KIDS, auto tips on HAL

[nashkan]

On all the other cruises we have been on.(different cruise lines).... kids were 50% less with the auto-tip .... Reading the DOCS with HAL it says NOTHING about this.....does anyone know about this? We just want to know before we go......THANKS in ADVANCE Dan

[CCCM]

Dan, I wouldn't expect any credits for children on HAL, either for pricing of the cruise or for auto tipping. When we sailed RCI, we did not get a discount tip for child either, although the cruise fare was less. Children pay the same as adult on HAL.

 

I haven't seen anything anywhere to indicate this.

[Krazy Kruizers]

It's $10 per person per day which includes children -- no discount for them.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Remember that the cabin steard still has to make a bed for the child, change sheets on that bed, and towels just as they would do for an adult.

 

The dining room staff have to serve the child just like an adult.

[bplazo]

I have never understood why people would tip less for a child. They are usually more work than an adults.

[CCCM]

I agree with you bplazo. I usually do round one of clean up for all of us before leaving the room. Sort of like you clean before the maid comes at home.

 

My thoughts is that will allow the room steward to clean what really needs to be cleaned.

[CruiserRev]

I recently was the OP on a thread about tipping with an infant in the room. What I've learned/concluded is this: don't make up your mind before you go about the "burden" of tipping for a child. Allow the staff to serve you, and tip accordingly. Many folks in the anti-kids camp come on rather strong about tipping, with some pretty harsh words (I'm sure they'd say they're realists) about the notion of cruising with kids (at least on HAL) in the first place. They're harshness doesn't necessarily make them wrong. The people who've done more to impress me are those who have traveled with kids on HAL, all of whom say that the staff will go above and beyond in serving my child. So, while the full 3rd fare may have been hard to swallow, and then adding in the cost of bringing food for our daughter and then the thought of a $110 autotip.....I still believe that tipping generously is always appropriate when the level of service warrants it, and from everything I've been told, it will.

[Old As Dirt Mom]

:) We travelled with our children, ages 7 and 17 at time of cruise, on HAL this past summer. If children share a cabin with their parents, they don't pay full fare, they pay a reduced third or fourth person fare. This reduced fare is considerably less than the full fare which the parents are paying.

 

There were five of us in our family group, so our auto-tip was $50 per day. We also tipped a little extra in cash to those staff whom we felt gave exemplary service; for instance, to our head dining room steward who definitely went the extra mile to accommodate our oldest daughter's many food allergies.

 

My children were very kindly entertained, taken care of, made to feel welcome, and generally accommodated by the ship's crew throughout our HAL cruise. Our wait staff in the dining room had a full repertoire of magic tricks, jokes, puzzles, and riddles with which to entertain us each evening at dinner. Our room steward gave our youngest a "high five" and a hug every time he saw her. The Club HAL staff couldn't have been more genuinely concerned and helpful in the care of our 7-year-old when she was there. I tipped the Club HAL staff a little extra at the end, too, and made sure to praise them on our comment cards at the end of the cruise.

 

Dan, I know you will be pleased with the care and service your child(ren) or grandchild(ren) receive on your HAL cruise.

 

Karin

[zaandam_2]

tipping for services rendered should not be classed as a 'burden', as cruiserrev says. cruising is not a necessity. its a luxury.

 

a 'burden' could be described as having to spend 6 months to a year away from your own family, working long hours without a day off for people able to afford a luxury trip.

[hammybee]

:) We travelled with our children, ages 7 and 17 at time of cruise, on HAL this past summer. If children share a cabin with their parents, they don't pay full fare, they pay a reduced third or fourth person fare. This reduced fare is considerably less than the full fare which the parents are paying. Karin

 

Karin,

Your post, versus that of some others, motivated me to check out third and forth passenger fares. I played with various Carribean sailing dates and HAL ships and saw that infants, less than age 2, continued to receive enormous discounts, as much as 90 % off the base fare. Older children pay the third/fourth passenger fare which is, as you said, considerably less than full fare. Of course taxes and port charges, outside the control of any cruise line, are not discounted.

 

HAL, like all cruise lines I know of, including Disney, recommends tipping per person, regardless of age. Assuming future cruisers have as good an experience as you and I have had, tipping becomes a non-issue.

[bepsf]

Stewards and waiters certainly do work harder for child passengers - even as 3rd or 4ths in a stateroom.

 

Sofa beds have to be folded and unfolded every day, additional towels have to be laundered and replaced, cribs might have to be delivered and worked around, in addition to flexible scheduling to clean around nap times etc.

 

Waiters in the Lido often need to carry trays for youngsters and waiters in the dining room jump through hoops to provide special requests for items that aren't on the menu.

 

Then there's Club HAL staff: they so work hard to make sure kids are occupied with engaging activities at all hours of the day, including slumber parties.* In addition, all staff and crew are responsible for the safety of underrage passengers at all times, including making sure that every unattended youngster is safely delivered to the appropriate lifeboat station where they are put in a lifejacket in case of a shipboard emergency.

 

I hope that anyone who thinks that they can get by with skimping on tips for their children will think twice...

[CruiserRev]

that's why I put the word burden in quotes in the first place......to illustrate that what might be perceived as burdensome would likely not seem so in light of all the facts. But, glad to know that zaandam is always there with a jab for me.

[nashkan]

On our cruise last year, on NCL, they did a 50% less auto-tip for children. (we DID NOT ask for it- That was the way their AUTO-TIP program was set up) and it was also stated in their "Know Before You Go" booklet, and that was the way the bill was rendered. If the AUTO-TIP was full price, for our Grandson, we would have had NO qualms about paying it.... (we ended giving EXTRA NICE tips to the KIDS CREW, above and beyond, and also extra to a few of the waiters who went way out of their way) Seems Carnival did this in the past too... So I was curious about HAL, this is our first cruise on HAL... This is the ONLY reason I brought it up, so I can plan the budget accordingly, cash on hand, and so forth.... I know staff, etc, work very hard and I was in NO WAY thinking of ways to "SKIMP". I just wanted to know "policy" and in my reading I found nothing regarding this issue..... hope that clears things up.....and Thank You for the answer....... Most Sincerely Dan

[kryos]

(we ended giving EXTRA NICE tips to the KIDS CREW, above and beyond, and also extra to a few of the waiters who went way out of their way) Seems Carnival did this in the past too... So I was curious about HAL, this is our first cruise on HAL... This is the ONLY reason I brought it up, so I can plan the budget accordingly, cash on hand, and so forth.... I know staff, etc, work very hard and I was in NO WAY thinking of ways to "SKIMP". I just wanted to know "policy" and in my reading I found nothing regarding this issue..... hope that clears things up.....and Thank You for the answer....... Most Sincerely Dan

This is exactly the reason I question full auto-tips for children. If I were HAL, I'd be anxious to reduce the auto-tips for them, with the hope of possibly encouraging parents to extend a nice tip to the Club HAL staff at the end of the cruise. After all, I tend to doubt they are part of the auto-tip pool ... and they really work hard taking care of all of those children for the better part of the day so that their parents can enjoy some time alone. So, I know if I were HAL management, I'd sooner see kids' auto-tips reduced, so that hopefully their parents will think to spread a little happiness to the Club HAL staff too.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[bplazo]

If I were the server or the cabin steward and I saw a family with children I would think to myself "yuck, a family! I will have to work harder and make less money"!

[cathryn58]

I received a $100 discount per child from the 3rd & 4th person rate when I booked. Children are considered 18 & under on HAL. This does offset the tipping that is VERY well deserved by the Stewards and Dining room staff who have always done EVERYthing to make my daughters feel special and VERY well cared for!!