Assistant Chief Housekeeper???? Tipping...

[CGTNORMANDIE]

More often than not...the Asst. Housekeeper will make life nice onboard X. The Celebrity system for tipping harkens back to the old days of transatlantic travel...when the stewards took care of the other workers with their tips. I like the Celebrity system...as I have relied on the Asst Housekeeper to "fix things" many times. If you do not tip the AH then your cabin steward will have to share his/her tip with the AH to make up the difference. The AH works very hard on X to make sure everything is ship shape...and...IMO is worth every penny.

 

All of us want the best service and all of us want to be spoiled by the crew but you have to feed the system in order for it to work right. I just got off 2 Princess cruises a few months ago and I can tell you that I will take the Celebrity System anytime. $1.50 a day for 2 people and you are rumbling??? You have got to be kidding me...where else are you going to find this level of excellent service for this kind of "chump change"??? Sometimes the service is not good...so do not leave the full amount or do not tip if the service is lousy. Do us all a favor...if the service is good...LEAVE A TIP and TIP THE ASST HOUSEKEEPER!!!

[teajak]

On the other hand, on an X trip, an elderly couple at our table several times "mentioned" that their towel needs were not being taken care of, plus several other matters were not as they should have been in their cabin and they were not too pleased. (The gentleman was a pilot in the RAF of WWII, and his misses was of the same age bracket and did not seem able to "follow thru" mentally). Several at the table found out the couple's cabin number and called the Housekeeper and reported what we had learned during dinner meals. Next evening the wife came down to dinner and reported "some nice man came to their cabin and asked some questions and you know we have all kinds of attention to our cabin...isn't that nice? The Housekeeper then called us back and thanked us for calling his attention to the needs of one who needed extra help. So the Housekeeper is there if and when there is a need to make sure that each cruiser is satisfied.

Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't it the job of management to be there if there is a problem? This is a management position not a service one. I see no need to tip management.JMHO

[tserface]

My cabin steward on 2 different cruises told me the same thing so I always give the tip, but it is a bit irritating. It's a small amount of money, but I agree that it is strange to tip someone who doesn't perform a specific service.

 

Terri

 

You could give *more* to the cabin steward and then if they had to share they'd still get the same, but if they didn't have to share they would get more :D

 

Tom

[lynn21]

Does anybody know why Celebrity no longer have a the assistant cabin steward in the list of people to be tipped. I don`t think the $3.50 per person per day has increased but the steward is expected to share his tips with his assistant. As we `didn`t see the colour of the asst housekeeper`s eyes` we didn`t feel the need to tip him and gave the extra to the cabin steward.

 

I should also add that our asst maitre`d was excellent and we could order anything. I had creme brulee on 2 occasions when it wasn`t on the menu and another person on our table like fruit pies and these were made for him.

[cechase]

We were on Mercury this January for a 11 night cruise out of San Diego. When we received our tip envelopes, one was addressed to the Chief Housekeeper, not the Asst. Housekeeper.

 

I did some calculations, and if each of the pax gave the recommended tip to the Chief Housekeeper, the amount would be more than $15,000.00!!! During our cruise we never even laid eyes on the Chief or Asst. Housekeeper.

 

Ergo, that envelope was torn up. While we tipped our butler almost three times the recommended amount because he was that good, and twice the recommended amount to our cabin steward, because our butler, cabin steward and her asst. were a wonderful team.:D

[lionheart]

Waiter: $3.50 p/day

Assistant Waiter: $2.00 p/day

Butler (suites only): $3.50 p/day

Assistant Maitre'd: $0.75 p/day

Stateroom Service: $3.50 p/day

Stateroom Service (ConciergeClass): $4.00

Assistant Chief Housekeeper: .75 p/day

 

Good question on the ass. cabin steward. If the stateroom service is real good (which it usually is) I usually give above the reccomendation. so maybe he/she shares? Ass. Chief housekeeper envelope gets tossed.

