Are there times when we have to tip extra besides what they charge us?

[Hayes104]

I always bring a stack of dollar bills in my bag by the pool, at the bar, etc. believe me, they remember you and come back quicker for service. :)

 

I saw my room steward on my last cruise later the evening we got on board and I actually had to go introduce myself. The next time I saw him is when he knocked on our door at 7:15am the last day. lol. I usually tip a little extra to them but this was the one time I did not.

 

Being that it was crazy spring break week last week, I always included extra dollar bills for the wait staff at the bar. I felt so bad for them with all the drunk college kids.

[GradUT]

Someone was telling me besides the $12.95 per person they charge you that you have to tip more. She said they paid $250 per person for tip.

 

Any help is appreciated

 

IMO, paying $250 per person for tips on a 7-day cruise (which I assume this is) is crazy. The automatic tip of $12.95 per day comes to $90.65. That means they tipped an ADDITIONAL average of $22.75 per day per person!

 

To each his own, but I don't tip more than the automatic tip. I don't buy drinks, so I don't tip for that. I don't get room service, so I don't tip for that. I don't tip the anyone else extra because they (stewards, waitstaff, pizza makers, etc.) do their jobs and no more.

[BlazinSunsets]

I always bring the lady at the coffee bar an extra tip because she makes my milkshakes for me :-)

 

My wife and I both gave the coffee bar lady a big tip on the last day this past cruise. With coffee, rockstars, and powerades not being on the 15 limit we both stopped at that bar multiple times per day as we got coffee two times a day and would both get a few powerade zeros for our shore excursions.

[misfit72ford]

On my last cruise I did tip above the auto gratuity. It was about $120 total. Most of it went to bartenders and wait staff that since I had Cheers. Many went over and above what I expected. I also tipped my steward and wait staff. There were two particular bartenders who would get a 20 several times during the trip as we would see them at multiple venues and just tip them once for the day.

[easyboy]

Did she say who they paid this $250pp to?

I think the OP just misunderstood what that "someone" was saying.

[MMastell]

There are no times you have to tip extra, except for room service. You can give them $2 or $3 for a delivery.

 

There is a 15% gratuity automatically added to each drink and your standard $12.95/day covers your room steward and dining room staff.

 

If your room steward does something extra for you, like : Additional towels each day, bringing a lounge chair for your balcony (if it will fit) or anything else you think is above and beyond their normal duties, then you are free to give extra. You are also free to give anyone any amount of money you want. It's up to you but it DEFINITELY is not required.

 

You can also add a tip if you go to the steakhouse or other alternative restaurant.

 

I usually add $1 for a drink if the bartender or server is good and timely.

 

I have personally found that people who pre-tip do it more to make themselves look good rather than to receive good service. I will tip extra at the time of service or at the end of the cruise, if I feel someone went above and beyond.

 

If your room steward cleans your room, changes your towels and makes sure you have soap and shampoo then I don't tip extra. That's their job and the automatic gratuities are for doing that job.

 

Take care,

Mike

[tennboy1981]

There are no times you have to tip extra, except for room service. You can give them $2 or $3 for a delivery.

 

There is a 15% gratuity automatically added to each drink and your standard $12.95/day covers your room steward and dining room staff.

 

If your room steward does something extra for you, like : Additional towels each day, bringing a lounge chair for your balcony (if it will fit) or anything else you think is above and beyond their normal duties, then you are free to give extra. You are also free to give anyone any amount of money you want. It's up to you but it DEFINITELY is not required.

 

You can also add a tip if you go to the steakhouse or other alternative restaurant.

 

I usually add $1 for a drink if the bartender or server is good and timely.

 

I have personally found that people who pre-tip do it more to make themselves look good rather than to receive good service. I will tip extra at the time of service or at the end of the cruise, if I feel someone went above and beyond.

 

If your room steward cleans your room, changes your towels and makes sure you have soap and shampoo then I don't tip extra. That's their job and the automatic gratuities are for doing that job.

 

Take care,

Mike

I disagree. Pre tipping is an incentive showing the staff you appreciate what they do. Pre tipping your cabin steward shows him/her that you im fact are a "tipper" and appreciate what they do. In most cases, they will take extra care of your room, make sure you have everything you request, and prioritize your cabin over others. Especially if you tell them you plan on tipping them at the end too.

