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jc522

By jc522,
in Viking Ocean

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formernuke

formernuke

Posted
Posted

I think 'customary' is a strong word here. It is very personal. Many of us do, many don't. We think if we got great service from our stewards (which we always have), we leave the equivalent of a couple of extra bucks per person per day.

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lackcreativity

lackcreativity

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, pavementends said:

Can't see any point in having a recommended gratuity if more than that is expected.

I would certainly not say it was expected, but I assume it is always appreciated. We have only routinely done it for our cabin stewards, and once for a server on a river cruise at whose table we sat every night. 

 

In my opinion, the recommended gratuity is computed to acknowledge the service of both the people we see, and those who work behind the scenes. Any individual tip would usually go to someone who left a real impression on you during your cruise.

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pavementends

pavementends

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, deec said:

AGAIN wish gratuities  were part of the mandatory fare....I wonder what percentage of folks opt out.

There ARE cruise lines (that I will not mention here) that are gratuity-included. And I saw on the web that sometimes prices published in the UK for UK-run lines do include tipping, because that's the way it's done there.

 

For those of us who do consider price, we want to know what we are going to end up spending. I guess I'm OK with mentally adding on a recommended gratuity. I'm not OK with feeling pressure that I need to come up with more than that.

 

 

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purpleally

purpleally

Posted
Posted
On 3/23/2023 at 12:54 PM, jc522 said:

Viking includes in our bill an optional 17/day/person for gratuities. Is it customary to tip the 2 room stewards an additional amount? If so, how much?

It’s not optional. You will be billed.  If you want them removed you have to request

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purpleally

purpleally

Posted
Posted
4 minutes ago, pavementends said:

There ARE cruise lines (that I will not mention here) that are gratuity-included. And I saw on the web that sometimes prices published in the UK for UK-run lines do include tipping, because that's the way it's done there.

 

For those of us who do consider price, we want to know what we are going to end up spending. I guess I'm OK with mentally adding on a recommended gratuity. I'm not OK with feeling pressure that I need to come up with more than that.

 

 

Luxury cruise lines include gratuities, one of a few reasons Viking is not a luxury cruise line

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Azulann "Live from...." Rare

Azulann

Posted
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2 hours ago, purpleally said:

Luxury cruise lines include gratuities, one of a few reasons Viking is not a luxury cruise line

 The word "luxury" is in the eye of the beholder.

 Gratuities are what they are and people react according.

Sorry you did not like your viking cruise for all the reasons you have stated  before.

 Hope you have a great upcoming cruise waiting for you on another line,.

Happy sailing!

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purpleally

purpleally

Posted
Posted
46 minutes ago, Azulann said:

 The word "luxury" is in the eye of the beholder.

 Gratuities are what they are and people react according.

Sorry you did not like your viking cruise for all the reasons you have stated  before.

 Hope you have a great upcoming cruise waiting for you on another line,.

Happy sailing!

Didn’t say that.  Viking is a premium cruise line but not in the category of luxury such as Seabourn, Regent, or Silver Sea. 

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Heidi13

Heidi13

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17 minutes ago, purpleally said:

Didn’t say that.  Viking is a premium cruise line but not in the category of luxury such as Seabourn, Regent, or Silver Sea. 

 

I concur with Azulann, as the definition of  "Luxury" is highly subjective. You may consider the 3 cruise line's mentioned as "Luxury", but based on my early experience on liners, I certainly don't.

 

All-inclusive most definitely, but luxury???? How can you consider it luxury when they don't provide a flawless silver service dining experience. A true luxury experience also requires pax to dress accordingly, but Seabourn now accept elegant jeans at dinner.

 

Personally, if I attend a luxury event, I will be attired appropriately in a dark suit/tuxedo and my wife in a full length dress or ball gown. When the dress code is elegant casual, I can't imagine how that can be considered "Luxury"

 

Clearly Viking wasn't a good fit for your needs and expectations, so probably time to move on.

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Heidi13

Heidi13

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, purpleally said:

Luxury cruise lines include gratuities, one of a few reasons Viking is not a luxury cruise line

 

I have cruised out of Australia on P&O and Princess ships and P&O ships in Europe where gratuities were included, and they definitely weren't "Luxury". So included gratuities are no reflection on whether a cruise line is luxury or not.

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KBs mum

KBs mum

Posted
Posted

In the UK all inclusive is often a sign of the lowest common denominator, not luxury, where less is more.

 

Also as others have said, outside the US tipping is not part of our culture, so any gratuities are included in the quoted price 

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zalusky

zalusky

Posted
Posted

My definition of luxury is much more simple.  Individual attention.  They all know you and accommodate your needs quickly almost without asking.

 

Dressing up and the various inclusions very so much with each of the supposed lines I just don't look at it that way anymore.

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Pushka

Pushka

Posted
Posted (edited)
6 hours ago, deec said:

AGAIN wish gratuities  were part of the mandatory fare....I wonder what percentage of folks opt out.

Tips are included in the Viking fares quoted for Aussies and Brits. Fares are higher as a result. . It's because of our consumer laws. Even Carnival. So certainly not anything to do with luxury. 
 

We have on occasions additionally tipped in cash for cabin attendants but not always. 

Edited by Pushka
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M.Travels

M.Travels

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, zalusky said:

I swear that some people will look for a way to tip extra even if the billed gratuity was $100/day.

I used to wait tables back in the day, so I confess I might be guilty of this …

 

We do the grat that is added and then I will tip extra for our steward team and maybe a couple folks who are really good, but that is a “cash in a handshake” situation.

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M.Travels

M.Travels

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, zalusky said:

My definition of luxury is much more simple.  Individual attention.  They all know you and accommodate your needs quickly almost without asking.

 

Dressing up and the various inclusions very so much with each of the supposed lines I just don't look at it that way anymore.


Yes! Luxury to me is the individualized attention, and the ability to get what you want/need without feeling like a bother. Along with that comes the power to

make individual choices, such as what to wear. If someone wants to wear a tux, great, and if someone else does not, great too. When we all have to do the same thing at the same time it stops feeling like “luxury” and more like one of the galas we go to for work … but I understand others may feel very differently. 

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LindaS272 "Live from...." Rare

LindaS272

Posted
Posted (edited)
17 minutes ago, pavementends said:

I, for one, do not consider a requirement for a penguin suit as evidence of luxury.

Now, would that be for crossing the Antarctic Circle, or………? (Do they have cod to kiss down there?)

 

🦦🦤

Edited by LindaS272
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rbslos18

rbslos18

Posted
Posted (edited)
7 hours ago, purpleally said:

Luxury cruise lines include gratuities, one of a few reasons Viking is not a luxury cruise line

We have experienced the premium and luxury lines. Yes, in the luxury lines the gratuities were included. We’ve even had butlers. Yet, we find Viking, the non-luxury, luxury experience, preferable to the luxury, gratuities-included lines. It’s very subjective. We found the Viking ships to be more modern and spacious, and the service and food to be better.
Luxury is in the eyes of the beholder. 
 

Edited by rbslos18
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