Tipping on the Cunard

[Kindlychap]

Yes, I understand that is the way it works. On our Christmas cruise last year we tipped our wait staff in addition to our automatic tips.

He made it a point to ask for our names and cabin number so that he could check and make sure it was actually his to keep. I understand they get in trouble if they don't.

 

You mean they didn't KNOW what your names were?

 

I'm very surprised.

[FranKes2000]

I met a "lady's companion" on a TransAtlantic crossing on QE2 and her "lady" cancelled the automatic tipping for both and did not tip.

Plus she insisted that her companion went with her, paid for, unpaid as all her food & entertainment was included.

[kryos]

Yes, I understand that is the way it works. On our Christmas cruise last year we tipped our wait staff in addition to our automatic tips.

He made it a point to ask for our names and cabin number so that he could check and make sure it was actually his to keep. I understand they get in trouble if they don't.

I wonder how that's really handled, though? After all, maybe when you give that waiter the tip on the last night of the cruise, you haven't yet cancelled your automatic gratuities. Perhaps you don't do that until the last morning of the cruise, before disembarkation. Now what does that waiter do? He kept the tip because after checking, he saw that you did not remove gratuities. I guess they come back to him the next night ... when the ship is sailing on a whole 'nother voyage ... and tell him to give that $20 back because you cancelled auto tips right before leaving the ship that morning?

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[Freckles67]

I have just returned from the Dec. 16th trip. I asked our butler about the tipping policy. I was told that they receive a percentage of the total amount of gratuities billed to our accounts. They never know how much they will receive by this system. I asked if it would be advantageous to cancel the automatic gratuities and tip with cash. I wanted the butler to receive the most $ possible. The butler said that cash is a much better option for the staff. I asked if they had to turn in the cash if gratuities on our account were cancelled. The answer was no, any cash received could be kept and was never turned in. We decided to leave tips on our account and then gave envelopes on the last night to our butler, steward, and to staff in Queen's Grill restaurant, where the service was superb. We were unable to get any answers to our questions about gratuities from the Queen's Grill Concierge or from the Purser's desk either. Since it is Christmas we splurged and tried to be generous. Our steward was the most appreciative, thanked us profusely and made a special effort to see us off on the last morning.

[Kindlychap]

I have just returned from the Dec. 16th trip. I asked our butler about the tipping policy. I was told that they receive a percentage of the total amount of gratuities billed to our accounts. They never know how much they will receive by this system. I asked if it would be advantageous to cancel the automatic gratuities and tip with cash. I wanted the butler to receive the most $ possible. The butler said that cash is a much better option for the staff. I asked if they had to turn in the cash if gratuities on our account were cancelled. The answer was no, any cash received could be kept and was never turned in. We decided to leave tips on our account and then gave envelopes on the last night to our butler, steward, and to staff in Queen's Grill restaurant, where the service was superb. We were unable to get any answers to our questions about gratuities from the Queen's Grill Concierge or from the Purser's desk either. Since it is Christmas we splurged and tried to be generous. Our steward was the most appreciative, thanked us profusely and made a special effort to see us off on the last morning.

 

Your information tallies with what we have been told. It was on that basis that we did cancel the automatic tipping and added that to our tipping budget.

 

Like you, we wanted to maximise what "our" staff received.

 

I have always got a mass of confusing and contradictory information from the Purser's staff, so was not suprised to get the same thing in relation to the automatic tipping.

 

I also understand that the backstage staff do not benefit from the tips - being tipped themselves by the front stage staff in order to get the favours that the front stage staff need to get their own tips.

 

I feel that a degree of honesty from Cunard should be expected. It isn't fair on the staff to be put in a position where to quiz them directly on this is the only way of finding out the truth.

[2moose]

i really never understood who gets the cash if cash is given !!!!!so this past trip we asked the steward, the butler, the waiters, the maitre'de the dining room captain and several bartenders and every one of the above said the same thing!!!!!THEY KEEP IT!!! they dont care who gave what!!! THEY KEEP IT!!!

