Gifts in addition to a tip for cruise workers

[sail7seas]

respect, courtesy and a smile,,,,, along with cash are sure winners.

[NLH Arizona]

respect, courtesy and a smile,,,,, along with cash are sure winners.

Amen!

[BDRebel]

While I do appreciate the large number of humorous posts, I would like to ask those who seriously preach the "Cash is King" mantra.

When was the last time you spent months thousands of miles away from home, family and friends, with little to no time to go to a store?

While I admit that if you plan to give anything, cash is always accepted. But a personal gift in addition to that is almost always appreciated.

As for those that state that all gifts are always thrown in the trash, what is your source on that?

[DirtyDawg]

Based on what we saw the crew members bringing back onto the ship after a stop in Astoria Oregon a couple of years ago, my wife and I are bringing lots of bags of Cheetos to give out to the crew as gifts on our next cruise. The crew of that ship really loved their tubs of Costco Cheetos!

 

We would also bring Weed Eaters as tips too if I could find luggage big enough.:D

 

(yep they bought those too.)

[CruiseGal999]

I used to bring 24 inch decorated trees at Christmas. Nice sized plastic pumpkins filled with candy at Halloween and jumbo baskets wrapped in cellophane full of goodies at Easter

 

But then I was told they might not celebrate these holidays so I started bring John Deere keychains baseball caps and trucks for them from my hometown figuring they could pay to ship them back home to their families

 

Then I was told that I should just give cash. So I started to do that but it seemed so cold an impersonal to just hand them cash so I started to just give them cash in an envelope taped on to a big blown up printed check

 

Then I was advised about the small cabins they have and so I decided to just go with cash but I read about the origami folding thing here on cc so I started to fold the dollar bills into intricate little origami figures. The more folds the better

 

I would make about 100 of these pieces out of dollar bills and put them in a zip lock

 

I handed out to bartenders and waiters as I went along and for the steward I would just scatter a few each day in my cabin on our way out. He would look for them sort of like a scavenger hunt and would wait until I returned to unfold them. I loved watching him unfold the small little origami pieces. Such fun

 

 

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OMG LOL literally. :'):')

[VMax1700]

We used to bring real, fresh shamrock for the crew. They could use it as decoration in their room or vegetarians could eat it. Unfortunately, the Department of Agriculture told us that we could not take plants into USA. Now we bring three foot high inflatable shamrocks for the crew. They are very pleased to receive them. I understand that they use them to beat the cr@p out of cruisers who give them stupid gifts. :rolleyes::eek:

[go.without.you]

Unless that wedding favor is a small bottle of wine!!

 

 

You go to better weddings than I do

[Izzblizz]

Can't. Stop. Laughing.

I was just ignoring this thread, but kept wondering what the heck can people still be talking about in there?

[maggie cruises]

Based on what we saw the crew members bringing back onto the ship after a stop in Astoria Oregon a couple of years ago, my wife and I are bringing lots of bags of Cheetos to give out to the crew as gifts on our next cruise. The crew of that ship really loved their tubs of Costco Cheetos!

 

We would also bring Weed Eaters as tips too if I could find luggage big enough.:D

 

(yep they bought those too.)

 

 

 

Weed eaters? Hmmm...making me think they have a bug issue in the crew cabins. Or something like that.

 

 

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[maggie cruises]

Unless that wedding favor is a small bottle of wine!!

 

 

 

 

 

You go to better weddings than I do

 

 

 

Lol 30 years ago I insisted on personal sized bottles of wine.

 

2 weddings ago we got jars of beautifully wrapped honey (it was a rustic/nature type wedding that's all the rage now)

 

Not sure what they gave out at the last wedding we went to as we left early but didn't care for the bride anyway as she totally and purposely insulted my family. The unforgivable never forgotten type of insult that was so petty on her part that it was comical however it was a major insult nonetheless.

 

 

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[jocap]

Of course the crew members will react happily. Part of their training is to be polite to the guests. What you don't know is, most of those gifts (candy and other little trinkets given by the passengers) go right in the trash. Prior to debarkation, if you feel compelled to give a staff member something in addition to the standard gratuity, give them cash. That's the one thing they will honestly be thrilled about. In addition, you can write a letter to Carnival, giving the name of the ship you were on and the sailing date, and the name of the staff member or members that made your cruise exceptional. Those letters of praise go into the employee's file and carry a lot of weight when it comes time for promotions.

When you go on long cruises, we find certain crew members are relaxed enough to chat with you; talk about home and missing family. I think I can tell who's telling the truth and who's faking it. I've seen staff crying when they have been given a small treat; one girl said she'd not had a gift since she left home, and she loved presents of any sort.

I've gone along with the "money only" idea for years on this site, but in the early hours of the morning, when you're asking lonely bar staff about their lives, they have no reason to con you, when they're going to be serving you for weeks on end. Try it- see a face light up when someone cares to share a tiny edible gift.

