tipping advice
 

we are sailing on the Ruby Princess-3 adults, 3 children-2 cabins. Out cruise automatically adds the gratuity to our bill. I have been told to opt out of this and tip individuals as we see fit. I am not an expert cruisers. Please give me your opinions on this option. What are the advantages or disadvantages? Thanks

It's a hassle to tip crew memebers individually. I've also read that if you opt-out and tip indiviudally, they still have to "pool" that tip. So what's the point.

Usually, when we book a cruise we get somekind of onboard credit that will cover the auto tips anyway.

Go to cruisecritic.com and on the Princess boards do a search for 'tips' and read everything before making a decision.

Leave the auto tip on unless over the course of the cruise the service is bad which would be very, very unusual.

Whoever you tip, they are required to give up the cash in a pool to be divided between everybody. Opting out of auto-tips won't do any good. It won't be "as you see fit".

If you have a reason, you can complain and reduce tips, but honestly, they work so hard!

What you give above the auto-tip, if you wish so, will go to the individual.

And it's not only "your cruise" that applies auto-tips, all cruise lines do that.

Here's a quick 2 minute video that should help you:

http://bit.ly/xRfXiD

Good luck!

I don't object to tipping. I just want to know what is the best way to do it. I certainly do object to tipping twice and I do not intend to do it, unless it is very extra ordinary circumstances.

Read the policies on your line usually tipping is "mandatory"
of course making it a surcharge not a tip because the
line is too cheap to pay their folks properly.Almost
always you cannot opt out or all the chiselers would do it.
I also tip extra for special service and do not mind doing so.
cruisecritic.com best info on this. Good service should be
hadsomely rewarded many of these folks are supporting several
family generations on what they are sending home of their tips.I tip these folksdirect cut out the middlemen.

I agree with Qwo on tipping. We leave the auto tip on and tip extra for those individuals who provide extra service. We were surprised in Dec 2011 on our last cruise that the ship had no envelopes in which to put the "extra" money, so we just handed the bills to each individual with a few words of thanks. I do wonder about pooling those kind of tips, as who would know about the extra money? Would do it exactly the same,just wondering if that is really true about sharing?

"And it's not only "your cruise" that applies auto-tips, all cruise lines do that."

No, different cruise lines have different policies. See:

http://intltravelnews.com/2011/11/hi...pping-policies

and scroll down.

If I were going to cruise (and I need to be a lot more decrepit before I consider it), I would pick a line that included tips in the cost of the cruise up front.

Undortuantely, that's part of the whole business. Just be aware of the "hidden" cost and the tipping is part of it.

There are also lots of things that is not incldued on a cruise, such as soft drinks, specialty coffees etc. Milk and juice are also not included (except for breakfast).

I can't beleive I am saying this out loud but you can opt out of auto tipping on the last day and they will reverse your charges. But to be fair, why do the hard working employees get screwed?

If you thing only cruise ships employees depends on tips to make a living, think again. Many service staff working in the USA makes only $2.13 per hour and depends on tips to make a decent wage. See the US minimum wage info here: http://www.dol.gov/whd/state/tipped.htm

Let's assume for a moment that you tip a modest 15% at a restauarnt when you are home when dining out; and you may tip more when the service is wonderful.

Let's say a breakfast is $10 and lunch is $15 and dinner is $25, taht's all per person, so that would be $50 per person per day. 15% of $50 would have been $7.50 per person per day (since you will have almost 3 meals a day on the ship). You may leave a tip for the maid (a few bucks per night) when you stayed at a hotel. So, does the $10 per day per person sounds too much? Cosnidering that you also receive other services on board.

As to the cruise lines that included tips as part of the fare, the staff still expect tips anyway and the cruise lines just build-in the tip as part of the price. Have you ever booked a dinner at a restaurant for a group? They automatically adde 15% tip to the bill. So yes, it is incldued in the "pirce", and no, you don't have a choice, and yes, the service may be crappy, and no, there is nothing you can do about it as it is part of the price.

To choose a cruise line strictly on tips included policy is fool hardy.

Not to belabor the point, In teh state od New York, minimum cash wage are: $1.10 per hour for chambermaids and $1.60 for service staff. If they don't depend on tips to make a living, I would be really surprised.

Just because tipping is part of US culture (and tax policy) doesn't mean it is everywhere else, although Americans sometimes seem to have a hard time with that concept.

I did not say I would pick a cruise line ONLY on the basis of its tipping policy, just that it would exclude a number of lines.

