Do you tip anyway?

[bearhall]

I know tips are suppose to be included on Silversea but, do you tip alittle extra for extra service?

[dusababy]

YES !!

 

Many of the wait staff - restaurants and bars - give special service. I believe it's worthy of notice.

 

They ALWAYS remember me on next cruise....:D

 

I've heard very rich people say "don't tip - don't want to SPOIL THEM".

 

'NUFF SAID...

[oregon50]

Crew Fund

[wripro]

I agree, Oregon 50. I always give a hefty donation to the crew fund so that ALL the crew can benefit and not just the ones who come into contact with us.

[duct tape]

I must admit, the woman who cleans my toilet always gets something extra!

[LOGHL]

We always give to the crew welfare fund ( always appreciated) in addition we always give our stewardess (ala duct tape) a special gift.

[aspaz44]

Tips are included!

[cruisebaronII]

Tips are included!

 

Included does not mean the crew is compensated well enough and recognition in the form of a tip is always appreciated if not expected by the crew expecially by those that go the extra mile to please.

 

Hospitality personnel on seabourne, regent and silverseas, (all inclusive lines) should be twice commended for their gracious attitude, they could earn twice the amount of money for the same effort on a mass market line where tipping is allowed.

 

This is one of the reasons for the high turn over and sub-standard service in the all inclusive labour market.

 

All inclusive lines have been trying for years to tuckle the problem, by introducing incentives in the form of career opportunities and educational scholarships but the bottom line for crew retantion and loyalty is money and security.

 

 

cruisebaronII

[cechase]

Will throw our two cents in here. On our Shadow cruise which ended about a week or so before Christmas, we did give several people who made our cruise exceptional a modest tip, but in the form of a Christmas present. On our last night we quietly in a handshake gave Marylin in The Bar a fifty dollar bill and the same to her assistant Justin. We had quite a bit of foreign currency left - euros, east Caribbean dollars, and left them for Patricia our cabin attendant along with several 20 dollar bills.

 

It was not that much, but we really wanted to show our appreciation to them for making our cruise great. Doubt that this ruined the no tipping policy for others.

[eroller]

As a general rule I do not tip on Silversea as after all, it's one of the few lines where gratuities are included and that is a reason I am attracted to the line to begin with. If I have to start thinking about tips for the entire staff then that is one less amenity that differentiates Silversea from premium lines like Oceania, HAL, or Celebrity (even Crystal for that matter).

 

The three major luxury lines all include gratuities in the price of the cruise, and the staff and crew are paid differently than lines that do not. The crew is not reliant on gratuities because they are paid an actual salary unlike other lines. If you want to tip anyway for over and above service then that is your prerogative, but in no way should you feel guilty if you do not and certainly gratuities are not expected by the crew.

 

Ernie

[Winner]

Included does not mean the crew is compensated well enough and recognition in the form of a tip is always appreciated if not expected by the crew expecially by those that go the extra mile to please.

 

Hospitality personnel on seabourne, regent and silverseas, (all inclusive lines) should be twice commended for their gracious attitude, they could earn twice the amount of money for the same effort on a mass market line where tipping is allowed.

 

This is one of the reasons for the high turn over and sub-standard service in the all inclusive labour market.

 

All inclusive lines have been trying for years to tuckle the problem, by introducing incentives in the form of career opportunities and educational scholarships but the bottom line for crew retantion and loyalty is money and security.

 

 

cruisebaronII

 

I am curious as to your source for the "high turnover and substandard service" in the all-inclusive lines. Silversea and Seabourn are known for superior service. In my sailings on both lines I have seen very little turnover. I seriously doubt that crew on these lines would be "happy" on mass market lines, where money is the only incentive.

 

On Seabourn and Silversea there is pride in a job well done and promise of future advancements based on pleasing the customer. This is Business 101; begging for "tips" unearned does not enhance a company's image.

[wripro]

One reason we may start to see more turnover in crew on both Silversea and Seabourn is that they are paid in dollars which are now worth much less to Europeans. There is no longer the advantage they once enjoyed in exchanging currencies.

[newlondon]

A tip for over and above is the decent thing to do. On another note, if sometning extra is not appreciated; why is there a crew fund?

[surfklutz]

I believe, as one of the poster before mentioned - that tipping included means that you don't need to tip.

 

I am certainly not the one setting the price for the luxury cruise that I opt to take - I would hope that the cruise line is including a fair salary for the people who are serving me so that it doesn't have to become my concern about how well their family lives back home or what the dollar against the Euro means to them.

 

Don't misunderstand what I am saying here - I believe that with my luxury cruise, I should be charged what it takes to make my crew member happy to be onboard doing their job.

 

Luxury cruise lines have a far lower turnover rate than the mass market ships - that would suppose then that the crew are happier - correct?

[newlondon]

You certainly don't need to tip. We only tipped 4 individuals including the cabin staff(2), It is just a nice way to recognize "extra" effort.

