Great Gift Ideas for the Crew

[overeasy]

I read in some post that a cruiser left a bottle of booze (bought on board) for his steward. That seems cool, but again, maybe the cash equivalent would be more greatly appreciated.

[steveNcindy]

OMG, where or where does your imagination take you during your showers?

 

For all our sakes, I am hoping this is a rhetorical question.

[steveNcindy]

Yeah, I wanna know, too! What was the room steward doing in your room while you were in the shower???

 

The OP never said "while the steward was cleaning" their room. Maybe she meant they were cleaning the cabin next door or the hallway and heard her in the shower singing. Lord knows, singing, music and TV isn't the only thing I have heard from adjoining cabins.

 

Everyone is very quick to judge harshly lately

[blindrid]

I hate to "burst your bubble" but the crew only cares about $$$ gifts. Your stewart was probably being polite...hoping that his enthusiasm for your singing would turn into some extra cash for him.

 

Crew members have very limited space, so since there's no where to store "other" gifts they'd end up in the trash.

 

I 100% agree. It's pretty pretentious to think of giving someone a CD of yourself singing.

 

Then you get the self righteous that believe that the cruise lines should give them a "decent" salary so they don't depend on tips.

 

First of all, the money must be alright or they wouldn't be there.

Second of all, that is the way it is in the service business.

Thirdly, is it a safe assumption that the OP could also be heard at Karaoke on the ship :rolleyes:.

 

Let it go people, it pretty well known that money is the common denominator and motivator, not CD of yourself singing, treasures and trinkets of intrinsic value or whatever we think is "cute" or "needed". Heck, I can't even pick out a small gift for a son or grandson that is of use, how can I pick out something that a stranger would want?

 

PS: I'm OK with thank you notes that are read and discarded.

PSS: I'm thinking that the cruiser that left a bottle of booze didn't want to pack it in their luggage to fly home so it was a bit self serving to leave it as a "gift".

[skylock]

I 100% agree. It's pretty pretentious to think of giving someone a CD of yourself singing.

 

Then you get the self righteous that believe that the cruise lines should give them a "decent" salary so they don't depend on tips.

 

First of all, the money must be alright or they wouldn't be there.

Second of all, that is the way it is in the service business.

Thirdly, is it a safe assumption that the OP could also be heard at Karaoke on the ship :rolleyes:.

 

Let it go people, it pretty well known that money is the common denominator and motivator, not CD of yourself singing, treasures and trinkets of intrinsic value or whatever we think is "cute" or "needed". Heck, I can't even pick out a small gift for a son or grandson that is of use, how can I pick out something that a stranger would want?

 

PS: I'm OK with thank you notes that are read and discarded.

PSS: I'm thinking that the cruiser that left a bottle of booze didn't want to pack it in their luggage to fly home so it was a bit self serving to leave it as a "gift".

 

Not really, they could have just poured it down the drain.

[near the beach]

Having a good cabin steward makes a cruise more enjoyable.

Cash is always good.

Easy to handle and no need to wrap it.

[spacewoman]

you guys are a hoot on this board:D

 

 

which makes me say ----------does everyone want to sing Carly Simon's song????????? come on now you all which one (scroll down)

 

 

 

 

You're so Vain:D:D:D:D

[spacewoman]

We give them a picture of Jackson

Sometimes it is a picture of Hamilton or Lincoln because we are out of pictures of Jackson.....of course they are then stuck with 2 pictures of Hamilton or four pictures of Lincoln....they never say that they mind the pictures...

 

 

We give out those same pictures too!!!!!!:D

 

Our cabin stewards have all been absolutely fantastic. Now, mind you we always pick up after ourselves and never leave the place a disaster area, but they always always always take such wonderful care of us and we do our best to take care of them well at the end of the cruise

[Edmund DeWinter]

We tipped our Room Steward over and above the daily amount because he did a really excellent job for us. He told us to call him "Ninja" because he didn't think we could pronounce his name, but he really seemed to be one considering how quickly he could enter/clean/leave our room.

 

We did offer to pick things up for him when we went ashore, as we had heard this can help them a great deal as they can't get off the ship for errands very often, but he declined each time.

 

I think that the gifting of smaller, useful items would be a good thing. However, I'd think cash would be preferable and that giving them anything that would take up a lot of space would be a poor decision indeed.

[98Charlie]

Having a good cabin steward makes a cruise more enjoyable.

Cash is always good.

Easy to handle and no need to wrap it.

 

 

Agree. And it's something you know they can always use. No size required. It always spends.

 

Dianne

[pnjkeith]

On my last cruise the room Stewart said how much he enjoyed my singing in the bathroom while he was busy cleaning. So on the last day I left him a cd I had made of me performing. OMG the look on his face was priceless! He even gave me a big hug lol! I'm planning on bringing half a dozen cd's on my next cruise to reward some of the crew for their hard work. They all seem to be such music lovers.

Does anyone else have any great gift ideas?

 

 

Why not just take them a John Deere Pen light? It is the favorite gift offering on CC.

 

[pnjkeith]

We give them a picture of Jackson

Sometimes it is a picture of Hamilton or Lincoln because we are out of pictures of Jackson.....of course they are then stuck with 2 pictures of Hamilton or four pictures of Lincoln....they never say that they mind the pictures...

