Tipping w/phone cards or other items besides money

[Coral]

I agree with cash. These people spends months away from their families so that they can earn good money to send home. If these people want trinkets - they can buy them with the extra cash you give them.

[bUU]

I was having a discussion with a co-worker last week, about my company's holiday party. Half of my company's employees are remote, and for the first time (at least since I've been with the company), our management is flying them all in to come to the company holiday party. On the surface, this seems like a generous gesture. It wasn't how it was perceived though, at least by some of the remote folks. One said to me, "Why don't they just give us the money instead of incurring that cost? I could use the cash more than the party." This is from someone who is, almost surely, far more affluent than the typical cabin steward.

Folks surely recognize generosity, but it seems to me that they'd consider it misdirected if directed in a manner to make the [i]giv[b]er[/b] [/i]feel good, rather than in the best personal interest of the [i]giv[b]ee[/b][/i].

[Coral]

[quote name='bicker']Folks surely recognize generosity, but it seems to me that they'd consider it misdirected if directed in a manner to make the [i]giv[b]er[/b] [/i]feel good, rather than in the best personal interest of the [i]giv[b]ee[/b][/i].[/QUOTE]

Good point! I would rather have had the cash than to fly in for a holiday party also!

[ccrain]

I agree with:

Keep the auto-tip in place, but tip room service directly (they are not part of the auto-tip pool) and give extra CASH to a room steward, waiter or asst waiter who goes above and beyond.

Cash tips and CRUISE cards for shore excursion personnel that go that extra mile as well.

Always fill out the personnel recognition card for those who deserve extra recognition, ESPECIALLY those people who aren't tipped like an asst cruise director, shopping advisor, ship's officer or anyone who doesn't participate in the tip pools.

On a side note, on our last cruise we bought a pearl necklace for one of the asst cruise directors as a gift for a wonderful job. We checked with the cruise director's staff to make sure it was ok first - which it was - and apparently not that unusual.

Everyone should be aware that most of the people on board are under very strict work rules. 3-6 month contracts that involve minimal time off (1/2 day per week), long days (12 hour days) and essentially no sick leave. We have heard that if a person is sick more than 3 days in their contract, they are sent home and not paid at all. (This was from a bartender.)

The room stewards and dining room staff are essentially totally dependent on tips for their main income - that's why those positions are highly coveted and anyone who gets complaints gets a job title change. I have heard that, in the Phillipines especially, wait or room staff can support their entire family for a year on what they make in 1 - 6 month contract.

[seattlekckckc]

Dave and others - I respectfully disagree with your insistence that crew members do not need "cute gifts". As long as the gifts are useful, why would anyone not like it??? As I stated "IN ADDITION TO AN EXTRA TIP", they are getting cash also. I have been on 17 princess cruises - have talked to many crew members, and I am a very talkative person - I become friends with many of them and continue to keep in contact with several through email and phone calls. The bottom line is, they DO NOT have time to get off the ship and purchase the things they NEED. Have you every tried to find Nike tennis shoes at one of the shops in Skagway?? Good luck! That is why, in addition to my pens, I also brought goodie bags filled with treats and supplies every person could use (even "relative strangers" - They all loved it - I can tell when someone is just being polite, and when they love something. One of them had tears in his eyes he was so excited)

One of my crew friends I knew would be on board requested me to purchase him some Nike shoes, which he paid me back for. Another requested a travel DVD player (I knew I would be one the Sapphire twice within a month of the two trips). Both crew members were very happy and paid me in cash when I brought the items to them. I, of course, am not suggesting that someone tip with shoes or a DVD player! I am just using this as an example that they have limited access to things we take for granted and run to Target to purchase.

As far as the point of saving room in your bag for packing, look at it this way. Once I got the Nike shoes and DVD player out of my bag, I had a ton of room for purchased items and dirty clothes. I bet ya they remember me as generous person as much as someone who just gave cash - and I have the friendships to prove it! (This is, of course, if making friends with the crew is important to someone - it is to me)

They or family dont have access to a phone??? They can pass it on to a crew member friend.

Bottom line - cash is King, but dont discount the other things as well.

Casey

[westwind6371]

Hi Casey;

Good response, but to be honest, you do not sound like the average cruise passenger. Most do not get that involved with crew members.

