room service tipping ???

Do you tip for room service if your regular cabin steward brings the order?

We tip the butler extra at the end of the sailing, not each day.

My experience in a standard cabin (without butler) is that my cabin steward hasn't delivered room service. It is one of the servers from the buffet area that I recognise. I always tip them a few dollars a visit.

Phil

We tip the butler extra at the end of the sailing, not each day.

Agree👍

always tip a few dollars

Please vote yes or no in the poll above

I didn't vote because the question isn't applicable from my experience. Am I the only one who hasn't had room service delivered by their cabin steward? I don't think they do it, any longer at least. It's dealt with by the buffet/restaurant staff. The cabin steward has enough responsibility looking after the housekeeping of their cabins (and they look after quite a few).

Phil

I didn't vote because the question isn't applicable from my experience. Am I the only one who hasn't had room service delivered by their cabin steward? I don't think they do it, any longer at least. It's dealt with by the buffet/restaurant staff. The cabin steward has enough responsibility looking after the housekeeping of their cabins (and they look after quite a few).

 

Phil

Phil,

My experience is different.

When having room service my order has been brought by my cabin steward more often than not. Always give them a small tip as I feel it is yet more work for them in their already busy day.

It really depends on the ship....room steward or someone else....but let's just say if it has not been your experience.....hypothetically, would you tip your own room steward for bringing a room service order?

We didn't tip as gratuities were all included. Should we?

Our room service was delivered by someone from food services, not our room steward (who we never met BTW).

TravelBugM, you are correct, all gratuities are included in the fare.

We always tip a few dollars; sometimes as much as $5.

It's never been our room steward; but, then, we only get room service breakfast.

TravelBugM, you are correct, all gratuities are included in the fare.

OK Bonnie: Thanks for the input. I always tip but lately I've been rethinking it since the tipping is included in the price of the cruise and I imagine that Azamara figures room service into the price of the cruise.

I have noticed that on Celebrity my room steward brings the room service if I'm in Aqua class but in a regular room it is not my steward who delivers the tray. Perhaps that is why we are charged a higher price for daily tipping in Aqua class than in a regular room.

I didn't see where to vote in a poll or answer the question. We typically don't tip day by day, but if the experience has been good, overall, we are generous at the end of the cruise. On some lines (e.g., Regent and Oceania) we usually donate something substantial but not over the top to the Crew Welfare Fund.

On lines where tipping is not included, we have brought $2 bills and used them for individual tips where warranted. It has gone over big most of the time, but on one occasion, one of the purser's staff came with the $2 bill and accused us of counterfeiting! He even sort of threatened to have us arrested. I threw him out of our stateroom and later complained to the Hotel Director, who looked the US currency up on the Internet and apologized. That was on a US port to US port cruise!

I didn't see where to vote in a poll or answer the question. We typically don't tip day by day, but if the experience has been good, overall, we are generous at the end of the cruise. On some lines (e.g., Regent and Oceania) we usually donate something substantial but not over the top to the Crew Welfare Fund.

 

On lines where tipping is not included, we have brought $2 bills and used them for individual tips where warranted. It has gone over big most of the time, but on one occasion, one of the purser's staff came with the $2 bill and accused us of counterfeiting! He even sort of threatened to have us arrested. I threw him out of our stateroom and later complained to the Hotel Director, who looked the US currency up on the Internet and apologized. That was on a US port to US port cruise!

Hi CountFlorida, that's funny about the Purser thinking the $2 bill was counterfeit (clarification: it is only funny assuming this did NOT happen on Azamara, but on another line ;)!

Donating to the Crew Welfare fund is a nice gesture as well.

 

On lines where tipping is not included, we have brought $2 bills and used them for individual tips where warranted. It has gone over big most of the time, but on one occasion, one of the purser's staff came with the $2 bill and accused us of counterfeiting! He even sort of threatened to have us arrested. I threw him out of our stateroom and later complained to the Hotel Director, who looked the US currency up on the Internet and apologized. That was on a US port to US port cruise!

I was going to bring a bunch of $2 bills on a previous cruise, but then I read comments that the crew sometimes has trouble spending the $2 bills when in a non-U.S. port because they are thought to not be real.

I then decided to just bring $1 bills instead, even though they took up more room for the same amount of money.

The earlier use of $2 bills wasn't on Azamara; this will be our first time there. It was on Princess. The Purser person did actually accuse us of counterfeiting, but rather implied it vigorously.:p

I'm not worried about the crew members who get the tips being able to spend them; they will be in 3 US ports (Big Easy, Key West and Miami) on this cruise. The only thing I do worry about is remembering to bring the bills. And now, getting more (they usually come in $100 packets; way more than anyone would need on a 12 night cruise) as they are scarce around here. We only have about 5 or 6 left from our last packet.

Exceptional service deserves exceptional recognition and rewards these days!

It's been a while since I've been on Azamara - I was sharing a stateroom with my brother, and we got room service breakfast once before an early excursion, but I don't remember who delivered it. Regardless, I tip a few dollars for room service, regardless of who brings it.

We have a cup of tea and a fruit juice delivered very morning when on Azamara and have never tipped the member of the buffet staff who delivers it. (Would prefer to have a kettle and make my own, but Azamra don't make that available).

Never having been tipped in my 42 years of working, I'm probably missing something.

Delivering food and/or drinks to your cabin is part of the job, for which they get paid. Why pay them again?

I'm not against tipping for a service that is above and beyond what is expected, but I don't believe in tipping for something that I've already paid for!!

I don't think Azamara has different wage scales, unlike some states e.g. Arizona - that has a minimum wage of $8.05 per hour, except for tipped employees - who have a minimum wage of only $3.00 per hour.

Other cruise lines (e.g. RCI and Celebrity) automatically add a charge for gratuities, I'll almost guarantee that Azamara buries it in the total price.

Interesting Question.

When it's not our cabin attendant, I always give them a few dollars each time.

When its our cabin attendant delivering the items, I do not tip them for each delivery, as I always give them an additional tip at the end of the Cruise.

Being that another member mentioned the Crew Fund, I highly recommend inquiring at Guest Relations, about the Crew Fund. I've always given funds on past Azamara sailings, as I think so highly of their Crew... and Officers too !