gift bags for room stewards

Yep - that is right, they were joking about it with us one day and asking where they could buy the Kiwi made chocolate from when the ship docked in Auckland:)

I get what you are saying. I also give the captain a gift, usually a pair of socks, one green and one red (wondering why red and green? - Google "captain's socks") I also give the cruise director a daily planner. The head chef gets a bottle of TUMS. I give the CEO of the company a gift as well, a set of golf balls with my initials on them. I figure I might as well give gifts to everyone who made my cruise possible. ;p

What is EDT?

What is EDT?

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Thank you and very well-said. The question indeed comes up often like a bad penny. The long and the short of it is that crew members would appreciate folding paper with pictures of dead presidents!;)

And preferably not weird ones, like $2 bills, which are harder for them to exchange and give them lower exchange rates. Or Susan B Anthony $1 coins. Nice crisp new bills in common denomination is the thing.

I don't understand the impulse to be cute or unique.

The recommended gratuities and a good Post Cruise Survey is good enough.

Maybe a lovely written card instead of a gift bag?

I suppose anything perishable can't do any harm but could be shared if they didn't want it.

As much as cash is probably the most appreciated I sometimes wonder that with their family back home and long hours that kind words written and something out of the norm may provide some comfort. I personally find it a bit crass to say 'money is the only thing they understand' but thats just me.

Also, after learning how full of filipino staff NCL ships are I am half tempted to buy a bag of filipino sweets that are sold in the asian shops in my home city if I sail on one of their ships next.

But still...a card would probably be the best thing thats not money.

Save that thank you bag of tricks and treats for the paper boy.

 

The room steward probably has a family at home to support. He/she wants and needs CASH.

 

Keep in mind...this should be about the recipient, not the gift giver.

Hi

Very many years ago, I too delivered newspapers. While I appreciated any gesture of kindness with a thank you, I worked hard for money. A bag of candy really didn't cut it. The company I recently retired from also gave us trinkets occasionally such as caps, jackets, etc..., but most everybody felt the same...just save it and give me more money.

Fifty years after delivering my newspapers I still feel the same. If you want to give a gift to a stranger that is more for them than for you, just give more money.

For instance, I grew up snacking on dried, spicy cuttlefish - can't get enough of the stuff and at my age, it's a very special treat. Every single person I have offered a sample to would literally gag on it. Similar reaction to many of the Chinese candies I nosh on.

Love cuttlefish!

Anyway, back to the question, more tips and positive survey comment where you mention them by name would be best. When we used to cruise w/my young daughter, I would have her do cards. Of course, they toss that, but it teaches her that those who serve her should be thanked, along w/the customary tips.

And there's no need for name calling. Just answer the question and move on. If giving cute things makes the other person happy, then that's what they will do. Long time ago, I asked a friend why another friend kept tipping when she didn't need to (this person struggled to pay rent, was a single parent, lived paycheck to paycheck) and my friend said that if she didn't, she wouldn't enjoy whatever she got from the service provider because she'd feel bad, and so I left it at that.

On our Christmas cruises I bring extra large ...the really big ones...felt Christmas stockings filled with candies refrigerator magnets and John Deere key chains from my home town plus a few framed pix of us so the steward has a personal keepsake and some plastic visors from our state fair among other freebie giveaway type stuff again from my home state and town

Same for our Easter cruises only in a large Easter basket

We only cruise these 2 times of the year as we think the price is a real bargain as we get Haven

If I cruised other times I guess I'd still do a basket type thing just not in Easter colors

We drive to the port and each of us brings two 25 or 29 inch pieces of luggage so we can easily do this

Our stewards are always so grateful too

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I agree. The claim of seeing "crew wearing the items I gave them on past cruises" is rather dubious. If they were wearing something given to them by a passenger, they would be wearing something that is out of uniform, and they could be reprimanded for it. So I rather doubt that claim.

 

People who do this are doing it for themselves more than for the crew. They need the adoration of the "thankful crew". It is all about getting attention and making themselves feel important.

I had a bartender friend open his NCL work shirt to expose the Tee shirt I had give to him previously.

I also have a Cherished St. Lucia tee that a crew member gave me.;p

Believe it or not some of us are repeat customer's with a few NCL friend's onboard.

