Do you tip first?

[Corinne Marie]

I don't believe I have seen photos of family pets, but hey, if someone wants to show them to me, I will look at them. I am a HUGE ANIMAL lover, especially dogs......

 

Happy Cruising!!!!

[Colo Cruiser]

Oh dear heavens; words fail me. I don't want to see family photos and hear stories about them! Yikes! Let them do their freakin' jobs already -- these guys have 18 cabins to clean and you're wasting their time asking to see pictures and hear their life story?? While meanwhile I don't have any clean towels since Stewart hasn't made it to my cabin yet because he's been hung up down the hall with his new BFF. It goes to what oceanville posted in his/her very perceptive earlier post: it's demeaning and unprofessional to treat room stewards like your personal Brangelina adoptee for the week.

 

:eek::eek::D:D:eek::eek:

[donaldsc]

Oh dear heavens; words fail me. I don't want to see family photos and hear stories about them! Yikes! Let them do their freakin' jobs already -- these guys have 18 cabins to clean and you're wasting their time asking to see pictures and hear their life story?? While meanwhile I don't have any clean towels since Stewart hasn't made it to my cabin yet because he's been hung up down the hall with his new BFF. It goes to what oceanville posted in his/her very perceptive earlier post: it's demeaning and unprofessional to treat room stewards like your personal Brangelina adoptee for the week.

 

 

I agree with you completely. The next thing the "best friends" group will be suggesting is that we exchange home addresses so that we can exchange Christmas or birthday cards.

 

If you have an extended stay in a hotel or stay in a land resort, we do not get chatty with the chambermaid. Why should it be any different on a ship?

 

Treat them with respect and as the professionals they are and tip them fairly at the end of the cruise.

 

I hate to appear cynical but do you think that they really care about your family after you leave the ship and another passenger is in the room? I doubt if they even remember your name - unless you stiffed them.

 

DON

[Corinne Marie]

Who is the "best friends" group, by the way? That sounds like the kind of person I am, friendly, easy going with lots of good friends. Perhaps this is something that I can join?

 

 

 

Happy cruising with a great ATTITUDE!

[seattle2000]

We usually exchange friendly words with all our lovely staff on our cruises, but then again, our little girls make that very easy to do. I do think it is a different situation for the staff on a ship, as opposed to a hotel, since they are away from their families for 10 months at a time, and miss them terribly. More than one staff member has mentioned how much they enjoy being around small kids on the ship, and it always comes across as being very genuine, and most go wayyy beyond what is necessary to do things for my girls.

 

On each and every occasion the short exchanges have been very welcome, and the staff seems genuinely interested in comparing brief notes about our respective families. Then again, I have found this to be true with other parents wherever I go, from the local grocery store to airplane trips to cruises. People like to talk about their kids, most especially to other people who have kids.

 

This is NOT to say that anyone should be obligated to initiate a conversation with the staff by any means. Nor do I spend hours shooting the breeze, just a few minutes here and there, and never if they look rushed (your timely towel arrival is quite safe ;-) I do not expect them to remember me, or to establish a longtime personal bond. It's just a small, kind exchange with other parents, who happen to miss their own children very much.

[kooljamming]

I agree with you completely. The next thing the "best friends" group will be suggesting is that we exchange home addresses so that we can exchange Christmas or birthday cards.

 

If you have an extended stay in a hotel or stay in a land resort, we do not get chatty with the chambermaid. Why should it be any different on a ship?

 

Treat them with respect and as the professionals they are and tip them fairly at the end of the cruise.

 

I hate to appear cynical but do you think that they really care about your family after you leave the ship and another passenger is in the room? I doubt if they even remember your name - unless you stiffed them.

 

DON

You are kidding right?. That's how you learn about special non tourist things to do.

I have learned more about the place and the culture of the places I have been from the local help, than any planned excursions by the ship or resort.

You are on a ship or a resort with people with such different background and you miss the opportunity to take a minute to learn something from them...wow!

In 9 cruises with another booked and countless resorts (another in 8 days) , I have never met someone who wasn't willing to teach me something about his/her country.

Some even ask about mine....yah mon, no problem mon. Without that interaction I truly might as well stay home. We do travel for different reasons.

I learned they have work to do but also a minute to spare. I don't know or care if they remember my name but I do remember theirs or something about them.

[Putterdude]

I know that some people tip the cabin steward the moment they meet him/her and I don't have a problem if that what they care to do. In the case of extra service, like keeping an ice chest full of ice, well even more reason. On a longer cruise say of 14 days then we tip the cabin stewards and waiters after the 7th day (if in TD) and then again on the evening of the last day.

