Tipping & Gratuities

Fanny used to be a common girls name, a few generations back.

Fanny was the name of one of the main girl characters in Enid Blightons The Far Away Tree and Dick was one of the main boys names . I used to read all the series to my kids ...but it being the 80s and the 90s those names meant something totally different and it felt pretty weird to be reading to my kids about Fanny and Dick ...so Sue and Anthony they became :p

This is why I love the Aussie section.

A tipping threads, the only person who arced up was a British Canadian with no feeling for sarcasm and then it moves on to Fannys.

Not sure how it got there.

Fanny was the name of one of the main girl characters in Enid Blightons The Far Away Tree and Dick was one of the main boys names . I used to read all the series to my kids ...but it being the 80s and the 90s those names meant something totally different and it felt pretty weird to be reading to my kids about Fanny and Dick ...so Sue and Anthony they became :p

That's right, so they were.

Fanny was also a lead character in at one of Georgette Heyer's regency romances, can't remember which one though.

This is why I love the Aussie section.

 

A tipping threads, the only person who arced up was a British Canadian with no feeling for sarcasm and then it moves on to Fannys.

 

Not sure how it got there.

On a bit of a wandering track :D

Now if this had been on one of the other boards someone would be tut-tutting about off-topic posts by now. :eek:

I enjoy threads and conversations that wander all over the place, they're fun, and sometimes surprising.

On a bit of a wandering track :D

 

Now if this had been on one of the other boards someone would be tut-tutting about off-topic posts by now. :eek:

 

I enjoy threads and conversations that wander all over the place, they're fun, and sometimes surprising.

And it's a bit like having a chat with a mate, some whom I've met some I haven't and then when there is something serious well it gets dealt with without any BS.

And it's a bit like having a chat with a mate, some whom I've met some I haven't and then when there is something serious well it gets dealt with without any BS.

Exactly! There is a nice, friendly feel to our forum, and any ratbags who wander in usually get run off with humour.

Exactly! There is a nice, friendly feel to our forum, and any ratbags who wander in usually get run off with humour.

Yep humour does t every time.

I really struggle with how uptight some of them get.

I know I'm an interloper on this thread, but you guys are so much more fun!:D I've always loved the inherent sense of humor of Aussies and Kiwis:D

Will be flying over to join the Dawn Princess, and spend a few days before the cruise in Sydney, so wanted to see what the ideas were from a different perspective!

So hope you don't mind if I come back stalking(hope that term means the same on both sides of the pond?!) So many of the other threads can get so inflammatory when they don't have as much of a sense of humor!

I know I'm an interloper on this thread, but you guys are so much more fun!:D I've always loved the inherent sense of humor of Aussies and Kiwis:D

Will be flying over to join the Dawn Princess, and spend a few days before the cruise in Sydney, so wanted to see what the ideas were from a different perspective!

So hope you don't mind if I come back stalking(hope that term means the same on both sides of the pond?!) So many of the other threads can get so inflammatory when they don't have as much of a sense of humor!

Don't just stalk join in.

Any questions post away in the Aus and NZ Cruisers Forum.

Most of all enjoy your stay.

On a bit of a wandering track :D

 

Now if this had been on one of the other boards someone would be tut-tutting about off-topic posts by now. :eek:

 

.

Off-topic? I though we were discussing Fanny complaining about the size of Dick's tip.

Off-topic? I though we were discussing Fanny complaining about the size of Dick's tip.

Reminds me of when a certain American polly called Richard ... was in town during the Sydney Mardi Gras. Coincidentally 2 of the big Cunard ships were also docked in Sydney - one at Garden Island.

Two Queens and a big Dick:)

OMG, I hadn't looked at this thread as it was titled "Tips and Gratuities":rolleyes: but just had a read and it made my night.......after a disappointing loss of my Panthers to my husbands Roosters:(

Love our Aussie sense of humour!!

Chez

Chez...that was a TRY.

Just thought I should support a fellow Panther fan.

Remind Andy about 2003

Chez...that was a TRY.

 

Just thought I should support a fellow Panther fan.

 

Remind Andy about 2003

Don't know why 15 teams are even playing everyone knows its the Bunnies back to back.

Chez...that was a TRY.

 

Just thought I should support a fellow Panther fan.

 

Remind Andy about 2003

Definately a TRY!!

Andy remembers 2003 well, we were on the Pacific Sky and they played it in the showlounge (delayed)Chez:D Andy:(

Now back to Tipping and Gratuities.......wouldn't want to stray off topic:p

Chez

Now back to Tipping and Gratuities.......wouldn't want to stray off topic:p

 

Chez

Especially not on this thread that has stuck to topic all the way.:D

Don't know why 15 teams are even playing everyone knows its the Bunnies back to back.

