Tipping recommendations

[gks314]

I'm curious about extra tipping suggestions.  Specifically, Im wondering about how to divide extra (in addition to the required gratuities) tips among the staff for our upcoming cruise.  Let's leave the bartenders out (for the sake of simplicity) as we will tip an extra dollar (usually) per drink throughout the cruise.  We will also tip our specialty restaurant staff separately, so let's exclude them  too.

 

It will obviously be easiest to tip our room steward, as we will likely see him fairly regularly.  But, doesn't that leave out all the others?

 

Let's assume we will tip an extra $140 per cabin on the upcoming cruise.  How do you think it is most fair (I don't think fairest applies here) to allocate it?

[Lottacruises]

The "required" tipping is supposed to make it easier for you. I think you are over complicating things. 

[gks314]

True.  But we will, as we always have, tip extra.  

My question is how should we divide the extra (optional, I know) tips among the crew?

Edited March 20, 2019 by gks314
poor grammar

[bury me at sea]

I tip extra to crew members who have gone an extra step.  It varies from cruise to cruise.

[tandemcruzr]

If we tip extra for Cabin Steward or Wait Staff at fixed dining, we prepare an envelop for the Cabin team and the Wait Staff team addressed to the team leader. Up to him or her how to divide it. We have been told by several crew staff that if we break it down by person, they will have to turn it all in to the leader who will then disperse it to the team members.

[Organized Chaos]

You won't truly be able to distribute extra tips to everyone on your own because some of the automatic gratuities go to crew members you don't actually interact with. I could be wrong, but I don't think there's a way to get extra tips to those behind the scenes who you don't interact with, yet still get a share of your automatic tips. I suppose you could ask Guest Services.

 

If you're tipping extra, beyond the automatic gratuities, then wouldn't that be based on how much more above & beyond you thought someone did? Rather than dividing extra tips up evenly. To me, that's what extra tips represent...those we interacted with personally who impressed us beyond our original expectations.

[bingomamma19]

54 minutes ago, gks314 said:

I'm curious about extra tipping suggestions.  Specifically, Im wondering about how to divide extra (in addition to the required gratuities) tips among the staff for our upcoming cruise.  Let's leave the bartenders out (for the sake of simplicity) as we will tip an extra dollar (usually) per drink throughout the cruise.  We will also tip our specialty restaurant staff separately, so let's exclude them  too.

 

It will obviously be easiest to tip our room steward, as we will likely see him fairly regularly.  But, doesn't that leave out all the others?

 

Let's assume we will tip an extra $140 per cabin on the upcoming cruise.  How do you think it is most fair (I don't think fairest applies here) to allocate it?

You are complicating things. 

 

First off, your auto tips are all that are expected.  

 

Second..how would a stranger here know who you want to tip extra.  

 

Third..unless you are going to walk around handing out dollar bills to random workers, that pretty much leaves the room steward and your dining staff if you want to tip extra.   Split how you want.

 

 

[Nic6318]

42 minutes ago, gks314 said:

True.  But we will, as we always have, tip extra.  

My question is how should we divide the extra (optional, I know) tips among the crew?

 

Hi

 

Since you have always tipped extra, why wouldn't just tip as you always have in the past? It really isn't that complicated, give what you like to whom you like.

 

have a great cruise

[emoorehead]

You can adjust your auto grats.....if they can lower them, I'm sure they can raise them. Then they will be divided up for you.

 

As others have said, I feel that extra tips should go to those crew members who went above and beyond. Case in point, there was a thread a few days ago where the poster left his shoes while he went on the water slide and burned his feet on the way back to his lounge chair. He couldn't make it all the way back and a very kind crew member went to fetch them while he waited in the shade. That crew member deserves an extra tip IMO. 

[schazzy]

20 minutes ago, Organized Chaos said:

If you're tipping extra, beyond the automatic gratuities, then wouldn't that be based on how much more above & beyond you thought someone did? Rather than dividing extra tips up evenly. To me, that's what extra tips represent...those we interacted with personally who impressed us beyond our original expectations

 

This is what we subscribe to as well. Except for those who provide us with alcohol and caffeine, they automatically get an extra tip. 

[riffatsea]

I don't understand your question at all?? You say you always tip extra sooo continue as you always do. Not sure how folks here can help you? For example unless I get to know one particular bar tender , I don't tip more than the 15% already included on the drink tab.

