Room Service Tipping?

[WVU_Neal]

Morning folks,

Sailing Friday on the Zuiderdam. We do plan to use room service this cruise, something I've rarely done in the past.

I realize this could be a contentious issue, but...
Should we tip for room service? Or is it included in the daily "service fee" given to the staff?

If yes, suggestions on how much?

Thanks.

Neal

[kazu]

Morning folks,

Sailing Friday on the Zuiderdam. We do plan to use room service this cruise, something I've rarely done in the past.

I realize this could be a contentious issue, but...
Should we tip for room service? Or is it included in the daily "service fee" given to the staff?

If yes, suggestions on how much?

Thanks.

Neal

There have been oodles of threads and discussion on this -so yes, this could get contentious. Technically speaking, your hotel service charge (aka daily service fee) covers your service on HAL.

However, many of us appreciate this service and do like to tip and feel it is warranted. others do not.

It is a personal decision IMO. We do and if you choose to, make sure you have some small bills near by. The steward doesn't have his hand out and will be gone before you have had a chance to dig it out:)

[GeriatricNurse]

Morning folks,

Sailing Friday on the Zuiderdam. We do plan to use room service this cruise, something I've rarely done in the past.

I realize this could be a contentious issue, but...
Should we tip for room service? Or is it included in the daily "service fee" given to the staff?

If yes, suggestions on how much?

Thanks.

Neal

No! Yes!

[cruisinggranmama]

We'll be sailing with you; can't wait to meet you. One of the joys (for us) of HAL is a hot room service breakfast.

Yes we tip just like we do the waiter/bartender. And kazu is so right. If you don't have a tip in your hand when they enter, there's literally no time to find it before they're back out the door. They are very polite and unobtrusive.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Tipping is a personal thing.

Yes - the person who delivers your cabin meals does get a few pennies from the Hotel Service Charge.

Those who do decide to tip will give $2 - $5 for simple orders. For dinner -- depending on how much is ordered -- $10 - $20.

[LDVinNC]

We always tip a dollar or two for room service breakfast. It is received often with surprise, always with thanks.

[TheCalicoCat]

Morning folks,

Sailing Friday on the Zuiderdam. We do plan to use room service this cruise, something I've rarely done in the past.

I realize this could be a contentious issue, but...
Should we tip for room service? Or is it included in the daily "service fee" given to the staff?

If yes, suggestions on how much?

Thanks.

Neal

Yes, if only because it is above & beyond your daily service. (You said, you rarely used it in the past & yet you paid the daily service fee...)

[tcook052]

We always tip a dollar or two for room service breakfast. It is received often with surprise, always with thanks.

I did recently on Ryndam and the room service waiter while not surprised accepted the small tip with a big smile.

[iriemon]

We always tip when we order room service. Just getting things to arrive hot is worth the tip.

[tangerinebunny]

We enjoy the smile a small tip brings.

It's optional; do what feels comfortable to you.

[jbhcw]

One of my favorite things about cruising...a pot of coffee and croissants in the am...or a full breakfast with Hal:):):)

We always bring lots of ones...for tipping room service and bar servers. I put my tip money out on the counter when I put the room service order on the door before going to bed...they always come with a smile and that wonderful tray of goodies!!

[Love the beach]

We'll be sailing with you; can't wait to meet you. One of the joys (for us) of HAL is a hot room service breakfast.

Yes we tip just like we do the waiter/bartender. And kazu is so right. If you don't have a tip in your hand when they enter, there's literally no time to find it before they're back out the door. They are very polite and unobtrusive.

Bon Voyage Diana! Hope you are doing well and have a wonderful cruise!

We like to order coffee in the early am and usually tip $2---be aware that in the past they have usually come about 15 min before the time requested!

[genegri]

I tip $2 $5 for breakfast depending on how much we order.

On RCI I felt the stewards didn't expect it. On HAL I thought they kind of did. Maybe it's because HAL's breakfast is more elaborate?

[NMLady]

Morning folks,

Sailing Friday on the Zuiderdam. We do plan to use room service this cruise, something I've rarely done in the past.

I realize this could be a contentious issue, but...
Should we tip for room service? Or is it included in the daily "service fee" given to the staff?

If yes, suggestions on how much? Thanks. Neal

IF it is included in the daily service charge, it's not much since most of the service charge goes to cabin steward and to waiters.

It is up to each individual whether you tip or not.
The amount would depend on your budget and comfort level.

Even though our cruise charges are tightly budgeted by us, we always include room service tips as part of our budget.
Because we are on a tight budget (we never book balcony, usually cheapest OV) we don't tip much, but we do give $1 if all we order is coffee and rolls, but we tip more if we've ordered more so that the tray is heavier. The most we've tipped is $3 when the order took two trays, but if we could afford more we would tip more.

As others have said, have your money ready since the room server is in and out very quickly. I always put the money out the night before so I can easily reach it in the morning to hand it to the server on his way out the door.

[Krazy Kruizers]

One of my favorite things about cruising...a pot of coffee and croissants in the am...or a full breakfast with Hal:):):)

We always bring lots of ones...for tipping room service and bar servers. I put my tip money out on the counter when I put the room service order on the door before going to bed...they always come with a smile and that wonderful tray of goodies!!

Why bring a lot of Ones??

You can get change at the front office. Many times we stop in the Neptune Lounge and will change a twenty dollar bill asking for all ones.

[Boytjie]

Why bring a lot of Ones??

You can get change at the front office. Many times we stop in the Neptune Lounge and will change a twenty dollar bill asking for all ones.

Why get on line at the Front Desk if you can just bring it with you? And not everyone has access to the Neptune Lounge. ;)

[SwissMyst]

Morning folks,

Sailing Friday on the Zuiderdam. We do plan to use room service this cruise, something I've rarely done in the past.

I realize this could be a contentious issue, but...
Should we tip for room service? Or is it included in the daily "service fee" given to the staff?

If yes, suggestions on how much?

Thanks.

Neal

Room service is an included dining option on all HAL ships. No tipping necessary. You don't tip for any individual service delivery at the time; only at the end of the trip if you feel you got exceptional service. Don't get misled by those posting who claim they do in order to obtain special benefits. This is not true and is actually offensive to ship policy.

We never tip and never intend to tip. Our room service orders always come hot, on time and perfectly as requested. That is a basic level of expected service that HAL offers as all inclusive. So no, those who tip are not buying their way to the head of the line. That is a myth they love to perpetuate. Offensive when you think about it.

[WVU_Neal]

Thank you all for the useful comments.

A couple of you, I hope to meet on the Zuiderdam this weekend.

Neal

[SwissMyst]

These threads become controversial because when people brag about using tipping to get to the head of the line, one can only wonder what they would do during an emergency evacuation. We are all in this together and tipping with the stated expectation of getting better service is a slap in the face to the rest of the passengers who assume one for all and all for one.

[twinkletoes4445]

Have fun on your cruise! We're going to be on the Zuiderdam soon!! We love room service and tip whenever something is delivered. Pretty much the same amounts as other posters have recommended. We also put a couple of bucks on the tray for the person that takes the dirty dishes. But this is entirely up to you if you tip or don't tip. :) Happy Cruising!

[KirkNC]

We use room service rarely but do tip $2-3 when we do. If it came real late I probably would not tip anything.

[SwissMyst]

Room service is an included dining option on all HAL ships. No tipping necessary. You don't tip for any individual service delivery at the time; only at the end of the trip if you feel you got exceptional service. Don't get misled by those posting who claim they do in order to obtain special benefits. This is not true and is actually offensive to ship policy.

We never tip and never intend to tip. Our room service orders always come hot, on time and perfectly as requested. That is a basic level of expected service that HAL offers as all inclusive. So no, those who tip are not buying their way to the head of the line. That is a myth they love to perpetuate. Offensive when you think about it.

NB: we never tip room service but we do pay the added "service charge" willingly, and also make additional personal tips at the end of the cruise to those who offered extra attentions to our requests.

[kazu]

These threads become controversial because when people brag about using tipping to get to the head of the line, one can only wonder what they would do during an emergency evacuation. We are all in this together and tipping with the stated expectation of getting better service is a slap in the face to the rest of the passengers who assume one for all and all for one.

Maybe I missed it:confused: but i didn't see anyone bragging about getting to the head of the line. We tip because we appreciate the service and want to - there is no getting to the head of the line for us:D I think those that tip do so because they want to:)

[Saphire]

We tip $3-$5 for the excellent room service we receive. I always bring along new ones and fives for tips. I enjoy giving someone a bit extra as I know what it means to work hard and I appreciate very much being on a cruise in the first place. :)

[SwissMyst]

People who brag they get their meals hot and on time when they tip leave the impression that others do not if they don't tip. That is the "head of the line" misperception that needs to dispelled for new cruisers. Everyone works hard on the ship so rewarding "hard work" is again a fallacious argument.

Hand dollar bills out then to everyone, particularly the guys in the beige engineering overalls and the fellows constantly buffing up the stair rails with antiseptic cleansers. Room service is just one more expected and included dining option. No one should ever feel they need to tip or feel required to tip to get "better" services.

[Boytjie]

People who brag they get their meals hot and on time when they tip leave the impression that others do not if they don't tip.

There may have been a handful of people that have posted that, most people that tip for room service have not said that in my experience. You seem to leave the impression that everyone that tips for room service holds that view.

