I pre paid the tips

[Meltiphil]

Okay, I have prepaid the tips, so does this mean that I will or not will have to tip while on the cruise???? If so, then what are these tips for. I do not mind tipping, I'm just trying to understand it all. Thanks for your replies. I warned you, I'm a new cruise with a lot of questions. Thanks.:) :eek: :p

[Host Kewlguy]

We always pre-pay the tips and then add extra money if we feel someone has provided service above and beyond the call of duty. Last cruise we gave our waiter an extra $20 bill along with the voucher. We were all new cruisers at one time.

[wrp96]

The prepaid tips are for your waiter, assistant waiter, headwaiter, and stateroom attendant. They are for the suggested amounts. If you feel that your service is absolutely wonderful, you might want to tip those people more but you don't have to.

 

Other things that you might tip for on a cruise:

 

Drinks. When you order a drink, there will be a 15% tip automatically added to your bill. There will be a line for extra tip on the slip you sign but you don't have to add anything additional if you want to.

 

Room service. If you order room service then you need to tip the person who brings your order in cash. If it's a small order a couple of dollars, a larger order a little more.

 

Porters. You should tip the porters who handle your luggage $1 to $2 per bag.

[Host Kewlguy]

The prepaid tips are for your waiter, assistant waiter, headwaiter, and stateroom attendant. They are for the suggested amounts. If you feel that your service is absolutely wonderful, you might want to tip those people more but you don't have to.

 

Other things that you might tip for on a cruise:

 

Drinks. When you order a drink, there will be a 15% tip automatically added to your bill. There will be a line for extra tip on the slip you sign but you don't have to add anything additional if you want to.

 

Room service. If you order room service then you need to tip the person who brings your order in cash. If it's a small order a couple of dollars, a larger order a little more.

 

Porters. You should tip the porters who handle your luggage $1 to $2 per bag.

 

Also (on the flip side) if you receive lousy service (which does happen on occasion) you can always go to guest relations and retract one of the pre-paid tips if you choose. We have never done this but it's nice to know we could if it's warranted.

[ciderapple]

How do you prepay the tips?

 

I don't remember seeing anything on my reservation (direct with RCCL), I guess I missed something.

[Host Kewlguy]

If booking on the RCCL web site the prepaid tips option is available. You can also just call them and they'll add the tips to your balance due.

[ciderapple]

If booking on the RCCL web site the prepaid tips option is available. You can also just call them and they'll add the tips to your balance due.

 

Thanks. I'm already paid up. I think I will just take the cash now, keep it simple. I'll have to put it aside though so I don't spend it by accident :eek: !

[Host Kewlguy]

Well, the employees prefer the cash of course. We started pre-paying the tips after we became obsessed with amassing rewards points on our cruise credit cards. ;)

[Iluvboatrides]

Well, the employees prefer the cash of course. We started pre-paying the tips after we became obsessed with amassing rewards points on our cruise credit cards. ;)

 

 

http://cruisetip.tpkeller.com/

 

I find the cruise tip calculator a great tool. Personally, I am happy we have the option to add the tips to our onboard account and use our credit card that gives us 2% back for travel expenses charged to the card. :) We no longer need to make sure there is an assortment of folding money at the end of the cruise to put into the envelopes. Just putting in the voucher, and any additional cash we want to give for exceptional service just makes it so much easier. And for the new person to cruising, this certainly clears up much of the confusion :confused:

 

I like to have coffee on the balcony in the morning, so I make sure I do have enough $1 bills for tipping for room service. RCCL still has this as optional to pre pay/put on your account, unlike some of the lines who call this a service charge and automatically just add it without you giving permission.

 

Be sure to check out that cruise tip calculator.

[FLASHINGLIGHTS83]

Thanks. I'm already paid up. I think I will just take the cash now, keep it simple. I'll have to put it aside though so I don't spend it by accident :eek: !

 

once you get onboard, you can pre-pay the tips to your seapass account, and not worry about keeping the cash around....just an idea....

 

i wish i knew we could retract just one of our pre-paid tip people. we just got off the radiance, and our head waiter ernesto wasn't horrible, but never around. he came by the 1st night to introduce himself, and then we never saw him again(6 night cruise) till the 2nd to last night. in fact, we didnt even see him the last night, we had to give his tip envelope to our waiter.

 

now if it was the same case for everyone in his "section" then it wouldnt be that bad, but it seemed he would come by all the smaller tables(4 people or less) every night, but the larger tables(we had an 8 person tbl) didnt see him at all. the tbl next to us had 10 i believe, and they never saw him except for the 1st night(the only reason we saw him the 2nd to last night was we had a b-day cake). i wish i would of known that ahead of time, because i would of retracted his tip very quickly.....

 

GREG

[Cloud9 Bob]

once you get onboard, you can pre-pay the tips to your seapass account, and not worry about keeping the cash around....just an idea....

 

If you do it this way, would you still get vouchers?

[Iluvboatrides]

If you do it this way, would you still get vouchers?

 

Yes you receive vouchers to put in the envelopes to give to those who are receiving the tips from you. The vouchers are delivered to your room a day or two before you are going to hand them out.

