Tipping for room service?

[jckvpa0]

We'll be in the Grand Suite, and I just assume that room service breakfast will be delivered every morning by our room steward. Do others actually deliver breakfast? If our room steward delivers our breakfast, should we tip him every time or just give him extra money at the end of our cruise. I know that I sound likea newbie but we've taken over 25 cruises, nine on Princess. In suites on other lines, we've had butler service and the butler always delivered breakfast. That's about the only time we get room service.

Joan

I think if you have a butler than you would just tip them at the end of the cruise as you see fit. I would say if it is not your butler delivering your food than I would tip them.

[PescadoAmarillo]

Thank goodness Princess did the right thing for the crew and included a charge of $2,200. and said there was no tipping (unless you wanted to pay more).

Is that for one person or two? That seems high, but perhaps you are a single in a cabin. And lucky you!

 

That's another question: Do you get charged double if you're a single in a cabin? I've only cruised alone once, and it was not on an auto tip cruise, and I paid something like 150% to my cabin steward (and tried to be very neat).

 

I tip for room service. Heck, I tip when they bring wine glasses, I tip when they change out our minibar stuff. My husband thinks I'm nuts, but I put myself through college on tips, and that sticks with you. I always try to get to the door before him when something is delivered.:p

[bplazo]

Your room steward in suites do not deliver room service.

[cruzkitty]

In a Suite on Princess, you will have different staff deliver your Breakfast daily. We always tipped $3-4 for Breakfast. Your Room Steward does not deliver Room Service anytime. Have a Great Cruise!!

[NSWP]

On the few cruises I/We have done I/We have NEVER ordered cabin service, i.e. food/drinks, some days I even told the cabin steward not to make our bed, we fixed it up ourselves. We always 'eat out on the ship', why closet yourself in a cabin or 'grand suite' for the well heeled, we are social people and like to mix and mingle, 24/7. So tipping food deliveries does not apply to us. I tip who I want, when I want and when the service is to my expectations. If it is poor service then no reward (I mean Automatic Wage Subsidy)

 

FINALLY as has been said above..we Aussies pay a lot more $ to get on Princess cruises than the U.S. citizens, therefore it follows we contribute more to the 'Carnival pot of Gold', thus contributing a lot more to the wage pool. We have to pay cruise 'brochure prices' no discounts for us.

 

Oh no, I see another tipping extravaganza starting.:rolleyes:

Cheers.:cool:

[jckvpa0]

On the few cruises I/We have done I/We have NEVER ordered cabin service, i.e. food/drinks, some days I even told the cabin steward not to make our bed, we fixed it up ourselves. We always 'eat out on the ship', why closet yourself in a cabin or 'grand suite' for the well heeled, we are social people and like to mix and mingle, 24/7. So tipping food deliveries does not apply to us. I tip who I want, when I want and when the service is to my expectations. If it is poor service then no reward (I mean Automatic Wage Subsidy)

 

FINALLY as has been said above..we Aussies pay a lot more $ to get on Princess cruises than the U.S. citizens, therefore it follows we contribute more to the 'Carnival pot of Gold', thus contributing a lot more to the wage pool. We have to pay cruise 'brochure prices' no discounts for us.

 

Oh no, I see another tipping extravaganza starting.:rolleyes:

 

 

Cheers.:cool:

 

Why do you pay more than us? Also, why do you keep mentioning OBC ?

[happyscot]

Why do you pay more than us? Also, why do you keep mentioning OBC ?

 

 

I'll try and keep this factual as I don't think you're being controversial!

 

OBC's/brochure prices: the US cruising market is saturated, and competition is very fierce. Cruise providers are forced to offer low prices and high incentives to fill ships, cos there are plenty other ships. Although the market is increasing very rapidly in the UK and Aust/NZ, until now cruise providers have been able to charge higher prices and offer fewer incentives cos often there arn't any other ships - but this is changing. Supply and demand, routine stuff.

