Tipping for service on HAL

[jtb1234]

I understand that there's an $11 per day gratuity automatically handled on HAL cruises. I have never cruised before so I don't know what this really means.

When we eat out, even if we have a large party and have an 18% gratuity, we typically add more on top. Is this also done on HAL cruises (I mean for the entire cruise, not for when we're eating on the cruise)? How is this handled? I've seen references both to increasing the daily tip amount and to using envelopes of cash. Which is more customary and appropriate? Assuming superb service all around, what do folks typically add on to the total? I realize it's nearly an impossible question, only answer if you're comfortable!

If you do tip extra in cash, exactly whom do you tip and about how much?

I've heard that you only tip baggage porters at the time of services rendered, the rest you tip at the end of the cruise - is that more or less correct?

If you go on excursions, how much do you typically tip there?

Feel free to PM me if you're not comfortable answering in public or if you don't want to become involved in a flame war. I know these questions are awkward. Thanks so so much for any advice.

[uppitycats]

I understand that there's an $11 per day gratuity automatically handled on HAL cruises. I have never cruised before so I don't know what this really means.

This means that the $11 per day per person is billed to your account, and at the end of the cruise is distributed to all of the people who you would normally be expected to tip -- waiters, assistant waiters, room stewards, assistant stewards, etc. Somewhere on the HAL website is a breakdown of how much is distributed to each person on that recommended list.

When we eat out, even if we have a large party and have an 18% gratuity, we typically add more on top. Is this also done on HAL cruises (I mean for the entire cruise, not for when we're eating on the cruise)?
You can if you want, but a lot of people (including me) think the "suggested gratuity" (called a "service charge" on some other lines) is adequate. If you really want to tip in addition to the $11/day, then HAL provides envelopes at the end of the cruise. You can put in there whatever appropriate amount you want, and hand it to the person(s) on the day before the end of your cruise.

Or if you're in the bar (where a 15% gratuity is automatically added to each bar bill, whether you've ordered liquor, beer or a soft drink), you can leave an extra tip as well. We'll generally give the bartender -- if he/she has been particularly helpful, an extra $20 at the end of the cruise.

How is this handled? I've seen references both to increasing the daily tip amount and to using envelopes of cash. Which is more customary and appropriate? Assuming superb service all around, what do folks typically add on to the total? I realize it's nearly an impossible question, only answer if you're comfortable!

If you do tip extra in cash, exactly whom do you tip and about how much?

We'll almost always give our room stewards $20 each, in cash, on the last day (well, the day before) of the cruise.

I've heard that you only tip baggage porters at the time of services rendered, the rest you tip at the end of the cruise - is that more or less correct? You hand the porters a $1-2 per bag tip as you hand them your bag. You'll not necessarily see the same porters at the end of the cruise. And the crew who take your luggage on the night before you get off the ship won't be seen by you at all!

If you go on excursions, how much do you typically tip there? We generally tip $5 per person for an excursion, only very rarely more.

Feel free to PM me if you're not comfortable answering in public or if you don't want to become involved in a flame war. I know these questions are awkward. Thanks so so much for any advice.

I hope this is helpful.

[mikefang]

JTB, I think your questions are appropriate and will do my best to just answer them without getting into any of the philosophies on tipping that can generate some interesting responses.
The 'auto-tips' are billed to a 'hotel charge' and go into some kind of pool split by employees. Lots of definitions and explanations of this on the boards but to my that's all I need to know.
You have the option to have those charges removed and then tipping or not at the end of the cruise. Again, all I need to know.
To answer specifically:
My wife and I leave the hotel charge in place.
We tip baggage porters at time of service.
We tip additionally in cash our room steward, waiter and assistant waiter. We use traditional dining and have never found a reason not to do so.
We do use the envelopes on the last night-available at purser's desk.
I don't mind saying amounts because I just don't mind :)
Room Steward: $15-20 depending on length of cruise.
Waiter: same as room steward
Asst Waiter: 1/2 of amount given Waiter but I don't recall doing less than $10 since the inception of the hotel charge.
If we identify a lounge server who takes extra care of us during the trip we have been known to tip $5 or so on the last night. Pretty varied.
On one trip a young deck attendant took good care of us going through the Panama Canal and making sure we had everything we needed so we tipped him as well.
I have seen some people tip tour guides and others not-we do and it varies by cost and length of tour. I personally think around 10% but that is just me.
No comments on philosophies and such-not my thing.
Enjoy your trip.
Mike

[CowPrincess]

If you do tip extra in cash, exactly whom do you tip and about how much?


