Gratitude of Cabin Stewards

In addition to prepaying our gratuities, my DH and Itypically give an additional $50 per week to our stateroom attendant plus varyingamounts for other individuals who have made an impression upon us. We havealways received a heartfelt thank-you. Ourmost memorable was last fall when our stateroom attendant sought us each out tooffer a huge hug. He went on to say that his children’s only wish for Christmaswere simple wristwatches. He was on the verge of tears when he said that hedidn’t know how he was going to afford it, but we had now made this possible.

 

I hope all our fellow cruisers realize that despite whatyour cruise fare might set you back, most crew members make less than nothing. Iimplore you to get to know them, listen to their stories, ask about theirfamilies, and open your heart and then your wallet.

In addition to prepaying our gratuities, my DH and Itypically give an additional $50 per week to our stateroom attendant plus varyingamounts for other individuals who have made an impression upon us. We havealways received a heartfelt thank-you. Ourmost memorable was last fall when our stateroom attendant sought us each out tooffer a huge hug. He went on to say that his children’s only wish for Christmaswere simple wristwatches. He was on the verge of tears when he said that hedidn’t know how he was going to afford it, but we had now made this possible.

 

I hope all our fellow cruisers realize that despite whatyour cruise fare might set you back, most crew members make less than nothing. Iimplore you to get to know them, listen to their stories, ask about theirfamilies, and open your heart and then your wallet.

 

I never understood what it is about cruising that makes people want to become personally attached to staff. Do you do this with every hotel housekeeper, bellman, restaurant servers, etc? We are always friendly and do tip extra as deserved, but I do not want to know how much they make, their life history, working conditions, etc.

 

Yes, they can be warm and friendly, but as you disembark, they forget you and move onto the next person.

 

also, don't believe every hard luck story you hear.

In addition to prepaying our gratuities, my DH and Itypically give an additional $50 per week to our stateroom attendant plus varyingamounts for other individuals who have made an impression upon us. We havealways received a heartfelt thank-you. Ourmost memorable was last fall when our stateroom attendant sought us each out tooffer a huge hug. He went on to say that his children’s only wish for Christmaswere simple wristwatches. He was on the verge of tears when he said that hedidn’t know how he was going to afford it, but we had now made this possible.

 

I hope all our fellow cruisers realize that despite whatyour cruise fare might set you back, most crew members make less than nothing. Iimplore you to get to know them, listen to their stories, ask about theirfamilies, and open your heart and then your wallet.

 

I am a real advocate for Crew. I believe that most work hard and deserve all they receive. Some are like family to me and i sometimes take cruises just to see some Officers and Crew. That being said: Some are very good at telling stories that induce more tips. I can tell a number of stories where a member of the crew, not knowing my experience, told me things like "I don't get a gratuity for serving you a drink" just to squeeze a little extra from me. Caveat Emptor!

I never understood what it is about cruising that makes people want to become personally attached to staff. Do you do this with every hotel housekeeper, bellman, restaurant servers, etc? We are always friendly and do tip extra as deserved, but I do not want to know how much they make, their life history, working conditions, etc.

 

Yes, they can be warm and friendly, but as you disembark, they forget you and move onto the next person.

 

also, don't believe every hard luck story you hear.

Actually they do NOT forget some passengers. On that same cruise a previous stateroom attendent saw my DH and then came looking for us because she recognized him from a previous cruise. She also remembered our names.

 

So maybe your not memorable, but those of us who take the time to get to know our fellow humans are remembered fondly.

 

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On a past cruise, we met a Chinese worker in the buffet area and talked at some length. he expressed an interest in a basketball team of the US. We told him we'd be back on the ship that coming Sept and took him a T shirt of that team. He was overjoyed. What hurt was that he later brought to our cabin personal food/seasoning items of his own, probably irreplaceable for him till end of his contract; maybe in his culture one is expected to give in return, but he gave so much !! I love interacting with these people, love getting a tiny taste of their lives, their countries. I'm the one who comes away blessed.