 

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[Computer Nerd]

There are no times you have to tip extra,

 

You were spot on here..... :)

 

 

except for room service. You can give them $2 or $3 for a delivery.

 

And then derailed here. :(

 

There is no exception. One does not have to give a tip, ever, if they choose not to. One can actually even reduce or remove the auto-tip if they choose to do so. One does not HAVE to tip anyone anything.

[Computer Nerd]

I disagree. Pre tipping is an incentive showing the staff you appreciate what they do. Pre tipping your cabin steward shows him/her that you im fact are a "tipper" and appreciate what they do. In most cases, they will take extra care of your room, make sure you have everything you request, and prioritize your cabin over others. Especially if you tell them you plan on tipping them at the end too.

 

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I thought leaving the auto-tips in place showed you are a tipper and appreciate what they do?

 

So, if I just tell my steward that I plan on tipping extra at the end of the cruise they will jump through hoops for me and take care my needs ahead of everyone else's.......based on a promise? :rolleyes:

[tennboy1981]

I thought leaving the auto-tips in place showed you are a tipper and appreciate what they do?

 

So, if I just tell my steward that I plan on tipping extra at the end of the cruise they will jump through hoops for me and take care my needs ahead of everyone else's.......based on a promise? :rolleyes:

Money talks. Lol I tip a little before and then at the end yes

 

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[Bosrox]

You were spot on here..... :)

 

 

 

 

And then derailed here. :(

 

There is no exception. One does not have to give a tip, ever, if they choose not to. One can actually even reduce or remove the auto-tip if they choose to do so. One does not HAVE to tip anyone anything.

 

 

Huh? How do you get away with not paying the automated tips? And why would you not want to tip them?

[DebJ14]

No you don't HAVE to tip, but then again it stands for To Insure Prompt Service.

 

We start off tipping the guy who loads our luggage onto the EZ Cruise shuttle in the parking lot in Galveston.

Then, we tip the Shuttle driver.

Then we tip the guy who unloads the luggage from the shuttle once we arrive at the pier.

Then we tip the porter.

We tip the Maitre'D on every cruise because he always in the end gets us a great table. And boy are we picky about that!

We tip the hostesses who take our gluten free dinner orders in the morning at breakfast or brunch because we didn't show up to dinner the night before.

We tip the waiters in the steakhouse and Cucina del Capitano extra in cash.

We tip a couple dollars extra in cash on every drink order.

When we find a waiter at breakfast or brunch in the MDR who we like, we try to get in his area every morning and we always tip him and his assistant in cash.

We tip every time we send out laundry.

We tip the room steward and helper extra in cash at the end of the cruise.

We tip the waiter and his assistants who served us all week in the MDR extra cash at the end of the cruise.

And, then we tip the porter who takes our luggage through customs to the parking lot shuttle.

Then we tip they guy who loads the luggage into the shuttle.

Then we tip the driver of the parking lot shuttle.

Then we tip the guys who unload the luggage at the parking lot.

 

It is probably $200-250 of extra tips in cash on each cruise. We always prepay the gratuities too.

[nhsails]

DebJ you are a girl after my own heart. Spent all my HS & college summers & breaks as chambermaid in mornings, waitress at nights at a beach resort. I depended on those extra tips to get through the coming year so I tip those who work to make my vacation special. Part of the cost of my relaxation so I budget accordingly.

Dee

[bnorris10]

Huh? How do you get away with not paying the automated tips? And why would you not want to tip them?

 

You can go to guest services and have your tips removed from your bill

 

Some people have them removed because of bad service

[Drazil65]

How ever you conduct yourself in life in general is your answer. If you are the type to tip for different services in everyday life then it is not even a question (never understood why this question is even asked, you know how you feel about it and will probably do what ever you normally do in everyday life).

 

If you are the type not to tip or only do what you feel you HAVE to (begrudgingly most likely), then this is how you will conduct yourself on a cruise. If you are cheap on land then you will be cheap on a ship, if you complain about every little thing on land, then you will complain on a ship, if you feel entitled on land, you will feel entitled on a ship...:confused:

[skyeman27]

We always tip the 2 omelet makers in the Lido on the first & last day of the cruise, they are often overlooked in getting extra tips...

