Tipping

I will start with saying this is NOT about the auto-tips which I have never removed.

Being from Europe and British I am confused about tipping hotel personnel, shuttle drivers, porters, bar staff etc.

We have two days in Miami before boarding, do we need to tip our transfer drivers, the maids in our hotel, the bar staff if we go for a drink etc etc. Also the porters when we embark? If so how much is acceptable?

TIA

Work on the principle if someone does something for you in the US they expect a tip. Out of your list above they only tip I would give is a bar tender, dollar a drink

I never tip the maids, I do give the driver a dollar or 2, and I give the porters $1 per bag. That's just me though. 😊

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I will start with saying this is NOT about the auto-tips which I have never removed.

 

Being from Europe and British I am confused about tipping hotel personnel, shuttle drivers, porters, bar staff etc.

 

We have two days in Miami before boarding, do we need to tip our transfer drivers, the maids in our hotel, the bar staff if we go for a drink etc etc. Also the porters when we embark? If so how much is acceptable?

 

TIA

Hello Jeffa. We are British too and as you know,tipping is not the same as in the USA. It was a few years ago but i believe

We tipped the person who brought the suitcases up to the hotel room, i think they're called bellboys. 1 dollar a bag.

restaurant waiters/ess 15%.

The shuttle driver who took us from the hotel to the port. a couple of dollars.

When we arrived at the cruise terminal entrance in San Francisco, we had a very humiliating experience. There were notices up saying that the porters had already been tipped but as we had a lot of small change we just thought we'd give it to him. I think there was about 3 dollars. The porter who took our bags shouted in a very loud voice, that He wasn't taking that and demanded a note. My partner who is much more assertive than i, just said fine, if you don't want it, we'll take it back. The porter snorted and walked off. I don't for one moment think that all luggage handlers are like that, i guess we were just unlucky that 1 time. Hope this helps. Happy cruising. :)

I always tip the maids, they work very hard. A couple of dollars per night is sufficient and appreciated I am sure.

We tip $5.00 per night for the hotel maid.

I will start with saying this is NOT about the auto-tips which I have never removed.

 

Being from Europe and British I am confused about tipping hotel personnel, shuttle drivers, porters, bar staff etc.

 

We have two days in Miami before boarding, do we need to tip our transfer drivers, the maids in our hotel, the bar staff if we go for a drink etc etc. Also the porters when we embark? If so how much is acceptable?

 

TIA

I used to travel every week in my job before I retired. I have never tipped the hotel maids and don't know anyone who did in the USA. Restaurant and bar staff are usually tipped 15-20% of the bill. Transfer drivers to and from the ship are usually tipped a few dollars. Porters get a dollar/bag tip including the ones that take your bags at the port to be sent to the ship.

I will start with saying this is NOT about the auto-tips which I have never removed.

 

Being from Europe and British I am confused about tipping hotel personnel, shuttle drivers, porters, bar staff etc.

 

We have two days in Miami before boarding, do we need to tip our transfer drivers, the maids in our hotel, the bar staff if we go for a drink etc etc. Also the porters when we embark? If so how much is acceptable?

 

TIA

Maids - we normally leave a single cash tip on the desk or nightstand on checkout day. Normally we leave calculate @ $2/night x the number of nights.

Bar Staff - It is normal to provide about $1/drink

Porters - Normally $1/bag

Princess transfer driver, Probably a dollar or two for loading/unloading the luggage.

Taxi - Figure about $10 for a $75 fare. For a $15 fare probably round up to $20.

Restaurants - 15 to 20% of the amount. ROund up to the nearest dollar amount. No change. Some restaurants calculate the suggested tip for you.

We tip $5.00 per night for the hotel maid.

Do you do likewise on the ship?

We tip $5.00 per night for the hotel maid.

That seems excessive to me!!!

Thanks for all the answers, I will make sure I have some small dollar bills with me when I arrive. It seems to be a minefield!!! Here in Spain I would leave 10% tip on a meal, nothing in a bar, and often the taxi drivers will round down the fare!!

That seems excessive to me!!!

I agree ... a couple of dollars per night is sufficient, unless you leave your hotel room in an extraordinarily messy condition, making extra work for the maid. In that case, a little more would seem appropriate.

I always tip anyone who helps me with my heavy luggage, including the shuttle driver who loads my bags onto and off the shuttle, the pier porters, and hotel bellhops.

I am not in the habit of tipping bartenders if they only serve me a single beverage. If I am sitting and chatting with friends, and have multiple drinks, then I would add a few $$s for the bartender when I pay my tab.

Work on the principle if someone does something for you in the US they expect a tip. Out of your list above they only tip I would give is a bar tender, dollar a drink

This "principle" makes me laugh every time!

Especially the porters at the pier. They lift your bag & put it on the carriers to be hauled to the ship & look at you crossed eyed if you don't tip enough.

