Another Extra Tipping Question

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

4 hours ago, sanger727 said:

 

Cruises used to give cash envelopes for tipping at the end of each cruise. I think that between inconsistencies in tip amounts and increased use of multiple staff (anytime dining) led to tips becoming a set standard cost. And now they are often included in the booking. Tipping is so engrained in American culture that many feel weird or guilty to leave nothing. Others feel like cash is the best way to express gratitude.

 

I think that is mostly an American thing. Your tips are included and nothing extra is expected. I'm sure extra would always be appreciated but so would a sincere thank you. Whatever feels right to you is fine. I personally don't tip extra unless we ask for or receive something outside the norm. We don't carry cash with us around the ship.

 

I generally don't carry much cash around with me on the ship.  However, there is no problem keeping cash in my stateroom safe and putting that cash in an envelope with a thank you note to the staff who have contributed to making my voyage pleasant.

[sanger727]

17 minutes ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 

I generally don't carry much cash around with me on the ship.  However, there is no problem keeping cash in my stateroom safe and putting that cash in an envelope with a thank you note to the staff who have contributed to making my voyage pleasant.

theres no problem with that. There’s also no problem with not doing that.

[swjumbo]

5 minutes ago, sanger727 said:

theres no problem with that. There’s also no problem with not doing that.

And here was me thinking that it was only us Brits who were bad tippers.

Obviously not!

[dgoz]

6 hours ago, swjumbo said:

And here was me thinking that it was only us Brits who were bad tippers.

Obviously not!

Is it being a bad tipper if you happily paid the tips in advance with all included?

[Grambler]

Certainly not judging, this is a personal choice but we always tip extra as does everyone we know who cruises. Since the cruise lines started adding gratuities, the $ is given to to staff on their checks and therefore taxed. Certain crew members says they end up getting less than they did, The break down is controlled by the Cruiseline and who you want to tip may not be getting the tip. I do like the fact that the auto tip assures those behind the scenes are tipped but we have never once been on a cruise where the staff didn’t work very hard so we will always tip our room steward, our waiters, bartenders and I like to give a few $ when I see someone cleaning the public bathrooms, etc. or anyone who goes out of their way for us. When we budget for our cruise, we add extra tips to the cost. Figure if we can’t afford to tip, we can’t afford to cruise,!

[tserface]

I asked the concierge once and they said you could tip anyone at any time and they will happily accept the extra gratuity.  Most of the crew are not expecting extra gratuity and won't think less of you if you don't tip extra, but they always appreciate it.  I think the auto gratuities were started because so many people found themselves with big bills or no cash at the end of the cruise and didn't have (or want) to do tips.  Being able to pre-pay them is a great thing since it means you don't have to worry about it unless you thought the service merited an extra bit.

 

The cruise line is the one who sets up the standard and, if you meet that standard, they can't ask for anything so it's up to you.

 

In the case of OP, if the person is leaving the ship then they won't have a chance to tip them later 🙂

 

[tserface]

12 hours ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 

I generally don't carry much cash around with me on the ship.  However, there is no problem keeping cash in my stateroom safe and putting that cash in an envelope with a thank you note to the staff who have contributed to making my voyage pleasant.

 

This is how we mostly do it as well.  We consider the built in gratuity kind of like a service charge (it kind of really is) that covers the extra cost of the staff.  If we have servers, attendants, or anyone else (we even tipped a customer service person who helped us out of a jam once) on the last night.

 

With the flexible dining thing we do now it's more trouble to tip waiters unless we end up getting the same ones for the trip, but, even so, if there is one that gave us a great experience we always hunt them down and say thank you and give them something extra.  Only virtual hand shakes these days.

 

All that said, it's totally up tot he discretion of the individual.  What I do works for me, but not everyone is going to work that way.  I am glad they still provide the envelopes upon request.

[sanger727]

15 hours ago, swjumbo said:

And here was me thinking that it was only us Brits who were bad tippers.

