Tipping: Above and Beyond

[rkacruiser]

2 minutes ago, RGEDad said:

Also gave $1 or $2 to the breakfast room service  delivery who brought a big tray of breakfast meal out to the balcony. It was always quite a balancing feat each day to get through the two doors.

 

How the Stewards are able to handle the doors amazes me.  I try to hold the door to the cabin for them, but, there are times when I think I am more in the way than not.  Your gratuity amount is mostly the same as mine.  I will adjust it upwards if I have a traveling companion because that results in more "stuff" on the tray.  

 

Regardless of the amount, it always is appreciated and, usually, I have to almost chase him before he leaves to give him the money.  

[MountainsAndRivers]

9 hours ago, DaveOKC said:

Do they realize that by removing the automatic tips they are requiring all the people they gave envelopes to turn that in?  Seems like a big waste of time for everyone IMO.  And in fact, the "extra" they give out also must be turned in, so they are not helping out the people they want to at all (actually hurting them).

 

You need to clue them in on how this works.

 

 

That is how they did it when they started cruising, they like, it no matter the consequences or issues, they will never change, I respect their choice and anyone else to choose how they handle it.

[VMax1700]

3 hours ago, MountainsAndRivers said:

 

That is how they did it when they started cruising, they like, it no matter the consequences or issues, they will never change, I respect their choice and anyone else to choose how they handle it.

Maybe when they started flying they enjoyed smoking on the aircraft.  Would you still respect their choice if they lit up today?  Times change and they need to move to 'today' rather than 'yesterday'.

[DaveOKC]

4 hours ago, VMax1700 said:

Maybe when they started flying they enjoyed smoking on the aircraft.  Would you still respect their choice if they lit up today?  Times change and they need to move to 'today' rather than 'yesterday'.

Agree - Things change and you need to adapt.  

 

I learned long ago as a store manager that the one thing you do not mess with is people's pay and in this case thats what your friends are doing, even though they think they are not.

 

[MountainsAndRivers]

10 hours ago, VMax1700 said:

Maybe when they started flying they enjoyed smoking on the aircraft.  Would you still respect their choice if they lit up today?  Times change and they need to move to 'today' rather than 'yesterday'.

 

Sadly the two couples I have cruised with that do this won't be cruising much longer, age and health will bring them in line with today...   ...no I would not respect their choice if they broke federal rules/laws - tipping style is not one of them 🙂

[Laminator]

53 minutes ago, MountainsAndRivers said:

 

Sadly the two couples I have cruised with that do this won't be cruising much longer, age and health will bring them in line with today...   ...no I would not respect their choice if they broke federal rules/laws - tipping style is not one of them 🙂

I think everyone here realizes it is very difficult if not impossible to teach an old dog new tricks. We all hate to see what are meant to be the best of intentions actually winding up going against the wishes of this couple. 

[MisterMatthew]

This is an eye-opening topic.  And, some really really candid views. 

 

I can say this.. the service I rec'd on my (mind you, IT WAS THE FIRST) HAL cruise was excellent.  It basically equaled the sort of service that I experienced here in LV, Nevada @ some of the 4 & 5 star resorts.  I'm very impressed with H.A.L.

 

I just wanted to add something.  Maybe it has been said -- maybe it has not.  A bartender / server / room steward / etc... whom works where they live, they get to go home to their family each day.  The crew on H.A.L. do not.  So, for them to make these efforts day after day & with a smile is remarkable!

 

----Matthew

[PCM]

We tip... our Steward and Waitor(s) $100 a week. 

We are always polite, grateful and respectful of all they do.

[Skipper's Mom]

On 5/17/2022 at 5:37 PM, DaveOKC said:

Related question - when extra tipping the room stewards how does everyone else handle this?  Separate envelopes for each, or both together?  I usually just put both names on the envelope but do not know if this is the best way to do it.

 

I always hand the envelope/cash to each individually.  In fact, on our last cruise on the NS in April, I actually offered the head steward for him to give his assistant his tip, he refused and said to give it to him personally.  I took that as an honest man, too easy to pocket the $$$.

