How much does the crew make (mainly dining). Gratuities and tips thread

[san92103]

You’re paying hundreds if not thousands of dollars for an amazing experience and you’re crying about $50-80?

 

These people work 16+h/day for not much money to bring you your drinks and food. Most of them sleep very little for months on end to save money to bring to their families at home in maybe not so fortunate regions of the world.

 

If you’re worried about $100, you may want to not cruise and save your money.

 

 

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[cb at sea]

While I don't always tip the housekeeper in a hotel on a 1 NIGHT, off the highway stay, I always do if we are there for more than that 1 evening. It's just what's done. When in Rome, and all that!

 

And, it's really no one's business how much ANYONE, ANYWHERE makes!

[h_blond2]

I don't see why it matters what they make. Tip them and go on with your day. In my opinion, all the crew members work extremely hard and deserve the few dollars a day that they get from me.

[redraidersrule]

Please provide a breakdown of your income.

How much of it is a salary, hourly wage, year-end or, performance bonus.

I would like to assess if I feel - as an outsider with no intimate knowledge of your industry - if you are being paid too much.

 

I'm curious after all.

I didn't think smartasses were on the internet. :confused:

[redraidersrule]

You’re paying hundreds if not thousands of dollars for an amazing experience and you’re crying about $50-80?

 

These people work 16+h/day for not much money to bring you your drinks and food. Most of them sleep very little for months on end to save money to bring to their families at home in maybe not so fortunate regions of the world.

 

If you’re worried about $100, you may want to not cruise and save your money.

 

 

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I know this isn't directed at me the OP. Because if it was I challenge you to go back and reread the OP.

[sfaaa]

Just about everyone is overworked and underpaid these days. If this makes you feel so guilty, don't discriminate and start tipping every worker you come into contact with.

[redraidersrule]

Alternative services also include the person pushing around the beverage cart on Lido at breakfast, cooks working the omelet stations, dessert stations, Deli, Pizza, Seafood Shacks, BBQ, laundry, etc.

But this is my whole point. Im from the United States. We don't tip these jobs here, that's the whole reason for me questioning. You don't tip at places like McDonalds and Starbucks do you? No. So why am I tipping the dessert station guy?

 

Also after listening to most of you, most of you complaining about how its not my business etc. I'll just do what some of yall do. I'll just take my tips to zero and tip in cash from now on. I'll reward good service. Tips going into a pool is BS and rewards bad service.

[chengkp75]

But this is my whole point. Im from the United States. We don't tip these jobs here, that's the whole reason for me questioning. You don't tip at places like McDonalds and Starbucks do you? No. So why am I tipping the dessert station guy?

 

Also after listening to most of you, most of you complaining about how its not my business etc. I'll just do what some of yall do. I'll just take my tips to zero and tip in cash from now on. I'll reward good service. Tips going into a pool is BS and rewards bad service.

 

And when you reduce your DSC to zero, it will be noted, and the staff that serves you (both wait and housekeeping) will be informed to turn in cash tips to the pool. Punishing bad service is why the DSC is pooled in the first place. It makes peer pressure work such that one team member's poor performance affects the wallets of the rest of the team, and therefore they will give the poor performer an "attitude adjustment".

[Aquahound]

End of day, who cares how much they make?

 

None of us should. It's not our business. It's a matter between the employees, their agents, and the employer.

[EmmyDee]

I don't know the answer but we so appreciate their services that we pay the automatic gratuities without question and even budget extra crispy 50's and 100's to be blessing to people along the way. (We find great joy in doing that!) Whatever amount you decide to tip, I encourage you to be cheerful in your giving! :halo:

[AmazedByCruising]

None of us should. It's not our business. It's a matter between the employees, their agents, and the employer.

 

The one time I was in the US was the first time I learned about those huge tips (I consider 20% huge). I had no problem tipping that much (plus what I considered a fair "actual" tip) after being told that those tips were actually supposed to be the major part of their income. Without that information I would have stiffed a lot of waiters, feeling very generous after tipping $10 for the excellent service.

 

When asked, I'd say my waiter scored for instance an 8 (1-10 scale) for his service. I'd mean "this guy is nearly perfect, I'd ask to be moved to his area next cruise". The ship would tell him guests are not happy enough. That wouldn't be what I meant to say.

 

Removing all auto-gratuities to give all of it to your fantastic room steward doesn't help them, at least financially. Again without some knowledge, that wouldn't be the expected result.

 

A basic understanding of how tipping actually works on a ship is IMHO necessary in order do decide what's the right thing for you to do.

[LH25]

But this is my whole point. Im from the United States. We don't tip these jobs here, that's the whole reason for me questioning. You don't tip at places like McDonalds and Starbucks do you? No. So why am I tipping the dessert station guy?

 

Because the ship is not the US. Things on the ship are not like things on dry land in the US. Kind of a when in Rome thing.

 

It didn't come across as a questioning, more of stating what you were going to do to me. That might be why you are getting some of the responses you are?

[dporter]

I already explained. Being an American I am used to dining staff being paid below minimum wage. If you are on land waitstaff are being paid $2 an hour whereas housekeeping are probably getting a minimum $7-8 an hour. Probably not the same as on a cruise ship, that's what Im wondering. So if its like land, waitstaff deserve considerably more.[/

 

 

 

you are way behind the times, servers haven"t made $2 in many years. I own a restaurant in Colorado and servers make $6.30, in January, $7.30.

