Miscellaneous Tips

We have the premium beverage package & the prepaid tips.

What other services should I be prepared to tip? I want to bring enough cash. Below are the items I could think of. What are the acceptable amounts for each? Is 3-5 a percentage like at a restaurant?

1) Extra for On board staff that does great job

2) Porter when arriving at ship

3) SAS driver from airport to hotel

4) driver from hotel to port

5) Excursions

Thanks

We have the premium beverage package & the prepaid tips.

 

What other services should I be prepared to tip? I want to bring enough cash. Below are the items I could think of. What are the acceptable amounts for each? Is 3-5 a percentage like at a restaurant?

 

1) Extra for On board staff that does great job

2) Porter when arriving at ship

3) SAS driver from airport to hotel

4) driver from hotel to port

5) Excursions

 

Thanks

Regardless of whether or not you prepay the tips, assuming you do pay the tips, this is my practice:

1) Extra for On board staff that does great job

small tips (dollar or two) to bar and wait staff for a drink order.

2) Porter when arriving at ship

small tip (3-5 dollars) for two large suitcases.

3) SAS driver from airport to hotel

Not sure if SAS is the airline, but we probably would tip the driver a couple of dollars for handling the luggage.

4) driver from hotel to port

Same as in 3

5) Excursions

For a full day excursion, if the guide was good, I tip about $10, less for half day. Bus driver gets $3-5 dollars depending on length of tour. Also, while in Europe, I will tip in Euros, same numbers.

Not sure if you have pre-paid gratuities for the ship's staff (in addition to the premium package), but we always tip a little extra for our cabin stewards and our dining staff.

I know there are those out there that feel like the "not-so-optional" gratuities are enough (which I"m sure they are), but we go above and beyond for them....just like they do for us.

YMMV

Not sure if you have pre-paid gratuities for the ship's staff (in addition to the premium package), but we always tip a little extra for our cabin stewards and our dining staff.

 

I know there are those out there that feel like the "not-so-optional" gratuities are enough (which I"m sure they are), but we go above and beyond for them....just like they do for us.

 

YMMV

We do as well. We're fortunate enough to be on a lovely cruise and the few extra dollars are much less meaningful to us and are so appreciated by the hardworking staff who go the extra mile to make us happy!

Also, we always tip for room service.

I'm assuming you're remembering the reverse trips as well (i.e. porter from baggage claim to transportation (if you use one) and transportation from port to airport).

Also, we always tip for room service.

Glad you mentioned that. We always travel with about 50 singles and grab a bunch each evening when leaving for dinner.

Always have given extra to our cabin steward. When you see what the amount that Celebrity uses for pre paid gratuities you would agree.

I just wanted to mention that if you use any spa services or hairstylist services, that would be something you would tip for. They are vendors and not included in any of the pre-paid gratuities.

I absolutely recommend tipping a dollar or two to the roaming casino bar tenders. They were few and far between on my last cruise and I think overworked since Celebrity has reduced their numbers.

I just wanted to mention that if you use any spa services or hairstylist services, that would be something you would tip for. They are vendors and not included in any of the pre-paid gratuities.

 

I absolutely recommend tipping a dollar or two to the roaming casino bar tenders. They were few and far between on my last cruise and I think overworked since Celebrity has reduced their numbers.

I agree. A tip early in the evening (just as you would in Vegas) keeps them coming back to you. I use dollar chips at the tables (especially if I'm up!)

We have the premium beverage package & the prepaid tips.

 

 

 

What other services should I be prepared to tip? I want to bring enough cash. Below are the items I could think of. What are the acceptable amounts for each? Is 3-5 a percentage like at a restaurant?

 

 

 

1) Extra for On board staff that does great job

 

2) Porter when arriving at ship

 

3) SAS driver from airport to hotel

 

4) driver from hotel to port

 

5) Excursions

 

 

 

Thanks

None.

In my view they are only doing the job they applied for. Their renumeration is a matter between them and their employer , plus the tax people.

I dont give tips nor receive them - a perfect balance IMHO

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None.

 

In my view they are only doing the job they applied for. Their renumeration is a matter between them and their employer , plus the tax people.

 

I dont give tips nor receive them - a perfect balance IMHO

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I guess tipping is not very prevalent in Britain.

We love Britain and are doing a four week drive tour of England and Wales next year prior to a TA back to the US.

What are the tipping customs in Britain?

None.

 

In my view they are only doing the job they applied for. Their renumeration is a matter between them and their employer , plus the tax people.

 

I dont give tips nor receive them - a perfect balance IMHO

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Well said :)

4774Papa - tipping is not the norm in the U.K. There is a minimum wage and some staff get more - tips are always nice, but not expected. Note, unlike in the US the price you see, is the price INCLUDING taxes

Ps, some eating places have in small print that they will auto add x% as a tip, but then also have an option on the bill to add additional, or, if there is more than 6 in the group, they may add an additional tip to the bill

In short - no tip expected, but gratefully received, just make sure that your not double tipping unless you explicitly mean to

We have the premium beverage package & the prepaid tips.

 

What other services should I be prepared to tip? I want to bring enough cash. Below are the items I could think of. What are the acceptable amounts for each? Is 3-5 a percentage like at a restaurant?

