Tipping suggested vs actual

[janjay]

Tipping 5X the suggested amount is past generous. It's obscene. I would think twice before taking advice from someone who can't spell maitre d' and thinks that Morton's is an upscale restaurant.

 

 

The discussion is about tipping! Can't an opinion be given here without getting personal?!? Why on earth it matters to you what someone else tips and why is so beyone me!

 

Tipping in advance insures good service. Tipping at the end rewards it. How much and when is a personal choice.

[tlmlb]

I would stick pretty close to the suggested amount. When you overtip or undertip, as the provided service would dictate, go with what you feel is appropriate. Tipping 5X the suggested amount is past generous. It's obscene. I would think twice before taking advice from someone who can't spell maitre d' and thinks that Morton's is an upscale restaurant.

 

do you really think the suggested amounts are fair and adequate?? i think the suggested amounts are obscenely low... 3.50 + 2.00 + 1.00 for the dining room for three meals?? that's a little more than 2 dollars per meal...that's cheapskates in my book. For the week, at least $100 for the waiter, $60 for the busboy; $20 for the maitre d' ... $100 for the steward, 60 for their assistant and 20 for the head housekeeper. That's $360 for the week; a little over $50 per day, big deal! I would also tip additional for special considerations or services. Favorite bartender, excursions etc. if you can't afford it, don't go! btw, don't think for a minute if you stiff the maitre d' or headhousekeeper that they don't get theirs...

 

Don't you think if you make it worthwhile you will get better service this time and the next?? don't you think employee retention counts for anything? good tips equals good income will insure that experienced people will stay. Most people just don't get it that everyone has to make theirs! The fact that some service staff come from poor countries should have nothing to do what should be a fair tip.

[Tuna]

Retention worries the cruiselines about as much as running out of ocean to sail in. And of course it should matter where the employees are from. If an employee is willing to work for X dollars, why would any employer pay him/her 2X, 5X, or 10X more than that, whether he/she be American or otherwise? They are not Americans, and they do not work for an American company. To think that they deserve to be brought up to the American standard of living is condescension to a certain degree. If they "deserved" it, they would be paid it. Leave the guilt at home when you cruise. Almost every single employee on the ship is a hard worker who is happy with the amount of money he/she makes.

[cruising with marti]

I just love these tipping threads, its always the same, " I will always tip the recomended amount or will tip more if the sevice is excellent or I tip extravegently too ensure over the top service or the best one, I don't tip at all.

 

the original poster asked the question, " is the ships reccomendation acceptable?" The plain answer Is yes. why do some of us feel the need to to go on at length about how much they tip or don't tip? Frankly who gives a crap.

 

but hey, having said all of the above, keep the tipping comments comming, they are always good for a chuckle or two:D

 

 

phil

[smudge's mom]

I agree it's no one's business what someone chooses to tip - but people here are freely telling what they tip and so people are free to comment about whether they think they are being generous or "obscene." However, no one has the right to be nasty about their comments. Jeez.

 

I think a lot of people do feel "guilty" about tipping so little because to us it seems a paltry sum. But, in reality, the cost of living in most workers' home cities is not the same as it is for us. If the workers' cost of living is lower - obviously the amount of money they need to live comfortably is lower. Thus, the workers may well be happy with their compensation.

 

However, if one is tipping to be remembered on their next cruise, that point is meaningless for those of us who drift from cruise line to cruise line and ship to ship.

 

But keep those nice bonus tips coming. I am sure the staff appreciates the wonderful generosity. :D :D

[hajekfam]

Thanks Smudge-

That was what I was trying to point out when doing the figures in a previous post. A waiter with two tables of 8 for each of the two seatings will make over $40,000 a year if every person tips just the recommended. Now that i a large some of money in a lot of countries. It is a large sum of money- even here in the US it well above minimum wage. And unlike waiters here who usually have to share their tips with others (bartenders, busboys, etc.) on the ship, they receive the whole tip.

I'm not saying don't tip more than the guideline, but don't feel that you have to tip over and above. We determine how much we can comfortably go over the guideline and then we determine who, if any, deserve more than recommended. On Celebrity, we usually go above on most - however, we had a few waiters or room stewards that we just gave the minimum to as we did not get service up to Celebrity's standards (as well as negative comments about the employee in the comment card).

Besides tipping a server who goes over and above - be sure to write about the outstanding service mentioning you server by name in your comment card. This is how they receive promotions.

[wieslaw]

Quote from web site about Cruise jobs:

"Dining Room Waiter (serving passengers, explain the dishes, make recommendations, supervise assistant waiters assigned to their tables) - lots of experience and fluent English Language skills required. Salary range: $2200-3800 U.S. per month, depending on gratuities from passengers. Possibilities for promotion to Dining Room Head Waiter."

