Anyone else have a partner who complains about the tipping, attire???

[jsol1979]

the tip calculator is very helpful, that is how I thought they worked, but then I wasn't sure based on some comments. Thank you very much!

[jsol1979]

In anyone's experience - If you pre-pay your tips, do you feel you get the same service than if you pay at the end of the cruise? In asking that, I mean does the room steward know that you already pre-paid it, so the chance of them getting any extra money might be out of the question to them and they might not treat you as well? Maybe they don't know that you prepaid though???

[madforcruising]

In anyone's experience - If you pre-pay your tips, do you feel you get the same service than if you pay at the end of the cruise? In asking that, I mean does the room steward know that you already pre-paid it, so the chance of them getting any extra money might be out of the question to them and they might not treat you as well? Maybe they don't know that you prepaid though???

 

I did that only once and I don´t think I received any other service, but of course it may vary from person to person. I´ve heard that they get listings with the people that prepaid the tip but I don´t know when they get them. It could be that they get them towards the end of the cruise as you can still choose to "pre-pay" once you are onboard and let it be charged to your onboard account. So I think they would have to update the lists continously but this is just guessing on my part.

[goodml]

My tune didn't change, I would say I was exaggerating more than anything, I'm not saying he isn't going to wear a suit for me, he was just making some comments about having to do it and whatnot, so I was just wondering aloud if others deal with that or if everyone is more than happy just to do it, and I think people have taken this very far. We have the best relationship that I or he has ever had, and we've both been married before, so we know what we are talking about, just because some one complains doesn't mean I'm going to leave them. Its not a daily occurence, we are both fun loving people who love to laugh and have fun. I apologize if my first post made it sound like i hated him and couldn't stand to be around him - cuz thats what a lot of you are making me feel like here. (and we never, ever, ever have fought or bickered in front of the kids, because we rarely do it anyways - i know better than that with kids). I guess i was more wondering since we've never been on a cruise before, if it was different that what maybe others had originally thought when they went on their first cruise!!

 

I will however like to change the subject from my relationship and I am fine if no-one has any more comments or advice on that aspect for me - to the tipping amounts though - lol, because now I am getting confused, but I think I just need to clarify that when I said $100 to one person, I meant that because we are a family of 4 traveling, and the guidelines say $3.50 a day per person for the waiter (for example) so that would be the $98.00. Plus you pay that amount to the room steward (or more if it is deserving). So I was just figuring that it would be close to $300 in tips on the ship, following those guidelines. If that is not correct, then please let me know. I don't mean to blow anything out of proportion, and say i'm not going to to tip (or that my bf wasn't going to do it) - I just want to make sure i'm doing things the right way.

 

:) jsol, your bf sounds just like my dh. Pretty much do what needs to be done - just might crab about it a little bit. As I read all the off-with-his-head posts I thought to myself, they've never lived with this type of guy. For the record I've been married 22 years to the same type and I wouldn't trade him for the world. I totally get where you're coming from.

 

With regards to the tips, we have tried all the tricks we've read about here. Pay at the end, pay ahead, slip the room steward $20 at the beginning of the week... I can honestly say it hasn't made a bit of difference in the service that we've received. It's always been great regardless.

 

As far as tipping for kids, four of our cruises have been with our kids beginning when they were 3 & 5. Our kids on every cruise, were treated like absolute royalty. The room stewards & dining room staff went above and beyond to make them feel special and those have actually been the cruises that we have really felt compelled to tip extra. Kids are definitely more work for the staff and they definitely deserve the full tips.

 

Happy planning!

[goodml]

Perhaps the issues you present would much better be decided in front of 1) a marriage councelor or 2) a divorce proceeding.

