I had one couple,and one single girl do the ol disapearing act when it was time to tip the wait staff on the monarch of the seas--thats not cool or there just cheap even a couple dollars would be great.
Of course they do auto tipping. Doesn't mean that you can't have it removed. We actually travelled with a couple that had it removed (first and last time to travel with them) that did that and on the final night at dinner had a couple of envelopes in their hand that they returned to their own pockets when they thought that nobody was looking. Cheap, cheap, cheap.
We had such a nice cabin steward on the Conquest that we personally have her an envelope with an additional $40 in it. She did bend over backwards to make us feel special, we thought she deserved more!!!!!
I would never have it removed and do it in cash, it is easier just to have it added on. Some are fussy though. taking it and not giving them a tip is just wrong, wrong, wrong...
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Of course they do auto tipping. Doesn't mean that you can't have it removed. We actually travelled with a couple that had it removed (first and last time to travel with them) that did that and on the final night at dinner had a couple of envelopes in their hand that they returned to their own pockets when they thought that nobody was looking. Cheap, cheap, cheap.
Before "auto-tipping" we saw it happen occasionally. Now, with "auto-tipping" it's more difficult to tell who's stiffing the staff, and who's not. I hate it when someone beats the waiter, busboy, cabin steward, or any of the other great people aboard who make the cruise experience so GREAT, out of a few bucks. I can only imagine what they'd think, and do if the waiter said,,well,,I'm not going to serve you today,,,just head on up to the buffet line,,,if they are in the mood to serve you,,,they might... You'd never hear the end of it!
Ex friends!! We no longer are on speaking terms. Unfortunately they live in our neighborhood so do have to see them at times but not on a one on one basis.
Enough about them. I too find it terrible that people can be so mean to the ones that make our cruise lives such a wonderful thing. We cruise a lot and have had wonderful experiences with crew. Nothing better than having a waiter, bartender or room steward come up and give you a hug and you haven't seen them in up to 5 years. Brings tears to your eyes and joy to your heart.
If you're doing "anytime dining" and presumably won't have the same waitstaff all the time, what would be the way to go about tipping extra at the end of the cruise? Does the staff divide the tips up (as they do in many of the restaurants where I live)? Or do they all keep whatever they are given individually? Would it be best in that case to just add something to the gratuity on your card? So many questions... a good thing I have until August to gather all this information!
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Sandy
Golden Princess 8/30/2008 -- 1st cruise but not the last!
I still find that hard to believe that anywould could or would do that?? The entire staff works so hard to make your cruise enjoyable and deserve to be paid for it. If you can't afford the tips, they shouldn't be cruising.
Well, my DH is a very generous tipper (we are in the bar/restaurant business) but our experience on the Dawn Princess left ALOT to be desired
so we did have the tips adjusted at the end. In fact, the Princess company
has left a really bad taste in my mouth so I don't even look at what they
are offering.
Forget to mention - I have a real problem with a tip for the Cheif Housekeeper
who we NEVER saw??? I would rather give our cabin steward and his assistant extra money (which we did). What happens to all the crew you never see?? like the cooks and cleaning people. They work pretty darn
hard as well or does everyone pool their tips and is divided evenly??
We tipped separately on Celebrity but Princess automatically adds so much per day.
I like the prepaid gratuities.. that way we're covered for normal service.. if it's especially good we always leave extra for our waiter and room steward. I know they all split the daily pre paid tips, so we also make a point to leave cash. Then the waiter/steward can use his/her judgement about splitting with his/her asst.
The Matre'dee, however we tip only if he's visible and things run smoothly. Last trip we pointedly didn't tip him.. he was bad! And I spelled his name wrong on purpose <yarite> I can't even find it on my Word Spell Check
Of course they do auto tipping. Doesn't mean that you can't have it removed. We actually travelled with a couple that had it removed (first and last time to travel with them) that did that and on the final night at dinner had a couple of envelopes in their hand that they returned to their own pockets when they thought that nobody was looking. Cheap, cheap, cheap.
OP was on a RCL ship, which together with Celebrity do not do 'auto tip'. You can have it added onto your shipboard account rather than handing out envelopes, but that is not the same as the mandatory tipping that is automatically added to your account on most of the other lines.