 

Actually many states still have server wages today, Arizona and Texas are two, servers and bartenders make $2.33 per hour. They live on tips and work hard for it.

[simmingdenise]

 

Actually many states still have server wages today, Arizona and Texas are two, servers and bartenders make $2.33 per hour. They live on tips and work hard for it.

 

Arizona has changed minimum wage to $10 this effective 1-1-17. Tipped employees can’t have a “tip credit” greater than $3 per hour making the minimum wage for them $7.

 

OP in your justification I wonder if you travel to Australia would you tip a server 20% because you’re “from the US” and that’s what we do???

 

I will follow the set guidelines and tip more as appropriate ❤️ Happy cruising!!

[sanger727]

OP, I would not at all jump to assume that staff wages bear any relation to US wages. The room stewards have always been a position where tips were expected so I would not assume they make a decent wage without tips. I don’t focus on where the auto gratuities go. Before then you got a handful of envelopes to tip out everyone - the head waiter, assistant waiter, room steward, assistant steward. Way too much work and stress over ‘am

I tipping enough?’ ‘Am I tipping too much’. If carnivals distribution was unfair relative to the wages they paid you would see a whole lot of people wanting to be room stewards and very few wanting to be waiters. That’s not the case; in fact I think head waiter is a relatively desirable position.

 

 

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[Elaine5715]

But this is my whole point. Im from the United States. We don't tip these jobs here, that's the whole reason for me questioning. You don't tip at places like McDonalds and Starbucks do you? No. So why am I tipping the dessert station guy?

 

Also after listening to most of you, most of you complaining about how its not my business etc. I'll just do what some of yall do. I'll just take my tips to zero and tip in cash from now on. I'll reward good service. Tips going into a pool is BS and rewards bad service.

Yeah, we do tip these positions in the US. The cooks atw the above stations are making a personal dish for you, same as baristas are tipped, same as bartenders are tipped, same as people who do personal laundry services at laundromats,etc.

Get pissy as you like but crew work in teams, each wait teams is 3 who do different tasks. That whole $3 or so is divided (pooled) between them. The auto grats extends to cover breakfast, brunch, lunch and tea time wait teams and no one believes you are tossing down cash at each meal. If you are just looking to justify hosing crew, well, understand crew remembers and when they remember you as a great guest, they will go overboard to make sure you are well taken are of every time.

[sgttami]

I do the pre-paid tips and tip extra if I feel the service is warranted.

 

It varies by cruise...

[Cafedumonde]

I already explained. Being an American I am used to dining staff being paid below minimum wage. If you are on land waitstaff are being paid $2 an hour whereas housekeeping are probably getting a minimum $7-8 an hour. Probably not the same as on a cruise ship, that's what Im wondering. So if its like land, waitstaff deserve considerably more.[/

 

 

 

you are way behind the times, servers haven"t made $2 in many years. I own a restaurant in Colorado and servers make $6.30, in January, $7.30.

Down south it is more like $2

[Cafedumonde]

I didn't think smartasses were on the internet. :confused:

Lol

[redraidersrule]

 

 

 

OP in your justification I wonder if you travel to Australia would you tip a server 20% because you’re “from the US” and that’s what we do???

 

No I wouldn't. My whole point of the thread was to learn the customs. If I was going to Australia I would learn what is customary. Most responses Ive seen are just "you have no business knowing, just do what youre told". I mean I guess that's fine, I was just trying to learn. shrug.

[redraidersrule]

Yeah, we do tip these positions in the US. .

just shows you the vast difference just in the US alone. Here in Texas those positions aren't tipped.

[san92103]

I know this isn't directed at me the OP. Because if it was I challenge you to go back and reread the OP.

 

 

 

It was directed at you. You openly admitted you “never tip”. And so now you’re asking what they make as a way of justifying you not tipping? I assure you they don’t make a lot. I dated a girl who did youth stuff on carnival and her take home in relation to time was not good. Like $1,000/mo?

 

If you tip 20% on a $100 meal, you’re tipping $20 for someone who brought you a couple drinks and plates of food on an experience that lasted maybe 2hours? Honestly, it’s the kitchen staff who should get that.

 

Take that $20 for someone who spent time cleaning your mess for a week straight only to do it again the next day.

 

 

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[Herfnerd]

Just pay the daily grats - they all deserve it, even if you don’t think so

 

 

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[nealstuber]

 

No I wouldn't. My whole point of the thread was to learn the customs. If I was going to Australia I would learn what is customary. Most responses Ive seen are just "you have no business knowing, just do what youre told". I mean I guess that's fine, I was just trying to learn. shrug.

 

 

 

You say your intent was to learn the customs, yet your original post is loaded with a lot of thoughts of how things should be.

 

Before posting, you already read the website, you didn’t like what you saw so you came here looking for justification to do things the way you think they should be done.

 

 

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[Cushing985]

I know the staff on the ships work extremely hard but that is what they choose. When we cruise I don't worry about their working conditions but we do leave our auto-tips in place and tip over and above on the last night of the trip (room steward and MDR waiters). I tip for room service and I tip when I get bar service throughout the cruise. A very simple process that doesn't require an Excel spreadsheet.