Do you tip for room service and/or porters that take your luggage?

[lisa6191]

I know tips in general are included, but do I still need to tip the room service delivery person when they come with the food, and the porters when they take our luggage? Just trying to make sure I have enough small bills with me.

[LMB01]

We always tip the porters at the port 

We rarely do room service but do not tip

We do tip many others once on board (even though tips are included nor expected)

[markandjie]

We tip the porters at the port, as they are not Seabourn employees.

 

Once on the ship you really don't need to tip anyone. If we have great experiences with specific staff members we sometimes tip at the end of the trip, and we always give something to our room stewards.

 

Curious what others do, as I have heard of one passenger who always gives generous tips ($200+) upon boarding to the Maitre D' in both the restaurant and TK, as well as some bartenders, to ensure they get preferential treatment. We've never done so, nor felt the need to do so.

 

We are very diligent about noting high performing staff members and mentioning them by name in the post-cruise survey, as we've been told this is very meaningful for their career advancement within Seabourn.

[LMB01]

Bartenders are very important to us.  Once we establish who will be working where, we tip those at the bars we will frequent.  We tip early and generously.

 

We like to get into the TK Grill often and early (and quickly).  If we think it will help the cause, we do tip there also.  We always tip our room stewards at the end of the cruise as well as asking them if there is anything we can get them when we are in a port when they can’t get off.

[2SailingNomads]

Please do not tip individual Seabourn crew it is included in the fare, if you wish to reward crew above and beyond what you already paid contribute to the crew welfare fund.  The tender driver works as hard, but you don't know him on a personal level, as your suite attendant.  Crew fund goes to all the hard working folks.  And throwing money in advance to someone in anticipation of preferential service is not what Seabourn is about or at least used to be.  

[2SailingNomads]

We have never and never will give money to bartender or any other crew hoping to get better service.  We get great service for 3 reasons: it is Seabourn that is what they do; we are polite; we connect with the crew.

[lincslady]

I am surprised to read that someone is happy to tip in advance for special treatment in the restaurants, and admit to it.

[fudge]

Me to, disgusting behavior, why would you do that?.

[frantic36]

7 hours ago, LMB01 said:

 

We like to get into the TK Grill often and early (and quickly).  If we think it will help the cause, we do tip there also.

To my Australian way of thinking that isn't a tip that's a bribe if you pay in advance. 

 

I'm onboard at the moment for 30 days and have given money towards the crew fund part way through our cruise to thank all onboard and will do so again at the end. Only once have I tipped our stewardesses and that was because they did me a big favour. 

 

When we go into either Club or Obs Bar the bartenders will come over with our standard drinks soon after we arrive and are not phased on the odd occasion if I change my order. I guess no one will say no to extra money but like @2SailingNomads we find engaging with the crew, smiling, asking how they are when they have time to talk and remembering to treat them like humans not servants gets good service.

 

We do tip porters at the terminals because they are not part of Seabourn and especially in America it is expected.

[Mr Luxury]

2 hours ago, lincslady said:

I am surprised to read that someone is happy to tip in advance for special treatment in the restaurants, and admit to it.

I am wondering if LMB01 is winding us up.

If not it is disgraceful behaviour.

[MJN1]

Tipping: the act of giving an amount of money to someone who has provided a service;

Bribing: to dishonestly persuade (someone) to act in one's favour by a gift of money or other inducement;

Subsidising: to pay part of the cost of producing (something) to keep the selling price (or the wages of USA employees in the hospitality industry) low.

Let's not mix up the definitions of these three! 😘

[Mr Luxury]

3 hours ago, MJN1 said:

Tipping: the act of giving an amount of money to someone who has provided a service;

Bribing: to dishonestly persuade (someone) to act in one's favour by a gift of money or other inducement;

Subsidising: to pay part of the cost of producing (something) to keep the selling price (or the wages of USA employees in the hospitality industry) low.

Let's not mix up the definitions of these three! 😘

Indeed.

Tipping is generally an amount of money given after a service has been given and definitely not before.

[lincslady]

It is  a bit sad that the Maitre'ds, mostly charming and helpful people, do not feel that they should refuse the 'tips'/bribes.  Maybe some do, who knows.

[markandjie]

9 hours ago, 2SailingNomads said:

contribute to the crew welfare fund

 

Do we do this in the Square?

