Tipping

K

kamy

Guest
When on the ship do you have to tip the amount the cruiseline suggests?Whats the rule for children?

What happens when people don't tip at all?
 
L

ljeanbrown

Guest
You tip the suggested amounts more or less it is up to you, on the last night of your cruise. You would bring your envelope with the money with you to dinner and that is when you tip your waiters.Then you find your room steward who will be hanging near your cabin area and tip him or her.As far as not tipping at all nothing happens to you, but the people you do not tip lose out on that money and they count on it very much. It is a small amount when you consider the service you are getting.





Laurie :wave
 
K

kamy

Guest
True very true....So I can pay the staff directly instead of getting the desk to charge it to my account?!
 
L

ljeanbrown

Guest
Yes you can pay them yourself or you can have it charged to your acct. and they will give you a voucher to put in the envelopes to hand out. Either way , which ever you prefer.


Laurie :wave
 
C

Cruise_fly

Guest
Hi Kamy,

There aren't really any "rules" for tipping. The cruise lines give guidelines that have evolved into tipping standards. (but still not rules!) The cruise line guidelines are an exellent starting point for you to use to tip a service provider that meets your expectations. If the provider exceeds your expectations, tip more. If the provider is poor, tip less.

I have only occasionally tipped a head waiter and never tipped a maitre'd.

If you choose not to tip, you are not violating any rules or laws, but it is like stiffing a waitress at a fine restaurant. The service providers on cruise ships generally work very hard to satisfy the passengers and usually earn every dollar that they are tipped. They are well worth it! (I can't say the same for the bar staff, but wea are forced to pay their tips!)

As far as children are concerned, it all depends on age and services. Check the guidelines given by the cruise, some consider children to be half the cost of adults. Just use your own judgement.

Consider preparing and locking away tip money in advance.
 
D

DanaVA

Guest
Often, a server, especially in the dining room, will have to work even harder to please the children, so I would suggest that to be sure to tip for the children, per person, as you would for an adult. The only exception would be for an infant or REALLY small child and the crew member is of no service.

Remember, the crew are international and they are not paid much because they are not working under USA employment laws. They make their money from tips and most send the money home to families. Your waiter and assistant waiter work 16 and 18 hours a day. Their sole purpose on the ship is to serve you and to make money to provide for their familes.

Dana
 
A

anderjan

Guest
You may tip whatever you wish. However, remember that the staff works very hard and is not paid by U.S. standards. I heard that the waiters are paid $50 per month. They basically depend on tips.
 
L

Lady Jag

Guest
For kids, the recommended amount is the same as adults. Don't forget to tip the Kids' Program counselors too if they've done a great job!
 
C

Cruise_fly

Guest
Hi All,

It's actually really sad the way some cruise lines abuse their staff. They may not even pay them a fair wage. Working more than 8 hours a day can be exhausing. On a cruise ship, I can understand 12 hour days, maybe even 6 days a week. People need time time off. Any more than this is simply abuse. These people get worked 7 days per week on some lines. Cruise lines get around US employment laws by registering their ships in countires with no significant laws nor enforcement. This is one reason why there are no US cruise lines and those that were are no longer running. (Maybe the upcoming US line will succeed.)

This does not mean, however, that you should modify your tipping procedures because you feel sympathy or because the cruise line abuses its staff. Remember, you pay people tips because they have provided you with a service. The amount of the tip reflects the quality of the service. While I do feel sypmathy for the staff on-board, it is their choice to make. According to the cruise lines, their is no shortage of people willing to take their place. Apparently, the money is very, very good. While the wages seem rather low to us, it must be really high to them because the demand for the jobs is overwhemling. The conditions they experience on-board are likely better than conditions they experience working jobs in their own countries.

We all have our challenges, we all have our heartaches, I've had my share (and still do). When I pay big bucks to forget about life for awhile and enjoy a cruise, I'll pay a great tip to those that help me in that endeavor!
 
M

magnumcoog

Guest
I usually tip per the guidelines but if someone has gone out of their way I tip more for that person (s). I belive bartenders will already have a 15 % gratuity added to the tab, however, after a week that I feel a bartender did a great job, I will give that person some cash, as he or she will not have to share with the other bartenders.

It was explained to me that most of the waiters and room stewards rely on the tips, this is their salary, they do not get much at all from the cruiseline but room and board and their ticket home.

As for the children I have always counted my daughter as an adult when tipping.

What is really bad situation for the waiters is if they get a table and no one shows up for whatever reason, and they lose that "income".
 


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