[SwissMyst]

Tipping some workers for included services but not all, to see them "smile" sounds equally creepy.

[kazu]

Tipping some workers for included services but not all, to see them "smile" sounds equally creepy.


I did warn the op that this could get controversial :):p:)

As you can see op, different opinions, do what you feel is best for YOU and enjoy your cruise :D

[SwissMyst]

I did warn the op that this could get controversial :):p:)

As you can see op, different opinions, do what you feel is best for YOU and enjoy your cruise :D

When it comes to tipping for included services, I think it goes well beyond doing what is best for YOU. This individual tipping policy for individual included services rendered affects the service delivery expectations and corrupts the entire process for everyone. Advertently or inadvertently. Give your room services tips at the end of the cruise if this has been something YOU want to do, not for each tray carried in and out.

My point is no one should ever feel they must tip for room service nor feel they will not get adequate room service if they do not. It is a myth you get lower priority or better room service if you do not tip. You do not. Room service is a included part of HAL dining options. It relieves the pressure on other dining options and is just one part of the entire array of food service delivery throughout the ship. It is NOT and extra service.

[twinkletoes4445]

Give your room services tips at the end of the cruise if this has been something YOU want to do, not for each tray carried in and out.

My point is no one should ever feel they must tip for room service nor feel they will not get adequate room service if they do not. It is a myth you get lower priority or better room service if you do not tip. You do not. Room service is a included part of HAL dining options. It relieves the pressure on other dining options and is just one part of the entire array of food service delivery throughout the ship. It is NOT and extra service.

Just a question ... If you leave your auto-tips in place, then anything you give extra to anyone in the form of a tip is kept by that person. When we have room service we never get the same person twice, so how would that work if we gave the tips at the end? I want the money to go to the people that actually brought the food to us.

I think tipping beyond the auto-tip is a personal thing. If you don't want to tip, that's your option, but here you're telling us when we should tip (at the end, not for each tray carried in or out). You certainly have the right to never tip, but don't have the right to tell everyone when it is appropriate to tip.

You don't have to tip. The person who brings your food to your room will drop it off and be gone in the blink of an eye. But they do appreciate the tips. It is what it is. Tip, don't tip, it's your choice. Just don't tell me when to tip or not tip. I don't care if you do or not. That's your business.

[Boytjie]

Tipping some workers for included services but not all, to see them "smile" sounds equally creepy.

Yes, and it is different from tipping and seeing them smile. ;)

[twinkletoes4445]

I did warn the op that this could get controversial :):p:)

As you can see op, different opinions, do what you feel is best for YOU and enjoy your cruise :D

That's the best advice ... do what feels best for you. I asked the same question prior to our first cruise. I just wanted to know what the majority of people did about room service, and other extra tips. I got lots of helpful advice. I know I don't have to tip, but I wanted to know a ballpark idea of what people did tip when they tipped.

[twinkletoes4445]

Yes, and it is different from tipping and seeing them smile. ;)

Exactly. :)

[lorekauf]

When it comes to tipping for included services, I think it goes well beyond doing what is best for YOU. This individual tipping policy for individual included services rendered affects the service delivery expectations and corrupts the entire process for everyone. Advertently or inadvertently. Give your room services tips at the end of the cruise if this has been something YOU want to do, not for each tray carried in and out.

My point is no one should ever feel they must tip for room service nor feel they will not get adequate room service if they do not. It is a myth you get lower priority or better room service if you do not tip. You do not. Room service is a included part of HAL dining options. It relieves the pressure on other dining options and is just one part of the entire array of food service delivery throughout the ship. It is NOT and extra service.
Watch that you don't fall over while you are stretching so far:rolleyes:. I really don't care if you tip or not. I like to tip because I'm appreciative of anyone bringing food to my room:D. I just don't understand why you get so bent out of shape when others do it. I really don't care what others do in this situation.

[ejd]

We tip $3-$5 for the excellent room service we receive. I always bring along new ones and fives for tips. I enjoy giving someone a bit extra as I know what it means to work hard and I appreciate very much being on a cruise in the first place. :)

Saphire,

Pretty much how I see it. ;)

[tangerinebunny]

No one's called me creepy before. It's intriguing.

I also say 'please' and 'thank you' and smile at people who often (but not always) smile in return.

Guess that's creepy too.

[startwin]

Just a question ... If you leave your auto-tips in place, then anything you give extra to anyone in the form of a tip is kept by that person. When we have room service we never get the same person twice, so how would that work if we gave the tips at the end? I want the money to go to the people that actually brought the food to us.

I think tipping beyond the auto-tip is a personal thing. If you don't want to tip, that's your option, but here you're telling us when we should tip (at the end, not for each tray carried in or out). You certainly have the right to never tip, but don't have the right to tell everyone when it is appropriate to tip.

You don't have to tip. The person who brings your food to your room will drop it off and be gone in the blink of an eye. But they do appreciate the tips. It is what it is. Tip, don't tip, it's your choice. Just don't tell me when to tip or not tip. I don't care if you do or not. That's your business.


^^^^ exactly!:D

[Highbypass Turbofan]

We usually bring a bunch of $2 bills to tip with. Works great if you want to keep a lasting impression on a certain bartender or employee.
Read this tip from another CC'er who used them on every trip.

[SwissMyst]

Your main dining room waiter brings your food to you every night. Do you tip him every time he sets a plate down in front of you? Think about it.

Why tip room service for doing even less work because they put the whole meal on a single tray instead of running back and forth for four courses carrying huge stacks of lidded dishes. No reason to ever think room service is extra service. It is not. In fact it is probably the preferred assignment to get.

[FrankNJ]

Oh boy . Looks like I'll have to bring a few extra dollar bills to make up for some of the cheapskates who don't tip room service . Don't even reply ........... please .

p.s.- oh , never mind .

[Cruise Organizer]

Oh boy . Looks like I'll have to bring a few extra dollar bills to make up for some of the cheapskates who don't tip room service . Don't even reply ........... please .

p.s.- oh , never mind .

I always tip room service as I think it is right.
It's my money, so I will tip as I please.

I guess if you order a pizza and have it delivered, you don't have to tip either.

Squeeze a penny so much that Lincoln will cry.

[dakrewser]

Why tip room service for doing even less work ...

So, you choose to tip "some people" extra at the end of the voyage and that's exemplary behavior. I choose to tip the room-service waiter when I see him - and that's "creepy"?

Could you please explain the difference?

[SwissMyst]

Looks like I am going to have to bring a barrel full of bills to make sure everyone not bringing room service trays into a cabin, don't feel left out. :roll eyes: Point made: room service is no different than any other dining service you receive on board the ship included in the price.

I don't know why people feel so guilty about getting room service while they accept service with out showering dollar bills in 99% of the other dining venues. That is what makes these thread so intriguing.

[twinkletoes4445]

Looks like I am going to have to bring a barrel full of bills to make sure everyone not bringing room service trays into a cabin, don't feel left out. :roll eyes: Point made: room service is no different than any other dining service you receive on board the ship included in the price.

I don't know why people feel so guilty about getting room service while they accept service with out showering dollar bills in 99% of the other dining venues. That is what makes these thread so intriguing.

You don't have to do anything of the kind. Don't tip extra. That's your choice. No one is going to feel left out. I am sure not everyone tips for room service.

I don't feel guilty at all about tipping for room service. When we dine in the Lido for dinner we always leave a few bucks for the person that helps us with our food. When we have fixed seating we leave an extra tip with the waiter on the last night. When someone brings our food to our cabin, we leave a tip.

What is intriguing is why do you care? It does seem as though you'd like this practice to stop because it's something you don't do. Whatever. Don't tip extra. I don't care, but do not try and act as though those of us who choose to do this are doing something wrong. Are you worried it makes you look bad? I can't figure out why you would care what others do. I sure don't care if you or anyone else doesn't tip anything beyond the auto-tips.

[twinkletoes4445]

So, you choose to tip "some people" extra at the end of the voyage and that's exemplary behavior. I choose to tip the room-service waiter when I see him - and that's "creepy"?

Could you please explain the difference?

Good question. Good luck getting an answer.

[SwissMyst]

I hate to see this become a de facto two-tier ship.

A service level for those who tip and a service level for those that do not. I will continue to reassure those that they can treat this as an all-inclusive experience during the cruise, and not to worry about getting short-changed if they choose to only tip at the end or the trip -- or even not at all if that is their choice.

But I do worry those who encourage on-going tipping for oddly curious selective reasons like room service, but not table service, might create a quasi two-tier ship. I hope it does not. See if you can stick with my logic here.

But more importantly I want to assure those who ask, they should not feel obliged or guilty or subject to second class service if they do not tip until the cruise is over. Keeping the cruise experience "cash-less" during the cruise is a worthy goal.

[Sophiebaby]

I always bring an envelope with dollar bills, and I do choose to tip for room service. And, yes, you have to move fast to give the tip to the room service waiter, because they do not stand there with their hands out. This is my personal choice. What other people choose to do is their personal choice.

[twinkletoes4445]

I hate to see this become a de facto two-tier ship.

A service level for those who tip and a service level for those that do not. I will continue to reassure those that they can treat this as an all-inclusive experience during the cruise, and not to worry about getting short-changed if they choose to only tip at the end or the trip -- or even not at all if that is their choice.

But I do worry those who encourage on-going tipping for oddly curious selective reasons like room service, but not table service, might create a quasi two-tier ship. I hope it does not. See if you can stick with my logic here.

