tipping on Seabourn?

[seaquam]

OK, I've read the mantra: Tipping is neither required nor expected. But really, do most people tip, and if so, whom do they tip? Clearly it's not forbidden to tip, but it doesn't seem to be strongly discouraged, either.

 

I know guides on shore excursions expect tips, but what about room stewards? Dining staff? Spa? Should any special request be rewarded?

 

If tips are given, must it be done covertly? Would it embarrass a staff member to be offered a tip? How much is an appropriate tip in a non-tipping environment, anyway?

 

Etc., etc. I'm just trying to get a feel for what would be considered the norm on this line, and would like to meet whatever expectations are required of me (we're cruising Seabourn for the first time next month).

 

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[Keith1010]

This is all a personal decision.

 

Some people will tip their stewardess. Some will give their stewardes a gift. Some will do both.

 

Some might give a tip to others.

 

Some will also give money at the pursers desk to the crew fund.

 

And some will not tip and of the personnel.

 

There is no right or wrong. And each person should so whatever they feel comfortable doing not because someone does or does not do this.

 

Reaction from those who you give the tip will vary from thank you very much to is is not necessary.

 

It's really a personal decision.

 

Keith

[LaPaloma]

The young people definitely are not troubled by tipping. We do it on the side and generally in an envelope with a personal note to them. They are all so wonderful, that you wish you could take care of all of them. We do not do large amounts..but we do take care of about 10 of them. Lola

[JaneBP]

I always tip the room stewardess and often add a little gift from one of the ports (such as sachet, wine, etc.). I always give to the crew welfare fun. Because I use the laundry a lot, I bring something for that crew team, such as cookies, etc.and pack them in the laundry bag with a thank you note. ) Occasionally, on a port day if a favorite wait staff is going ashore, I will give 20 USD or Euros for a beer on me.

 

Additionally, what is important is to be mentioned by name in the cruise evaluation form. That doesn't cost anything!

[cands]

One of the best things about Seabourn is its 'no tipping policy'.

 

It is so refreshing for us to be treated well without the expectation of a tip. The staff treat us well and are treated well by us. Seabourn pays them salaries that they are happy with.

 

So the story should end.

 

Some people feel the need to somehow gain the upper hand by tipping. This subversive action has the potential to undermine the whole service philosophy of this 'no tipping' line.

 

Be careful, or Seabourn will end up as just another Crystal with hands out left, right and centre.

 

Give to the crew fund if you must.

 

Steve.

[Keith1010]

Steve, I know you have cruised Crystal. I have too and like you have also have cruised Seabourn.

 

I have never seen anyone on Crystal ask for a tip, nor have I seen anyone on Seabourn ask for a tip.

 

For a good many of the frequent cruisers of Crystal and even first time cruisers their TA's are part of large travel consortiums who provide pre-paid gratuities.

 

Many cruisers on Crystal feel the same way about the staff as many do on Seabourn.

 

I think we can help to answer the OP's question without taking a shot at any other cruise line.

 

Keith

[cands]

Steve, I know you have cruised Crystal. I have too and like you have also have cruised Seabourn.

 

I have never seen anyone on Crystal ask for a tip, nor have I seen anyone on Seabourn ask for a tip.

 

For a good many of the frequent cruisers of Crystal and even first time cruisers their TA's are part of large travel consortiums who provide pre-paid gratuities.

 

Many cruisers on Crystal feel the same way about the staff as many do on Seabourn.

 

I think we can help to answer the OP's question without taking a shot at any other cruise line.

 

Keith

 

Hi Keith,

Sorry about the poorly chosen words about Crystal.

As Australians we are much more self-conscious about the notion of tipping and how, when and how much to tip. It was a joy to sail on Seabourn knowing nobody was being exploited and no-one was expecting a tip.

 

We enjoyed our Crystal cruise but having to worry about tipping detracted somewhat from the experience. As non-drinkers we also had problems in some of the bars (especially the Casino), where service for non-alcoholic drinks was very difficult to come by.

We also had the hard word put on us by a waiter during trivia. We ordered Cokes, he kept spruiking mixed drinks.(perhaps this was an isolated incident)

 

Seabourn and Crystal are both great lines. We would consider another Crystal cruise, especially if the line became all-inclusive.

 

Cheers,

Steve.

[Bluewatercruizer]

Keith -

I do agree about keeping things civil; however, I do agree with Cands. There is a distinct difference between these two lines in terms of tipping.

