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Tipping the crew with items other than cash...


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Exactly. What floridalover5623 claims - if true - isn't typical and is a completely different situation. Just like I might give my barber, who has been cutting my hair for almost two decades, a gift for Christmas because I know him well enough to have a pretty good idea what he likes, I certainly wouldn't give one to the random grocery store clerk who rings up my purchases. To argue that giving gifts is perfectly normal is dependent on the relationship ones has with the staff. To tell people that the staff will like what you give them is horribly poor advice for the majority of passengers who most likely only see the people serving them on one cruise and will never see them again, so have zero idea what they do and don't like or need.

 

Floridalover5623, when giving advice, try to be more focused on the average reader's situation and not on yourself.

 

Aw, I thinkFloridaLover was explaining her own approach and feelings on the matter. I may not agree but saw nothing wrong with how she responded. She does not deserve to be chided for her responses. Just sayin

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Number 4 on the new job orientation list: "learn as many names as you can - tips will follow."

 

 

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Following your advice it would be better never to talk to any crew member and therefore never have to give anything, cash included.

 

It is certainly possible to develop a friendship beyond the normal customer/staff relationship, particularly if you share the same culture as the person. But for the vast majority of passengers the best advise is skip trinkets and give cash.

Of course cash is primary for compensation.

No one would argue that point. They're not on the ship to meet people & make life long friends.

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Floridalover5623, when giving advice, try to be more focused on the average reader's situation and not on yourself.

 

Of course everyone needs to judge for themselves if they want to compensate the crew with any extras. If you're just going to hand them a piece of garbage they'll smile & laugh behind your back.

Find the right item that they can use & it'll be treasured & they'll share it with their friends.

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Exactly. What floridalover5623 claims - if true - isn't typical and is a completely different situation. Just like I might give my barber, who has been cutting my hair for almost two decades, a gift for Christmas because I know him well enough to have a pretty good idea what he likes, I certainly wouldn't give one to the random grocery store clerk who rings up my purchases. To argue that giving gifts is perfectly normal is dependent on the relationship ones has with the staff. To tell people that the staff will like what you give them is horribly poor advice for the majority of passengers who most likely only see the people serving them on one cruise and will never see them again, so have zero idea what they do and don't like or need.

 

Floridalover5623, when giving advice, try to be more focused on the average reader's situation and not on yourself.

 

As a former retail person, If I remember correctly, tips and gifts weren't allowed to be accepted. IF a customer slipped us a couple of bucks, it slipped right in the pocket, as for gifts, we had to report them to our supervisor

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As a former retail person, If I remember correctly, tips and gifts weren't allowed to be accepted. IF a customer slipped us a couple of bucks, it slipped right in the pocket, as for gifts, we had to report them to our supervisor

I was never in a retail job so I wouldn't know what their policies were.

All I can say is that on the ship my gifts are accepted without question & even shared with their immediate supervisors.

Also - cash is pocketed (always out of sight or others) and never reported for the pool.

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I was never in a retail job so I wouldn't know what their policies were.

All I can say is that on the ship my gifts are accepted without question & even shared with their immediate supervisors.

 

Or so you are being told. Do you actually see that sharing while it happens?

 

Also - cash is pocketed (always out of sight or others) and never reported for the pool.

 

So, you fully support and are comfortable being complicit with the staff stealing from their fellow crew members? They are supposed to report those cash tips, but you apparently deliberately give them those tips in secret so they can hide them. That isn't very ethical. How would you feel if they were caught and fired? Not your problem?

 

You know full well what those rules are (because you read these threads), otherwise you wouldn't go through the trouble of handing them those cash tips in secret.

Edited by sloopsailor
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Following your advice it would be better never to talk to any crew member and therefore never have to give anything, cash included.

 

 

 

 

 

Of course cash is primary for compensation.

 

No one would argue that point. They're not on the ship to meet people & make life long friends.

 

 

Your "never talk to crew" comment is nonsensical.

 

I correspond with some past crew with whom I've shared "sea stories" and/or have provided requested professional advice regarding our mutual industry interests. No need to "give them a cookie."

Rather, if non-officer staff have truly gone "above and beyond" in service, we augment the daily service charge with end-of-cruise cash.

 

 

 

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Pretty much every restaurant has regulars who hand out candy , know everyone by name and the staff know everything about them. The regulars are greeted warmly, are doted on and their gifts/candy is accepted with great enthusiasm. Behind the scenes, servers are playing "rock, paper, scissors" and loser gets the table. Service industry personnel who excel at their jobs make customers feel like friends but they know they are not.

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Or so you are being told. Do you actually see that sharing while it happens?

 

Absolutely. Their supervisor & other crew members have been present when I've given them "extra" gifts.

So, you fully support and are comfortable being complicit with the staff stealing from their fellow crew members? They are supposed to report those cash tips, but you apparently deliberately give them those tips in secret so they can hide them. That isn't very ethical. How would you feel if they were caught and fired? Not your problem?

 

You know full well what those rules are (because you read these threads), otherwise you wouldn't go through the trouble of handing them those cash tips in secret.

I give them cash & it's up to them what the appropriate thing to do with it.

The gift cannot be pooled so unless they physically lend it to other crew members. That's why giving a personal gift is so much better. ;)

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Your "never talk to crew" comment is nonsensical.

 

I correspond with some past crew with whom I've shared "sea stories" and/or have provided requested professional advice regarding our mutual industry interests. No need to "give them a cookie."

Rather, if non-officer staff have truly gone "above and beyond" in service, we augment the daily service charge with end-of-cruise cash.

 

 

 

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So you don't care to give them a "gift".

That's fine.

It's not required nor expected.

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I normally leave the dsc alone and give the room steward extra $$$

 

I'm thinking about keeping the extra $$$ because the last several cruises when I handed them cash they actually didn't seem to expect it. No they were not flustered or so overwhelmed that they couldn't speak....but their looks...and this was before they knew what was in the envelope ....was so matter of fact and so obvious that they didn't require anything more...so I'm done with extra $$$

 

Speaking with others later on at the airport I come to realize that 9 out of 10 of those pax didn't even consider giving extra cash. I'm joining that train if thought next cruise as well

 

 

Of course I'm bring all my freebie gift with purchase lipsticks to hand out though lol

 

 

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