Do you tip anyway?

[gillianrose]

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

 

What is "extra service" anwyay?

 

I would expect it to be more than merely "excellent service," which is what I would expect at all times from Silversea crew members anyway.

 

I think we Americans are sometimes hopeless weenies when it comes to over-tipping. I remember when the standard tip in the U.S. used to be 10% and then Oprah Winfrey had a show on tipping (more than ten or fiteen years ago) and she ASKED PEOPLE IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY what we should tip. Overnight, following that show, the 10% slid up to 15%-20% standard and more for "special service".

:rolleyes:

 

I am a generous person, and I do extend tips, but I consider it far more important to donate to charity and to give the jacket off my back to a homeless person or money to children singing at the dock or posing for pictures than to give a big tip to a masseuse or masseur who is performing a standard service at a highly inflated price aboard a ship.

 

An automatic 15% tip added to an alcohol order for someone to carry a glass of wine or a fancy coffee a mere 15 feet to my table is an example of what I consider to be ridiculous and I would not pay it each time if it had not become "automatic" on many cruise lines.

 

I am interested in Silversea, and the included gratuities is one important reason. And no, I would not plan to tip individuals onboard, though a donation to a crew fund is not out of the question.

[wripro]

A donation to the crew fund should be more than "not out of the question." Why? Because it rewards all those people with whom we never come in contact yet work so hard to make our cruise more enjoyable. Other than that, I never tip. You have already tipped when you paid your fare.

[Dolebludger]

gillianrose:

 

On Silversea, you do not pay a tip to someone who has carried your glass of wine 15 feet. Tipping is not done, period. If you paid your fare, you paid your tips.

 

Extra service? If I ask my Stewardess to go to the ship's store and get me some aspirin for a headache, I will offer her a tip, because this is not in her "job description." Chances are, my tip will be refused, but I will offer it anyway. But I will not offer a tip for her action in cleaning my suite, because that is within her "job description" and I have already tipped her in my fare.

 

That is how it is on Silversea (and Regent, and Seabourn).

[johnnycruise]

A donation to the crew fund should be more than "not out of the question." Why? Because it rewards all those people with whom we never come in contact yet work so hard to make our cruise more enjoyable.

 

The unseen staff on any cruise line should receive a competitive salary and should not be relying on monetary rewards from passengers - especially on a line which includes tips.

 

I have always thought the crew fund is a bit nebulous - I've not yet been on a ship which advertises the crew fund - that would lend a bit of legitmacy. It would also add accountability - do we really know what happens to the crew fund donations? Are they split evenly, used for death/emergency situations or simply spent on elaborate parties?

[Dolebludger]

The crew fund is not publicized on "non tipping" lines such as Silversea because the line does not want to be seen as soliciting "back door" tips. I have understood (whether correct or not) that the crew fund helps with illnesses in the families of the crew as well as entertainment of the crew. Donations to the crew fund are purely optional, and guests are not pressured to give them. As a guest, you will not be given an "envelope" or otherwise solicited to give to the crew fund. Indeed, if you don't ask about it, you will never know it exists. Donating to it (or not) it totally up to you.

 

The real point is that when we pay our rather high fare to cruise Silversea, we HAVE PAID our tips. There is no need to tip further. If (and only if) we feel the need to do something more, a donation to the crew fund is an appropriate thing to do. If not, then not.

 

The thing many of us do not want is for additional tipping to become common and expected on Silversea, when we have already paid a hefty fare that includes tips. We don't mind tipping once, but we don't want to tip twice!

 

Silversea includes tips in its fare because it caters to many Europeans among whom tipping is not customary as it it is in the US. And indeed, tipping has "gone over the top" in the US (IMO).

[meow!]

Silversea includes tips in its fare because it caters to many Europeans among whom tipping is not customary as it it is in the US.

That may be, but Europeans have more inventive ways of getting extras. A few years ago, we tendered into Portofino for a few hours and had a cup of ice cream. We were charged 6 euros per person "cover charge". That was 12 euros extra just for a cup of ice cream and a cup of coffee! Figure out how many percent that was.

[MrsWaldo]

Meow,

 

I assume you sat down to eat your ice cream.....

 

It would have been 6 Euro pp regardless of what you consumed, so if it was a full meal with 3 courses then not so bad after all...many sidewalk cafes charge what we like to refer as "an entertainment charge" because unlike Anglo based cafe/restaurants where you are expected to leave after eating in France Italy etc they expect you to sit for a long time.

