If you  can't afford the tip, you can't afford the service.  

 

I am probably going to get flamed for this comment.  I don't care.  If one can't afford the gratuity, then is the best use of one's financial resources in paying for a cruise?  

[Cruising-along]

45 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

I am probably going to get flamed for this comment.  I don't care.  If one can't afford the gratuity, then is the best use of one's financial resources in paying for a cruise?  

I may get flamed too, but I think it's more a case of being greedy than not being able to afford it. 

[Smokeyham]

Interesting perspectives.   

We have anytime dining and so have not tipped MDR staff in the past since they are different each night.   I also have always thought the 18% tip on the drinks was sufficient.  We do tip our room steward (around $60) at the end of a week's cruise.

Edited September 1, 2021 by Smokeyham

[RuthC]

3 minutes ago, Smokeyham said:

How would the crew know that someone had reduced/removed their automatic tips and so know that they should hand in the cash tips they had received?

Removing/reducing tips is arranged at the Front Desk. They generate a list, which is posted in steward areas for the stewards to check when they receive cash tips. 

If someone doesn't turn in cash tips received from a passenger who did remove/reduce them, they can be fired and sent home (I believe it is at their expense, but won't swear to it). 
The stewards live in close quarters, and won't be able to keep it secret over a period of time if they try to game the system. Other stewards will learn who has more money, and will likely turn them in. After all, stewards who aren't honest about it are essentially stealing from their coworkers. There is such a thing as honor. 

[Mrsfrz]

14 hours ago, RuthC said:

I must have missed the part of your quote where you included 'reduced' then. So sorry. 

No need to apologize. I just wanted to clarify. 

[seagarsmoker]

We leave HSC tips on our bill. We don't drink or eat in MDR. We tip cash upfront to our room stewards as we ask for extra ice each day. At end of week, if room stewards do a wonderful job, we tip additional amount. It is rare we use room service (food delivery), however when we do, we tip them. At end of week, we tip the Lido food manager (yes, we usually find this person pretty quickly early in our cruise). I may be forgetting someone, but I think that covers it. 

[dockman]

Yes I do tip extra cash to those who i feel were just extra nice to me plus the room stewards etc.

 

BUT you can also "tip" a lot of others with small gifts....my friend hands out probably 50++ flashlight pens every cruise and this sure seems to be appreciated as we get hellos and smiles and thank you over and over...sometimes a few will pull out their pens and shine the lights on us.  The pens cost about $1 each but the smiles etc are worth a lot more.  NOT saying don't give cash but a small gift to more casual contact staff also can be a good thing.  People like bus persons, deck workers,  gals that are always cleaning elevators, etc etc.  Try it and you will meet more of them and get to enjoy their smiles and appreciation for such a small acknowledgement that you can have a lot of fun handing out to many.

[GFM65]

On 8/28/2021 at 9:17 AM, Nodakboiler said:

We usually give the drink waiters $2 for our 2 drinks each time ( we bring lots of singles) and leave at least $20 extra for each of our room stewards (more for longer cruises). $10-20 for Lido cooks who do special breakfast orders at egg stations.

But an 18% gratuity is added onto all drink sales.  You tip on top of that??

[kazu]

54 minutes ago, GFM65 said:

But an 18% gratuity is added onto all drink sales.  You tip on top of that??

 

I have in the past.  The automatic then was 15%.

Perfect example - Rotterdam - Retreat Bar - one steward there was exceptional.  Without asking he would bring you water infused with fruit, on an early coolish morning a blanket was draped over my shoulders, early morning he knew I drank coffee and brought me one infused with chocolate.  The list was endless.  I happily tipped him extra because of how much he added to my experience on board.

There was no automatic gratuity added for those services.  It was well earned.

[Nodakboiler]

If you have the HIA package but are only having five or six drinks per day what does HAL put into the tip program for the crew? Do they automatically put tips for 15 drinks? Do they even put any money in and how do we know? Also, the new water bottles are refillable and you can always get free water at any bar in a glass for those worried about exceeding the limit of 15.

[RuthC]

1 hour ago, GFM65 said:

But an 18% gratuity is added onto all drink sales.  You tip on top of that??

Why not? I always tip my bar stewards at the end of the cruise. 

[kazu]

49 minutes ago, Nodakboiler said:

If you have the HIA package but are only having five or six drinks per day what does HAL put into the tip program for the crew? Do they automatically put tips for 15 drinks? Do they even put any money in and how do we know? Also, the new water bottles are refillable and you can always get free water at any bar in a glass for those worried about exceeding the limit of 15.

 

If you have the Have it All, it is the same as the Signature Beverage Package.  The gratuity is based on the value of the package - not what you order.  If you order over and above the package the gratuity is added to those drinks, too, of course.

 

Why are you questioning if the tips are distributed?  They are.  Period. 

[rkacruiser]

4 hours ago, RuthC said:

Why not? I always tip my bar stewards at the end of the cruise. 

 

I do as well.  While I tend to sit at the bar rather than at a table, I so enjoy the interaction that I have with the bartenders as well as, during Happy Hour, the Assistant Beverage Manager who frequently was there helping his bartenders, an extra gratuity is warranted.

 

I will never forget the bartender, during a busy time, at the Ocean Bar who left his post to retrieve a previously bottle of wine that I had bought and was stored at the MIX Bar.  That's good service!  

[Bubbleswvwa]

In general we give $50--$100 additional to our room stewards at the beginning of the cruise and will give additional at the end based on how needy we've been.

 

Bartenders get $2 per drink (we generally get a lot of $2 bills pre cruise) and at the end of the cruise an additional $20-$50 to our favorites (we are whiskey drinkers and always spend the first couple of days figuring out which be has the best selection. You would think it would be the same, but we have found different whiskeys in different bars).