I never understood what it is about cruising that makes people want to become personally attached to staff. Do you do this with every hotel housekeeper, bellman, restaurant servers, etc? We are always friendly and do tip extra as deserved, but I do not want to know how much they make, their life history, working conditions, etc.

 

Yes, they can be warm and friendly, but as you disembark, they forget you and move onto the next person.

 

also, don't believe every hard luck story you hear.

 

Too many believed their Mom when she told them they were special. Think about that ship 3 days after your cruise is over. Those same 'dear friends' are now making friends with completely different people. The cruise is a special time for us, but it is business as usual for the crew.

Actually they do NOT forget some passengers. On that same cruise a previous stateroom attendent saw my DH and then came looking for us because she recognized him from a previous cruise. She also remembered our names.

 

So maybe your not memorable, but those of us who take the time to get to know our fellow humans are remembered fondly.

 

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As a fellow Canadian, I totally agree with you. We always introduce ourselves to our room steward and tell him/her that we're from Canada. That has never failed to elicit a big smile and a little discussion about our country. In Canada, we tend to be more personal with service people than those from other countries. We've been recipients of many hugs from our stewards and waitstaff at the end of the cruise, as we really do try to treat them like a part of a big cruise "family". It's just our nature, but it probably seems odd to other people. Carry on with what you do, as will we. Everyone should interact in a manner that makes them comfortable.

I'm siding with the hand the steward the tip in person with a thank you and a hand shake. Now my issue is we usually do b2b or b2b2b and always tip for both cruises in person on the last night. They seem to appreciate that more. I always figured that after two 14 or 17 day cruises that they deserve that for keeping me in line.

 

I agree but on our last b2b our cabin steward went home after the first cruise and we had a new steward for the second.

I never understood what it is about cruising that makes people want to become personally attached to staff. Do you do this with every hotel housekeeper, bellman, restaurant servers, etc? We are always friendly and do tip extra as deserved, but I do not want to know how much they make, their life history, working conditions, etc.

 

Yes, they can be warm and friendly, but as you disembark, they forget you and move onto the next person.

 

also, don't believe every hard luck story you hear.

You probably need to take more cruises on the same line. Over time you develop a relationship with Officers and crew. I've seen many who went from Asst. Waiter to Restaurant Manager or even F&B Manager. One Captain was a First Officer when I first met him. One Japanese crew member knew my birthday from my FB page and sang as I passed her station. I received gifts from a number of crew and the Captain had me and my DW to the Bridge for a Birthday celebration. The HD, RM, F&B Manager, and the CD attended and we enjoyed a wonderful cake together. We have become a "listening ear" for many on the crew and have shared their joy and sorrow. We've met some of the children of Officers and crew and when on a Christmas cruise have a shopping trip for gifts for the children. these relationships are among the reasons we cruise Celebrity.

I never understood what it is about cruising that makes people want to become personally attached to staff. Do you do this with every hotel housekeeper, bellman, restaurant servers, etc? We are always friendly and do tip extra as deserved, but I do not want to know how much they make, their life history, working conditions, etc.

 

Yes, they can be warm and friendly, but as you disembark, they forget you and move onto the next person.

 

also, don't believe every hard luck story you hear.

 

There is a huge difference between ship crews and people who work on land in hotels & restaurants. On land, even the lower level workers get to go home to their families and/or friends every night, to their own home, they sleep in their own bed, and they do not work for days and days on end with very little time off. Their free time is theirs to fill as they please. Crew on the ship are separated from their families for months at a time, they work for days on end and have very little time off. Not only is their free time limited, but the things they can do with it are limited by their surroundings. Most of them do this because they want to build better lives for themselves & their families and cannot do so in their native countries. Of course there will be some who embellish the hardships they endure in order to increase gratuities; they're only human, right?

 

We always put the extra tips in an envelope with a thank you note and hand it over directly to our cabin steward(s), waiters, whomever we want to recognize, on the last night of the cruise. If we are doing a back to back, or a long cruise with segments, we do that on the last night of each segment, because sometimes they are getting off or transferring to another part of the ship and we won't have them for the next segment.

