Tip question? DID we over tip?

[TiNa&PHiL]

What should we tip?

should we leave an extra $5.00 each time if we like our waiter/waitress

should we leave extra for room cleaner after the trip or is the 10.00 a day good enough for two which total 170.00 for one week?

 

Help? just want to know!

 

WE tip our waitress 5.00 each time we sat in her sections which was about twice a day and on the last night we tipped extra 10.00

 

as far as the room guy we tipped 50.00 for the whole week and also tipped out the 170.00 as well... I was not sure if this is something everyone does or if we just over tipped since this was our first cruise? My husband felt like they live on tips only.. i understand they dont make much but they also dont have to pay for room and board and eat for free... So they get to save everything they make which is nice.. and pay like us 10.00 a day to keep there room clean and get the things they need like towels, shampoo, ect ect...

 

just wondering

[cruzin w chris]

basics should be enough unless you get above and beyond service. my wife and i erase all prepaid tips as soon as we board and then we tip based on performance. usually we get some damn good service and we tip very, very well, but there are always some that act like complete jerks and either get minimal or nothing at all. it is all based on customer service. i even give the pizza guy or gal a nice tip for a good pie but it comes right out of my pocket. hope this helps a little.:cool:

[LHT28]

You could give a bit extra at the end of the cruise if you feel they gave above & beyond normal service .

 

If you tip privately and remove the $10. pd they have to turn over the tip to the general pool so what is the point.

 

Tip extra if you feel they deserve it.

[megr1125]

You may have over tipped but obviously you thought this extra was well deserved. I am sure the crew who took care of you really appreciated your thoughfulness.

 

If it helps, we over tip too........I look at it this way, these people are away from home and family for like 6 months, their base salaries, such as they are, will be very low and they are trying to make a better life for their families, and they are cleaning up after you. Some people are neat by nature, some are not. Having been a housekeeping manager and seeing how hard they work and how little they get paid, i tip alot if service warrants it.

 

You made some people very happy and I am sure they made your cruise great.

[Cotton]

Tina and Phil - I see that you are confused about the tipping procedure. It's $140 for two passengers for a week - not $170.

 

Go back to this same question you posted on the "First Time Cruiser" board. It's explained very well over there.:)

[PHILnTina]

Tina and Phil - I see that you are confused about the tipping procedure. It's $140 for two passengers for a week - not $170.

 

My mistake it was 10.00 a day.. did my math wrong.. i just post to late in the night hahaha.. sorry !

[lacycatherine]

If you got good service I think you should determine what you pay them. I don't think that I should tip the asst to the asst bus boy if I never even went into the dining room. But if I get exceptional service I always give more than I am suppose to...sometimes even double!

[Cotton]

...... I don't think that I should tip the asst to the asst bus boy if I never even went into the dining room.

 

I think some passengers don't realize that most of the evening dining room staff works in the Lido buffet area every day, then in the dining room at night.

 

If you notice, there are very few waiters in the dining room for b'fast and lunch - because most of them are working at the Lido buffet area.

 

So - by removing those tips, you're really cheating these folks out of their hard-earned tips.:(

[lacycatherine]

...... I don't think that I should tip the asst to the asst bus boy if I never even went into the dining room.

 

I think some passengers don't realize that most of the evening dining room staff works in the Lido buffet area every day, then in the dining room at night.

 

If you notice, there are very few waiters in the dining room for b'fast and lunch - because most of them are working at the Lido buffet area.

 

So - by removing those tips, you're really cheating these folks out of their hard-earned tips.:(

 

Most people might but we always tip the person that helps us in the dining room.

[LHT28]

 

Most people might but we always tip the person that helps us in the dining room.

 

Most people are also not aware that these days most lines the staff have to pool their tips. If you tip over the recommended amount to an individual they get to keep it.

 

Failing to turn in the tip can cause for them to be dismissed.

[Cotton]

LHT...

 

First - that wasn't MY quote.:rolleyes:

 

Second - You're correct about having to pool tips. If the tips are left in place on the automatic tipping on the S&S account, it goes directly to that person. BUT, if folks remove any/all of those tips and tip cash to a specific person, THOSE tips must be pooled. A lot of folks don't realize this.

[QuitMyDayJob]

I don't want to take this too far off topic, but what about when you give the staff envelopes at the end that include a voucher from pre-paid tipping, AND extra cash? Does the individual get to keep the extra cash? It was my understanding that they do, but from reading these posts now I'm not sure.

[Cotton]

quote=QuitMyDayJobwhat about when you give the staff envelopes at the end that include a voucher from pre-paid tipping, AND extra cash? Does the individual get to keep the extra cash?

 

The lines that issue the vouchers - yes, the crew is allowed to keep the cash included in that envelope.

 

Carnival doesn't issue vouchers. The cabin steward and waitstaff get a list of who has prepaid their tips, who has left their automatic tips in place, AND who has removed them.

