First tip

[erRN2be]

As alot of you probably know by now that I will be taking my first cruise in April..yeah!!!! :) And the issue of tipping, good service etc. is a topic of alot of the threads around here. I am all for tipping the alotted amount etc. My big question is that there are several people who tip their cabin steward, pool waiter etc. on the first day to encourage good service. My question is how much do you tip them for the first time??? I don't want to look stupid by way under tipping them and looking like a complete jerk and I don't even know where to begin $2, $5,....$20 etc.

 

Thanks fellow cruisers... :)

[pungo3]

You will get lots of different replies to this question. Everyone is different. I like to give my room steward $5 to start with. If they go out of their way to be helpful, I'll give them more $5s during the week. I always leave the standard tips on my S&S but I like to give extra tips throughout the cruise. The most I've ever given at one time was a $20 to our server at dinner when he went way beyond what I expected to provide something not readily available.

[soon2bcruising]

I tipped our cabin steward $10 the first time I met him and $10 the day we left. Plus we left all tips on sign and sail. I don't know if it was enough, sounds like people really tip high, but this seemed o.k. Also left $10 for waiters, $10 for Maitre'd and gave 2 waiters who served us a lunch and breakfast and were excellent each $5. We had other wait persons for breakfast who were not anything special, didn't give them a tip. Like open seating night, it was like they knew you weren't tipping, so nothing special, but if they had been extra nice, we would have tipped them. We don't drink alot, and never tipped extra over the tip that was auto added to our drink price.

[steveaaaa]

Nothing extra! Do you tip the guy who changes the oil in your car? Why tip extra for doing your job. When you go to a restuarant,do you tip the waiter in advance? No,so why do it here. What extra service do you think you will get up and above his normal job?If you have read the other threads, most advance tippers have gotton worse service.Tipping should be included in the cruise fare.

Steve

[ozcaz]

Coming from a country that doesnt do the whole tipping thing would it not be easier and less confusing to just charge everyone an extra $50 dollars on the price of the cruise. Staff then get paid a decent wage! It just seems so easy to me instead of who should I tip, how much, should I give them a good tip to start off with. I understand wages of the very people you tip are lousy and tipping supposedly means you get good service but does this always happen. This is not meant to be offensive but I just dont get it!! It could be so easy!

 

Caz

[GoinCruisin]

The tips on the S&S represent approx. 10% of your cruise. If the average gratuity is 15-20%, there is nothing wrong with tipping additional for great service and there is nothing wrong with tipping upfront. No comparison with jobs that are done here in the US because US employees wages are protected by minimum wage (or in the service industry, a min wage + grats)... It is very rare that I have heard people that tipped extra and had horrible service, very rare... definitely not the norm.

[ozcaz]

Goincrusin,

 

My post is just one of curiosity more than anything. My neighbour who is going on QM2 before we go on Trumiph where talking about the whole tipping thing only tonight!

 

Why do you tip up front? The person may be absolutely awful and you have wasted your money!

 

What else do employers of waitstaff and those who get tips have to pay out for there employees! We have found the price of food to be comparable to what we pay at home but no tip. Our employers pay much higher wages and also superannuation which I think is like your 401K.

This really is just my curiosity as I have been reading about this issue on hear for months. Yes I will tip as per what is done. When in another country do as they do and be respectful of this!

 

Just being nosey.

 

Caz

[erRN2be]

I am from the US and this tipping on the cruise thing is still very confusing. I understand the typical tipping. I know that everyone has their own opinion on this tipping thing, but I gain soooo much insight into things from this board and everyone's ideas of the "best" way to cruise. I enjoy everyone's input and appreciate them taking the time to answer my questions. I sometimes think that maybe it's the luck of the draw if you get good service or not whether you tip or not. I am going with my grandmother also (she is in a seperate room with one of my son's) and I know she will not tip extra (she is having hard enough time tipping the alotted amount :) )

 

I didn't mean to stir up feelings on this subject, just didn't want to look totally stupid if I hand the cabin steward a $5...etc.

 

Thanks again for all of your ideas

 

Chelle

[Bunkie103]

We did not tip in advance. As the week progressed my DH did feel we needed to tip extra to reflect the extraordinary service we received. We had asked for nothing special, but the entire service team went out of their way to provide anything they thought we may have needed. So, on the last night we did have an envelope with $$ for our cabin steward, waiter and assistant waiter.

 

On a CTN in June with my DD I was prepared to tip extra also, but felt the crew did not go out of their way. The waiter never introduced himself, we never met out cabin steward, etc. They put forth the attitude of "we know you are only here for 2 nights and we know you won't tip extra" so I went along with that. I must admit I felt a little "funny" not adding tips, but the attitude was a little disconcerting. :confused:

[ozcaz]

Chelle,

 

I agree with the great info we all get on here. I would never have realised we still have a few little tips to pay for even though we have prepaid our gratuities. Like room service and camp carnival. So for me its great.

 

My post was one like I said for curiosity and nothing more.

 

Hope you have a great time!

 

Caz

[hstrybuf]

We don't normally tip at the beginning of a cruise, but we did on the Legend as we had asked our steward to get us a lounge chair for our balcony. He was great the whole trip!

[karenh1127]

Question......When I booked the cruise I did not have the standard tip added to our booking. Is it too late to have it added to our S&S? Will they do that when I board? Also, how much extra do you tip camp carnival counselors?

[steveaaaa]

The tips on the S&S represent approx. 10% of your cruise. If the average gratuity is 15-20%, there is nothing wrong with tipping additional for great service and there is nothing wrong with tipping upfront. No comparison with jobs that are done here in the US because US employees wages are protected by minimum wage (or in the service industry, a min wage + grats)... It is very rare that I have heard people that tipped extra and had horrible service, very rare... definitely not the norm.

