Tipping question???

[cruisingcouple07]

Hi Everyone,

My boyfriend and I are cruising in three weeks and we are in an SA suite. We are thinking of doing room service into our cabin a few nights to enjoy our verandha view. What is the appropriate amount to tip for delivery of our dinner?. What about when having your laundry returned to you?

Thanks for your help on a touchy subject:confused:

[hammybee]

There is no such thing as "appropriate".

 

$2-5 seems to be what most posters report for Room Service tipping, depending upon what is ordered. Others choose not to tip, and believe that the service is included in the auto tip.And a few go well beyond, especially for more elaborate presentations.

 

I have not tipped for laundry as it is returned to the cabin, usually during my absense. I believe the Room Steward does the laundry and that's who I take care of, at the end of the cruise.

[sail7seas]

Most of the time, our Steward returns our laundry/dry cleaning and we tip him by envelope at the end of the cruise. We always leave the automatic tips in place but feel that our cabin/dining stewards (as well as some others) deserve more thanks, especially seeing we are in an "S".

 

We tip for Room Service at the time it is delivered. While we almost always have the same Room Service Steward that doesn't always happen and if you don't tip when he is there, you may not see him again. We definitely would tip a minimum of $5 for dinner. I'm not sure what DH gave the steward the few times we had Room Service dinner but I am very sure it was at least that much.

 

We have Room Service breakfast almost every morning and that is one of my big vacation treats.

 

 

[ekerr19]

We tip our cabin steward extra cash at the end of the voyage, we also tip both concierge staff members, we tip $5 for breakfast for two and a bit more for a dinner set up - usually $10.

 

Tipping is highly personal - but one thing I recommend in SA - your cabin steward will come introduce himself right away - chances are your cabin will be ready by noon - we tell him how many bags we have and slip him a $20 - $30 (depending on how many!) our bags are always delivered immediately. :)

[cruisingcouple07]

Hi there,

That is great info. I didn't know that laundry is returned automatically and yes it does make sense to tip more to our room steward who takes care of our suite. I really appreciate all of your help with this!! Thank you so much!, I look forward to reading other posts too.

[sail7seas]

Ask away with any questions you may have. Someone here is sure to be able to help.

 

You're going to love your "SA". They are wonderful cabins.

 

[Cause_I_Like_Cruising]

We tip our cabin steward extra cash at the end of the voyage, we also tip both concierge staff members, we tip $5 for breakfast for two and a bit more for a dinner set up - usually $10.

 

Tipping is highly personal - but one thing I recommend in SA - your cabin steward will come introduce himself right away - chances are your cabin will be ready by noon - we tell him how many bags we have and slip him a $20 - $30 (depending on how many!) our bags are always delivered immediately. :)

 

 

i agree with ekerr19's breakfast and dinner tipping suggestions, especially in SA.

i never thought to give the cabin steward $20/$30 to bring the bags more swiftly to the cabin. Great tip, which i will use shortly.

[sail7seas]

Just to give another opinion.....Neither is right or wrong, just a different way of seeing it.

 

We are always in an "SA" and have never given our steward any tips until the end of our cruises and have always have great, wonderful, excellent service.

 

When the steward comes in and introduces himself, he always asks how many bags. We always tell him and mention that we'd love to be able to unpack before Life Boat Drill and I can't remember a cruise when we weren't finished or almost done when we went to drill. (We always board the ship on the earlier side.)

 

Your choice which way you prefer.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We also always stay in an SA suite.

We do not believe in tipping in advance. We do keep all auto tips in place. At the end of the cruise we do tip extra to those individuals who made our cruise an enjoyable one.

On our last number of cruises, we have not met our cabin steward until around 2:30. We always tell him how many suitcases we have have. But unfortunately we have not been getting ours until around life boat drill or after life boat drill. Which means we are still unpacking as we are getting ready for dinner. A couple of times we have had to finish unpacking after dinner (5:45 dinner time).

[Two if by Sea]

I'm not sure I understand the issue of telling them how many bags. Does this mean you can't bring your luggage onboard with you? Or is it just if it's too heavy for you. We have to fly to the point of embarkation so we won't be carrying more than we can manage.

[jhannah]

Whatever luggage you carry on has to fit through the luggage x-ray machines. They are similar to those at the airport that screen your carryons. So large pieces of luggage will need to be left with the steveadores at the entrance to the terminal for x-ray (in larger machines) and delivery to your cabin. Since you will be able to board up to two hours before your cabin is ready, you won't want to schlep all your stuff with you as you lunch in the Lido buffet and stroll around the ship.

[ekerr19]

I don't consider it pre-tipping, actually. Two of my bags on the last cruise were over 50 lbs - and quite heavy.

