Tips..A Supplement Not A Thank You

[AFuncruiser]

There is something about charging tips to ship board accounts that doesn’t seem right to me. A tip is not a tip any more it is becoming a part of ship employees low pay…

I feel tips are a way of saying thank you, not a supplement for low wages. I want to personally hand the envelope to each individual as a form of thank you for a job well done.

 

Dennis

 

An afternoon on the Norway 1981 / Christmas cruise 7 night1984 / Sky Princess 10 night / Russian Cruise Line 4 night / Crown Monarch 7 night / Festival Carnival 7 night / Norway 7 night September 1989 /

Regent Sea 15 night Panama Canal 1993 / Commodore Caribe 7 night / Regal Princess 7 night 1998

Star Princess 7 night 1999 / Zuiderdam Holland America 14 night 2000 ( Dec) / Tropical Carnival 5 night 2001

Norway August 7 night 2002 / Rydam Holland America 19 night South America 2003 /

Westerdam Holland America 7 night 2004 / Zenith Celebrity 14 night March 2005 /

Celebration Carnival 5 night September 2005 / MSV Lucia Central America 21 night Christmas 2005

Celebration Carnival 4 nights August 2006 / Celebration Carnival 5 nights September 2006

Seven Seas Mariner 18 nights November 2006 / Celebration Carnival 5 nights March 2007

Celebrity Century Trans Atlantic April 26th 2007

[usha]

On Celebrity, tips are not automatically added to your onboard charges; you fill out a form opting to do so. We still opt to personally give the tip envelopes to the staff, (and I suspect that the staff prefers the cash, too).

[vjw1218]

It's everyone's personal preference, to be sure. I prefer the ease of pre-paid tips.

 

I look at it as a service provided - much like a restaurant server. Do we personally hand them their tips when we exit a restaurant? It's more than likely most leave it on the table or add it to our credit card charge. Tips are very often supplemental income for wait staff in restaurants as well and yet we aren't as personal with them.

 

Also, when we were on HAL, our CD explained to all on board that prepaid tips are a way to ensure that the unsung and unseen staff members (laundry, kitchen, etc.) are given as much compensation as those who are seen regularly and often (servers, cabin crew, etc.) The prepaid tips are pooled and divided equally among all staff. The ones given in person (via envelopes, etc.) are not. They are for that person alone to keep. I'm personally more comfortable knowing those who wash my towels are getting just as much money as those who serve my dinner.

 

Perhaps X pools ALL tips, but I'm not certain of that.

 

Again, it's personal preference.

[shoreless]

I prefer the convenience of pre-paid tips. I like knowing that I haven't forgotten anyone whose salary is expected to be supplemented by tips, or service charges, or whatever they want to call it.

 

In addition to the pre-pay, we also give extra tips at the end of the cruise to the people we've dealt with the most (we wouldn't if we didn't think the service warranted it, but so far that hasn't happened :) ). I guess we think of the pre-pay as more of a service charge, and the extra as actual tips.

[Cruise Arizona]

We do the auto tipping but like to hand the envelope to the waiters personally. Our waiters have been so wonderful, we too want to thank them personally.

 

Also, on the last night of the cruise, we sometimes will add and extra tip to the bar service waiter and the sommelier. They've already gotten 18% on everything they've brought to us, but if they have done a good job throughout the cruise we put a little extra in addition to the 18%.

[woodofpine]

I've never yet seen a crewman open the envelope... (count how many $Thankyou$, who's 'Thankyou' is Biggest!)

 

Personally, I think this envelop business is demeaning and has more to do with the passenger emoting, "I love to watch 'em grovel one last time" (Oops - no it's not that! Yah, it is).

 

I FAR prefer to avoid this entire cash-smile business and just put it on the account. Prefer cash? Heck these folks aren't running out to the bank when the gangway drops! It's ALL going to the purser's desk anyway!

 

I love talking to the crew about where they're from, what their family situation is, how long they're out, how many contracts they've done. And at the end, I tell 'em I had a great time, good luck with the next trip. But that envelope business - I hate it.

 

JUST MHO.

[Cruise Arizona]

The envelope doesn't say thank you.

 

.....I..... say thank you when I hand the envelope to the crew member.

 

And let me be clear..... I have the utmost respect for all the crew members and treat them as professionals.

 

They would never feel that they have to grovel to me....because I just don't have that kind of relationship with crew members.