[cruiseryyc]

I know that some people tip the cabin steward the moment they meet him/her and I don't have a problem if that what they care to do. In the case of extra service, like keeping an ice chest full of ice, well even more reason. On a longer cruise say of 14 days then we tip the cabin stewards and waiters after the 7th day (if in TD) and then again on the evening of the last day.

 

That is exactly what we do. We have never tipped the room steward upon meeting him/her and have always had excellent service.

[Corinne Marie]

Kooljamming,

 

I am in agreement with you. There are various reasons while we travel, but I simply enjoy meeting people from all walks of life, and it does not matter to me who they are

, where they come from,of for that matter what they do. I might as well stay home if I can't enjoy talking to others and learning about their part of the world, including their pets....HA HA

Somehow this forum on "Tipping" got way out of hand.... There are some angry folks out there, this is obvious.....

[GrammieK]

Funny you should mention about exchanging addresses. One night when my husband was enjoying an after dinner drink at his favorite bar on the Nautica, the bar tender who was serving him struck up a conversation. He appreciated that my husband listened about his family, his troubled country of origin, etc. He told my husband that he was impressed that my husband took the time to listen even if there was a slight language barrier and realized that my husband worked hard for a living, too. He appreciated the extra gratuity and asked if he could keep in touch. Eight years later, we still get occasional emails from him. Whenever we hear from him, it reminds us of the great cruise we had and the exceptional service he provided. You really learn so much about the world when you listen the service personnel.

[suntanshipshape]

Forget I asked..I thought it would prevoke alot of comment and interesting opinions and boy was I right! I assure you that I am one of the brightest bulbs out there which truly being said is sad! I would never pretip a waiter/taxi driver nor grease the palm of a maitre d which I am sure some here have. I am fortunate to be able to tip and think that the steward would not "worry" about why I was tipping first are you kidding me I think he would appreciate it. Indeed they work for very little salary. I assure you I probaly am the easiest person to ever have in a cab, at a dinner table or as a guest in their hotel/cabin. I am the least demanding person from service people (now from spouse is a different story!). I have a staff of over 15 people working for me that would tell you that I am also the easiest person to work for. That being said I do nice things for them all the time that show them I appreciate them. They all do nice things for me as well. Everything comes full circle. That was really the point of this discussion. I think splitting the tip is not really unreasonable 1/2 upfront balance at the end of the trip. I would not take off the auto tip unless every single person serving me on the ship was horrible. If that was the case then I would never cruise again one would think!

 

So thanks for your responses again made for some interesting reads....

 

I would do what is comfortable for you. There is nothing wrong with pretipping. But to answer your question, we tip on the last evening in person and tell each person how much we appreciated their service. Without our prompting, we have had extra glasses, towels, and beach towels provided to us. On one cruise, we were extra demanding and we left a substantial extra cash tip at the end, although tipping for the extras at that time it's performed might be better. We like tipping because we have done well for ourselves and its time to share. And perhaps a sense of guilt that crew members work very hard, have long hours, and probably for not very much. How many would trade places with them, to be away from your family and friends for such long periods? It's a hardship and we want to reward them for it, for making our cruise a pleasant one.

[suntanshipshape]

Do you tip at a restaurant before you eat dinner?

 

Do you tip the taxi cab driver before the ride?

 

Do you tip your hairdresser before she cuts your hair?

 

Do you tip the bellhop before he carries your luggage upstairs?

 

Do you tip the bartender before he serves you your drink?

 

Do you want me to come up with a hundred other situations where you do not tip ahead of service?

 

Can you think of ANY other situation where you tip ahead of service?

 

Why should a cruise be any different?

 

DON

 

My brother in law pre tips his waiter when he has a large party to entertain at a restaurant. My brother in law wants to insure good service from the start, then tips AGAIN at the end. He does not want put up with poor service period. So there's nothing wrong with pre tipping. My barber already knows I tip so it doesn't matter if it's before or after the haircut. In Hawaii, I pre tip the porter who takes you out of the long security line directly to a separately desk with no line, checks you in, and you're on your way as he check your bags through the x-ray machines, saving you 20 minutes of dragging your bags through a line in the hot humid air. When there were Red Caps who used checked your bags at the sidewalk, you pre tipped him; otherwise, you bags may end up in China. I've pre tip bellhops to take my bags to my room. I don't need to follow him to my room; I can go my own way and not waste time; what's he going to do, steal my clothes? Yes, I want to hear your other 100 ways.

