How much (and when) do you tip the Camp staff?

[mary_228]

So glad to see over 1000 views of this thread. Hopefully more families will tip the staff at the end of each cruise. As a reality check though, I will mention that after her Christmas week cruise, my DD's share of the tipping pool was $15! And there were over 300 kids on board. With ten counselors, that amounts to 50 cents per child per week! But things really picked up the next week when she got $35 . Oh boy. At least the tips covered her out of pocket expenses for baggage check fees. How cheap can the cruise line be?? She even had to pay $250 out of her own pocket for the employment physical. Whew, got that off my chest. Sorry for venting.

[cardbucfan]

Would you still recommend tipping for teenagers who don't really use a camp counselor, they are just using the camp space to hang out in. I sure tip my cabin steward and waiters etc, but what does the counselor do for the teen group? If so, how much?

[amybeth601]

I'm really glad this topic was brought up, as I don't think I would have otherwise thought to tip the kid's club staff. This will be our children's first cruise, so I am needing to think about a lot of things that I haven't had to think about when it was just DH and I getting away!

I have a five year old and a seven year old who will likely want to spend as much time as they can in the kid's program. How much should I plan to bring for tips? We will be on a five day cruise on the Disney Wonder. TIA!

Amy

[VikkiGarcia]

I would also like to mention that if you run into a great kids club staff member that went above and beyond with your child, please write a letter or mention them SPECIFICALLY on your cruise evaluation sheet. The cruise line puts all their individual kudos in their personell file. A kids club supervisor told me that this is the best way for GOOD staff to be rewarded.

[highbridge5]

Originally Posted by amybeth601

I'm really glad this topic was brought up, as I don't think I would have otherwise thought to tip the kid's club staff. This will be our children's first cruise, so I am needing to think about a lot of things that I haven't had to think about when it was just DH and I getting away!

I have a five year old and a seven year old who will likely want to spend as much time as they can in the kid's program. How much should I plan to bring for tips? We will be on a five day cruise on the Disney Wonder. TIA!

Amy

This is my first cruise and my first with kids so I am just making it up as I go. Some here have mentioned $10/day. For 6 or 8 hours of supervision and entertainment, that does not seem excessive.

I am planning on $10 tip per 6 hour day per child. I'll prorate as needed - up or down and if they really have a good time, I'm happy to add more.

I have 3 kids and 3 "Fun Day At Sea" days. Each kid is going to be in a different age group so 3 different sets of counselors. If my kids are there all day for those 3 days, I'm looking at about $90. If they are having so much fun that I have to drag them out of camp at the end of the day, it would be easily the best $100 I spent. For a family of 5 on a 7 day cruise, it only would add an extra 2.50 per person/per day.

You are paying a hefty premium for Disney already. Being a "kid" oriented cruise line, I would find it to be a more difficult decision.

hb5

[asylum575]

As previously posted, I tip $10/day. I tip the same for sea days as well as port days, where DS may only be there for a couple of hours in the afternoon/evening. This allows us a quiet dinner after feeding him with room service in the room. $10 to allow us a romantic dinner is well worth it.

[amybeth601]

Originally Posted by asylum575

As previously posted, I tip $10/day. I tip the same for sea days as well as port days, where DS may only be there for a couple of hours in the afternoon/evening. This allows us a quiet dinner after feeding him with room service in the room. $10 to allow us a romantic dinner is well worth it.

Asylum575, I agree wholeheartedly with you!

Thanks all for the suggestions. I hate the thought that I would not have otherwise known about tipping the kid's club staff if I hadn't read everyone's posts! I know it seems like a no-brainer, but I usually follow the tipping recommendations that the cruise lines give to their guests. Maybe I've overlooked it in the past because I was cruising with just DH, but I don't ever remember seeing any suggested amounts for tipping the kid's room staff.... Oh well, at least now I have an idea of what to tip! Thanks!

Amy

[mary_228]

Originally Posted by cardbucfan

Would you still recommend tipping for teenagers who don't really use a camp counselor, they are just using the camp space to hang out in. I sure tip my cabin steward and waiters etc, but what does the counselor do for the teen group? If so, how much?

I suppose it would be best to ask your child if the staff member did anything with them. On one cruise, there was a special dinner on formal night and everyone had to be gotten together, brought to the dining room, posed for a group photo on the staircase. There were so many kids who turned out for the program, I suppose there must have been something good going on. On other cruises the program was more disappointing and the activites were never happening as scheduled. I wouldn't feel obligated to tip in that situation.

[mary_228]

Originally Posted by VikkiGarcia

I would also like to mention that if you run into a great kids club staff member that went above and beyond with your child, please write a letter or mention them SPECIFICALLY on your cruise evaluation sheet. The cruise line puts all their individual kudos in their personell file. A kids club supervisor told me that this is the best way for GOOD staff to be rewarded.

This is absolutely the case. DD told me the cruise line takes passsenger comments very seriously. It's so much easier to get worked up about a bad experience and take the time to leave that feedback, but when things run well, we tend to take them for granted.

[cardbucfan]

Mary, thanks for the tip. I'll be sure to ask him how much interaction there was and make my decision based on that. He'll be with me on all excursions and all dinners but I probably won't see him much other than that!

[highbridge5]

Originally Posted by cardbucfan

Would you still recommend tipping for teenagers who don't really use a camp counselor, they are just using the camp space to hang out in. I sure tip my cabin steward and waiters etc, but what does the counselor do for the teen group? If so, how much?

I don't have teenagers but have been around a group of 10 or 12 pre-teens (7th and 8th graders) at a halloween party.

I, for one, think that anyone who has the patience, the volume and the authoritative presence to keep a group of teens from hurting themselves or others and damaging any property in the process (not on purpose but the play can get a bit rowdy) while still letting them be teenagers and have fun deserves as much of a tip as the person who helps my 4 year old use his scissors properly or helps put the straw in his juice box.

JMHO.

highbridge5

[Warmer Climes]

I tip between $70-100 for the week for my daughter. I also take the time to fill out comment cards and recognize the exceptional staff by name.

Barb

[MamaParrotHead]

I ended up tipping each kids' camp $20 per kid on the last night. We only had 2 sea days and they rarely went in the evenings for long.

[mary_228]

Originally Posted by amybeth601

Asylum575, I agree wholeheartedly with you!

Thanks all for the suggestions. I hate the thought that I would not have otherwise known about tipping the kid's club staff if I hadn't read everyone's posts! I know it seems like a no-brainer, but I usually follow the tipping recommendations that the cruise lines give to their guests. Maybe I've overlooked it in the past because I was cruising with just DH, but I don't ever remember seeing any suggested amounts for tipping the kid's room staff.... Oh well, at least now I have an idea of what to tip! Thanks!

Amy

Don't feel bad! You are completely right that there is no info or suggestions for tipping this department. I have read here on CC that some cruise lines, NCL, for one, actually keep tip envelopes at the kids program registration desk, so it's pretty obvious that people might consider tipping. However there has never been anything on the three lines I've sailed on and there unfortunately isn't one for HAL, either. I am happy to get the word out, even if my DD never works another sailing again. There is so much misinformation out there that makes me want to do what I can to correct it.

[highbridge5]

On our 7 day cruise:

My youngest used the camp for about 7 hours.
My middle child for about 9 hours and
my oldest for about 13 hours total.

6 of these hours were during the period where you pay for the service.

I'm pretty sure I left $20 for each age group - or $60.

hb5