Giving your Tip at the end of cruise

[SurelyUcantBeSerious]

We always leave our auto tips on.

We always give our room steward something extra on the last morning.

 

This time we'll be eating at fixed dining, instead of the buffet or room service, or sometimes Anytime Dining.

 

What is the most common, or proper way, to present the tip to your dining room servers? I assume on the last evening.

 

Do you slip them cash?

Do you put it in an envelope?

If so, do you put your name/or room number?

Do you do this before the meal begins, at the end?

 

Also, on your room steward...do you just slip them cash as you see them on that last morning? or do you put that in an envelope with your name/room number?

 

Is it important for them to know, or to show someone, who they are getting extra money from?

 

We want to make sure we are doing the right thing in the right way.

 

TIA

[CaroleSS]

Any/all of those are acceptable. Do what feels "right" to you!

 

Some put the tip in a Thank You card, some do it with a handshake, some tip in the beginning of the cruise, some at the end. I don't really think it matters....they will appreciate anything or anyway, but do it with a smile!

[paul929207]

I give them cash in an envelope with my name & cabin number on it.

[CowPrincess]

We always leave our auto tips on.

We always give our room steward something extra on the last morning.

 

This time we'll be eating at fixed dining, instead of the buffet or room service, or sometimes Anytime Dining.

 

What is the most common, or proper way, to present the tip to your dining room servers? I assume on the last evening.

 

Do you slip them cash?

Do you put it in an envelope?

If so, do you put your name/or room number?

Do you do this before the meal begins, at the end?

 

Also, on your room steward...do you just slip them cash as you see them on that last morning? or do you put that in an envelope with your name/room number?

 

Is it important for them to know, or to show someone, who they are getting extra money from?

 

We want to make sure we are doing the right thing in the right way.

 

TIA

 

We leave addressed envelopes for the cabin stewards when we go for dinner on the last night of the cruise. We include a thank you note, and always try to mention something special that we really appreciated. Signed with our names and cabin numbers.

 

For the dining and wine stewards, we take addressed envelopes, along with thank you notes. Again we include our names and cabin #. Last night at dinner, we leave them on the table.

 

Some people can tip in cash with a handshake without looking "messy", but I've seen a LOT of "messy" tipping ;)

 

I prefer they all have a record of who tipped them extra, in case there are any questions from supervisors or co-workers.

Edited January 16, 2014 by CowPrincess

[LuckyLoon]

I do the same. In an envelope with the room stewards name on it. Though I worry that it will disappear into the cleaners pockets as I don't usually remember to do it until I'm packing the night before. So I hope my suspicious nature isn't right. I really need to remember to do it the morning of the last full day.

[SurelyUcantBeSerious]

Thanks everyone - very helpful :)

[Dayenu]

If I tip several people, I put their names on envelopes not to mix them up. I never even thought of putting my name on it!

 

I saw in the restaurant people shaking hands "good-bye" and this is when cash travels from passengers into servers' palms. Sort of similar to selling drugs in the street :)

 

I remember cruise lines providing envelopes - those days are gone, I'm afraid.

[klauer]

My experience has been that the cruise ship will make it very clear how much and how to tip (the newspaper, departure talk on tv, separate flyer left in room, etc.). If envelopes aren't given out, you can get them at the purser's desk.

[notentirelynormal]

I put the name of the recipient on the envelope and our name and cabin number. This way they can check to make sure we left the auto deposit on and that the tip is indeed extra. I hand it to them the last night at dinner and when I see my cabin steward on the last night. My goal is to make the extra tip as easy as possible for the recipient to get. In addition, the biggest tip they can receive is the "make a difference" card which I also fill in and either give to them personally or to the purser's desk. I'll never forget the startled look of one guy at the purser's desk when he realized the comment was about him. It was too funny.

[sail7seas]

I put the name of the recipient on the envelope and our name and cabin number. This way they can check to make sure we left the auto deposit on and that the tip is indeed extra. I hand it to them the last night at dinner and when I see my cabin steward on the last night. My goal is to make the extra tip as easy as possible for the recipient to get. In addition, the biggest tip they can receive is the "make a difference" card ...... <snip>

 

 

We do this in addition to writing a note of thanks. DH gives the envelopes to our favorite bar staff, dining stewards, cabins stewards, concierge and whomever else we wish to thank on the last night.

 

[houstoncruisers2001]

 

I remember cruise lines providing envelopes - those days are gone, I'm afraid.

 

Can't you still get envelopes at/near the Purser''s Desk? I thought I did on my last cruise.

[AmberCascades]

We brought our own small envelopes and wrote our thank yous on the outside of them. We gave them out on our last evening (trying to do the discreet handshake as well). One girl couldn't get away from her station so we had her workmate give it to her. The girl then came over to us during dinner, clutching the envelope to her chest (sounds dramatic but she really did!) and she was smiling and crying. She said she enjoyed meeting us and that the tip was nice, but the nice note on the card meant so much more to her and that she would keep it. Sooo...I think a few kind words about how they made things special are also appreciated (along with some extra $$ of course :) ).

[Gunner22aa]

I tip the cabin steward up front, leave auto tip on and most likely tip again at the end of the cruise if warranted. We do anytime dining so it is harder to recognise the wait staff when you have a different team most nights. I do tip in the specality restaurants.

 

Equally important is employee recognition. I'm not a fan of the little cards they give you on the ship to list an employee and make a one or two line comment about them. I choose to write letters, sometimes lengthy and detailed and make sure they get to the correct manager. I do this each and every cruise. I have written as few as one and as many as four. To date they have all been very positive and although it would really take a lot for me to write one that was negative I would if it were called for.

[lady_cruiser]

On our last cruise this past December we wanted to give extra to our cabin attendant and dining room servers so we went to Customer Service and they gave us pre-printer envelopes that had "Maitre'D, Waiter, Assistant Waiter and Cabin Attendant written on each envelope. Alone with an area to write your name and cabin number.

 

This was on Royal but I would think that Carnival has these available at CS available at their desk.

[SurelyUcantBeSerious]

This was on Royal but I would think that Carnival has these available at CS available at their desk.

 

We're not sailing on Carnival - but, thanks!

[SurelyUcantBeSerious]

Thanks everyone for your input. Much appreciated :)

[sherilyn70]

We're not sailing on Carnival - but, thanks!

When you leave out information like what cruise line it makes it harder for people to give you input. We have to be rather generic. Each cruise line may handle things differently.

[sail7seas]

Can't you still get envelopes at/near the Purser''s Desk? I thought I did on my last cruise.

 

 

You can pick up envelopes at front office (or concierge in Neptune Lounge) on HAL ships. They are happy to provide as many as you need.

 

[Sue Do-Over]

We often have a request early for the steward (usually an extra duvet to make the bed softer) -- we leave a note on the bed with a tip -- $5 to $20, depending on cruise length. We always get great care, always, and don't typically tip after that first one.

 

Some cruisers talk about leaving t-shirts or key-rings or other touristy items from their own home town, but the crew members really don't have room to store or places to wear/use them. Write a meaningful thank you note instead.

 

I frequently write a letter after the cruise, calling out specific names when I can. The casino staff, for example, has a weekly meeting where those letters are read out loud, and then posted on the wall.

[Troyer5]

I gave my cabin attendant a note @ begining [my disability is not common] & xtra $.

RCI @ the end of the cruise gives you 1 WOW envelope with your room#, they would like either a name or position. You can put it in a slot where they used to collect comment cards. Unfortunitally none of the staff stood out so I didn't use it.

 

When I have time will write to Adam G [for some of the staff, it won't be a "Happy" note.

 

Doug