Tipping

[scottie99]

Please excuse the questions but as cruise gets nearer, my mind is active.

 

I realise tips are included in the fare, but do you still tip ?

 

I am thinking cabin stewards, room service, waiting staff, casino staff. I have been on quite a few “ tips included “ lines eg Regent, Azamara , even RCL when I have prepaid tips, and I have found tips are always accepted, and sometimes expected.

[1025cruise]

One thing that differentiates Virgin from other cruise lines is that there is no expectation whatsoever to tip. In fact, staff are not allowed to solicit tips. However, if you feel that a tip is deserved, feel free.

[_tacocat_]

“Tips” are included, in that crew gets paid wages vs. having to rely on autogratuities or discretionary tips like they do on other lines.  The cruise fares and onboard services are more expensive than other lines, reflecting that.

[Gretchendz]

I would add that several crew told me that what is more valuable to them than tips is if you recognize them by name in the daily or end of cruise surveys you will get.  Be sure to note their names like "Victor in Pink Agave" or "Stephanie in Dock House." Apparently that gets them many brownie points in the organization.

 

BTW, this is true of airlines too. I was chatting with a purser on a major airline who said 90-95% of the comments the airlines get are complaints, so if you send in a comment praising crew, especially by name, it means a lot.

[cantgetin]

One crew member told me that she gets paid three times as much on VV as she used to make on her previous line where she was tipped.  When we offered a tip in the spa, we were politely told that it is included in the cost of the service.  What we do is exactly as above--mention the crew member in our evaluations.  This influences everything from a little extra time off on a sea day to promotions and raises.  To help remember names, put a note in your phone or ask if you can take a photo of the crew member's name tag.

Bottom line, no tips are expected.  If you want to tip, it must be in cash.  There will be a question on your evaluation asking if any crew member solicited a tip...that's strictly forbidden.

 

[Shep_Proudfoot]

I gave the cabin attendant and favorite bartender small cash gratuities. The way I view it, I generally tip a bit more than the recommended amount on other cruise lines so doing that was the equivalent on VV. 

[Freelancer3]

VV has a no tip policy and are paying their crew more. I recommend respecting the wishes of the company to keep their "almost" all included policy. The "almost" policy is what has set them apart from other lines in the industry.

 

BUT remember to mention the names of helpful crew in the surveys. This is how VV recognizes "excellent in service" individuals. 

[seeyouinthesun]

Thanks all for these excellent replies. I’m booked Scarlet Lady today and this really helps. 

[CruisingWalter]

The lack of emphasis on tips is another refreshing part of sailing on VV. In general we just leave some cash for our room steward as we do on all of our cruises. But as mentioned above, VV crew are among the highest paid crew in the industry, they get free WiFi and they are allowed to eat in the same venues that we all enjoy, depending on the capacity of the guests onboard. And that dining rule includes everyone all the way down the line, not just those in guest visible positions. Despite some of their setbacks, they really are a great company to support. 

[Team Stag]

I just returned from my first Virgin cruise & will share my experience. 

 

We regularly sail Celebrity (where tips are often bundled in the fare also).  Although we have never felt obligated to tip on X for service, we do take a selections of $1, $5 & $20 for tips as we see fit.  We went with the same approach on this cruise.

As many have mentioned above, at no point during our cruise did we ever feel obligated to tip.  When we chose to tip based on outstanding service, it was never refused and genuinely appreciated.  The casino is like most casinos; they absolutely take any tips received.  To be clear, we don't tip just to tip like we might when ordering at a local bar (order a beer; leave a dollar).  It's typically something above and beyond for us.  For example, our waitress at the Test Kitchen was amazing.  She took the time to fully explain the ingredients and preparation of each dish while giving us a dining experience that rivaled anything we have had on land the last 6 months.  So yes - we wanted to tip.  We do also keep a list of names for the post cruise survey to make sure those are recognized as well. 

 

Finally, there are no receipts to sign when you order food or drink; so there is no place to put additional gratuity on your bill.  All transactions are handled seamlessly electronically.  You do need to have cash in hand if you want to tip.

 

Again - this is my family's personal philosophy and how we choose to cruise.   

Edited September 11, 2023 by Team Stag

[sid_9169]

I guess that puts me in the minority, as I tip for every drink at the bar... Just a habit, and when the bar is really busy, I end up getting my drink pretty quickly.

[cantgetin]

1 hour ago, sid_9169 said:

I guess that puts me in the minority, as I tip for every drink at the bar... Just a habit, and when the bar is really busy, I end up getting my drink pretty quickly.

I don't tip for every drink, and I've never had bad service on VV.  My logic is that VV has said that all tips are included, so I tip when someone goes the extra bit for me/us.