 

There is nothing demeaning about giving the envelope and exchanging kind words with a crew member about how much we enjoyed the cruise and appreciated the high level of service that they provided to me and my family while we are on the cruise.

[woodofpine]

I'm sure its - ME. Those like you are just using the occasion to say their friendly g'byes and thank-yous... But there are those pax that aren't that benign and the crew gets to enjoy all that too!

 

I'll bet that for the crew - but for the cash inside the envelope - the whole last evening envelope business is a pain. For them, there's the givers (the good, the bad, and the ugly) smile for all - make it genuine if you can... (and don't the pax realize that for amongst these couple dozen catch them if you can 2-3 minute rituals, the crewman has to get his/her job done. The tasks don't wait.) There are the dodge'ems... jeez... Then the cash has to be secured...

 

For me, I'm very happy I don't have to deal with it. Drop an extra $20,30,50 at the purser's desk if things were really tip-top and avoid the "I left a little extra in there for you" smarm...

 

But then I've always hated evaluating employees off vacation too. It's just me... I'll bet the crew are the same way... some like the envelops, some loath 'em.

[chily3]

We now usually add the tips to our account. AND write a thank you note in the envelope and in some cases "a little extra" for some.

 

:):)

[judyfssw]

I like adding the tip plus extra on my account. I also write a personal thank you note to each person who've assisted us on our cruise. I always bring thank you notes for this purpose.

[bigwally]

Is there anything wrong with asking the crew member at some point during the cruise how he would prefer his/her tip?

 

I personally like the envelope, so that I know that the intended crew member has been properly acknowledged for the provided service. But if a crew member were to find this demeaning in some way, I would be just as happy to add it to my shipboard account. Doesn't make all that much difference to me.

[Sky Sweet]

I like adding the tip plus extra on my account. I also write a personal thank you note to each person who've assisted us on our cruise. I always bring thank you notes for this purpose.

 

Hi Judy:)

 

I do the same thing :)

[joramrose]

I use the convenience of tips on my account -- and hey, nothing says you can't add to it. The tippees know, before the last night, how much you are giving. I do hand out envelopes with thank you notes.

 

But the main things is, I try to treat all members of the crew decently. I have a cheerful greeting for them, even the cleaners I encounter in the halls. I say please and thank you for every service, every day. They already know which passengers are "good" passengers -- they don't have to wait to see h ow much you tip or don't tip.

 

And I try to single out by name on the evaluation sheets each person who does something nice for me, or who does his job well. And yes, each crew member sees what you write about him/her. On my last cruise, only a few weeks after my previous cruise, several of the wait staff and entertainment staff commented to me about what I had written about them. Those evaluation sheets may be far more important to them in the long run than the few extra dollars you so generously hand out. Be sure to name them by name, and compliment their service!!!!

 

love

joan

 

 

[Cruise Arizona]

JoAn,

 

You have a good point. Those evaluation sheets are important. I try to keep a journal with me now to write down the full names of crew that do something great. I am terrible about remembering names!!!

 

At the end of the cruise I try to include as many names as possible in my evaluation, mentioning good service.

[Pisces11]

Joan,

I 100% agree with. We tip very generously but put it on our account. I feel uncomfortable handing an envelope to someone. I really don't need to feel wonderful that I gave the poorly paid help a tip and to see them smile at me. We also make sure we fill out the evaluation form with names. I just don't want to make anyone feel they have to beg for a tip, it is demeaning. It is usually my husband and I cruising and we hardly ever ask for anything extra. When we took our grandchildren on a cruise we were extremely generous because the workload of everyone assigned to us was increased but we still put it on the account and wrote a note to the people we wished to thank for being so kind to the children.

[dakodacruiser]

Maybe it's because I have worked for tips but I do NOT find it demeaning to give a person a tip. And envelopes are stupid. I hand them cash. alot. We always prepay and then we always hand the people who have been around to take care of us more ie; waiters, bartenders, cabin stewarts, cash. Being ethnic ourselves, we realize and have been told that many of them find thank you cards kind of silly and very American. Although having lived here in America for a long time now I have come to understand and appreciate the custom.

[jhans24]

God willing this will be our first X cruise in a week (father in-law health issues). When we cruised on Princess for our honeymoon it was the auto tipping and we just did that. What is the envelope process from start to finish. We have no idea what to expect and want to be prepared.

 

Thanks,

Josh