 

Even when DH & I cruise alone, we have four heavy bags.

 

It's a way of thanking him for handling them for us. Sometimes he has already brought one of them before I give him some cash - sometimes not.

 

We also tip porters and cab drivers very well, as they often handle our luggage for us. :)

 

I agree you do not need to do this in order to get great service on HAL.

 

Though I also like having everything unpacked and put away by lifeboat drill, which always happens for us.

[grsnovi]

I always mavel at how varied individuals approach tipping. I agree that tipping is certainly a personal issue and it is made somewhat ambiguous by the "tip included in the price" policy. That said, I think that I'm generally a generous tipper when service is good and I think this is due to having done time as both a "bus boy" and waiter when I was in my teens/early twenties. When you have done your time, you see all sorts: some are big spenders and some are cheapskates.

 

I tipped our room steward several times during our week on Oosterdam and tipped $5 for breakfast room service the morning we had that. I also tipped the wait staff in the PG. I did not leave an explicit (extra) tip for our dining room waiter, nor did I ever tip our wine server.

[FR926]

I bring the Gold Dollar coins to tip the people at the pier and Clean $1 & $5 for tipping onboard. I IMO it helps to pretip the Cabin Steward and if you are looking for a change in seating to have a $20 handshake ready for the Maitre'd.

[Sundagger]

I bring the Gold Dollar coins to tip the people at the pier and Clean $1 & $5 for tipping onboard. I IMO it helps to pretip the Cabin Steward and if you are looking for a change in seating to have a $20 handshake ready for the Maitre'd (sic).

 

On my 4 previous HAL cruises, I have always requested and received dinner seating changes *without* handing anything to the Dining Room Manager (not called Maitre d' on HAL). I always "post-tip" everyone else - I can't think of anything that I have ever requested that hasn't been cheerfully rendered.

[Sundagger]

I always mavel at how varied individuals approach tipping. I agree that tipping is certainly a personal issue and it is made somewhat ambiguous by the "tip included in the price" policy.

 

Tip included? Is this new since April? There is nothing on the HAL website about this. The Hotel Service Charge is not included - it is assessed to your onboard account daily.

[Cruising-along]

On my 4 previous HAL cruises, I have always requested and received dinner seating changes *without* handing anything to the Dining Room Manager (not called Maitre d' on HAL). I always "post-tip" everyone else - I can't think of anything that I have ever requested that hasn't been cheerfully rendered.

 

Same with us, Sundagger. On our 4 previous cruises I think there were 3 times we asked for a change in dinner seating, and everytime the request was cheerfully granted. -- I also didn't see anyone else tipping the dining room manager, and would have seen it since we had to stand in line and wait our turn to speak to him. :)

[NoNoNanette]

On all of the lines we've been on, Dom slips our room steward $20 with a request to keep us in ice for the duration. I leave a couple of bucks on the pillow each morning for him, as well as leave the auto-tip in place.

 

On the Volendam last year, we had dinner delivered to our room each night. We had the same delightful waiter, and he knew to expect a $5 tip every night.

 

Had the same breakfast (or sometimes just coffee) guy deliver in the morning. We'd give him $2 for coffee and $3 or $4 if we ordered any extras.

 

I like to tip! I like to make people happy. :) When I think of the money that I blow on martinis in the Crows Nest, goofy t-shirts, craps tables, etc..... it just seems wrong NOT to tip.

 

**edited to say that I'm delighted that this thread hasn't started accusations of "bribery" as some tip threads have. Dave was a big one for that, alas he no longer posts here**

[Sundagger]

Same with us, Sundagger. On our 4 previous cruises I think there were 3 times we asked for a change in dinner seating, and everytime the request was cheerfully granted. -- I also didn't see anyone else tipping the dining room manager, and would have seen it since we had to stand in line and wait our turn to speak to him. :)

 

Yes, I wouldn't want anyone reading this thread to believe that a "$20 handshake" is needed to have the (usually Asst.) DRM satisfy change requests.

[Sundagger]

On all of the lines we've been on, Dom slips our room steward $20 with a request to keep us in ice for the duration. I leave a couple of bucks on the pillow each morning for him, as well as leave the auto-tip in place.

 

On the Volendam last year, we had dinner delivered to our room each night. We had the same delightful waiter, and he knew to expect a $5 tip every night.

 

Had the same breakfast (or sometimes just coffee) guy deliver in the morning. We'd give him $2 for coffee and $3 or $4 if we ordered any extras.

 

I like to tip! I like to make people happy. :) When I think of the money that I blow on martinis in the Crows Nest, goofy t-shirts, craps tables, etc..... it just seems wrong NOT to tip.