But more importantly I want to assure those who ask, they should not feel obliged or guilty or subject to second class service if they do not tip until the cruise is over. Keeping the cruise experience "cash-less" during the cruise is a worthy goal.

If your goal is to keep the cruise all-inclusive as you stated, then you defeat your goal by tipping extra at the end. What is the difference between someone tipping for extra service early on, and you tipping extra at the end? It's the same thing. There is nothing oddly curious about tipping someone who brings room service, IMO. We may never see these people again and I want to make sure, if we are going to give them something extra for something they did for us, that we give it to them when we see them.

Why would it become a two-tier ship? Are you saying that the employees would treat those that don't tip extra differently than those who do? Since you have no desire to do this you want us all to do the same thing. That's nice for you. lol

No one should feel obligated to tip beyond the auto-tip. No one should feel that they should "hold off" on their extra tips until the end to please those that choose not to tip extra early on. Do whatever you want. Don't tip. Do tip. You need to be comfortable enough in your decision to not tip for room service (or whatever) without having to try and get those that do to see it your way.

[twinkletoes4445]

I always bring an envelope with dollar bills, and I do choose to tip for room service. And, yes, you have to move fast to give the tip to the room service waiter, because they do not stand there with their hands out. This is my personal choice. What other people choose to do is their personal choice.

Exactly what we do. I agree with you completely. :)

[Typhoon1]

Here we go again.

At any rate, a few bucks depending on the size of your order is more than appropriate.

[parrotfeathers]

I do tip room service. On RCL, you get a telephone call to let you know they are on their way. I was right across from the Neptune on Eurodam so didn't use it as much.

[Sapphire723]

I hate to see this become a de facto two-tier ship.

A service level for those who tip and a service level for those that do not.

You've already stated that this is not the case. I get the overall feeling that you're worried that your service level will start to deteriorate because other people are more generous than you are, so you're trying to get more people to do exactly as you do to prevent your habits from becoming the exception.

I will be trying HAL for the first time in April. Does anyone know if there is an ability to add a room service tip to your shipboard account? For example, Princess allows for you to tip on the back of your order or tip when you receive the food by signing a receipt. I don't like to carry cash if I don't have to, so I typically tip more often if I am able to do so conveniently.

[LordSpain]

Looks like I am going to have to bring a barrel full of bills to make sure everyone not bringing room service trays into a cabin, don't feel left out. :roll eyes: Point made: room service is no different than any other dining service you receive on board the ship included in the price.

I don't know why people feel so guilty about getting room service while they accept service with out showering dollar bills in 99% of the other dining venues. That is what makes these thread so intriguing.


You don’t have to bring a barrel full of bills – you don’t have to tip at all if you don’t want to – it’s entirely up to you. Tipping is personal and often it is cultural too . . . generally speaking folks from Australia and the UK don’t tip as much as folks from the US. Tipping extra isn’t good or bad. Not tipping isn’t good or bad either – it’s just different. What’s appropriate for one person or one culture doesn’t necessarily mean that’s it’s appropriate for another. Sometimes “different” doesn’t mean anything other than it’s well, different.

Bruce

[twinkletoes4445]

You've already stated that this is not the case. I get the overall feeling that you're worried that your service level will start to deteriorate because other people are more generous than you are, so you're trying to get more people to do exactly as you do to prevent your habits from becoming the exception.

I will be trying HAL for the first time in April. Does anyone know if there is an ability to add a room service tip to your shipboard account? For example, Princess allows for you to tip on the back of your order or tip when you receive the food by signing a receipt. I don't like to carry cash if I don't have to, so I typically tip more often if I am able to do so conveniently.

I don't think you can add your tip to your order, but I am not sure. It would be nice to be able to do this. Someone who knows for sure will be able to answer this question for you.

Have fun on your cruise!

[billyelliot]

Here we go again, same old story. If you ask about the " service charge/ tip being altered, you get shouted down! And told pay the auto charge? It now seems that if you don't " tip extra" you are also looked down upon!
I agree and have seen that some people think that it Is the 'right thing' to tip extra just to get better service.
I have been on a few cruises and have left the Auto tip in place, and taken it off on others and paid individual. I have also given tips to room servers on some and not on others. I can honestly say I have never received any different service on any line.
I so wish they would just put the charge on the cruise price to stop all confusion, especially from different cultures.

[RMLincoln]

.....Hand dollar bills out then to everyone, particularly the guys in the beige engineering overalls and the fellows constantly buffing up the stair rails with antiseptic cleansers. Room service is just one more expected and included dining option. No one should ever feel they need to tip or feel required to tip to get "better" services.

I don't tip the workers in overalls painting, greasing the lines, working on the lifeboats, doing general maintenance inside and outside or those vacuuming or polishing or disinfecting... But I mkae it a point to greet them and say "Thank You for your work," or "Thank You for making it nice for us!" to them as I pass by. They sometimes are quite surprised but I want them to know that they are appreciated. It's my way, and maybe tipping certain servers is other people's way.

At first I didn't tip for room service but then saw how difficult a task it is and wanted to show my appreciation with a small tip. I"ve never ordered a dinner but may someday. I hope that room service stays included but think that with the cost cutting we may eventually have to pay a service charge for it; some lines already have charges for RS pizza or late night RS. The cruise world is evolving. m--

[Sapphire723]

Here we go again, same old story. If you ask about the " service charge/ tip being altered, you get shouted down! And told pay the auto charge? It now seems that if you don't " tip extra" you are also looked down upon!
I agree and have seen that some people think that it Is the 'right thing' to tip extra just to get better service.
I have been on a few cruises and have left the Auto tip in place, and taken it off on others and paid individual. I have also given tips to room servers on some and not on others. I can honestly say I have never received any different service on any line.
I so wish they would just put the charge on the cruise price to stop all confusion, especially from different cultures.

As far as I've seen, people typically don't get shouted down for asking about altering the service charge to reflect poor service. Usually, they get negative comments if they're only doing it to be cheap.

I am a huge supporter of allowing people to tip rather than including a tip as a mandatory part of the meal, trip, service, etc. My support stems both from having been someone who was tipped and from being a customer who likes to tip. My reasoning? A tip gives direct feedback on how well someone is performing at their job in the eyes of the most important people-- the customer. Do a great job? Instant raise. Do a crappy job? You know right away so that you can fix the problem without being reprimanded by superiors. When I waited tables, I was able to make good money, because customers appreciated excellent service and tipped accordingly. As a customer, I like having the ability to "put my money where my mouth is" when I express gratitude for a job well done. I also like being able to decrease what I pay for a service if the job was unsatisfactory without having to do a long song and dance about how it sucked and why it sucked in the hopes that I might get some sort of monetary return for my troubles.

If cruiselines make tips a mandatory part of the total cruise price, then you would have to do a heck of a lot of complaining to pay less for tips even if the experience was less than brilliant. The current system allows you to pay less if you get less than good service, which works quite well as long as people only decrease the tip for that reason.

As for different cultures, I always research the tipping habits (and customary habits and dress) of a country, resort, or ship before I go there. It's not difficult to do now that google exists, and it's something I believe any well-traveled person should do to save themselves from embarrassment or from offending others.

[Boytjie]

We usually bring a bunch of $2 bills to tip with. Works great if you want to keep a lasting impression on a certain bartender or employee.
Read this tip from another CC'er who used them on every trip.

I'd be careful with tipping $2 bills - they may not be as useful outside the USA as they may not easily be accepted everywhere.

[Boytjie]

I hate to see this become a de facto two-tier ship.

Wow... your reasoning gets more absurd...

[Boytjie]

Does anyone know if there is an ability to add a room service tip to your shipboard account? For example, Princess allows for you to tip on the back of your order or tip when you receive the food by signing a receipt.

Since there is no charge for room service there is nothing to sign, so nothing to add a tip too.

[Lauren]

We always tip when room service brings a tray. Not much, usually $3.00. At home I tip the newspaper delivery person, the pizza delivery person,my hairdresser, etc. why would I do less on a ship? They are trying to support their family back home and I had enough money to book the cruise. If we can help out in a small way then why shouldn't we? I would feel cheap if I didn't even though I know it's not expected.

[kazu]

Room service people are not always the same - so if you want to tip do it at the time. and if you don't want to tip - that's fine too:D Each to their own. And for Swiss Myst - we do tip our waiters at the end and our stewards, etc if we have had good service. :) Life is good you are on a cruise - enjoy it. Room service on HAL is fabulous IMO and we enjoy it.

So everyone can agree to disagree - no big deal - but no reason to try to prove one person is right and the other person is wrong IMO;) Each to their own - that's why the world is different. If we were all the same, it would be very boring.:)

Smooth seas to all:D

[SwissMyst]

Room service people are not always the same - so if you want to tip do it at the time. and if you don't want to tip - that's fine too:D Each to their own. And for Swiss Myst - we do tip our waiters at the end and our stewards, etc if we have had good service. :) Life is good you are on a cruise - enjoy it. Room service on HAL is fabulous IMO and we enjoy it.

So everyone can agree to disagree - no big deal - but no reason to try to prove one person is right and the other person is wrong IMO;) Each to their own - that's why the world is different. If we were all the same, it would be very boring.:)

Smooth seas to all:D

I enjoy room service knowing I don't have to tip, since it is included as a dining option in the total price of the cruise. And that means room service eg. delivery of food to the room, instead of delivery of food to the dining table. That is all.