[Skipper's Mom]

7 hours ago, PCM said:

We tip... our Steward and Waitor(s) $100 a week. 

We are always polite, grateful and respectful of all they do.

WOW!  You must be very popular, lol!

[Laminator]

8 hours ago, PCM said:

We tip... our Steward and Waitor(s) $100 a week. 

We are always polite, grateful and respectful of all they do.

Same here. I am horrendous with names so on embarkation day I call the room stewards into the room and explain that I am very bad with names. I ask them if they like Ben and Jerry's ice cream. They have always said yes with smiling faces. So I let them know that they will be Ben and Jerry. They seem to love this. I let them pick who is who and everyone is happy. Then I give them each a hundred dollars. They are even happier now. We never really need anything but just in case we do I know we will be covered. That will keep the DW happy. And if there is one thing I have learned in life a happy wife is a happy life. 

[MisterMatthew]

I am pretty good at remembering names.  But, not perfect.  I always try to say a crew member's name --- I kind of think they appreciate it.  Yes, you could say:

 

"Thank you."

--or--

"Thank you, Mary"

 

Sometimes their name-tag is not visible & when HAVE remembered their name (correctly, lol) it makes me feel good.  There were a few on Zuiderdam who would, at breakfast, purposely cover their name-tag with their palm & ask me if I remember.  I got 6 out of 7 correct.  LOL!!!!  I tried.

 

Then, on land (in port) I saw a couple of crew members & remembered their names.  Yesssss!

[rkacruiser]

21 hours ago, MisterMatthew said:

their name-tag is not visible

 

A minor quibble of mine:  my eyesight is not as great as it was a few decades ago and a name tag with the crew member's name in larger print would make it easier to read.  It's a bit uncomfortable for me to need to lean forward to read the tag; some female crew members might even take offense at me doing that.  

[Woofbite]

On 5/21/2022 at 11:54 AM, Laminator said:

  So I let them know that they will be Ben and Jerry. 

Mine give me a business card at our first meeting and I carry it around and try to review it to pronounce their names correctly before meeting them each coming and going.

 

[Florida_gal_50]

18 minutes ago, Woofbite said:

Mine give me a business card at our first meeting and I carry it around and try to review it to pronounce their names correctly before meeting them each coming and going.

 

I’m bad at names so I appreciate these cards.  It helps me remember their names.  I know I would not appreciate being called some random name.  

[Florida_gal_50]

15 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

A minor quibble of mine:  my eyesight is not as great as it was a few decades ago and a name tag with the crew member's name in larger print would make it easier to read.  It's a bit uncomfortable for me to need to lean forward to read the tag; some female crew members might even take offense at me doing that.  

I would also feel uncomfortable doing that as a female.

[Laminator]

17 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

A minor quibble of mine:  my eyesight is not as great as it was a few decades ago and a name tag with the crew member's name in larger print would make it easier to read.  It's a bit uncomfortable for me to need to lean forward to read the tag; some female crew members might even take offense at me doing that.  

Good Point. I very seldom wear my progressive glasses on the ship since I had cataract surgery in both eyes a few years back. I can see the cards on the blackjack table so for the most part I am good to go. I simply refer to the servers as sir and ma'am when I can't see their names. 

[AncientWanderer]

20 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

A minor quibble of mine:  my eyesight is not as great as it was a few decades ago and a name tag with the crew member's name in larger print would make it easier to read.  It's a bit uncomfortable for me to need to lean forward to read the tag; some female crew members might even take offense at me doing that.  

 

I have really bad eyesight, too, and try hard to compensate -- really do appreciate the business cards the room stewards now give out, and with fixed dining I rely on the plastic frame thing that has the servers' names in it.

For other crew members around the ship, I sometimes ham it up to make clear I'm a blind old lady while I look at their name tag to thank them.  Not sure you as a male could pull that one off.  lol

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Sometimes I try simply asking - What's your name?

