Old Cruiser, New Cruise

[blacklab16]

I've been a cruiser for quite a while (think Norway) but haven't partaken in a cruise in many years, thanks to a variety of issues.  I thought it best to start back slowly so have booked a 5 day Mexican Riviera HAL cruise in December. 

 

Browsing through their website I see that many things have changed.  My last cruise we handed out white tip envelopes at the last dinner and now I see that all gratuities are prepaid and you can pretty much eat at any time you want outside of set dining times. So, my questions; are you still expected to tip room stewards and waiters additionally in excess of this prepaid amount and if so how much?  I also note an 18% automatic service fee on all purchases, so is a tip for the bartender or cocktail server or specialty restaurant server still expected and if so, how much. If I get a massage? I'm not asking for exact amounts (if you feel that additional tips are proper) because I understanding that tipping is relative, just a general ballpark estimate, please. 

 

I have tried to research this topic on this board and was unable to find answers so I thought I'd try here.  If there are any other big changes that have occurred lately of which I may be unaware please share them with me (I already know that I won't need to pack a tux and that I'll have to watch a video rather than meet at the muster station before departure).  Thanks in advance for any and all helpful suggestions and or advice.

[Host Kat]

23 minutes ago, blacklab16 said:

I've been a cruiser for quite a while (think Norway) but haven't partaken in a cruise in many years, thanks to a variety of issues.  I thought it best to start back slowly so have booked a 5 day Mexican Riviera HAL cruise in December. 

 

Browsing through their website I see that many things have changed.  My last cruise we handed out white tip envelopes at the last dinner and now I see that all gratuities are prepaid and you can pretty much eat at any time you want outside of set dining times. So, my questions; are you still expected to tip room stewards and waiters additionally in excess of this prepaid amount and if so how much?  I also note an 18% automatic service fee on all purchases, so is a tip for the bartender or cocktail server or specialty restaurant server still expected and if so, how much. If I get a massage? I'm not asking for exact amounts (if you feel that additional tips are proper) because I understanding that tipping is relative, just a general ballpark estimate, please. 

 

I have tried to research this topic on this board and was unable to find answers so I thought I'd try here.  If there are any other big changes that have occurred lately of which I may be unaware please share them with me (I already know that I won't need to pack a tux and that I'll have to watch a video rather than meet at the muster station before departure).  Thanks in advance for any and all helpful suggestions and or advice.

 

Hello @blacklab16 and welcome back to Cruise Critic!

 

Thank you for your new thread on the Ask a Cruise Question forum! However, it is the forum for general questions regarding cruising. Your inquiry concerns a specific cruise line and is off topic there.

 

To help you out, your new thread has been moved to the Holland America Line forum where it will be on topic. The majority of your fellow Cruise Critic members that are sailing HAL frequent this forum and provide feedback here. Browse through the thread titles on this forum looking for threads of interest. You will probably find your fellow Cruise Critic members have already posted questions and received answers that may be of interest to you.

 

I suggest you use the Follow feature on any threads where you are interested in the new replies. That way you will not have to go looking to see if there are new posts because they will come looking for you as notifications. If you need information on how to do it, please click here How to: Follow Topics & Forums (Subscribed Threads/Forums Info).

 

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The Cruise Critic website and the message boards are both great resources for new as well as experienced cruisers and we are glad you are posting again! Please feel free to browse the Cruise Critic Community categories list for the various forums. Read a few threads in the different forums to get a feel for what each forum is about. Make sure you read any pinned threads (aka Stickies) on the top of the first page of threads in most forums. You will find very important instructions or information there.

 

I sincerely hope this will be helpful and glad to have you back aboard Cruise Critic again! 

 

Happy sails,

 

Host Kat 

 

[Mary229]

You are not expected to pay any additional tips.  Even the spa has tips included in the price of services. 

[Red Haired Lady]

I agree...no extra tips are needed.  That said, I'm sure there will be folks who may tell you otherwise. That is a persoal choice. 

[Szt]

I appreciate your asking this question. This is an ongoing debate between me and my husband. I say you should only tip extra if service is exceptional. He believes in tipping everyone on top of prepaid tips. He feels bartenders and servers get to know you if you tip every time and will serve you faster or go above and beyond after being tipped a few times. I’d love to know what others think in general- not specific to a cruise line. 

[Haljo1935]

@blacklab16 Welcome back!!

As others have said, additional tipping beyond the dailies are not expected, but are appreciated if you choose.

Yes spa, dining, bars all have 18% automatically added. You can add any additional amount (again, appreciated but not expected) by putting it on the slip (they'll have a skip for you to sign) or in cash.

Don't feel pressured from these threads to do one thing or the other - tips are covered so long as you don't remove them - just follow your heart and enjoy your cruise!!

[REOVA]

We still get small envelopes from guest services at the end of the cruise and hand extra tips to crew that we feel go above and beyond. 

[vicd1969]

For a 5-day sailing, you may not get the chance to really get to know your cabin attendant or dining steward. But if they exceed your expectations, a little bonus is nice but not necessary. 

