Tipping on Viking

[PlatinumMan]

Just completed cities of lights tour from Paris to Prague. Everything I had read said that Viking will automatically charge your room with the recommended tips and that you would need to go to the burser to argue/justify any reduction.  Well, we prepaid, but onboard were told that they still do the old fashioned envelopes. I wish we would have known because only two or three servers were great and the others only looked to pushing out as many plates in the shortest time with no service at all. I can't tell you how many meals we went without so much as a water refill. However or cabin stewardess was always pleasant, respectful, and did a good job. I wish we could have directed our "mandated" tip mostly to her and the good servers instead of it being split with the low performers. Viking leaves a lot to ge desired when it cones to communicating processes with the customer. Very disappointted.

[twototravel]

Thanks for sharing your experience. We never prepay tips, nor do we let the automatic tip charge ride on our final bill. We believe like you in tipping excellent service, and usually in our experience, its the cabin stewards that work the hardest.

 

[franski]

I have never had an automatic charge on a river cruise...  If you don't prepay your gratuities (and they aren't included) then they will put envelopes in your room if you wish to tip in cash... or you can go to the desk and ask for the amount to go on your credit card.

 

We have *never* been on a river cruise where the staff (other than the cruise manager) have been anything less than top notch.  We have had a couple of "duds" as cruise managers, but only 2 or 3 in the 17 cruises we have done.  The difference for the staff on a river cruise is that many (if not all) staff often have multiple responsibilities...  They might be working in the dining room but also work in the lounge.  The bartender might be seen schlepping suitcases on/off the boat. The servers work in zones for the dinner service, so if we have not been entirely impressed with the server, we move to another zone. 

 

We have started to pre-pay our gratuities when we can.  Just makes it so much easier.  But - each to his own. 

 

Fran

[sharkster77]

Last month we received a copy of our bill a couple of days before disembarkation, that had the suggested tip listed---if one wanted to have it removed so they could tip using envelopes, there was plenty of time to stop at the desk and do just that.  I don't think we ever had to stand in line at the guest services desk at any time during the 10-day cruise.

[PlatinumMan]

We never had a bill so this option was not made available to us.😮‍💨

I NOW know not to prepay the tips. We had hoped by prepaying that the staff would be informed of this prior to boarding to ensure superior service.  This did not happen. Fool me once....

[Canal archive]

On my first visit to the States I was told that any staff that could be tipped needed to be tipped as their actual hourly/weekly wage was minuscule okay that was so many years ago (age oh age) I don’t know if that still is the case but every time I travel there I remember and tip, which is so very foreign to us Brits.

[Nippy Sweetie]

Gratuities are included in the price for us . 

[Canal archive]

Nippy I’m pretty sure that’s the way to go!

[Canal archive]

On the Orient Express you just get a bill, pay it! It’s right.

[PlatinumMan]

2 hours ago, Nippy Sweetie said:

Gratuities are included in the price for us . 

This wasn't even the subject , but it cost us an additional $280

Edited May 17 by PlatinumMan

[PlatinumMan]

2 hours ago, Canal archive said:

On the Orient Express you just get a bill, pay it! It’s right.

Not always, and not all crew do their job well....at least not on Viking. 

[PlatinumMan]

2 hours ago, Nippy Sweetie said:

Gratuities are included in the price for us . 

if only 🤦

[CDNPolar]

5 hours ago, PlatinumMan said:

We never had a bill so this option was not made available to us.😮‍💨

I NOW know not to prepay the tips. We had hoped by prepaying that the staff would be informed of this prior to boarding to ensure superior service.  This did not happen. Fool me once....

 

No, it comes down to NOT prepaying your gratuities, then if you want to "adjust" rather than "argue/justify" the amount you can see Guest Services.  There should not be, and we have never experienced any issue with reducing our gratuities or removing them completely at the end of a River or Ocean cruise.  You should never have to argue or justify anything.  We have just approached and indicated that we wanted to reduce or remove and have never been challenged on that request.

 

And you use the words "mandated tip" - nothing is mandated from a North American (Canada USA) Viking guest.  Our gratuities are not included and we are not responsible or required to pay anything.

 

We do pass "cash hand gratuities" to certain crew members that go above and beyond, but never do the envelopes.

[PlatinumMan]

1 hour ago, CDNPolar said:

 

No, it comes down to NOT prepaying your gratuities, then if you want to "adjust" rather than "argue/justify" the amount you can see Guest Services.  There should not be, and we have never experienced any issue with reducing our gratuities or removing them completely at the end of a River or Ocean cruise.  You should never have to argue or justify anything.  We have just approached and indicated that we wanted to reduce or remove and have never been challenged on that request.