Smooth seas.

[RuthC]

That is all.
Let's hope so. Ten times in the same thread is more than enough to make the point.

[SwissMyst]

Let's hope so. Ten times in the same thread is more than enough to make the point.

10 different people twisting the point gets 10 different responses. Let's hope this is the last from you too.:confused:

[Sapphire723]

Since there is no charge for room service there is nothing to sign, so nothing to add a tip too.

Ah, that's unfortunate. Even though Princess doesn't charge (except for pizza), they do allow you to tip on your account which works out well for me. I am WAY to tired in the early morning to locate cash and get it to the nice guy with the coffee before he quickly exits.

I am afraid that I might accidentally overlook it some mornings on HAL even if my intention was to tip. Maybe I should tape an envelope of money on the back of the door before I go to bed. :p

[Boytjie]

Ah, that's unfortunate. Even though Princess doesn't charge (except for pizza), they do allow you to tip on your account which works out well for me. I am WAY to tired in the early morning to locate cash and get it to the nice guy with the coffee before he quickly exits.

I am afraid that I might accidentally overlook it some mornings on HAL even if my intention was to tip. Maybe I should tape an envelope of money on the back of the door before I go to bed. :p

Before going to bed we will put the tip out next to where the tray will be left, so it is quick and easy. :)

[sail7seas]

We do the same. If we have put out a room service door knob order form, we put out some cash to have it ready to tip the steward when he brings our breakfast. They don't linger and wait around for a tip. They are here and gone very quickly.

[DizzyDallasDi]

I am WAY to tired in the early morning to locate cash and get it to the nice guy with the coffee before he quickly exits.

Since I always put on my robe to answer the door for room service in the morning, I slip my tip into the pocket before I go to bed. I'm not considered human until I've had my morning coffee so this is my solution.

[serendipity1499]

Looks like I am going to have to bring a barrel full of bills to make sure everyone not bringing room service trays into a cabin, don't feel left out. :roll eyes: Point made: room service is no different than any other dining service you receive on board the ship included in the price.

I don't know why people feel so guilty about getting room service while they accept service with out showering dollar bills in 99% of the other dining venues. That is what makes these thread so intriguing.

Why are you assuming that people feel guilty?..Is it to prove your point or are we making you feel guilty for not tipping?

We all know that tipping for room service is not necessary nor expected, but some of us enjoy giving a small lagniappe to the waiter when we receive our morning coffee or lunch..In addition, we also leave a tip in the Pinnacle, even though it's not necessary..

What I & many of us on this board object to, is your insistence that your way is the only way.. That's quite self serving IMO! I respect your choice not to tip, why can't you show me the same respect for my choice to tip?..

Cheers, :)
Betty

[Megsie1000]

Just off the Eurodam. We gave the guy $2-3 per time for breakfast. No, I didn't feel obligated, but I figured it is a lot of extra work to do the room service vs. other types of dining in the morning and they did such a great job at it, I thought it was justified *for us*. I wanted to do it and felt good about it.

Now, when my husband gave the porter at the dock $5 for pushing our suitcases through immigration on a trolley and got a disgusted look in return (as if it was not enough), I did not feel so good about tipping. That really pissed me off. :mad:

[fatcat04]

Before going to bed we will put the tip out next to where the tray will be left, so it is quick and easy. :)

We do the same thing. I am not a morning person so not having to hunt around for some one's before the necessity that is coffee is a good thing. :D

[FrankNJ]

Tipping some workers for included services but not all, to see them "smile" sounds equally creepy.

How about tipping to help them supplement their meager wages which they save most of to send home to support their families in places where the annual income is 10% of what it is in the U.S.? Do you not get that ?

I don't think ANYONE believes they get "hotter" breakfast because they tip .
They do it because they are good kind people. I'ts better to give than to receive !

[Cruise Organizer]

I hate to see this become a de facto two-tier ship.

A service level for those who tip and a service level for those that do not. I will continue to reassure those that they can treat this as an all-inclusive experience during the cruise, and not to worry about getting short-changed if they choose to only tip at the end or the trip -- or even not at all if that is their choice.

But I do worry those who encourage on-going tipping for oddly curious selective reasons like room service, but not table service, might create a quasi two-tier ship. I hope it does not. See if you can stick with my logic here.

But more importantly I want to assure those who ask, they should not feel obliged or guilty or subject to second class service if they do not tip until the cruise is over. Keeping the cruise experience "cash-less" during the cruise is a worthy goal.


Since your opinion is different from all other posts, it appears that most choose to tip room service, not required, but choose. I choose to tip as I also tip my newspaper delivery, pizza delivery etc. Who feels quilty, not me, but maybe those who keep pushing the issue.

Your logic on what could happen is pure speculation with no facts.
If you are so worried that you could creat a two tier ship, don't sail HAL.
Then there will be only tippers and all will be happy.

[billyelliot]

Or..... Include the service charge on the price. That way all staff will have a decent wage, and nobody will miss out. Nor will people on here be able to make people feel like they are making the staffs family's starve because of the megre wages Then people can continue "tipping" individuals for what it's ment to be.....a tip.

[Cruise Organizer]

Or..... Include the service charge on the price. That way all staff will have a decent wage, and nobody will miss out. Nor will people on here be able to make people feel like they are making the staffs family's starve because of the megre wages Then people can continue "tipping" individuals for what it's ment to be.....a tip.



Room service -- Everyone has as a choice, whether not to tip, to tip, how much.
You decide what you do. That is a tip

To make a mandatory charge is not a tip and would force those who do not tip to pay more.

The question has nothing to do with the wages, a question was asked if you tip and what do you tip - information gathering
Opinions will differ, but the OP will use the opinions to determine their course of action.

[twinkletoes4445]

What I & many of us on this board object to, is your insistence that your way is the only way.. That's quite self serving IMO! I respect your choice not to tip, why can't you show me the same respect for my choice to tip?..

That's it in a nutshell! :)

[NMLady]

Why get on line at the Front Desk if you can just bring it with you? And not everyone has access to the Neptune Lounge. ;)

My feelings exactly. We are among those who always bring a lot of ones.
I keep them in a separate envelope specifically for room service tips.

[NMLady]

Room service is an included dining option on all HAL ships. No tipping necessary. You don't tip for any individual service delivery at the time; only at the end of the trip if you feel you got exceptional service. Don't get misled by those posting who claim they do in order to obtain special benefits. This is not true and is actually offensive to ship policy.

We never tip and never intend to tip. Our room service orders always come hot, on time and perfectly as requested. That is a basic level of expected service that HAL offers as all inclusive. So no, those who tip are not buying their way to the head of the line. That is a myth they love to perpetuate. Offensive when you think about it.


1. Tipping at the end of the trip isn't such a good idea since you don't always get the same room server each time. So, tipping each time is better.

2. Most of us do not tip in order to get special benefits -- we tip as a thank you for the service since room service is in addition to a server's usual job.
Many of them are also cabin stewards, but not necessarily for the cabin ordering room service.

[NMLady]

Your main dining room waiter brings your food to you every night. Do you tip him every time he sets a plate down in front of you? Think about it.

Why tip room service for doing even less work because they put the whole meal on a single tray instead of running back and forth for four courses carrying huge stacks of lidded dishes. No reason to ever think room service is extra service. It is not. In fact it is probably the preferred assignment to get.

The dining room waiter gets a hefty chunk of the daily service charge.
IF the room server gets a portion, which I doubt, it's minuscule in comparison to the dining room waiters.
So your example is apples to oranges.

[billyelliot]

In my opinion the $11 a day is a mandatory charge, otherwise you wouldn't have it automatically put on yr bill. If it was put on the cost of cruise nobody would be able to stiff the staff, and as iv already said everybody could then "tip" if they wanted to.
On these sorts of thread people do often jump on people for asking about adjusting etc and are often told " Dont for get they need this money as they only get megre wages"
I like to tip for good service, and don't want to feel bad or let people down behind the scenes for not wanting to tip a certain few who you feel do not deserve.

[fatcat04]

My goodness, people are really arguing over this? If you want to tip, tip. If you don't, don't. Whoop-ti-do!! :rolleyes: Tipping is just something we do automatically (never gave it much thought), just a normal "expense" budgeted in for almost any vacation for out family. To each his own. :)

[dr.dawg]

dr.dawg here. yes, i always tip room service a few dollars. when i cruise, i get 100$ in one's, just for tipping situations. i almost never use that much, but before room service arrives, i get a few dollars out of the envelope for a tip. i mean, have you seen these guys lugging heavy trays down halls on elevators -- always with a smile? hard work and courtesy = tip, in my book.

[RuthC]

Let's hope this is the last from you too.:confused:
Well bless your heart.

[tcook052]

I do worry

When I'm cruising I try not to worry. Tip, don't tip everyone is free to decide for themselves.

[sullaRaffaello]

Your main dining room waiter brings your food to you every night. Do you tip him every time he sets a plate down in front of you? Think about it.

Why tip room service for doing even less work because they put the whole meal on a single tray instead of running back and forth for four courses carrying huge stacks of lidded dishes. No reason to ever think room service is extra service. It is not. In fact it is probably the preferred assignment to get.