[nancygp]

14 minutes ago, markandjie said:

 

Do we do this in the Square?

yes

 

nancy

[LMB01]

I find the snippy comments amusing.

There were questions about tipping and I replied with what we do.

 

We see quite a bit of tipping on Saebourn.  Tipping is something we closely look for - not sure why but we like “logistics” and to know how things work.  We also spend a lot of time in Vegas and we own a bar not far from our home.  Tipping is king in both.  The most tipping we see on Seabourn is the last morning in the Colonade with envelopes flying between passengers and servers.  We also see some tipping on the pool deck during the cruise for both servers and bartenders.  The tipping of the Maitre’Ds is much more subtle (usually, the “Vegas handshake” method) varies by cruise.  I can only speak to what we’ve seen in the Grill and Cololnade but we see it every cruise (again, I repeat, we are looking for it).

[Mahogany]

And if you "are looking for it" and don't see it, then you won't do it? 😉

I think your examples of Vegas visits and your own bar can't equate to the Seabourn experience. JMO

BTW, does anyone really know to whom the policy "Gratuities included" applies? Just the people you see?

[Dunnedg]

Never seen tipping on Seabourn although rightly or wrongly we do leave money for room attendants. Coming from UK tipping is not something we do as often or generously as folks from USA.

[LMB01]

41 minutes ago, Mahogany said:

And if you "are looking for it" and don't see it, then you won't do it? 😉

I think your examples of Vegas visits and your own bar can't equate to the Seabourn experience. JMO

BTW, does anyone really know to whom the policy "Gratuities included" applies? Just the people you see?

If we didn’t see it, it would not impact our tipping.  Our first Seabourn cruise, we did not tip and were underwhelmed with service so we wanted to see what others did, that is why we watch.  My point about the bar and Vegas is that tipping impacts service.  And btw, our Vegas experience is very impressive given our status.  Most on this board and other sites seem to think the “Seabourn experience” is something extraordinary - to us it is ok.

 

We have also wondered about the answer to your final question.  I don’t think 

Seabourn provides the included tips to your room stewards, for example.  We have heard that Seabourn pays better than the mass market lines so maybe the tips are “baked” into the salaries.

[lisa6191]

Back to my original question, I see that people do tip the porters, but what about the room service deliverers? We may do this a few times for breakfast so I want to be prepared.

[Mr Luxury]

Tips go towards all service facing crew.

That is why I donate a sum to the crew welfare fund so that all crew on board can share in the benefit.

We are used to different ways and cultures.

I suppose if I were a bar owner from the US that frequented Vegas then who knows what I might do with money.

[Mr Luxury]

1 minute ago, lisa6191 said:

Back to my original question, I see that people do tip the porters, but what about the room service deliverers? We may do this a few times for breakfast so I want to be prepared.

No need to tip room service staff as their gratuities are included.

 

[SLSD]

13 minutes ago, Mr Luxury said:

Tips go towards all service facing crew.

That is why I donate a sum to the crew welfare fund so that all crew on board can share in the benefit.

We are used to different ways and cultures.

I suppose if I were a bar owner from the US that frequented Vegas then who knows what I might do with money.

I want to make it clear that while tipping after service is a way of llfe in the United States--mainly because service workers (like waiters, bartenders, etc) are not paid a wage high enough to live well without tips, tipping BEFORE service is NOT a part of American culture.  Of course we don't frequent Las Vegas (by choice)so I don't know what goes on in that corner of the country,  and don't tip bartenders before we are served in a land based bar or on a cruise ship . Not all citizens of the US are alike and not all have the same culture.  

Edited September 20, 2023 by SLSD

[lisa6191]

31 minutes ago, Mr Luxury said:

No need to tip room service staff as their gratuities are included.

 

thank you!

[lincslady]

It is a bit tricky, I admit.  I think most Seabourn cruisers will not tip, or will give to the crew fund, but certainly some will give something extra to their room stewardess at the end of the cruise, and possibly a few to waiters etc .if they have often sat at their tables.  And obviously if they have been good at their job.  I believe Seabourn staff are paid better than most other cruise lines.

 

Just a few will tip/bribe dining room senior staff at the beginning of a cruise, but it is frowned on by the majority of  passengers.