 

About 32 tip paying guests times $3.50 p/p per day is $112.00 (daily) times 30 days is $3360 per month .... so the advertised job is given the correct range of salary.

 

Tuna and Phil, what is wrong with you ? Don't you see that what the cruise line is suggesting is way too low......... even in the 'good and rich USA' most waiters, farm workers, small manufacturing workers (who pay taxes and have many every day expenses) make about half of what the waiters on the ship gets.

Too bad nobody tips or feel sory for the poor suckers who make our country 'rich' and work in many cases so much harder than a lot of people on the ship.

 

Wes

[raudacruise]

Lets get real. These guys work 7 days/week and about 12 hours a day. They do get room and board but don't get paid vacations. Most of them do 9 months on 1 month off just to go home to see their families. Also no unemployment/social security/401K benefits.

 

Compare that to a waiter/waitress at a fancy restarant. Usually has a base salary and tips that would cover 2 days for waiter/asst waiter/steward every night. And probably only works 30 hours, 5-6 days per week and gets to go home. Probably gets at least one meal a day. May not get paid for time off but can use the time for a real vacation.

[tlmlb]

Retention worries the cruiselines about as much as running out of ocean to sail in. And of course it should matter where the employees are from. If an employee is willing to work for X dollars, why would any employer pay him/her 2X, 5X, or 10X more than that, whether he/she be American or otherwise? They are not Americans, and they do not work for an American company. To think that they deserve to be brought up to the American standard of living is condescension to a certain degree. If they "deserved" it, they would be paid it. Leave the guilt at home when you cruise. Almost every single employee on the ship is a hard worker who is happy with the amount of money he/she makes.

 

This type of thinking is the basis of outsourcing; how would you feel if your job was outsourced; what do you think about equal pay for equal work? No guilt here (although raised Catholic :)), just appreciation without exploitation. Everyone deserves the highest standard of living.

 

Retention is a concern for any ongoing enterprise. Why do you think that ships rely on chandlers for staffing?

[wieslaw]

What is real: that majority of the waiters, asst. waiters, stewards....are from countries that they would be lucky if they made 5,6 or maybe 8,000.00 dollars in a year working a lot more than 12 hours a day....with no benefits whatsoever. Working on the ship as a waiter in A/C room is not that hard...hardest thing is to bring the tray....I have done that in school and is not that bad. The money is really good and they keep renewing the contract untill they saved to buy some bussiness in their own country.....everything is provided for them ......it is not a slave labor......many would love to get their jobs......they deserve the tip, that is their pay and their obligation is to provide good service. Do not feel sorry for them. Think of the people that make your 'expensive clothes' or whatever in India or other 'poor' countries and compare what they do and what money they get for the a lot more than 12 hours a day.

Now about the USA, I have seen factories where people work in sometimes 110 deg F , where is very noisy and they got something to do just about every moment of their day, they spent there 9 or more hours plus the time to get there and to get home, they get maybe 25,000.00 per year.....they will pay taxes, social security, pay for car, gas, insurance, housing and when they get home more work is waiting (cooking, washing, kids, whatever).

And no one 'tips' them or feel sorry for them.

BTW .... I just looked at the US national average for waiters in 2000 and it was listed around 16,000.00 per year.

So, yes lets get real.

Wes

[tlmlb]

BTW .... I just looked at the US national average for waiters in 2000 and it was listed around 16,000.00 per year.

So, yes lets get real.

Wes

 

I am sure those are gov't stats (what the waiters report :))....

 

I can't directly do anything for folks who make clothes etc., but i can help those i meet, like the wonderful folks who make traveling a joy!

 

get real; spread the wealth!

[brigittetom]

I don't think it's fair to comment on the spelling of Maitre d'. It's misspelled all over the board. My husband pointed it out to me tonight. I had the ' in the wrong place. Many say dinningroom. Many say dinning. So what?

 

I have read all of this before and still maintain my simple belief. We live in a smaller town in the mountains of NC. Our cost of living is obviously far lower than LA, NY, Chicago or any other large city. So is the pay scale by a long shot.

 

Yes, I am one of those that believe these wonderful servers are happy to be sending money home to family, have a job that enables them to work hard and eventually have a better life at home when they decide to quit.

 

I hired a Romainian waiter from Princess for DR Mgr. He met his bride on a cruise. Long story short, he left his wife and their two sons two months after he got his greencard. I used to cruise single and got hit on constantly by the staff to the point where it was offensive and that includes cabin stewards. I'm sure there are many single women who welcome these advances but my daughter on our wedding cruise did not. Again, it became offensive.

