the truth about tipping

[suznf]

Like the others we added the recommended amt to our sea pass and then tip in cash extra for those who have gone out of their way at the end of the cruise.

 

We also tip extra for each drink we get at the bar-- DH more than I because he forgot that the 15% was already added on. The bartenders loved him.

 

On the other hand...he didn't know he was supposed to tip the room service people (he thinks all printing is just too small...so he doesn't read what he should...hasn't accepted the need for reading glasses yet. Sigh)

When he realized it then he compensated for the error of his ways.

[Bobblsc]

we tip the suggested amounts minus the suggested tip for the head of housekeeping and maitre'd-these are senior positions and their salary should be commensurate with their responsibilities!i have rarely spoken with either.

 

This is also our position, except we do tip more for those who have provided extraordinary service, and less for those whose service is really poor. We have sailed five 11-14 day cruises on Celebrity, one on the old Renaissance, and one on Holland America. HAL just pools all tips. HAL as I recall, did mention the maitre d' sharing, but had no mention of the head housekeeper. I asked at the Westerdam front desk about the distribution of the tipping daily amount, the only way to charge tips. To my surprise, I was told that 30% went to the dining room waiters, 30% to the room stewards, and 40% to others on the ship who "provided service to the cruisers". I asked the young lady at the desk if she participated in the 40%, and she responded "yes". I had about a dozen problems with various staff on the ship during the voyage. However, the waiters and the room steward were excellent. I reduced my automatic daily total tip at the end of the cruise, and gave the waiters and room steward extra cash. I hope they did not have to put that cash in the pool. It appears that pooling of tips is done on several lines. I hope it isn't on Celebrity, but it may well

 

There are several threads about tipping. As far as I can tell, the cruise lines use tips for by far the major compensation of wait and cabin staff. That is fine with me, but I want to tip in accordance with the quantity and quality of the service provided.

 

Could those from Britain help me recall accurately? My memory is that only on the Continent is a tip included in the in a restaurant menu item price.

 

I'll now answer the poll as best fits.

 

Bob

[jasmin]

We learned on our last cruise - Celebrity - that the envelopes go directly to the individuals intended - and that waiters' salary is $50 per month! So I hope people are tipping because they certainly earn it. I kind of wondered about tipping the matire d' and head housekeeper - I'll rething that one next cruise.

 

Cathy

[wolfganghowell]

I always tip in cash - seems like I heard somewhere that the automatic tipping on the account takes longer to reach them. That could be bad information but I've heard it from several sources. I do what many others here have mentioned - we tend to find the same waiters, same bartenders and toward the beginning and the end we will give them extra because they have done such an outstanding job.

[Pandora1958]

Us too. Always tip at start also....

 

Lynne

[joeinsb]

If tips are included, as seems to be the case nowadays, we always throw in an extra 5 to 10%--assuming the tip is say, 15%. This is not based on merit. It's just that I feel that these folks are grossly underpaid and not wealthy compared to the standards of the average middle-class American.

 

On ships where 15% is tacked onto your wine bill, I add an extra 5% or so. I also have taken to carrying around $1 bills, which I pass along to say, bar waiters/waitresses. Most of them are so thrilled that you thought of them they will go out of there way to serve you, even though that is not my intention.

 

As for card dealers, my wife the gambler, always tips the dealer a small amount, which is much appreciated. Doesn't help her win though...

[Cruisechik]

Being British, tipping isnt something we do as routine, here it is something that would be for service way beyond the normal expected. Nor is general tipping something i believe in. It is the companies role to pay their staff, not mine. I know this sounds mean, but i can see the day comming where staff are not paid at all!!! By carrying on with this process, we encourage companies to pay their staff badly

 

When I lived in England, restaurants expected a tip and many automatically added in a gratuity. We also routinely tipped taxi drivers and hotel maids, as we were told this was customary.

[babylene]

I am bringing this back to the top in case anyone who wishes to vote has not yet done so.