From the link I posted, not including the luxury lines:
"Saga Cruises and Thomson Cruises have “no tipping, fully inclusive in price” policies. "
"Tauck World Discovery has a “no tipping, fully inclusive in price” policy."
"Abercrombie & Kent, Celebrity Xpedition, Hurtigruten, Voyages of Discovery and Zegrahm Expeditions have “no tipping, fully inclusive in price” policies."

To me, "no tipping" means exactly that.

is it true that milk and juice are not included in the price? I can't believe that.

There are a lot of things about cruising that are hard to believe. Once you "sign up" it's a lot like the military - you no longer have much control. If you want to cruise, you must accept it. Tipping is one of those things. But non-Americans who do not come from a tip culture may have a problem with cruise tipping and I can feel sympathy for them. As for tipping, it really is an excuse to pay low wages and seem to keep prices reasonable. But because the workers need to live in opur society, I thinks it is reasonable to pay (tip) them. I usually 20% in a restaurant, but maybe more in an inexpensive place where even 20% seems like very little. I used to hope - 50 years ago- that tipping would go away, but it has expanded.

Yes Milk and Juice is not included except for Breakfast.

Best cruise tipping advice I ever got and some of the best money I have ever spent - on first AM of cruise leave a small additional tip ($5-10) in envelope for cabin steward. If you have a small request like extra pillows, etc, ask for that at same time.

You are then almost certain to get a little better service while on the cruise - things like getting cabin made up first or having close attention paid to when you leave for breakfast and making up cabin then.

I never needed milk, but I would be surprised if they wouldn't give it with coffee.

You can save a couple of packages from breakfast if you have a fridge in your cabin.

The difference between the tipping culture and the non-tipping culture is quite simple: it is called wage equality.

In cultures where tip is needed, the people who work in the service sector received a much lower pay as the society feel the tip is part of the income, rather than a "gratis".

In cultures where tip is not needed, the service staff receive same pay as non service employees. I guess if a waiter gets paid $25 an hour, then no tipping is necessary. But then would you pay $20 for a burger instead of $10?

In certain countries, service industry employees are looked upon as careers where as in North America, it is looked upon as a temporary stop gap job or something "beneath " them.

That explains the sad state of the hospitality industry and the plight of their workers.

I was thinking of the milk and juice for the kids to drink during the day. The minimun wage in Canada is between 9 and 10 dollars. I had no idea it was so low in the U.S.

I like the idea of giving a tip at the beginning to get extra services

Hi Ita, the milk is dispensed on the buffet table and is on ice. Pick up a couple extra during breakfast and put them in your cabin's mini fridge. We carry a water bottle with us so you can put juice in it (from the dispenser) and store them in your mini fridge too! Some ships, however, do not have juice dispensers and they pour you a glass when ask. We have asked for milk at dinner in the dinning room and was provided to us free. ALmsot all ships provide unsweeten ice tea for free throughout the whole day and thr whole ship.

Beaware that the cruise card is also a credit card. Make sure the kids don't go crazy at the ice cream bars. A soft serve ice cream cone is free, but a double scoop, dip, springles, milk shakes, sundaes are not. Anytime someone ask for the cruise card, it means extra $$$. Educate your kids.

The US service staff wages are very low in most States, but not all. Even in Canada, at elast in Alberta, there is a different minimum wage rate between servers who serve liquor comapre to the "normal" minimum wage. The gap is small but it is a dangerous trend.

Tipping at the beginning is a good idea, but only provide a small modest tip at first. Everyone receive a share of the auto tips but some receive more than others. Typically, those who come into contact with the passengers more frequently get a bigger share (server and cabin steward).

We tip the coffee bar, the pizza guy, the omlette station etc. They will recognize you and offer you "extra" service.

We also tip the cabin steward (we ask for bath robes for teh stay and to receive fresh ice daily) and we gave him/her $5 just to start (when tehy brought the bath robes). If we are happy for the entire trip, we give more later.

We also tip the bus boy early (just $5 or so) but not the waiter. Get an excuse to get the bus boy to get you stuaff - milk, as an example, and then give him the tip. You will get your milk every day before you get there.

The reason you don't tip the waiter is that the waiter will know you had tipped the busboy so there is some expectation (hope?) for a tip from you so they will pay attention through out.

When you ask for the extra lobster tails on lobster night and they delivered, (and trust me, they will), you can consider giving the waiter the extra tip at that time.

On one particular cruise, the server was so obvious (looking to make extra tips) that it was embrassing. We didn't even have to ask (or hint) for extras, they just piled up the plates. When the dinner came and DW's plate had 3 lobster tails and everyone else had only one ...

