Tipping....

[BoardwalkBabe]

I think the TA said to plan for $10 pp, pd for tips. Does that sound right? I know we can always tip more if we want to. Does HAL typically just bill your stateroom account for the tips and give you little envelopes or something to pass out?

Exactly who am I tipping besides the room steward and table servers? Sorry to sound so silly - have only been on a Disney cruise and they took care of all this for us and left the little envelopes in our stateroom.

Thanks!!

[DaveOKC]

HAL now automatically adds $10 per person per day to your shipboard account to cover tips. You can always tip more if you want, by just giving extra to those that you want to. You might try the HAL website for more details.
DaveOKC

[dakrewser]

HAL's Gratuity Policy (http://www.hollandamerica.com/guests/category.do?category=money&topic=tipping):

Exceptional service is part of the Holland America cruise experience. Because you are our guest, it is our goal to make sure you receive the finest service possible. And we have made it easy for you to reward excellent service onboard.

A gratuity of $10 per guest per day for dining and stateroom services will be automatically added to your shipboard account on a daily basis. We are confident that you will find the service onboard exemplary and, should you wish to make adjustments, you may do so at the end of the cruise by contacting the front desk. A 15% service charge will be automatically added to your bar charges and dining room wine account.

In terminals, airports, ports of call and on shore excursions, we suggest that you extend gratuities consistent with customary local practices.



Related topics:
Currency and exchange (http://www.hollandamerica.com/guests/category.do?category=money&topic=currency)
Deposits and payments (http://www.hollandamerica.com/guests/category.do?category=money&topic=deposits)
Fares, non-discountable amount, taxes, surcharges (http://www.hollandamerica.com/guests/category.do?category=money&topic=portCharges)
Shipboard account (http://www.hollandamerica.com/guests/category.do?category=money&topic=shipboardAccount)

[BoardwalkBabe]

Thanks, everyone! :)

[Ziggy7]

Thanks, everyone! :)HAL does not give out envelopes, so we bring little thank you notes :) We also can add our extra tips to that as well. :)

[doone]

You can go to the front desk and they will be happy to give you some envelopes for additional tips.

[brego]

When did the new tipping policy go into effect? I haven't cruised in two years and my TA never told me about the new policy. I assume the automatic tip is for chidren who are 3rd/4th passengers as well?

[RuthC]

brego, it's not quite a year now since the service charge was added to everyone's account. I believe it was May 2004.
And yes, the service charge is for children, too. Actually, children need to be served and cleaned up after as much as adults do, IMHO, so the charge for them is earned.

[Kami's pal]

Exactly who am I tipping besides the room steward and table servers? Thanks!!

I will quote from a leaflet published by HAL titled "you need to know" which was given out AFTER I paid my final payment.

"Good service starts with crew members you may never have the opportunity to meet such as our highly trained kitchen staff. They also benefit from the gratuities included with your bill. To ensure the efforts of these crew members are also recognized and to discourage solicitation of guests, dining and cabin stewards are required to turn in any tips they receive directly from those guests who have removed or reduced the gratuities on their onboard bill."

So, unlike a restaurant or hotel on land, you will be tipping the chefs and dishwashers, the laundry and night cleaners, the window cleaners and so on. In other words, the $10.00 pppd is more than a tip. It is a way of paying salary.

[ekerr19]

Salary... well, I respectfully disagree.

Also, I do not think that $10 per person, per day even comes close to rewarding those who provide such excellent service. It is a start, that's all.

Just my own opinion. :)

[KAKcruiser]

Here we go again. I think people should provide excellent service as part of their JOB and a tip should be given for service above and beyond. If we are required to give $10 per person per day, that adds up as enough for me to give as above and beyond.