Tipping Questions

[caribbeankid92]

Just got off the Equinox and the last night of dinner we were discussing tipping. We had a few questions we would love answered, because I am somewhat familiar with the "pooled" tipping.

 

When the bar staff charge you 15 percent gratuity for a drink, is that money given to the bartender who made the drink or is this money pooled?

 

The auto gratuities show to whom each portion of the money paid is going to...example .75 to asst housekeeper. Are these actually given to the people who they say or is all the money pooled as well? How do these work, basically?

 

When you give your waiter extra money and keep the auto gratuity on, he gets to keep the extra money? Correct?

 

 

I am absolutely not complaining about the tipping at all. I really think its a very good system because these people work extremely hard. Our waiter says he works 10-12 hour days for every day of his contract. He has been with Celebrity for 19 years so I suppose it must not be a terrible gig.

 

Ben

[jackdiamond]

I agree with you that the auto tipping procedure is very fair and convenient. I further believe that in the near future it will become mandatory and irreversible. I also believe that if the auto tip is undisturbed, that any additional tips go directly to the person intended.

[TravelerThom]

Just got off the Equinox and the last night of dinner we were discussing tipping. We had a few questions we would love answered, because I am somewhat familiar with the "pooled" tipping.

 

When the bar staff charge you 15 percent gratuity for a drink, is that money given to the bartender who made the drink or is this money pooled?

 

The auto gratuities show to whom each portion of the money paid is going to...example .75 to asst housekeeper. Are these actually given to the people who they say or is all the money pooled as well? How do these work, basically?

 

When you give your waiter extra money and keep the auto gratuity on, he gets to keep the extra money? Correct?

 

I am absolutely not complaining about the tipping at all. I really think its a very good system because these people work extremely hard. Our waiter says he works 10-12 hour days for every day of his contract. He has been with Celebrity for 19 years so I suppose it must not be a terrible gig.

 

Ben

I'm pretty sure that if a waiter serves you a drink it is shared in some manner with the bar tender. Not sure what happens if you get the drink directly from the bartender.

 

I'm almost positive that when you give your water extra with the auto gratuity still in place, they get to keep it all.

 

From http://www.celebritycruises.com/beforeyourcruise/faq/home.do?faqSubjectName=Payments&faqId=551&pagename=faq_answers

"Please note that gratuities may be shared with other crew members depending on the particular service requirement."

 

Thom

[cb at sea]

If you give someone cash, you can bet it goes straight into their pocket....there's no way to track cash...so even if they're supposed to "pool" their money, you have to know that they are going to keep the majority of it!!!!

 

The way tips work vary from cruiseline to cruiseline....

[dkjretired]

If you give someone cash, you can bet it goes straight into their pocket....there's no way to track cash...so even if they're supposed to "pool" their money, you have to know that they are going to keep the majority of it!!!!

 

The way tips work vary from cruiseline to cruiseline....

 

Yes, and the tipping that you do on your account such as waiter, etc is not pooled on Celebrity....

[lovethekeys]

When ever I stay in a hotel, I leave a tip on the pillow and it is always gone when I come back to the room. I did this once many years ago on a cruise and the money was incorporated into my towel animal when we returned. I have not tried to do that since, but would like to. Has anyone ever done this and they took it? I know we could just give them some money up front but I think it is nice to leave it on the pillow ever day. Thoughts?:)

[Lois R]

When ever I stay in a hotel, I leave a tip on the pillow and it is always gone when I come back to the room. I did this once many years ago on a cruise and the money was incorporated into my towel animal when we returned. I have not tried to do that since, but would like to. Has anyone ever done this and they took it? I know we could just give them some money up front but I think it is nice to leave it on the pillow ever day. Thoughts?:)

 

You want to leave extra every day? I prefer to see my cabin attendant before I leave and I hand him/her extra greenbacks at that time.:)

I don't tip up front but that is just me. I know there are folks who do but I don't. I have always received great service and before disembarking

the ship I take care of my cabin attendant and asst.:D

But if you feel good leaving $ on daily basis? Then go for it:)

[smeyer418]

If you give someone cash, you can bet it goes straight into their pocket....there's no way to track cash...so even if they're supposed to "pool" their money, you have to know that they are going to keep the majority of it!!!!

 

The way tips work vary from cruiseline to cruiseline....

 

while its true that there no actual way to track cash, most of the employees put the cash into their accounts on the ship. They do this for the same reason that you don't want to keep large amounts of cash on you either. they live 3-4 in the room and they have the same amount of less than honest people when it comes to having cash around.

 

Also both the room stewards and the wait staff tip out of the daily amounts and extra that they get people who help them...that is the laundry staff for the room stewards and the dishwashers-line cooks in the dining rooms. If they don't tip out they will not be able to serve your correctly either....and some tip out the head waiter and the asst head housekeeper too-even if you don't. Its not pooling exactly but its a form of pooling.