I have sailed extensively on Crystal and they have an excellent product and staff are trained well so no need to directly ask for a tip. However, the end-of-cruise tipping is definitely expected on Crystal (including the pre-printed cards to make it easier).

The feeling on Seabourn is that it is never expected, it's just a "nice thing to do" and only for extraordinary service. No one thinks less of you nor is service diminished in any possible way if you don't.

"Tipping" on Seabourn is very personal, not even "tipping" in the traditional sense -- whether giving someone a phone card or some Euros for a drink on shore or something picked up in port. I was on board for Halloween last year and I pre-made some feathered masks. I gave one to my stewardess and one of the Spa ladies for their Halloween party. They were a big hit, I am told, and cost very little to make.

I also bring along some thank-you cards and when someone does something I consider extraordinary, I send a card rather than wait for the survey (such as the time I had requested a special dessert the day before and when others at my unhosted table heard about it, they wanted it too -- I was mortified but Seabourn managed it without a problem) -- I sent a note to the chef and restaurant staff to thank them. I actually had waiters not involved in this thank me, which surprised me more than anything.

The crew fund is really the best way to thank everyone at once.

 

Marga

[Keith1010]

Steve, thank for clarifying this.

 

Marga, I do not want to take away from the original posters thread.

 

The difference is that on Seabourn gratutities are included in the Seabourn cruise fare. On Crystal the gratuities are not part of the cruise fare. So, in reality the difference is that with Seabourn a larger portion of your cruise fare is going to the wait staff, stewardess and other members of the cerw. On Crystal a smaller portion of your cruise fare is going to the waiters, stewardesses, bar staff etc.

 

Bottom line, the fares are priced accordingly.

 

So, yes, on Crystal the wait staff, and stewardess, etc. do expect a tip. But, my point is that they don't sit there with there hand extended waiting for a tip and if someone did not tip they would never hear a word from anyone who did not receive it. And for those who feel awkward about handing them a tip, this can easily be done through the shipboard account.

 

Now I know that some are not used to giving a tip or feel awkward figuring that out. And even on Seabourn where it is included we have had the same conversation with othres that the OP has asked. While tipping is not expected, many times during the voyage people are talking about it and asking "what should I do"? And, some feel pressure because they hear some people tip so maybe they should. While others say, it's included, "I'm not going to tip more". So, there is an awkwardness taht some feel even on an all inclusive line.

 

My wife and I enjoy a complimentary beverage each evening before dinner on those cruises we have been on with Crystal in a lounge, (non alcohol) and trust me we are treated in the same manner, with the same friendliness and with the same professionalism that someone who orders a drink where a tip is automatically added to the tab is treated. When we play trivia we also only get a complimentary drink and we are treated and served no different than anyone else.

 

As I mentioned for many of us on Crystal who book with a TA who is part of a travel consortium, my tips are pre-paid. And the staff knows that. And like Seabourn the staff on Crystal will go out of their way to make my cruising experience a wonderful experience whether or not my tips have been prepaid by our TA. So, on Crystal the reality is that my stewardesses, senior waiter, waiter and butler (if I am in one of the category of rooms served with a butler) are covered by the TA.

 

As is the case with Seabourn, I can decide to augment those pre paid tips no differently than on Seabourn if I want to give a tip to others such as the stewardess, one or more of the waiters, someone in the club, etc.

 

And, as I say all of this is a personal decision.

 

Like, you we also write note cards to the staff during the course of our voyage. We also send cards to others who we want to thank. And we also provide money on both lnes to a crew fund. And, we sometimes give a small gift or some item such as flowers or candy or a combination of all of these things.

 

I guess I am one of those people who have adapted easily to both Seabourn and Crystal. So, for us, either way is no big deal and we have had fond memories on both lines.

 

Anyway, my recommendation is that we focus our answers to the original posters question which was specific to Seabourn, not any other line.

 

Keith

[JaneBP]

>"Some people feel the need to somehow gain the upper hand by tipping. This subversive action has the potential to undermine the whole service philosophy of this 'no tipping' line."

 

I find this remark insulting. I tip with grateful thanks for extra special service. Nothing more.

[Chairsin]

Jane,

I quite agree -- what a cynical remark! I have found the crew on all of our Seabourn cruises to be among some of the most pleasant and hard working people I have ever known. I have never felt that they were trying to buck the no tipping policy. When we give a donation to the crew fund it is at the end of the cruise so they certainly can't treat anyone better or worse on that basis. Why can't some people just accept the fact that most people want to please other people and that some of us choose to reward them after the fact.

