Tipping 2

[sassy~one]

I understand there is a 'auto' tip, or tips added to your S&S card. Do You keep them in place? Tip extra? Remove and tip how you wish?

 

Please no 'meanies'. LOL

 

I personally like to tip those who serve ME, DH likes the auto tips. We always tip for Room Service.

 

Thanks for being respectful.

 

:)

[foodgirl]

We keep the auto tip,but bring cash and give extra to our cabin stewards if they do an exceptional job (which is usually in our experience). We tend to go to the same bars through the week and will also give extra if warranted. We always tip room service which we use quite frequently during a cruise.

[Randyk47]

We leave the hotel service charge in place and tip out-of-hand to those who we feel have made our cruise that little extra bit special. Sometimes that's a number, say five or six people, from our cabin stewards to bar staff. Other cruises it's no more than two or three, just depends. It'll come up so I'll mention that if you do remove the hotel service charge and tip out-of-hand the staff is required to turn the money in to the central "pot" so you've not accomplished what I think your intention is which is to target specific people.

[superoma]

I understand there is a 'auto' tip, or tips added to your S&S card. Do You keep them in place? Tip extra? Remove and tip how you wish?

 

Please no 'meanies'. LOL

 

I personally like to tip those who serve ME, DH likes the auto tips. We always tip for Room Service.

 

Thanks for being respectful.

 

:)

 

the daily charge is a hotel service charge not autotips, much like resorts and other hotel chains add to their bill. We ALWAYS leave it in place and give additional for exceptional service. the HSC covers not only the people you see, but some you will never have contact with.

 

MY DH and I, along with others, would prefer this simply to be rolled into the price of the cruise. But, it is what it is and we budget accordingly.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[sassy~one]

Thank YOU kindly. I did not know it was called HSC. And yes 'hotels' do charge extra.

 

Thanks again.

[travelerone]

If you tip extra for room service are they then required to put that in with all the others? It seems odd that if you opt to tip separately instead of the hotel service charge that they then have to turn it in. Why tip separately then?

[superoma]

If you tip extra for room service are they then required to put that in with all the others? It seems odd that if you opt to tip separately instead of the hotel service charge that they then have to turn it in. Why tip separately then?

 

No, the beauty of it is, if you leave your HSC in place, anything you give someone over and above it is theirs to keep. If, however, you remove it, and believe me everyone will know, they are to turn in whatever you give them. So, you are able to tip exceptional service and they get to keep it.

[kazu]

If you tip extra for room service are they then required to put that in with all the others? It seems odd that if you opt to tip separately instead of the hotel service charge that they then have to turn it in. Why tip separately then?

 

tipping separately is simply to acknowledge service that you WISH to acknowledge over and ABOVE the hotel service charge.

 

It is not required - but there are those of us who do like to say thank you in a small way:)

[George C]

I also really dislike auto-tips and they can be removed, but like most others I know just leave them in place and tip extra at the end of the week ( as long as service was good). I still think service would be better if there were no auto-tips.

[dr.dawg]

to the OP. i always leave the auto-tips, whatever called, on my account, though i must say there have been one or two times i thought about removing them, but did not. only once, on a 30day pc cruise did i not tip the room stewards extra; most times i do. i also tip extra certain bar or lido staff who have been especially kind and good at what they do. i bring little 'thank you' cards with me on a cruise and write a message of thanks when i enclose a tip. i'd like the same, if it were myself. saying 'thanks' is always a good thing. fr. doug

[ZSandy25]

Thank you for the idea of little thank you cards. Much more personal, I will pack some for my upcoming cruise.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We also leave the Hotel Service Charge in place.

Should you decide to remove it -- you will have a form to complete and on it will be a question asking why you want to remove it. The reason being they want to know what they can do to improve their service and have you keep the Hotel Service Charge in place. They want to know if your room stewards are not doing their job, etc.

Once you sign that form -- any monies that you give in cash to anyone on the ship -- those crew members are required to turn in that money so that it can go into a pool and be divided among all crew. The managers of all departments are notified of your signing the form and give the names to the staff working under them. Should a crew member keep the money, they will be fired. Do we know if all crew members are honest -- of course not.

We do tip extra at the end of the cruise to those people who have made our cruise an enjoybale one.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I also really dislike auto-tips and they can be removed, but like most others I know just leave them in place and tip extra at the end of the week ( as long as service was good). I still think service would be better if there were no auto-tips.

 

I can remember years ago when there wasn't the Hotel Service Charge.

We were at a table for 4. The other couple went to the Ocean Bar every night before dinner and had the same person serve them their drinks. The last night of the cruise - we noticed that they didn't show up. The lady waiting on them night after night even saved their table for them for about 1/2 hour. At dinner they got into a fight -- a put on -- and he stomped out -- she followed him about 15 minutes later -- no tips given out. We always like an after dinner drink and who did we see in the Crow's Nest that evening -- that couple -- happy as a lark. They just avoided giving out tips.

