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Small gift for staff


Travelwiser13
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I've seen all the threads and suggestions for the staff but I have one that I just found and think it's potentially really neat and small.

 

Amazon has either beads (can go on a necklace or bracelet) or lapel pins (better choice for collecting in my opinion) that have your town's area code and such.

 

For example, I choose my actual town (not releasing here) and 2 random towns- Boise, ID and Scranton, PA. Try it for yourself and look at the results. Put in the search box for all departments (if you don't want to use drop down for jewelery) " Boise, ID lapel pin". View results!

 

Can you imagine if we all started doing this? Not only could they collect these small pins that don't take up much space but they could either trade them, trade duplicates among themselves or even start sending them home to their kids or families if they have some.

 

Just an idea I spun off of some of yours (and I'm still using some of yours too).

 

Enjoy!

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I'm sorry you feel it is more junk. It was suggested to bring something from your home town. There is much stuff from mine as it's very popular but I'd consider most of it junk too and they'd have no room. Pins have long bin something people collect and actively trade. I've never seen the ones like I did here.

 

It was, after all, just a suggestion. Like a menu item, it's free to be taken or left. :)

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I think it is nice you want to do something personal for the people who work tirelessly for us onboard. I was, however, rather surprised at the cost of these pins ($12.99 plus 3.80 shipping). I was thinking more along the lines of a couple of dollars for pins. I have to agree with Laurie that the vast majority of crew would prefer the $16.79 in cash.

Edited by Scrapnana
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  • 2 months later...

Agree with Laurie S. and many other posters.....cash, is the most appreciated gift.....not trinkets, candy, phone cards, T shirts, etc. Of course, staff would act excited to receive these items and probably discard most.....cash would be more appropriate. Please consider your "gift giving".

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I too think it's nice to want to do something special. Gifts other than money however, are probably not helpful. Have you seen the cabins they share , very small lots of people. Another suggestion is learning their names and raving about them on the cruises web site and to their superiors maybe leading them to advancement. Check out my travel blog http://www.atouristlife.com

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I think it is a nice thought, but the reality is it will have little meaning to them. A pin from a town they haven't necessarily been to or liked? Not to be harsh, but I agree it is a waste of money and just another junk product.

 

A tip is appreciated, but if you want to make it personal why not do a little homemade cookie gift or something along those lines. Everyone likes to eat!

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Did a world cruise in 2014 and agree that $$ is the bet gift but I also would bring back edible treats such as candy or local specialty sweets for my cabin guys. They really liked getting a chocolate bar or the local nougat. I also gave them some cash with instructions to do something fun when I found out they were actually going to get off the ship. They took a tram ride and were so excited. Usually their extra money goes home to family, they get rare time off the ship and even more rare to have extra $$ to just blow on themselves.

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When on long cruises like a world cruise, we provide part of the extra tip whenever we have an overnight in a port as the crew usually gets off the ship when their duties are finished for the day and find a restaurant. This is much appreciated and we usually get to hear what they had for dinner the previous evening with many thanks. Nice to see them be able to relax and have some 'native' food.

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  • 6 months later...

Travelwiser13, Thank you for your heart-felt suggestion. It's a cute idea! I'm sorry Laurie was so abrupt in her response. :-( I get the point of what she (and others) are pointing out but, as you stated, it was a suggestion to be taken or left. The Golden Rule speaks volumes when interacting with others. When traveling, I do both: tip AND leave a small memento. If they toss it or keep it, their choice. :-) I don't let the opinions of others change who I am or what I like to do.

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I was just being honest. I have talked with crew members, been in their quarters (long time ago, of course), and they don't want or need trinkets. Cash is what they want and need. Cookies and candy are nice, too, but leave the trinkets at home.

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Thanks for the input Laurie S, Honesty is wonderful...and so is gentleness. :-) My friends that are 'crew staff' agree with you: cash is a wonderful #1 gift, hands down. [emoji106] The input I have received from each of these 5 friends is that if a trinket item, or a treat, or a gift other then $ was given it would be received graciously. It would be perhaps shared with others, saved, sent home to the family with the story of who gave it, or trashed. I just feel that what one person ( or set of crew staff) feels shouldn't dictate the feelings for all. We are all unique and show love and appreciation in each of our unique ways...and that's ok.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Just back from my first cruise and honestly the "Consistent" highlight was our room stewards. Sugeng (Sue) and Pai on Holland. From first moment to last moment they were wonderful. (Wish the rest of the staff had gotten the memo - but I digress)

 

Each day that I saw them, 5 out of the 7 day cruise they each got a 2 dollar tip. Our ice was forever full, our towel animals each nigh out did the last and they were always there to answer a question and help if we needed.

 

I don't know if they would have preferred a "gift" but I know they were really surprised (or at least looked to be) each time I tipped. I think the money is greatly appreciated in the service sector.

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  • 5 months later...

Our first cruise was wonderful! We were impressed with the embarkation and disembarkation process. The staff was helpful and pleasant...most of them at least. Our room steward kept our room fresh each time we stepped out of it. We gave her a small bag of gifts (items produced from our area: almonds, raisins, dried fruit, etc...with a $5 bill tucked in too). The staff in the DaVinci and Michaelangelo were spot on wonderful!

