Tipping on AmaWaterways

[NMTraveller]

I see on the AMA Waterways website where they recommend tipping amounts for certain people.  How does this work?  When do you tip?  If on the last day, will everyone that receives a tip be there?

[moodyb1]

We just got off an AmaWaterways seven-day river cruise and used their recommendation for tipping. They do not provide a method for tipping specific people, with one exception. The cruise manager is not an AmaWaterways employee, but is rather a contractor. So they recommend a particular amount to the cruise manager. Other than that, their recommendation is an amount that is divided equally among the crew. There is nothing stopping you from giving a little extra to a crew member who provided you with exceptional service, but they prefer that you give an amount that is distributed equally to every crew member. This is typically done the day prior to the last day by providing the funds to the purser. 

 

You can use on-board credit to pay the recommended gratuity, but they will not allow you to designate a specific amount to particular crew members. 

 

I hope this helps.

 

Arlene

[hoosier2017]

Moodyb1 is correct.  When we have sailed if there is a specific crew member (waiter/waitress or bartender) we wanted to give a personal tip to we gave it to that individual directly.  

[tulok]

Can you pre-pay the gratuities with a cc, and have cash on hand for the above/beyond personal gratuities? 

[CastleCritic]

pre-pay? Im Sure you can call them and do it, normally you just either fill out a form at the reception desk and charge it to your room (and therefore credit card) or stuff cash in envelopes (crew and cruise director) that they will leave in your stateroom and then drop THOSE in a box at reception. Since I dont drink I dont have a room tab usually before this so it ends up being basically a last night credit card on file and then the tips charge being put on it.

 

Also keep in mind, especially for cash planning that its also customary to tip EACH guide AND bus driver every day. (though not everyone does this).  Pretty much everyone will take dollars or euros no matter where you are, the onboard tip is in euros.

Edited May 20, 2023 by CastleCritic

[tulok]

@CastleCriticThank you for the info. How I read the first reply I wasn’t sure if they put it on your credit card. The last number of  cruises have been on Uniworld so haven’t had to thinking about tipping except when we wanted to give extra. And yes, we always have euros for tour guides and bus drivers especially as many in the summer are teachers or college students. 

  Last spring we took a Celebrity cruise with  family and they allowed you to pre-pay on their website. Hence, why I stated pre-pay. Wasn’t sure if river cruise lines had moved

to that ability. 

[ddaley822]

I have a Rhine river cruise booked on AmaLucia in August and the gratuities were pre-paid as part of the deal the AMA-assigned TA was able to get for me. Does anyone know if having prepaid gratuities includes the additional tip for the Cruise Manager? I will plan on having extra cash for the room attendant on the last day as well. 

[CastleCritic]

onboard there are two envelopes/lines when it comes time to do the tips.

 

one for the cruise director

one for everyone else as a pool.

 

You'd probably have to ask the TA.

Edited October 13, 2023 by CastleCritic

[aldukenew]

2 hours ago, ddaley822 said:

I have a Rhine river cruise booked on AmaLucia in August and the gratuities were pre-paid as part of the deal the AMA-assigned TA was able to get for me. Does anyone know if having prepaid gratuities includes the additional tip for the Cruise Manager? I will plan on having extra cash for the room attendant on the last day as well. 

In an earlier thread, I thought folks said that it included the cruise portion for the Cruise Manager, but not for pre/post cruise. You can put it on your credit card at the end.

[franski]

On 10/13/2023 at 12:22 PM, ddaley822 said:

I have a Rhine river cruise booked on AmaLucia in August and the gratuities were pre-paid as part of the deal the AMA-assigned TA was able to get for me. Does anyone know if having prepaid gratuities includes the additional tip for the Cruise Manager? I will plan on having extra cash for the room attendant on the last day as well. 

As far as I know, pre-paid gratuities includes everyone.  I have added them to my trip booked next May.

 

Fran

[wrl001]

Im so confused about the 3 day Prague extension gratuity for the Cruise Director.  Can that be added to ship account or do I pay that at the end of the extension?  Thanks

[RobInMN]

We put our pre and post cruise excursion gratuities for the Cruise Director/Manager on our account on the ship when we did all our gratuities and the end of the cruise and then had that charged to our CC

Edited November 25, 2023 by RobInMN

[CastleCritic]

There will be no presented opportunity for you to tip him or her after you leave the ship.  They will be around pretty much constantly during the extension if you want to hand them cash but I always do it before I leave the ship.

 

They will give you 2 envelopes on the ship (or fill out 2 lines on a book at the reception desk) for the amounts you want to tip.  1 for the crew, the other for the cruise director.

[wrl001]

Thanks