We also witnessed on the last night of the cruise that when the staff went to the stairs to sing their farewell song, many people litteraly ran from the dining room to avoid giving out tips. A couple of times we were the only ones left in our area. You should have been there to see the staff come back and discover nearly everyone was gone -- their smiles turned to sad faces.

That was one of the reasons that the Hotel Service Charge was put into place.

And this was happening on other cruise lines as well.

[Randyk47]

I can remember years ago when there wasn't the Hotel Service Charge.

 

We were at a table for 4. The other couple went to the Ocean Bar every night before dinner and had the same person serve them their drinks. The last night of the cruise - we noticed that they didn't show up. The lady waiting on them night after night even saved their table for them for about 1/2 hour. At dinner they got into a fight -- a put on -- and he stomped out -- she followed him about 15 minutes later -- no tips given out. We always like an after dinner drink and who did we see in the Crow's Nest that evening -- that couple -- happy as a lark. They just avoided giving out tips.

 

We also witnessed on the last night of the cruise that when the staff went to the stairs to sing their farewell song, many people litteraly ran from the dining room to avoid giving out tips. A couple of times we were the only ones left in our area. You should have been there to see the staff come back and discover nearly everyone was gone -- their smiles turned to sad faces.

 

That was one of the reasons that the Hotel Service Charge was put into place.

 

And this was happening on other cruise lines as well.

 

It really is a shame that that kind of thing happened in the old days and we saw it too. Funny thing is that for the most part we really enjoy our dinners and with the exception of one cruise have had usually outstanding service. We always have had, at least on HAL, late fixed seating and it's not unusual for us to be, without being a bother, one of the later tables to leave. It's not that the service has been slow or inaccurate, more that we've typically enjoyed our tablemates and the wait staff. I can remember some almost tearful goodbyes at the end of an excellent cruise.

[serene56]

I prepay my tips with our final payment.

I like our sign and sail bill to be as low as possible and try to pre pay as much as we can.

 

If a service person goes over and above what is expected then we will tip that person in cash

[Krazy Kruizers]

It really is a shame that that kind of thing happened in the old days and we saw it too. Funny thing is that for the most part we really enjoy our dinners and with the exception of one cruise have had usually outstanding service. We always have had, at least on HAL, late fixed seating and it's not unusual for us to be, without being a bother, one of the later tables to leave. It's not that the service has been slow or inaccurate, more that we've typically enjoyed our tablemates and the wait staff. I can remember some almost tearful goodbyes at the end of an excellent cruise.

 

If people had just thought about how hard those people worked to make them happy and gave just even a small tip, the crews wouldn't have formed unions on the various cruise lines. People brought this on them selves and now they complain about the Hotel Service Charge.

There was a woman on "Ask A Cruise Question" a few months ago wanting to opt out of the auto tips and it got to be nasty thread after awhile. She basically said that she felt what they earned was good enough. But then she admitted that she always looked forward to her bonuses every year.

[dr.dawg]

well, you know, 'cheap is as cheap does.' i may be poor, but my father taught me that there was a difference between 'poor' and 'cheap.' i've always considered that the difference between 'class' and 'no class.' dr. dawg

[NMLady]

I understand there is a 'auto' tip, or tips added to your S&S card. Do You keep them in place? Tip extra? Remove and tip how you wish?

 

Please no 'meanies'. LOL

 

I personally like to tip those who serve ME, DH likes the auto tips. We always tip for Room Service.

 

Thanks for being respectful.

 

:)

 

 

I always keep them in place.

I often tip the cabin steward(s) extra, sometimes the specialty restaurant servers.

I always give tip for room service.

[sassy~one]

quote from above....She basically said that she felt what they earned was good enough. ....

 

What do they make? I know they work very hard and very long hours.

 

IS this correct? It doesen't make sense to me as they are splitting up the money to every employee.

 

Thanks....

 

[George C]

Again I dislike the cruise line deciding how to split the tips ( I have never not tipped in my 50 plus cruises) , I will most likely go back to RCCL for next cruise ( no auto tips if you have fixed dinning).

[PathfinderEss]

We always keep ours in place and then if we have had what we feel is great service we tip extra.

[KirkNC]

We leave auto tip on and give out additional tips based on the service we receive.

[RuthC]

Again I dislike the cruise line deciding how to split the tips ....

It's a decision the union representing the crew participated in, and agreed to, as fair to all.

[solocanadian]

We always keep ours in place and then if we have had what we feel is great service we tip extra.

Me too!

[RuthC]

It doesen't make sense to me as they are splitting up the money to every employee.

The stewards who clean your cabin, and set your table, get the sheets, towels, tablecloths, napkins from the laundry. Part of the hotel service charge is shared with the people who work the laundry.

 

When you go into a public restroom, it is clean, and has cloth towels. That restroom was cleaned, the towels placed, and the dirty towels sent to the laundry, by an attendant who shares in a portion of the hotel service charge.

 

Personally, I am thrilled to see these people getting a piece of the action.