 

Still, it seems that the majority gives exactly what is suggested. Very few don't tip (or undertip).

 

The more people that vote, the more accurate the results.

 

Thanks.

[newmexicoNita]

I tip the suggested amount that is charged to my sail and sign card but then do an extra "handpay" to those I feel deserve more.

that is what we do as a rule. I voted for round up or down, because the choice of extra in some cases wasn't there. We rarely would round down, but in the olden days of all envalopes we did a few times: certainly not by much. We do like to add a little in the form of hand pays for those who have really gone and above and beyond: most cruises we have one or two that fit the bill. NMNita

[PaperSniper4]

How I do my tipping wasn't included in the list. Typically I tip <pun intended!> the amount recommended, but I vary maybe $5 if the service was really good or really bad. I've had only 1 or 2 of the latter in the last 10 cruises or so. :)

[Ma Bell]

I am bringing this back to the top in case anyone who wishes to vote has not yet done so.

 

Still, it seems that the majority gives exactly what is suggested. Very few don't tip (or undertip).

 

The more people that vote, the more accurate the results.

 

Thanks.

 

Since 43% give 10 to 20% more and 32% give what is suggested I would say that most people tip more than what is suggested.:) Then there is another 18% that rounds up.

[babylene]

Since 43% give 10 to 20% more and 32% give what is suggested I would say that most people tip more than what is suggested.:) Then there is another 18% that rounds up.

 

If you wish to lump together the voters who chose an increase of at least 10% or 20%, when we could lump together the voters who chose the exact recommended amount with those that chose rounding to the nearest round figure. These two groups add up to substantially more.

 

At any rate, the very low and the non-tippers are negligible.

[Ma Bell]

I don't quite get your reasoning, but if it matters to you figure it any way you like.:) Why would you not lump the people together who are giving ten to twenty percent more? The point is they are all giving more. I guess if you think all people are rounding down you may have a point. It doesn't matter to me.

[bandit0000]

Hi,

I normally tip the recommended amount and maybe tip the cabin steward at the start of the cruise, if there is something extra I have asked for. I also tip for room service.

 

Reading your replies many of you are very generous with your additional tips, but for me I pay a lot of money to go on the cruise and have to save up to do so. To me it would not be feasible to keep tipping $5 for each drink order on top of the 15% they already add.

 

Here in the UK tipping does not come that easy to us, but I always tip the recommended amount where ever I go, but sometimes it just seems a bit much to me when people are tipping for everything, although I am sure the staff love it.

I guess I just feel a little insecure that I cannot really afford to do this.

 

I cannot understand anyone who does not tip at all & on my various cruises I have met a few.

 

Regards,

Lisa

[babylene]

Ma Bell, I tried to answer you yesterday, twice, and each time I seemed to press something and lose my entire post...so here goes again today.

 

My reasoning is: if, on a 14 night cruise (for example) @3.50pp, the total is $98 and you round it up to $100. there is not much difference. By the same token, if @$2pp (I think there still is a recommended $2), the total comes to $56 amd you round it down to $55, there is not much difference. Therefore, the first two choices could be "lumped together".

 

Since an increase of at least 10% and at least 20% are both substantial, they could be lumped together.

 

That's all...It's not very scientific!

 

Most of the responders who elaborated were those who tipped generously. Very few non or low tippers would dare to post, so, I wanted to see what an anonymous result would be.

[Sky Sweet]

If you tip significantly more than the suggested amounts while on a cruise, do you also tip significantly more than the recommended 15-20 percent for services you receive at land based establishements such as restaurants, spas, hair salons, etc?

[babylene]

That's a very interesting question, Sky Sweet. I wonder why no one has answered!

[Ma Bell]

I'm sure that people who tip more on a cruise do so because $3.50 a day for serving three meals with the kind of service provided on a cruiseship seems minimal. It has nothing to do with what is done on land where 20% is a decent tip.