Over $100 K salary isn't to bad for what they do.

I have never tipped the hotel maids and don't know anyone who did in the USA.

Yes you should tip all the people you mentioned. It is best to tip the hotel maid daily, as it's not always the same person for your entire stay and therefore one person may get nothing while the next one gets double. I think $2-$3 per night is acceptable. I'm surprised US residents would not know to do this, it's very standard. Bar tipping is $1-$2 per drink depending on what you got and how nice the bar/restaurant is. Porters, $5 per bag, or if you're paranoid about not getting your luggage like me, even more, lol. Taxi/car service is 15-20%. Those are my standards (living in NY), anyway. I think it's always nice to lean on the generous side if you can afford it, all these people work hard to make your vacation enjoyable.

We tip $5.00 per night for the hotel maid.

I agree with you. I also always leave $5 per night and leave it daily since the last maid to clean the room may not be the ones who were there previously.

And, yes, at the end of a cruise, I give my room steward at least $5 extra per day.

We tip the hotel maid but not $5. $2 to $3 is the norm for us. And like others, we do it on a daily basis for the reason mentioned.

We tip all transfer drivers if they help with the luggage. If they don't, they get nothing.

We tip anyone helping us to our room with our luggage. Will round up taxi fare a couple of $$ if I know he took the shortest route. (Once in Madrid our taxi driver got NO tip. When my head was down he swung into the airport loop again. Then took us an indirect way into Madrid saying something about the traffic ...but it was Sunday!)

One thing not mentioned here is room service on the ship. They are usually tipped separately. Depending what is being delivered, anywhere from $1 to $5.

I will start with saying this is NOT about the auto-tips which I have never removed.

 

Being from Europe and British I am confused about tipping hotel personnel, shuttle drivers, porters, bar staff etc.

 

We have two days in Miami before boarding, do we need to tip our transfer drivers, the maids in our hotel, the bar staff if we go for a drink etc etc. Also the porters when we embark? If so how much is acceptable?

 

TIA

Different opinions will surface. I do not tip transfer drivers, hotel staff but I do tip bar drinks. Porters are union and earn a high wage but people tend to tip anyway. $1 per bag seems the norm if you decide to tip. Just to clarify the room service advice, they are in the tipping pool so we don't feel the need to double tip.

I don't tip hotel maids. I do tip bartenders or waiters/waitresses in the bar who deliver drinks but only $1 - not $1 per drink. That's nuts. My daughter knows several bar waitresses here in town and, in addition to their regular wages, they can make up to $500 in a single night on tips. That is crazy!

Tipping in the US is out of hand. It used to be a reward for exceptional service but it's now become "expected" for minimal service. Even incredibly lousy service expects a tip.

Well just look at Princess. It's automatically added to your tab, whether the service is good or not. I guess they've learned for some of the restaurants.

I will start with saying this is NOT about the auto-tips which I have never removed.

 

Being from Europe and British I am confused about tipping hotel personnel, shuttle drivers, porters, bar staff etc.

 

We have two days in Miami before boarding, do we need to tip our transfer drivers, the maids in our hotel, the bar staff if we go for a drink etc etc. Also the porters when we embark? If so how much is acceptable?

 

TIA

Tipping a rather personal situation and there is no hard rules just general guidelines.

Transfer drivers: If this is Princess' transfer bus then tipping isn't necessary, but you can always give $1-2 pp if you are so inclined. I usually don't tip unless they help me with my luggage. Taxis/shuttles: usually 15-20% of the total amount.

Hotel maid: Maybe $5 to $20 for two nights? It's really up to you and how messy you are and/or you ask for extra things..pillows, blankets, ice.

Bar/wait staff: 15-18% of the total bill. So on a $10 drink add 1.50 to $2

Porter: $1 per bag.

In all my years living in US - tipping is important, but don't stress over it. If you get poor service you leave less and great service you give more. I've never had anymore upset due to the amount I gave.

Yes you should tip all the people you mentioned. It is best to tip the hotel maid daily, as it's not always the same person for your entire stay and therefore one person may get nothing while the next one gets double. I think $2-$3 per night is acceptable. I'm surprised US residents would not know to do this, it's very standard. Bar tipping is $1-$2 per drink depending on what you got and how nice the bar/restaurant is. Porters, $5 per bag, or if you're paranoid about not getting your luggage like me, even more, lol. Taxi/car service is 15-20%. Those are my standards (living in NY), anyway. I think it's always nice to lean on the generous side if you can afford it, all these people work hard to make your vacation enjoyable.

Apparently it is not as standard as you state.

Being from Europe and British I am confused about tipping hotel personnel, shuttle drivers, porters, bar staff etc.

TIA

As you can see from all the above comments, we are as confused as you are.:)

We normally tip the porters $5 per bag.

We normally tip the porters $5 per bag.

I'll bet they give your bags special treatment. :D