"Tippping" answers straight from Carnival Resolution Dept

[sharecruises]

Just got off the phone with Carnival Customer Service Agent Josie....

who also put us thru to the RESOLUTION Dept to further clarify things

 

 

1) The standard $10 per day tip is divided among many people, the staff prefer it, more stable they know pretty much what they will earn this way

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2) EXTRA /cash tips above and beyond the standard $10 on account per day are find and much appreciated and prized by the the workers....they keep any tips ABOVE the $10 per day

 

3) IF people remove the tips, and tip cash to individual/s that worker MUST turn in the tip to "pool" it.....to fail to do this would anger co workers and can result in termination

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4) Altho the supervisors do know that some people are simply cheap, if by some unlucky draw of fate they get a bunch of "remove the tip" folks they can be questioned by the their supervisors.....in addition, they do LEARN WHO REMOVED THE TIPS...... there can be some bad feelings among the staff for this too..... ie, cruisers felt they had bad service from room steward so they take off all the tips, the dining staff learns this and is angry etc........most times there is really no explanation......

it does just cause uneeded stress tho from what they said.....

 

So there you have it.....speak to the RESOLUTION dept.....

 

it tells me....1) keep the $10 per day on the account

 

2) tip extra if you get good service and feel like it, tip room service

 

3) IF there is some RARE unfixed problem with a particular staff member have the offending person's tip removed ONLY....and give reason why to to the purser office so other staff members do not suffer

 

\4) Eating at buffet? Leave tip on .....but you would not be expected to tip maitre d since you did not use them..\

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Don;t believe me? CALL CARNIVAL

 

taking off the the tips hurts the workers.....period

[jimc_usa]

Thanks for sharing - I always thought group punishment was bad!

[aggieastrosfan]

Not that I'm saying I don't believe you, but you can call 3 times and get 3 different answers. This is one we'll probably never know the answer to for sure.

[Kurbanfan]

Thanks for sharing - I always thought group punishment was bad!

 

I agree. If in fact that is true, it doesn't say anthing good about how Carnival treats their empoyees.....

[DarkJedi]

Not that I'm saying I don't believe you, but you can call 3 times and get 3 different answers. This is one we'll probably never know the answer to for sure.

 

Just 3 different answers? Come on, up the ante! Call 10 times and get 10 different answers for something like this LOL

[sharecruises]

If anyone calls and gets a different answer, please post the name of the rep....I posted the name of the rep I spoke with, and we had the Resolution people on the line

 

it is very simple....the $10 per day, which is not much, gets distributed to a lot of people....if you tip cash beyond the $10 per day, they keep it and are very happy

 

if you remove the tips it causes some confusion and they must share any cash tips...just as in a land based restaurant some places pool tips or the waiter must take care of the assistants, busboys etc....

 

it is not a great system...and I wish it would change to tips rolled into the fare and then if a server was bad one could make a "write up" on them...too many write ups and they can lose their job

 

Until then it is what it is....don't like it, sail on RCI where you get tip envelopes...if anyone calls Carnival and gets different answer please post the NAME of the rep...

 

thanks

[GoinCruisin]

That's pretty much exactly what my steward on the Miracle told me...

[BrendaB1]

This system has worked fine for me since they started adding tips to your S&S account. Much easier than trying to get small bills & decide how much to tip everybody. Less hassle....more vacation time. :)

[revkev]

Thank you for checking with Carnival and taking it to the next level.

 

I do have an additional question. It does not sound like you received a direct answer on this, but I'm hoping you (or someone) will know.

 

Am I correct to assume that tips given to drink servers or bartenders go direct ly to them? Or is there a pooling situation there also?

 

Thank you,

 

Kevin from Mpls

[Moondawgie]

Thank you, sharecruises. That's a good explanation.

 

Cruisers, just leave the tip on and add for extra service.

 

If you have a specific problem, discuss it with the server first, then if not resolved, the head waiter, Maitre 'd on up. Same with cabin steward - don't hurt everyone.

 

Would you like it if your employer arbirtrarily deducted from your salary because of one problem (that they never discussed with you)?

 

I just don't see the problem of $70 pp for a WHOLE WEEK of special treatment!

 

I shouldn't even read these tipping threads (other than this one by a sensible person) because I just get peeved!

[hdawson]

This procedure is exactly what an exec of HAL explained to me, quite some time ago.

[gigglebabe]

So, if someone goes outa their way and is beyond the normal and you want to reward them, get them a gift instead of cash, that way they don't have to pool it and share. (and how many do you really think pool it and share?)

 

Our head waiter on the last cruise (Napa on the Holiday) was extremely nice to us, we had a rose sent to our table (as they would not deliever it to her) but to us, and we gave her the rose, she cried, the lady said she had never been givin flowers and she hugged us everyone and let us know how much it meant to her, and we also had bought her a necklace and earrings set, that she immediatly put on and walked around showing everyone that she got something special.

