Tipping during a cruise

[TeachKinde]

I have a loose understanding of cruise tipping, and I understand that everyone may have different takes on this topic. We have tips paid on our upcoming cruise. We also have a drink package. It appears that our cocktail people have a pretty good built in tip structure. I’m not sure how it all works out in the MDR. I feel like it would be a nice gesture to add something for the folks that took care of us in the MDR. How would that work? However, my main question is about our cabin steward. I know they are already included in the tips paid structure, but I want to give them a bit more. When I travel, I usually tip the housekeeper five dollars a day. It’s only 35 bucks for our seven day cruise. I just want to reward the person that does the most work and probably gets the least cut. Thoughts?

[GeezerCouple]

4 minutes ago, TeachKinde said:

I have a loose understanding of cruise tipping, and I understand that everyone may have different takes on this topic. We have tips paid on our upcoming cruise. We also have a drink package. It appears that our cocktail people have a pretty good built in tip structure. I’m not sure how it all works out in the MDR. I feel like it would be a nice gesture to add something for the folks that took care of us in the MDR. How would that work? However, my main question is about our cabin steward. I know they are already included in the tips paid structure, but I want to give them a bit more. When I travel, I usually tip the housekeeper five dollars a day. It’s only 35 bucks for our seven day cruise. I just want to reward the person that does the most work and probably gets the least cut. Thoughts?

 

You might do well to post this on the CC sub-forum for your specific cruise line.
There can be considerable differences among the lines in terms of what tips are expected, already added in, not really expected, etc.

 

GC

[TeachKinde]

Thank you! I’ll do that. 
 

[DarrenM]

on a general note, we paid for tips upfront on our last cruise.

 

But the cabin stewards deserve so much more, so we tipped him at the end of the cruise. Not sure how much exactly but was over 80euro.

 

I always feel guilty when someone basically tidies up my mess every day. I dont have this at home, so feel awful that someone does it on a cruise. But I sure did appreciate it.

 

This will probably upset some, but i find people that have Butlers to be pathetic. Dress yourselves you lazy people.

 

In my day to day life I consider myself equal to everyone, and everyone is equal to me, Hence why the recent Jubilee cap doffing in the UK, irritated me a lot.

 

I spoke to our cabin steward every day and apologised for the mess frequently.

 

I feel I am somewhat hypocritical here, but I think he would have been offended if I had said not to clean our room.

 

So the only solution was to give a generous tip. Although I dont know what generous is, in terms of value.

 

I also gave him massive praise in the review I did.

[Markanddonna]

1 hour ago, DarrenM said:

 

This will probably upset some, but i find people that have Butlers to be pathetic. Dress yourselves you lazy people.

 

Butlers on cruise ships don't have anything to do with your personal dressing. They might unpack your suitcase, if you request and will take away and then deliver your laundry requests. Our one cruise in a Haven suite gave us a bit of experience with a butler. Personally, I prefer to not have someone doting on me like that and therefore didn't ask him to do much.

[Joebucks]

9 hours ago, TeachKinde said:

I just want to reward the person that does the most work and probably gets the least cut. Thoughts?

 

And thoughts you shall hear!

[DarrenM]

17 minutes ago, Markanddonna said:

Butlers on cruise ships don't have anything to do with your personal dressing. They might unpack your suitcase, if you request and will take away and then deliver your laundry requests. Our one cruise in a Haven suite gave us a bit of experience with a butler. Personally, I prefer to not have someone doting on me like that and therefore didn't ask him to do much.

Sorry, I meant Butlers at home. I didnt even know they had them on cruise ships. LOL

 

I can only assume there are some very needy, and entitled people that go cruising then.

 

I like your take on them. I would be the same.

[pf778c]

Perhaps similar to tipping upfront, tips are included on the lines I sail, and a generous donation to the crew fund has always been appreciated by the entire crew.  The fund is used to organize activities for the crew, purchase supplies for their entertainment, and assist crew members with personal emergencies.  As an example, a few years ago, on a cruise I took overnighting in Bermuda, a nightclub right across Front Street from the pier was reserved for a private party for the crew.

 

You could check to see if donating to the crew fund is an option on the line you will be cruising.

Edited June 8, 2022 by pf778c

[Markanddonna]

43 minutes ago, DarrenM said:

Sorry, I meant Butlers at home. I didnt even know they had them on cruise ships. LOL

 

I can only assume there are some very needy, and entitled people that go cruising then.

 

I like your take on them. I would be the same.

One funny thing: they bring you mid afternoon snacks- cookies, sandwiches, etc "In case you get hungry before dinner."  My goal on any cruise is to be active enough in order to feel any sort of hunger pain. Hunger pains aren't something you get on cruise ships (unless you test positive and the room service is not good.)