There is no analogy between room service and standard dining services. Almost all passengers use the standard public room dining services. Most likely a relatively small percentage use room service, and if they use it at all, probably breakfast is the most common meal. Remember, standard room service on ships is a relatiely new phenomenon. Think about it. A complete stranger enters your bedroom in whatever state of disarray, with you in whatever unpredictable state of dress/undress, and takes time to arrange food on a table that may have items on it that he has to move around. That is a much more personal and intimate service than any dining room service. I've often felt that $11 per day is a paltry sum to be divided among so many people who provide such good service.

[chrispb]

And don't believe some of the amounts people say they tip:cool:

[twinkletoes4445]

And don't believe some of the amounts people say they tip:cool:

Why would I have any reason to doubt someone when they say they tip a buck or two? You think they are being dishonest and really don't tip extra? So there's some big conspiracy on the HAL board? lol Face it ... some people are going to tip extra and some are not. To each his own.

[twinkletoes4445]

Time for me to move on! Tip extra if you want (we do) for room service or other services. Don't if you don't want to. Happy Cruising!! :)

[kazu]

Time for me to move on! Tip extra if you want (we do) for room service or other services. Don't if you don't want to. Happy Cruising!! :)

Amen:)

[tcook052]

The CC tipping guide in this article also recommends a $2 tip for room service:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=132

[chrispb]

Why would I have any reason to doubt someone when they say they tip a buck or two? You think they are being dishonest and really don't tip extra? So there's some big conspiracy on the HAL board? lol Face it ... some people are going to tip extra and some are not. To each his own.
Read what I said again, I'm not talking about a buck or two.

[lorekauf]

Read what I said again, I'm not talking about a buck or two.
Maybe you should make that more clear in your post then instead of having people read between the lines.

[twinkletoes4445]

Maybe you should make that more clear in your post then instead of having people read between the lines.

That's the truth. I chuckled when I read this post. It took me back to when Johnny Carson and Ec McMann would do their routine with the envelope. :)

Why would anyone care whether someone tips extra or not? And why would anyone lie about leaving extra tips. We always give a couple of bucks for coffee, and more when we get breakfast, etc. It's a personal thing and I just don't understand why anyone would care if someone does this or not.

[twinkletoes4445]

Amen:)

And here I am again! LOL Oh, well. :)

[twinkletoes4445]

Read what I said again, I'm not talking about a buck or two.

I guess I won't bother telling you the amounts we tip various people who go above and beyond because you probably wouldn't believe me. lol Way back when we took our first cruise, I asked the same question and people posted their responses. I came away with an idea of what others gave (or didn't give) and that helped us. Now when someone asks, I like to respond because it helped us. If you don't want to give, don't give. Your choice. Some of the posts on this thread reminds me of the old movie, The Wizard of Oz! Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain (he's not really there) ... Some of those that don't leave extra do their very best to convince those that do, that no one else does, or they are lying. Whatever. Tip, don't tip extra. It's an individual choice.

[twinkletoes4445]

The CC tipping guide in this article also recommends a $2 tip for room service:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=132

Thanks! I have not seen this before. For the most part, what is suggested in the article is what we've been doing, so the posters here on CC have given me good advice. Thanks for sharing this link. I saved it for future reference. :)

[Rinderoo]

Love the $2 bill idea. Will do this in the future.

I tip for room service because I like to, I think they work hard, and they like to receive it. If anything, it gives the crew members some cash to have in their pocket for their limited time in port. Many of them send their paychecks home and that supports their families. I like to think that with a few bucks here and there I can buy them lunch even if its at a fast food place.

Tip, don't tip. Do whatever you like. If I can afford to take a cruise I can spend an extra few dollars a day on room service tips.

[NMLady]

Love the $2 bill idea. Will do this in the future.
.

On one of our cruises we'd also thought a $2 bill was a good idea, especially for room service tips, so got several from our bank and brought them with us for tips.

We found out later that servers had exchanged each one at the front desk since the bill was unfamiliar.

Even here in US the $2 bill is often hard to use.

[jimmy2x]

On one of our cruises we'd also thought a $2 bill was a good idea, especially for room service tips. Nope. We found out later that cabin steward had exchanged each one at the front desk since it was unfamiliar to him.
Even here in US the $2 bill is often hard to use.

I have to agree. Had read the idea elsewhere and thought it might be fun to do. Crew members, and worse yet, most folks on the islands have never seen one and it winds up creating nothing but confusion. It was a better idea in thought than in practice.

[sail7seas]

The CC tipping guide in this article also recommends a $2 tip for room service:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=132


I couldn't find a date for that article. Maybe it is there but I didn't find it.

I suspect it is quite old and probably needs a bit of revision. A $2 tip might have risen to $3 or more..... inflation and cost of living and all that.

The reason I suspect it is quite old is the photo of a steward in white shirt, red bow tie and blue/red jacket that HAL dining stewards used to wear many years ago. It has been a long time since we saw those great jackets (I loved them) and if it is in the article, it 'suggests' to me it's time to increase the tip suggestion a bit.

But it really is simple as others have said.

If you want to tip, do so. You pick the amount.
If you don't want to tip, don't.

[erewhon]

Living in a country where it is not normal to tip, I need to ask for our next cruise:

Should we tip the florist when delivering flowers to the cabin?

Should we tip the person delivering the laundry to the cabin?

[RuthC]

Living in a country where it is not normal to tip, I need to ask for our next cruise:

Should we tip the florist when delivering flowers to the cabin?

Should we tip the person delivering the laundry to the cabin?
The odds are you won't be in the cabin when those things are delivered, so your question may end up being moot.
However, in case you are there---
I believe your laundry is usually returned by your own cabin steward. If so, you may want to give an additional tip at the end of the cruise.
And again, tipping for flower delivery is always a choice. If you are there, and do want to tip, a dollar or two should be fine. If it's a huge bouquet, and he has to manuver a lot so the flowers don't break, maybe a tad more. ;)

[sail7seas]

:eek: When flowers are delivered to my home, I never tip. It never occured to me I should.

Should I have been tipping the delivery fellow all these years? They usually ring the bell, I answer, they hand me the flowers and turn to walk away. They don't seem to linger expecting a tip. :confused:

[tcook052]

I couldn't find a date for that article. Maybe it is there but I didn't find it.

I suspect it is quite old and probably needs a bit of revision.

Who knows the age but it is still linked on the main CC webpage:

Today on Cruise Critic

Batter Up … (http://www.cruisecritic.com/blog/index.php/category/live-from-msc-poesia) We're back from a baseball theme cruise: Read our reports (http://www.cruisecritic.com/blog/index.php/category/live-from-msc-poesia) to see if it was a hit or a strikeout.

Tipping Points (http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=1393&src=tocc)
When should you tip? And how much? Find out in our Ultimate Guide to Cruise Tipping (http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=1393).

[Pokeynose]

Well bless your heart.

Ruth, you are way too generous with your blessing. To bless or not to bless, that is the question and your choice. Sorry, I couldn't help myself.:D Time for some chocolate.;)

[scamper]

Room service is an included dining option on all HAL ships. No tipping necessary. You don't tip for any individual service delivery at the time; only at the end of the trip if you feel you got exceptional service. Don't get misled by those posting who claim they do in order to obtain special benefits. This is not true and is actually offensive to ship policy.

We never tip and never intend to tip. Our room service orders always come hot, on time and perfectly as requested. That is a basic level of expected service that HAL offers as all inclusive. So no, those who tip are not buying their way to the head of the line. That is a myth they love to perpetuate. Offensive when you think about it.

Agreed. Well, one point, anyway...tipping room service doesn't bring you special benefits. Otherwise, I always tip the dining room servers and room service attendants at the time service is provided. The hotel service charge is miniscule, in my opinion. On a land based vacation tipping 15-20% would be a LOT more than the service charge on a ship, so why wouldn't I tip comparably?

[scamper]

Living in a country where it is not normal to tip, I need to ask for our next cruise:

Should we tip the florist when delivering flowers to the cabin?

Should we tip the person delivering the laundry to the cabin?

Flowers and laundry are both delivered by your room attendant.

[FrankNJ]

:eek: When flowers are delivered to my home, I never tip. It never occured to me I should.

Should I have been tipping the delivery fellow all these years? They usually ring the bell, I answer, they hand me the flowers and turn to walk away. They don't seem to linger expecting a tip. :confused:

Ah , The mysteries of life . I must admit most people do not tip flower delivery persons at home , However , everyone tips pizza delivery people . Don't know why .

I always think of tipping as falling into 3 categories :
1. Those we tip out of custom or accepted practice
waiters , pizza delivery , parking valets etc etc .
2. Those we tip as a kindness to them and an appreciation of the service they provide
ship crew workers , people who do work at the house etc.
3. Those that we do not tip as a matter of practice
doctors , lawyers , indian chiefs. etc.

( And for some reason , the poor flower guy at home falls into that last category ,maybe he's the owner ? )

[josie724]

hmmmmm that's a good one? Maybe because usually flowers are a gift from someone else? Although that really has nothing to do with the person delivering it.....

[sail7seas]

Flowers and laundry are both delivered by your room attendant.


We find our laundry is sometimes delivered by our stewards but also it is not uncommon for a steward we don't know to wheel a garment card down the hallway and deliver to cabins along the way. We almost never know who he is and never tip him as I'm not expecting the knock on the door and don't have any cash ready. We always tip OUR steward(s) at the end of the cruise. I don't ever recall tipping a steward who drops off our laundry. Most of the time we aren't even there when it comes




Ah , The mysteries of life . I must admit most people do not tip flower delivery persons at home , However , everyone tips pizza delivery people . Don't know why .

