'Tipping' the crew with wine

So, with a bottle or two left at the end of the cruise, something I've personally never experienced :) , the options seem to be:

1. Take it home;

2. Drink it with breakfast prior to disembarkation;

3. Pour it down the drain;

4. Give it to your stewards; or

5. Just leave it in the cabin

1. would be my choice, but not always possible;

2. is actually my first choice, but like 1., not always possible depending on the night before;

3. shouldn't even be on the list;

4. appears to risk breaching HAL policies, and could be offensive to some;

5. seems to be the logical solution. Just abandon the little suckers and let them find their own way home. The stewards can take them, or not, with the option of leaving them for the next occupants.

Decisions, decisions........

Alcohol is very restrictive on board HAL ship for crew/staff/officers.

 

 

They are allowed beer or wine.... NEVER by the bottle.

 

So... they would not be allowed to have a bottle.. even they wished.

 

Thanks for one Costa Line's "Captain". :mad:

This.

As an FYI - crew/staff are not permitted to have alcohol in their quarters. They get inspected regularly and can be in trouble if it is found.

 

More than likely the crew who accepted a full bottle of wine are able to turn it in for dollar value. You can be sure unopened wine gets dumped right after they say "oh thank you, how wonderful".

 

I do know a very senior former officer for a major cruiseline who lost his job over a very small amount of alcohol found in his cabin. He was devastated. He said to me a couple of weeks after it happened that he knew the rules, but he figured it was such a small amount that he didn't think his boss would care. Clearly, it was taken very seriously.

 

Cash is always best.

And this.

Even if they were allowed have it in their cabin, they just don't have the space to stack bottle on bottle of wine.

Also a bottle of wine won't do much to feed their wife and kids.

Do you want to get them fired? That's a No NO!

What's the old saying ... "Nothing says 'thank you' better than a leftover (partially consumed?) bottle of liquor"

My experience (and I do ask crew members questions, sometimes a lot of questions) is that those who drink usually prefer beer. They get beer in the crew bar for about the wholesale price, not anywhere near what passengers pay.

A crew member in possession of a partial bottle of wine, might be questioned about this and find him/herself in a very bad position with the management team aboard.

We usually add a smallish cash tip at the end of the cruise to our stewards and our waiters as they have almost always gone above and beyond for us.

So I say, give cash, not trinkets and certainly not alcohol, partially consumed or not.

Doc

My experience (and I do ask crew members questions, sometimes a lot of questions) is that those who drink usually prefer beer. They get beer in the crew bar for about the wholesale price, not anywhere near what passengers pay.

 

A crew member in possession of a partial bottle of wine, might be questioned about this and find him/herself in a very bad position with the management team aboard.

 

We usually add a smallish cash tip at the end of the cruise to our stewards and our waiters as they have almost always gone above and beyond for us.

 

So I say, give cash, not trinkets and certainly not alcohol, partially consumed or not.

 

Doc

We leave the HSC in place, give extra cash tips and the bottle of wine we may give away is most certainly unopened. We give the wine as an afterthought and not in place of a cash tip. I would certainly never be crass enough to gift a partially consumed bottle of wine. That suggestion is insulting to people here who have posted they give their unconsumed bottles away.

So, with a bottle or two left at the end of the cruise, something I've personally never experienced :) , the options seem to be:

 

1. Take it home;

2. Drink it with breakfast prior to disembarkation;

3. Pour it down the drain;

4. Give it to your stewards; or

5. Just leave it in the cabin

 

1. would be my choice, but not always possible;

2. is actually my first choice, but like 1., not always possible depending on the night before;

3. shouldn't even be on the list;

4. appears to risk breaching HAL policies, and could be offensive to some;

5. seems to be the logical solution. Just abandon the little suckers and let them find their own way home. The stewards can take them, or not, with the option of leaving them for the next occupants.

 

Decisions, decisions........

I like #5 - the leave it for the next occupants idea! Remember when people would leave partially used drink cards in the Bible? Maybe we could come up with some idea like that!

Lets see - where could we hide it that the stewards would not see? Maybe in the life jackets? Any other great ideas??

We were told by a crew member that any wine left for the crew was taken to a central location and used in the crew bar or for crew parties. We have no problem with that.

We have had Wine Stewards ask about wines we have brought on board and have always offered them some to try. A couple have said that they were going to put in a request with Seattle for wines they like.

What's the old saying ... "Nothing says 'thank you' better than a leftover (partially consumed?) bottle of liquor"

I certainly would not give a partial bottle, but a crew member being given anything can always say "no thank you, it's not allowed".

I like #5 - the leave it for the next occupants idea! Remember when people would leave partially used drink cards in the Bible? Maybe we could come up with some idea like that!

 

Lets see - where could we hide it that the stewards would not see? Maybe in the life jackets? Any other great ideas??

We've (infrequently ;) ) left a leftover bottle in the drawer with the Bible, with a note saying "We can't take this home, so hope you enjoy it". I seriously doubt the stewards have time to be checking all the drawers on turnaround day.

I've also stood in the hall by our cabin on the last sea day as we are all scurrying around getting our luggage sorted out (sigh....) and said fairly loudly "Is anyone driving home from port? I have a bottle of wine if you'd like...." and that bottle has always been claimed :D

We don't drink alcoholic beverages but we have left unopened cans of pepsi or diet-pepsi in the room when we leave. Don't want to take them home in our luggage.

Show them how much you really appreciate them. Show them the money. $$$$$$

Lets see - where could we hide it that the stewards would not see? Maybe in the life jackets? Any other great ideas??

I'm not sure there's any need to "hide" it at all.

I once boarded, and went to unpack and found a half bottle of whiskey sitting on the shelf in the closet. Right at eye level.

There's no way the steward could have missed it if he opened the closet door when he cleaned.

I love the standing in the hall and giving it away option. If that failed I would do what I usually do if leaving something in the room..... call the steward's attention to it and let the chips fall where they may. I know the crew really prefers money .... which they can use as they wish.

Susan