[duct tape]

I am a big fan of the Crew Fund. I am also a big fan of the person who has to clean the toilet, to be blunt. They are always on my list!

[lord of the seas]

The crew welfare fund is always a good way to go.

[Seabourn-nail]

Jane,

I quite agree -- what a cynical remark! I have found the crew on all of our Seabourn cruises to be among some of the most pleasant and hard working people I have ever known. I have never felt that they were trying to buck the no tipping policy. When we give a donation to the crew fund it is at the end of the cruise so they certainly can't treat anyone better or worse on that basis. Why can't some people just accept the fact that most people want to please other people and that some of us choose to reward them after the fact.

 

I'm pretty sure Cands (=Steve) didn't mean his saying as cynical as two of our Seabourn posters think! One gets to know a person just by reading a lot of their posts....

So Steve, don't worry too much about this. I understand a little bit what you mean. I've seen people give tips to waiters out in the open, so everybody could see how fantastic THEY (the givers) were! To impress....? But who of the waiters can you tip, if you change tables all the time. I usually bring a few gifts for crew I know who will be on board, but more out of friendship than their service. And also for my stewardess, even if I don't know her yet...

But to give you an idea how some of the waiters think about people who don't tip ...... And you will be surprised I think: A former waiter recently wrote in very bad language about me on "facebook" that I (read: we) never tipped on Seabourn! I already copied the "conversation" here on Cruise Critic, but I forgot about the bad language, just wanted to share it with you all, and host Dan removed my post (very understandable of course). By the way I didn't use bad language, just this guy. I wished him well for the future both in his career and his life!

So maybe Steve is right saying, we'd better stay away from tipping all together.

And yes, the crew welfare fund is a very good alternative!

Have a nice weekend all!

Marja

[cands]

Hi Marja,

Thanks so much for your post. One has to be so careful about the way one writes on a public forum such as this.

 

As you know Chris and I had a most wonderful 8 weeks on Spirit last year and I think the world of Seabourn, the staff and crew. We've also chosen Seabourn for our next cruise early in 2010.

 

My comments were general and hypothetical in nature and written in part to help generate some healthy debate on the topic, so I guess I can cope with the 'flames'.

 

Take care,

Cheers,

Steve.

[Host Dan]

I always tip my stewardess, and have donated to the crew fund as well. I think that if you wish to tip on Seabourn it should be a private matter. I honestly believe that tipping is not expected by (most) the crew. I was SHOCKED to read the facebook entry by the unnamed crew member regarding Marja and Rene.

 

Host Dan

[Chairsin]

Marja,

You are such a calming influence -- we can certainly all have a civilized debate agree to disagree.I just choose to always think the best of people and am bothered by those who think everyone has an agenda. However, I must say the behavior of your waiter is deplorable. My own philosphy is that giving to the crew fund and discretely giving a little something to our stewardess will not put the no tipping policy in jeopardy.

[SantaAna,CA]

I always tip the stewardess at the end of my cruise. I am always awed by the incredible amount of work they do. My cabin is always spotless and every single day this young lady (whomever she may be, on my several Seabourn cruises) asked how I was, what I was doing, etc. And I am merely one of my cabins she is responsible for. The amount of the tip depends on the length of the time I'm on the ship.

 

I also contribute to the crew fund. I do not tip anyone else. I do not feel anyone should feel compelled or obligated to tip at all on Seabourn; that is why they say that in their brochure; it's neither required nor expected.

 

Jane

[JaneBP]

Perhaps in retrospect, Steve was referring to some of the cruisers on the larger ships where there is a daily tip charge added to one's bill and the opportunity to have it removed if service does not live up to par. Some passengers tip a bit in the beginning of the cruise with an implied promise of more if certain expectations are met, such as a filled ice chest, etc. And then there are the jerks who remove the tip if something happens that displeases them, even if not the fault of the cabin stewards. That is certainly never the case on Seabourn.

[Farscaper]

If it weren't for devoted regulars such as Marja and Rene, the ship wouldn't be able to leave port, let alone employ someone for what I must imagine would be a dream job.

 

The tipping not required feature was what sent us to Seabourn before we knew just how lucky we'd be even if it wasn't there.