 

**edited to say that I'm delighted that this thread hasn't started accusations of "bribery" as some tip threads have. Dave was a big one for that, alas he no longer posts here**

 

I think most people would tip the room service staff every time they provide the service. Regarding ice - I can't think what the cabin steward could do more than fill the ice bucket 2 or 3 times a day as has been my experience with post-tipping. That should be one of the steward's basic functions.

 

You may like to tip the way you do, but people looking for guidance on the topic should know what the typical HAL cruiser tends to do. I wouldn't consider what you do to be a b----, but FR926's deal with the DRM table assignments would be very close.

[NoNoNanette]

I think most people would tip the room service staff every time they provide the service. Regarding ice - I can't think what the cabin steward could do more than fill the ice bucket 2 or 3 times a day as has been my experience with post-tipping. That should be one of the steward's basic functions.

 

You may like to tip the way you do, but people looking for guidance on the topic should know what the typical HAL cruiser tends to do. I wouldn't consider what you do to be a b----, but FR926's deal with the DRM table assignments would be very close.

 

RE: Ice.... we keep a collapsible cooler in our room. We like it filled with ice for beer, champagne, mixed drinks and wine. The little wine buckets or beer baskets don't cut it with us. It's worth the $20 to receive a warm smile and cold ice! ;)

 

(We're booked, once again, in a mini-suite, BB.... so it's not a matter of our cabin, just our habit) :)

 

RE: DRM tip.... I'm guilty of tipping in Vegas and Chicago for better seating for comedy shows. No big deal. If it's worth the extra money to you, do so. Sure it's a bribe. But, I don't see it as being "negative" the way some folks use the terminology.

[sail7seas]

Posted by Sundagger:

......You may like to tip the way you do, but people looking for guidance on the topic should know what the typical HAL cruiser tends to do.

 

How does anyone actually KNOW what the 'typical' HAL cruiser does in regard to tipping? Does anyone know what the typical HAL cruiser is?

 

By asking them?

By judging from what people post here?

From asking Crew?

 

IMO, the best is to decide what YOU want to do in regard to tipping and do it.

 

This is a subject that is never resolved on this board because no one really fully knows what anyone else tips and most of us don't choose to say on a public forum.

 

Most of us wouldn't say because we are sure there will be some who will say we are throwing money around ridicuously or others will call us tightwads! :eek:

[ekerr19]

While I don't think I've never tipped the Dining Room Manager (recently known as the Maitre 'd), there are many folks from whom this is a customary practice - maybe not on a ship; but in some nicer, trendier establishments this is the only way to get a table, period.

 

I've worked with a lot of men who do this all the time.

 

People choose to spend their money in different ways. As Sail points out, there is no "typical" standard, in my opinion. :)

[grsnovi]

Tip included? The Hotel Service Charge is not included - it is assessed to your onboard account daily.

 

OK, that is what I meant - and unless I raise a rukus, the fact that there is a charge added daily to my OBA is essentially the same. They are saying that: "we're going to add thic to your bill and you're just going to pay it when you settle up when you leave"

 

As to what the OP was looking for - I assumed the opinions and comments of others. As I said, I think the fact that there is a daily charge makes the subsequent issue of "do I tip this person right now" somewhat ambiguous. We all "tip" differently and depending on how we may be feeling at the moment. If we had a good meal or great service (or just like to tip because it makes us feel better) that's fine. It's not like we're expecting the OP to come back and report on their week's worth of tipping... ;-)

[LegalSailor]

I'm with NoNoNanette on this one - I like to tip, and do so throughout each cruise. I ascribe to the belief that those in the service industry perform their tasks better if you treat them well. Whether its a waitress at a restaurant, a maid in a hotel, a bartender at your favorite watering hole, etc - I always seem to get better service when I leave a tip, especially on repeat trips.

When we cruise, DW and I like to tip in accordance to how much of a help the cabin steward has been BEYOND what we expect from HAL cabin stewards. Typically this amounts to around $50 at the end of a cruise, because frankly the DW is a tad on the high maintainance side on cruises, and the service is always impeccible. The one time we had a rude cabin steward we did not leave a tip, but rather a complaint, and we got $100 shipboard credit from HAL for our next cruise.

I like to use the same bartender throughout each cruise, and tip in accordance to my bar bill at the end of the cruise. Typically I go in the range of 5% of my final bill - most are around $400, so the tip goes at $20.

But as far as those who you see only once or twice, if you're going to tip - tip then. You may never see the dock porter, cab driver, or deck steward who brings you that Margarita again. I like to stay in the range of $2 per bag, $5 for the cabbie to take us from Lauderdale to the terminal, and $1 for each drink I get on deck.

I don't know how many trips I'll take around the sun, but I sure know I can't take the money with me when I die!