[MrLee]

Waiter: $3.50 p/day

Assistant Waiter: $2.00 p/day

Butler (suites only): $3.50 p/day

Assistant Maitre'd: $0.75 p/day

Stateroom Service: $3.50 p/day

Stateroom Service (ConciergeClass): $4.00

Assistant Chief Housekeeper: .75 p/day

 

Good question on the ass. cabin steward. If the stateroom service is real good (which it usually is) I usually give above the reccomendation. so maybe he/she shares? Ass. Chief housekeeper envelope gets tossed.

 

 

Okay, I'm confused! Are you all saying that they still give you envelopes for tipping over and above what you put on your room?

[npb]

We do not tip people we don't know, but often include that amount in tip to cabin steward or waiter.

[candr]

On our last several cruises, the Assistant Housekeeper responsible for the area where our cabin is located has come around to introduce himself and ask if everything is okay. Sometimes more than once.

 

As to the tips, we were told (by one of our cabin stewards) that the Ass't Housekeeper does not keep the tips personally, but rather distributes them to the staff behind the scenes who clean the public areas and handle the baggage. I don't know if this is true, but I hope it is because they don't get much recognition for their hard work and always smiling faces. $6 per guest per week is to us a very reasonable amount, particularly if that is true.

[idssms]

The Asst Chief Housekeeper like the Asst Maitre D is like the coordinator or team leader and knows everything that goes on in their venue. Nothing gets done in the cabin or dining room without the approval of either assistant.

 

Even tho they are behind the scene managers a gratutity is expected and its a known rule to all cruisers. Why stiff them.

 

In the case of both of these assistants an "upfront" tip could really cause some team motivation on behalf of the guest.

 

Don

[excitedofharpenden]

I have been very happy so far with the stewards in my room and that is down in part to the Asst Chief Housekeeper, I'm sure. Last time on Mercury I was fortunate enough to meet the ACH for our deck when she knocked on the door to find out if all was well. In addition she called to explain what was happening with a very bad smell within the air conditioning one evening.

 

There was another thread here recently with a list of complaints about Millenium, including issues with the room steward. The ACH would have been my first port of call and failing that the Head Housekeeper.

 

I am content in the knowledge that these people do make things happen and if things aren't right then they sort it out.

 

75 cents a day is fine with me, more if they go above what I would expect.

 

Phil

[woody14h]

Although this person is not seen too often, he has a responsibility many do not know about. Namely. he is responsible for all the luggage on and off the ship. I think this is a job, IMHO, done beautifully by all the X cruises I've taken. Therefore I do not begrudge him the gratuity.

[flashdog_1]

The Asst. Maitre D is the person who puts together you and your tablemates, in addition to filling special requests.

 

Only one time did I not tip the asst. head housekeeper. Automatic tips were not available that cruise. I had his envelope ready, and could not even find my steward to give it to him, so just put the couple of dollars back in my purse. The same cruise we were in a suite and found NO shampoo, and it took several phone calls to get some (guest services said there was a wall dispenser. There was not. We thought we were going to have to skip dinner because of it. Then I saw the assitant steward in the hall and asked him. He smiled and gave me some. Have to go to the actual person attending to the rooms, I guess, if you need immediate action. All the phone calls had been ineffective. So if the asst. head housekeeper is the one in charge of stocking the supplies, he failed and did not get a tip.

[rubrrick]

Hey Tuggers..........wow.....looks like 27 days to me till you are once again on a cruise!! Cool.

My DW and I make it a point to get to know the assistant chief housekeeper. In all honesty, if something needs to be done to the cabin, that person will see that it is property taken care of............ so no disrespect to those that don't get to know a very important person, but if you need more of anything for your cabin,............introduce yourself!!