 

So you don't have to tip them cash you can get them something personal for just them.

 

I read somewhere on here where a lady on a ship had gived a cruise worker a keychain, and that the keychain was from their homestate, and that person treasured that more than anything, that someone thought enough to bring small gifts from their state.

 

Ya know, we go to their countries and wanna bring stuff back, am sure they love getting things from ours as well.

 

Debbie

[GoinCruisin]

Thank you for checking with Carnival and taking it to the next level.

 

I do have an additional question. It does not sound like you received a direct answer on this, but I'm hoping you (or someone) will know.

 

Am I correct to assume that tips given to drink servers or bartenders go direct ly to them? Or is there a pooling situation there also?

 

Thank you,

 

Kevin from Mpls

 

This was explained on the Back to the Floor show with Bob Dickinson... it is pooled... they are paid based on the number of drinks they sell... any additional tips, they keep.

[crusinsusan]

I'm sure a lot of thought went into the tips being put on the s&s cards. Before this system on one 10 cruise we had table mates who did not come to dinner on the last nite. I think it was to avoid tipping the staff. On another cruise our table mates sent food back and complained all week. I told my husband, watch them skip the last nite. The skipped. All the staff works so hard to make our vacation enjoyable, we should not resent the $10 a day tip.

[GoinCruisin]

So, if someone goes outa their way and is beyond the normal and you want to reward them, get them a gift instead of cash, that way they don't have to pool it and share. (and how many do you really think pool it and share?)

 

Our head waiter on the last cruise (Napa on the Holiday) was extremely nice to us, we had a rose sent to our table (as they would not deliever it to her) but to us, and we gave her the rose, she cried, the lady said she had never been givin flowers and she hugged us everyone and let us know how much it meant to her, and we also had bought her a necklace and earrings set, that she immediatly put on and walked around showing everyone that she got something special.

 

So you don't have to tip them cash you can get them something personal for just them.

 

I read somewhere on here where a lady on a ship had gived a cruise worker a keychain, and that the keychain was from their homestate, and that person treasured that more than anything, that someone thought enough to bring small gifts from their state.

 

Ya know, we go to their countries and wanna bring stuff back, am sure they love getting things from ours as well.

 

Debbie

 

They don't pool tips if you leave the money on the S&S account...

 

As for something personal, they really do prefer cash (from the horses mouth...) they have tiny rooms, and everyone tries to bring them things.. they of course will say they appreciate it, but can you imagine what they do with most of the stuff??

[gigglebabe]

Perhaps they send it home to be saved for when they return? Or take it home every 6 months when they do go home? So they can always treasure the moments. I had them actually give me email addresses and ask me to send them the pictures we had taken with them. They loved that.

 

And I do leave my money on the ss card.

 

But sometimes someone goes outa their way and you really want to thank them, it's no fair they have to pool that extra with everyone else either. So sometimes a nice gift, maybe a tshirt from your home state, or something.

 

I even go out and buy thank you cards and have them with me, to say a special thanks to someone who goes outa their way.

 

I'm far from stingy.

 

Debbie

 

They don't pool tips if you leave the money on the S&S account...

 

As for something personal, they really do prefer cash (from the horses mouth...) they have tiny rooms, and everyone tries to bring them things.. they of course will say they appreciate it, but can you imagine what they do with most of the stuff??

[sharecruises]

So, if someone goes outa their way and is beyond the normal and you want to reward them, get them a gift instead of cash, that way they don't have to pool it and share. (and how many do you really think pool it and share?)

 

Our head waiter on the last cruise (Napa on the Holiday) was extremely nice to us, we had a rose sent to our table (as they would not deliever it to her) but to us, and we gave her the rose, she cried, the lady said she had never been givin flowers and she hugged us everyone and let us know how much it meant to her, and we also had bought her a necklace and earrings set, that she immediatly put on and walked around showing everyone that she got something special.

 

So you don't have to tip them cash you can get them something personal for just them.

 

I read somewhere on here where a lady on a ship had gived a cruise worker a keychain, and that the keychain was from their homestate, and that person treasured that more than anything, that someone thought enough to bring small gifts from their state.

 

Ya know, we go to their countries and wanna bring stuff back, am sure they love getting things from ours as well.

 

Debbie

 

Well you can tip cash and they get to keep it above and beyond the standard on the account tip...

 

IF you leave the tip on the account, and tip them cash above or in addition to that they keep the whole amount

 

IF you remove the $10 a day and tip cash tho they must turn in the cash tip to be pooled...they can't keep it

 

I guess gifts are nice above and beyond...as long as you keep the $10 per day on the account. It really is not much and it is distributed among all the people who make a cruise great for us.

 

If anyone gets another answer, please post the name of the rep...I was on the phone over half an hour and we went over many scenarios LOL...and resolution dept was on it and this is the answer I have...

from Josie and Resolution dept

[truecruiser]

This system has worked fine for me since they started adding tips to your S&S account. Much easier than trying to get small bills & decide how much to tip everybody. Less hassle....more vacation time. :)

 

Ditto to that!