 

Wages: The other reason higher prices are possible is because European/Aussie/NZ folk are simply used to them in a high wage, high tax economy. Those taxes pay for a high level of benefits to the less-fortunate, such as a high minimum wage by US standards, of $11 in the UK for example. However, in the capitalist UK (we're still capitalist you know, it comes in more than one colour) supply and demand rule, so any waitress a US tourist is likely to see across the road from Big Ben or a fake Scotsman in a kilt will probably be on $15 - $20 an hour or more.

 

So you see all the arguments about tips being essential to allow poorly paid staff to eat etc simply don't apply. Customers, who've already paid for the high wages in taxes and high prices, feel no obligation to pay for adequate service, and are utterly utterly baffled by the tendency in the States to tip someone for poor service. What many will do is tip for exceptional service - but with a few exceptions such as taxis and hairdressers where tips are an acknowledged and routine part of income, there's no feeling of obligation, and the idea of wait staff demanding tips and chasing you down the road to get them is just barmy and, quite seriously, would lead to their arrest for extortion.

 

Our frustration on these threads is being called "cheapskates" just because we don't do exactly what Americans do (the cheek of it, huh) and because people won't look at the arithmetic. Many colonial cousins on the other hand repeatedly point out that, whatever the policies of the boat owners, and whatever we do outside the Great Satan, in the meantime crew members are scandalously low paid and only tips keep them going.

 

The problem is that cruise lines have structured their wage policies around US tipping conventions, and then tried to fill the same ships with non-US passengers who regard those conventions as verging on the insane. (I repeat: imagine a man from Mars watching you tip someone for crap service). It's not working.

 

The simple solution, put forward by a lot of non-US CC folk, is put it on the prices - merge it, just call it fare. Then we all pay it, you can tip over the top if you want with no obligation, and no one has to try to understand why they're expected to give money to someone who's just poured coffee on their wife's head.

 

The problem is then no one gets to take the moral high ground and big it up large on ships with the servants................

 

Hope this helps!!!!!

 

xxxxxxxxxxx

[bplazo]

You may be having to pay a higher cruise price, however, what you are saying is that you probably make more money than alot of americans.

 

Why should your room steward or server be stiffed by you because you think that you are paying more for your room. I like to stay in a suite should I tip less because people who are staying in an inside pay less for their room?

 

I have alway worked for tips and I feel very strongly on this subject. Where I work I have sometimes had to write a check out to my employer because I have owed them money at the end of the month because my salary was not able to cover the health insurance, taxes and other misc expensives.

 

Not getting a tip or a bad tip is bad enough when you work at a restraunt but can you imagine the people on the ship that wait on you ALL week and they get nothing.

 

Alot of people say that the employer should pay a better salary. I just think that is a cop out for cheap people who want to save a couple dollars. The prices would be ALOT higher at places and I believe the service would go downhill.

[CruiseKidz]

You may be having to pay a higher cruise price, however, what you are saying is that you probably make more money than alot of americans.

 

Why should your room steward or server be stiffed by you because you think that you are paying more for your room. I like to stay in a suite should I tip less because people who are staying in an inside pay less for their room?

 

I have alway worked for tips and I feel very strongly on this subject. Where I work I have sometimes had to write a check out to my employer because I have owed them money at the end of the month because my salary was not able to cover the health insurance, taxes and other misc expensives.

 

Not getting a tip or a bad tip is bad enough when you work at a restraunt but can you imagine the people on the ship that wait on you ALL week and they get nothing.

 

Alot of people say that the employer should pay a better salary. I just think that is a cop out for cheap people who want to save a couple dollars. The prices would be ALOT higher at places and I believe the service would go downhill.

 

Just out of curiosity do you pay approx $16,000.00 us for your suite for a couple for a 12 night cruise? as that is the price asked for from Princess Australia, just wondering are the prices much different

[jckvpa0]

This is after a quick search on Princess website, 12 day Mediterranean - Athens to Barcelona

Total Price** (USD)$14,251.80

[CruiseKidz]

This is after a quick search on Princess website, 12 day Mediterranean - Athens to Barcelona

Total Price** (USD)$14,251.80

Thanks for your reply

[cruise junky joan]

Does anyone else think the service has suffered since the cruise lines went auto tipping?

