Tipping for Australian Cruises

As we do things a little differently in Australia and it is not customary to tip on top of your bill, I was wondering what the protocol is for ships doing Australian cruises - we are on the Diamond Princess? As the daily gratuities is not added to the onboard account do we still need to tip?

The main one I am interested in is room service. Would it be required that we give a tip each time the steward brings us an item? Would it differ for drinks vs food? I think I remember reading something about a $5 charge for a whole pizza which is fine, but wondering what the etiquette is considering I wouldn't normally tip someone bringing me room service in a hotel.

Thanks.

As we do things a little differently in Australia and it is not customary to tip on top of your bill, I was wondering what the protocol is for ships doing Australian cruises - we are on the Diamond Princess? As the daily gratuities is not added to the onboard account do we still need to tip?

The main one I am interested in is room service. Would it be required that we give a tip each time the steward brings us an item? Would it differ for drinks vs food? I think I remember reading something about a $5 charge for a whole pizza which is fine, but wondering what the etiquette is considering I wouldn't normally tip someone bringing me room service in a hotel.

Thanks.

You don't need to tip extra.

Some do, some don't. It is really that simple.

I may or may not tip room service I certainly don't tip them every time.

I also often tip Stewart and my waiter at the end of the cruise.

As we do things a little differently in Australia and it is not customary to tip on top of your bill, I was wondering what the protocol is for ships doing Australian cruises - we are on the Diamond Princess? As the daily gratuities is not added to the onboard account do we still need to tip?

The main one I am interested in is room service. Would it be required that we give a tip each time the steward brings us an item? Would it differ for drinks vs food? I think I remember reading something about a $5 charge for a whole pizza which is fine, but wondering what the etiquette is considering I wouldn't normally tip someone bringing me room service in a hotel.

Thanks.

Hi RayWitt - we are on the same cruise - have you joined our roll call http://boards.cruisecritic.com.au/showthread.php?t=2144937

We always tip - unless of course the service rendered isn't good and on a cruise that very rarely happens.

As Gut said - some do, some don't. It's up to you.

Cheers

Di

On the Australian based Princess, Carnival and P&O ships, it's not expected to tip at all, it's been built into he fare. You can tip extra if you want to. On the seasonal ships like Celebrity and RCI, it's very much expected to tip the suggested daily rate on top of the cruise fare you have already paid.

You don't need to tip extra.

 

Some do, some don't. It is really that simple.

 

I may or may not tip room service I certainly don't tip them every time.

 

I also often tip Stewart and my waiter at the end of the cruise.

I am going to change my name to Stewart! :p:D

I am going to change my name to Stewart! :p:D

Stewart's your friend on a ship:D

We sail RCI and Celebrity, so different cruise company obviously, but we tend to tip a dollar or two for room service. It can be aussie or US, as the staff do get off at the ports here, as well as having their own currency trading amongst themselves.

There is no requirement to do so for room service on RCI (unless middle of the night when it is stipulated) but we feel that is they have traipsed a fair way to bring us some breakfast or whatever, then we feel it is right for us to give them the tip. Unless there has been particularly slow service (beyond reasonable for busy times) or if they come in the wrong time bracket.

I personally would think $5 for a pizza a bit more than I would give for room service, but if you are happy that you want to give that amount because it feels right, then go with what you want to do.

It is the same for us when tipping for drinks etc. Even though we are fully paid up for gratuities before we get on the ship, and the drinks have tips included already, if we have been given good service we will add a dollar or two to the slip. If we are at the bar and they have just served a drink as they should, then no we wouldn't tip.

I don't personally want to get into how much they earn, and what someone else does, and your question is a good one. It has been nice to see good answers here too. Often tip threads get untidy very quickly! :)

 

 

 

I personally would think $5 for a pizza a bit more than I would give for room service, but if you are happy that you want to give that amount because it feels right, then go with what you want to do.

 

 

 

Often tip threads get untidy very quickly! :)

I can't remember where I read about the pizza - it may have been more of a surcharge than a required tip. I have never been to a country with mandatory tipping - the closest I get is rounding up the bill but it's always easier with cash and paying cash is increasingly less common.

Agreed about the tips discussions - there are some wildly different views on who, how much, how often etc. My question was more so we don't offend if we don't tip every time or at all. Maybe I should collect a stash of gold coins in the next week or so.

Thanks for the replies.

As everyone has said above, it is up to you.

As you ask specifically Diamond Princess and room service, yes we tip for that, but I know many who don't, so again your choice.

We take a pile of $1 and $2 coins and tip when delivered. Perhaps $1 for tea in the morning, $2 to $3 for a meal delivered. I appreciate being served a cuppa early in the morning without the need for getting dressed to go to the buffet etc

I have noticed that Princess in Australia look surprised when we hand it over, but when we cruised from overseas ports they expected it. So staff are aware of the customs of different countries, just go with the flow and do what you feel best for the service you receive.

Asking the question here on this board is a good thing as you will get Aussie experiences on tipping on Australian based ships:)

Pretty sure the $ on pizza is a surcharge, not sure who gets it.

Very seldom any tipping threads on the Aus/NZ page last one was fun though for those who remember it.

On the man boards they can get nasty if you disagree with certain posters.

I find it funny that a few of them think that they'll upset me if they abuse me, clearly they don't know me too well.

I often find the deliver is gone before I can even offer a bribe (sorry tip) maybe they just don't expect it in Aus.