 

I agree that our servers should be very well compensated for their wonderful service but please stop thinking that the staff works 24/7 for 9 months with nothing to do but look at their loved ones picture before they go to bed. Hopefully some do but trust me, most don't. Haven't you ever walked back tward the ship behind a crew that obviously had a good time in port??

 

Good for them that the cruiselines are now providing more staff recreation. I'm guessing that they've realized that the staff is going to find recreation one way or another so it is in their best interest to provide it. Including Email. Did anyone really think that the cruiselines have decided to provide bars, pooltables, and a big screen TV for the staff because they thought it would be a nice touch?

 

If you have only traveled as a couple, trust me, you don't don't know what goes on.

 

I'm still in agreement. Always tip well. :D

[CGTNORMANDIE]

AMAZING...every one talks about how much the waiters and stewards make but no one talks about the times when the waiters and stewards are stiffed!!! That's right...not everyone bothers to tip at the end of a cruise and this fact is seldom discussed on "The Tipping Threads". The situation has gotten to the point where some of the lines are going to demand the minimum be charged to your onboard account. They are trying to do it in a nice way but the problem still occurs. I am not talking about bad service either...I am talking about pax who have no guilt about allowing waiters and stewards to wait on them and then walk off the ship without tipping. This, to me, is the height of hypocrisy and it happens more than you know.

 

I believe the minimum reccommended tip is a good guideline for those who are inclined to leave little or nothing. The rest of us believe in rewarding good service accordingly which makes up, in some ways, for the egotisitical self-centered pax who don't tip.

 

ROSS

[janjay]

"Don't you see that what the cruise line is suggesting is way too low......... even in the 'good and rich USA' most waiters, farm workers, small manufacturing workers (who pay taxes and have many every day expenses) make about half of what the waiters on the ship gets.

Too bad nobody tips or feel sory for the poor suckers who make our country 'rich' and work in many cases so much harder than a lot of people on the ship.:"

 

Wes

 

I truly believe this is comparing "apples" and "onions." Different industry. And don't forget there are many Americans working on cruiselines.

 

As to the 2000 national Stats...my daughter works in a "tipping" industry and they do not include the tips in the national statistics, that would be the base salary "before" tips.

 

Dominican baseball players don't make the same in their country as in the good ol' US either! Check those stats!

[idssms]

Talk to your waiter next time at sea...

 

He will tell you of many experiences he has had where cruisers dont come to dinner on the last night (they get room service) and screw the waiter out of a weeks wages.

 

So, there is no calculation that can be done on this board that will convince me they make big bucks.

 

Ask them what they pay to get onto the internet per min. They pay for entertainment,, they send money home to their families and they do need to wash clothes.

 

I think the standard tip suggestion rate is pathetic... I think it has been $3.50 per person per day for the waiter and stateroom attendant for the last 20 years. My 7 day cruises used to run $300 per week in the early 80s and I was tipping $3.50 each per day. Now I am paying 20 times that much for a suite and I should still give $3.50 per day!!!

 

PHIL, Buddy, Pal, fellow transatlantic cruiser --- Get real man...

 

Don

[cruising with marti]

Donald, I sure don't remember telling you or any one else how much I tip or don't tip.

 

I may very well tip over the recomendations of the cruise lines, however i don't have the need for my ego to give specific amounts on this public forum. and i sure as hell do not expect to recieve special treatment on my next cruise by over tipping (and niether should you)

 

but hey, you are still my pal:D

 

 

 

phil

[Sky Sweet]

A few years ago, I went to a spa in the Berkshires for a long weekend with a friend. We were told that all tips were built into the package price that we paid, and no one was expected to tip extra. Ironically, I don't even know what portion of my bill was allocated for tips. Their rationale is that people spend so much time agonizing over what tip is appropriate that it defeats the fact that a spa is a place to relax. Maybe cruise lines should have a similar policy.

[hajekfam]

 

I truly believe this is comparing "apples" and "onions." Different industry. And don't forget there are many Americans working on cruiselines.

Most American working on cruiselines are working in a salaried position.

I remember talking to one maitre d' on a Celebrity ship about the waiters. He told us of the American that was hired as waitstaff. He lasted until the first port when he quit - citing too much work.

Tipping is a very personal issue - No one should be made to feel belittled because they cannot give more than the recommended. I personally feel giving more than the guideline should only be done for service above the normal Celebrity service. But that is only my opinion.

[janjay]

hajekfam: I totally agree. It is a personal choice. As I said earlier pre-tipping extravagantly is "buying" good service. Tipping appropriately (according to one's personal believes) at the end of the cruise is "rewarding" good service. I still feel very strongly however, that when making comparisons ie. farmers and waiters on cruise ships, one should attempt to find "like" examples.