 

1) Extra for On board staff that does great job

2) Porter when arriving at ship

3) SAS driver from airport to hotel

4) driver from hotel to port

5) Excursions

 

Thanks

Here we go again but I will indicate what I do -

1) Extra cost restaurants - zero as it is included in the cost;

bar tenders - zero as a 15% tip is included in the bar bill. That is plenty as far as I am concerned;

cabin steward - zero as they are included in the required daily service charge unless their service really good. In that case maybe $20. BTW -I never tip at the start of a cruise. I consider that bribery. Do you tip the waiter at a restaurant before you eat.

2) Porters are overpaid union workers so I tip $2 at most and usually zero.

3) SAS driver - maybe $2.

4) If it is free from the hotel we tip $5 max. Just think. If the driver has 5 couples in his van (most hold more) and ant the ride to the airport takes 15 minutes and each couple gives him $5, this means that he is making $25 in tips for his 15 minute ride. He will also pick up people from the airport back to the hotel where he makes another $25. Assuming that he makes 1 round trip per hour, that is $50 per hour of undeclared income in tips. Based on an 8 hour day, that is $400 per day or the weekly equivalant of $2000 per week. Do you make that much?

If it is a paid shuttle - zero as they are paid by the shuttle company.

5) Excursions - depends upon the length and quality of the excursion. If a ship excursion of a few hours may $5 - $10 max. We also add a few bucks for the driver. If a private tour it depends upon whether the tour guide is the owner or an employee and how good the tour is. We recently did 2 very full day private tours (just the 2 of us) in Quito and the the driver was wonderful and we tipped him $25 each day and also paid for his lunch but that is exceptional.

If we do a group private tour, we tip less.

Hope this helps. I suspect that we are more frugal tippers than many people.

I will add that the amount we tip is partly determined by cultural expectations and you have to learn what these expectations are. For example, people do not tip in Australia. We have done multi-day tours in Australia and we asked the Australians on the tour how much of a tip was expected and they said that we should not tip. The other Americans on the tour tipped. We and the Australians did not. We also never tipped in a restaurant except to leave the odd loose change or when we took cab rides because it was not expected.

DON

3-5 % at restaurants????? More like 20 %...

But...there are no prices on most thing like land based restaurants...your daily included tips cover most who serve you. Tip extra if you feel something is worth it....otherwise, your include tips are fine!

None.

 

In my view they are only doing the job they applied for. Their renumeration is a matter between them and their employer , plus the tax people.

 

I dont give tips nor receive them - a perfect balance IMHO

 

 

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However, that is not the expectation that staff on Celebrity are hired with. Therefore it is not simply a negotiation between employer and employee, asin this case the passenger is a key player.

I suspect that we are more frugal tippers than many people.

 

DON

A bit of an understatement.

Since the quality of any and all services I have EVER received has had absolutely NOTHING to do with the amount the person made, their so-called "living wage" or their number of children or what anyone else thinks (since nobody else received the services I received) I have never tipped someone based on anything else but what I DID receive.

My usual cruise ship practice has been to tip the cabin person up front on the first meeting at least $20 (sometimes more and depending on the length of the cruise sometimes $40 or more) as I told them what I wanted in terms of extra towels or the time I preferred the room to be cleaned, etc., etc.

Only once have I regretted this since the resulting service was, IMO, poor but I made up for it by reducing the amount I tipped at the end of the cruise.

You can do whatever you like but suggesting that service is the same for everybody is absurd IMO.

We have the premium beverage package & the prepaid tips.

 

 

 

What other services should I be prepared to tip? I want to bring enough cash. Below are the items I could think of. What are the acceptable amounts for each? Is 3-5 a percentage like at a restaurant?

 

 

 

1) Extra for On board staff that does great job

 

2) Porter when arriving at ship

 

3) SAS driver from airport to hotel

 

4) driver from hotel to port

 

5) Excursions

 

 

 

Thanks

You have it right. Don't feel pressured to give extra tips onboard unless people go above and beyond, but that is an option.

We usually do 1-2 per suitcase for the porters. Same for SAS and hotel diver for handling the luggage. We do $5 pp for a half day excursion and $10 pp for a full day. Not per tour guide, let them split it, but per passenger

As far as the spa, that will be added to your bill so no need for cash for that.

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Tipping thread no2 on the front page. OP s origin not clear but there is clearly some abuse of posters based on their cultural norms. Note the lack of "moderation" of such abuse

Hi, thank you for all the great info & tips. I reread my original message and I had a typo. For a restaurant I would normally tip 15-20% depending on level of service.

I can't wait for our cruise this Sunday!

I just wanted to mention that if you use any spa services or hairstylist services, that would be something you would tip for. They are vendors and not included in any of the pre-paid gratuities.

 

 

 

I absolutely recommend tipping a dollar or two to the roaming casino bar tenders. They were few and far between on my last cruise and I think overworked since Celebrity has reduced their numbers.

So what is the automatic 18% gratuity for????

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A bit of an understatement.

Rude and not true

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Tipping thread no2 on the front page.

tipping thread no 3 on the first page.

Perhaps a sticky is called for? There again, we have one of those for the dress code and posters still start a new thread asking should they bring their suit, tux, evening gown, flip flops, slippers etc. :rolleyes: :D.