What an odd sentiment. Isn't it selfish on your part to expect praise? Do you thank your boss for giving you a pay check on every pay day?

 

 

 

I bet they would thank the boss if the boss added a nice' date=' big tip to their paycheck.

 

The OP isn't writing the stewards paycheck. They are giving an *additional* amount. That's far different than thanking the boss for the standard paycheck IMO.[/quote']

 

 

Exactly

 

I hear the OP saying that only 1 of 30 ever acknowledged a TIP...

 

We do cash in person to crew that are exceptional. On the last cruise the steward was not exceptional--

 

However a bartender in the Ensemble Lounge and a server in Murano were both exceptional.

I was sure to write a glowing report in the post cruise survey as well. Would be thrilled to have the same bartender again... You never know.

The server from Murano was retiring from Celebrity and starting a land based biz

Why are so many jumping on the original poster? The room steward is given a tip 'for doing their job' (as someone stated earlier) via the automatic gratuity. For this part, nobody should expect a thank you. If however, as the OP states they are giving extra on top of that (more than the for 'doing their job' part) I would at an absolute minimum expect at least some type of acknowledgement. I would not expect him/her to name their first born child after me, but a, "thank you, that was very kind and I appreciate it" would certainly not be out of line.

 

When we have great cabin service I always seek out the steward and hand him/her some extra money personally and shake their hand. It is always met with sincere thanks and appreciation.

Why are so many jumping on the original poster? The room steward is given a tip 'for doing their job' (as someone stated earlier) via the automatic gratuity. For this part, nobody should expect a thank you. If however, as the OP states they are giving extra on top of that (more than the for 'doing their job' part) I would at an absolute minimum expect at least some type of acknowledgement. I would not expect him/her to name their first born child after me, but a, "thank you, that was very kind and I appreciate it" would certainly not be out of line.

 

When we have great cabin service I always seek out the steward and hand him/her some extra money personally and shake their hand. It is always met with sincere thanks and appreciation.

 

While I agree with you, your situation and that of the OP are very different. You "seek out the steward and hand him/her some extra money personally and shake their hand".

 

Now this is what the OP says:

 

.... I have, without fail, left the steward what I consider a generous cash tip, beyond the auto-billed daily service charge, in our cabin on the last night of the cruise before we head off for late-seating dinner. This means we never see the steward that night as we don’t get back to the cabin until long after his/her duties are complete. Typically we depart the ship early the next morning and rarely see him/her then.

 

It is one thing to expect a thank you or appreciation when you are handing someone an envelope. It is completely different to expect the steward to come seek you out to show that appreciation not knowing what your schedule might be.

 

Mike

Actually they do NOT forget some passengers. On that same cruise a previous stateroom attendent saw my DH and then came looking for us because she recognized him from a previous cruise. She also remembered our names.

 

So maybe your not memorable, but those of us who take the time to get to know our fellow humans are remembered fondly.

 

 

So true. We boarded Enchantment once and headed to the pool bar. It had been 2 or 3 years since we were on that ship. The bartender looked at us and before we had said a word, she smiled and said "You (pointing to my BF) drink Goose and soda and you (pointing to me) like champagne with a cherry in it." She remembered us from several years prior. We don't try to delve into the life history of our bartenders/servers/stewards, but we do try to be friendly, tip generously as warranted, and make casual conversation with them. We've had other staff on other ships remember us on a later cruise as well, but that one stands out in my mind.

On land I like to leave a tip every day for the housekeeping staff since they don't work 7 days a week. I leave a simple Thank you and occasionally I get one back, but do not think it is necessary.

 

On the ship these workers work very long hours for 10 months at a time. I leave the extra money and hope they get to keep it. I am not sure if they are expected to pool this cash or not. When I have done a b2b cruise, its nice because the room steward can do the extra cleaning, stocking, etc the day before and just clean our room on the last day when most are leaving.