 

or the next time - I'm sorry, I forgot your name......

 

 

[rkacruiser]

1 hour ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

Sometimes I try simply asking - What's your name?

 

or the next time - I'm sorry, I forgot your name......

 

 

 

Saying I "forgot your name" would be uncomfortable for me to do.  Indicates inattention on my part originally, I think.

 

Pronunciation of some of the crews' names have given me fits for years.  "Agus" is one of those.  Is it "A-goose"?  Is it "Ag-us"?  Is it ???"  Probably my fault, but I ask, but, for some reason whatever "Agus" tells me, the pronunciation just doesn't stick in my memory.  

 

 

[iceman93]

That reminds me of one of our cruises when one of our cabin stewards was named Agus.  He addressed it straight way at our first meeting:  "My name is Agus, like a goose.  Honk!  Honk!"  My daughter loved it, and I can tell you we didn't forget his name at all after that.  😆

[oakridger]

Crew that I come to meet on a more regular basis or that are just super friendly at the get go I ask to take their picture on my phone.  I can then expand the photo at a later date to read their name tag if I don't yet remember their name.  Wish my eyes worked better!

 

~Nancy

[Expo67]

I always find the tipping and smoking threads some of the most amusing here on CC. 😂 My Brit mother always reminded me what TIPS meant as in To Insure Prompt Service. The staff on HAL is always amazing as is the case for several other cruise lines we use. Probably dating myself but I always lived the days when HAL was a no tip required cruise line. Even then the crew still received extra tips but there was no expectation tied to tips. 
 

Then the cruise lines stepped in and said well we are changing things up and we now offer auto tipping. Most of this was tied to the changes in dining and how cabin service staff were being used. So thus the innovation of auto tipping grew in popularity. IMO (not so much with HAL) many of the cruise lines service levels suffered. The auto tipping served as a way for the cruise lines a way for cruise clients to supplement the crew pay. What it also did was allowed the cruise lines to put their hands on $$ and distribute it as they saw equitable. Such as the laundry personnel being included in the tipping kitty.

 

The cruise lines benefitted from this process and all was presumed the crew did as well. There are a lot of thoughts regarding the fairness with the crew as some of the old timers very much preferred the old tipping style versus the newcomers that prefer the new auto tip policy. One night (post Covid) when dining with one of our most beloved waiters with minimal passengers on board we had a very enlightening conversation. In short his thoughts conveyed that too many hands in the tipping process has caused more dissension in the ranks than many of us witness because of the pooling involved.

 

We all have our opinions and all of them are worthy. We personally leave one tip on auto and then disperse the second tip and additional to those that went above and beyond. On our last cruise when we dined every day in the Pinnacle for breakfast and dinner the Pinnacle Grill Manager one night in a conversation made a very admirable statement when we were offering him a tip. He told us please do not tip me as I am on straight salary so please apply those this tip to my staff who is more worthy of it. 
 

My motto has always been the person looking at you in the mirror is the only person that can determine if how you tip is sufficient. I have eaten with table mates that have not left any tips while other tables mates that have tipped what I would classify as overgenerous. That being the case each of them looked at themselves in the mirror at the end of the cruise and was ok with their tipping methodology. I for one wish the clock could be turned back where the crew was rewarded sufficiently by the cruise line however the chances of there slim and nil unless I start cruising with Seabourn or Crystal. 🤔

[Mary229]

12 minutes ago, Expo67 said:

I always find the tipping and smoking threads some of the most amusing here on CC

If you like those you will definitely be amused by the tux question in the Ask a Cruise Question forum.  There is a brawl brewing over who should wear what and who was raised by wolves😅

[*Miss G*]

6 minutes ago, Expo67 said:

I always find the tipping and smoking threads some of the most amusing here on CC. 😂 My Brit mother always reminded me what TIPS meant as in To Insure Prompt Service.

 

“Tip” is British slang meaning to “give” or to “pass”.  The acronym for TIPS (which is an urban legend) would be TEPS:  To Ensure Prompt Service.