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I have no idea whether a crew members likes gifts or not.

What I do know is that they all need and appreciate cash.

So why spend time and money bothering to shop for a gift bag if you are unsure if the recipient wants, needs, or will appreciate it? Seems like a dubious venture to me that is directed to the gift giver rather than the recipient.

Add the monies that you would otherwise spend on a gift bag to your cash gift. That way you will be absolutely certain that 100 percent of your gift is appreciated.

Anyone that says people give gifts to others to make them feel better about themselves is needlessly judging others.

Believe it or not sometimes money isn't everything even when you are in need of it and in dire straights.

I can remember one of my students breaking down at a Christmas party explaining all she wanted was to be with her parents at Christmas (they had flown to India due to an ill relative and left her with close family) even though she knew they had scraped and saved to buy her an Ipad as Dad was out of work. I made sure she won the dance off and got muchos hugs ;).

On our Christmas cruises I bring extra large ...the really big ones...felt Christmas stockings filled with candies refrigerator magnets and John Deere key chains from my home town plus a few framed pix of us so the steward has a personal keepsake and some plastic visors from our state fair among other freebie giveaway type stuff again from my home state and town

 

Same for our Easter cruises only in a large Easter basket

 

 

We only cruise these 2 times of the year as we think the price is a real bargain as we get Haven

 

If I cruised other times I guess I'd still do a basket type thing just not in Easter colors

 

We drive to the port and each of us brings two 25 or 29 inch pieces of luggage so we can easily do this

 

 

Our stewards are always so grateful too

 

 

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You're joking....right?

I was just wondering if I could get your ideas for things you put in a gift bag for your room stewards. Thank you!

as said before Cash is Grand, we also take tootsie pops, and our local candy dewars chews, during the cruise and we leave then in a glass throughout the cruise, but how can you not love cash :)

Anyone that says people give gifts to others to make them feel better about themselves is needlessly judging others.

 

Believe it or not sometimes money isn't everything even when you are in need of it and in dire straights.

 

I can remember one of my students breaking down at a Christmas party explaining all she wanted was to be with her parents at Christmas (they had flown to India due to an ill relative and left her with close family) even though she knew they had scraped and saved to buy her an Ipad as Dad was out of work. I made sure she won the dance off and got muchos hugs ;).

Well I'm a shrink and I assure you that is a very large group. Safe journeys

On our Christmas cruises I bring extra large ...the really big ones...felt Christmas stockings filled with candies refrigerator magnets and John Deere key chains from my home town plus a few framed pix of us so the steward has a personal keepsake and some plastic visors from our state fair among other freebie giveaway type stuff again from my home state and town

 

Same for our Easter cruises only in a large Easter basket

 

 

We only cruise these 2 times of the year as we think the price is a real bargain as we get Haven

 

If I cruised other times I guess I'd still do a basket type thing just not in Easter colors

 

We drive to the port and each of us brings two 25 or 29 inch pieces of luggage so we can easily do this

 

 

Our stewards are always so grateful too

 

 

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Some of the crew to whom you g ive these holiday themed bags may not celelbrate those holidays.. You well could be offending them. If Christmas and Easter are not their holidays. How are you sure how grateful your stewards are?. they are not likely to risk a bad survey comment by you bvy saying they are not Christian.

Thank you and very well-said. The question indeed comes up often like a bad penny. The long and the short of it is that crew members would appreciate folding paper with pictures of dead presidents!;)

I love how you describe giving of cash!

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Some of the crew to whom you g ive these holiday themed bags may not celelbrate those holidays.. You well could be offending them. If Christmas and Easter are not their holidays. How are you sure how grateful your stewards are?. they are not likely to risk a bad survey comment by you bvy saying they are not Christian.

But they seem so happy to get these gifts

One Christmas I even brought decorated 20 inch Christmas wreaths. Fake ones of course

The year we cruised at Halloween I brought large plastic pumpkins filled with candy. I buy the huge mixed candy generic bags from the warehouse store

They all thank me profusely

Cash is just so tacky imho

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But they seem so happy to get these gifts

 

One Christmas I even brought decorated 20 inch Christmas wreaths. Fake ones of course

 

The year we cruised at Halloween I brought large plastic pumpkins filled with candy. I buy the huge mixed candy generic bags from the warehouse store

 

They all thank me profusely

 

Cash is just so tacky imho

 

 

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Gifts, other than cash, is so tacky, but it is a way to save money, IMHO.