Well that is what Channel Nine wants...so it will probably happen:mad::eek::(

Thats what annoys me the most about the tipping process. It is expected and sometimes demanded irrespective of whether the service was any good or not.

I think the solution is simple. Whenever you see the word "tip" or "gratuity", just replace them in your mind with "labour surcharge".

The same as you pay if you ordered pizza on a public holiday. After all, every day on board is a holiday, and the crew work every day.

Payments outside of the recommended gratuities I'm less sanguine about. If you are paying extra for someone to do good work, what kind of job is he/she supposed to be doing the rest of the time? Half-arsed?

The American system of tips seems arbitrary, confusing, time wasting and frankly demeaning. So as you may guess I'm not a fan. However, topping up the wages of underpaid workers in a general sense I'm fine with, so long as it's all up front.

So if I add say $2 to the bill when I sign the receipt for a cocktail does the actual server get it or RCI?

Last cruise we just gave our favourite servers some cash at the end of the cruise as a thank you.

I clicked on this thread to ask a question about tipping, and ended up reading all the amusing posts :)

So back to the topic for now...I will be going on my first cruise later this year on the Voyager of the Seas. We've prepaid tips/gratuities but I'd like to know...

If I want to tip extra, do I tip in US dollars and what would be a standard amount to tip?

I'd really appreciate the feedback. It's all very confusing for a newbie.

Thanks in advance :)

I clicked on this thread to ask a question about tipping, and ended up reading all the amusing posts :)

 

So back to the topic for now...I will be going on my first cruise later this year on the Voyager of the Seas. We've prepaid tips/gratuities but I'd like to know...

 

If I want to tip extra, do I tip in US dollars and what would be a standard amount to tip?

 

I'd really appreciate the feedback. It's all very confusing for a newbie.

 

Thanks in advance :)

What to tip extra is up to you. There is no hard and fast rule. We might not give any extra at all, or we might give $20 to $50 a week to our steward or waiter depending on just how good the service has been.

Some tip every time they get a drink, others might give one or two bartenders who have given great service a bit extra last day, others will give nothing.

If it is a cruise in Australia, or from Australia [as I imagine it is if you are posting here] feel free to tip in Aus $.

I clicked on this thread to ask a question about tipping, and ended up reading all the amusing posts :)

 

So back to the topic for now...I will be going on my first cruise later this year on the Voyager of the Seas. We've prepaid tips/gratuities but I'd like to know...

 

If I want to tip extra, do I tip in US dollars and what would be a standard amount to tip?

 

I'd really appreciate the feedback. It's all very confusing for a newbie.

 

Thanks in advance :)

We tipped extra in Aussie dollars on our recent 9 night Rhapsody cruise - our wonderful dinner waiters, our room steward who did a great job, and one bartender who DH thought was very good. $3-$5 per day is a good rule of thumb for waiters and stewards, with bartenders it depends how often you use that bar, say $2-$3 per day. We had drinks packages so had already paid a gratuity built into the package price.

With bartenders I take a view that it depends to a degree what you are drinking, remembering you are already paying 18% anyway.

Back in the day I'd be more likely to tip a bit extra for cocktails that took a bit of work than when I just got a can [$5 can 90c US or over AUS$1 tip not likely to give any more].

With bartenders I take a view that it depends to a degree what you are drinking, remembering you are already paying 18% anyway.

 

True but that 18% is shared across all bar staff and there was one bartender who really was amazing. He made cocktails that weren't on the list, substituted vodka for gin for me (as gin gives me reflux) but still made the cocktail taste great, and was super quick and efficient under very busy conditions. DH was in charge of getting drinks for us (as the waiter service was pathetic in the Centrum, not enough staff rather than not good staff BTW) and really appreciated the efforts of this guy. Also he free-poured many drinks. Whee!

True but that 18% is shared across all bar staff and there was one bartender who really was amazing. He made cocktails that weren't on the list, substituted vodka for gin for me (as gin gives me reflux) but still made the cocktail taste great, and was super quick and efficient under very busy conditions. DH was in charge of getting drinks for us (as the waiter service was pathetic in the Centrum, not enough staff rather than not good staff BTW) and really appreciated the efforts of this guy. Also he free-poured many drinks. Whee!

That's what I mean, he I'd tip extra. The bloke who hands me a can I wouldn't, unless I was using the same bar all the time.