[oakridger]

9 hours ago, Szt said:

He believes in tipping everyone on top of prepaid tips. He feels bartenders and servers get to know you if you tip every time and will serve you faster or go above and beyond after being tipped a few times. I’d love to know what others think in general- not specific to a cruise line. 

 

In all of my cruises I will say that my food and bar service was very attentive, fast and friendly and I have NEVER paid extra tips up front or on a day-to-day basis!  It wasn't necessary to get good HAL service!   I tend to find a favorite bar and if I spend a lot of time with certain bartenders or waiters, I do usually give them extra gratuities at the end of the cruise.  Same with my cabin stewards at the end of the cruise when they have been exceptional.

 

I really feel that when I hear about giving cash for every drink served that it sets up expectations from staff that weren't there.  This coming from a former waitress and bartender myself! (On land)

 

~Nancy

[BobbiSox]

It is my understanding that hand-paid 'tips' are added to the pot and divided up and doled out SHIPWIDE once a year. I'm not sure the recipient actually keeps the cash for himself/herself. If anyone has seen the written rules regarding this, I would be interested in seeing the fine print. There must be protocol somewhere, available for public information. 

[Mary229]

The very best bonus you can give is a favorable mention on the app or directly to a supervisor 

[Flatbush Flyer]

11 hours ago, Szt said:

I appreciate your asking this question. This is an ongoing debate between me and my husband. I say you should only tip extra if service is exceptional. He believes in tipping everyone on top of prepaid tips. He feels bartenders and servers get to know you if you tip every time and will serve you faster or go above and beyond after being tipped a few times. I’d love to know what others think in general- not specific to a cruise line. 

Trying to buy extra/better bar service with a cash tip when you are served (beyond the always included gratuity) is tacky at best. 
I have found that chatting with a cruise ship bartender (or cabin steward or wine server or waiter or barista) when they are not super busy is worth its weight in gold when it comes to receiving the best service. Showing an interest in them leaves an impression that is seldom forgotten.

That said, if at the end of a cruise segment I have been pleased with a particular individual’s extraordinary service, I’ll give them an extra gratuity, sometimes with a thank you note and always with a positive comment about them in a cruise review.

We cruise often (approx 75-100 days annually) on a preferred small line. Many hotel long-serving crew know us by name and treat us very well (as we do them) whether we give them an extra gratuity or not at the end of the segment/cruise.

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, BobbiSox said:

It is my understanding that hand-paid 'tips' are added to the pot and divided up and doled out SHIPWIDE once a year. I'm not sure the recipient actually keeps the cash for himself/herself. If anyone has seen the written rules regarding this, I would be interested in seeing the fine print. There must be protocol somewhere, available for public information. 

It depends on the cruise line. 

[BobbiSox]

Since I am presently posting on the Holland America site, I assumed it would go without saying which line I was referring to. Just goes to show that I shouldn't assume things. Thanks for the reply. I'll be more clear the nest time.

[Heidi13]

4 hours ago, BobbiSox said:

It is my understanding that hand-paid 'tips' are added to the pot and divided up and doled out SHIPWIDE once a year. I'm not sure the recipient actually keeps the cash for himself/herself. If anyone has seen the written rules regarding this, I would be interested in seeing the fine print. There must be protocol somewhere, available for public information. 

 

The specific details are a closely guarded secret and the cruise lines does not want pax knowing the finer details. Even on board the ship, how it works is not widely known. Prior to leaving cruise ships, our son was S/2/O, which is a Senior Bridge Watchkeeping Officer and he was not privy to the policy or details, such as exactly who was included, how much they received, etc.

 

Another factor to consider is that with all policies & procedures, they change over time.

[Szt]

5 hours ago, oakridger said:

 

In all of my cruises I will say that my food and bar service was very attentive, fast and friendly and I have NEVER paid extra tips up front or on a day-to-day basis!  It wasn't necessary to get good HAL service!   I tend to find a favorite bar and if I spend a lot of time with certain bartenders or waiters, I do usually give them extra gratuities at the end of the cruise.  Same with my cabin stewards at the end of the cruise when they have been exceptional.

 

I really feel that when I hear about giving cash for every drink served that it sets up expectations from staff that weren't there.  This coming from a former waitress and bartender myself! (On land)

 

~Nancy

Thank you! I agree 100%

[Szt]

4 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Trying to buy extra/better bar service with a cash tip when you are served (beyond the always included gratuity) is tacky at best. 
I have found that chatting with a cruise ship bartender (or cabin steward or wine server or waiter or barista) when they are not super busy is worth its weight in gold when it comes to receiving the best service. Showing an interest in them leaves an impression that is seldom forgotten.

That said, if at the end of a cruise segment I have been pleased with a particular individual’s extraordinary service, I’ll give them an extra gratuity, sometimes with a thank you note and always with a positive comment about them in a cruise review.

We cruise often (approx 75-100 days annually) on a preferred small line. Many hotel long-serving crew know us by name and treat us very well (as we do them) whether we give them an extra gratuity or not at the end of the segment/cruise.

