Newbie tipping question...AGAIN (SORRY!!!)

[boneslides]

I have read all of the threads concerning tipping. We are on the Noordam to Alaska departing 9/2 and this is our first cruise, so I want to be sure I am doing the correct thing. We will be charged $10pp/day ($70 x2 =$140). Additionally, we are to tip the cabin stewart, wait staff, room service folks, etc, if we feel it is warranted. Do we tip them daily or at the end of the cruise? I would assume we could tip room service at the time of delivery? What about in the dining room? After every meal or just at the end of the week??

 

Thanks to everyone for all of their valuable advice. This message board has provided a wealth of helpful information to us. Sometimes the amount of info can be overwhelming and confusing, but it is always appreciated.

[Old As Dirt Mom]

I have read all of the threads concerning tipping. We are on the Noordam to Alaska departing 9/2 and this is our first cruise, so I want to be sure I am doing the correct thing. We will be charged $10pp/day ($70 x2 =$140). Additionally, we are to tip the cabin stewart, wait staff, room service folks, etc, if we feel it is warranted. Do we tip them daily or at the end of the cruise? I would assume we could tip room service at the time of delivery? What about in the dining room? After every meal or just at the end of the week??

 

Thanks to everyone for all of their valuable advice. This message board has provided a wealth of helpful information to us. Sometimes the amount of info can be overwhelming and confusing, but it is always appreciated.

 

Hi Boneslides:

 

You tip the cabin steward, dining room stewards, and anyone else you wish, at the end of the cruise (last evening), if you feel the extra is warranted. Room service you tip at time of delivery. Have a lovely cruise!

 

Karin:)

 

ps are you ready for another long thread on this topic? ;-)

[Stevesan]

I have read all of the threads concerning tipping. We are on the Noordam to Alaska departing 9/2 and this is our first cruise, so I want to be sure I am doing the correct thing. We will be charged $10pp/day ($70 x2 =$140). Additionally, we are to tip the cabin stewart, wait staff, room service folks, etc, if we feel it is warranted. Do we tip them daily or at the end of the cruise? I would assume we could tip room service at the time of delivery? What about in the dining room? After every meal or just at the end of the week??

 

Thanks to everyone for all of their valuable advice. This message board has provided a wealth of helpful information to us. Sometimes the amount of info can be overwhelming and confusing, but it is always appreciated.

 

 

Your basic understanding is correct. Additional tips are at your discretion. it is customary to tip at the end of your cruise. You're right about room service. It would be very unusual to tip the dining room staff at the end of meals.

 

Now let the fun begin.:p

[GmaPajama]

If you have the time and inclination, it's also nice to write out a little note card to go with an extra tip - pointing out what that crew member may have done to make your cruise special. I know they appreciate this, and it's easy to do.

[jtl513]

Also, if you choose to tip any bartender or lounge waiter/waitress above the 15% service charge that's on-the-spot, but the dining room wine steward/stewardess would be tipped at the cruise end.

[RuthC]

Also, if you choose to tip any bartender or lounge waiter/waitress above the 15% service charge that's on-the-spot, ....

Not necessarily. If you frequent a particular watering hole, and choose to give an extra amount, you may also do that at the end of your cruise. The lounge steward's names are on the charge slips.

Many times the lounge stewards have an informal arrangement to share the workload and pool the tips.

[INSIDERS CABIN]

Ditto GmaPajama--Except for the room service deliveries--we always bring new dollars for that, I always write a brief thank you--and put the money into an envelope (check the folder on the desk in the cabin) AND write a name on the envelope (aha! this does force you to pay attention and look at the nametags). Seems to me we almost always have had the cabin steward hand us his card. Or, find his name posted on a little sign in the cabin--and ditto with the dining room, except last spring on the OOsterdam, there was no name tag on our table so we had to keep checking on the stewards name tags to get the spelling right! Almost always we leave feeling so grateful that everyone on board has done so much to make our cruise wonderful. Btw, you don't tip the officers or the cruise directors staff ......Any exceptions?

[Old As Dirt Mom]

....... Btw, you don't tip the officers or the cruise directors staff ......Any exceptions?

 

I have given the Club HAL counselors a little something at the end of the cruise, especially when it's a major holiday, and my daughter has practically LIVED at Club HAL.....:)

 

Karin

[cdkempton]

A little packet of thank you notes comes in handy. We periodically give the bartenders a little extra but not with each drink. They really seem to appreciate it.