[Sky Sweet]

I'm sure that people who tip more on a cruise do so because $3.50 a day for serving three meals with the kind of service provided on a cruiseship seems minimal. It has nothing to do with what is done on land where 20% is a decent tip.

 

I agree that $3.50 per day would be minimal if that was the only tip for dining services. However, when you total the tip per waiter, waiter assistant, and restaurant manager, it is $7.00/ per person per day (rounded upward) or $14.00 per couple. If you round that to $15.00 that is comparable to fifteen percent of a $100.00 restaurant bill that does not include drinks. At most land based restaurants you just pay one tip which the waiter then divides with other people at the restaurant who have helped with your service. Therefore, $3.50 per person per day by itself is a meaningless basis for comparison.

 

If you think about what a person in an inside cabin pays per day for their entire cruise which includes food, their cabin, transportation, and all ship activities, they are probably paying a lot less than $100.00 per day for food. As I have said many times, I think that cruises are usually much less expensive than a comparable land vacation and the problem determining a fair tip illustrates this fact. I realize that people in other cabin classifications pay considerably more for their cruise, but since everyone on the ship is entitled to the same dining service, an inside cabin is more relevant for this comparison.

 

I consider the recommended guidelines comparable to paying a little more than 15 percent at a restaurant, and since I usually tip 20 percent, I will give a little bit more on a cruise. However, since many people on land only tip 15 percent, the cruise line's recommended guidlines are not unreasonably low.

[sea-jay]

I had always assumed that since the cruise line themselves recommend the amount, they do so in order to create a living wage for their employees. It is not for no reason that most of the crew are from third world countries. No one from the U.S. or (most of) Europe would be willing to work for the wages the cruise lines pay for those positions which define a tip requirement (ie. Cabin attendent, waiter, asst. waiter, etc.).

 

Therefore, I always tip the amount the cruise lines recommend. Then, for exceptional service, or in response to special requests I (or my wife) have made, I tip extra. I always tip the room service waiter that delivers. I also tip some extra to my favorite bartender and make it a point to generally frequent the specific bar he/she is working at.

[lulabelle]

Hi!, Joan. Glad to see your "Ma Bell" logo. We really enjoyed meeting you and George on our Hawaiian cruise last year. Sure hope our paths cross again. We will be on the Zenith in late October. Enjoy all your coming cruises. Best regards, Jean and Frank

[wv4891]

Hi Joan,

 

See you Saturday, I plan to leave at least a 15% tip based on what I have read here.

[Host Walt]

I always take Thank You Cards and besides putting the suggested amont on our SeaPass Account, we put extra cash in and write on the card why they are getting the money. We have been really lucky because we have needed the Thank You Cards and extra cash on every cruise we have been on. The staff on the ships work REALLY hard and I really believe that a tip, smile and a verbal and written thank you, helps them thru the day.

Vie Lee

 

That's what we do as well and we make sure we personalize the card with the recipient's full name and a small photo of us with him/her.

 

In addition we tell them that we put in a special comment on the feedback form about the outstanding service.

 

On the rare occasion when we get just a basic level of service, we don't do anything special apart from agreeing to the base tip.

 

We've never experienced service that is so bad that a reduced tip, or no tip at all, is called for. And I don't expect we ever will.

[babylene]

Thank you, Walt!

[shoolover]

it upsets me to see that some people don't show their appreciation to those who work so hard to satisfy their every whim. When I see the empty chairs after the first night on a 7 day cruise at tables, I wonder if they choose to eat elsewhere so they don't feel quilty not tipping the dining room staff assigned to them. It breaks my heart to think they are being shorted like that when they usually only have 3 to 4 tables per seating to work and if people choose not to eat in the dining room, there's no way to make up what they lose like in a restruant, you can pick up extra tables to make ends meet. I really think the cruise lines should automatically add the tips to the seacards whether service is used or not. If people want to cruise than they should pay for services offered whether they choose to use it or not! JMHO