Advance tipping

[nascar junkie]

Would like to hear experiances with giving the room steward a 20 just for him/her, as soon as we arrive at our room with the message there could be more at the end of the cruise. We are also doing advance gratuities due to MTD. Don't need a lot of extra but a filled ice bucket each night and a couple of extra pillows. Did it make a difference in attentiveness and service?;)

[BND]

Would like to hear experiances with giving the room steward a 20 just for him/her, as soon as we arrive at our room with the message there could be more at the end of the cruise. We are also doing advance gratuities due to MTD. Don't need a lot of extra but a filled ice bucket each night and a couple of extra pillows. Did it make a difference in attentiveness and service?;)

 

I don't think so. We do auto gratuities and we always give extra at the end of the cruise as long as the steward did a good job(we've never not left extra). We always ask for ice and it is refilled everyday for us. Almost all stewards will get you ice and pillows just because you ask. I know some people swear by it, but we've never felt the need to do it and we have always had great service.

[Langley Cruisers]

...Don't need a lot of extra but a filled ice bucket each night and a couple of extra pillows.

 

You should know that those duties are within the parameters of a cabin steward. S/he will be very happy to oblige you. Of course, you may tip in advance if you wish but we never have done this in all our cruises and have never had bad service. I would be more inclined to tip extra on the last day for outstanding service already received, not in advance for "hoped for".

[jelayne]

We too tip extra at the end. Never felt comfortable giving money up front- felt like maybe I was sending a message that I didn't think they would do a good job unless I paid extra?

 

We have on 2 occasions had a cabin steward go above & beyond ( getting us materials for a ship building contest) and we did hand him some cash that night. Otherwise at the end.

[setsail]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1177296&highlight=tipping+cabin+steward+upfront

[jules71]

We usually give the steward a ten (on a 5 or 6 day cruise) when he brings the first bucket of ice and let him know we like to have ice everyday. (And, of course, more at the end of the cruise.) They probably would do it anyway without anything upfront. Most have been just wonderful and part of the enjoyment of a cruise vacation.

[jules71]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1177296&highlight=tipping+cabin+steward+upfront

 

I should I have read this before I responded. This topic has been done to death! Somewhat amusing how snarky some people get on this subject!

[nascar junkie]

OK...I get the point. It was just I did this with a bartender in Jamiaca and he had me plowed within the first hour. I'll save the 20 till the end.

[BND]

OK...I get the point. It was just I did this with a bartender in Jamiaca and he had me plowed within the first hour. I'll save the 20 till the end.

 

Well, your steward can't do that for you;)

[jules71]

Overtipping the bartender can be effective! But to be honest, these days the stewards have so many cabins to take care of I am not sure what extras they could do for you. (Beyond cleaning the cabin, providing towels, ice, etc.)

[Retired LEO]

OK...I get the point. It was just I did this with a bartender in Jamiaca and he had me plowed within the first hour. I'll save the 20 till the end.

 

The bartender is a totally different story. The steward can wait till the end.

[Kellie Poodle]

I always feel that tipping the steward before the end of the cruise is like telling him/her that we don't trust them to do their job unless bribed. I think it's insulting to their skills.

[matj2000]

I have tried pre-tipping the steward but it did not do anything.

Just seemed to make him lazier.

I don't do it anymore...

[cb at sea]

Pre tipping is a bribe....not cool. Just tip extra if the service warrants it. You'll be surprised at how good "normal" service is.

[setsail]

I should I have read this before I responded. This topic has been done to death! Somewhat amusing how snarky some people get on this subject!

 

Its standard cc.

 

We don't consult cc on how to spend our money::p

[aronde]

Quick question when on a B2B with same cabin should you tip at the end of the 1st cruise (which would sort of be like paying in advance for the 2nd?) or just leave it until you hop off at the end? Being from Australia the whole tipping thing can be quite confusing!

 

 

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[Clarea]

Quick question when on a B2B with same cabin should you tip at the end of the 1st cruise (which would sort of be like paying in advance for the 2nd?) or just leave it until you hop off at the end? Being from Australia the whole tipping thing can be quite confusing!

It's up to you, but I would tip at the end of each cruise. I would not want the attendant to think something was wrong.

[Paulxyz2004]

Quick question when on a B2B with same cabin should you tip at the end of the 1st cruise (which would sort of be like paying in advance for the 2nd?) or just leave it until you hop off at the end? Being from Australia the whole tipping thing can be quite confusing!

 

 

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It´s two seperate Cruises, so I would tip at the end of cruise one for that cruise and at the end of the second cruise again.

 

BTW, even though you stay in the same cabin there is no guarantee the Stewards won´t Change around.

[scooter90]

Only one time did I pre-tip at the beginning of the cruise....only because our DD and her BFF were across the hall (16 at the time) and we asked him to help us keep an eye out with them....they were both good and no issues...even kept their cabin fairly clean for teenage girls....but each day he would report whether they were in their cabin or headed up to bfast or the sundeck. At the end we tipped more again, but generally, we wait until the end of the cruise and tip more than the tips already charged to our acct.

 

We were on the Explorer and I have to say that Teddy was the absolute BEST cabin steward we have ever had.....he's awesome!

[aronde]

It´s two seperate Cruises, so I would tip at the end of cruise one for that cruise and at the end of the second cruise again.

 

BTW, even though you stay in the same cabin there is no guarantee the Stewards won´t Change around.

 

 

Good point I had not thought of that! thanks.

 

 

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[Vitality08]

Good point I had not thought of that! thanks.

 

 

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On my last cruise (Carnival) my steward mentioned in passing that this was his last cruise before going home. I think it's best to tip at the end of each cruise in case your steward is going on break and won't be there the next week.

[caribbean sailor]

Its standard cc.

 

We don't consult cc on how to spend our money::p

 

Agree i think twenty four dollars a day is a good tip.Nine days Two hundred and sixteen Dollars.It is your Money tip as you please.If you want to tip four hundred and sixteen go for it.I cancel my auto tips and give them out because it's my Money,not Royal Caribbean's.They want auto tips so they can pay the crew with your Money not theirs.How much do they pay the crew?Stop the games and add it to the price of the cruise. :p

[dplusd]

We are generous tippers but never tip in advance. Additional tips are offered as special services are requested and at the end of the cruise if service was good.

 

Most importantly, we are respectful and friendly with our room steward and let them know we appreciate their work. I think that goes a long way...

[printingchick]

In ten cruises, I never gave an extra advance tip. (I do prepay the standard gratuities.) For me, it's always been about rewarding exceptional service.

 

On cruise #11, I gave the room steward $10 upon meeting him. I was cruising with a new cruiser and really wanted him to be wowed - like I always had been - with nightly towel animals. I knew they were reducing this practice to only a few nights, rather than nightly.

 

We not only got nightly towel animals, we got personalized origami one night and bathrobes to use during the cruise. I always get great service, but on that cruise, it was REALLY above and beyond.

 

I won't do that every time I cruise, but I'm glad I did it that one time. The steward really made it a special cruise for us. Maybe he would have done so without the advance tip, but it was worth the $10. (I also gave him another $10 at the end of the cruise.)

[onyx007]

It´s two seperate Cruises, so I would tip at the end of cruise one for that cruise and at the end of the second cruise again.

 

BTW, even though you stay in the same cabin there is no guarantee the Stewards won´t Change around.

 

That's the reason I asked my steward and tipped him at the very end of my b2b. If he would have changed or left the ship I would have given him the tipp after the first part, but as he stayed on and kept my cabin well for the second part of my trip I think he was not ungreatfull.

Edited May 5, 2014 by onyx007