I always think of tipping as falling into 3 categories :
1. Those we tip out of custom or accepted practice
waiters , pizza delivery , parking valets etc etc .
2. Those we tip as a kindness to them and an appreciation of the service they provide
ship crew workers , people who do work at the house etc.
3. Those that we do not tip as a matter of practice
doctors , lawyers , indian chiefs. etc.

( And for some reason , the poor flower guy at home falls into that last category ,maybe he's the owner ? )


Good point........ with the florist we and many of our friends use, the owners husband does a great many of the deliveries. I never thought about that before.

[tcook052]

3. Those that we do not tip as a matter of practice
doctors , lawyers , indian chiefs. etc.

Travel agents :D

[chrispb]

Maybe you should make that more clear in your post then instead of having people read between the lines.

OK, I'll tell it like it is. Someone on this thread said they tip between $10 and $15.

[dakrewser]

OK, I'll tell it like it is. Someone on this thread said they tip between $10 and $15.

Got a link to that post?

[kazu]

OK, I'll tell it like it is. Someone on this thread said they tip between $10 and $15.

I don't recall the post BUT that is possible - if you do in room dining, course by course with guests, then that could well be an appropriate tip.

We had 6 in the penthouse for course by course dining. It was fantastic and we certainly did tip $15+ if I recall correctly - but that of course, is a whole different kettle of fish, but still, room service - just long :):p:D

I doubt someone would tip that for a breafast delivery though:rolleyes:

[FrankNJ]

OK, I'll tell it like it is. Someone on this thread said they tip between $10 and $15.

Well , I once did tip the cocktail waitress in the casino $200. In dollar coins !
But , I did just hit a $5000 jackpot when she arrived with my drink ! ( Westerdam 2000 )

[erewhon]

Flowers and laundry are both delivered by your room attendant.

The room steward did not deliver either the laundry or the flowers.

The laundry was delivered by a young man wearing a blue and beige
coloured uniform and a little hat of the same colours.
He was wheeling a rack with the hanging garments and the baskets of folded laundry.

The flowers were delivered by the florist, we had just returned to our room after lunch when he knocked on the door.

[WpgCruise]

As I read through this thread, I put myself in the position of someone who may be interested in a Holland America cruise...............perhaps reading the posts to learn about fellow passenger one might expect to meet.
Does this some who have posted any pause to reflect on the image they might be projecting?
Smooth Sailing to all of us, whatever our opinions happen to be, keeping in mind they are really only our own opinions.

[startwin]

Got a link to that post?


On the first page of this thread... it was KK who said $10 - $20, but seemed to be referring to a several-courses dinner (I hope!). Me, I always tip $2 for my breakfast tray, and when we order room service lunch, which isn't often.

[DizzyDallasDi]

I always think of tipping as falling into 3 categories :
1. Those we tip out of custom or accepted practice
waiters , pizza delivery , parking valets etc etc .
2. Those we tip as a kindness to them and an appreciation of the service they provide
ship crew workers , people who do work at the house etc.
3. Those that we do not tip as a matter of practice
doctors , lawyers , indian chiefs. etc.

I'm befuddled.

Perhaps I've angered the plumbing gods because I've never tipped a plumber. Maybe that explains the leaks, clogs and other pipe related issues I keep experiencing. ;)

I've never tipped the guys that mow my lawn weekly. Perhaps I've angered the rain gods and that's why we experienced that awful drought last summer....and my lawn had more brown patches than green. :o

I've never tipped a contractor or electrician. Perhaps I've angered those gods too and that's why my light bulbs keep burning out and my fence needs to be replaced. :eek:

Please tell me which people who do work at your house you tip so I can end this crazy cycle of nonstop home maintenance issues. :D:D

[lors]

I find that this subject just keeps getting added on and the same things are said..
Everyone has their opinion to tip or not....Why has this subject turned in to 6 PAGES?????
A simple its your choice would have sufficed!!;)

[lorekauf]

I find that this subject just keeps getting added on and the same things are said..
Everyone has their opinion to tip or not....Why has this subject turned in to 6 PAGES?????
A simple its your choice would have sufficed!!;)
........and your post has brought it to page 7.

[tcook052]

........and your post has brought it to page 7.

Yes, but it's only page 7 if you've left it at the default thread display under your User CP. ;) You could, if you wanted, alter that default and instead show up to 200 threads per page and those wanting to do that can find it under the Edit Options button under your User CP.

[chrispb]

Got a link to that post?

Take a look at post 4 on Page 1 of this thread,

[lorekauf]

Yes, but it's only page 7 if you've left it at the default thread display under your User CP. ;) You could, if you wanted, alter that default and instead show up to 200 threads per page and those wanting to do that can find it under the Edit Options button under your User CP.
I don't really care how long this thread is. I was just responding to the other poster. The thread will die when it wants to not when someone deems it to be done. I just don't understand why people keep reading if they are not interested. Personally, I'm sick to death of hearing about the Condordia, others are not. I simply pass that thread by. Problem solved.

[Sea42]

On our recent cruise aboard the Nieuw Amsterdam we made a point of bringing along $50 in singles for tipping purposes for taxis, porters, room service etc.. The room service people were appreciative at first but I when I ran out of singles for a couple of days you could tell they had been expecting a tip. While I didn't feel I should have to explain myself to the crew it was a bit awkward.

[tcook052]

I don't really care how long this thread is. I was just responding to the other poster. The thread will die when it wants to not when someone deems it to be done. I just don't understand why people keep reading if they are not interested. Personally, I'm sick to death of hearing about the Condordia, others are not. I simply pass that thread by. Problem solved.

I was just attempting a bit of technical levity that's all.

[lorekauf]

I was just attempting a bit of technical levity that's all.
I know you were and my reply was not meant as a dig to you. I get tired of people making remarks about how long the thread has gone on to answer a simple question but do nothing to answer the question. I was really referring to the poster that I quoted.

[jbhcw]

On our recent cruise aboard the Nieuw Amsterdam we made a point of bringing along $50 in singles for tipping purposes for taxis, porters, room service etc.. The room service people were appreciative at first but I when I ran out of singles for a couple of days you could tell they had been expecting a tip. While I didn't feel I should have to explain myself to the crew it was a bit awkward.

While we always bring ones for tipping room service and bar waiters, yes I know there is a gratuity added to the drink charge, I usually go to the pursers office to get change for end of the cruise tipping......you could have run down there at any time for more ones :):):)

[sail7seas]

Just as a reminder,
The casino will usually happily break a $20 into ones and fives for you, if you wish.

[Sea42]

While we always bring ones for tipping room service and bar waiters, yes I know there is a gratuity added to the drink charge, I usually go to the pursers office to get change for end of the cruise tipping......you could have run down there at any time for more ones :):):)
We had a busy couple of days but that is eventually what I did.

[erewhon]

So, should I be tipping the ships florist when he delivers the flowers?

If I am in the stateroom when the laundry is delivered by a person other than our cabin steward, should I tip?

[GeriatricNurse]

So, should I be tipping the ships florist when he delivers the flowers?

If I am in the stateroom when the laundry is delivered by a person other than our cabin steward, should I tip?

No! No!

[RuthC]

So, should I be tipping the ships florist when he delivers the flowers?

If I am in the stateroom when the laundry is delivered by a person other than our cabin steward, should I tip?
It's really and totally up to you. I can only tell you what I think I would do.

If it's a lower-ranking ship crew, like a steward, than I would tip. If it's someone from the Front Office (that's happened when lost laundry was found), or the florest personally, I would not.
Lower ranking crew might be dressed in a blue & white uniform with a little pillbox cap, if that's any help.

[erewhon]

It's really and totally up to you. I can only tell you what I think I would do.

If it's a lower-ranking ship crew, like a steward, than I would tip. If it's someone from the Front Office (that's happened when lost laundry was found), or the florest personally, I would not.
Lower ranking crew might be dressed in a blue & white uniform with a little pillbox cap, if that's any help.

Thank you Ruth.

That is the uniform worn by the person delivering the laundry.
Have seen a crew member in that uniform, sweeping the launderette.

[FrankNJ]

I'm befuddled.

Perhaps I've angered the plumbing gods because I've never tipped a plumber. Maybe that explains the leaks, clogs and other pipe related issues I keep experiencing. ;)

I've never tipped the guys that mow my lawn weekly. Perhaps I've angered the rain gods and that's why we experienced that awful drought last summer....and my lawn had more brown patches than green. :o

I've never tipped a contractor or electrician. Perhaps I've angered those gods too and that's why my light bulbs keep burning out and my fence needs to be replaced. :eek:

Please tell me which people who do work at your house you tip so I can end this crazy cycle of nonstop home maintenance issues. :D:D


You should tip the workers , not the contractor / owner , if you're happy with the work.
Once a year to tip the lawn guys , again the workers , won't break you.
Unfortunately some plumbers make more than doctors .

Karma is an amazing thing ! ( see my earlier post re the casino ).


















Karma is an amazing thing !

[sail7seas]

If you order 'to go dinner' from a local restaruant, do you tip the person who has bagged it and takes your money? We don't have home delivery but prefer to pick it up.

If you pick up you pizza, do you tip?

[GeriatricNurse]

[quote=sail7seas;32252165]If you order 'to go dinner' from a local restaruant, do you tip the person who has bagged it and takes your money? We don't have home delivery but prefer to pick it up.