[Hlitner]

10 hours ago, TeachKinde said:

I have a loose understanding of cruise tipping, and I understand that everyone may have different takes on this topic. We have tips paid on our upcoming cruise. We also have a drink package. It appears that our cocktail people have a pretty good built in tip structure. I’m not sure how it all works out in the MDR. I feel like it would be a nice gesture to add something for the folks that took care of us in the MDR. How would that work? However, my main question is about our cabin steward. I know they are already included in the tips paid structure, but I want to give them a bit more. When I travel, I usually tip the housekeeper five dollars a day. It’s only 35 bucks for our seven day cruise. I just want to reward the person that does the most work and probably gets the least cut. Thoughts?

I do not know why your kind of post often becomes a hot button issue here on CC.  If you want to slip some cash to various crew members than why not?  If it makes you feel better than take along some extra cash and hand it out.  Nobody here should tell you not to give out extra tips even though many of us think it is not necessary.  I am going to take a wild guess that you are a fellow American where we have a tipping culture not understood by much of the world.  I have been blessed to have had the opportunity to travel much of the world, and even live, for 2 years,  in a place that views tipping as something akin to patronizing or just an insult.  While I do understand our American tipping culture I also have some understanding of the differing cultures of places like Japan and Australia.   The way some folks feel about tipping is simply based on the culture where they live and telling them to do otherwise is like spitting into the wind.

 

So knock yourself out :).  Take along a few thousand dollars in $5s and $10s and hand it out to anyone who tickles your fancy.   But also accept that many are not of a similar mind.

 

Hank

 

 

Hank

[rkacruiser]

6 hours ago, Hlitner said:

So knock yourself out :).  Take along a few thousand dollars in $5s and $10s and hand it out to anyone who tickles your fancy. 

 

I detect a bit of humor in what you wrote.  But, be careful.  There are those who probably don't know that there are certain personnel on a ship whom one should not offer a gratuity,  

[Host Kat]

1 hour ago, rkacruiser said:

I detect a bit of humor in what you wrote.  But, be careful.  There are those who probably don't know that there are certain personnel on a ship whom one should not offer a gratuity,  

 

For those wondering who this could be, see this "oldie but goodie" Cruise Critic article last updated April 24, 2020: 7 Times You Shouldn't Tip on a Cruise

[DarrenM]

20 hours ago, Markanddonna said:

One funny thing: they bring you mid afternoon snacks- cookies, sandwiches, etc "In case you get hungry before dinner."  My goal on any cruise is to be active enough in order to feel any sort of hunger pain. Hunger pains aren't something you get on cruise ships (unless you test positive and the room service is not good.)

I would be staggered if anyone was hungry before dinner on a cruise ship, but couldnt be bothered to go the cafe, or the coffee shop, and get something.

 

And to be frank, people must have lost their minds if they couldnt find and have enough food to never be hungry on board.

 

Obesity rates amongst cruisers must be way higher than average across the whole world.

 

From what I viewed on my last cruise (People watching is huge fun), some folk never had a minute without food. They will surely have exploded like MR Creosote from Monty Python fame.

[K32682]

I always pre-pay tips. It relieves me from wondering whether I need to tip and by how much. Additionally, I will tip in cash to a crew member who I feel has gone above and beyond the minimum service level. I've also found that tipping in cash in the early days can serve as an incentive for a crew member to provide better service to you for the remainder of the cruise. 

[DarrenM]

26 minutes ago, K32682 said:

I always pre-pay tips. It relieves me from wondering whether I need to tip and by how much. Additionally, I will tip in cash to a crew member who I feel has gone above and beyond the minimum service level. I've also found that tipping in cash in the early days can serve as an incentive for a crew member to provide better service to you for the remainder of the cruise. 

Does that actually work? Thought about this on this cruise, but felt i was like a bribe.

 

And do they expect more at the end?

 

We paid ours in cash. Just left it in an envelope on the bed with his name on it.

[ColeThornton]

31 minutes ago, DarrenM said:

Does that actually work? Thought about this on this cruise, but felt i was like a bribe.

 

I also feel like it's a bribe and that you are not treating the crewman like a service professional who will do a good job to EARN those tips.  But, everyone is free of course to spend their money as they see fit.

[K32682]

45 minutes ago, DarrenM said:

Does that actually work? Thought about this on this cruise, but felt i was like a bribe.

 

And do they expect more at the end?

 

We paid ours in cash. Just left it in an envelope on the bed with his name on it.

 

Not always but often enough that it is worth considering and not only on cruises. I tip well at restaurants I dine at regularly and definitely get preferred service. 

 

It is not a bribe. A bribe is money paid to someone to do something they wouldn't otherwise normally do. Paying money for improved or faster service is a facilitation payment. It is no different than paying more for a faster passport, preferred seating or faster entry to an event or attraction.  

[donaldsc]

4 hours ago, K32682 said:

 

Not always but often enough that it is worth considering and not only on cruises. I tip well at restaurants I dine at regularly and definitely get preferred service. 

