Tipping for Children

[nrunnion]

Does the cruise lines expect tips for children. I have never taken my grandkids before. They are 9 and 10.

[Toto2Kansas]

The Cruise Lines DEFENITLY expect you to tip for children, as much as you would for any adult!

[just4kixx]

Absolutely! The staff works just as hard, whether the passenger is an adult or a child. Tip per passenger, regardless of age (excluding infants, of course)

 

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[Desertbelle]

Why exclude infants? Don't they make messes too? Don't they use towels, leave crumbs on the carpet (or worse), don't they leave trash (smelly trash at that) that needs to be removed? If anything I think people traveling with infants and children should tip more!

[Rick R]

The answer is a nice, calm, simple, yes. Kids require as much attention as an adult. We take our grandson on cruises and other things. From the time he was small we explained things like tipping. Once, on board, he figures out where he is going to get pop most of the time (uses a card) he tips the bartender. The first time he did it he said the bartender paid attention to him, like remembered his name. When he would be with other kids he would get his first and the others would have to wait till the bartender could get to them. It is a good lesson for them to learn.

[GaryWT]

Look at it this way, it is not do we have to tip but it will be you will want to tip more. The staff trips over themselves trying to serve the kids. On the 2 cruises are kids have been on, they have gotten better service than us and that is saying alot. At the end of the week you will be taking out extra cash for tips.

[just4kixx]

I don't know... I'm talking like infant (new born) in a carrier, little tiny baby that does nothing but drink bottles, sleep & poop... I just kinda think mommy does all the work with an infant. They're not leaving their clothes thrown on the bathroom floor, they're not making food messes yet, heck, it's not like they even eat food from the dining room either.

Frankly, I'm one of those opposed to "infants" cruising altogether. But if you have an infant and that is the vacation you choose for your family, then that is your right.

But I do agree that once crawling, a child is as much if not more work than an adult (to clean up after)... but that will start a whole other battle on this board :eek:

 

:D

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[Rick R]

They are 9 and 10.

 

The op never asked about babys. Help them out and stay on subject. :D

[just4kixx]

sorry rick.. I answered the OPs question in my first post. Didn't know I wasn't allowed to elaborate (in reference to infants tipping) . My bad. WIll watch myslef next time.

:rolleyes:

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[dncheatham]

We just came back from our cruise on the Mariner. We took our 13 and 11 year old daughters. We included tips for the 2 girls in all of the gratuities we extended to the service staff -- we tipped above the "recommended" amounts. The cabin steward, waiters, etc all go out of their way to be good to the kids. Many of the service staff have families of their own at home and love to be very accommodating to the children since they are so far from their own. Others just are very considerate of the families traveling with children and do a lot of extras (Adventure Ocean schedules specific to the age of each child left in the room, extra chocolates on the pillows, extra desserts or special things at dinner...I could go on forever).

 

These people work extremely hard on these ships and all they basicially work for are their tips. They spend approx 6 months on the ship, working 7 days a week, for 12+ hours a day -- VERY HARD workers.

 

Once on the ship, you will agree whole-heartedly.

[kari333]

Tips are for good service - they should not be required as we pay enough for this vacation and the lines should pay their employees sufficiently and not expect their customers to. I know that this is not the case though. However, if you get good service or extraordinary service then you should tip highly for everyone in your party. If you receive bad service or no service then you should tip low or not at all. Many forget that tipping is for service.

I don't go by the guidelines of RCI but rather what I feel how that person treated me each day and usually this amount is above the suggested amount if the service is outstanding.

[kari333]

Tips are for good service - they should not be required as we pay enough for this vacation and the lines should pay their employees sufficiently and not expect their customers to. I know that this is not the case though. However, if you get good service or extraordinary service then you should tip highly for everyone in your party. If you receive bad service or no service then you should tip low or not at all. Many forget that tipping is for service.

I don't go by the guidelines of RCI but rather what I feel how that person treated me each day and usually this amount is above the suggested amount if the service is outstanding or below it if its not.

[bUU]

Alas, the cruise lines do not pay a living wage, and indeed to pay the crew members who serve you specifically based on the expectation that you will tip them.

[Cruzor]

Tips should be more for kids than adults! Especially younger children who require more of the servering team's efforts as compared to adults (ie. high chairs, booster seats, messy table and floor, special food requests, etc. etc.).

 

If they are older kids than tips should be the same as those for adults.

[Folgy]

Tips

 

For babies /toddlers : should be tripple$$$$ than that of an adult .

 

 

reasoning: high chairs/strollers/mess/diaper disposal/diatary needs/customer intervention to calm customers from the screaming/picking up toys/deoderizing(stentch)./accommodating babies needs..........the list goes on...and ...on..

[CaribbeanCruisesRock]

Yes, tip for children.

[FinelyCruising]

To Op, the anwswer to your question will be in your determining what services they received that were less than yours as an adult. Did they receive less attentive dining room service, or was dressing for their salad still asked to be decided and ladled on their plates. Did the room steward not make their bed or turn it down or provide towels for them. These are the more signifigant tips that make up the question. We know the sodas carry the tip regardless of age, and we know many do not think to even tip the Adventure Ocean staff for making the kids program as great as it is for the younger ones. So tip fpr the kids, yes I think so. Tip for the babies who take no service at all? Heck the garbage can has to be emptied each day anyway. That it has a diaper in it is not measurable extra work unless they are at your door asking if you need it emptied sooner. An infant does not rate a tip in many instances IMHO.

[Rick R]

nrunnion: Guess you got your answer and then some. Have a good cruise, enjoy.

 

just4kixx: I did not mean to point a finger at you. I is just people get so off subject. (pet peeeeve) Before you know it we would have been yelling at smokers in the dinning room. :D