Obviously not!

when tipping is automatically added to the price, you can’t tip badly. Several restaurants in the us are now adding a 18% service fee on top of the bill. You also don’t have to tip on that. 
 

back in the day people did cash tipping, and then it turned into an auto gratuity which everyone thought was convenient. A handful who don’t believe in tipping would remove the gratuity so people complained that it wasn’t just rolled into the cruise fare. Now it is, and everyone is back to thinking they have to tip in cash on top. You do see the never ending cycle here?

[sanger727]

3 hours ago, Grambler said:

Certainly not judging, this is a personal choice but we always tip extra as does everyone we know who cruises. Since the cruise lines started adding gratuities, the $ is given to to staff on their checks and therefore taxed. Certain crew members says they end up getting less than they did, The break down is controlled by the Cruiseline and who you want to tip may not be getting the tip. I do like the fact that the auto tip assures those behind the scenes are tipped but we have never once been on a cruise where the staff didn’t work very hard so we will always tip our room steward, our waiters, bartenders and I like to give a few $ when I see someone cleaning the public bathrooms, etc. or anyone who goes out of their way for us. When we budget for our cruise, we add extra tips to the cost. Figure if we can’t afford to tip, we can’t afford to cruise,!

if taxes are due, taxes are due. It makes no difference if the tips are received in cash or via check. If taxes were not due they can get it refunded so they can pay applicable taxes in their home country. If taxes were always due, they were required to pay taxes on reported tips. Sure, cash allows them to take unreported money, but taking money without reporting it for taxes is still tax fraud. Many people fail to realize how taxes work and that it all works out the same at the end of the year.

[Fly and Sail]

On 1/20/2022 at 8:41 AM, pooh/tigger said:

We always give our cabin stewart $100 when we first meet them.
 

And we tip $3 per person,  to our breakfast and dinner waiters. Usually don’t eat lunch. 

 

$100 for the cabin steward to cover a week of making up the cabin?? Unless you're in some huge suite that's pretty "out there". More power to you if you want to spread money around but such an amount is completely out of touch.

 

And FWIW these days I tend to decline 80% of all housekeeping services both on land and on the ship. The less frequent people enter my room the better to avoid possible exposure.

[pooh/tigger]

43 minutes ago, Fly and Sail said:

 

$100 for the cabin steward to cover a week of making up the cabin?? Unless you're in some huge suite that's pretty "out there". More power to you if you want to spread money around but such an amount is completely out of touch.

 

And FWIW these days I tend to decline 80% of all housekeeping services both on land and on the ship. The less frequent people enter my room the better to avoid possible exposure.

I'm blessed to be able to tip what I do. I worked 62 years at the same company so I could have a good time in my retirement. I've earned to do what I do. 

We have a Mediterranean cruise booked for Oct 2023. I will use the months leading up to it to save a little here and there so I can tip a little extra. 

IMO, those kids work their tails off for us. 

 

I'm so sorry this bothers you so much. Perhaps get some help so something this small doesn't bother you. 

 

 

Edited January 22, 2022 by pooh/tigger

[swjumbo]

2 hours ago, Fly and Sail said:

 

$100 for the cabin steward to cover a week of making up the cabin?? Unless you're in some huge suite that's pretty "out there". More power to you if you want to spread money around but such an amount is completely out of touch.

 

And FWIW these days I tend to decline 80% of all housekeeping services both on land and on the ship. The less frequent people enter my room the better to avoid possible exposure.

Rather presumptuous and rude of you telling this person that they are out of touch.

Edited January 22, 2022 by swjumbo

[cachouonacruise]

Tipping is always the only element about cruising that makes me feel uncomfortable.

 

Not being American, I don't necessarily fully understand the American tipping culture, so, I feel, I am always left guessing between what's expected, what's appropriate and what's too much.

 

Reading this tread and so many others on these boards, just confirms that my discomfort, is justified.