[suntanshipshape]

rdsqrl,

 

Your post is very offensive. I am sorry that you may miss a clean towel, but when someone is away from home for 10 months and wants to show you their family and talk about their wife and kids, I am just glad that my party has the common courtesy to listen and respect them. The cabin steward deserves to be treated just like you would like to be treated. They are not at your beck and call--they do have 18 cabins to clean after all. However, they appreciate people like myself and my family who do take the time to listen to them......I once had a husband and wife team for cabin stewards and they were so proud to show me photos of their 9 month old baby at home who the wife missed dearly. She would cry everynight when she went to bed because she wanted to be back home with her first born child.....She loved being able to talk with me and share some of her photos of her family. So please think twice before you write on cruise critic. The saying goes: if you don't have anything pleasant to say, it is better left unsaid.

 

Corinne, I agree with you. We always talk to our service people when they have time. They love talking about their family and their country. Taking an interest in them as a fellow human beings is not demeaning. We care about them and it brings us to the same level as equals. Maybe this is the reason why we have such great service from them as we are not snarky people, lol. We don't look down at people; it's the Golden Rule for us.

[suntanshipshape]

I agree with you completely. The next thing the "best friends" group will be suggesting is that we exchange home addresses so that we can exchange Christmas or birthday cards.

 

If you have an extended stay in a hotel or stay in a land resort, we do not get chatty with the chambermaid. Why should it be any different on a ship?

 

Treat them with respect and as the professionals they are and tip them fairly at the end of the cruise.

 

I hate to appear cynical but do you think that they really care about your family after you leave the ship and another passenger is in the room? I doubt if they even remember your name - unless you stiffed them.

 

DON

 

I hope not ever to meet a cynical person like you. :)

[cindivan]

Have been pretty much a lurker for a long time, but after cringing and laughing at some of these posts, I have to throw in MTCW.

 

I waited tables, bartended, cocktailed, whatever..through college grad school so I am pretty familiar with the service industry, at least in the US. Granted, it is different on cruise ships, but you work your butt off and the salary is minimal - you rely on tips. Fair or not, if I was fairly confident that I would get a bigger tip from one person vs. another - guess who got better service?

 

Now I am in a position where I am completely blessed and can be in the opposite role. Is it worth it to me to give a hard working room steward some extra money up front to make sure my ice bucket is filled all the time - absolutely. Should they do that anyway? Maybe, but what is wrong with encouragement? Bribe? Whatever works. What's an extra $20 when I already spent XXX on the cruise?

 

And I enjoy talking to everyone - their stories are amazing and helps me stay grounded and appreciative of all I have been given. It's not completely about getting all the extra service or whatever. It's about sharing the blessings I have been given. And if my ice bucket stays full, that's awesome too.

 

Life IS good Roz- and passing the buck is good in so many ways.

 

And in case anyway is wondering (because I want to prevent this crazy question....).... Yes, we still overtip the minimum or recommended amount or whatever they say. Good grief, it drives me crazy when people say they are not tipping because the food/drink is already expensive. The wait staff sees nothing of this. If you don't want to tip, stay home.

 

If you can afford a cruise, you can afford to tip. Or sneak a few bottles onboard.... just make sure you tip for the service.

 

 

 

Two things:

 

1. Obviously, none of you have ever traveled with my father......he would "pre-tip" everyone....the cab driver; the bar tender; the Matre d'; the bus boy; the waiter; the casino boss, etc., etc., you get the picture.

 

I thought my father was the "king", he was ALWAYS treated like royalty and so were his 6 children, whenever we were with him and wherever he went......It was only when I was older that I realized what he had done!!!! He was "bribing" the world around him and us.....and, a wonderful world it was!!!!!

 

2. We travel with a Service Dog; does this require extra tipping?.....You'd better believe it! I thought I tipped pretty good when my children were treated well in hotels; by the pool; by the waitress, etc., etc. You should see the service my furry friend gets when I tip up front on the cruise ships; on the train; in the bus; in the restaurant......Life is good.....when you pass the buck!!!!! :D

[Corinne Marie]

Suntanshipshape,

 

Thank you for your post. I am glad someone else out there enjoys people, like I do. To me, it does not matter where they are from or where they work. I treat everyone equal on the ship. You might as well stay at home if you do not enjoy meeting people or have the time to converse with the room steward or other workers on the ship.

 

I also hope to never meet a few of these posters on this blog.

 

 

Happy cruising!!!

 

Corinne

[wizard-of-roz]

cindivan: You said it all. YOU are the type of folks we love to cruise with.

When you get on a ship, you never know the type of people you will be on this "floating hotel" with for the next 7 to 14 days. If you get lucky enough to have people like yourselves, it makes for such a wonderful and joyous time......and, can make all the difference in your cruise experience! :)

[Katosmama]

I never have pre-tipped and I never will. It's a bribe, no two ways about it. Worse, it's elitist - you are tipping someone because you want BETTER service than the rest of us. I have issues with that. Why should your request be handled before my requests? Are you royalty? Are you somehow better than me? If you want better service than is customary on that ship, go sail on a better class of ship.