 

Rule 1 in europe for my family...never sit in the restaurant for coffee or gelati unless we want to sit for quite a while and watch the world go by.

[wripro]

the crew fund pays for anything from parties to amenities for the crew lounge to assistance for certain crew members when needed. I do not consider my donations a tip. I consider them a "thank you."

[meow!]

I assume you sat down to eat your ice cream.....

Yes we did. We should be more careful next time!

[cechase]

I have previously posted to this thread. During our cruise on Shadow last December, we did have the opportunity to have a lot of contact with some exceptional crew members. Since it was mid December before we disembarked, we had the opportunity to not necessarily tip, but give gifts for Christmas. Not really much, but a fifty dollar bill to Marilyn the wonderful Bartender in The Bar, and to Justin her assistant [and bartender at the pool bar and the casino bar]. They were not rejected, and by the hugs we received, were appreciated.

 

Whether or not the tip is included in our fare [for a Silver Suite], my dear Nedra and I felt that we were doing something which made us feel good, and rewarding people who made our cruise not just special, but exceptionally special. Just chalk it up to Christmas spirit! :D

 

Oh, and if any of you have spent time with Marilyn, you would do the same thing, Christmas or not.

[LaPaloma]

cechase--how did you like the Silver Suite?--we have booked one on the Shadow on a cruise next year, and looking forward to it! We have had a mid ship veranda, and shared a two bed room Grand Suite on past cruises. I have a feeling we are going to like the Silver Suite best of all! Don

[Observer]

gillianrose:

 

Chances are, my tip will be refused, but I will offer it anyway.

 

 

I have never had a tip refused on Silversea. An earlier comment in this thread is relevant: Crew are paid in US Dollars. They "repatriate" their money to countries (esp. in Europe) where the dollar is worth less and less. Thus, they are effectively taking a cut in pay as the dollar plunges. This situation does not make for a happy crew.

[simonv]

The thing many of us do not want is for additional tipping to become common and expected on Silversea, when we have already paid a hefty fare that includes tips. We don't mind tipping once, but we don't want to tip twice!

 

Silversea includes tips in its fare because it caters to many Europeans among whom tipping is not customary as it it is in the US. And indeed, tipping has "gone over the top" in the US (IMO).

 

My feeling exactly. One of the reasons I switched to "tip-included" is because I got tired of hands out in every which way in mass market lines. I'm willing to pay more upfront for Silversea for the freedom of not being bothered by tipping. Please don't start it. If you want to give, give it to the crew fund.

[crusinbanjo]

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.

 

Most of the turnover I have seen on Silversea has been crewmembers who decide that another ship, on another High End cruise line might be a better opportunity to advance their personal career. I can think of at least 3 crew members I met on Silversea that I later met again on RSSC.

 

With regard to tipping, I usually leave a little something for the room steward. I did offer a substancial tip to the Matre'd for some extra personal service on my wedding anniversary. (he remembered me from a previous cruise), He would not accept the tip from me, said "I get paid well enough and I always remember the people who are kind to me"

[unfathomable]

Crew are paid in US Dollars. They "repatriate" their money to countries (esp. in Europe) where the dollar is worth less and less. Thus, they are effectively taking a cut in pay as the dollar plunges. This situation does not make for a happy crew.

It varies. Those who are from S E Asia are often repatriating dollars to dollar-linked economies. But it does hit the Europeans hard.

[cechase]

cechase--how did you like the Silver Suite?--we have booked one on the Shadow on a cruise next year, and looking forward to it! We have had a mid ship veranda, and shared a two bed room Grand Suite on past cruises. I have a feeling we are going to like the Silver Suite best of all! Don

 

You will love it! We always have Royal Suites on Celebrity [7 of them], and the Silver Suite is not only almost 150 sq. ft. larger inside, it is layed out much better. Behind the bedroom is a very large closet running from the foyer to the other side of the suite. Behind the large closet is the very large bathroom. The designer put a door to the toilet in the bathroom. The toilet area has another sink, and can be accessed from the foyer by guests.

 

The living room and dining room are really well laid out. Very comfortable, and we did spend a lot of time in our suite and on the Balcony.

[LaPaloma]

Thank you-- it sounds great--we are really looking forward to it! We were apparently early booking one, so we had first choice--we picked 729--lppkes like a great location! Don

[meow!]

Just curious, I read before that two of the Silver suites are smaller (narrower) than the others, might be #724 and #725, is that true? I guess those who pay for a Silver suite will want to have a full sized one if available! Would you tip less if you are given one of the smaller Silver suites, and feel that you have paid more than enough?!