[MrsPete]

Well, the employees prefer the cash of course. We started pre-paying the tips after we became obsessed with amassing rewards points on our cruise credit cards. ;)

I'm going to start pre-paying tips with my RC VISA card because any money that's spent IN ADVANCE of the cruise will count towards points, and I can use those points for shipboard credit. Plus every dollar spent with RC gives DOUBLE points. 5000 points = $50.

 

If I want until we're on the ship -- even if I use my VISA card -- I can't use the points on THIS cruise.

[takeatrip]

I prepaid last time and we were given a sheet of paper vouchers and envelopes to hand out to those. The waiter, head waiter, asst waiter, room steward were included in the group. It was very easy and taken care of before we left home.

[Sassy Chassis]

I opted to pre-pay the tips this time. Hopefully it will be just one less thing I have to worry about! :)

[BobBeaSea]

The crew doesn't care if the tip is paid in cash, pre-paid or put on your Seapass during the cruise. The only important thing to them is that they get them. I see another headwaiter "problem" in an above post :). Those poor folks have the least most understood job on a cruise ship...too bad really. The .75 cents per day is a bit of a stretch, I guess.

[saylinsam]

How do you handle tipping for evening dining in the windjammer? We are not planning to have dinner at all in the main dinning rooms....I plan on informing the maitre-de of our plans on the day we board, but how should we tip and what is a good rule of thumb?....Thanks for your input.

[RRCRUISE]

If you prepay your tips at the beginning of the cruise while checking in...will you get vouchers before the end of the cruise to put in envelopes?

The last time I sailed a few years ago, I prepaid them but I never got any vouchers to put in envelopes. This must be something new.

[gsb]

I know it's very popular, but how do you know in advance of the services you are provided what tip is appropriate?

I think we'll go to the end of the cruise and decide then.;) ;)

[BobBeaSea]

I know it's very popular, but how do you know in advance of the services you are provided what tip is appropriate?

I think we'll go to the end of the cruise and decide then.;) ;)

 

The suggested tips are for "normal services", the only way you could be disappointed, and therefore short the tip, is if your expectations are unreasonable. The crew is certainly not evaluated by how much they earn in tips, they are evaluated by how well they perform their jobs by their superiors. If, on the extremely rare occasion, you have a bad situation, a complaint to the Hotel or Food & Beverage management is far more devastating than shorting the tip. Likewise, a personal mention of outstanding service on the cruise comment card is like gold.

[gsb]

The suggested tips are for "normal services", the only way you could be disappointed, and therefore short the tip, is if your expectations are unreasonable. The crew is certainly not evaluated by how much they earn in tips, they are evaluated by how well they perform their jobs by their superiors. If, on the extremely rare occasion, you have a bad situation, a complaint to the Hotel or Food & Beverage management is far more devastating than shorting the tip. Likewise, a personal mention of outstanding service on the cruise comment card is like gold.

 

I think I could be disappointed if my expectations ARE reasonable. If that happens the person will find out directly from me, not by a complaint to someone else.

[Iluvboatrides]

I know it's very popular, but how do you know in advance of the services you are provided what tip is appropriate?

I think we'll go to the end of the cruise and decide then.;) ;)

 

You have the option of adding the tips to your on board account when you are on the ship, and you have several days to make that decision. If someone gives you exceptional service, just add some cash with the voucher in the envelope. I have never had the need to request that someone on the list of who receives a tip to be excluded or reduced, but I am sure it does happen. The last cruise we were on we had an outstanding Head Waiter. He personally cut the celebration cakes at our table and served them. He was the one who removed the lobster tail from the shell for us. Every evening he spent a few minutes at our table talking to us. This was the first time I ever added additional money to the envelope for a head waiter. The entire cruise, all of the personel serving our food were entitled to more money.

[Sassy Chassis]

Since I'm going on the great service I've received on my former cruises I am not really worried about the service I'm going to receive. I know it will be great! We have added tips to our account and used the vouchers before and normally will include a little "extra" cash for those going above and beyond.

[Iluvboatrides]

How do you handle tipping for evening dining in the windjammer? We are not planning to have dinner at all in the main dinning rooms....I plan on informing the maitre-de of our plans on the day we board, but how should we tip and what is a good rule of thumb?....Thanks for your input.

 

That is a good question. A few years ago when traveling with a group of friends, we did most of our dinner meals in the Windjammer. We did not do the pre-paid or on board account for tipping. If the person in charge of our table area in the Windjammer did a good job with keeping our beverages refilled, etc. and was friendly, we gave that person a cash tip. There were four in our group, and we would each give the person about $2-$3. One thing we noticed, we would check the menu posted for the dining room, and we found similar or identical selections that evening in the Windjammer.....even the Prime Rib.

[Cloud9 Bob]

I see another headwaiter "problem" in an above post :). Those poor folks have the least most understood job on a cruise ship...too bad really. The .75 cents per day is a bit of a stretch, I guess.

 

Please explain . I'm a newb and would like to know...thanks.