 

It is not a bribe. A bribe is money paid to someone to do something they wouldn't otherwise normally do. Paying money for improved or faster service is a facilitation payment. It is no different than paying more for a faster passport, preferred seating or faster entry to an event or attraction.  

 

According to Google, this is the definition of "facilitation payment" -

 

"What are Facilitation Payments?

A facilitation payment is a small bribe known as a ‘grease payment’ or a ‘speed payment’ typically solicited to facilitate or expedite the performance of a routine transaction or service to which the person or company making the payment is legally entitled to receive."  

 

Check out the definition of bribe versus facilitation payment on this site - https://www.ganintegrity.com/compliance-glossary/facilitation-payments/

 

DON

[K32682]

2 hours ago, donaldsc said:

 

According to Google, this is the definition of "facilitation payment" -

 

"What are Facilitation Payments?

A facilitation payment is a small bribe known as a ‘grease payment’ or a ‘speed payment’ typically solicited to facilitate or expedite the performance of a routine transaction or service to which the person or company making the payment is legally entitled to receive."  

 

Check out the definition of bribe versus facilitation payment on this site - https://www.ganintegrity.com/compliance-glossary/facilitation-payments/

 

DON

 

Definitions vary

 

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/facilitating-payment.asp

 

"In general, a facilitating payment is made to smooth the progress of a service to which the payer is legally entitled, even without making such a payment. In some countries, these payments are considered normal, whereas in other countries, facilitating payments are prohibited by law and considered bribes."

 

In any event these transactions are legally restricted by some countries only when the payments are made to public officials not to stewards and bartenders on cruise ships. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 9, 2022 by K32682

[ldubs]

On 6/7/2022 at 8:32 PM, TeachKinde said:

I have a loose understanding of cruise tipping, and I understand that everyone may have different takes on this topic. We have tips paid on our upcoming cruise. We also have a drink package. It appears that our cocktail people have a pretty good built in tip structure. I’m not sure how it all works out in the MDR. I feel like it would be a nice gesture to add something for the folks that took care of us in the MDR. How would that work? However, my main question is about our cabin steward. I know they are already included in the tips paid structure, but I want to give them a bit more. When I travel, I usually tip the housekeeper five dollars a day. It’s only 35 bucks for our seven day cruise. I just want to reward the person that does the most work and probably gets the least cut. Thoughts?

 

My thoughts - already been said, but I'll reinforce - if you want to leave something extra, do it.   No need to worry about it.   We do routinely for cabin stewards and waiters in the MDR if we have the same ones throughout the cruise.  Last cruise just a couple of weeks ago we only gave extra to the cabin steward.   

 

[DarrenM]

3 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

My thoughts - already been said, but I'll reinforce - if you want to leave something extra, do it.   No need to worry about it.   We do routinely for cabin stewards and waiters in the MDR if we have the same ones throughout the cruise.  Last cruise just a couple of weeks ago we only gave extra to the cabin steward.   

 

So did we.

 

We actually thought our waiter in the MDR was quite poor.

 

We were left without drinks a lot. And he was very hard to get the attention of. 

 

Not only that we felt like we were being rushed at every turn, to choose from the menu, to finishing each course, and to basically get out quick at the end.

 

It was the only complaint we had on out last cruise.

 

Our room person was awesome though, and is surely worthy of a much higher salary than he probably gets.

[DarrenM]

Give me 10 of the room guy over everyone of the ones dressed in the officers uniforms who just seem to like posing. Of which there seemed to be a lot of.

[Toofarfromthesea]

13 hours ago, DarrenM said:

So did we.

 

We actually thought our waiter in the MDR was quite poor.

 

We were left without drinks a lot. And he was very hard to get the attention of. 

 

Not only that we felt like we were being rushed at every turn, to choose from the menu, to finishing each course, and to basically get out quick at the end.

 

It was the only complaint we had on out last cruise.

 

Our room person was awesome though, and is surely worthy of a much higher salary than he probably gets.

 

Did you mention it to the Maitre D'?

[Toofarfromthesea]

13 hours ago, DarrenM said:

Give me 10 of the room guy over everyone of the ones dressed in the officers uniforms who just seem to like posing. Of which there seemed to be a lot of.

 

When you see them they are likely off-duty.  So what is it you think they should be doing?

[ldubs]

18 hours ago, DarrenM said:

So did we.

 

We actually thought our waiter in the MDR was quite poor.

 

We were left without drinks a lot. And he was very hard to get the attention of. 

 

Not only that we felt like we were being rushed at every turn, to choose from the menu, to finishing each course, and to basically get out quick at the end.

 

It was the only complaint we had on out last cruise.

 

Our room person was awesome though, and is surely worthy of a much higher salary than he probably gets.

 

I've happily never experienced "poor" service in any cruise ship MDR.  Sure, there have been some slip ups, but overall poor service, nope.  My comment about not tipping extra to MDR staff was because we had different wait staff each night.