Gratuities and tipping

[wowzz]

27 minutes ago, FrankieJayIII said:

it was my extra for the whole week::. where did rationality leave the discussion?

You said you gave your steward $100 for delivering your robes  - please at least try and remember what you posted !

[devonuk]

I’ll I put it out there as I have in the past… my stateroom attendant on the Sky Princess informed me that as she was now salaried that it made no difference whether we paid the Crew Appreciation or not 🤷‍♂️ This was from September 2022. 

[FrankieJayIII]

8 minutes ago, wowzz said:

You said you gave your steward $100 for delivering your robes  - please at least try and remember what you posted !

yes...  what's the problem

[MissP22]

9 hours ago, wowzz said:

You said you gave your steward $100 for delivering your robes  - please at least try and remember what you posted !

Why would anyone tip for an item that's given to everyone on the ship as a standard practice? 

Seem to me, it's someone that just doesn't know the Princess routines & wants to try & make an impression. 

[wowzz]

27 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

Why would anyone tip for an item that's given to everyone on the ship as a standard practice? 

Seem to me, it's someone that just doesn't know the Princess routines & wants to try & make an impression. 

Or has a vivid imagination !

[Bedruthen]

12 hours ago, devonuk said:

I’ll I put it out there as I have in the past… my stateroom attendant on the Sky Princess informed me that as she was now salaried that it made no difference whether we paid the Crew Appreciation or not 🤷‍♂️ This was from September 2022. 

That is also the case on some other lines now. It was explained to me in detail by a crew member. There is an amount that they are guaranteed to earn, which includes an amount that they are expected to receive for gratuity. If they don’t receive the gratuity anticipated, then the cruise company guarantees to make up the difference. However they are also not expected to hand in cash tips. So as a result, the crew much prefer you to pay their gratuities directly as cash rather than a pre paid gratuity on your stateroom charge.

[555]

Over tipping just seems like an overkill. It's one thing to be generous but some people get a little carried away. 

[billco]

22 hours ago, FrankieJayIII said:

i've tipped a room steward an extra $100 after they delivered my robes i asked for...  is that bribery? 

 

what about the $25 to my waiter on my first night bc it was my anniversary tu and they wrote happy anniversary in chocolate on a flaming plate? 

 

how about the towel person $10 when they got me extra towels?

 

each one resulted in them "remembering" me:   were those bribes? or making someone day... 

How about no believing any of this

[rnr4thatsme]

If I’m in club class, will I have the same waiter night?  I’d like to tip a bit extra if I get good service (which I anticipate I will) but I would be better off to tip each night then?  If I was to leave $10 a night like a restaurant on land?  Under a glass like I do on land?

Edited March 25, 2023 by rnr4thatsme

[geocruiser]

For me.  I leave the auto tip on.  At the end of the cruise I will give a cash gift to those who gave me great service.  Except  if I order a drink (a diet coke) at a bar, I will give a tip, for good service because I might not see that waiter again, or room service.

I don't tip before I am given great service.  Because for me, I want the waiters to treat me that way I should be treated, not because I give out money.  I want them to respect me, the way I respect them, not because they received money from me.  I don't want to be treated better because I give out money .I don't want favors because of money.  I am paying for the cruise and expect the great service that comes with the cruise fare.

I will thank (extra tip) those who have gone beyond and given me great service.  

I hope that I explained myself correctly and I don't mean to put any one down who has a different way of tipping.

[wowzz]

59 minutes ago, rnr4thatsme said:

If I’m in club class, will I have the same waiter night?  I’d like to tip a bit extra if I get good service (which I anticipate I will) but I would be better off to tip each night then?  If I was to leave $10 a night like a restaurant on land?  Under a glass like I do on land?

When we were in club class,  we went for dinner more or less the same time each night. We were normally placed in the same section each time, with the same waiters. We just gave a tip to our two waiters at the end of the cruise.

They did a good job,  but I personally wouldn't think they deserved $140 over a 14 night cruise. 

[caribill]

2 hours ago, rnr4thatsme said:

If I’m in club class, will I have the same waiter night? 

 

If you are able to be seated in the same area each meal, you will have the same waitstaff. But if that waiter's area is not available when you arrive, you will be seated in a different waiter's area.

[antsp]

19 hours ago, MissP22 said:

Why would anyone tip for an item that's given to everyone on the ship as a standard practice? 

Seem to me, it's someone that just doesn't know the Princess routines & wants to try & make an impression. 

Thanks for this tip, can I PayPal you over a $100 🙂

Edited March 26, 2023 by antsp

[rbtan]

On 3/25/2023 at 9:41 AM, rnr4thatsme said:

If I’m in club class, will I have the same waiter night?  I’d like to tip a bit extra if I get good service (which I anticipate I will) but I would be better off to tip each night then?  If I was to leave $10 a night like a restaurant on land?  Under a glass like I do on land?