 

Either way, your presentation of the situation points to many issues that need to be settled prior to spending money on a vacation that (in your own words) is a controversy. If you cannot present yourselves equally as a couple in a vacation setting, it brings many questions to how you react in a real life atmosphere. It frightens me to wonder how your opposite opinions effect your children and your normal household setting. It is people such as you and your bickering amoungst one another that effect others cruise experience in a negative way, and, by your own admission of the controversy, this reflects how much time you both spend bickering which allows your step children the time to run wild aboard a ship.

 

If you can't leave such trivial things at home, please do not bring them to the attention of others, as we are not paid to be your family psychologist. Perhaps your funds are better spent elsewhere than upon a cruise board or a cruise itself.

 

Good grief, pretty strong words especially when you've got to start a new username just to have the guts to post them.:rolleyes:

[Honeybear]

I am truly sorry that Honeybear believes that its ok for her DH to deliberately STIFF others who work for a living. He does not want to "dress up" for vacation because he HAS to every day. Not that his company, co-workers, boss or clients deserve it...he just HAS to. He would rather go to work than cruise with his "DW".

 

Maybe you should re-read what I said! I did NOT say my DH ever stiffed anyone! He ALWAYS tips. I "DID" say,

"My DH is a LOT like that but I wouldn't trade him for anything. There are things a lot more important than tips or how he likes to dress. How does he treat you and his children?"

You guys were ready to have her dump him when he might be one of the best guys in this world!

My DH doesn't want to cruise, and he'd rather not dress up. But I "know" where he is at all times, he doesn't run around, he doesn't drink and he would literally give his life for me. As far as dressing up, he never misses church and he does wear a suit everytime he goes! This, to me is SO MUCH more important than having him go on a cruise. He's MORE than willing to finance my cruises with my friends.

[TahoeBob]

I have never taken a cruise before, my BF and I are planning on one, taking his kids. Well, the more I talk about the dressing up for the dinners and the tipping, the more irritating he is getting - lol. He can't fathom paying a tip of $100 to the waiter or the room steward for the week (for a 7 day cruise). I feel that they are doing a service for you that you don't have to do yourself. And I told him we didn't have to eat in the dining room every night, but he could live through a couple times (he can wear the same clothes every night for all I care - lol). I dont' know how to convince him that it is totally normal for these things. I should probably just take care of the tipping myself at the end of the cruise and he will be none the wiser!! He is excited about it in general and stuff, but when it comes to these two things, its frustrating on my part, because these are the guidelines of cruising. Does anyone else have this problem??

 

No I dont have this problem.

 

when you break down the tips it is

 

$3.50 per person per day

7 days total of 24.50 per person per per week

on a 7 day cruise 20 meals per week

this works out to a total of $1.23 tip per meal

 

If any really gets irritated at a small tip of $1.23 per meal then I think there are other issues that need to be delt with.

[hstrybuf]

My husband has no problems with either attire or tipping. He's very agreeable when it comes to both.

[beachchick]

Nah...I haven't been doing anything as interesting as a cruise. I've had a kind of bad time with my disabilities lately and have been "browsing," but not posting as much.

 

We have a cruise planned for December though--yeah!

 

We really must cruise together sometime. I just know we'd have a blast. :D

 

beachchick

 

p.s. to LongTimeMemberSickOfIssues: If you're so sick of everything (even resorting to creating a new screen name just to berate another poster), then don't come here, don't read the threads, and, for Heaven's sake, don't post. Sheesh!

[It'sRC4ME]

Is it possible that cruising is just not the vacation for him? I enjoy crusing because I enjoy eating, drinking, loafing around, dressing up and people watching. Therefore, I avoid vacations that involve hiking in the woods, for instance, where the food is scanty and bad, I don't get to sit around, and there aren't any people around. I know that others enjoy that type of vacation, but it's just not for me, so I avoid hiking trips instead of going along and then complaining.

 

To me it sounds more like your BF doesn't want to to on a cruise as opposed to wanting to go but refusing to go along with typical onboard "culture". Perhaps you should consider another vacation option instead of trying to force him into a mold he doesn't fit into.