 

Rick

[wieslaw]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lionheart

Waiter: $3.50 p/day

Assistant Waiter: $2.00 p/day

Butler (suites only): $3.50 p/day

Assistant Maitre'd: $0.75 p/day

Stateroom Service: $3.50 p/day

Stateroom Service (ConciergeClass): $4.00

Assistant Chief Housekeeper: .75 p/day

 

Good question on the ass. cabin steward. If the stateroom service is real good (which it usually is) I usually give above the reccomendation. so maybe he/she shares? Ass. Chief housekeeper envelope gets tossed.

 

 

 

Okay, I'm confused! Are you all saying that they still give you envelopes for tipping over and above what you put on your room?

 

Okay, I'm confused! Are you all saying that they still give you envelopes for tipping over and above what you put on your room?

 

 

Hello MrLee,

it seems no one provided an answer to your concern.......so I will try.

I did look at your 'signature' and appears that you have cruised on other lines before, and they handle 'tipping' a little diferently....and Galaxy is going to be your first Celebrity ship......so based on some of the comments above, there is some confussion.

On Celebrity you will have an option to put your recommended tips on your 'automatic' payment - they will provide a form for you that you may choose to fill out and that will give 'them' the authority to charge your on board account for the amount of the tips listed on the form (and above in this post), the people receiving the tips will be notified of your choice......or you may not participate in this offer and tip the traditional way - cash in the envelops, that will be provided for you in your cabin. There are people that tip ( have seen their posts) the 'auto' tipping and might add some extra in cash if they have gotten some extraordinary service, they are people that tip 'cash' more or less than recommended depending how they feel and what service they did receive......that is pretty much up to you. The 'tips' pretty much provide the 'monetary compensation' for the people that provide the service for you - their official salary provided by the ship is just a 'token'.

There was a reference in the above quote to assistant steward - that person is paid by the steward....the steward has them as helpers so more cabins can be assigned to the steward - and that generates more money for the steward and that steward 'pays' the assistant at a lower rate than what the 'steward' gets, so in a way 'the steward' makes money on the labor of the helper. The helpers sooner or later will became stewards.

 

Now about the assistant Chief Housekeeper - the steward's boss.

All the other cruise lines handle that position in a different way and no tipping is recommended.....even that these people do exactly the same thing on all the other cruise lines and their ships, as they do on Celebrity.

Celebrity has a tradition that is continued from the 'very old days of the Brittanis, Americanis and other privately owned ships of the family that owned Chandris - present Celebrity. The family used family members and close and distant relatives as the Chief Stewards / Chief Housekeepers in their early days of cruising.... and they were paid by the tips of the cruisers ......so the tradition continues from the past.

And yes they do work for you even when you do not see them, some are more pleasant than others....usually older Greek men...some try to introduce themself to you but they will not intrude into your 'life' on the ship. Some people do not want them knocking on the door in sometimes the 'wrong time'.

Wes

[TPKeller]

As some of you may know, I keep my eye on this whole tipping thing pretty closely. I don't claim to be an expert, or to speak with any more authority than what careful observation of the situation gives me the credibility to say.

 

Of all the tipping issues I have seen, I can think of none that more clearly illustrate my position that "tip" is absolutely the wrong word to use for what happens on a cruise ship.

 

The big beef seems to be that it is not palatable to tip someone who is unseen, or whose services are unseen. If this transaction were really a "tip" in the traditional sense of the word, I would be hard pressed to disagree. We are used to tipping the pizza delivery guy. The waiter or waitress at our favorite restaurant. The cab driver.

 

Throw all those examples out the window, they have nothing to do with what happens on a cruise.

 

When you go on a cruise, there are people who work to provide services to you that we have all come to expect. A cruise is a product, an experience that you purchase, from the time you first arrive at check-in, until the last time you walk down the gangway. It is very sophisticated, carefully orchestrated, thoroughly planned, well staffed, and practiced more times than you can begin to imagine. Every person (and there are hundreds) involved in bringing every aspect of that product to your enjoyment is doing their job. They have every right to expect to earn a fair compensation for doing that job.