 

Before "Gratuities included or prepaid" concept, cruise lines used to publish guidelines as to who to tip and how much. When the concept of prepaid gratuities was adopted, I thought, what a wonderful idea! Easier to budget and worry free! But in fact, if it helps distributing the tip amongst more staff members, it opened the can of worms of extra tipping. How much, to whom and when? 
 

I fully respect and appreciate that the staff, for the most part, does an outstanding job and deserve to be compensated! Therefore, I always left my auto-gratuities "on", all the time.

 

Then, I am left guessing... I don't know how much each staff members is paid, from my already, often pricy cabin fare and auto-gratuities, therefore, it's hard to guess how much to add to make the staff genuinely happy to provide me services.... 

 

Don't take me wrong, if I were a billionnaire, I would be more than happy to distribute $100 or more bills all around. As it stands, I always bring with me extra cash to tip extra. But, I still find challenging to assess, how much to budget, to whom to give it and why, and when. This guess work.... not my best part of the cruise. I always feel unsure, and embarrassed that what extra I gave, may still not have been quite enough or too much.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

5 hours ago, cachouonacruise said:

Tipping is always the only element about cruising that makes me feel uncomfortable.

 

Not being American, I don't necessarily fully understand the American tipping culture, so, I feel, I am always left guessing between what's expected, what's appropriate and what's too much.

 

Don't take me wrong, if I were a billionnaire, I would be more than happy to distribute $100 or more bills all around. As it stands, I always bring with me extra cash to tip extra. But, I still find challenging to assess, how much to budget, to whom to give it and why, and when. This guess work.... not my best part of the cruise. I always feel unsure, and embarrassed that what extra I gave, may still not have been quite enough or too much.

 

I don't think one can tip too much.  If you can afford it, share the wealth with those who have been out of work for about two years.  Just give what you feel comfortable with and can afford.  Generosity is never a bad thing.

[Grambler]

7 hours ago, sanger727 said:

if taxes are due, taxes are due. It makes no difference if the tips are received in cash or via check. If taxes were not due they can get it refunded so they can pay applicable taxes in their home country. If taxes were always due, they were required to pay taxes on reported tips. Sure, cash allows them to take unreported money, but taking money without reporting it for taxes is still tax fraud. Many people fail to realize how taxes work and that it all works out the same at the end of the year.

Yes I understand what you are saying, but the tax issue was only a very small part (if a part at all) of why most people choose to show their appreciation to the very hardworking staff who make our cruise more enjoyable. The point is that some of them get less now that it is handled by the cruise line then they did with personal tips  as the set gratuities are so small & are spread amongst all the crew (which is great) but for those who serve us daily (room steward, waiters, bartenders, housekeeping) most people choose to show their appreciation directly during or at end of cruise. If someone chooses not to do this, that is entirely up to them. We save all year to be able to afford to cruise but we consider extra cash to demonstrate our appreciation as past of the total cost of cruising, if you don’t, that’s your business.

[MamaFej]

25 minutes ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 

I don't think one can tip too much.  If you can afford it, share the wealth with those who have been out of work for about two years.  Just give what you feel comfortable with and can afford.  Generosity is never a bad thing.

 

Agreed. 

 

Additionally, as long as the auto-gratuities are left in place, one cannot tip too little. $0 of extra tipping is not in any way a reflection on a person's character. Neither is $2500 extra, nor anything in between. 

 

We choose to tip extra, as do many others. Plenty of folks do not choose to tip extra. Neither group is inherently superior to the other. 

 

We also fill out the 'Golly Gee, So and So is Pretty Awesome' cards available at Guest Services. My understanding is that these can be very valuable to crew, resulting in better assignments, time off, etc. Many people do not choose to fill out the cards, and might not even know they exist. That's okay, too. 

 

Different strokes for different folks. 

[tserface]

1 hour ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 

I don't think one can tip too much.  If you can afford it, share the wealth with those who have been out of work for about two years.  Just give what you feel comfortable with and can afford.  Generosity is never a bad thing.

