Tipping on cruises...

[CruzAllNight]

I know this has probably been asked before but...

 

I'm going on the Carnival Fantasy in July (4 days) to Bahamas. I read on Carnivals websight that you have to either prepay your gratuity or have it put on your sail card and it will automatically be deducted from your trip ($10/day). And this only covers the dinner. So you will still have to tip everyone else.

 

My main question is, do you tip everyone as service is rendered (ex: Luggage guys when embarking, bartender, cabin steward). I've heard about tipping at the end, but how does that work and who is it for?

 

So every morning I should put a few dollars on my bed for when the steward comes and cleans up my room?

 

And since I already put the dinner gratuity on my sail card, than a tip is not necessary at dinner time?

[ondeckatsea]

You don't pay as you go. You can prepay on your credit card and then the cabin steward, waiter, asst. waiter, and head waiter will get a card with your name on it at the end of the cruise. If you want to personally pay each (we do this) you are given envelopes in your cabin at the end of the cruise and you personally hand them to the people. They have a suggested guideline of what is usually given. You can give more or the suggested amount or even less if they are really bad. It's never happened to us, we usually give a little more. For drinks, it is automatically added to each drink. You can give extra but 15% will be put on the tab at the time of purchase. As far as the porters who take your luggage at the airports and at the pier, you usually give them $1 or $2 a bag. Same with the transfer busdriver. We give him a couple of dollars. We usually stock up on one dollar bills so as to have enough for these people.

[CruzAllNight]

So about the envelope thing at the end of the cruise, is this for the waiters and the cabin stewards? or just the cabin steward?

 

So there is an envelope at the end of the trip, will it say $40 (for example) for the whole trip and include all gratuities for dinner and cabin steward?

[DEL67]

In further response to your original questions.

 

- Luggage guys are tipped when service is rendered

- If you order room service or go to a Speciality restauarant or get any

extra ordinary service you also tip when the service is rendered.

- A 15% gratuity is added to bar bills

- Some people tip cabin stewards a few dollars in advance (I don't and

have always received good service.)

 

We usually leave our tips on our ship account for convenience and because most cruise lines give a portion of it to the waiters in the self-service restaurant. However, we usually give an extra tips in an envelope to our waiter, assistant waiter and cabin steward if we feel that they have provided good service.

 

To your second question - At the end of your cruise, we tip (either through the ship account or in person) our waiter, assistant waiter and cabin steward. We also give a small tip to the assistant Maitre 'D if he/she has provided us some service.

[Cotton]

Cruz, you were misinformed about the automatic tipping on Carnival.

 

The auto-tips will be $10 per person per day, and they will be the first entry on your Sail & Sign account. This amount is broken down as follows:

 

$3.50 to the cabin steward

$5.50 to the dining room waiter & assistant

$1.00 to the Lido Deck buffet personnel

 

You will see that this is certainly a fair and equitable amount for the wonderful service you will receive. However, if you would like, you have the option of going to the purser's desk and asking that the tips be increased/decreased, or removed, and tip each person on your own. The purser's desk has envelopes if you ask. However, MOST folks leave the tips as they are.

 

The porters at the pier who take your luggage are not Carnival employees, but work for the port authority. It's customary to tip them $1-2 per piece of checked luggage.

 

Yes, the beverages will have an automatic 15% tip included in the price, so you don't have to tip more unless you particularly want to.

 

If you use room service, tip the delivery person $1-2 each time.

 

The only envelope that will be in your cabin on the last evening will say "Maitre 'd"......and this is not something you have to do. Some tip the Maitre 'd, and some don't.

 

Hope this helps clear up the misunderstanding.:)

[CruzAllNight]

Cotton, so when I get on the boat and sign up for a Sail & Sign card and I decide to put $200 cash on it and it is a 4 day cruise, than $40 will be deducted off of it, so I'm left with $160. And at the end of the cruise, I will not have to put anything in the envelope that is left in my room, seeing as the $40 has already gone to the wait staff and cabin steward. And I can tip any other personnel as I see fit depending on their service.

 

So at the end of dining each day in the dining room, I am not expected to put tip on the table? What about dining at the dining room for breakfast and lunch?

[LHT28]

Cotton, so when I get on the boat and sign up for a Sail & Sign card and I decide to put $200 cash on it and it is a 4 day cruise, than $40 will be deducted off of it, so I'm left with $160. And at the end of the cruise, I will not have to put anything in the envelope that is left in my room, seeing as the $40 has already gone to the wait staff and cabin steward. And I can tip any other personnel as I see fit depending on their service.

 

So at the end of dining each day in the dining room, I am not expected to put tip on the table? What about dining at the dining room for breakfast and lunch?

When you get onboard you get your sign n sail card ...if you do not provide a credit card then you put a large amount of cash on your account.

 

Last night of the cruise you get a bill under the door or go to pursers office and pay/refund. They will put the amount on your CC or if you paid cash then you can pay the balance or get a refund. however it works out

 

If you leave tips as is they will be on the account. 10.00 per PERSON per DAY so if their is 2 of you that will be $80.00

The only time you tip extra during the cruise (if you choose) is at the bar leave some change or if you go to the specialty restaurants you may want to tip extra , if you order room service you should tip then.

 

It is not as complex as you make it.

Just enjoy the cruise

[CaptData]

The lunch and Breakfast people are included in the tip of the $10.00/day thing.

[Cotton]

QUOTE=CruzAllNight]Cotton, so when I get on the boat and sign up for a Sail & Sign card and I decide to put $200 cash on it and it is a 4 day cruise, than $40 will be deducted off of it, so I'm left with $160. And at the end of the cruise, I will not have to put anything in the envelope that is left in my room, seeing as the $40 has already gone to the wait staff and cabin steward. And I can tip any other personnel as I see fit depending on their service.

 

That's pretty much it!

Actually, when you check in at the terminal desk (prior to boarding), you will be asked how you will be paying your S&S account. (I always use a Visa debit card, which they swipe.) Then, you will be given your S&S card. You'll need your S&S card each time you enter or leave the ship, so keep it handy.

 

So at the end of dining each day in the dining room, I am not expected to put tip on the table? What about dining at the dining room for breakfast and lunch?[/quote

 

No, no tipping after meals. It's all taken care of up front IF you leave the tips on the account. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner waiters will all benefit from the tips on your account.