We have had it added to our account a couple times, but prefer to hand the staff an envelope with cash and usually a personal note of thanks. When we had gratuities added onto our account, Celebrity provided us with 'receits' to put in the envelopes.
I agree with Donna. It is so mean not to leave a tip to those hard working room stewards, waiters and busboys. They are so nice and must feel really hurt when someone stiffs them. I do not like the prepaid tips on the seapass card but instead like to personally hand them the tips with a little personal note on each envelope. Bob
We always use auto tip now and if the service is exceptional, as it was the last two times we were on the Diamond Princess, then we tip extra in cash. We have NEVER stiffed the cruise staff - that's just plain nasty!
We do not believe in tipping before service, so always have our tips remeoved from our account. However, we also make sure we tip those who have served us well, in person.
On our last cruise though, we made an exception to this rule by not tipping our dining room wait staff who were not friendly, and just plain slow all week.
On the other hand, we left a nice tip for our room steward, and on debarkation morning when we said goodbye to him, we asked if he received his envelope and he said "no". Turns out his assistant did our room the night before and never gave it to him, despite the fact it had our steward's name on it. So either he got stiffed by his assistant, or, we got stiffed by a lie, and we paid him twice. I guess the answer is, hand it to them IN PERSON!
I always make it a point to have a few 1 dollar bills in my pocket if it's anytime dining, and if they deserve it I'll give them 3-5 dollar for the service.
Someone I know who cruises a lot told me that he always gives the waiter an enveloppe with usd 20 in it, and they get the best service possible. At the end of the cruise he will give an additional amount.
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Or, the answer is, cruise on cruise lines where tips are already included and nobody is standing around with their hands out.
Living in Japan has been an eye opener. No tipping. Yes, hotels and many restaurants add a 10% service charge; but no tips are expected. Sure makes things easier. Service is still top notch; America nor Europe can hold a candle to Asia with respect to service...yet...no tipping.
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Marc
"The test of a first rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function."
F Scott Fitzgerald
Seven Seas Navigator (12nts) - San Francisco - Vancouver - May13
Silversea Silver Explorer (23nts) - Kangerlussuaq, Greenland - Nome, Alaska - Aug 14
1. Considering the "suggested tip", it amazes me that ANYONE would not tip the dining room wait staff unless they got horrible service for the duration of the cruise.
2. Although auto tipping is convenient and I have used it where offered, it usually means that the tips are shared. So it is harder to reward for good service and penalize for bad service. Even if you put money in a tip envelope, the person may have to add it to the pool.
Only thing that amazes me is that somebody would end a friendship over something so minor and that doesn't affect their lives. Couldn't have been much of a friendship to begin with. Perhaps the person didn't have the same exceptional service and felt no tip was due. Or, maybe the person really is just cheap. So what. It's that's person's right to tip or not to tip as he/she wants and not to have to conform to what somebody else thinks should be done. I think that person is lucky to have lost such a "friend" as the OP.
We are going to Alaska on HAL in aug 08. We have reserved open seating(wait listed for early) . How are tips handled , the tip is automatically added to our onboard account . Who gets the tips for dining waiter and assistant?
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Forget to mention - I have a real problem with a tip for the Cheif Housekeeper
who we NEVER saw??? I would rather give our cabin steward and his assistant extra money (which we did). What happens to all the crew you never see?? like the cooks and cleaning people. They work pretty darn
hard as well or does everyone pool their tips and is divided evenly??
We tipped separately on Celebrity but Princess automatically adds so much per day.
Actually I would have no problem tipping the chief housekeeper if the service was excellent after all employees do not do a great job if they are not properly trained od supervised. Besides I doubt the cruiselines pay them that well. Also you do not see the dishwasher (for example)but that doesn't mean they don't work hard.
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Joe
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Stiffing the wait staff on the last night
I had one couple,and one single girl do the ol disapearing act when it was time to tip the wait staff on the monarch of the seas--thats not cool or there just cheap 
even a couple dollars would be great.
so do have to see them at times but not on a one on one basis.
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