I’d heard so much about American tipping culture and how it’s perceived that when we went to London for vacation I was confused what to do. We didn’t want to insult anyone.

 

So I asked a waiter.  He told me tips are always appreciated and they loved Americans for it… he thought the only ones bothered were British customers who didn’t want to tip 🙂

 

My experience has been that no one has ever refused a tip of any kind of appreciation or amount.

[LGW59]

12 minutes ago, tserface said:

I’d heard so much about American tipping culture and how it’s perceived that when we went to London for vacation I was confused what to do. We didn’t want to insult anyone.

 

So I asked a waiter.  He told me tips are always appreciated and they loved Americans for it… he thought the only ones bothered were British customers who didn’t want to tip 🙂

 

My experience has been that no one has ever refused a tip of any kind of appreciation or amount.

My experience anywhere in Europe has always been the same.  A British colleague of mine told me many Brit's think Americans are just showing off when we tip there.  I think we all, no matter where we are from, just do what is customary for us.  To many cruisers that are not American tipping is not "normal" for them, they prefer to just keep auto gratuities in place and there is nothing wrong with that.  

[PTC DAWG]

I always ask for ice in the room, $20 day one to room Steward, again mid week and at cruise end..ice is always there.

 

I tip at least an extra dollar cash for drinks, especially the guys delivering them around the pool..never at a want for a drink..

 

I leave a tip after specialty dinners and in the MDR, if we ever eat in there..rare for us.  
 

Wouldn’t dream of removing room grats…

 

As others have said, do what’s comfortable for you. 

Edited January 22, 2022 by PTC DAWG

[sanger727]

3 hours ago, tserface said:

I’d heard so much about American tipping culture and how it’s perceived that when we went to London for vacation I was confused what to do. We didn’t want to insult anyone.

 

So I asked a waiter.  He told me tips are always appreciated and they loved Americans for it… he thought the only ones bothered were British customers who didn’t want to tip 🙂

 

My experience has been that no one has ever refused a tip of any kind of appreciation or amount.

yes, but you do have to be careful in other countries of cultural issues. It is quite frowned upon in some countries (like japan) and just not really done in some (like Australia). 
 

yes, in most countries, everyone in the service industry will appreciate cash. But personally I’m a ‘when in rome’ person and try to fit tipping behavior in with cultural norms when traveling. There’s also the aspect in 3rd world countries of the value of an American dollar. Tipping $5-8 for a taxi ride may seem perfectly normal and reasonable.  But in a country where the ride costs equivalent of $10 it’s excessive.

Edited January 22, 2022 by sanger727

[sanger727]

4 hours ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 

I don't think one can tip too much.  If you can afford it, share the wealth with those who have been out of work for about two years.  Just give what you feel comfortable with and can afford.  Generosity is never a bad thing.

Covid is an entirely different issue. Yes, when traveling we have been overtipping lately due to covid and people being out of work. I read this thread as requesting general tipping advice. No, in normal times I leave the auto tips on and give a little extra if I receive something above and beyond normal service. 
 

generosity is always appreciated. But not everyone feels the need to drop money left and right and that is also not wrong. A selling point of a cruise vacation is the all included aspect. 

[cachouonacruise]

21 hours ago, MamaFej said:

....

 

We choose to tip extra, as do many others. Plenty of folks do not choose to tip extra. Neither group is inherently superior to the other. 

 

....

There lies the challenge for me and maybe other people.

 

But, first, the question is, why do people tip extra? The staff is really under compensated by the cruise line or people are trying to obtain from staff a better level of service?

 

Human nature, being what it is, the staff being tipped extra by many people, comes to expect that extra tip and can't help feeling disappointed, when they don't receive it, despite the good service they believe having provided. No extra tip, means disappointed faces and me leaving the ship feeling really, really, bad.
 

