Is tipping in cash still preferred by cruise staff ?

[NutsAboutGolf]

4 hours ago, sanger727 said:

cruise ship wages have nothing to do with the state they sail out of. There are international laws they follow. They don’t follow US laws. That’s the whole reason they are foreign flagged, to avoid US laws…

 

yes.  Servers in the US are paid very low, I’ve done it. But with standard tips the pay is good. I don’t think people sign up to work cruises and leave their home and family for months at a time because the pay is terrible. 

 

You quoted my post which was a quote/response to something else (lol).  You're correct, despite them being foreign flagged cruise lines still save $$$ by utilizing the tipping model

[Covepointcruiser]

The crew always appreciate cash given at the start, during or at the end of a cruise.

[morpheusofthesea]

On 8/13/2021 at 4:11 PM, Jim_Iain said:

Pre-Covid I was sitting next to the HR Director at a Zenith lunch and I asked her specifically about tipping extra and charging it to my account using the form you can get at the front desk. 

In an altruistic world one can always be sure of what one is being told is the truth. But in this world the cynic in me says that there are 'behind the scenes' 'goings on' on the high seas. Those that are tipped $$ could be under 'pressure' from those that are not. Perhaps a more discreet manner of tipping $$ is most helpful to the recipient.

[morpheusofthesea]

On 8/13/2021 at 5:51 PM, keesar said:

In the beginning of the cruise, I stop by Guest Services to pick up the packet of envelopes.  I include extra gratuities in cash at the end of the cruise in these envelopes for staff.  It is a way to show my appreciation for excellent service. Of course, I live the automatic tips in place.  But it is sad to see so many people having them removed right before the deadline.

You are "a man of many seasons". I am reminded of a recent posting on this subject. "Recently I saw a Tik Tok by Captain Kate. She was giving out envelopes to her staff that a passenger asked her to do for them. One staff member opened the envelope to find $5. He went crazy with joy, you would have thought it was a $100. She received so many comments on why the young man was overly excited and happy for such a small amount. A few days later she did another Tik Tok with him asking him why his reaction was so grand. He said that he would have reacted the same way if it was only $1 dollar. He said with those $5 dollars he can buy rice, bread and a lot more stuff for his family back home. That video opened my eyes on tipping anyone who serves me and our family. Please tip extra by cash. The included tips are the bare minimum that are divided between many.

[LGW59]

1 hour ago, dkjretired said:

Some workers who get tips on the first day consider it an insult.

I totally doubt this!

[morpheusofthesea]

5 hours ago, Pinboy said:

If I were a Staff person I would " snicker " if someone left me a Snicker bar. 

I thought it was a nice idea.. Maybe because I love Snicker Bars so much. Perhaps OP could use a Snicker Bar to hold down the $$ left on the bed.

[morpheusofthesea]

Years ago on Home Lines 'Atlantic', we became acquainted with a very good waiter, which like all good waiters we tipped extra. Returning year after year we had to tip the maitre d' at the beginning of the cruise to make sure of not only our seating (early or late) but also to get this particular waiter's table. We always noticed that he was able to provide 'better' 'faster' service than received by the other tables around us. At the end of one cruise I asked him how he was able to accomplish his better service for his tables than the other waiters in the MDR. He said he shared his tips with the chef and his orders were filled first. True or not. I do not know.

[zitsky]

2 hours ago, mayleeman said:

Reminds me of the presents we used to get from our neighbor for Christmas. One year she gave us a Christmas tree wall hanging made from stacking catfood cans. She was the reason my parents taught me "It’s the thought tht counts."

 

But that phrase also applies to giving gifts. You might appreciate a bit of candy if you were working your tail off for hours every day serving the needs of people indulging in a vacation you could probably never afford. But only as a treat -- like leaving a bowl out with a "Help yourself!" message. If given a few Snickers bars as a gesture of thanks, yeah, maybe I'd be touched. As a substitute for a tip....not so much.

 

But over the years people have mentioned trinkets, and memo pads/pens, etc, and now a fruitcake and Disney cup? Wow, my reaction would be abject disbelief someone could be so clueless, and horrified that they appeared so condescending.

