If I order tea in my cabin, what is the right amount to tip? Also, does one tip the room stewards everyday, or is it done at the end of the cruise?

If I ordered a pot of tea or coffee I'd tip the room service attendant a couple of dollars. They are tipped each time they deliver something. On the other hand, your cabin attendant is normallly tipped once - at the end of the cruise. I am talking about a cruise of 11 days or less here. For longer cruises - say two weeks or more - I'd tip at the end of each week. Some people give a part of the tip earlier in the cruise, thinking this improves service. I do not go along with that theory and have always received great service when tipping at the end of the cruise.

For room service I usually tip $2.

I tip $3, the price of a bottle of water on ship. I don't use room service very often, so I can afford the 3 bucks.

Thanks Dave! Now can you tell me how much we'd need to tip the cabin attendant at the end of our 12-day Mediterranean cruise?! If it's according to cabin rates, we're in an interior cabin. And how much does one tip in the dining room? Thanks.

quote:

Originally posted by mani8kgm:
Thanks Dave! Now can you tell me how much we'd need to tip the cabin attendant at the end of our 12-day Mediterranean cruise?! If it's according to cabin rates, we're in an interior cabin. And how much does one tip in the dining room? Thanks.

Which cruise line/ship are you taking? Some lines have different suggested amounts for tips. Some default to automatically charging a set fee to your shipboard account. Some still do it the old fashioned way with cash in envelopes on the last night of the cruise.

They don't differentiate between cabin categories as far as the amounts suggested. The exceptions are the suites that have a butler and a cabin steward. They get to tip each of these people.

General guidelines are usually around $3.50 per person/per day for the cabin steward. The same amount for your waiter. $2 per person/per day for the assistant waiter (bus boy). The headwaiter also expects something these days. 75 cents per person/per day is typical. This totals to $117 per person for the cruise.

But again - some lines charge a flat rate per day and then they allegedly pay the staff. For instance, Carnival charges $10 per day automatically and then you don't have to worry about tipping directly. Of course, you can opt out of this if you wish.

Dave,
We keep forgetting the cocktail waiter/waitress that knows your name and your favorite libation so that, often, by the time you sit down, they are already bringing it over to you. Some will argue, "but they add 15% to your drink order". Yes, but those gratuities are pooled to be shared by all of the waiters and bartenders in that lounge. When we tip them directly, at the end of the cruise, they get to keep all of it. I keep saying - at the end of the cruise - because that is when I do it.

Yes, you are correct, Chuck. I generally just sit at a bar and don't use the servers, but I always ensure I give something extra to those special bartenders on the last day. Usually $20 although I gave more than that to Manny at Bolero's on the Freedom. He is quite a character and I looked forward to my evening foray to his bar.