 

I'm not particularly offended by chatting with the staff about their life, so long as it is not taking them away from serving someone else. They know what they have to do that day, if they want to spend a few minutes chatting, I'm fine with that. They know how long their day is.

 

I also do not tip for every little thing they do. I don't tip them daily to change my towels. That's what the auto-tip is for. If they do something truly extraordinary, I will increase the auto-tip but I will not do that for regular requests (including the egg-crate thing, more towels, wine glasses, etc...those are all in their job description).

 

Finally, I don't care how "blessed" I am, or how much money I make. They are NOT my personal charities. They are doing a job, and being compensated for it. If they feel that the compensation is not sufficient, they need to take that up with their employer, NOT with me. I have already paid for their services (by paying for the cruise) and tipped them for their services, why on earth would I be giving them more tips just because they "need" it. It would be like giving someone at McDonalds a $20 tip on your happy meal because they are paid minimum wage. Where did these crazy ideas even start?

[ibfern]

Leaving Thurs for Cruise out of NY YEAH! On my last cruise I tipped the cabin steward the first day and recd excellent service. Now mind you I may have recd it anyway but I wanted to take care of our steward up front. Do many agree with me? If so how much? We are two in the mini suite and I am actually neurotically neat so do not leave a mess every day but think its a nice gesture...do most people do that?

 

Thanks!

 

I met a wise and wonderful Steward who told me that he was uncomfortable when people tipped him up front because he took pride in his work and wanted to feel he earned his pay. People who take pride in their work are not motivated by money as much as they are motivated by a sense of knowing that a job worth doing, is worth doing well!

[velotaco]

Leaving Thurs for Cruise out of NY YEAH! On my last cruise I tipped the cabin steward the first day and recd excellent service. Now mind you I may have recd it anyway but I wanted to take care of our steward up front. Do many agree with me? If so how much? We are two in the mini suite and I am actually neurotically neat so do not leave a mess every day but think its a nice gesture...do most people do that?

 

Thanks!

 

Do you do this in lieu of a tip at the end of the cruise? I have not done that. I can see how it might work, but I like to wait until the end of the cruise to decide the tip base on the level of service. I would hate to tip and then feel afterward that a tip was unwarranted.

[CaribbeanLVR]

So I ASSUME nobody has EVER had a dinner with 8 or more in their party? Those who have know the tip is automatically already added, REGARDLESS OF SERVICE.

 

Someone said it was a "BRIBE" to pre tip. Huh? ROFLMAO~

 

someone said to "pre tip" is to have BETTER service.

 

Damn right I want better service. I have NO problem giving a extra 20-30 as soon as I walk into my room and meet my steward. I WANT my FAMILY TREATED SPECIAL and if it takes a LITTLE XTRA cash so be it! They have ALWAYS been xtra good to my 9 yearl old daughter. For me to see her with a smile on her face because of a tiny peice of mint on her bed at bedtime or whatever, is worth far more than 20 bux!

 

Maybe I am just different, BUT if someone is complaining about "tips" maybe they should just stay home! You probably are complainers in general

[kooljamming]

Someone said it was a "BRIBE" to pre tip. Huh? ROFLMAO~

 

Joining you on the floor:D:D

 

Pre-tipping is to bribe as cruise food is to gourmet

In the real world we have had the auto tip added to our ticket

[maritimer]

Personally I wouldn't pre-tip as it would make me feel awkward. I try to be as little trouble as possible to the staff who I appreciate are over-worked and underpaid. I don't expect any special treatment or ask to be the first in line (must be my British upbringing - happy to wait for my turn in line!) I think the auto-tip is a great idea and wouldn't think of taking it off.

 

It's great that some of you go out of your way to be friendly with your cabin stewards and learn about their families, etc., but it's not my way as I am quite shy. I think the people who do are probably wonderful to meet as fellow passengers when we are on board. However I don't think I would dislike the others, I found their somewhat caustic posts very funny and they sound like very interesting people too.

 

If everyone stopped to talk to the cabin staff it would make it difficult to get their work done, so I'll leave that to the people who enjoy getting to know them.

 

Diversity of opinions and people is great and one of the things I love about this bulletin board.

[Laughing Gull]

On our cruise with kids I tipped the teen's cabin steward on the first day when we met him. Why? Because, as I explained to him when introducing our family, I knew their cabin would be difficult to clean with all the clothes and shoes piled up everywhere.

[DrivesLikeMario]

We pre-tipped once on the Grand and it didn't seem to make any difference in the usual excellent service we received, so I haven't done it since.