I tip the bag handler $10 a bag. My bag always gets to my room.

I don't have time to read all the responses, and it is "possible" that someone covered what I am going to say.

I had already determined that I was not going to have my tipping on my bill. So not to long after I got on ship I went to the Purser's Desk. I advised them of this and they took the tip off. I then ask for tipping envelopes. My friend and I decided to tip the people we wanted to tip. In otherwords it was pretty much the same amount of money, but we gave "more" to the ones we wanted to, and others (I know some of the readers will disagree with me, but that is alright), we gave nothing.

brneyes

quote:

Originally posted by Cruisehappy:
I tip the bag handler $10 a bag. My bag always gets to my room.

WOW! I tip the standard $1 a bag and mine always gets to my cabin too. Except once when a tag fell off. It still made it later that evening. The porters at the pier are not Carnival employees and have no control over luggage once it is loaded in the bin.

When debarking I tip extra beyond for carting the luggage to my car, especially Port Canaveral when parked in the garage.

Dwayne

quote:

I know some of the readers will disagree Mad with me, but that is alright), we gave nothing.

I disagree , but thanks for telling me it's OK
i disagree mainly because you are forgetting about the people who serve that you never see. They would get a small portion of that tip. I just tip extra to the ones I feel deserve it.

quote:

Originally posted by brneyes:
I don't have time to read all the responses, and it is "possible" that someone covered what I am going to say.

I had already determined that I was not going to have my tipping on my bill. So not to long after I got on ship I went to the Purser's Desk. I advised them of this and they took the tip off. I then ask for tipping envelopes. My friend and I decided to tip the people we wanted to tip. In otherwords it was pretty much the same amount of money, but we gave "more" to the ones we wanted to, and others (I know some of the readers will disagree with me, but that is alright), we gave nothing.

brneyes

The thing with doing this is you most likely (almost certainly) missed someone that would have received part of the gratuities that deserved it. The way it is set up now the Alternative Services get a small part, and they proportion the Dining Room and Stateroom Services to include the Assistants when they do the distibution. That is my understanding of it.

I have adjusted dining room tips once myself for an exceptional reason. I think it is best to leave the gratuities as they are, and tip extra when warranted.

If you don't want the gratuities on your (bill) you can always take Cash/Traveler's Checks/ Alternate Credit Card and immediately apply it to the Account for the $10 a day upon boarding.

Dwayne

quote:

If you don't want the gratuities on your (bill) you can always take Cash/Traveler's Checks/ Alternate Credit Card and immediately apply it to the Account for the $10 a day upon boarding.

We always buy some ship board credit. We never end up paying very much, we prefer it that way.

Do what you think is right. I tip big because I'm on vacation and guess what, when I go back they always remember me, including the baggage handlers

After so many recent posts on here about people getting creative with their tipping, I'm really surprised all the cruiselines haven't yet gone to calling it a service fee and removing your ability to monkey with it as NCL has. If enough people change from the recommended tipping guidelines, I expect that will happen. You may feel you're being very generous to give the few people you're sharing the tips others onboard have earned. what you're really doing is not generous at all, its stiffing members of the crew who have contributed, whether you see it that way or not, to your vacation. Want to be truly generous? Give the standard tips and then give extra to those who go out of their way for you. Don't take it from those who you didn't see, or didn't feel deserved it since you didn't eat in the dining room. Whatever way you justify it, removing tips from anyone onboard without that person doing something horrible to deserve them removed is the wrong way to handle things. Would you work very hard away from your home and family and be pleased that someone felt you deserved nothing for the week of service you provided? Other than stealing from someone I can't think of very many things more insulting than stiffing someone for a week of hard work.

Cheers, Neil

Well said Neil. I couldn't agree more

I have to agree. Unless the service is almost non existant, they deserve the tips. I also believe that given the choice alot of people would not tip, ask any waitress who works for a little bit of money and works for tips. That is the reason it is automatically added on the sign and sail card. I never even consider this a debateable question. If you cant afford the tip, stay home.

I agree. If you can't afford the minimal $10 a day service fee (tip) then you should really stay home. I never remove the minimal fee and always tip extra, first and foremost the waiter and the assistant waiter because they are handling my food and trying to make my dining room experience the best. Secondly, to the others who go out of their way, including the musicians.

Speaking of musicians, once I see what/if the Piano player is drinking in the Piano Bar, I aways send them a drink too.