[ldubs]

 

 

Not sure what they gave out at the last wedding we went to as we left early but didn't care for the bride anyway as she totally and purposely insulted my family. The unforgivable never forgotten type of insult that was so petty on her part that it was comical however it was a major insult nonetheless.

 

 

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Invite you then insult your family at the wedding -- that isn't very nice. :( Hope you didn't get them more than a toaster for a gift. Haha.

[CruiserGuyWPB]

I worked for a National company the thought trinkets were good. One year the upper directors got multi thousand dollar bonuses. The department heads and their employees received generic frozen turkeys for their holiday bonus. No cash. The director left for their 10 day vacation. Needless to say, 30 frozen turkeys wet left in their office. It was not a nice site 10 days later. That was the last year without cash bonuses for everyone.

 

 

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[Prettay128]

Yep. I know exactly what you mean. They get all giddy when I give them a refrigerator magnet with our hometown on it, or a rabbit foot key chain (I make them myself, four at a time!) or a framed photo of my wife and I. And my wife's home knitted ski masks are always a big hit. The wooden clogs that I make in my garage workshop are also a much appreciated gift.

 

They are so full of gratitude of these wonderful gifts that they are left speechless, with mouth agape in excitement. The response has been so overwhelming that I am seriously thinking of removing all tips and only giving them our homemade gifts next cruise. So many smiling faces, it beings tears of joy to my eyes.

 

:')lol! these "I gift candy and the crew really appreciate it" threads really kill me too.:rolleyes:

[gerif]

I’ve always felt that people who insist on giving small gifts, candy and the like do it to make themselves feel good.

[ScubesDad]

I am truly amazed at the cynicism and mocking attitude of many posters on these boards. This is the 9th post by the original poster who just joined the boards last month, and is most likely trying to find their way.. they most likely don’t have the cruising experience of many of the pompous contributors to this post who have done nothing to provide them with any guidance.

 

Yes, we experienced cruisers know the cramped living conditions the cruise line employees live in. Yes we know that they are away from their families for months tending to the desires of us very fortunate people who have the luxury of being able to fill our leisure time by travelling. Yes we know CASH IS KING, as we westerners are so quick to proclaim. Maybe more of us should try to participate in random acts of kindness, (if you tried it you know that it does make you feel good, and put a smile on your face) to brighten someone else’s day. I know I personally have been the beneficiary of someone randomly buying my morning coffee, and I have paid it forward as well. (I know if the person who bought my coffee had given me $2, it wouldn’t have had the same effect)

 

I know last summer on our cruise to Greece we brought something back to our stateroom attendant who was thrilled with the gesture. In the morning when we were leaving he asked what we were doing that day and we told him we were just wandering through town, Rhodes. He mentioned he had time off on the previous cruise and gave us a few ideas. He also mentioned that he had tasted Loukoumi for the first time and that we needed to do that. So on our wanders we found a shop (among many) that sold it and picked up some for ourselves, and a small box for him. We left It along with a quick note thanking him for his recommendations when we went to dinner. The next morning, he thanked us for thinking about him and added how he and a few of his friends enjoyed it the previous night after they were done work. More surprisingly, later that afternoon, the attendant for the cabins adjacent to ours also thanked us as he was one of the recipients of our stateroom attendant’s generosity.

 

I totally agree they don’t need coffee mugs, key chains or the multitude of other crap they most likely receive, but a well thought out gift, that is not given to replace the gratuity, but given for the purpose of lifting someone’s spirits. I strongly believe: what goes around comes around.

Edited May 12, 2018 by ScubesDad
spelling

[pris993]

:')lol! these "I gift candy and the crew really appreciate it" threads really kill me too.:rolleyes:

 

donot knock it til you try it... we always tip both auto and extra... have actually had staff ask for candy when they saw we gave some to some else. We gave them some too.

[MrsPete]

I have spoken with and have gotten to know some crew and a lot of them are well educated, or working the ships to save money for medical school or open their own business'

'Cause educated people don't enjoy candy bars? Don't appreciate a small treat in addition to tips?

 

So instead of that $10. tshirt

Has anyone seriously suggested tee-shirts or non-consumable goods of any type?

 

That being said, a couple of candy bars ACCOMPANIED BY and extra $20 satisfies the sweet tooth and the bank account.

 

I guess my point is, if you want to give a little something extra, make sure it is just that....extra.

I think that's what the pro-extra people are suggesting: Something very small /edible /a bit of something extra ... not at all in place of tips.

How do you know if they are diabetic and do nt , cannot eat candy or if they have a peanut allergy? I don't now many people who are allergic to cash.

It's unlikely that a person with any medical condition would be hired for the physically exhausting jobs onboard. Likewise, it's unlikely that a person with serious allergies would be hired /would choose to work on a ship, given that they have little control over the food they're given on a ship. These possibilities are so remote that they aren't a legitimate reason not to do a small edible gift -- if the cruiser is so inclined.