Furthermore, some people are beginning to tip during the cruise... hoping, for exemple that bar tenders would may be tempted to pass more often...and I am sure it works. Human nature, being what it is.

 

Now it's clear in my mind that "gratuities included" does not exactly mean what it says... It actually mean some gratuities are included. I will not be sued if I don't give more, but will be made to feel like a moron. My problem is that there is no consensus or guidelines regarding extra-tipping...

 

Part of the cruise enjoyment for me is the staff, and, I would also like them to have a real smile when I leave the ship. Of course, I'm always polite and respectful with them, but, they are there to make money. Not knowing what tipping extra they are expecting, makes it hard to budget, hard to plan and concerned that I may have missed the mark. 
 

My feeling about that may be the result of a personal experience, where a cabin attendant, provided my family extra services, and was compensated with, which I thought, was a very generous extra tip, but visibly, I  did not meet the mark of his expectations, and I still feel really bad, that I did not correctly guess how much he was expecting...and this occurred 11 years ago. 

 

So, I will continue to leave gratuities "on", and continue to bring extra cash for extra tips that I am guessing the staff is hoping for,  and I will likely continue to feel uneasy about the whole process.... No, this is definitely, my least favorite aspect of cruising.

 

 

[LGW59]

20 minutes ago, cachouonacruise said:

There lies the challenge for me and maybe other people.

 

But, first, the question is, why do people tip extra? The staff is really under compensated by the cruise line or people are trying to obtain from staff a better level of service?

 

Human nature, being what it is, the staff being tipped extra by many people, comes to expect that extra tip and can't help feeling disappointed, when they don't receive it, despite the good service they believe having provided. No extra tip, means disappointed faces and me leaving the ship feeling really, really, bad.
 

Furthermore, some people are beginning to tip during the cruise... hoping, for exemple that bar tenders would may be tempted to pass more often...and I am sure it works. Human nature, being what it is.

 

Now it's clear in my mind that "gratuities included" does not exactly mean what it says... It actually mean some gratuities are included. I will not be sued if I don't give more, but will be made to feel like a moron. My problem is that there is no consensus or guidelines regarding extra-tipping...

 

Part of the cruise enjoyment for me is the staff, and, I would also like them to have a real smile when I leave the ship. Of course, I'm always polite and respectful with them, but, they are there to make money. Not knowing what tipping extra they are expecting, makes it hard to budget, hard to plan and concerned that I may have missed the mark. 
 

My feeling about that may be the result of a personal experience, where a cabin attendant, provided my family extra services, and was compensated with, which I thought, was a very generous extra tip, but visibly, I  did not meet the mark of his expectations, and I still feel really bad, that I did not correctly guess how much he was expecting...and this occurred 11 years ago. 

 

So, I will continue to leave gratuities "on", and continue to bring extra cash for extra tips that I am guessing the staff is hoping for,  and I will likely continue to feel uneasy about the whole process.... No, this is definitely, my least favorite aspect of cruising.

 

 

I get what you are saying but IMHO, I think you are overthinking it.  Sounds like you do tip extra and I think anything over and above the included gratuities, in any amount, is greatly appreciated by the receiver.  One should tip extra at the level they feel comfortable doing and not feel bad in any way.  

[capsplace]

We always provide an extra tip to our Blu hostess, the sommelier, stateroom attendant, and any other person that provides extraordinary service.  HOWEVER, on more than one occasion, we are advised by the recipient, while very appreciative, that these extra tips go into a pool and shared by the entire staff associated with the venue, etc.  We have no problem with that because the recipient is recognized by us, and it is our way of notifying their manager, as a provider of great service.  AND, we always complete the comment cards and online reviews, specifically naming all those that have provided exemplary service.  We have been told numerous times that it is these reviews and comments that make a huge difference in their career paths.

Edited January 23, 2022 by capsplace

[sunonfire]

My last cruise on the Constellation there was a form at guest services to designate a specific employee for giving extra gratuities. We were able to use up our onboard credit. Do they still do this?