We give the room steward something extra and the head waiter for our dining room staff. Sometimes we tip the other dining room staff helpers depending on who we get to know more than the others. We don't just hand out extra tips to everyone we see on board!

You may do things differently and that's just fine but we cannot help you figure out what YOU wish to spend!!

[cb at sea]

There is no need to tip additionally.  If someone goes "above and beyond", tip according to what that is worth to you.  Just because the cabin attendant did something special, doesn't mean you need to tip EVERYONE extra....I mean, wait and see what the experience IS, before you start worrying about extra gratuities!

[mpdog42]

I think everybody should tip Security at least a $20.00

 

[PhillyFan33579]

2 hours ago, riffatsea said:

I don't understand your question at all?? You say you always tip extra sooo continue as you always do. Not sure how folks here can help you? For example unless I get to know one particular bar tender , I don't tip more than the 15% already included on the drink tab.

 

Just an FYI, the drink tip is now 18%. 

[gks314]

2 hours ago, riffatsea said:

You may do things differently and that's just fine but we cannot help you figure out what YOU wish to spend!!

Very good point.  (Though I didn't ask for advice on what what I should spend,  I asked for opinions on how to fairly divide up what I do spend.  But I still get your point)

 

2 hours ago, cb at sea said:

I mean, wait and see what the experience IS, before you start worrying about extra gratuities!

Another good point, as maybe on this cruise I won't decide to tip any extra at all. (Though it's clear in my original post that I was asking for advice assuming that I would, you're of course right in that maybe it will turn out that I won't)

 

3 hours ago, Organized Chaos said:

You won't truly be able to distribute extra tips to everyone on your own because some of the automatic gratuities go to crew members you don't actually interact with.

I think this is kind of what I was trying to get at.  Stewards and waiters it is then.

[Markmom18]

Hi,

  We tip extra to our Cabin Team by simply handing the extra tip over discretely & individually. My husband and I always end up getting to know our team, they work so hard.  There has been one or two cruises where we just never saw him. So, no extra tip.

 

Tipping the wait Staff?  We have Anytime Timing, and always get the same team(we ask & we go when the MDR opens).  I'd say 99.9% of the time we have spent our dinners laughing & enjoying their company & top notch service.  We use the same method as with our Cabin team.

 

We want them to keep their own tips that we personally give. But, whatever they do with it afterwards, well we don't have any control over that do we? So, yeah, IDK if it ends up in a 'pool' or they're allowed to keep the extra cash.  Because we Prepaid the standard tips when we booked the cruise originally.

🌸🌸 Bobbi 

 

[CruiseGal999]

4 hours ago, gks314 said:

True.  But we will, as we always have, tip extra.  

My question is how should we divide the extra (optional, I know) tips among the crew?

 

I would NEVER tip extra on a cocktail. They charge 18% for tips on EVERY drink automatically.  But that's my personal philosophy. 

 

I also travel solo and do not tip the steward extra money.  But if you are a couple or a family with kids ... that's up to you.  

 

Same for the dining staff.  Entirely up to you on who you tip and how much.  

[ray98]

It amazes me how people complicate things in life.

 

For me, the daily tips are sufficient for normal circumstances.  I only tip extra for those who go above and beyond which I will know when I see it, not by some preplanned formula prior to sailing.

Edited March 20, 2019 by ray98

[Moparfiend]

There's a great question for John, if we give the cabin steward 50 bucks, can he keep it and do whatever he likes with it, or is he required by his contract to give this to the cruise line to pay his wages.

[louanne93]

I understand your question OP. I too am a tipper and tend to make things complicated for myself. This is how I break things down.

$20 first and last day to cabin steward ($40)

$10 during week and last day to assistant cabin steward ($20)

$20 first and last day to head waiter ($40)

$10 during the week and last day to assistant waiter ($20)

$5 during week and last day to JR waiter (if there is one) ($10)

 

Last day tips are all subject to service. Being in the service industry (food server, caterer, food truck, and private chef) for over 30 years, I have been blessed with my share of tips, so I like to pass it forward. 

I, like many others on this board, see the included gratuities as part of the fare. That includes drink tips. My husband drinks beer and soda so I always tip $1 extra to whomever serves it to him. I only drink large tap ice waters with extra ice (doesn't cost a thing) so I usually tip $2. 

