Kids and Tipping

[sshuttle]

I'm certain this has already been discussed somewhere on this board but can't find exactly what I want to know through search engine . . . When I booked the cruise I did the prepaid tip except for my one child. I wasn't sure if you should tip the same or a percentage. We've been on two other cruises with him and I can't remember what we did. They did not have prepaid at the time. I believe we tipped the kids club staff because they are not included in pre-paid and they spend so much time with the kids.

 

How have those of you with kids handled it in the past?

[Travelgrrl]

On RCI, you tip the same for a child as for an adult, which is to say, about $10 a day.

 

Others may disagree (and of course it's great to tip anybody) but Adventure Ocean staff are paid normal salaries (unlike waiters and cabin stewards, etc) so you really don't need to tip them. For sure don't tip only half for your child and then use the extra $ to tip the AO staff, who earn proper salaries.

[ckrobyn]

So far we have never prepaid our tips - we prefer to fill those little envelopes and hand it to our waiters and cabin attendant(s) ourselves. Insofar as tipping and kids are concerned, we tipped the same amount for our 9 year old that we tipped for ourselves - she occupied space in the cabin and took up a seat in the dining room. I'm not sure what the exact policy is on tipping/kids - but we always tip for her as if she were an adult.....but that's just us.:)

[crusinmama06]

I've included them in the same percentage I use for the adults in the room cause I know the room stewards and servers went out of their way to do things for the kids (making special towel animals...dressing up the stuffed animals we brought with us...entertaining and dancing with the kids at dinner)

 

So I use the same formula for them as I do for us.

[sshuttle]

Thanks for pointing out that the AOS staff gets paid a better salary. I was not sure of that. I am completely aware that the waiters, etc., are paid very little and make most of their money on tips so we always tip well. You bring up another point though about pre-paid vs. handing them the envelope. How does that work with pre-paid, is there no envelope? I just like the thought of taking careing of it up front and tipping over during the cruise if it warrants.

 

I know on the last cruise there was a a waiter in the dining room who after the first night, ALWAYS brought me my Diet Coke without asking and had it ready for me when I sat down, what a man!!!

[maggieworkman]

We paid full tips for our two girls. I know that our waiter really deserved it because he treated my little DD like a princess. He brought her a plate of cookies at the end of every meal. He also knew she was a dessert lover and often opened her menu and handed it to her so that the dessert menu was on top! He knew that is all she cared about. (He also knew that she wanted the steak every night.) He really treated her well.

 

Maggie

[Ladylouwho]

Unless your child doesn't sleep in a bed or eat food in any of the restaurants (like an infant), then you tip the same amount for them as you would yourself. The "tips" from passangers aren't an extra, they are actually the salaries for the wait staff and cabin stewards

[tkdmom22]

When our kids were younger, they would have spent every waking hour in the kids' club if we would have let them when we cruised... Since they did spend many hours each day there and this allowed my husband and myself to enjoy ourselves that much more, we had no problem tipping the kids' club staff well at the end of the cruise. Although they are indeed better paid than the rest of the staff on the ship, if they didn't go out of their way to make it a fun experience for our kids, the kids would not have spent as much time there and my husband and I would not have had as much time to ourselves. Bottom line... their efforts to entertain our kids made the cruise that much more enjoyable for us, and we thought that deserving of a reward at the end of the trip.:)

[Merion_Mom]

I was VERY friendly with one of the AO counselors on my last three Sovereign cruises. She certainly wasn't looking for anything from ME, because my kids are young adults.

 

Her input on this topic is that she is pretty surprised when someone gives her money, but she's always happy to take it. She also basically said that for the GOOD, NICE kids, she is happy just to be playing with them. For the BAD, ROTTEN, SPOILED, DISRUPTIVE kids............well, let's just say that usually the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. THOSE are the kids she thinks that she should get "combat pay" for, but THOSE parents NEVER tip. ;)

[niknik]

I have always paid the same for my kids, except for the dining room tips. I have those removed because my kids never eat in the dining room.

[Travelgrrl]

Where DO they eat for an entire week? SOMEONE is cleaning up after them, etc... :rolleyes:

[JENANDGENE]

What about those who cruise with infants.... would you tip the same for them if they slept in a pack 'n play that you brought and didn't eat dining room food?