 

 

Why not a pic of Benjamin?

[blindrid]

Not really, they could have just poured it down the drain.

 

Hey Judy:

 

You must not be a professional drinker. It is an unwritten code not to waste alcohol. One will be struck dead if you do.......;).

[Marie51]

We leave cash but I have realized things like toothpaste and shampoo and conditioner are appreciated as they do need to buy this for themselves and does save them a bit of money by doing this...

 

Cash will always be king, that is why they do this job...for the tips...but if you are going to buy them a gift then make sure it is something that they NEED, not something you may think that they would like...

 

I can barely bring shampoo, conditioner and toothpaste for myself with the weight restrictions. How do you manage this?

[dan40]

I'm sure they'd love this:

 

Plenty of those and NOTHING else!

[Dallas Bengal]

(Sorry for the post above-wont let me edit) I am from Pittsburgh & on my recent cruise, we gave our room steward a Terrible Towel. (Maybe he was acting) but he seemed really excited & mentioned that he couldn't wait to send it home to his son. I think everyone's situation is different. While money is obviously the best (we did give him cash in addition to the Terrible Towel) I think sometimes something small can be appreciated too.

 

 

 

Now that Terrible Towel refference Hurt...With me being a Bengal fan LOL ...we give cash as well..

[bankerbabe]

We give cash and a thank you note. I can't imagine trying to figure out what to give someone that I don't even know . . . . I hardly know what to buy my husband as a gift and I have been married to him for 16 years!

 

I figure if I say enough nice things in the thank you note, maybe it'll wind up in their personnel file and they can get a raise or other benefit from it. If not, oh well, they can toss it in the round file and keep the cash.

[bplazo]

We give cash and a thank you note. I can't imagine trying to figure out what to give someone that I don't even know . . . . I hardly know what to buy my husband as a gift and I have been married to him for 16 years!

 

I figure if I say enough nice things in the thank you note, maybe it'll wind up in their personnel file and they can get a raise or other benefit from it. If not, oh well, they can toss it in the round file and keep the cash.

 

So true, I never give my husband gifts any more and vice versa. If we want something we just go out and buy our own.

 

Maybe the OP can do a video and and put it on Cruise Critic. She might be really good and the room steward isl enjoying his gift.

[Edmund DeWinter]

We give cash and a thank you note. I can't imagine trying to figure out what to give someone that I don't even know . . . . I hardly know what to buy my husband as a gift and I have been married to him for 16 years!

 

I figure if I say enough nice things in the thank you note, maybe it'll wind up in their personnel file and they can get a raise or other benefit from it. If not, oh well, they can toss it in the round file and keep the cash.

 

It's my understanding that, if you fill out a comment card for them and are highly complimentary to them, it will go into their file and they will be eligible for extras from the company (extra day off, bonuses, etc.)

 

Not certain of this, but if someone can confirm?

[GlendaleCruiser]

It's my understanding that, if you fill out a comment card for them and are highly complimentary to them, it will go into their file and they will be eligible for extras from the company (extra day off, bonuses, etc.)

 

Not certain of this, but if someone can confirm?

 

 

Absolutely. The CDstressed it during one of his "welcome aboard" talks that it is highly important that we take the time to enter comments regarding good service when received.

 

He also told me that their merit raises and performance appraisals are based on positive and negative comment cards. That is why I take the time to make sure and give positive comments (and negative when situations are unaddressed) along with the specific remarks about they did. Fortunately, I usually have to attach an extra sheet of paper to do so.

[blindrid]

It's my understanding that, if you fill out a comment card for them and are highly complimentary to them, it will go into their file and they will be eligible for extras from the company (extra day off, bonuses, etc.)

 

Not certain of this, but if someone can confirm?

 

I believe you're right as there were two young ladies in MDR that did some extra things for us (of course I did more $$'s) but when I asked if I could do anything special for them to help them out, they both told me to make sure I filled out a card bragging about them - it must means something to them anyway.

[Cushing985]

I'm curious as to what do you give the room attendents when you stay at the Holiday Inn? What's the difference...I've stayed in hotels for over a week and I've never left anything other than a daily tip.

[Guest LoveMyBoxer]

Why was he in your room while you were in the bathroom? :eek:

 

Again, please reply to this!

[PROCRUISE]

Because if they paid them more...they might have to lay off some of them?

 

Or worse...they might end up paying out more than they bring in and everyone loses their jobs.

 

ECON 101

 

Thanks for realism in addition to ECON 101. Undoubtedly if you did raise base salaries and therefore raised room rates, Jainnys would be the first to complain that your prices were now too high! What the Jainnys of the world don't understand about the business world is beyond amazing.

[Alliezona09]

On my last cruise the room Stewart said how much he enjoyed my singing in the bathroom while he was busy cleaning. So on the last day I left him a cd I had made of me performing. OMG the look on his face was priceless! He even gave me a big hug lol! I'm planning on bringing half a dozen cd's on my next cruise to reward some of the crew for their hard work. They all seem to be such music lovers.

Does anyone else have any great gift ideas?

 

 

To all those asking why the steward was in her cabin while she was in the shower~ where does it say that in her post? It only says she was "in the bathroom" which could mean she was brushing her hair before she left the cabin and told him that he could come in and get started~

 

Just wondering where everyone got that she was in the shower~~??