[Mjjpower]

Someone told me that the room service gratuity is included at the time of delivery when you sign for it....is this true? Then would you be tipping extra on top of that?

[Jade13]

Someone told me that the room service gratuity is included at the time of delivery when you sign for it....is this true? Then would you be tipping extra on top of that?

 

Room Service is free (included in your cruise fare). I never signed for anything.

[Susie51]

How much should I tip for a dinner for one room service?

Tip for helping get my mom's folding wheelchair up the gangway?

[hammybee]

Someone told me that the room service gratuity is included at the time of delivery when you sign for it....is this true? Then would you be tipping extra on top of that?

 

No one knows, with certainty, how tips are allocated to the staff. I think it reasonable to assume that the lion's share goes to the folks working in the dining room. Giving $2-3-$5 to the person delivering Room Service is no big deal to me and I do.

[OceanLiner]

Our preference is to tip the cabin stewart and concierge staff in cash at the begining of the cruise. We feel that it lets them know up front that we really appretiate their services and that they make a big difference in our cruise experience.

[Two if by Sea]

I have given the Club HAL counselors a little something at the end of the cruise

 

How much is "a little something" for a 7-day cruise?

 

I am happy to tip well for anyone whose livelihood depends partly on tips. I just wish someone would post a complete list of what exact dollar amount constitutes "tipping well" for everyone on board, and who does or does not expect tips to make up for a tiny salary.

[Stevesan]

How much is "a little something" for a 7-day cruise?

 

I am happy to tip well for anyone whose livelihood depends partly on tips. I just wish someone would post a complete list of what exact dollar amount constitutes "tipping well" for everyone on board, and who does or does not expect tips to make up for a tiny salary.

 

HAL's Hotel Service Charge, aka tipping, relieves you from having to worry about whom to tip and how much. I found this under Planning And Advice:

 

http://www.hollandamerica.com/guests/category.do?category=money&topic=Hotel%20Service%20Charge

 

Hotel Service Charge

Our crew works very hard to make sure that every aspect of your cruise meets the highest standards. This includes those crewmembers who serve you directly, such as dining room wait staff and the stewards who service your stateroom each day. There are also many others who support their efforts whom you may never meet, such as galley and laundry staff. To ensure that the efforts of all of our crewmembers are recognized and rewarded, a Hotel Service Charge of $10 per passenger is automatically added to each guest's shipboard account on a daily basis. If our service exceeds or fails to meet your expectations, you are free to adjust this amount at the end of the cruise. The Hotel Service Charge is paid entirely to Holland America Line crewmembers, and represents an important part of their compensation. A 15% service charge is automatically added to bar charges and dining room wine purchases.

 

In terminals, airports, ports of call and on shore excursions, we suggest that you extend gratuities consistent with customary local practices.

[Two if by Sea]

No, I'm talking about how much to tip everyone who ISN'T covered by their service charge. Club HAL counselors, for instance. EXACTLY how much is considered a good tip for a week? $20? $50? $100?

[hammybee]

How much is "a little something" for a 7-day cruise?

 

I am happy to tip well for anyone whose livelihood depends partly on tips. I just wish someone would post a complete list of what exact dollar amount constitutes "tipping well" for everyone on board, and who does or does not expect tips to make up for a tiny salary.

 

Back when my daughter used to live in Club HAL, we would leave $50-100, dependent upon the length of the cruise. While this is certainly not an outragious amount, it is probably more than most parents leave.

 

I don't think it possible for anyone to define what "tipping well" means. I suspect the majority of cruisers ( not necessarily the frequent posters on this board) go with the flow and do not do much more than leave the service charges intact. Anything above and beyond this, is discretionary and appreciated.

 

The majority of Room Stewards do not drink alcohol and leaving unopened bottles of wine and/or half empty bottles of spirits are of no value to them. The crew is like us, prefer to be compensated in cash, not leftovers or tolken gifts.

[Stevesan]

No, I'm talking about how much to tip everyone who ISN'T covered by their service charge. Club HAL counselors, for instance. EXACTLY how much is considered a good tip for a week? $20? $50? $100?

 

 

$100 minimum!

 

Oops, I missed it - you insist on EXACTLY: $152.39 p/week.

[jtl513]

EXACTLY how much is considered a good tip for a week? $20? $50? $100?

That would depend on how much time your child spends there. I like Hammybee's $50 to $100 range. :)

[Two if by Sea]

Oops, I missed it - you insist on EXACTLY: $152.39 p/week.

 

:D :D

 

I'll have the check prepared.