Question: Solo Cruiser and Stateroom Crew Gratuity?

[Ancon]

I know the gratuity charged for stateroom attendants is charged (per guest) based on two occupants per room.  How does it work when the passenger is traveling solo?  Princess is covering the gratuity, but are they paying the attendants gratuity for one passenger or two?  I don't want the room attendant to be only compensated for one passenger when they ordinarily would be getting paid for two passengers (for the same amount of work).  It is a 32 day cruise.  

 

Thank you for your responses in advance.

[CruzeQueen2]

@Ancon Travelling solo, you are charged for a single crew appreciation. Add whatever you wish - can easily give cash to your steward as you go along. For 32 days, you are feeling that the steward is "shortchanged" by the solo traveller? As with all things related to gratuities, do what works for you!

[Joanne G.]

My personal choice when sailing solo, as I did last year for several cruises totaling 30 days, to give the cabin attendant extra cash at the end of the cruise besides the auto-gratuity.  My thinking is that the attendant has almost the same amount of work for me alone as he or she would if there were 2 people in the cabin - a bathroom to clean, a floor to vacuum, towels to swap out, trash cans to empty, etc.   Yet he or she is getting only half the auto-gratuities compared to cabins with 2 people - at least that’s what’s I assume.

Many solo cruisers feel differently. I never felt an additional gratuity was necessary in order to receive good service. Additional gratuities are entirely at your discretion.  I’ll never know how Princess or any line allocates tips from solo cabins.   But this is what I do and why.  
 

 

Edited March 19 by Joanne G.

[cr8tiv1]

In the back of my mind, I heard/read somewhere that crew appreciation is more like a salary base … now.  I don’t think Princess keeps track of how many passengers a steward has per day/per cruise.  Maybe by room or just a flat rate.  
 

I could be wrong.  Won’t be the first time. 
 

your thoughtfulness is refreshing.

[reedprincess]

Crew Appreciation is per person, whether one person or 5 people in a cabin. That makes no difference to the amount charged as it's a per person charge.

So, solo in a cabin is the same amount - per person & as two people in cabin or 4 people, etc.  It's $16-18 pp, depending on type of cabin. Per Person. 

[KreinKrunker]

Have you seen some of those cabins with four people in them.  It looks like six times the work.

[memoak]

19 minutes ago, KreinKrunker said:

Have you seen some of those cabins with four people in them.  It looks like six times the work.

Or one with small children gone 🤪 

[DallasGuy75219]

Crew appreciation paid through Princess is pooled across the entire fleet (so that staff aren't penalized for being on ships homeported in countries without topping cultures--where a larger proportion of customers pull their gratuities).  So one less customer paying into the tip pool makes an infinitesimally small (probably less than a penny) difference in the gratuities that ultimately get paid out to your steward.

[Cruise Raider]

15 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

In the back of my mind, I heard/read somewhere that crew appreciation is more like a salary base … now.  I don’t think Princess keeps track of how many passengers a steward has per day/per cruise.  Maybe by room or just a flat rate.  
 

I could be wrong.  Won’t be the first time. 
 

your thoughtfulness is refreshing.

You are correct.  The crew is now paid a salary and what we, as passengers, pay out in ‘crew appreciation’ is actually distributed fleet wide, not even just ship wide.  Anything extra that is given to them in person is theirs to keep.  
 

 

 

[ChutChut]

It's always been per person. I just give extra if he/she is especially wonderful.