Tipping for a 9 year old in cabin with both parents

[cruisePRN]

We have cruised 4 times with our kids, now 7 and 9. We always tip at least full amount for the room steward and dining staff. On our last cruise, the room steward went out of her way to do fun things with my kids toys that were left out. She incorporated all of my daughter's stuffed animals into her towel animal displays each night. She definately got extra for that. These people make hardly anything, and we can spend thousands on a cruise. Let's not be cheap when it comes to tipping these people.

I agree but you got service, if your kids did not use the dining room it would be different. It's certainly not cheap to NOT tip for services NOT rendered. It's a misconception these people make very little when they earn more then most people in the states after taxes and take these dollars to third world countries where this income makes them comfortable. I wouldn't dream of stiffing anybody on land or on the high seas but i see it differently then some regarding tipping for services not used.

[99florida]

I understand where you are coming from as once upon a time children were half price is staying in the same cabin but not in their own. That was about 20 + years/cruises ago.

 

However, times have changed and would be proper to pay the min. of $3.50 per day for stateroom attendant, waiter, $2.00 per day for assistant waiter, and your decision about the head waiter. We tipped him well as he brought fillet mignon each night for our 10 year old along with a large shrimp cocktail for him. That's all he requested and ate every bite.

 

Have a great trip!

[HurricaneSally]

The point I'm trying to make is this. Your waiter has x amount of tables with x amount of people in them. Whether your kids come to dinner or not, that is the amount of people that cannot sit at that table. They deserve to be tipped for the phantom seats, whether you think so or not. Those same waiters work in the windjammer and other venues on the ship and deserve to be tipped for your kids. I do not tip extra for windjammer meals, but always fully tip for the dining room, whether I'm there every night or not.

 

It's not rocket science people. Just use logic.

[French_Fry]

A portion of your tips in the DR are allocated to the Windjammer staff.

 

So to not tip for a child not in the DR is incorrect.

 

Unless I would think if you go to the Windjammer or wherever the kids eat with thier groups and tip them as a separate tip.

 

In the end someone picks up your child's dirty plate and empty drink glass, etc.

 

And in a room of 4 there are at least 2 if not 4 beds to make and 4 sets of towels to exchange etc. So it is more work than a room of 2 with only one or 2 beds.

[cruisePRN]

The point I'm trying to make is this. Your waiter has x amount of tables with x amount of people in them. Whether your kids come to dinner or not, that is the amount of people that cannot sit at that table. They deserve to be tipped for the phantom seats, whether you think so or not. Those same waiters work in the windjammer and other venues on the ship and deserve to be tipped for your kids. I do not tip extra for windjammer meals, but always fully tip for the dining room, whether I'm there every night or not.

 

It's not rocket science people. Just use logic.

It's very cold and windy here in vegas and the restaurants are not packed, there are many empty seats. These servers are getting getting tipped tonight. People on cruises don't show up for various reasons and their seats are empty. Should they mail their tips in?

I'm not advocating stiffing anybody for service you receive, the staff work very hard and deserve their tips WHEN THEY RENDER SERVICE. If I don't use room service i don't tip them either but maybe i should based on your logic of phantom seats or empty rooms where there is nobody to tip. If i use room service I certainly tip.

[HurricaneSally]

If I go to a restaurant that is not busy, the hostess can seat me where the server, who's turn is next, will get the next customer. If nobody sits in my child's seat in the dining room, that chair cannot be filled by anyone else, whether my child is there or not.

 

It's just being cheap to not tip because you're not in the seat every night. That chair is saved for you whether you eat there or not. Why should the waiter, who maybe has a whole table of people who eat in somewhere else every night, suffer because of your choices?

[Crackerjack]

In sharing my experience I didn't think it would create such emotion in so many. I have spoken to many families that cruise, 90% of which pay 1/2 tips for kids. I have also spoken to many room stewards who have said that they only count on full tips of two occupant per cabin. When there are more than two it's a bonus. We honestly felt that our kids get the same outstanding service that we do, so that was why we changed to pay full for all four of us.