 

We can certainly talk about the history of tipping on this particular line. It is interesting, and I always enjoy such kinds of stories, but it is quite irrelevant. It doesn't matter how or why tipping this person or that person came about. The only thing that matters is that the people who are working on the ship expect to earn a living, and the cruise line has established a system or a business model that balances many things, of which are included fare prices, add-on purchases, and tipping. All these numbers are carefully juggled with the hope that you are willing to buy a ticket, and the folks who work for you can make a living.

 

It is certainly a valid point worth discussing whether people should be tipped, or rather should be paid salaries from ticket prices, and if so, who should that system include. But the choice that is to be made is not whether or not you should participate in the established system on your cruise line. No! The choice is to pick a cruise line that employs the system you prefer!

 

To not participate in the established system only hurts those who work very hard so that you can enjoy a wonderful product.

 

I would submit that non-participation also threatens the very survival of that system, as it is untenable for the service providers to not make a living. Therefore, if the system does not work as it is, it will be changed (that is, automatic service charges) so that it will work.

 

If you can't stand tipping, then pick a line that includes tips in your fare! If you don't want to tip a particular job, then pick a line that does not recommend that you tip that particular job!

 

I don't write this to be mean, or tell anyone they are wrong. In all my reading about tipping, most of the positions are based on incorrect foundations. It doesn't help anyone to start from the wrong place, so I'm just trying to get us on the same ground here.

 

Very respectfully,

 

Theron

[rubrrick]

As some of you may know, I keep my eye on this whole tipping thing pretty closely. I don't claim to be an expert, or to speak with any more authority than what careful observation of the situation gives me the credibility to say.

 

Of all the tipping issues I have seen, I can think of none that more clearly illustrate my position that "tip" is absolutely the wrong word to use for what happens on a cruise ship.

 

The big beef seems to be that it is not palatable to tip someone who is unseen, or whose services are unseen. If this transaction were really a "tip" in the traditional sense of the word, I would be hard pressed to disagree. We are used to tipping the pizza delivery guy. The waiter or waitress at our favorite restaurant. The cab driver.

 

Throw all those examples out the window, they have nothing to do with what happens on a cruise.

 

 

It is certainly a valid point worth discussing whether people should be tipped, or rather should be paid salaries from ticket prices, and if so, who should that system include. But the choice that is to be made is not whether or not you should participate in the established system on your cruise line. No! The choice is to pick a cruise line that employs the system you prefer!

 

To not participate in the established system only hurts those who work very hard so that you can enjoy a wonderful product.

 

I would submit that non-participation also threatens the very survival of that system, as it is untenable for the service providers to not make a living. Therefore, if the system does not work as it is, it will be changed (that is, automatic service charges) so that it will work.

 

If you can't stand tipping, then pick a line that includes tips in your fare! If you don't want to tip a particular job, then pick a line that does not recommend that you tip that particular job!

 

I don't write this to be mean, or tell anyone they are wrong. In all my reading about tipping, most of the positions are based on incorrect foundations. It doesn't help anyone to start from the wrong place, so I'm just trying to get us on the same ground here.

 

Very respectfully,

 

Theron

 

TPKeller.........well done article. I could not agree more!!!

 

Here is an example of how it would apply. We just returned from an 11 night cruise on the Mercury. We occupied a suite. For the entire cruise, save for one night to have dinner with the Captian, we did not eat in the dining room. It was our choice. We either ate at the Palm Springs Cafe or or cabin.

On the day of tipping, we gave the assistant Maitre'd the proper cards for all os the staff members that we would tip if we were at the table. We don't feel that we should cut these crew members off from making a living, even if it is our decision not to utilize their services, as they are part of the overall experience and the company has them set up to be paid that way.

Before we ever board, we know how much the cruise line is asking for in tips, and as part of our cruising experience, we prepare for it ahead of time.

 

Rick

[Bisous3]

At some point during one of our cruises I remember hearing that the tips that are ear marked for the Asst. Housekeeper actually get distributed to the ladies and gentlemen you see who clean all the public areas of the ship.

 

If thats true I would hate to see those people get stiffed.