[Bosrox]

You can go to guest services and have your tips removed from your bill

 

Some people have them removed because of bad service

 

Wow, almost slightly tacky. Do people really do this? We prepaid our tips and will tip extra for great service.

[easyboy]

Wow, almost slightly tacky. Do people really do this? We prepaid our tips and will tip extra for great service.

Sadly, some does when they have a different tipping culture.

[tennboy1981]

Sadly, some does when they have a different tipping culture.

The majority of times its just people who are just cheap. They can spend at least 600 dollars on a cruise and 400 dollars on a liquor package, but too cheap to pay the measly 13 dollars a day to all the people that make their cruise memorable. People use the excuse that they tip cash. Well then leave the gratuity on and pay it with cash at the desk. If u want to tip extra, then tip extra in cash. I personally think cruise lines should adopt NCL's policy of not being able to remove gratuities until after the cruise. Ive never, in 8 cruises, had a reason to ever remove gratuities from any cruise. These people bust their butts and their pay is already very little. They rely on these gratuities.

 

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Edited March 14, 2017 by tennboy1981

[Keys2Heaven]

You DO NOT have to tip anymore than what they are taking out already. I have never tipped my room steward extra as I haven't had a great one yet. They all do their job fine, but nothing spectacular where I think they deserve extra. Drinks already have tips added on whether that is through cheers or not. Only times I have tipped extra was room service, $1 a plate or so, and I tipped the bartenders I went to often or the ones that brought me drinks in the shows or on deck.

I only wish you knew how little they make a month. Your pre-paid gratuities don't go far at all. I know a former Carnival employee who married a cabin stewardess. Those extra tips make a huge difference.

[riviera]

On a Princess cruise we had the Worst Steward Afloat. Left autograts in place but wrote a scathing letter. Pulling the tips can make you look cheap. A letter follows them around, effecting their next contract, postings, time off etc.

 

 

Pulling tips might make you look cheap. However, IMHO, that " scathing" letter you wrote DEFINITELY makes you look like someone who enjoys complaining to get attention and get someone in trouble. We have cruised many many times and I have had a lot of wonderful service on board ships. I have also had some trips with lousy service. I have found that if I am unhappy with something, the best way to address it is to speak directly to the person in a nice way. Has always worked for me.

Obviously you have no idea how overworked and underpaid these crew members are. Perhaps your room steward received bad news from home that week or something else personal was going on. Please rethink your remedy next time you cruise. Your " scathing" letter most surely impacted that crew member's livelihood.

Thanks for reading.

 

 

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[SadieN]

Pulling tips might make you look cheap. However, IMHO, that " scathing" letter you wrote DEFINITELY makes you look like someone who enjoys complaining to get attention and get someone in trouble. We have cruised many many times and I have had a lot of wonderful service on board ships. I have also had some trips with lousy service. I have found that if I am unhappy with something, the best way to address it is to speak directly to the person in a nice way. Has always worked for me.

Obviously you have no idea how overworked and underpaid these crew members are. Perhaps your room steward received bad news from home that week or something else personal was going on. Please rethink your remedy next time you cruise. Your " scathing" letter most surely impacted that crew member's livelihood.

Thanks for reading.

 

 

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Not having the pull out sofa bed out by 11p for the third person is not good. Playing 'find the blanket' on a 10 day cruise was not from an incident at home. Even repeatedly asking him to make the bed properly did not resolve the issue. Didn't get resolved after his supervisor got involved either. There were other incidents with this steward, bed issue is the one that sticks out over the years.

 

After 50+ cruises we know the difference between lazy/preoccupied or passive aggressive. He was passive aggressive defined.

[chilly1470]

Someone was telling me besides the $12.95 per person they charge you that you have to tip more. She said they paid $250 per person for tip.

 

Any help is appreciated

We include our tips when we book, but in the end we give our steward, if worthy, chocolate and dollars. On the Ecstasty we liked our service so well we gave them all $ and candyl.