[judy&steve]

We always do the automatic tipping (charged to our cabin daily) and an extra bit of cash on the last night. On all other cruises that had this policy, we always gave extra cash. Cunard does not supply tip envelopes at the end of the trip, so we were a little perplexed. We gave some extra cash to all of the wait staff, maitre d, and head waiter plus the sommelier and the stewardess. We did not see anyone else handing out envelopes. We made it clear to the recipients that this token was in addition to the pre-paid gratuities.

I assume they know who has been paying the daily service charge and who hasn't.

We read the cabin attendants tips go to the entire housekeeping team, including laundry workers. It was printed somewhere in our pile of papers.

I did not see anything stating that spa prices included gratuity. I tipped for all of the services I received in the salon and spa. Also, it is customary to tip casino staff when one has a significant win. That has never happened to me, but I have read that in many places.

--Judy

[2moose]

We always do the automatic tipping (charged to our cabin daily) and an extra bit of cash on the last night. On all other cruises that had this policy, we always gave extra cash. Cunard does not supply tip envelopes at the end of the trip, so we were a little perplexed. We gave some extra cash to all of the wait staff, maitre d, and head waiter plus the sommelier and the stewardess. We did not see anyone else handing out envelopes. We made it clear to the recipients that this token was in addition to the pre-paid gratuities.

I assume they know who has been paying the daily service charge and who hasn't.

We read the cabin attendants tips go to the entire housekeeping team, including laundry workers. It was printed somewhere in our pile of papers.

I did not see anything stating that spa prices included gratuity. I tipped for all of the services I received in the salon and spa. Also, it is customary to tip casino staff when one has a significant win. That has never happened to me, but I have read that in many places.

--Judy

 

 

the wait staff has alist of the customers they serve with all pertinent information age, hometown,likes and dislikes or requests if any and of course whether or not you participate in the automatic daily tipping!! we also tip both ways for those that serve us but do so during the course of our stay rather than the last nite!! we find the service seems to be better this way!!! best regards to all

[Kindlychap]

the wait staff has alist of the customers they serve with all pertinent information age, hometown,likes and dislikes or requests if any and of course whether or not you participate in the automatic daily tipping!! we also tip both ways for those that serve us but do so during the course of our stay rather than the last nite!! we find the service seems to be better this way!!! best regards to all

 

I find the way to get good service is to be recognised, and to be nice. I know I am recognised - from circumstances that could not have been the result of a list of likes etc..

 

Likewise, I've never tipped until the end, and have never had anything but superb service.

 

Why can't we appreciate that those that serve us are both professional and people, and not simply on the take?

 

Matthew

[pb82]

I find the way to get good service is to be recognised, and to be nice. I know I am recognised - from circumstances that could not have been the result of a list of likes etc..

 

Likewise, I've never tipped until the end, and have never had anything but superb service.

 

Why can't we appreciate that those that serve us are both professional and people, and not simply on the take?

 

Matthew

Don't know that I've ever been recognized, but I couldn't agree more with your second and third lines. Merry Christmas, Matthew,

Paul

[FLCruiserGuy]

Here is how the tipping works on the QM2. I have this information from a couple of crew, as well as administrative staff that work on/around the ship.

 

Bar/bar heads:

 

Their PAY is a percentage of the bar sales. It equates to the automatic gratuity that is attached automatically to the bar bill that you sign.

 

Any ADDITIONAL tip that you write in is 'pooled' and does not go directly to the person that served you.

 

Butler:

 

Butler keeps the cash, but with most housekeeping and wait staff, their monthly PAY is the percentage of automatically billed gratuities that are billed daily to your account.

 

Now, Cunard WILL MAKE all grille staff pool the cash tips IF the passenger takes the automatic tips off the bill. Otherwise, they can keep the tips. This is because you are basically taking a part of their 'pay' away when you take the gratuities off.

 

The butlers, however, may keep any cash received, regardless of whether you take the automatic gratuity off.

 

Bottom line - most of the crew is paid through the automatic gratuity paid each day on the bill...it is not actually a 'tip', which I think is pathetic on the part of cunard.

 

To put it in perspective, our butler makes a little over $50/month through cunard payroll and relys on cash tips to actually make a living.

 

Hopefully that helps.