[crisndeefromde]

We had 14 kids in our group on our first cruise. The parents prepaid the recommended amount for the kids as well. You have to look at the whole cost of the cruise tips included. If you can't afford this for the service than you need to budget elsewhere. This is a part of the service you recieve. If you don't want to eat in the dining room to get out of paying the waiters, don't sign up for dining room seating. These people have schedules made around their seniority and quality levels of service. We have a friend who is a waiter on the ship and they get a minimal monthly salary and yes they count on these tips and yes they send the money back home to pay their bills. And how many americans do you see working on these ships???? And is that because we don't want to work nine months a year 7 days a week and 12 hour+ days????? Probably. They have to be in a good mood 24/7, smiling 24/7, and putting up with our crap 24/7. So my hats off to all the staff on these ships. The people who you need to tip are the ones who wait on you hand and foot all week. They may not take care of you the whole time but they are cleaning plates and fixing drinks somewhere at sometime. They are picking up and cleaning up after us in the cabins..the only time I can leave my towels in the bathroom floor and not feel bad! I love my cabin steward and I give him (haven't had a woman yet) plenty extra over the suggested just for making my life like a fantasy for the week. But this is just my opinion and after many months of research on here before our first cruise, I learned alot. Happy Cruising.

[cruisePRN]

 

It's just being cheap to not tip because you're not in the seat every night. That chair is saved for you whether you eat there or not. Why should the waiter, who maybe has a whole table of people who eat in somewhere else every night, suffer because of your choices?

 

We were talking about children who never came to the dining room not an adult who missed a meal or two. Since i don't have young kids this scenario would never come up for me but i feel badly for people reading these posts who are made to feel cheap or uncaring because they use their own judgement about tipping. Like the OP who asked a question and got called cheap before they ever set sail. Give your opinion without calling anyone names. Having a debate is a great American priviledge.

No one can argue that the ships staff work very hard and long hours but they are not underpaid. Their tips are a fortune back in their country. However what they earn is really none of my business, I tip according to service and have never had a reason to deduct anything from anybody because service has always beed good on RCL but if I had kids that NEVER used the dining room I would not tip for them and that's my opinion.

[StormGoddess]

At home I leave a tip at a buffet but it's not done in the Windjammer. Have you ever seen a tip in the windjammer? Perhaps if they pool the tips I would feel differently. I kinda see the idea of tipping for a service you didn't use as silly. The windjammer does not give you service like the dining room so perhaps a reduced tip for the kids would be appropriate. I think people with kids will have to decide what they think is fair but i wouldn't tip in the spa if I didn't use it.

 

 

Yes, people do tip in the Windjammer. A few bucks on the table, especially if using this venue for dinner is quite appropriate. They are cleaning up after you. We are cruising next week on the Sovereign, and I have no intentions of using the dining room at all. But I will be tipping in the Windjammer.

 

 

 

 

 

As for whether or not full tips should be used. If the children are attending the dining room, they should be tipped for. That waiter still has to serve and clean up their mess afterwards. Same for room stewards. It may not be more effort to clean the bathroom, but in actuality, they do have to supply more to each room and make more beds. I would think it's only fair. These people work for their tips. What they get in actual pay, is squat!

[Snoozeman]

Yes, people do tip in the Windjammer. A few bucks on the table, especially if using this venue for dinner is quite appropriate....

I've never seen that in 25+ years of cruising. I've seen people tip (usually in an envelope) extra to windjammer staff on the final evening if they don't dine in DR, but I've never seen anyone leave $ on the table.

[Snoozeman]

No it's not at all the third degree. It is my intention to make sure that my calculator correctly represents what the lines actually recommend. Literally thousands of people depend on it. There is at least one obvious mistake in that article (Celebrity), so I am hesitant to trust anything else in there as well. I prefer to take my information from sources that are closer to home, such as the company web pages or actual communication with them.