We usually tip extra to our cabin stewards, our dining steward and the asst dining steward. We are seldom in a bar/lounge so never develop any kind of "relationship" with those stewards or the bartenders. When we did Anytime dining, we did not give additional gratuities to the dining room stewards. On our last cruise the service was not good (understatement!) so we did not give any additional tips but left the autotip in place.

When we do tip onboard, it is in an envelope addressed to the recipient, with a handwritten "thank you" note mentioning that this is in addition to the automatic tips. And we sign our name and cabin #.

If you go on excursions, how much do you typically tip there?


For excursions for us it really depends. Often, we use the "cost of a local chicken" method -- in conversation I find out what a chicken costs in the grocery store or the market, and tip around the cost of a chicken. For the guide. An assistant guide or the driver usually gets 1/2 a chicken :) for a 1/2 day tour. Sometimes everyone gets the cost of a chicken. :)

I hope this helps. Definitely our cruise budget has "tipping" as a line item.

[AZNative2000]

Lots of good advice above. Welcome to Cruise Critic. Ask as many questions as you can think of. There are so many helpful people here to answer them. Our first cruise would not have been nearly as smooth without them. Hope your first cruise is wonderful!

[CtheW0rld]

i'm not sure where you are cruising, but tipping in europe (and some asian countries) is not expected. the guides are licensed professional earning a good salary and benefits. tipping in some asian countries is considered insulting - google the name of the country(s) you'll be visiting to find out more.

in europe i may tip a couple euros, if they did an exceptional job.

conversely in poorer countries the guides get only the tips they receive as their pay.

[PSTIXS]

I understand that there's an $11 per day gratuity automatically handled on HAL cruises. I have never cruised before so I don't know what this really means.

When we eat out, even if we have a large party and have an 18% gratuity, we typically add more on top. Is this also done on HAL cruises (I mean for the entire cruise, not for when we're eating on the cruise)? How is this handled? I've seen references both to increasing the daily tip amount and to using envelopes of cash. Which is more customary and appropriate? Assuming superb service all around, what do folks typically add on to the total? I realize it's nearly an impossible question, only answer if you're comfortable!

If you do tip extra in cash, exactly whom do you tip and about how much?

I've heard that you only tip baggage porters at the time of services rendered, the rest you tip at the end of the cruise - is that more or less correct?

If you go on excursions, how much do you typically tip there?

Feel free to PM me if you're not comfortable answering in public or if you don't want to become involved in a flame war. I know these questions are awkward. Thanks so so much for any advice.


Is there any advantage to tipping room steward before end of cruise say day 2 or 3 for example?

[Hawaiidan]

:rolleyes:
I have been taking a new tact, when I go on ships were tipping is not inclusive ( Regent/ Silver Sea)

I also like to go on cruises of 21 days or longer and have found that once you have found your places to hang out such as a special bar or lounge, ( which takes about 2 or 3 days into the cruise) I give a good tip $30 to $ 40 to key bar staff on the 4th day. The result is very positive... drinks come with extra pours in them and somehow good tables seem to somehow get reserved for me... its amazing.
I do the same with the Room steward ..
The logic is simple... why wait till the end of a 3 or 4 week cruise to reward... when a reward at the begining of the cruise will bear you great rewards yourself......
I agree on the 10% on tours that are great. On tours over 500 pp I tip about 3%. I never tip on an air tour...

[Krazy Kruizers]

We also leave the Hotel Service Charge in place.

We do not add anything onto the Hotel Service Charge as we prefer to give extra cash to those who made our cruise an enjoyable one. Add ing onto the Hotel Service Charge just means that my extra tip money is being divided among all the crew.

There is also a 15% gratuity added onto all wine, alcohol, sodas, bottled water that you buy. When we have cocktails and -- again -- we will the servers extra at the end of the cruise if the service has been good.

We do not tip anyone until the end of the cruise.

[Typhoon1]

Good service deserves additional generosity at the end of your cruise.

[Typhoon1]

Feel free to PM me if you're not comfortable answering in public or if you don't want to become involved in a flame war. I know these questions are awkward. Thanks so so much for any advice.

Just an FYI, PMs are not an option on the CC boards.