[PescadoAmarillo]

Does anyone else think the service has suffered since the cruise lines went auto tipping?

I don't know if the difference is auto tipping or "pooling" of tips (Princess does both). How you pay your tips (auto or cash) should have little to do with it, since you are paying the money either way and can certainly make adjustments (and we have) to the auto tip. But on cruise lines where tips are not pooled (i.e. Celebrity), your waiter keeps the waiter portion of tips that were charged to your ship account, the ass't waiter his portion, etc. You can give more to your waiter, less to your assistant waiter, more to the maitre de, and they get to keep it. Tips are not pooled, and service, I believe, is better. On Princess, it is obvious that the waitstaff that deal with passengers personally are getting less, since the standard tips are about the same and they are being pooled and distributed more widely. And since we take Anytime Dining on Princess, we end up tipping much more than on Celebrity. I mean, there have been waiters that I would like to personally ding for their poor service, but if I lower my dining room auto-tips, and then give extra to good waiters, the good waiters never see it (I'm told, still not sure how they keep this straight), since they have to add my extra back to the pool to get me up to the standard auto tip. So I have to keep the standard in place, and then pay the good ones extra, for them to come out ahead.

 

I think it's a pooling problem, not an auto tip problem.

[Chivalrygirl]

Just out of curiosity do you pay approx $16,000.00 us for your suite for a couple for a 12 night cruise? as that is the price asked for from Princess Australia, just wondering are the prices much different

 

Have you allowed for the rapid exchange rate rise in the AUD? That will be making rather a big difference

 

Val

[CruiseKidz]

Have you allowed for the rapid exchange rate rise in the AUD? That will be making rather a big difference

 

Val

 

I converted the currency form the aussie Princess site price in AUD to us$ the difference would be that possibly in the US there is a better chance of geting a better price through an agent while 90% of the time we are stuck with Princess quoted price. And to our advantage the currency on our med Princess cruise is US$ and a strong AUD is in our favour in Europe with the Euro so it's not as hopeless for aussie cruisers at the moment.

[Chivalrygirl]

I converted the currency form the aussie Princess site price in AUD to us$ the difference would be that possibly in the US there is a better chance of geting a better price through an agent while 90% of the time we are stuck with Princess quoted price. And to our advantage the currency on our med Princess cruise is US$ and a strong AUD is in our favour in Europe with the Euro so it's not as hopeless for aussie cruisers at the moment.

 

Sadly this dumb broad has been buying currency as the rate has improved, got very badly caught last year, buying USD for .61 NZD. Now here we are up around .80, oh ****, well I just better buy some more, cause I don't believe it will stay that way for too long. By golly the exporters are screaming over here. :eek:

[Tania]

However, the real question is whether Princess is giving the AUD a fair conversion rate.

 

I doubt it.

 

Princess charges Canadians a full 15% conversion rate when USD can be bought for a 9% premium at the banks. A differential of 6% which I call high seas robbery. No other word for it.

 

Absolutely no reason why Princess cannot charge the current bank rate. They have access to computers, don't they???

 

Pardon my sarcasm:D

[CruiseKidz]

For my onboard account I intend to pay US$ cash, I can get the US$ for an exellent rate here. If I choose to pay by credit card onbaord Princess will charge me a 3% conversion fee and the crappy currency rate they offer plus my own banks fees.That to me is alot of money I don't want to waste.

[Jade13]

Re the auto tip - Those who take it off of their account and wish you pay as they go, I'd be curious if you would admit honestly if by the end of the cruise you give out the recommended amount of $10 per person per day. So, if at the end of a ten day cruise have you and your spouse, partner, roomate etc. given $200.00 or less (or more)

 

You may get less reaction if you stated that you brought $100 per person in cash for a ten day and gave it out as you wished. Most people probably assume (maybe it's true) that those who take off the auto-tip may do so and give out $20 or so in $1.00's by the end of trip and that is why the reaction? So really do not believe in tipping.