If you pick up you pizza, do you tip?


No & No! ;)

[FrankNJ]

If you order 'to go dinner' from a local restaruant, do you tip the person who has bagged it and takes your money? We don't have home delivery but prefer to pick it up.

If you pick up you pizza, do you tip?



The answer is "usually" . Particularly if the service is good and friendly.
I know in the past it was always customary to tip diner waitresses for orders to go ,
since they not only packed it but made the coffee.

[cruisin'girl]

If you order 'to go dinner' from a local restaruant, do you tip the person who has bagged it and takes your money? We don't have home delivery but prefer to pick it up.

If you pick up you pizza, do you tip?

There's usually a cup for tips at a "take out" register and we'll put a dollar and coin change in it.

[hal lover]

If you order 'to go dinner' from a local restaruant, do you tip the person who has bagged it and takes your money? We don't have home delivery but prefer to pick it up.

If you pick up you pizza, do you tip?


I do not tip for take out. We too, do not have any delivery service in our area. If we did, then yes I would tip.

When it comes to room service when cruising, we always tip. We come prepared with plenty of one's and five's.

It really is up to the individual. I do not feel that our tipping gets us any "better" service, but we do it because we want to.

[GeriatricNurse]

There's usually a cup for tips at a "take out" register and we'll put a dollar and coin change in it.

Why? :confused:

[sail7seas]

I do not tip for take out. We too, do not have any delivery service in our area. If we did, then yes I would tip.

When it comes to room service when cruising, we always tip. We come prepared with plenty of one's and five's.

It really is up to the individual. I do not feel that our tipping gets us any "better" service, but we do it because we want to.


Thanks for your response.
We do have delivery service available but we choose to pick it up ourselves. We don't do junk food takeout (maybe a pizza now and then) but have some places where we can order a full dinner to eat at home. They would deliver it to us and we definitely would tip if they did but I never tip if I pick up the meal.

We Always have tip ready when Room Service brings us our order. We know they hurry out the door so we have it already to give to the steward.

[sail7seas]

The answer is "usually" . Particularly if the service is good and friendly.
I know in the past it was always customary to tip diner waitresses for orders to go ,
since they not only packed it but made the coffee.

There's usually a cup for tips at a "take out" register and we'll put a dollar and coin change in it.



Thanks.

You have me rethinking. It didn't occur to me I should have been tipping for them to bag it and take our money but I think maybe that wasn't nice of me. They're always so nice and friendly despite my not having tipped that now I feel even worse. :o

[SwissMyst]

US thinks labor is worth minimum of $7. 25 an hour or 12 cents a minute. Use that as your tipping guide. Figure how many minutes it takes to carry the room service tray into your room and set it down. Tip appropriately if you think this is an "extra" service, and not an included HAL dining option covered by your basic cruise fare.

[lorekauf]

Thanks.

You have me rethinking. It didn't occur to me I should have been tipping for them to bag it and take our money but I think maybe that wasn't nice of me. They're always so nice and friendly despite my not having tipped that now I feel even worse. :o


I still think it's overkill to tip for that but that's just a preference. I will always tip for room service no matter what.

[FrankNJ]

Why? :confused:

Why is it there ? or Why do you put money in it ?

[GeriatricNurse]

Why is it there ? or Why do you put money in it ?

Why would one put money in a "tip" pot at a take-out? :confused: What has the clerk done to earn a tip when all they are doing is placing the take out on the counter for you to pick up (and take out)? :confused: Or as is said in Ireland, "take away"!

[Boytjie]

Why would one put money in a "tip" pot at a take-out? :confused: What has the clerk done to earn a tip when all they are doing is placing the take out on the counter for you to pick up (and take out)? :confused: Or as is said in Ireland, "take away"!

Who says the tip only goes to the person placing the order and ringing it up?

[lors]

OK all...please bare with me...this is MY and only MY thoughts on tipping wether on a cruise, a restaraunt, a flight, or what ever..I know a lot of you will disagree,,and some may see my point...but these are my thoughts...

When you go to a resteraunt, weather the food is good or bad...the first thing you see when you see is a machine if you use a debit or credit card to pay..is how much do you want to pay for a tip??? of course it also adds a or no tip button which in my opinion when you are standing at a till or a waiter over your shoulder you are made to feel guilty if you do not add a tip..thats before you agree to the amount... That being said, those who pay cash...how many times have you not been happy with a service but then the waitress says when you hand her a $20 bill for a meal that cost $11, and she asks DO YOU WANT CHANGE????
ok...that all being said....how hard do the other people in the work force that work for minumum wage say like in a Walmart, A huge grocery chain, ever get to ask for a tip for standing at a till all day packing your groceries, argiung that you put the wrong price in and making oyu call every dept only for them to find out you were right....or all night stalking shelves so you have food to buy in the morning....what makes a waiters or waitress job any harder than those that they should get a min of 15%-20% of their bill...Imagine a hard working single mother of three having to work to jobs at an outlet store for min wage and heaven forbid they get a tip.....just saying...yes waitresses and waiter take our food orders and return with our food, and ask how our meals are...do they work harder than anyone else who does get get the glory of GETTING A TIP!!!

sorry had to rant!! Promise these are my last thoughts on the topic....no more...lol

[GeriatricNurse]

Who says the tip only goes to the person placing the order and ringing it up?

And who says it doesn't? :confused:

[fleckle]

OK all...please bare with me...this is MY and only MY thoughts on tipping wether on a cruise, a restaraunt, a flight, or what ever..I know a lot of you will disagree,,and some may see my point...but these are my thoughts...

When you go to a resteraunt, weather the food is good or bad...the first thing you see when you see is a machine if you use a debit or credit card to pay..is how much do you want to pay for a tip??? of course it also adds a or no tip button which in my opinion when you are standing at a till or a waiter over your shoulder you are made to feel guilty if you do not add a tip..thats before you agree to the amount... That being said, those who pay cash...how many times have you not been happy with a service but then the waitress says when you hand her a $20 bill for a meal that cost $11, and she asks DO YOU WANT CHANGE????
ok...that all being said....how hard do the other people in the work force that work for minumum wage say like in a Walmart, A huge grocery chain, ever get to ask for a tip for standing at a till all day packing your groceries, argiung that you put the wrong price in and making oyu call every dept only for them to find out you were right....or all night stalking shelves so you have food to buy in the morning....what makes a waiters or waitress job any harder than those that they should get a min of 15%-20% of their bill...Imagine a hard working single mother of three having to work to jobs at an outlet store for min wage and heaven forbid they get a tip.....just saying...yes waitresses and waiter take our food orders and return with our food, and ask how our meals are...do they work harder than anyone else who does get get the glory of GETTING A TIP!!!

sorry had to rant!! Promise these are my last thoughts on the topic....no more...lolWe all can argue on and on endlessly about who works harder or whose job is worth more or what is fair or not fair.

We can also argue about why a ball player or actor should be paid so much more than a firefighter or teacher or nurse or garbage collector, all of whom perform jobs that are more necessary and beneficial to society than the ball player or actor.

But such arguments accomplish nothing. In our society, some occupations traditionally get tipped and others don't. Some occupations get bonuses or commissions and others don't. Some are paid an hourly wage. Others are paid an annual salary.

In different societies and at different locations, customs and traditions are different. Most of us who travel try to follow the customs and respect the traditions of the places we go instead of complaining because things are not done as we prefer or the way we do it back home.

[kazu]

We all can argue on and on endlessly about who works harder or whose job is worth more or what is fair or not fair.

We can also argue about why a ball player or actor should be paid so much more than a firefighter or teacher or nurse or garbage collector, all of whom perform jobs that are more necessary and beneficial to society than the ball player or actor.

But such arguments accomplish nothing. In our society, some occupations traditionally get tipped and others don't. Some occupations get bonuses or commissions and others don't. Some are paid an hourly wage. Others are paid an annual salary.

In different societies and at different locations, customs and traditions are different. Most of us who travel try to follow the customs and respect the traditions of the places we go instead of complaining because things are not done as we prefer or the way we do it back home.

Nicely said:D

[tip]

There will always be those who choose not to tip and still be able to sleep well. Then again there would be some of us who could not sleep well if we chose not to tip. As others have said, it is a personal choice. I might add that you have to live with it.;)

[larsen]

Why would one put money in a "tip" pot at a take-out? :confused: What has the clerk done to earn a tip when all they are doing is placing the take out on the counter for you to pick up (and take out)? :confused: Or as is said in Ireland, "take away"!

And who says it doesn't? :confused:

I know that in Canada the tipping culture is different and it appears that restaurants must pay their staff a decent living wage BUT here in the States it just doesn’t happen. Most time the people you have direct contact with such as the waiter/waitress must pool a portion of their Tips to be shared with folks like the busboys and others. As far as the people who service the Take Out area they are usually on a rotating basis and while they are taking orders, bagging orders and taking money they are not out on the floor directly interfacing with people who will (hopefully) leave them a tip.

I have a daughter and several neices who have contributed a portion of their college expences by waiting tables and please understand it IS NOT a pleasant job and it very hard work.

The discussion of Tips will go on forever and my only advice is for each person to do what they think is right. I only wish people who are monetarily fortunate enough to take cruises would quit complaining about leaving (or not) something extra to those who have provided them service.

