Tipping observations

[sherin65]

I know tipping topics are beat to death here on the boards and there are plenty of articles every year on the subject, but I just can't help but give my .02.

 

I just returned home from a four night cruise on Celebration with my mom, sister, and it was through a group of about 60-70 total members from my moms YMCA.

 

Mom, sis and I have all been waitresses through various times in our lives and we know how important tips are to employees who rely on them for their living.

 

It amazes me the small amount of suggested tip in the guidelines for cruises that are given, especially for dinner. If I were to go to a nice restaurant and have a four course meal, my portion of tip for that one meal would be around 10-15 dollars depending on the total cost of the bill. The daily tip suggested for servers is about 3.50-4.00 per day. It's kind of sad when you think about it. They work such long hours. I'm sure they often don't feel well, are tired or crabby, and yet put on such a great show to please us. Our assistant waiter told my sister he was disapointed in cruise ship work and wouldn't be returning after his term was up. She asked him and he said his wage was about 70-80 dollars per month. They really do live and depend on their tips.

 

I was also very surprised that most of the cruising public doesn't really know the ins and outs of the business. All of our tablemates thought they made minimum wage plus their tips and had no idea that American labor laws didn't apply to ship staff. We gave our waiter and assistant waiter extra money on the last night at dinner. One of our tablemates actually questioned us on why we were giving more since it would be on our final bill and I explained how I felt on the issue and that it was important to me to give some extra. I also heard two people at the Pursers Desk being very upset that tips were automatically added to their bill (yea, we all should know that shouldn't we?). They wanted the tips removed. Now, I can see wanting to remove the tips if you really wanted to present your staff with cash, however, that was not the vibe I got from the people in front of me in line.

 

I realize sometimes we feel like we're always handing out tips and that it can be a hardship on some cruisers, especially those with kids going along on the trip, but try to remember the small amount it really is for the service you're receiving.

 

I know I'm preaching to the cruisecritic choir with this post but felt the need to reinforce how important tips are to those employees depending on them for their living.

[Kurbanfan]

I know tipping topics are beat to death here on the boards and there are plenty of articles every year on the subject, but I just can't help but give my .02.

 

 

I agree it's been beat to death.........

[kelz66]

I agree it's been beat to death.........

 

Yes, but it's refreshing to see someone who is generous for once start one of these posts...LMAO:p

 

I always give our waiter and assistant waiter extra at the end of the week, because they have always taken care of us and done an outstanding job.:cool:

[Guienevere_Arianette]

Just so I know for sure...if you elect to remove the autotip to tip in person, does the recipient have to pool his/her tip? Or does s/he get to keep the whole thing, as we gave the whole thing to him/her? What I'm saying is, if giving a private tip is only going to cause problems for the recipeint, perhaps I should stick to the autotip...

[Buster27]

I agree with everything you've said as I worked my entire 4 yrs. through college waitressing and tending bar. There are always wonderful people who tip well and those who you work your butt off for and leave you with nothing.

 

But I don't like being made to feel responsible that these cruiseship employees don't make a decent wage. I always leave my tips on and often give extra, but I don't want to feel obligated to see that they earn a decent wage. I don't always believe they make as little as they say.

And whatever they do make, it's obviously better than they can do in their home countries or they wouldn't be on the ship. They are not endentured slaves.

 

I'm sure this won't be the most popular view on the boards.

[kelz66]

Just so I know for sure...if you elect to remove the autotip to tip in person, does the recipient have to pool his/her tip? Or does s/he get to keep the whole thing, as we gave the whole thing to him/her? What I'm saying is, if giving a private tip is only going to cause problems for the recipeint, perhaps I should stick to the autotip...

 

Not sure , but I tip in addition to the autotip, not either or. :cool:

 

But they always seem very happy and appreciative.

[crabby apple]

someone here must know of someone who works on board........I would love to know if they personally can keep it

[lhc2266]

I don't know, but we tipped extra to the people who made our cruise experience special . . . particularly our room steward, and the waiters who attended to us every night of the cruise. I hope they were able to keep the extra money we gave them, since we intended for them to have the extra $$. They really deserved it after all the hard work they did.

[BULLOCH12]

Since the topic of tipping has come up once again, i was wondering, how much extra do most people tip.

[dixiediva761]

We always give extra to our favorites and found if we give it in cash they pocket it, if we write extra on the bar bill etc they must split it, so we hand it to them personally on the side and they appreciate it.

[chandom]

Just so I know for sure...if you elect to remove the autotip to tip in person, does the recipient have to pool his/her tip? Or does s/he get to keep the whole thing, as we gave the whole thing to him/her? What I'm saying is, if giving a private tip is only going to cause problems for the recipeint, perhaps I should stick to the autotip...

 

This is what our waiter said on the Victory cruise in 2006 I was on...

 

If you remove the auto tip and they receive cash they must pool what is received.

If you add to the auto tip they get every thing.