[cb at sea]

If you tip the suggested amounts then that's all you need to do....that's THEIR policy, and it works! All drinks will have 15% added to it...ample in most cases. If we frequent a particular bar/bartender for the entire cruise, we will usually give an additonal tip on the last evening, which is the traditional way to tip on a cruise.
On excursions, we only tip if the tour goes "above and beyond"...if it's simply transportation, no additional tip. If the guide goes out of their way to give us a good time, we tip. If they give the basics...sorry...the tour costs alot...and he/she gave what we paid for (I guess!).

Cruisers tend to go hog-wild with tipping...don't know why! I'm fairly certain that when in a hotel, no one is as concerned with the maid's salary and circumstances as the room attendant on a ship....or the waiter in the restaurant! I think it's because most things have been paid for in advance, and you tend to forget that, and feel that everyone deserves some of your hard-earned cash.

The suggested tips are ample for expected service. Any more that you feel you want to give is fine....but it's up to YOU!

[3rdGenCunarder]

Like other posters on this thread, we leave the auto tip in place. We usually give a little more at the end of the cruise if service has been good.

One thing I'd like to add to the advice already given is about the questionaire you get at the end of the cruise. Be sure to fill it out and had it in. If you don't, some lines take that as a sign of dissatisfaction. If a crew member has given exceptional service, mention his/her name in a brief note on your questionaire. Many lines keep track of that sort of thing and give small bonuses in the form of money or an extra afternoon off as a reward for name mentions.

[RetiredMustang]

... You have the option to have those charges removed and then tipping or not at the end of the cruise. ...

Yes, you do have that option, but if you remove the charge, any tips you give to your room stewards, for example, are not theirs to keep. Rather, such tips are put into the pool and shared out (unless this has changed recently). If you leave the auto tip alone, anything you tip above that is that person's to keep alone.

We normally tip a dollar or two at the bars when the drinks come, on top of the auto 15%.

Dave

[Randyk47]

We also leave the Hotel Service Charge in place.

We do not add anything onto the Hotel Service Charge as we prefer to give extra cash to those who made our cruise an enjoyable one. Add ing onto the Hotel Service Charge just means that my extra tip money is being divided among all the crew.

There is also a 15% gratuity added onto all wine, alcohol, sodas, bottled water that you buy. When we have cocktails and -- again -- we will the servers extra at the end of the cruise if the service has been good.

We do not tip anyone until the end of the cruise.

What KK said. :)

[GmaPajama]

I think I may have posted this before, but this thread is a good place to repeat it. In addition to our regular tipping routine, we try to find one special crew member on every cruise. Someone who doesn't normally interact much with the passengers. Someone who vaccuums, polishes brass, stocks bars, cleans a lounge, or whatever. We strike up a conversation and enjoy running into them here and there - and getting to know a part of the "lesser known" crew. We end our cruise with a special tip to this person - who is always shocked by it. We also mention this person on our end-of-cruise survey. Having held similar jobs during our college years, we like to recognize the more quiet, hard working, people.

[3rdGenCunarder]

I think I may have posted this before, but this thread is a good place to repeat it. In addition to our regular tipping routine, we try to find one special crew member on every cruise. Someone who doesn't normally interact much with the passengers. Someone who vaccuums, polishes brass, stocks bars, cleans a lounge, or whatever. We strike up a conversation and enjoy running into them here and there - and getting to know a part of the "lesser known" crew. We end our cruise with a special tip to this person - who is always shocked by it. We also mention this person on our end-of-cruise survey. Having held similar jobs during our college years, we like to recognize the more quiet, hard working, people.

I used to do meeting planning. Planners are often asked to name a staff member who was helpful. Because they're busy, planners usually just give the name of someone on the catering staff. But I tried to name someone less obvious. in some hotels that asked for a name, I would name a bellman who had done a lot of work for our group. One that I particularly remember was very pleasant, worked very hard, and truly wanted to do anything he could to make a guest's visit pleasant. When I named him as my helpful person, my contact in sales was so happy to see him recognized. When I was leaving, the bellman came up to me and thanked me and said I was the first meeting planner to name him as most helpful. He was so proud of that!

Too many people overlook those "lesser" crew/staff, but they work hard to make your vacation wonderful. By thanking someone in a job like that, you can make someone's day, probably make their week.

[NMLady]

We always have coffee/rolls, juice and sometimes breakfast brought to our cabin and we alway tip the person who brings it, $1-$5 depending on how heavy the tray is from what we've ordered.