European cruise tipping.. bring euros or dollars?

[Joseph2017China]

1 hour ago, Maria63 said:

I think dollars would be preferred before euros as tips, if the person you are tipping is saving money to send to their home country as remittances. And many of the staff very likely do this. At least you can't go wrong with dollars when tipping onboard.

 

Otherwise in Europe, when not on the ship, you would of course tip in euros. One thing though, Europeans, esp. Northern Europeans and Scandinavians, are often amazed at the generous tips American visitors hand out. We don't have the same tipping culture at all, as the staff in the hospitality business mostly work on fixed salaries and don't depend on tips the same way as in the US. The crew on ships on a European itinerary with mostly non-Americans as guests, often eagerly await deployment to itineraries where they get to serve the generous Americans. Many Europeans are not at all familiar with the American tipping culture, and simply don't understand the importance of tips.

 

If they are sending money home, and home is not USD, what do they do?  Send in the mail a bunch of $2 bills?  No, they have a bank on board, an employee ATM where they can deposit their money in their account, accessed by their family.  The exchange rate is handled by the banks.  It does not matter what currency you give but if you gave $2 or €2 they would rather have the $2 because it is worth a few cents more.  Of course that can change at any time but it is all the same to them.  No, they don't mail money home, they do banking like normal people

[PompeySailor]

7 minutes ago, Maria63 said:

In a way I agree with you - but on the other hand, I think one needs to consider how big the US actually is. That's something we (I mean people I've met and happened to discuss this with) tend to forget, when we say that people in the US are less travelled. If I travel some 150 km south from were I live, I'm already in a foreign country where I don't even understand the local language. If I go 300 km west, I'm also abroad and in an other country, and 400 km east I'd be in Russia and I need a visa and not just a passport. So I wouldn't be to hard on the US folks who have never "been abroad" or needed to apply for a passport.🙂

Not being hard on anyone 😉

The stats are just numbers which are well known facts w.r.t US travel habits.

 

I think we can agree the USA is a big place 👍🏻

Just need to be mindful when comparing to other countries and continent’s and cultures and ways of life.

Some countries have their own identity and don’t follow everything that the USA does.

 

The world would be a very boring place if we all had one passport one currency and one language .

 

Having been to 6 of the 7 continents and over 126 countries, I like that there are differences in the way people live.

 

Thats why we cruise and travel 😎

[hotsauce126]

On 8/16/2022 at 11:37 AM, klfhngr said:

On the ship, either will work. While on land, Euros are preferred. We just got back from a 10 day Med cruise, I was SHOCKED that no one wanted USD! A few shops in Greece took our dollars, but in Italy, Croatia, Montenegro, and Italy, ALL wanted Euros! We were  there in May of THIS year, so trust me on this!

 

EDIT: We took a boatload, no pun intended, of smaller USD bills and $2 bills, we came back with a bunch! 😉

 

I'm surprised you were surprised that they didn't want USD when they don't use USD there

[klfhngr]

3 hours ago, hotsauce126 said:

 

I'm surprised you were surprised that they didn't want USD when they don't use USD there

A little late in the game, nice try. A little slow, you're forgiven. I'm telling you, there's definitely something in the FL air!

Edited August 17, 2022 by klfhngr

[hal2008]

On 8/16/2022 at 12:07 PM, PompeySailor said:

I was extremely upset that Papa John’s on international drive in FL didn’t take my UK £ 

Makes me laugh when some people think that USD can be used everywhere

Like it is the ONLY currency in the world.

 

God forbid that my local Publix don’t accept my Danish Krone 😳

 

Happy Days!

 

fact 

Only 44% of Americans have passports 

scary 🤣

 

 

 

Had initially thought that Europeans calling American tourists "Ugly Americans" was just a myth 

 

But found out that stereotype exists and is rather quite prevalent 

 

Unfortunately, they do get lots of evidences quite often to bolster their stereotype.

 

 

[hal2008]

12 hours ago, Joseph2017China said:

but if you gave $2 or €2 they would rather have the $2 because it is worth a few cents more. 

 

That has not been the case for the last 20 years or so.   