 

And you use the words "mandated tip" - nothing is mandated from a North American (Canada USA) Viking guest.  Our gratuities are not included and we are not responsible or required to pay anything.

 

We do pass "cash hand gratuities" to certain crew members that go above and beyond, but never do the envelopes.

Please re-read my OP. From posts here on CC,  I read that the tips would be automatically charged at end of cruise. I prepaid under this misinformation. 

REGARDLESS, the point of my post is to clarify this for any other first time Viking cruisers. For us, one and done, too much bus time that we never saw coming. We'll stick with Seaborn,  thank you very much! They communicate much better, much higher level service, and best of all, one price, no surprises,  no misinformation...ever

Edited May 17 by PlatinumMan

[CDNPolar]

12 minutes ago, PlatinumMan said:

Please re-read my OP. From posts here on CC,  I read that the tips would be automatically charged at end of cruise. I prepaid under this misinformation. 

REGARDLESS, the point of my post is to clarify this for any other first time Viking cruisers. For us, one and done, too much bus time that we never saw coming. We'll stick with Seaborn,  thank you very much! They communicate much better, much higher level service, and best of all, one price, no surprises,  no misinformation...ever

 

I understood your post, you did not understand my response.

 

No worries.

 

Sorry that you had the wrong end of the stick with Viking and gratuities.  We were very well aware of how gratuities worked on Viking before our first cruise and there was nothing hidden to us.  It was all very well communicated.

 

I am sorry that you did not enjoy your Viking experience and wish you all the best with your Seabourn future cruises.  Perhaps we will see you on a Seabourn cruise one day.

[Nippy Sweetie]

4 hours ago, PlatinumMan said:

This wasn't even the subject , but it cost us an additional $280

I only mentioned it as included gratuities seems to be a UK and Australian thing. Viking knows it's business and attitudes to tips are different here hence their marketing strategies reflect that.

[pontac]

22 minutes ago, Nippy Sweetie said:

I only mentioned it as included gratuities seems to be a UK and Australian thing.

 

UK didn't use to include gratuities. We used to get the envelopes on our bed at the end of a cruise with option to pay recommended amount by card at reception, which we did. Much prefer gratuities included but aware that it may be withdrawn, as they have withdrawn Silver Sprits Drink Package from the 2025 cruises.

 

Offerings by the different companies change from year to year.

[CDNPolar]

3 hours ago, pontac said:

as they have withdrawn Silver Sprits Drink Package from the 2025 cruises.

 

Offerings by the different companies change from year to year.

 

Off topic, but I cannot miss this statement?  What do you mean withdrawn SSBP from the 2025 cruises?

[pontac]

1 hour ago, CDNPolar said:

Off topic, but I cannot miss this statement?  What do you mean withdrawn SSBP from the 2025 cruises?

 

Reference to  UK, as per start of my post. Gratuities & SSDP included in UK prices since pandemic, SSDP not included as standard in 2025 Cruises.

 

The SSDP is still available to buy.

[Nippy Sweetie]

Gratuities were included before COVID though. Silver Spirits package was occasionally included as an inducement depending on the particular cruise, maybe those selling less well. Sometimes we got it sometimes we didn't. We were never tempted to pay for it ourselves. Prefer to pay as we go and also like the included wines. We're not big drinkers.

[CDNPolar]

11 hours ago, pontac said:

 

Reference to  UK, as per start of my post. Gratuities & SSDP included in UK prices since pandemic, SSDP not included as standard in 2025 Cruises.

 

The SSDP is still available to buy.

 

Gotcha - thank you.  I knew that Gratuities were included for UK guests, but never realized that it was common to have SSBP included too.  

 

It would be interesting to compare - with current exchange rates - the cost of the same cruise in Pounds vs. CDN dollar.

 

For some of our upcoming cruises, because of the length, the SSBP is over $500 CDN per person.  No way I will spend $1,000.00 more for wine and spirits.  We would never drink that much.

[PlatinumMan]

11 hours ago, pontac said:

 

Reference to  UK, as per start of my post. Gratuities & SSDP included in UK prices since pandemic, SSDP not included as standard in 2025 Cruises.

 

The SSDP is still available to buy.

Drink oackage NOT included on USA bookings in 2023 for our 2024 cruise

[Canal archive]

It’s interesting to compare inclusions and exclusions across countries! I’d say why? Work together why should one inclusion be for on country and not another!

[Nippy Sweetie]

Business is business I suppose. Viking knows what customers expect and/or are used to and tailor their offering to that.

[pontac]

2 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

 

It would be interesting to compare - with current exchange rates - the cost of the same cruise in Pounds vs. CDN dollar.

 

Name a cruise and I'll tell you the UK price; but UK prices also include travel (air with option of trains when possible)