CC seems to have such a bad rep around other groups/FB etc for being narky crazy people. I rarely stray from the nice cosy Aus/NZ board and rollcalls so I don't see it :D

Due to some health problems I find myself bored a lot of the time.:(

When I am I visit a tipping thread:D

Why would one tip on a drinks bill when there's been 18% gratuity already added on?

These days it's hard enough to find a drinks waiter let alone one find you.

Why would one tip on a drinks bill when there's been 18% gratuity already added on?

These days it's hard enough to find a drinks waiter let alone one find you.

You may just have answered the question yourself there. :) We had friends around the corner one time (didn't realise at the time) and they complained later that the server was very slow. This server knew us from a previous cruise, and for just a dollar extra on the tab we had several drinks delivered nice and fast. She had to walk quite a way from the bar, and I know that is their job, but we enjoyed relaxing and getting a couple of drinks where we were sitting. ;)

You may just have answered the question yourself there. :) We had friends around the corner one time (didn't realise at the time) and they complained later that the server was very slow. This server knew us from a previous cruise, and for just a dollar extra on the tab we had several drinks delivered nice and fast. She had to walk quite a way from the bar, and I know that is their job, but we enjoyed relaxing and getting a couple of drinks where we were sitting. ;)

That's my biggest objection to the whole tipping thing, whoever throws the most money around gets service anyone else can go fly a kite.

That's my biggest objection to the whole tipping thing, whoever throws the most money around gets service anyone else can go fly a kite.

I know what you mean, but it is worth a dollar for me not to walk to the bar if we are a bit further away. When in Rome....(or on an American culture ship). I know the 18% is in the price, but I just look at that as the basic price of the drink. You can't take it off when you pay for it. I also don't have an issue walking up to the bar and ordering a drink either if we are sitting close.

That's my biggest objection to the whole tipping thing, whoever throws the most money around gets service anyone else can go fly a kite.

What always gets me is the arbitrariness of it all. Who to tip? When to tip? How much to tip?

When I'm on holidays, I don't want to have to think about this sort of stuff.:cool:

If they would just turn it into a standardised labour surcharge I'd be a lot happier.

I don't really care how I'm fleeced, so long as it's done quietly and with no fuss.

What always gets me is the arbitrariness of it all. Who to tip? When to tip? How much to tip?

 

When I'm on holidays, I don't want to have to think about this sort of stuff.:cool:

 

If they would just turn it into a standardised labour surcharge I'd be a lot happier.

 

I don't really care how I'm fleeced, so long as it's done quietly and with no fuss.

Fortunately with Princess include it in the fare, in Aus. And Celebrity either pre pay or add it daily, it removes a lot of that angst.

And like you the who and how, wander into a tipping thread one day and it gets even more confusing:

You'll hear

"Remove the auto grats and those behind the scenes don't get tipped"

ask

"How do they get tipped on land?" and watch the abuse fly.

Ask why the girl at Maccas doesn't get tipped but the person at the buffet you never see should and duck.

I could go on for ages, but I do enjoy the fights.

That's my biggest objection to the whole tipping thing, whoever throws the most money around gets service anyone else can go fly a kite.

Agreed.

I guess in our culture we expect that if you are employed in customer service or sales, you would be required to give good service - that is your job. Should you need to be bribed to give good service? Hardly seems fair.

I wonder if the staff on board get paid Australian award wages while they are in the Australian cruise season?

Agreed.

I guess in our culture we expect that if you are employed in customer service or sales, you would be required to give good service - that is your job. Should you need to be bribed to give good service? Hardly seems fair.

I wonder if the staff on board get paid Australian award wages while they are in the Australian cruise season?

Pretty sure not award (don't think there would even be an award for ship workers( but at least with tips in the fare they get it all.

I know that crew I've spoken to all seem to like sailing downunder, have been told we are less demanding than many other places.

Pretty sure not award (don't think there would even be an award for ship workers( but at least with tips in the fare they get it all.

 

I know that crew I've spoken to all seem to like sailing downunder, have been told we are less demanding than many other places.

From guides I have had in some low wage countries: Americans tip big and are a big pain in the rear, Kiwis and Aussies tip much less but are much more pleasant to guide/host.

From guides I have had in some low wage countries: Americans tip big and are a big pain in the rear, Kiwis and Aussies tip much less but are much more pleasant to guide/host.

It seems some, not all, think that tipping makes them entitled.

But then ANZACS are generally considered pretty easy going.

Tipping is always a controversial subject down here as it is not part of our culture.

Cruise ship staff are not Australian and do not get paid Australian award rates.......if they did , the cost of cruising would be prohibitive.

To all those who refuse to tip...check out the minimum wage in your own country and then check out the min wage in the States. Last time I looked it was about 7.50 per hour, but if your job involved tips it dropped to 4.50.:eek:

Tipping is always a controversial subject down here as it is not part of our culture.

Cruise ship staff are not Australian and do not get paid Australian award rates.......if they did , the cost of cruising would be prohibitive.

 

To all those who refuse to tip...check out the minimum wage in your own country and then check out the min wage in the States. Last time I looked it was about 7.50 per hour, but if your job involved tips it dropped to 4.50.:eek:

 

 

As low as a buck something in some States I believe, and I thought slavery had been outlawed.

You will find that there is an International agreed list of pay rates for cruise staff. You can rest assured that the crews are being paid at least to this rate or the unions would have shut the cruise lines down by now.

Australian unions have in the past refused service to ships that are known to under pay their crew, and the ship has been tied up at the wharf unable to move until the situation is rectified.