 

Another interesting item - IF folks remove the tips, the crew member affected is called in and questioned as to WHAT they did wrong to have had their tips removed. It's a shame when folks remove tips...because after doing that, many do not tip at all, or very little.:(

[LHT28]

I see a common comment when people say they removed the auto tip ..."becuse they didn't eat in the dining room very often"

 

Well for those folks ...who do think clears the tables, replaces the dishes, silverware etc... in the other dining venues???????

 

Holy cow! for what you get to eat and a clean room twice a day, no meals to cook, no beds to make, no dishes to do ...it is worth $10. pp a day :D

[prairie_fox]

We have never done the auto tips on any trip. We tip what we feel is right after we have had the service on the trip. For some it may be way over what the prepaid would ahve been and for others we may not tip as well due to what little they did and a note is also given telling that. I feel its like going out to dinner, if they do well they will get up to 20% or maybe more, but do bad and be lucky to get 10%. IMO I dont like the prepaid tips.

[Jane110]

 

Another interesting item - IF folks remove the tips, the crew member affected is called in and questioned as to WHAT they did wrong to have had their tips removed. It's a shame when folks remove tips...because after doing that, many do not tip at all, or very little.:(

 

You're so right!

 

We'd never even considering removing the automatic tips! Then we tip above and beyond for most of the people we're in contact with as well.

 

To the OP, you went a bit higher than most, but made people happy. On our Princess cruise, one couple we got friendly with gave the Maitre 'D, $100., but they do that on every cruise and this guy remembers them and bends over backwards for them.

[Jane110]

We have never done the auto tips on any trip. We tip what we feel is right after we have had the service on the trip. For some it may be way over what the prepaid would ahve been and for others we may not tip as well due to what little they did and a note is also given telling that. I feel its like going out to dinner, if they do well they will get up to 20% or maybe more, but do bad and be lucky to get 10%. IMO I dont like the prepaid tips.

 

It's not like going out to dinner. By taking off the prepaid tips you're hurting people.

[Cotton]

I agree, Jane.

 

PrairieFox - OK, restaurants aside - so just HOW do you figure 20%, 10%, whatever, to give the cruise staff? What base figure do you use to determine what 'percentage' to give them???:(

[Jane110]

 

PrairieFox - OK, restaurants aside - so just HOW do you figure 20%, 10%, whatever, to give the cruise staff? What base figure do you use to determine what 'percentage' to give them???:(

 

 

Good question.

 

If you paid $6000. for your cruise, then 10% would be a whopping $600 and of course, 20% is $1200. Sometimes, I'd like to be that generous, but that not quite in our budget. :)

 

If you only paid $600. for your cabin, should the staff "suffer" because you got a bargain? Though I guess if you base it on 20%, you'd be okay with $120.

 

Sometimes in a restaurant they'll have a special or I might have a coupon for a free main course. It's expected that one tips as if the bill were full price. Again, why should the waitstaff be punished because I'm getting a bargain?

 

BTW, we'd never tip 10% in a restaurant. We tip 15% for adequate service and 20% for excellent service.

 

Sorry for thread drift.....

[LAKaye]

LHT...

 

First - that wasn't MY quote.:rolleyes:

 

Second - You're correct about having to pool tips. If the tips are left in place on the automatic tipping on the S&S account, it goes directly to that person. BUT, if folks remove any/all of those tips and tip cash to a specific person, THOSE tips must be pooled. A lot of folks don't realize this.

 

What cruise line are you talking about here with this policy?

[thecoop]

Every cruiseline I have been on, the automatic tips get put into a pool. If it is removed from the account and tipped manually, the person has to put the money they received into the tip pool or get fired. I leave the auto tip on and then tip one or two dollars each time someone does something extra for us. We take $100 in ones with us on each cruise and usually give all of it out by the end.

[SpuddGirl]

While on our recent cruise we tipped extra in cash to our room steward and dining steward on the last night. I had told DH that I had placed the cash in an envelope along with a note thanking each one, but apparently DH didn't hear the part about the cash being in the envelope....so when I gave the envelope to our room steward (cash included) DH also handed him an extra $xx.00......I looked at him funny, as if to say, ok he was good, but did you think he was THAT good?....and asked him later why he did that. He said he didn't know I had put the cash in the envelope...our cabin steward must have been pretty happy about that!

 

Obviously I need to take DH on more cruises....I think he needs more relaxation time so he doesn't get so distracted that he doesn't hear me....but thats nothing new ! :rolleyes:

[volleygirl]

What about for kids? Ours are 6 & 9yrs old. Should it be $10.00 for each of them too?

[MeOhMy]

If they are sharing your cabin, you should increase the tip somewhat. If they have their own cabin, then you tip the normal amount. The steward/stewardess still has to do the entire cabin no matter what the age of the residents.

[madelinerose]

I have never heard of "over tipping". Anything over and above the "norm" is what you chose to tip. That's totally your decision. You tip what you tip, whether it's on a ship, in a hotel, restaurant, taxi, etc. If you were satisfied with the service, you tipped what you thought was appropriate. Sorry, just don't get "over tipping". Once you tip in addition to the prepaid/automatic tips, the percentage is up to you, so how would you "over tip"?

 

tipped out the 170.00 as well... I was not sure if this is something everyone does or if we just over tipped since this was our first cruise?just wondering