 

I don't think these gifts are meant instead of a tip.

[dkjretired]

37 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

I totally doubt this!

Spoken to a number of them over the years and others on this board have confirmed my comment.

[sanger727]

1 hour ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

You quoted my post which was a quote/response to something else (lol).  You're correct, despite them being foreign flagged cruise lines still save $$$ by utilizing the tipping model

 

ok, I may have misunderstood your post. You mentioned how low tipped wages are in the US and then that X takes advantage of that system. I thought you were saying that X based their wages on US wages.

 

and I actually think that marine laws dictate a higher minimum wage than US tipped positions.

Edited August 15, 2021 by sanger727

[LGW59]

29 minutes ago, dkjretired said:

Spoken to a number of them over the years and others on this board have confirmed my comment.

I’ve actually done the hand a tip on day one to various crew members.  I will tell you first hand, none were ever offended.  Quite the contrary in my experience.  

[davekathy]

7 hours ago, m8zenblue said:

Why are people so concerned on what you tip to cruise staff ?

Your money, do what you want, my money I do what I want.

Or how much the staff earns hourly, monthly or by contract. 

[dkjretired]

7 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

I’ve actually done the hand a tip on day one to various crew members.  I will tell you first hand, none were ever offended.  Quite the contrary in my experience.  

Do you think they would tell you, of course not and I never said all I said some.

[LGW59]

12 minutes ago, dkjretired said:

Do you think they would tell you, of course not and I never said all I said some.

I don’t see the word “all” in my response.  Trust me they were not offended!  Rather they were most appreciative and set the tone for a wonderful cruise with folks I interact with on a very regular basis.  

[dkjretired]

17 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

I don’t see the word “all” in my response.  Trust me they were not offended!  Rather they were most appreciative and set the tone for a wonderful cruise with folks I interact with on a very regular basis.  

Stand behind what I Said.

[keesar]

I would expect that the staff member who received the fruit cake was also appreciative.  Just good manners.

 

I believe that staff appreciate  cash tips the most. Whether they keep the tips  for themselves or pool them with others may be dependent upon the guidelines for that department.  

[Pinboy]

1 hour ago, keesar said:

I would expect that the staff member who received the fruit cake was also appreciative.  Just good manners.

 

I believe that staff appreciate  cash tips the most. Whether they keep the tips  for themselves or pool them with others may be dependent upon the guidelines for that department.  

Doin' Great --- 5 pages so far , going for 160  

IF Pinboy was workin' on a ship he would appreciate $US , lots of 'em , as " Thanks for my service in doing my best to make sure you have a fantastic cruise ".

$US don't have an Expiry date and would be accepted, and appreciated, at any time prior to the

" Guest " leaving the ship at the end of the cruise. 

( We really are " Customers "----- " Guests " in our house don't pay )

 

 

 

 

 

[LGW59]

6 minutes ago, Pinboy said:

Doin' Great --- 5 pages so far , going for 160  

IF Pinboy was workin' on a ship he would appreciate $US , lots of 'em , as " Thanks for my service in doing my best to make sure you have a fantastic cruise ".

$US don't have an Expiry date and would be accepted, and appreciated, at any time prior to the

" Guest " leaving the ship at the end of the cruise. 

( We really are " Customers "----- " Guests " in our house don't pay )

 

 

 

 

 

Ye$ indeed!

[Ken the cruiser]

Found out from our Luminae sommelier last night that the beverage servers now get to keep their tips they individually collect rather than sharing them. For us that works out great as I pretty much only drink wine at dinner and it allowed us to give her a large “full cruise” tip using some of our nonrefundable OBC when I purchased a bottle of wine from her last night! 😎

[laslomas]

On 8/13/2021 at 3:01 PM, runningtide said:

 Does anyone with recent experience know if a crew member is tipped additionally in cash, can he or she keep the tip for themselves, or does it go into a pool for the crew.

 

Well, quite a few pages about - "well, this is what we do,".

 

All very interesting, and possibly irrelevant. Has anyone come up with an answer to the opening question? 