2 euro coin is almost always worth more than 2 USD bill 

[hal2008]

16 hours ago, Jam0610 said:

 

I am serious with this question. I don't think I have seen a $ 2.00 bill in thirty plus years. Where do you get them? Didn't even think Mint still made these. 

 

Mint never made them (at least not in last 100 years).  Neither the one in Philadelphia nor the one in Denver 

 

In fact, for many many years now, neither of the mints has been making ANY USD denominated bills or notes 

 

Paper currency that is used widely in USA are Federal Reserve Notes and for the last 100 years produced by Bureau of Engraving and Printing (not Mint).

 

And Jeffersons have been and are produced currently.  You can even buy an uncut sheet.

 

Coming back to the topic, cruise staff in European sailings are happy that they are getting additional tips (on top of 18 pct) from their American guests. Currency doesn't matter as they deposit them into their onboard account either way and lately they have similar values.  In the past, euro was preferred as it was worth considerably more than same denomination in USD 

 

 

Edited August 18, 2022 by hal2008

[kjacruiser]

crap guess the Chinese Yen was a smart buy lolololol

[FamilyCruiserUK]

As the ship is cruising in the med take euros, then you know you can use them onboard as tips and on shore to buy goodies.

 

Also means when the staff get time off the ship they can spend the euros easy, since they will be around europe for the season. 

[FamilyCruiserUK]

5 hours ago, hal2008 said:

 

 

 

Had initially thought that Europeans calling American tourists "Ugly Americans" was just a myth 

 

But found out that stereotype exists and is rather quite prevalent 

 

Unfortunately, they do get lots of evidences quite often to bolster their stereotype.

 

 

Dont worry about it i am sure all nationalities have good and bad people. We are currently on brilliance in the med and some of the spanish and italian guests are very rude.  At least we can understand when americans swear at us english people 🤣

[Maria63]

2 minutes ago, FamilyCruiserUK said:

Dont worry about it i am sure all nationalities have good and bad people. We are currently on brilliance in the med and some of the spanish and italian guests are very rude.  At least we can understand when americans swear at us english people 🤣

I wouldn't worry about it either. I don't remember ever personally meeting any fellow non-US cruisers, or people working in hospitality, who didn't appreciate the Americans for being generally very polite, sociable and also exemplary tippers.

 

And in all honesty,  I do agree with your second observation. There's a good reason why my DH & I have fallen in love with Royal and the few other US companies we have sailed with, and prefer them before their European competitors. The US ships usually have a large number of Americans onboard.🙂

[Joseph2017China]

6 hours ago, hal2008 said:

 

That has not been the case for the last 20 years or so.   

2 euro coin is almost always worth more than 2 USD bill 

we are talking today, not yesterday.  The exchange rate is almost even.  Last check, the dollar was $1.02

 

Edited August 18, 2022 by Joseph2017China

[Joseph2017China]

So we learned after 3 pages:

 

Most crew like Dollars if they are talking to an American, and they will answer Euro's if they are talking to an European.  Basically, all they want is that money in your hand and will say whatever works at the moment.

 

Crew has on board banking, and they don't send cash home, they deposit in the bank, like all normal people. They live in the 21st Century also.  Any cash works

 

One crew member does not speak for the other 999 crew members.  They just want the cash in your hand

 

The are not amused by a $2.00 note.  Let's face it, most countries have two notes, coins etc.  It is not a novelty.  All they do is deposit it into their account.  It is just money, and actually quite annoying, but the one receiving the tip is not going to say it

 

Crew members are not children.  They are adults and they chose the life of the ship.   Treat them as adults, leave the gifts home, give them cash.  They are only your friend for the days on the ship....than they make a new set of friends the following cruise

[Biker19]

Just now, Joseph2017China said:

So we learned after 3 pages

Post whoring in a tipping thread is a popular past time.

[Wineaux007]

The ship's currency is in $$$, so I would think that's what should be the norm with regard to tips.

[Maria63]

14 minutes ago, Joseph2017China said:

 

 

Crew has on board banking, and they don't send cash home, they deposit in the bank, like all normal people. They live in the 21st Century also. 