 

The tips on my S&S represent about 15% of my cruise fare, but I don't see how this factors in. When I book a room at a Holiday inn I paid for the room just like the cruise. When I eat at a restuarant I tip per the cost of the meal I don't get the math that CCL is using here and I wish it would be explained mathematically to me.

Based on my tipping to the dining room staff at $5.50 p/p/p/d from CCLs printed material in my case that would be $22 per day (4 of us) X 7 days =$154

So Where I live, that would mean I would have ordered $1000++ worth of food in a restuarant.There is no way that the food on board is/was worth $1000. Even the Prime rib is just OK and where I live,that would be a $9.99 per person special for that type and cut of meat including desert.The lunches are also nothing more than Old country buffet/Denny's food and the breakfast is comparable to a $2.99 special here.

Steve

[Cotton]

Karen, the first entry on your S&S account will be the automatic tips, so don't worry -(most folks don't 'prepay' tips when paying for their cruise), and it will show up on your account.

 

RN - I don't tip my cabin steward the first day. (I have, in the past, taken a 'goody bag', but have decided against it on my next cruise.) I usually leave $5 on a sticky on the mirror the second day, and $1 each day thereafter - just as a little 'happy'...and of course, I leave all automatic tips in place.

(Go back to Ports-of-Call forum - you have answers.):)

[GoinCruisin]

The tips on my last cruise were 10% , and actually about 8% of my upcoming cruise, 10% on the next. A cruise is far different from the Holiday Inn... You are not just tipping one person... and these employees are NOT the same as employees in the US. They work very hard to make our cruises special, for a little more than $1 a day in wages. They rely solely on our tips. Aside from that, you are talking a family of 4, eating 3+ meals per day... I'm not sure where you can get a 5 course dinner for $9.99 served in that kind of atmosphere... If you go on a land vacation, most people will spend far more than $1000 if you eat only 3 meals a day for a family of four (FTLOG, most hotels charge $15-$30 these days for a standard buffet!!!!). Not to mention all the extras. I don't think any breakfast in our area costs $2.99, let alone a resort... I don't know a single Denny's that serves a 3-4 course meal that includes some of the delights served in the dining room. Once again, I certainly don't feel like I have to defend WHY I tip... I tip, I tip well... always have, always will.

[karenh1127]

Well said Goincruisin! I tip and I generally tip well. We just went to a steakhouse 2 days ago in Houston and the food and service were excellant!! I tipped 20%. In our area, the standard tip has gone from 15% to 18% but if service is great I tip about 20%. When I booked our cruise, I could add on the tips and it was like $200. I chose not to but I think I will have it added when I board. Our original booking was $2200 so that is about 10% but I have since upgraded to a suite which makes our cost $3400. I dont know what the tip will be now.

[NJsharon]

When cruising with HAL we tipped our cabin steward $20 the first day, he was then wonderful the whole week & I think we gave him $30 on the last day. Did not give our waiter or Maitre'D any extra tips as they were not very friendly & didn't go out of their way for us.

 

This time on Carnival we tipped our cabin steward $20 up front, then $20 on the last day. He was good at his job, but not overly friendly or outstanding, just good, so seemed a fair tip. Our waitress/waiter duo we did not tip up front, but they were amazing, so we gave them both a little hand written card on the last evening with $25 inside for each of them. No other extra tips were given out except for the baggage guy at the pier ($1 a bag).

 

~Sharon~

[PINEVIEW01]

Tipping should be included in the cruise fare. Steve

 

I've always said this. If you "need" a manditory fee, include it in the up front price. Than the lines should pay their employees. Only than would a tip truely be a tip for service above duty as a tip is suppose to be. this is my first and last post on the every going tip debate:)

[NewCruzer1]

Bottom line for me is, if the service is ordinary, we'll just leave the S&S tips on our account, as is. If we get extraordinary service from any individual, we'll make an appreciative gesture accordingly, but only afterward. I'm willing to reward -- but not willing to assume -- good service.

[Zeta3]

Last year on the Paradise we had a Cat 12 and gave the steard a tip on Day 1. It was absolutely the worst cabin service we have ever had. I don't know if it was coincidence and he would have been terrible anyway but I won't pre-tip again. I have no problems adding at the end to reflect great service and always give glowing comments on the comment cards for the staff that deserve it.

[erRN2be]

Thanks Cotton for letting me know that I had answers..

 

Sorry to stir up such a debate..I just was curious and thank all of you for your replies and input. Each is to their own way of doing things as I am sure that I will be. I just wanted to be prepared, fair and have the time of my life on this cruise (which I will do :) ). I'm just one of those horrible people that make lists for lists and enjoy being prepared for just about anything.

[GoinCruisin]

Don't you worry... you will have a great time. You tip as YOU want to... we should be able to come here and express how we like to do things and our opinions, but sometimes people feel the need to try to tell others that "their" way is the only way :rolleyes:

 

Enjoy yourself! You will have a blast!!!!!!

[VentureMan_2000]

I suppose if the up-front tip was $10 or $20 bucks, and the service turned out to be average at best, you could go to the purser, complain, and have that much deducted from the S&S for the cabin steward.

[soon2bcruising]

I tipped the room steward up front because that is what I had read on these boards. Maybe he would have been great anyway, and it's not like I gave him a huge amt. of $$$ anyway, just $10 the first day. I asked for extra robes and towels. He was a great room steward, I guess, it was our first cruise. But we saw him all the time working hard, he was always friendly and smiling and had something nice to say. We always complimented him on his towel animals, he told us he could make over 30 animals. He had such a huge load of towels after the 1st port stop, and my guess was he had to wash them and return them to everyone. Our room was always clean and nicely made up after dinner, so I felt he deserved more than the standard tip.