[canderson]

19 minutes ago, laslomas said:

All very interesting, and possibly irrelevant. Has anyone come up with an answer to the opening question? 

Information does continue to trickle in.  How about the post just above yours?

[DirtyDawg]

WOW, I can't remember the last time I used cash to pay for anything. I've gotten used to paying with the debit cards, credit cards, e-transfers, etc. My favourite coffee shop has their own app which I use to pay for a $2 coffee. X needs an app where guests can tip the staff in a modern, post Covid way. 

 

Of course if this app was developed by X's IT department, I might end up tipping the bartender my house.  😉

[ScubesDad]

I went back and reread this thread this morning, and have an observation.  As far as I can determine there is a cultural divide on this topic. For the most part Americans are of the opinion cash is king and the only form of reward required.  Those from other countries, Canada and UK, are a bit more inclined to acknowledge the human side of the relationship and provide small gifts of chocolate and treats. (Let me be clear that in no way shape or form is re-gifting fruit cakes, coffee mugs or bringing miscellaneous stuff from your home town suitable, ever!)

Having been both an employee and a supervising manager it is necessary to move beyond the basic needs level of an individual to encourage a feeling of worth.  My reference for this is Maslow's hierarchy of needs. For most of the people working in the service roles on the ships they are doing it to provide for the basic needs of their family: food, shelter safety and security, and cold hard cash is what they are after. However, once they are confident they have reached that level where security has been attained, they respond better to a feeling of belonging/friendship. While we are never going to be friends with the employees on a ship, we can certainly be friendly and recognize them on a human level. I think back to when I was working and one of my managers in the later stages of my career often thought outside the box on how to motivate and reward us.  We were all well paid professionals well beyond the basic needs level, and while money does motivate, when you "know" it is going to happen you often lose focus...he gave us our birthday off as a bonus. I guess he could have paid us our per diem, but he probably would have been fired, and the day off meant more than money to us.

So the people who provide the treats, and as long as this is not in lieu of cash, but in addition to, are just rewarding a different psychological need of people.

There is no right or wrong approach, do what you think is proper, just don't remove the grats.

 

[TeeRick]

8 minutes ago, ScubesDad said:

I went back and reread this thread this morning, and have an observation.  As far as I can determine there is a cultural divide on this topic. For the most part Americans are of the opinion cash is king and the only form of reward required.  Those from other countries, Canada and UK, are a bit more inclined to acknowledge the human side of the relationship and provide small gifts of chocolate and treats. (Let me be clear that in no way shape or form is re-gifting fruit cakes, coffee mugs or bringing miscellaneous stuff from your home town suitable, ever!)

Having been both an employee and a supervising manager it is necessary to move beyond the basic needs level of an individual to encourage a feeling of worth.  My reference for this is Maslow's hierarchy of needs. For most of the people working in the service roles on the ships they are doing it to provide for the basic needs of their family: food, shelter safety and security, and cold hard cash is what they are after. However, once they are confident they have reached that level where security has been attained, they respond better to a feeling of belonging/friendship. While we are never going to be friends with the employees on a ship, we can certainly be friendly and recognize them on a human level. I think back to when I was working and one of my managers in the later stages of my career often thought outside the box on how to motivate and reward us.  We were all well paid professionals well beyond the basic needs level, and while money does motivate, when you "know" it is going to happen you often lose focus...he gave us our birthday off as a bonus. I guess he could have paid us our per diem, but he probably would have been fired, and the day off meant more than money to us.

So the people who provide the treats, and as long as this is not in lieu of cash, but in addition to, are just rewarding a different psychological need of people.

There is no right or wrong approach, do what you think is proper, just don't remove the grats.

 

Tipping is always a personal decision and there is a high degree of cultural influence depending on what country you are from.  Some countries have no tipping or vastly different amounts on different services.  The US tends to be at the high end of the spectrum.  I agree- do not remove the gratuities.

[txtechmk]

morpheusofthesea---Yes I use the mini candy bars to hold down the cash tip on the bed.  I guess the other posters missed that part of my post.  To each their own....