 

The Neptune concierge an additional $50 at the end of the cruise.

 

It just depends on the level of services received.

 

 

[JeffElizabeth]

On 8/31/2021 at 8:12 AM, Eveann said:

On our last cruise my husband had lost weight, his wedding band slip off his finger. Looked for the ring but couldn't find it. We're booked on a shore excursions so we had to leave ,we asked the room stewards not to vacuum. When we came back they had found his ring. We gave each of them  50 dollars,  because he wears his dad's wedding band from 1941 

Losing weight on a cruise? I didn't know that was an option! (Kidding!)

[dockman]

On 9/1/2021 at 1:30 PM, GFM65 said:

But an 18% gratuity is added onto all drink sales.  You tip on top of that??

 

Tipping above and beyond the auto tips is totally up to you. 

The auto tips should be considered as part of the cruise fare and removed only in the most extreme rare cases of poor service. 

 

If a waiter goes  above and beyond the normal routine of taking an order and bringing a drink then I adding an extra tip may be appropriate.  However 18% is a pretty decent tip on a drink.  Actually i only order a glass of ice water and always leave a tip for that as otherwise the server would get nothing as the water is free.

 

Don't let people tell you that if you can't afford extra you should stay home.   We are all different and have different income levels as well as different expectations as to service.  The value of a dollar to you depends on how many dollars you have...some have a lot and like to cruise.   Some worked for decades in a low paying job helping people and have  to scrimp and save for a cruise.  Some were born on third base with a silver spoon and a big inheritance and never did a lick of work to help anyone but themselves. Some worked for decades and got smart or lucky on investments and ended up rich.  We are all different.  

 

 

 

 

[kazu]

23 minutes ago, dockman said:

Don't let people tell you that if you can't afford extra you should stay home. 

 

 

I don’t think anyone has said that.  They have said that if you can’t afford the HSC/Crew Incentive and keep in place then you shouldn’t be cruising

 

23 minutes ago, dockman said:

We are all different and have different income levels as well as different expectations as to service.  The value of a dollar to you depends on how many dollars you have...some have a lot and like to cruise.   Some worked for decades in a low paying job helping people and have  to scrimp and save for a cruise.  Some were born on third base with a silver spoon and a big inheritance and never did a lick of work to help anyone but themselves. Some worked for decades and got smart or lucky on investments and ended up rich.  We are all different.  

 

True.  Ironically, those that have scrimped and saved have been more generous than some of the big inheritance and silver spoon people I have encountered.  Ie.  party in the Penthouse/Pinnacle Suite tell the concierge on the last day after 30 days on board to remove the HSC and they will reward “their” people.  The look in her eyes told the story.  

[sassy~one]

On 8/29/2021 at 8:29 PM, RuthC said:

There's a caveat with that: cash tips given directly to the crew can be retained by them IF AND ONLY IF  you have not removed OR reduced the Hotel Service Charge (by whatever name HAL decides to call it when you sail). Otherwise, the recipients are bound to turn that cash tip in to the tip pool. 

I have never understood this. Several times my DH and I never eat in the MDR. So I would remove those tips, and tip the Lido and Deli folks. Are you saying HAL did not allow those folks that helped us the most, to keep there tips?  

[kazu]

34 minutes ago, sassy~one said:

I have never understood this. Several times my DH and I never eat in the MDR. So I would remove those tips, and tip the Lido and Deli folks. Are you saying HAL did not allow those folks that helped us the most, to keep there tips?  

 

That’s right.  If you had left your HSC/Crew Incentive in place, the Lido folks would have received it.  HAL knows where you eat and proportions the tips for meals accordingly.  When you dine in the MDR, they always ask your cabin number for any time dining.  Fixed dining there is no need. 

 

[RuthC]

1 hour ago, sassy~one said:

Several times my DH and I never eat in the MDR. So I would remove those tips, and tip the Lido and Deli folks.

Lido and Deli folks are part of the tip pool, too. When you reduced tips to the pool, no one in the pool was allowed to keep the cash you distributed. 

[HamOp]

9 hours ago, RuthC said:

Lido and Deli folks are part of the tip pool, too. When you reduced tips to the pool, no one in the pool was allowed to keep the cash you distributed. 

But the Lido and Deli folks would have no way of knowing the identity of the random person who slipped them a 5 spot.  How could they know if that person did or did not remove the HSC (or what ever it's called now)?

[zgscl]

On 9/5/2021 at 7:46 AM, JeffElizabeth said:

Losing weight on a cruise? I didn't know that was an option! (Kidding!)

I wish I had that problem...it usually goes the other way for me! 

[sassy~one]

21 hours ago, RuthC said:

Lido and Deli folks are part of the tip pool, too. When you reduced tips to the pool, no one in the pool was allowed to keep the cash you distributed. 

Oddly I have never seen the Lido and Deli folks on the Tip list.  (or what ever it's being called now)  A tip to me is providing a cash reward to a person who has given me great service, and that is what I do.  On a b2b with DH 21 night total we did not eat in the MDR even ONCE. We did tip the lido and deli folks as well room service and random folks.  We are all different and I choose to provide to people who helped me the most. 

[Mary229]

36 minutes ago, sassy~one said:

Oddly I have never seen the Lido and Deli folks on the Tip list.  (or what ever it's being called now)  A tip to me is providing a cash reward to a person who has given me great service, and that is what I do.  On a b2b with DH 21 night total we did not eat in the MDR even ONCE. We did tip the lido and deli folks as well room service and random folks.  We are all different and I choose to provide to people who helped me the most. 

In my experience the Lido folks rotate in and out of the MDR.  They come under "hotel" staff.  By the way did anyone notice that HAL recently changed the wording from Gratuities to Crew Incentives in the Labor Day Promotion