You said it best in your second sentence, "As long as the gifts are useful, why would anyone not want to get it." My position is most people do not know if a phone card, soap, a ball point pen, or any other personal item is useful and needed by THAT person, so give CASH. The exception would be when you have real, personal knowledge of the persons situation and wants and needs, then perhaps a gift of some sort, IN ADDITION to any tips they deserve would be appropriate. Normally, service people aboard a ship do not let their personal needs be known to a passenger. In fact they could be reprimanded for doing so.

Fair winds
Dave

[seattlekckckc]

Hi Dave - I guess we should be in "agree to disagree" mode on this one!

Never in any of my experiences has a crew member let me know any of their needs straight out (I agree, a reprimand may and probably should occur is a crew member is direclty soliciting for their personal needs). My experiences have always come about through the course of normal friendly conversation and me asking questions about their experiences on the ship. Through those conversations I have discovered that, in general, they appreciate gifts - IN ADDITION to cash of course. ***We both agree on that ~cash~ is the most appropriate sign of apprecation.***

Where we split and disagree is that I feel that the other gifts do no harm to the crew member, and may very likely be useful to themselves or a fellow crew member they are friends with, or a family member. So why not? They cant use it themselves? Pass it along. They certainly can't get in trouble for this, as I have been told by upper management before giving gifts - I would never want to harm someones career. If they can accept cash, they can accept gifts.

A couple examples I use to form my opinions...

Even our US postal workers are not allowed to accept cash (I think the current rule is over $20, but it changes alot), yet can receive gifts anytime. My father was a postal carrier for 45 years, and recieved more fruit cakes than one would ever even consider eating in a lifetime, yet he always was able to pass them along to someone who would appreciate it. That is not the cruise industry, I know, but I feel that is applies a bit for example, as they do have rules regulating cash/gift giving.

As we "speak", I am preparing boxes of general personal supplies and treats to send overseas through one of the soldier websites. Do I know if the recipient, who I of course do not know personally, can use all of these items? Of course not. Do I feel that they will go to good use, whoever ends up with it? Wholeheartedly YES!

I feel the exact same about giving to crew members on ships. So I will always give cash first and foremost, and love the looks on the faces of the crew members when they get the other gifts they remember and enjoy!

Casey

PS, I consider myself an average cruiser, except for the fact that I do it more frequently than some (8 last year alone). I find it sad that some people do not even consider making friendships with crew members. What a fabulous way to learn about other cultures and lifestyles! I had a traveling companion who found it ridiculous that I would even consider talking to a crew member about their lives outside of the ship, not just the dinner menu. She told me she thought that they should stick to business only. Thats sad. I now consider that waiter a better friend than her really! And that was a result of just talking and getting to know them on a week long cruise!

[westwind6371]

Hi Casey;

I don't think we have to agree to disagree, because I think we are in total agreement here about giving. Where we differ, I believe, is that you are a much nicer person and more outgoing to crew members than 99% of the other cruisers we have met, and we have been on quite a few. I am convinced from what you have written, that when you give a gift in addition to the reqular tip, it is well thought out and meaningful. My concern is with those who do not invest the time to get to know someone and gives inappropriate things that are of little of no use to the staff member. Worse yet, those who give phone cards, etc IN LEIU of extra cash.

Casey, you sound like a really nice person and someone we would love to share a table with on some cruise, let's hope it happens someday.

Fair winds
Dave

[seattlekckckc]

Dave - sounds great to me! I love meeting new people on cruises! I do understand your point if people were to give only gifts in lieu of cash - depending on the gift selection, that could definalty be a bad exchange for the crew member!

Hope to share a table someday too!

Casey

[Nitemare]

I'm gonna give the waiter at lunch today a phone card instead of cash since I'm afraid they pool tips at that restaurant. I'm sure he'll appreciated it greatly!!!

:D

[cruzfool]

You know we actually were on a ship as a passenger bought back on board floral decorations he'd purchased in San Juan to give in lieu of cash gratuities to the crew. Watching their faces after he presented the flowers was by far one of our saddest cruising moments...the passenger really believed the crew would prefer to have flowers rather than money.

giving cash on the first day always helps us :)