Cash for bar tips?

[shipshape sam]

I definitely feel that tipping in cash helps get me drinks quickly, and a generous pour. I'll tip most bartenders a $5.00 bill to start, and then $1's or multipules after.

 

All bartenders appreciate cash, and I don't do coins or anything that is not easily convertable for them.

 

Happy New Year to all!:)

 

Rick

 

Paper bills are also lighter to carry around. I read once where someone brought $2 dollar bills as room service tip money. To your point, it might not be as easy to use vs a $1 or $5 dollar bill.

[cruzincurt]

No one here likes or even uses $2 bills or $1 coins in everyday commerce, why would I give them out on a cruise ship?:confused:

Edited January 2, 2014 by cruzincurt

[Kellie Poodle]

Okay, thanks folks! This will be our first RCI cruise, so if you have any advice or suggestions for us we'd appreciate it. Are there any things we shouldn't miss out on, any freebies we might like and are there plenty of sunloungers on the ships?

 

If we are drinking at the same venue consistently and we have the same server, we will either hand them a $5 every couple of days or an envelope with a larger gratuity towards the end of the cruise.

 

We play trivia a lot so are often at the Schooner bar where most of the ships hold trivia. Usually we are drinking soft drinks, but we compensate the attention.

 

I don't know if it's true, but my feeling is that if I give cash, they need not pool it. If I'm wrong, please don't disillusion me.:D

[Yenom]

If we are drinking at the same venue consistently and we have the same server, we will either hand them a $5 every couple of days or an envelope with a larger gratuity towards the end of the cruise.

 

We play trivia a lot so are often at the Schooner bar where most of the ships hold trivia. Usually we are drinking soft drinks, but we compensate the attention.

 

I don't know if it's true, but my feeling is that if I give cash, they need not pool it. If I'm wrong, please don't disillusion me.:D

 

After speaking to one of the great bartenders on the last cruise, I was told that all the automatic tips have been broken apart more and more and the people you think you are tipping get much less now than they used to. It is my understanding that only a portion of the tips being pooled get distributed to the people servicing guests. Since I paid extra tips the whole time in cash, they did let me know that they get to keep everything that they received in cash.

 

Fortunately, they get paid more than they typically would be paid in their home country. However, the take home pay that they receive now is less than they used to get. It sounds to me that all the automatic tipping is just gives more control to RCCL over their employees' paychecks.

[gerig]

I usually bring $100 in regular $1 U.S. bills (They don't expire if you don't use them all on the cruise). They are easy to carry and easy for the bar tenders and others to use. It is NOT recommended to use $1 coins or $2 bills, since they are not accepted everywhere.

 

BTW - I did talk to a few bar tenders on my last couple of cruises and they did say they prefer cash for any extra tips, but are happy to get all tips. Adding tips to the slips does NOT guaranty that your bar tender will get your whole tip. Handing them a $1 bill(s) assures you that they get what you want them to have and it is easy for them to spend or convert to their home country's currency.

 

I asked and was informed added gratuity on slip is pooled, cash given can be kept by he server.

 

I also travel with $50 - $75 in singles and tip bar staff, wait staff etc. I do my time dining and realize tips are included, but the staff works such long hard hours and I can't imagine tipping $12 for room cleaning and all your meals. I feel the gratuity is too low.