[peterv]

This is after a quick search on Princess website, 12 day Mediterranean - Athens to Barcelona

Total Price** (USD)$14,251.80

 

Using the Princess website will only give the full price that Princess charges, not necessarily the best price that you can get as opposed to having to pay Princess what they wish in Oz.

 

For my onboard account I intend to pay US$ cash, I can get the US$ for an exellent rate here. If I choose to pay by credit card onbaord Princess will charge me a 3% conversion fee and the crappy currency rate they offer plus my own banks fees.That to me is alot of money I don't want to waste.

 

If you check off the DO NOT CONVERT option when checking in, they should not convert your onboard charges to your card currency. You need to check towards the end of the cruise to make sure it will be charged in US dollars.

 

This has worked out well for us on our last few cruises.

 

Cheers,

Peter

[peterv]

I have alway worked for tips and I feel very strongly on this subject. Where I work I have sometimes had to write a check out to my employer because I have owed them money at the end of the month because my salary was not able to cover the health insurance, taxes and other misc expensives.

 

Perhaps you can explain why we need to tip based on the price of food and drink then?

 

Do you provide more service for a $30 steak and $40 bottle of wine instead of a $5 hamburger and $2 soda? Even though it takes the same amount of time to order and deliver? Why should one get a $1.40 tip and the other a $14 tip, based on a 20% extortion rate.

 

If I had to write out a cheque to cover my deductions at work I would think then it is time for a new job, but then again that is JMHO.

 

Cheers,

Peter

[jonnyb3378]

Just got back from carribean princess july 15-24 very awesome. This was my 2nd time with Princess the first being on the Grand.

 

1st... I leave the auto tip in place however I was at the pursers desk when a fellow passenger was dropping the auto tip and all they had to do was fill out a card. It didnt seem to be a problem nor were they questioned relentlessly about it.

 

2nd... I take about 100 dollars in small denominations for tip money. Thats just me and I always do it. I tip whom I think deserves it. Upon meeting my room steward I do hand him a $20... again thats me.... Through out the trip from time to time I would hand him a few dollars. Let me add that all my request were handled with out delay.

 

Funny thing is besides the waiters at Sabatinis and my waiter the last 2 nights at the Palm dining room I tipped no one else. I felt no one else deserved it.

 

Just wanted to add my 2 cents... to each their own... again I reward those who deserve it

[CruiseKidz]

Using the Princess website will only give the full price that Princess charges, not necessarily the best price that you can get as opposed to having to pay Princess what they wish in Oz.

 

 

 

If you check off the DO NOT CONVERT option when checking in, they should not convert your onboard charges to your card currency. You need to check towards the end of the cruise to make sure it will be charged in US dollars.

 

This has worked out well for us on our last few cruises.

 

Cheers,

Peter

Peter I agree with the pricing here in Oz it isn't often we will get a good deal from Princess, my fare is based on their early boking price which is still offered for crusies departing in a month so what is early??I have had a price reduction on a RCI crusie next year, their agent in Sydney passed on the saving when I queried it. Thanks for the tip on onbard accounts( bad pun) I'm basing my info on the documents Princess sent me but I will look into the do not convert option, I begrudge giving them my hard earned cash in fees.

[Jacqueline]

The last time a thread like this came up it ended up getting pulled. What is the point in continuing to rehash all this. We know how you feel, you know how we feel. No one is going to changes anyone else's mind. Continuing this debate creates bad feelings on the board and serves no postive purpose.

Let's declare a truce and have some fun with more upbeat topics.

[bjkTX]

I don't know who gets what and where, but we do the auto tip, and if we order anything from room service (which we do every morning) I tip them as well. If you order room service at a US hotel they will automatically add 18% in most cases, and people still tip on top of that, so I love the service and feel like I saved 18%. :-) Before our last cruise I ended up with several $2 bills and used those for tips. I've read a thread some time ago about the staff not liking the $2 bills because they had a hard time using them....but they all seemed to get a kick out of them - and no one turned them down :-)