[CASHIPman]

You certainly don't need to tip. We only tipped 4 individuals including the cabin staff(2), It is just a nice way to recognize "extra" effort.

 

I don't believe there is an absolute right or wrong when it comes to tipping. I don't do it on Sliversea...preferring to donate to the crew fund where everyone...including those we don't see...benefits.

 

Do I look down on tippers? Not at all but it's my belief that no tipping means just that. There's an element of unfairness in tipping in that the people we don't see, but do keep the ship from running aground or do our laundry or keep the ship's bow it's brilliant white, don't get the added money that the passenger-facing crew get.

 

With the crew fund, everyone benefits.

[Iamseasick]

Give to the crew fund. It is my understanding that the gift is mentioned to your cabin steward and others who have served you. This seems to be the fair thing to do since the laundry list of those who would otherwise get tips on the non-inclusive lines would be left out if you only give to your cabin steward and one or two others.

 

Our crew fund gifts have always been appreciated. And, if any one or two people give extra special treatment, I will throw them an extra bone here or there.

[duct tape]

A bone ?????????????????

[rols]

we didn't tip. We took what the cruise line says about tips being included to mean that. We did make sure to note down particular members of the crew we thought did an outstanding job in the feedback form at the end of the cruise. Perhaps we're naive but had a hope those are read and that silversea does reward and promote staff based on favourable comments and that earns them more in the long run than a few dollars at the end of a cruise.

 

One thing I read a couple of times is that people 'grease' the M'aitre Di to either

 

a) not get the table by the kitchen (well at least our food was always hot)

b) get magical reservations to La Terazza etc.

 

I'm a bit confused about exactly how you're supposed to do this, if in fact it's true. Do people really get to the front of the line in 'The Restaurant' and lean over the stand and drop an envelope with $200 there hoping nobody behind is going to see? Or do they seek out the M'aitre Di cruising the corridors and push money into his pocket with a nudge, a wink and a room number?

 

Please tell me it's not really true ..

[oregon50]

One nut case brought on this subject. It is not true and what you did in the way of tipping is 100% acceptable and proper.

[Dolebludger]

This topic keeps returning to the Silversea and Regent forums over the years. There seems to be a basic conclusion that guests on these lines do not tip for the mere fact that someone does his/her job well. But let's suppose one gets extra service, such as the time our luggage was lost for a day, and our stewardess was especially helpful in getting the clothing we had laundered pronto. Of course, I handed her a good tip. Only problem was, she gave it back, stating that it was not necessary. Or lets suppose that one gets extraordinary service all over the ship on a cruise from all the service crew, in little ways. Then, donations to the crew fund are appropriate.

[unfathomable]

We did make sure to note down particular members of the crew we thought did an outstanding job in the feedback form at the end of the cruise. Perhaps we're naive but had a hope those are read and that silversea does reward and promote staff based on favourable comments and that earns them more in the long run than a few dollars at the end of a cruise.

We know of several instances in which praise for individual staff members was passed on by management and much appreciated by the individuals.

[cruiseerf]

Yup:

 

We figure if we are going to spend $10-15000 on a cruise, tipping whether included or not is a must. These people make VERY little money for working irregular hours in cramped quarters for months at a time and many of them are really working hard.

 

Whats the extra $3-400 to us? Pair of shoes? shore excursion? We believe in rewarding hard work. Sometimes we give to the crew fund...sometimes individuals, but we always give. Good Karma for all!

 

Travel safe and well!

[wripro]

cruiseerf,

 

Do you also leave $12 for every drink in the bar? Alcohol is included but what's an extra $1000 or so? Do you pay for every bottle of wine with dinner? Wine is included but what's an extra few hundred bucks or so? Do you pay for caviar of you order it? It's included but what's a few hundred more?

 

I agree that the staff works very hard and I ALWAYS make a generous contribution to the crew welfare fund because that benefits all the crew, not just the ones I come in contact with. But tipping is included and individual tips are not necessary unless there is some service above and beyond what one would normally expect.

[Dolebludger]

There is a very good reason why tips are included and not expected on Silversea. Silversea has a high proportion of guests from Europe and other areas where tipping is just not customary, as it is in the US. Silversea is reportedly to launch a new ship and operation based in Australia. People there don't tip much either. Guests from Europe and Australia would not be very happy with a suggested tipping schedule or "autotipping", and probably just wouldn't go along with it. The crew wouldn't be happy with this.

 

Service crew members on Silversea and Regent have told me that their pay is in fact a bit MORE than it is for comparable positions on lines with tipping -- including the assumption that all guests tipped the recomended amount. These crew members have each told me that they individually had worked for lines with tips before, and were frequently "stiffed" by a good number of guests. They also told me that there is a rather long waiting list for service crew employment on "tips included" lines, because people in this line of work like this system better -- because it pays them more, and the pay level is certain.