 

I guess we all think differently about our tips and even what amount is generous.

As OP, may I clarify, please? I would never expect a composed formal thank you "note". That would be silly. For the record, the one, and only, steward that ever left an acknowledgement, did so by writing exactly three words on the cabin stationary: "Thank you" followed by his first name. A act of graciousness, or was it not? The simple laws of probability might predict that more than one steward out of the 30 we have had could have managed to fit that seemingly less than onerous task into their "busiest nights".

 

Didn't help. Your comment still is more about you than providing thanks for great service. As an experienced cruiser you are aware that the last night (and day) before debarkation is extremely hectic for crew. Always try to do the last gratuity a day or so before the last day and do it in person in an envelop.

I never cease to be perplexed by this. I have always thought that stewards, for no other reason except their own self-interest and perhaps that of their co-workers, would indulge those passengers who are thoughtful enough to tip. But that has been anything but my experience.

Wow...thought I had written this. This is exactly how it went down on my last cruise.

As a couple, neither of us expect any recognition, thats why we have always agreed to auto tipping. But for whatever reason this time, the little bit extra was acknowledged with rudeness. (We chalked it up to short staff, in a hurry, cultural.) Never the less it left a bad taste for future extra tipping.......don’t flame the poster....he’s only being honest....it happens:cool:

Last Night, this card was on our cabin

 

Wow...thought I had written this. This is exactly how it went down on my last cruise.

As a couple, neither of us expect any recognition, thats why we have always agreed to auto tipping. But for whatever reason this time, the little bit extra was acknowledged with rudeness. (We chalked it up to short staff, in a hurry, cultural.) Never the less it left a bad taste for future extra tipping.......don’t flame the poster....he’s only being honest....it happens:cool:

Why would anyone be rude about receiving a tip? In what way were they rude? How strange that this occurred. This most certainly is an anomaly.

CM

We pre-tip on day three, usually. My wife is a late sleeper, we have anytime dining, and so are generally a pain to the cabin steward. And I give it to him/her personally and say why.

 

Also, if the ship is on a recurring cruise, I'll usually give leftover non-standard currency like kroner to the steward, as he or his colleagues will be able to use it in the future.

Why would anyone be rude about receiving a tip? In what way were they rude? How strange that this occurred. This most certainly is an anomaly.

CM

 

Perhaps the "tip" was their left over birthday cake that they brought back to treat their room steward.

No ....I don’t eat birthday cake, I’m sweet enough.

My sister is like the OP, she loves lavish praise for any gift and she seeks it months later through induced conversation. It has caused me to adopt a strict policy that I also enforce for my kids, lest they become beholden to her, that we politely reject all gift from her. Anything my kids need, we provide and anything they want is filtered by us.

 

 

 

I can see why they wouldn't react any different, firstly it can create an uncomfortable situation where none exists, it would be something they have to do every week. At some point, it will come across as contrived and disingenuous. They are not so dissimilar to a land based waiter or bell hop, both of which rarely make overt signs of appreciation upon receiving a tip.

 

 

As for the comments referencing thanking a boss for a paycheck, the OP's tipping practice is above and beyond the gratuity charges assessed by the cruise line. So it would be tantamount to a surprise cash bonus your boss brings to you one day after work.

 

 

Big difference.

We also tipped the cabin steward an extra amount over and above the gratuities. I always make sure we contact them in person rather than just leaving it. If you Don’t see the Steward in the morning after you leave the tip, how can they possibly thank you.

In the morning, if I look out in the hall and I don’t see my steward, I just quickly press cabin attendant on the phone and have them stop by so I can say thank you in person. I am the one thanking them

I view additional gratuity as a way of saying thank you for great service. I don't expect to get a thank you for expressing a thank you. That's just me.

CM

 

 

Absolutely agree....they work hard and if they've done their job well enough to get an extra tip (which is ALWAYS for us) THAT is all the "thank you" ever needed.