 

I didn't mean to offend you by questioning what you said, but you have to understand that my reputation is on the line with the accuracy of the information that I provide. I care to make sure it is correct.

 

There is so much mis-information tossed around the internet, I don't think it is unreasonable to politely request references when you see something that doesn't match what has been said elsewhere. I do appreciate you providing the link.

 

Thanks,

 

Theron

You'd think someone with 5k posts would recognize the Tipping Guru. I thought your request was genuine, but I think he miss-interpreted your need for documentation. Appreciate your tipping calculator!:)

[smeyer418]

You'd think someone with 5k posts would recognize the Tipping Guru. I thought your request was genuine, but I think he miss-interpreted your need for documentation. Appreciate your tipping calculator!:)

 

OK third degree may have been too harsh but the infomation was readily available on Cruise Critic. I have seen it before. I do think some of the posts have gotten out of hand but I also think that peoples mindset about cruise tipping being "volunatry" is wrong. It is also not like a shore side restaurant as the seat is set aside whether you come or not. Unless you have allowed the seat to be replaced by giving it up, hte service was still available to you. Just as in a shore restuarant a tip is expected and should be adjusted up or down depending if the service was poor or outstanding. If it was as expected the basic amount should be left. If you don't use it you assume it was satisfactory and pay accordingly. I do think that basic tipping should be mandatory but that will set the traditionalists off as well.

[katiel53]

I wonder what will happen when the tips become service charges like Carnival and NCL. On NCL, they won't be removed. If some service isn't up to the standards, you have to notify the front desk and only then, if it isn't corrected will the service charges be removed.

 

I really believe that the reason these charges were started is because some cruisers either didn't tip at all, or tipped below the recommended amounts. I do think it's only a matter of time that RCI will start the same procedure. At least then there won't be any question as to should I tip because my child didn't eat in the dining room.

 

 

Katie

[StormGoddess]

I've never seen that in 25+ years of cruising. I've seen people tip (usually in an envelope) extra to windjammer staff on the final evening if they don't dine in DR, but I've never seen anyone leave $ on the table.

 

My parents are ONE of the people that do it, and they are on 40 some cruises with RCI.

[zotzer]

[quote name='Snoozeman']I've never seen that in 25+ years of cruising.[/quote]

I'll frequently leave a couple $$ on the table, both in the WJ, and the DR (for breakfast or lunch). I'm uncomfortable, if someone has given me good service, to just stand up and walk away without leaving a little something.

I tip in the WJ only if someone has actually provided some sort of service...like bringing drinks, etc.

T

[vator90]

Our 2 children have gone with us on every cruise we've taken. Our DD was 13 months on her first cruise and we never thought twice about tipping full amounts. We actually over tip our stateroom attendants because we had children with us. Age of a passenger should not be a reason to be cut the income of the people who provide services to the passengers. If you do choose to cut the tips in half, then tell the affected parties up front and I bet you might get discounted services. After all, you get what you pay for. IMHO

[boltnut55]

This is from their website:

10. Tipping - So that you can thank those who have made your cruise vacation better than you could have imagined, we've developed these gratuity guidelines:
Suite attendant: $5.75 USD a day per guest
Stateroom attendant: $3.50 USD a day per guest
Dining Room Waiter: $3.50 USD a day per guest
Assistant Waiter: $2.00 USD a day per guest
Headwaiter: $.75 USD a day per guest
Note: These gratuities apply to guests of all ages.
Gratuities for other service personnel are at your discretion. A 15% gratuity will automatically be added to your bar bill or wine check when you are served.

Here's the link: [url]http://www.royalcaribbean.com/allaboutcruising/newtocruising/alreadyBookedCruise.do;jsessionid=0000ZW_Rwqp5LCL1eKlROmSFmdB:10ktmeu5p[/url]

[threeofus]

We tip according to service and use the standard as a starting point.

Last cruise we actually gave the assistant server in the dining room a better tip than the main server. She gave us more personal attention and actually made conversation with our teenage DD - she was sincere and I realized that she might have been the only staff member that took the time to really speak to her.