pre-paid crew appreciation / cash tipping / combination question

[bald_cypress]

Hi all,

 

What's your sense on HAL's "pre-paid crew appreciation"? Do the working people actually receive it? Is cash preferred? Should the crew appreciation be supplemented with additional cash? Do the crew prefer larger denominations to multiple smaller denominations?

 

Best regards,

 

Bald Cypress

[Mary229]

My view is that the gratuity that is on your bill or prepaid is given to the crew and is divided up among all crew even the ones you never meet.

 

Cash goes to that crew member even though even those are supposed to go into the pot to be divided.

 

the very best thing to do for a special crew member is to mention them by name in a review or on a comment card or in the app

[cruzn single]

Please do not remove the crew appreciation from your account.  That is divided among all the crew.  Then if you want to reward a special crew member with cash, they can keep that amount.

 

what the crew especially appreciated is your mentioning them by name.  Helps them job performance wise.

[Tracey/Thom]

The staff work so incredibly hard, all day and all night - and our ship was immaculately clean on our last cruise (and every one before that). They absolutely deserve every penny of that gratuity.  

 

We also take small bills and tip our cabin steward, and the waiter/servers in the MDR and anyone else we come in to contact with. They appreciate it greatly and we appreciate that we are able to cruise again!!