 

As to Americans working on the lines, I personally can only say I have had many American waitstaff, spa attendants and they seemed as happy as any to be there. In fact my daughter looked into working on a cruise line as a hair stylist and decided against it because she didn't want to be away from home for so long without a visit.

[hajekfam]

In all of our Celebrity cruises, we have never seen an American as a waiter, asst. waiter, or room steward. I completely forgot about spa attendants. I tip the nail technician, hair stylist just a matter of course - as I do at home. When talking to them, I found that they do not put in as long a day as the waiters and stewards do, but just like them, they always have to be "up". At least at my job, if the day is rough, I can growl a little.

[brigittetom]

idssms made the comment that they are very high maintainence. In that case I can see the advantage of giving tips upfront. I think that tip speaks for itself.

 

We personally are very low maintainence so in our case I wouldn't see the point. We tip extra where we get extra service. The poolbartenders, the bartenter in the lounge before dinner and so on.

 

I have always thought (in my mind only) that I always get extra nice service because I'm always friendly, polite, and I don't ask for the above and beyond. I wouldn't think of treating these nice people any differently than I treat my friends at home. There is alot to be said for not getting on the ship with the attitude that "You are here to serve me".

 

I did read an article recently where American waitstaff couldn't cut it on the cruiseship. Too regimented, too many hours, bascially not enough freedom to have fun. :)

[tuggers]

Totally agree! I always try to be just as upbeat and pleasant as they are to me! And I'm sure that is why you get a little extra service. Besides being so cute, of course!:)

 

I think I'm kind of medium maintenance. I do leave my towels on the floor in the bathroom and I do nap in the afternoon mussing the bed. I keep my makeup, curling iron, etc out on the desk most of the time, etc. Earl on the other hand had his CS thank him for such a neat cabin! I guess it gave him more time to attend to mine. Which wasn't THAT bad, honest! And I do like ice twice a day and sometimes need an extra blanket or glasses for wine in my room. Yes, I'd say medium.

 

I do like it when they keep me in breadsticks in the Martini Bar and tip accordingly, but I've never had anyone pick the Wasabi peas out of the Oriental mix for me! Seems sort of like peeling grapes. Might make me uncomfortable!

[Cruise Junky]

Talk to your waiter next time at sea...

 

He will tell you of many experiences he has had where cruisers dont come to dinner on the last night (they get room service) and screw the waiter out of a weeks wages.

 

Don

 

 

I don't pay their wages, their employer does. I tip them for service. If they are being stiffed out of wages, the cruise lines need to start protecting their employees by having it built in.

[idssms]

Great thread and this is my last post on it,, but everyone has excellent points.

 

At age 53 and having traveled a bunch,, my wife and I are high maintanence and we are willing to pay for it. Sometimes we want pizza at 3 am and we call the butler to get it for us or have it made in the kitchen.

 

We like Bridge Tours and get them on every cruise. We like a private tour of the kitchen and we get it on every cruise. But that is my personal preference and these extras come at a price which I am willing to pay.

 

We like to sit at the captains table on the first night and we do. It's all about what one expects on a vacation. I just want the best experience I can get. I wanted the Trio (clarinet, violin and bass) playing and singing Happy Anniversary in my room on Sept 14th (the day of our 25th Wedding Anniversary). The Galaxy Staff was hesitant at first because of the shlepping of the big bass thru the ship to our suite... I made it happen tho and it was via the butler, the asst Maitre de and the dining room manager. I wont tell you what that 20 mins cost me but it was in the $100's in total but,,,,,,,my wife had tears in her eyes when they appeared at the door and we danced to some romantic songs,, it was like in the movies and we have the entire scene on tape and in our minds forever, (whats that memory worth??). So, my point, I love the pampering and attention and feel I have to tip well or it wont happen because I go well above and beyond the normal requests.

 

I respect anyone who gives what they feel is fair. I dont like idiots/cheapskates that stiff the staff and dont go to dinner on the last night of the cruise to avoid the tip. That is rude and uncalled for.

 

Great thread, catch me in other threads just not here...

 

Don from Fl formerly from Va, the lovers state

[brigittetom]

Tuggers, Too funny. All we request is ice and water. There have been times when it wasn't there but Tom now makes arrangements with the cabin attendant upfront that he would like to get his own when there isn't anyone available and not to have to call cabin service. They are always too happy to show him where to get ice at 2AM because obviously they don't want to deliver it. That's my idea of good service. :D

 

Obviously we are just simple and as to having them pick out the wasabi peas, those are the ones I pick out for myself. :D

 

Thanks for telling me about Ed. He sounds like a winner.