Dwayne

Yes Dwayne that is true, but I always "make sure" that the assistants receive their portion.

Actually, how do we "actually" know that the other people are getting their portion? Do you or someone else know this for a fact???

brneyes

Well I do not know for a fact in all cases. On the Sun Princess we asked several support people about their share of the tips. All we ask got them.
I have not ask too many team supporter on other cruises, but we usually ask the main ones that serve us. All of those says they get their share. We have always tipped extra, except on the Zaandam. I tempted to remove the tips for our Room service, or lack of it. He did not service our room on two different days. We did not remove any tips, but that is the only time we have not tipped extra.

This always turns into the same argument, those that tip, those that don't. Most of us who tip above and beyond, know someone who works in the service industry or have worked in the industry ourselves. I've worked as a bartender, a cocktail waitress, a food waitress and a service bartender. It always amazed me that the ones who could best afford to tip, didn't. A very wealthy quarterback and his wife who owned a good portion of Denver, never tipped well, if at all. Most of the really good tips I received came from others in the industry or understood how underpaid we were. It is a personal choice, it will always be a personal choice. It is my choice to leave the standard amounts on and tip extra. I have received much more than a few dollars worth of gratitude.

Stories abound about celebrities and politicians who stiff the waiters. I guess they think merely being in their presence is more than enough of a gratuity. There was one about some big star who left a $2 tip on a $500 tab at some NY restaurant.

You are right about this always turns into the same argument. I tip well because my mom busted her *** as a waitress for years and we often subsisted just on her tip money.

This has been a very helpful topic. Where ever we go we tip the good (some friends think too good), but being a waitress for several months, I could not believe the people that would leave .50 cents on the table when I was only making 1.62 an hour. I have learned to pay for quality performance.

I had read on one of the cruise-chat sites a couple who do not do the typical tipping (tell the purser not to collect the monies) but to give a thank you card at the beginning of the cruise with a nice tip inside. My husband and I were planning on doing that when we cruise in Alaska this summer. After reading the threads I feel that this is not the proper way to tip and that to make sure that ALL people involved in our positive experience should be compensated for it. We still might tip the housekeeper and barmaid the first night, but still continue to pay the recommended amount at the end of the cruise.

You guys and gals keep up the very informative topics.

Lizzy

I agree with everyone leaving the tip as is- and then more. I have just come back from a 3 weeks cruise and had fantastic service.I pre-paid my grats and then left some extra money to my room stewart and my waiter team at the end of our cruise. Most of them are from Asia- indonesia and phillipine- work for at least 7 months contract, dont see their wife and children for this time and since the cruise offer room and board, dont get paid a whole lot at the end of the month. Tipping is part of their salary and what little money they can sent home to help their family.

I will always pre-pay the grats as its a great way to budget. Sometimes, if you wait til you are on the cruise and have to pay your bar tab, spa treatment and shore excursions, you feel like tipping is another expense, and then you want to keep to money to yourself. By having it pre-paid, you have weeks/ months to pay it off and then you dont have to think about it.

Well Neil I (speaking for myself)did take care of the dining room staff. I was not one of those people who went to the "speciality" restaurant, and "forgot" about who they started out with in the beginning, waiting on them.

I have already mentioned this, but how do YOU know "everyone" gets a part of the tip?

It would be nice if someone from the ship/s themselves would get in on this discussion, and then we would really know for ourselves.

brneyes

I guess my tipping extra does come from working in the service industry as Penny mentioned, and Dave about his mom. I waited tables for about 6 years, and bartended for several more years. My landlord used to get a little aggravated about me paying my rent with $1 bills, but said she didn't have the heart to complain because I always paid it on time.

I have to admit I didn't like the auto tips when they first implemented them, and resisted for a few years. I liked the tradition of tipping cash the last night. Now that I am used to it, I like it. It makes for easier budgeting and not having to carry or get extra cash the last day. I can still get the tip envelopes to give the extra the last night.

On some cruises a particular Lido Deck restaurant busser may go out of their way to get a drink refill, or ask if I needed anything everyday. They get an envelope at lunch the last day, and they always are so grateful, and surprised. My main bartenders always get tipped beyond the 15% as well.

I am not in a financial position to over do it. At the same time I like to recognize them and show my appreciation with some extra. That's just me though, and often times is not even expected. To each his own though as it is up to one's own personal discretion. I am guilty of stiffing several Maitre'Ds over the years though. I couldn't figure out who they were until the last night, or what they did for me.

Dwayne