Cash and a nice comment card mentioning them by name and cash plus maybe some cash

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Of course they thanked you. Do you really think they would tell you their real feelings? The crews on the ships are some of the nicest folks I've ever run into while traveling and I can't imagine any of them telling the truth when it would hurt someone's feelings.

 

Gifts, other than cash, is so tacky, but it is a way to save money, IMHO.

Oh I thought based on all the posters here who have made great friends with the crew that the crew were being sincere.

Are you saying that the posters here who consider crew members close friends are being duped?

Our stewards always seem to appreciate the framed 8X10's of us that I give them and the large Christmas stockings Easter baskets and plastic pumpkins

Oh and I always ask them what I can buy them in port that they could use. I buy them all sorts of stuff. From shampoos to water shoes and big bulky beach bags for when they have their days off in port.

Now you've got me thinking that they are laughing at me behind my back.

However, I still think cash is a tacky gift and rarely if ever give it

I give large crystal punch bowls or silver tea sets for wedding gifts so the bridal couple will remember me always

Magazine subscriptions for birthday and graduation gifts.

You know stuff like that.

Sometimes since we drive to port and take several large suitcases each...I bring along stacks of old magazines for the crew. They seem to appreciate that too. Helps them with their English they said.

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Oh I thought based on all the posters here who have made great friends with the crew that the crew were being sincere.

 

Are you saying that the posters here who consider crew members close friends are being duped?

 

Our stewards always seem to appreciate the framed 8X10's of us that I give them and the large Christmas stockings Easter baskets and plastic pumpkins

 

Oh and I always ask them what I can buy them in port that they could use. I buy them all sorts of stuff. From shampoos to water shoes and big bulky beach bags for when they have their days off in port.

 

Now you've got me thinking that they are laughing at me behind my back.

:'):'):') Thanks for the chuckle! Love it!!!

:'):'):') Thanks for the chuckle! Love it!!!

I stay out of threads like these but feel compelled to comment. I recently got out of the restaurant and customer service industry that I spent 40 years in. I used to tell my new staff this story.

When I was 16 years old I worked in a fine dining restaurant as a bus boy. I tried to give the best service that I could. One night a customer gave me a $50 tip. I declined it because I felt he was drunk. $50 in 1975 was a lot of money. My manager pulled me aside and scolded me. He said to accept every tip or gift graciously and that we're here to make money and not judge the customers.

I'm sure the cruise staff got the same speech.

When the customer offered it again 15 minutes later, I graciously accepted. :)

PS I'd say 90% of the staff will be laughing behind your back but you may have the 10% that doesn't.��

No good deed goes unpunished on these boards.

 

The teacher did a good thing .

Not in the eyes of kids who did better but were relegated in order to satisfy the teacher's sensibilities.

If the teacher wanted to do something nice for the kid that is great. Doing it at the expense of the other kids is not so great.

Anyone that says people give gifts to others to make them feel better about themselves is needlessly judging others.

 

Believe it or not sometimes money isn't everything even when you are in need of it and in dire straights.

 

I can remember one of my students breaking down at a Christmas party explaining all she wanted was to be with her parents at Christmas (they had flown to India due to an ill relative and left her with close family) even though she knew they had scraped and saved to buy her an Ipad as Dad was out of work. I made sure she won the dance off and got muchos hugs ;).

Gifting at a school is totally different than gifting a stranger who is living in a 6x10 cabin with another person. No room for anything. They are away from their families for years at a time for one thing: to make money. I don't think they want to say "kids, I didn't make any tips this time so I can't buy you that iPad you wanted. BUT, here are some magnets and keychains I got from guests instead."

And, no one is deriding everyone. There actually have been people on CC who have bragged about giving special "gifts" to staff, including the photos of the CCer, and said the staff loved them. They don't comprehend that service staff are trained to always show appreciation when in the Front of the House, and to feel free to roll eyes and joke about the gift and put it in the circular file...