You may be in the same area each night or you may not. You certainly may ask the host/hostess to seat you n different areas(depending on availability)

[honmani2]

Fascinating if not oft repeated thread.  For me, as someone who worked in the service industry for years, I tip above and beyond the included gratuities to a point.  That is, not $100 for delivering robes.

 

That said, the tip culture, at least in the U.S., has gone a bit overboard.  You see tip jars everywhere and I'm surprised we haven't seen them at supermarket and banks.  (Said with tongue firmly in cheek.)

 

For the most part, everyone works hard in their jobs but a cultural norm has developed where only certain jobs are considered tipping appropriate.  After all, I don't tip the bank teller, city bus driver, mail carrier, etc., but all are working hard for their money.

 

Personally, I would prefer (I know, not likely but still. . . ) that everyone gets paid a living wage and the product or service is priced accordingly.  After all, you're going to pay above and beyond the cruise fare because of tips.  You may as well just pay more at the front end knowing that the staff make decent wages and not reliant on tip/bribes/surcharges, etc.,

 

Just my opinion, of course.

[memoak]

I don’t even understand why this thread even exists. Some folks want to tip over and above the required and some don’t. Why argue about it just do what seems right to you

[Willwils]

We have never purchased a drink package on any of our past cruises.. We don't drink much alcoholic beverages, maybe 3 each on our upcoming 15 day day Emerald Princess cruise. But we might consider a non-alcoholic package. We are also considering the Plus pkg. But, we will have $400 on-board credits. There-in lies our dilemma on what, if any, package to take. Also, was wondering if just 1 of us can get a drink package(alcoholic or not) and whether they add tips to those drinks.

[MissP22]

15 hours ago, Willwils said:

We have never purchased a drink package on any of our past cruises.. We don't drink much alcoholic beverages, maybe 3 each on our upcoming 15 day day Emerald Princess cruise. But we might consider a non-alcoholic package. We are also considering the Plus pkg. But, we will have $400 on-board credits. There-in lies our dilemma on what, if any, package to take. Also, was wondering if just 1 of us can get a drink package(alcoholic or not) and whether they add tips to those drinks.

Yes, you can purchase the non alcoholic package for only one person but not the Plus package, all adults in the cabin must buy it. (Tips -18% are already included)

Unless your a big drinker the alcohol package is questionable.  

[Micahs Grandad]

2 hours ago, MissP22 said:

Yes, you can purchase the non alcoholic package for only one person but not the Plus package, all adults in the cabin must buy it. (Tips -18% are already included)

Unless your a big drinker the alcohol package is questionable.  

Never understood why people think they need to bribe the room steward the first night in order to get good service? Always had good service via autotips and we leave extra if we feel they deserve it.

Wish it was easier to get same waitstaff each night. Lately get new ones most nights and typically do not carry cash while on a cruise. So overall waitstaff loses out.

[voljeep]

9 minutes ago, Micahs Grandad said:

Never understood why people think they need to bribe the room steward the first night in order to get good service? Always had good service via autotips and we leave extra if we feel they deserve it.

Wish it was easier to get same waitstaff each night. Lately get new ones most nights and typically do not carry cash while on a cruise. So overall waitstaff loses out.

It's not a 'bribe' - it's a goodwill gesture, and it works for us and makes us feel good about it.

And we 'always' carry cash on board - specifically knowing we will be tipping in addition to the daily grat which we always leave on. 1's, 5's & next cruise some 10's as we 'plan' on eating specialty dinners whenever we can to use OBC.

[memoak]

2 hours ago, MissP22 said:

Yes, you can purchase the non alcoholic package for only one person but not the Plus package, all adults in the cabin must buy it. (Tips -18% are already included)

Unless your a big drinker the alcohol package is questionable.  

Only if you think that 5-6 drinks a day is a lot 

[memoak]

32 minutes ago, Micahs Grandad said:

Never understood why people think they need to bribe the room steward the first night in order to get good service? Always had good service via autotips and we leave extra if we feel they deserve it.

Wish it was easier to get same waitstaff each night. Lately get new ones most nights and typically do not carry cash while on a cruise. So overall waitstaff loses out.

Most of us do carry cash when cruising just so we can give a little extra on the last day to our favorite bartenders, stewards and servers

[Micahs Grandad]

2 minutes ago, memoak said:

Most of us do carry cash when cruising just so we can give a little extra on the last day to our favorite bartenders, stewards and servers

On the last day or next to last day we do too. Not on day 1 to say 7.

[memoak]

4 minutes ago, Micahs Grandad said:

On the last day or next to last day we do too. Not on day 1 to say 7.

Also on Alaskan cruises when the last day is in Victoria only one bar per deck will be open so remember to tip on the night before or you may not find your favorites 

[voljeep]

we tip daily - do not wait until last night - but we don't tip in the mdr.