 

Thank you, I agree with all your points. Just as a minor clarification, I didn't think they send money by mail.  But in the receiving countries (I have ofcourse not visited them all, but I've lived for extended periods in a country where foreign remittances, also from cruise employees, are an important source of the local inocme) people may prefer to use Western Union and similar. Perhaps because the local branches are everywhere, but bank branches are few and far between and a major hassle to vist. But I emphazise that I am aware that this is a very limited observation, and I do not pretend to know how the transactions are carried out or if indeed the dollar generates a better exchange rate. But if it does, in countries where a good monthly income is the equivalent of 100-150 USD, even small sums matter. But I once again emphazise that you were mostly perfectly right in correcting me.

[hal2008]

9 hours ago, Joseph2017China said:

we are talking today, not yesterday.  The exchange rate is almost even.  Last check, the dollar was $1.02

 

Yes., It is 1.02.

 

It hasn't gone below 1 since Dubya got lucky due to badly designed butterfly ballot. 

 

When 1 euro is 1.02 dollar that means euro is worth more .

 

To make it even more simplistic:

When you give 2 USD, crew receives 2 USD 

When you give 2 euro, crew received 2.04 USD (using your fx rate)

 

That's why your statement in post #52 above that 2 USD note is more desirable/valuable to 2 EUR coin is mathematically incorrect. 

 

For some strange reason, FX rate conversions  keep stumbling so many people.  It is simple second grade arithmetics. 

Edited August 18, 2022 by hal2008

[Ceejay80]

It is Euro. Not Euros. 

The term euro is always written in the singular, not the plural. 

You would also say 5 euro, not 5 euros. 

[cublet]

On 8/16/2022 at 7:22 PM, little britain said:

I would also be mindful of tipping in Euros if your cruise is one of the last ones of the season and the ship is about to head back to the USA; as the crew will then have little opportunity to spend those euros ashore. 

Hello,

 

That's exactly what I ask myself - where is the ship headed next and what's the currency there?

 

Regards,

 

Cublet

[SConnolly]

On 8/16/2022 at 11:37 AM, klfhngr said:

On the ship, either will work. While on land, Euros are preferred. We just got back from a 10 day Med cruise, I was SHOCKED that no one wanted USD! A few shops in Greece took our dollars, but in Italy, Croatia, Montenegro, and Italy, ALL wanted Euros! We were  there in May of THIS year, so trust me on this!

 

EDIT: We took a boatload, no pun intended, of smaller USD bills and $2 bills, we came back with a bunch! 😉

 Yes it’s Europe - They have different currencies and  just like in the USA we don’t accept other currencies, not sure why would you think they would.  Glad you had fun though. . Cruising in Europe is awesome. 

[darthvadrouw]

15 hours ago, Ceejay80 said:

It is Euro. Not Euros. 

The term euro is always written in
the singular, not the plural. 

You would also say 5 euro, not 5 euros. 

That's not totally correct, the singular is always used in official EU legislation documents however the plural form is accepted per European commission style guide just as long as the "eur" root remains the same=> https://european-union.europa.eu/institutions-law-budget/euro/design_en

Most English dictionaries list both styles.

Edited August 19, 2022 by darthvadrouw

[Nunagoras]

As many or most have said: Ship's local currency will be USD, so inside ship work with it. Now to the shore excursions guide and driver, if in a EUR country tip them in EUR, once that is the local currency of the land.

[Jenna1983]

Ship USD. I believe they’re paid in USD too. Anywhere else in Europe or UK, local currency only. And read tipping guidelines per country. 

[klfhngr]

1 hour ago, SConnolly said:

 Yes it’s Europe - They have different currencies and  just like in the USA we don’t accept other currencies, not sure why would you think they would.  Glad you had fun though. . Cruising in Europe is awesome. 

As I mentioned before, BECAUSE THEY DID THE LAST TIME I WAS THERE. Sheesh. 

[exm]

Use USD for on-board but definitely EUR for on-shore. Keep in mind that the e1 and e2 are coins.