I don’t think it’s “tacky” to tip extra for good service. And I’m not talking about just cruises. With Valets it is always a good idea to tip some up front. He doesn’t do it to get better service than others. He comes from a 3rd world county and knows what a small extra tip can mean to someone. But I do agree with earlier response- that if too

many people do this, it will become expected. I agree, thanking a server with a little extra is appropriate. Now that I know tips may be pooled anyway, I will more strongly discourage my husband. 
I wish, instead of requiring tips on top of fare- cruise lines would just say “since all our crew work so hard, we have increased wages in lieu of tips. If you would like to tip extra it is not required or expected, but is appreciated”. 
on our last NCL cruise there were crew hero cards to fill out. We were told by a crew member that they are rewarded when they get enough of those. 

[Cruise Suzy]

36 minutes ago, Szt said:

Now that I know tips may be pooled anyway,

On HAL, if you leave the daily gratuities in place, the person you tip keeps the money. It is not pooled. If you remove or reduce the daily gratuities, then the tip money is pooled.

[Blackduck59]

This goes back to the whole meaning "tips" (to insure proper service) these were offered before service to get special treatment. A gratuity on the other hand is given after service because you are "grateful" for exemplary service. My thought is that service should have a minimum standard and bribing a server up front implies the server will not meet that standard without the bribe, it also implies that now that you have paid for extra service you expect to go to the front of the line because you bought special treatment. Because there is a generous gratuity added on top of your fare by the cruise line that should cover the good service. We do however give a little extra in cash to our room stewards at the end of the cruise because they always go above and beyond for us.

[skatelady]

8 hours ago, BobbiSox said:

It is my understanding that hand-paid 'tips' are added to the pot and divided up and doled out SHIPWIDE once a year. I'm not sure the recipient actually keeps the cash for himself/herself. If anyone has seen the written rules regarding this, I would be interested in seeing the fine print. There must be protocol somewhere, available for public information. 

We were told by the cruise director on our first HAL cruise about 10 years ago that if you give someone an additional tip they turn it in to go into the pot for distribution.  In his words the crew know they do better when they all work together.  Ten years is a long time and much might have changed.

[WannaSea]

@blacklab16 take note that in the Navigator app there is a section called "Let us know" under "Connect". You can acknowledge great service by any crewmember at any time there, and it is valued as a gratuity. It's reported that crew receive tangible benefits from this feedback. Also, on my post cruise survey I was asked to mention any staff by name who provided exceptional service.

[Haljo1935]

On 9/8/2023 at 12:12 PM, Szt said:

...on our last NCL cruise there were crew hero cards to fill out. We were told by a crew member that they are rewarded when they get enough of those. 

Some HAL ships still have the comment boxes at Guest Services. You can definitely enter comments on the Navigator App (in lieu of or in addition to the physical comment box) that are read and shared daily. As @Mary229 and @WannaSea said that's the most powerful form of recognition and feedback you can give for anyone who provides you excellent service. They definitely know every day the comments that are sent via the Navigator App. 

Edited September 9, 2023 by Haljo1935
Typo

[AV8rix]

On 9/8/2023 at 12:51 PM, skatelady said:

We were told by the cruise director on our first HAL cruise about 10 years ago that if you give someone an additional tip they turn it in to go into the pot for distribution.  In his words the crew know they do better when they all work together.  Ten years is a long time and much might have changed.

Not disputing what you were told 10 years ago.  However, here's what the procedure is now:  If you leave auto-charged grats ("crew incentive")  in place the folks you tip (housekeeping stewards, F&B personnel, etc) are permitted to pocket the tips.  However, if you remove those grats, then any individual cash tips must be pooled.  Sorry, I can't quote the source but there have been MANY threads on this in the past with RELIABLE sources quoted.

 

And I certainly agree with all posters about entering praise about individuals in the Navigator app.  I have been profusely thanked by all who I have praised via the app.

Edited September 9, 2023 by AV8rix

[Szt]

18 hours ago, AV8rix said:

Not disputing what you were told 10 years ago.  However, here's what the procedure is now:  If you leave auto-charged grats ("crew incentive")  in place the folks you tip (housekeeping stewards, F&B personnel, etc) are permitted to pocket the tips.  However, if you remove those grats, then any individual cash tips must be pooled.  Sorry, I can't quote the source but there have been MANY threads on this in the past with RELIABLE sources quoted.

 

And I certainly agree with all posters about entering praise about individuals in the Navigator app.  I have been profusely thanked by all who I have praised via the app.

Our last cruise on NCL we met a crew member who was absolutely fantastic. She was part of the cruise director team. She gave a wonderful class on Greek history. She gave me personal attention when I asked some specific questions about the art gallery and other areas of the cruise- even calling me in our stateroom to give me answers she had to research. When I went to fill out a crew hero form for her I was told they didn’t have any more forms. No one seemed to know how I could thank her after the cruise. It was quite frustrating. 

[crystalspin]

1 hour ago, Szt said:

No one seemed to know how I could thank her after the cruise. It was quite frustrating. 

There is now also a post-cruise questionaire via email. But it must be filled out quite quickly so if you are travelling after cruising, it could get lost.