 

Having said that, if a crew member receives a candy bar that isn't to his or her liking, do you really think they'll have any trouble passing it off to a friend in the crew quarters? Do you really think everyone in the crew quarters says,"Ew, Hershey bars? Cracker Jacks? A mini-bottle of Jack Daniels? No one wants that."

 

I am truly amazed at the cynicism and mocking attitude of many posters on these boards.

Agreed.

 

As for the "who wants this stuff"? I'd say pretty much everyone.

 

For example, I work in a professional job, and just yesterday we were treated to a nice catered lunch. Would I want this in place of my monthly paycheck? No, but I certainly did appreciate the little extra bonus of a lunch. Our lunch was BBQ chicken. No one said, "Ew, I would've preferred salad." No one. Two vegetarians were behind me in line, and I heard them saying, "Mac and cheese for us. Yum."

 

My son-in-law works in a job that occasionally encounters emergencies that require him literally to put in days on end at the office -- really ungodly hours -- unforeseen and unpleasant. After these emergencies end, his boss takes the department out to a fancy steakhouse. He's paid well for working these emergencies, but does he also enjoy that his boss recognizes them for their extra work? Of course.

 

My husband's workplace gives them breakfast every two weeks (on payday). Can he afford to buy his own Bojangles' biscuit? Of course -- he's a nuclear engineer. Might he have preferred a Chick-fillet biscuit? Nah, he always goes out of the house on payday mornings happily saying, "No need to make breakfast for me today." Frequently I'll ask him what the company provided for his breakfast, and he's never once said, "I got in a little late, and all the country ham biscuits were gone! I had to eat sausage. Or, yuck, they had only doughnuts and fruit this morning." Not once has he complained about his free breakfast.

 

Don't be a Grinch. Yes, pay your tips! That's first and foremost. But IF someone feels like including a pack of gum or a pack of cookies, any human being's going to appreciate the additional small thought -- even if he passes it on to a friend.

Edited May 12, 2018 by MrsPete

[myfuzzy]

Everytime I fly and I get offered the "premium" snacks...I always decline, because I personally don't care for them, now I have some ideas...next time I fly to my cruise port, I will accept the snacks and give them to my steward.

[poolreader]

If I am sailing around Halloween, Christmas, or Easter I put a bowl of snack sized candy bars or holiday themed treats in the room and offer them to the cabin steward. I tell them I have plenty more and they are welcome to take as much or as little as they want. They always take a few pieces, but one time all of the Almond joy were always out of the bowl. I kept replacing them and one day the cabin steward apologized for taking so many because they reminded him of home, so I just gave him the rest of the bag to take back to his room.

[sloopsailor]

Everytime I fly and I get offered the "premium" snacks...I always decline, because I personally don't care for them, now I have some ideas...next time I fly to my cruise port, I will accept the snacks and give them to my steward.

 

That is what I do with the fortune cookies I receive after a meal in a Chinese restaurant. I have a box of them saved up for my next cruise. Everyone who serves me will get one. They better appreciate all the trouble I go through for their benefit. ;)

[myfuzzy]

That is what I do with the fortune cookies I receive after a meal in a Chinese restaurant. I have a box of them saved up for my next cruise. Everyone who serves me will get one. They better appreciate all the trouble I go through for their benefit. ;)

 

I also save the Olive Garden mints...

[Flatbush Flyer]

If I am sailing around Halloween, Christmas, or Easter I put a bowl of snack sized candy bars or holiday themed treats in the room and offer them to the cabin steward. I tell them I have plenty more and they are welcome to take as much or as little as they want. They always take a few pieces, but one time all of the Almond joy were always out of the bowl. I kept replacing them and one day the cabin steward apologized for taking so many because they reminded him of home, so I just gave him the rest of the bag to take back to his room.

 

 

 

Put a bowl of €1 coins or, better still, silver $1 ones there and see how much faster they disappear.

[Lady Chew]

We take long cruises, but even on some of the short 10-days-or-so cruises, we have seen crew members coming back to the ship with bags full of chips, pretzels, candies, sodas, etc etc etc, so we know there is room for them somewhere! We have talked to some of them who go off with a very long list of things to buy for their crewmates ..

We always leave the auto-tips and we tip extra ... and we would never give anyone a trinket or tee shirt or cap, but if there is a holiday or a special regional candy or treat, we will bring some back to the ship for the crew. We've made Halloween treat bags for our cabin stewards, waiters, special bartenders ... and for Valentines Day. If one of the crew tells us to go somewhere and try some special food or drink because they like it, we try to bring some of it back for them ...

[Got2Cruise]

Cash is King. Most of the employees send their pay checks home to their families. If you want them to have candy, gum, whatever extra, give the extra cash so that they can choose which they prefer.