 

The Horizon Buffett was upsetting. Rarely could tables be found, the selections were pretty much the same each day, and most of the staff were clueless. We were approached by wait staff each breakfast asking if we wanted coffee and juice and replied Yes. Coffee was poured into our cups but then they picked up our juice glasses by grabbing them at the top, by the rim...the area we would sip from. :-/. We watched them pick up dirty dishes, utensils, scrape food and then come over to grab juice cups without washing (or using sanitizer, required of us though) before touching what was going into our mouths. We didn't drink the juice. We explained why and always said no to juice from then on. We actually stopped going there after being yelled at on Thursday. I was leaving and was told by one attendant to exit on the right....then that attendant said no, exit on the left. Nobody entering, nobody there except an attendant so I just walked through to go find a seat...was 6 steps into the dining room when this attendant hollered 'Ma'am' 3 times and shouted that I needed to come back and exit the other way. So humiliating, all eyes from the area on me as I was scolded!

 

We had an incident in the jewelry shop where I was looking for a ring to purchase while an attendant, svan was rude and making mocking gestures about me while I intently looked at the jewelry. My husband stood by the door waiting for me and watching this rude man. Hubby called me over and the we left. So rude!

 

Another incident was in the Fusion, when I attempted to get a drink. The bartender (washing glasses behind the bar) asked if I had the package, I told her no. She then asked to see my shop card (blue). She gave it back and told me to find a seat and she would send a server over in 10 minutes. I sat down and as I was telling my husband we had 10 minutes, a male cruiser approached her. Showed her his gold card, and promptly got 4 drinks made for him. I went back to the bar and politely asked for a drink again to once again be told that I needed to be patient and to just wait.

 

We tipped 1, 2, 5 dollars when we felt we wanted to show appreciation even though our package came with pre-paid tips. Yes, money was appreciated far and above small gifts. Our first cruise was eye-opening. Beautiful, mostly fun, and, at times, difficult. I'm glad we did it but doubt we will again.

 

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

[ I know this is an older thread and I am not trying to be personal but I am with Laurie, someone from Indonesia or Peru etc. is not interested in a bead from Boise. ]

 

I guess I just will never understand why some feel the need to 'get personal' and put others down. You did exactly that, put someone else down. :-(

 

I agree with cash being best but is it really necessary to belittle others? The 'bead from Boise' comment ...ouch!

 

Let's be nice to one another, shall we? And by the way, some staff DO appreciate 'trinkets' and some do not. I just received a card in the mail from our room steward with a beautiful pic of her family thanking me for the lotions and extra cash we left for her.

 

We are all different and unique and show appreciation in many ways....and that's OK. [emoji4]

 

 

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I used to work at a country club and at Christmas, my regular customers often gave me gifts. Some gave me cash, and some gave me trinkets, gift cards, or things like candles and shower gel.

 

I appreciated the thought behind all of them, but as a young, struggling student, what I really needed and wanted most was cash. Some of the things I was able to return or resell for money, but I lived in a small dorm room at the time, and I'm sad to say that I donated the rest to Salvation Army.

 

Fortunately, those years are long behind me now, but I always remember them when showing my appreciation to service staff. A sincere thank you goes a long way, they will more than likely appreciate the thought behind any gesture, but they will always wish you'd given them a cash tip.

 

People working in service jobs do it because they need the money. It's that simple.

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I completely agree with you all....cash is number 1! [emoji4] Our gratuities were pre-paid through a promo offer however we still handed our steward an additional tip each day. [emoji106] .....and sometimes a tiny trinket of love because that is what we wanted to do.

 

I too worked through college in a 'service' job and worked for those tips. Yup, the gifts were nice but sure couldn't pay my water bill with a candle. I recognized that this was that persons way of showing appreciation...so be it.

 

I just don't think that it is necessary to make hurtful comments in explaining that cash is preferred. What they want is cash....what you choose to do is your choice. :-)

 

 

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  • 1 month later...
  • 2 months later...

I created this thread almost two years ago. Interesting someone posted a response to it now.

 

However, having long sailed now and about to go again in the spring I can report in what I did do.

 

We mostly did give far and above tips. Their base rate as per guidelines but then a generous start tip the day we embarked and almost daily more. We left SMALL (2) boxes each of laundry soap and dryer sheets. We also had brought mascot very small hanging monkeys that Velcro their arms so they can easily hang from anywhere. At the end we left them with a note that they could keep or gift to their children (ours had) or gift to another person of their choosing. They were very inexpensive so if they ended up thrown out then it's ok too but these were small enough and able to be to placed virtually anywhere.

 

Something else we did unrelated to the staff is left "lollipops" randomly in potted trees right outside the elevators at different levels each night for kids or adults. Thereby creating "lollipop trees"to create a little bit of magic. We did it late at night so it seems like they "bloomed" overnight.

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  • 3 weeks later...
I'm sorry you feel it is more junk. It was suggested to bring something from your home town. There is much stuff from mine as it's very popular but I'd consider most of it junk too and they'd have no room. Pins have long bin something people collect and actively trade. I've never seen the ones like I did here.

 

It was, after all, just a suggestion. Like a menu item, it's free to be taken or left. :)

 

 

 

Do you want some trinket from the home town of everyone in CC? Then why would you think a crew member would? People collect and trade pins from the Olympics, not from Sayreville, NJ and Vallejo, CA.

 

 

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