[sun~]

I know that in Canada the tipping culture is different and it appears that restaurants must pay their staff a decent living wage BUT here in the States it just doesn’t happen. Most time the people you have direct contact with such as the waiter/waitress must pool a portion of their Tips to be shared with folks like the busboys and others. As far as the people who service the Take Out area they are usually on a rotating basis and while they are taking orders, bagging orders and taking money they are not out on the floor directly interfacing with people who will (hopefully) leave them a tip.

I have a daughter and several neices who have contributed a portion of their college expences by waiting tables and please understand it IS NOT a pleasant job and it very hard work.

The discussion of Tips will go on forever and my only advice is for each person to do what they think is right. I only wish people who are monetarily fortunate enough to take cruises would quit complaining about leaving (or not) something extra to those who have provided them service.

Here in Canada it is very similar. Servers are paid less than the standard minimum wage (min wage is I believe 10.25, servers are paid a dollar an hour or so less). It is fully expected that we pay a 15-20% tip on the pre-tax amount. We don't see as many tip cups at take out counters, most folks just put s few coins in and there always seems to be a lot of pennies. When we order room service in a hotel, some hotels will include the service charge, if they don't, we tip just like in a restaurant.

So the 2 bucks or so on the cruise ship is fine. On my last cruise in January, the waiter in the MDR said he worked room service some nights to make extra money. So it seems that the room service folks work for tips. I didn't know that the waiters did it for extra cash, I thought it was a separate department. Learn something new every day!

[FrankNJ]

Why would one put money in a "tip" pot at a take-out? :confused: What has the clerk done to earn a tip when all they are doing is placing the take out on the counter for you to pick up (and take out)? :confused: Or as is said in Ireland, "take away"!

Well , unless you are seeing completely empty tip jars it's obvious that a good number of people do tip. They probably believe that "It's better to give than to receive" . But I think sometimes it's better to give and receive .

I never realized how opposed to the giving of gratuities the Canadians are .

[startwin]

Well , unless you are seeing completely empty tip jars it's obvious that a good number of people do tip. They probably believe that "It's better to give than to receive" . But I think sometimes it's better to give and receive .

I never realized how opposed to the giving of gratuities the Canadians are .

Pardon? Please don't make sweeping generalisations like that. The above poster has an opinion, but that does not mean the rest of us Canadians share it.

[Willsot]

We do not use room service very often. On our recent 14-day cruise I believe we had one breakfast and one afternoon snack delivered to the room. I tipped $2 both times.

[lorekauf]

Pardon? Please don't make sweeping generalisations like that. The above poster has an opinion, but that does not mean the rest of us Canadians share it.
Totally agree. I've had several dinners with Americans in the Pinnacle and I'm fairly sure none of them tipped. Some people tip, some don't. I don't think it's as straight forward as some make out.

[kazu]

Well , unless you are seeing completely empty tip jars it's obvious that a good number of people do tip. They probably believe that "It's better to give than to receive" . But I think sometimes it's better to give and receive .

I never realized how opposed to the giving of gratuities the Canadians are .

I'll repeat the other posters - and if you want to check my posts, we do tip. Canadians are NOT against giving gratuities. This is one person's opinion - he doesn't speak for all Canadians - he speaks for himself. It's his opinion (which he's entitled to) but it's not everyone one's in Canada

[cands]

We're from a culture which is pretty much against tipping in our own country. The minimum wage in Australia is $15.51 per hour (USD 16.54). Many service staff receive more than this.

We try to observe the customs of the countries we visit. When visiting the USA we end up passing 5 dollar notes to anyone who looks at us sideways!:D In Japan a tip can insult the server!

Just what is the culture of a ship registered in the Netherlands, staffed by people of many countries, travelling all over the world? I think the answer lies in the wages received by these people. They are pretty low, especially as measured by the standards of the passengers.

I think the generousity of a proportion of the room service recipients means the crew who provide this service are able to put a few bucks away from each shift they work. This may help to feed and clothe their families, or to make their life just a little bit easier in some way.

What's the harm in that?

[Jo-Bob]

Well , unless you are seeing completely empty tip jars it's obvious that a good number of people do tip. They probably believe that "It's better to give than to receive" . But I think sometimes it's better to give and receive .

I never realized how opposed to the giving of gratuities the Canadians are .

Whoa.

Let's please not continue with this falsehood. Do not make the assumption Canadians do not tip. Probably some don't, but as a Nation? Please.

[GeriatricNurse]

Whoa.

Let's please not continue with this falsehood. Do not make the assumption Canadians do not tip. Probably some don't, but as a Nation? Please.

And I do not tip for 'take-out'! It's not exactly 'table service', is it? :rolleyes:

[Sea42]

Well , unless you are seeing completely empty tip jars it's obvious that a good number of people do tip.
Or that the employees seed the tip jar to make it appear other customers are tipping?

[Jo-Bob]

And I do not tip for 'take-out'! It's not exactly 'table service', is it? :rolleyes:

Really sorry to be dragging this lame thread back up to the top again, but I just have to ask GN....what the heck are you talking about?

Go ahead and tip or not, I really don't care. Why do you think I was specifically talking to you, or about you? It's shocking how personally you seem to take many posts. Please relax.

[Casino Player]

Morning folks,

Sailing Friday on the Zuiderdam. We do plan to use room service this cruise, something I've rarely done in the past.

I realize this could be a contentious issue, but...
Should we tip for room service? Or is it included in the daily "service fee" given to the staff?

If yes, suggestions on how much?

Thanks.

Neal

HHHHHEEEEELLLLLLLLLLOOOOO WVU_Neal:My wife and I always use room service at some point in the cruise and sometimes several times a day. we tip. It doesn't have to be extravagant usually a dollar or two.

[itravelalot]

I so enjoy someone tip toeing into my room with my 7am coffee and my dh an ds's breakfast while they are still sleeping that i will pay 2 or 3 us dollars for it...

Now, how to find someone to do that daily at home for the same 2$...

Yes, I tip room service and most others who go out of their way....

[lors]

I also resent the comment about Canadians don't tip...although I gave my input on a delicate matter does NOT mean that I do not tip....I do tip for good service, if its not good service, I will not tip..that being said when we are in different countries it is very common for me tip far more than I would at home...if we have gone all inclusive to Mexico, Cuba, the Dominican, etc, I get the best feeling inside when I am able to tip gardeners, or the ladies that work so hard cleaning bathrooms or washing down decks beside pool area...I am Canadian, and I DO TIP....I just don't like some peoples attidues, that believe they deserve tips no matter the type of service the give... Just wanted to clarify.. Lets just say I do not like to be told what I have to do in regards to tipping...the worst senerio is when I pay for a bill with a $50. bill and the bill total is $26 and the waiter or waitress asks if I want change.....DUH????

[FrankNJ]

OK , I apologize to all of you tipping Canadians. From what I've been reading on these boards I had gotten the impression that it was a cultural habit in Canada not to tip.
Sorry if I was mistaken . Good to hear that you guys are spreading the wealth around up there .

[kazu]

OK , I apologize to all of you tipping Canadians. From what I've been reading on these boards I had gotten the impression that it was a cultural habit in Canada not to tip.
Sorry if I was mistaken . Good to hear that you guys are spreading the wealth around up there .

no worries:D It is definitely not a cultural habit in Canada not to tip:D Just happens to be a certain nurse's habit:rolleyes:

[GeriatricNurse]

OK , I apologize to all of you tipping Canadians. From what I've been reading on these boards I had gotten the impression that it was a cultural habit in Canada not to tip.
Sorry if I was mistaken . Good to hear that you guys are spreading the wealth around up there .

Frank, I think that it is general knowledge that Americans are the greatest tippers! ;) And you probably tip more than enough to make up for all of us Canucks who don't tip! :D

[Sbilko]

OK , I apologize to all of you tipping Canadians. From what I've been reading on these boards I had gotten the impression that it was a cultural habit in Canada not to tip.
Sorry if I was mistaken . Good to hear that you guys are spreading the wealth around up there .

On our last cruise, as we handed envelopes to our MDR steward and his assistant, the MDR steward stated and I quote; “Thank you, Canadians are the best tippers we ever see”.

[whogo]

Those of you that find the previous 172 posts on room service insufficient can walk down memory lane with these threads:
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=80442[/URL]
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=192303 (http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=131417)
[URL]http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=249924
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=795400
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=842457
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1013912
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1029739
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1109080
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1136595
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1170750

[lorekauf]

On our last cruise, as we handed envelopes to our MDR steward and his assistant, the MDR steward stated and I quote; “Thank you, Canadians are the best tippers we ever see”.
Good to hear that since some on this board make a habit of knocking us down as a nation. Too bad some on this board feel the need to fit into that stereotype.

[kazu]

Those of you that find the previous 172 posts on room service insufficient can walk down memory lane with these threads:
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=80442
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=192303
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=249924
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=795400
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=842457
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1013912
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1029739
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1109080
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1136595
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1170750

:):p:):D

[itravelalot]

Being Canadian (we are also very polite) I had never heard that our culture involves not tipping...:confused:

We (dh and I) must make up for the majority because we get on the ship and tip all our "people" right up front..... Just what we do... It may not be the way other people do it but it works for us.. This is on top of the automatic grat. that is added on the end.. We also tip again half way through the cruise, along with tipping for room service..:eek:

These people work hard and we like to reward excellent or helpful service...

Isn't it my choice? Just as it is other peoples choice not to tip....:)