[DarkJedi]

A couple of notes about gifts can be found by looking for the articles on tipping that some of the main critics have written. I think the best was the one by the Captain's wife that discussed living conditions of the crew and how they had very small storage space.

We tip extra in cash, and have been known to give crew consumables that we believe that they may like. You can often purchase items in port once you have an idea that someone enjoys a particular item and then give it to them on the last night/day of the cruise. We have found that alcohol and flavored chocolates tend to be the favorite, just strike up a conversation with the crewmember and they will readily tell you what they like. If you ask about the ports you are going to visit they may tell you things they know they like from there, such as cashew wine from Belize or fudge from the Caymans. If you live someplace that has a local treat you may want to bring some of it and give it as a gift as well, especially if it is something they can share amongst their friends.

 

I found this on another thread and thought people might find it interesting:

http://cruisetip.tpkeller.com/

[sharecruises]

I'm sure a lot of thought went into the tips being put on the s&s cards. Before this system on one 10 cruise we had table mates who did not come to dinner on the last nite. I think it was to avoid tipping the staff. On another cruise our table mates sent food back and complained all week. I told my husband, watch them skip the last nite. The skipped. All the staff works so hard to make our vacation enjoyable, we should not resent the $10 a day tip.

 

I so agree....and people can tip cash above and beyond the $10 and the staff are very happy....just leave the minimum $10 on...it reallly is NOT much for all the service, 3 plus meals a day, cabin cleaned, extras like towel animals...and the good service on the buffet

 

Not only do some people deliberately "stiff" them, some rationalize it other ways...ie, take off the kid's tips when actually I think sometimes kids make more work...or they take off the tips for all cause ONE person gave bad service....and the other problem is the increasing amount of NON usa people on the cruises...Europeans, south Americans do not tip in their cultures....servers get paid a living wage and they don't have much tips other than "round it off"...coins...etc....so the cruiselines have to take that into account

 

Tips in cash above and beyond are welcomed as long as you leave the $10 per day on account :) :)

[GoinCruisin]

Perhaps they send it home to be saved for when they return? Or take it home every 6 months when they do go home? So they can always treasure the moments. I had them actually give me email addresses and ask me to send them the pictures we had taken with them. They loved that.

 

And I do leave my money on the ss card.

 

But sometimes someone goes outa their way and you really want to thank them, it's no fair they have to pool that extra with everyone else either. So sometimes a nice gift, maybe a tshirt from your home state, or something.

 

I even go out and buy thank you cards and have them with me, to say a special thanks to someone who goes outa their way.

 

I'm far from stingy.

 

Debbie

 

I'm saying what I was told... i am penpals with 2 of my previous stewards... they get something every week, and they service many cabins, it adds up and they seriously have no place to put it, and spending the money to send it home would be expensive...

 

They only pool if you remove the tips... so I tend to give them what they can use the most (cash) and they keep it for themselves... we also do the thank you cards, and we will give them unopened bottles of liquor if we have some left, if they want them...

[Kurbanfan]

I so agree....and people can tip cash above and beyond the $10 and the staff are very happy....just leave the minimum $10 on...it reallly is NOT much for all the service, 3 plus meals a day, cabin cleaned, extras like towel animals...and the good service on the buffet

 

Not only do some people deliberately "stiff" them, some rationalize it other ways...ie, take off the kid's tips when actually I think sometimes kids make more work...or they take off the tips for all cause ONE person gave bad service....and the other problem is the increasing amount of NON usa people on the cruises...Europeans, south Americans do not tip in their cultures....servers get paid a living wage and they don't have much tips other than "round it off"...coins...etc....so the cruiselines have to take that into account

 

Tips in cash above and beyond are welcomed as long as you leave the $10 per day on account :) :)

 

You should form a union for the crew members........

[blwms]

I love the tips added to the S & S. And to the original poster..our cabin stewards on our last two cruise told us EXACTLY the same thing. They like the auto tip. Both told us that overall they received MORE money this way. And they do get to keep any additonal cash IF you leave the auto on!

[hdawson]

Gifts are thoughtful, BUT the keychain or necklace doesn't feed their children.

[Traveling Bob]

I know its been said before, but tips are supposed to be for service beyond the ordinary. If everyone gets paid regardless of performance, and its being charged to your ss, it not a tip anymore. Raise the ticket price by the $70 and and raise the crew's salary! Then no one could complain about how its distributed or take it off their ss. We could all get back to giving "TIPS" to those who go beyond the ordinary when they are deserved.

 

Some cruise lines still do that, but I guess that Carnival finds that they can get more customers by advertising a lower price and then sticking on the service charge regardless of the service. These threads are full of complaints, but the offending employees still got their share of the so-called "tip".