I am old school, I still tip the maitra'd for the finest table at a restaurant or show. From my understanding, the newer generation do not believe in tipping and believe employers should pay a fair wage to employees. So I am guessing that tipping will eventually go away as those of us that are strong believers pass on... Lol!

These thoughts and opinions are mine and mine alone. I am trying to answer the OP's question, not start a tipping debate 😉 

[ShakyBeef]

14 hours ago, emoorehead said:

You can adjust your auto grats.....if they can lower them, I'm sure they can raise them. Then they will be divided up for you.

 

This. 

 

Autograts can be adjusted up.  I do it almost every cruise at GS.  When I tell the GS rep that I want to increase my autograts, they ask if each person in my cabin wants to do so (to which I reply yes), then they ask by how much per PAX per day, then they ask how I want it to be divvied up.  I always ask them to just divide the additional gratuity out by the same formula that is used for the basic autograt.  But they can also customize how it is divided out, it is up to you.

 

We also tip extra cash with all our drink orders, leave extra cash on top of the increased autotips for RS, and tip cash to our wait team at the end of dinner on the last night.

 

Funny little bonus feeling of this autograt increase situation every cruise: I do this towards the end of the cruise, when so many other PAX are lining up at GS to decrease or remove their autograts.  So when I get up to the counter and say that I want to increase my autograts, I am  usually met by visible happy-surprise on the part of the GS rep.  It's kinda like giving that person a little boost to their day after what they have been dealing with.

[mpdog42]

Only on CC can people make something so simple..so complicated!!!😱

[tonit964]

If you've always tipped extra, why the question now? Just do as you have been doing.

[Organized Chaos]

7 minutes ago, tonit964 said:

If you've always tipped extra, why the question now? Just do as you have been doing.

 

Tipping topics usually lead to two things: pointing out how much someone tips as if it's some kind of competition and looking down on those who don't tip as much (which also includes the inevitable bashing of everyone who's in the GS line on the last day with the thought that they must be there to remove their tips). Personally, I think it's unnecessary to worry oneself over how much others tip.

 

1 hour ago, louanne93 said:

I am old school, I still tip the maitra'd for the finest table at a restaurant or show. From my understanding, the newer generation do not believe in tipping and believe employers should pay a fair wage to employees. So I am guessing that tipping will eventually go away as those of us that are strong believers pass on... Lol!

These thoughts and opinions are mine and mine alone. I am trying to answer the OP's question, not start a tipping debate 😉 

 

I'm not the newer generation, but I also don't follow the fairly common trend of today that encourages "tipping the standard amount no matter what because it's our responsibility to make up for their lower wage." I believe tips are a reward for good service. The better the service, the better the tip. For instance, I wouldn't consider doing what you do and tip on our first day because we have no idea what their service will be like (assuming you're referring to extra tips).

[ShakyBeef]

14 minutes ago, Organized Chaos said:

 

Tipping topics usually lead to two things: pointing out how much someone tips as if it's some kind of competition and looking down on those who don't tip as much (which also includes the inevitable bashing of everyone who's in the GS line on the last day with the thought that they must be there to remove their tips). Personally, I think it's unnecessary to worry oneself over how much others tip.

 

 

This seems to be a bit of snarkiness possibly directed at me.  If I am mistaken, please excuse me for misinterpreting. 

 

If so, however, I would like to point out that I make no mention of how much I tip, nor will I.  That is a personal choice for each individual.  Nor is tipping any kind of competition for me (again, personal, private choice for each individual).  And I look down on no one for their choices of tipping amounts.  I don't even want to know what they tip, nor do I care for them to know what I tip. 

 

The mention of the large numbers of other PAX removing and reducing their autograts in GS in my post is based on my own experience of how many PAX I have personally heard in the process of doing this.  And I mention it partially because I have been unjustly grouped in that category of tip removers by others on these boards, simply by my presence in the GS line towards the end of the cruise.  I wanted to point out that not all of us there are removing tips, but might be doing the opposite. Furthermore, I did no "bashing" of anyone.

 

I usually refrain from participation in tipping threads because, in part, I find it tacky to discuss our tipping practices, and also in part due to the snarky judging and insults that get thrown around in these threads.  I broke my 'no tips threads' rule this once in order to possibly be helpful to the OP.  The OP was asking for suggestions on how to get the extra tips dispersed, not for our opinions on whether it was too complicated, unnecessary, worrisome, etc.

 

Again, if I am mistaken that any of your snark was directed at me, I apologize.