 

~Jen

[Tommy's Mommy]

We have always paid the kids. We have also tipped AO staff because they made the kids so happy. As the service onboard has always been great we usually give more thab recommended.

[HurricaneSally]

I would tip for the infants too, as they take up a space of an adult, meaning headcount. It's only fair. If your kids eat in the other areas of the ship, tip for them in the dining room. their tips will be added to the windjammer staff.

[TrinaLC]

I have always paid the same for my kids, except for the dining room tips. I have those removed because my kids never eat in the dining room.

 

As others will no doubt point out, those tips go to cover other dining venues as well - so you are really stiffing the crew with this attitude (unintentionally, i'm sure, but that is the net effect).

[message4u]

We were on the Norovirus Explorer a couple of weeks ago. There were 13 of us...including two children 4 & 6. The waiter was great, and pulled our two round tables together for us when we were all there (which wasn't very often as several of our group were sick). Between the kids club and in-room babysitter, the kids only came to dinner one night. Still, we felt it was not the waiter's fault that the kids almost never came, and felt obligated to tip the full amount (plus some) for all of us. He had only our two tables

[sshuttle]

Thanks for the opinions - I've got the answer to my question.

[above sea level cruiser]

Ladylouwho: is this really true?:

The "tips" from passangers aren't an extra, they are actually the salaries for the wait staff and cabin stewards.

What happens when someone doesn't tip them? They have worked all week for nothing! We always tip the suggested amount but I had no idea that this was their only salary.:( I kinda feel real good now for giving my $30.00 winnings from the casino to our room attendant and his helper.

[gambler]

The dining room staff and room steward receives $50 a month plus room and board, everything else is by way of tips. There are more people that do not tip or tip every little than do tip.

[HurricaneSally]

Ladylouwho: is this really true?:

 

The "tips" from passangers aren't an extra, they are actually the salaries for the wait staff and cabin stewards.

 

What happens when someone doesn't tip them? They have worked all week for nothing! We always tip the suggested amount but I had no idea that this was their only salary.:( I kinda feel real good now for giving my $30.00 winnings from the casino to our room attendant and his helper.

 

Yes, it is true. Even here in the states, salaries for tipped employees are about 2.50 per hour instead of minimum wage. I bet they get about a dollar an hour without tips. I would never think of stiffing them.

[cb at sea]

To answer a previous post--I believe if you pre-pay tips, you will receive a voucher on your last evening to put in the envelope, so that you can actually hand your servers something.

[rjg41]

When you see how well the staff treats your child (better than you) you will wonder how could I even have asked that question. Enjoy!

[hansolo]

We just got off our cruise and we tipped for our kids, even our 16 month old as a full person. We opted to add the tips to our sea pass and they then give you vouchers and envelopes on the second last night. On the last evening you give them to the staff. Our baby was always walking around and had a short attention span and never sat through the whole seating. The waiter made sure she could have her dinner right away so she wouldn't be sitting there through dinner. They certainly deserve their tip for the young ones too. Also having to clean up the extra mess the baby left behind was more work. The table cloth and floor were always a little more messy than having an adult eat in that seat.

[CRUSINGFAMILY]

Just a few comments on this.

 

Tipping is customary and should be per person. Like others have said if you do not eat in the dining room you should still tip for two reasons. The dining room waiter was there for you even though you didn't show up and the same dining room attendents work the Windjammer to serve casual dinner. They do so on a rotational basis.

 

As for putting tips on your sea pass card, they do give you little cards to hand to the waiter on the last night to indicate that you did actually tip but rather on your sea pass card. In this regard though...did you know that they actually won't get the tip you give until two weeks later? For this reason, we stopped putting tips on our seapass but rather give cash instead.

 

Children should be tipped at the same rate as adults. The occupy a bed that needs to be turned down, they use towels, make a room messy and eat food just like adults. I think tipping for an infant is also appropriate because although they may not occupy a bed or eat the food, you will need additional services provided by your room attendant, your dining room waiter and all other staff on board.

 

These people work hard to give us a good time!

[hansolo]

did you know that they actually won't get the tip you give until two weeks later?

 

No I did not know this. If I did know this I would have given them cash, I put it on the sea pass out of convenience. Wish I knew this before, we paid our sea pass account with cash too. Thanks for the info now we know.