If you give extra in the form of cash and leave the auto tip they get every thing.

[JaneBP]

I prefer a cruise line such as Seabourn that has a 'Crew Welfare Fund'. That way I can contribute to that (routine tipping not expected, it's in the cruise cost). I know that the crew who are cleaning at night, doing the laundry and other less visible work will also benefit.

 

I was told on the Legend there was no such fund.

[dixiediva761]

I prefer a cruise line such as Seabourn that has a 'Crew Welfare Fund'. That way I can contribute to that (routine tipping not expected, it's in the cruise cost). I know that the crew who are cleaning at night, doing the laundry and other less visible work will also benefit.

 

I was told on the Legend there was no such fund.

 

Unfortunately for us we can't afford Seabourn :(

[mark3232]

I was going to comment on the subject but decided that the topic has been beaten to death and will not change the attitudes of the cheapskates of the world anyway.

 

What comes around goes around sooner or later.

[ShillyShally]

I agree with everything you've said as I worked my entire 4 yrs. through college waitressing and tending bar. There are always wonderful people who tip well and those who you work your butt off for and leave you with nothing.

 

But I don't like being made to feel responsible that these cruiseship employees don't make a decent wage. I always leave my tips on and often give extra, but I don't want to feel obligated to see that they earn a decent wage. I don't always believe they make as little as they say.

And whatever they do make, it's obviously better than they can do in their home countries or they wouldn't be on the ship. They are not endentured slaves.

 

I'm sure this won't be the most popular view on the boards.

 

Popular or not, I'm in agreement.

 

I do often tip extra and would not take a tip away unless service was abysmal and nothing was done to rectify it, but I base tipping on service not expectations - on land or at sea, and I always will.

[MrPete]

I know tipping topics are beat to death here on the boards and there are plenty of articles every year on the subject, but I just can't help but give my .02.

 

Your post reminds me of one of my last cruises before auto tipping started, when alternative dining was first offered.

I could NOT believe the sea of empty tables on tip night. And the looks on the helps’ faces when they saw they were to be stiffed after all their hard work. All those creeps were feeding their fat faces upstairs.

It was then I noticed that the “bad element” was moving into the cruising neighborhood. It continues today. Even graffiti and damage is starting to appear on the ships.

I was quite happy when they started offering auto tipping, as I didn’t have to worry about holding aside all that extra cash for the week just to stuff it in an envelope, also making sure I didn’t inadvertently spend it!

[Kurbanfan]

I could NOT believe the sea of empty tables on tip night. And the looks on the helps’ faces when they saw they were to be stiffed after all their hard work. All those creeps were feeding their fat faces upstairs.

 

 

On several of our cruises we chose not to eat in the dining room on the last night. Yes this was before auto tips. You don't have to show up for dinner to tip.

Pure speculation.......

[MrPete]

Pure speculation.......

 

Not at all. We discussed at length with not only the staff, but the maitre d'.

 

Looks like the speculation is on your part. :rolleyes:

[Kurbanfan]

Not at all. We discussed at length with not only the staff, but the maitre d'.

 

Looks like the speculation is on your part. :rolleyes:

 

 

 

I stand by my previous post........pure speculation:rolleyes:

[MrPete]

I stand by my previous post........pure speculation:rolleyes:

 

Stand where you like. I'm sure you weren't on my sailing.

[cuyahoga11]

I personally like the auto tipping. I dont have to run around looking for the guy that made my hamburger and fries I had for lunch, he gets his piece of the pie, Then extra goes to those that I had more personal contact with.

[JaneBP]

Unfortunately for us we can't afford Seabourn :(

 

It took me a while to save up, for sure. When some cruisers add up their totals on disembarkation and find they have spent way too much, it doesn't seem too tough to make the jump. As a single retired traveler, they have some good bargains, believe it or not. But in a previous post I stated that I found many of the qualities on Seabourn were also evident on the Legend. I am referring to the kindnesses and caring of the staff. They were supberb.

 

(And there is the past-passenger discount, the 5% on-board booking savings, and the CCL OBC <G>.)

[sherin65]

Since the topic of tipping has come up once again, i was wondering, how much extra do most people tip.

 

I don't know what most people give but my last cruise was four nights and my mom, sis, and I each gave the room steward, waiter, and assistant waiter $10 on the last night in addition to our auto-tip. I can't remember for sure what we gave for our 7 day cruises, since there were four of us (Dh, me, 2 teenagers), I think we gave an extra 20 for each cabin (2) and $30 to the waiter and assistant waiter.

 

Sher

[lhc2266]

We gave an extra $20 to our cabin steward, an extra $20 to our head waiter, and an extra $10 to our asst. waiter.

[cathyoo]

I personally like the auto tipping. I dont have to run around looking for the guy that made my hamburger and fries I had for lunch, he gets his piece of the pie, Then extra goes to those that I had more personal contact with.

 

I agree 100%.