Have fun and don't sweat the tip, next time, build it into your budget and consider it as part of the price. Other than tips, we build into our budget the specialty coffees, shore excursions etc.

All the mass market ships are doingthe same thing so if you want to make comaprisons, they woudl be simialr.

I've never been on a cruise where you couldn't get milk or juice at times other than breakfast. That includes Carnival, Royal Carribean, NCL, Celebrity.

It kind of makes me think - what would be the point? If I had to ration my breakfast milk for later in the day I would tell them to stuff it.

it seems that to avoid being stiffed, you have to be on guard constantly. This is not my idea of a vacation. I will seriously consider whether to take further family cruises.

Thanks for the tip re the children and the cruise card. I think that the service staff should get confirmation from an adult before they let kids order excessively.

You "hope" the service staff should get confirmation from an adult ... but it doesn't happen. They ask for the card, swipe it and ask the kids to sign it. Once it is signed, the purchase is complete.

A cruise holiday is a great holiday, but it is not for everyone. We do both cruise and land holidays and ultimately, we found cruise holidays more relaxing, and good value for our needs.

Others enjoyed all inclusive resorts but we never found them attractive even with dirt cheap prices.

We had taken our children to cruises when they were young teenagers and they enjoyed the freedom and the responsibility that came with it. We didn't encounter any extraordinary purchases and they found out where all the free stuffs were and what were extra billed. The biggest expense they had was spending a few dollars on the video arcade.

If this is your first cruise, ask a lot of questions here before you go, check out the fodor cruise info section http://www.fodors.com/cruises/ and also take a look at the cruise critic first time cruiser tips http://www.cruisecritic.com/ftc/ You should find a lot of good information, and ddon't be discouraged.

Milk and juice are generally not available other than breakfast time. If you ask the staff, they should provide them for free. Just that it is so much more convienent to have them handy when you needed it, without having to wait for it. (Remember the $5 tip to the bus boy at the dining room?)

DW drinks hot water so we have a small thermos and we filled it with hot water each night on our own when we do our "wandering" around the ship. I guess we could have ordered hot water from room services, ask teh cabin steward to fill it, or went up to the buffet when we needed it, but is is so much more handy when it is right there when you needed it.

Go ahead and relax and enjoy your cruise before you come to any conclusion. Don't let anxiety take over. I would love to read your trip report here, based on a first timer experience. That would be very interesting and give people a different perspective, as well as helping other first timers.

Good luck and have a wonderful cruise vaction!

"I think that the service staff should get confirmation from an adult before they let kids order excessively."

But then the cruise company would make less money. The real profit is not on the price of the cruise, but on what you spend on board and on buying excursions.

Very true statement indeed that the cruise ships make money on what you spend on board rather than the cruise fare itself.

If you don't drink, don't buy the photos, don't buy the jewerelly or souvenirs, don't go to the casinos, and don't book the ship's excursions, it would be a very inexpensive holidays.

I would say people who do that is a minority. As we cruise more, we bought less photoes and less souvenirs. We are not heavy drinkers and we are not gamblers so what we spent on board is minimal.

If the adult was there, the adult would have signed for it. It would be hard for the service staff to get the confirmation from an adult if the adult was not there, and they are not in a position to refuse service.

Some cruise lines issue a different card to younger children so that they are IDs and cabin key cards only, but cannot be used to charge for things. that is a good compromise. You can ask for them specifically if you do not want your children to charge things into your account.

My problem would be the drink, lol. I like a glass of wine with dinner. I did read a suggestion that you could buy a bottle and then bring it to future meals, is that right? I gather several lines don't let you bring your own alcohol on board....

I am not a first time cruiser. I have been on a cruise to South America and twice to Alaska, once with 3 grandsons. I do not remember any problems with tipping. I am learning about it from these forums. The only problem I remember was with the oldest grandson who charged video games above his allotment and he was required to pay me back. I do not remember problems about what the children could drink.

I will write a trip report. I am a very experienced traveller, but taking 6 people on a cruise is expensive and becoming aware of all the extra charges is concerning. Alcohol and gambling is not a concern for us. We don't gamble and drink sparingly, We have booked our excursions and are doing everything we want at a cost of about $500. Our only disappointment is for 2 who want to swim with the dolphins, but we have another commitment that day.

I am a very informed traveller and like to know what I am getting into. We will have a very good time (if the kids behave) and I will let you all about it. If someone wants something that is not included we will pay for it. What would bother me is if I didn't know about all this. That is why I am a slave to Fodor's forums. Thank you for all the info.

Thursdayd, there are distinct alchol policy from each cruise line and they are usually posted at their web sites.

Almost all will let you bring your own wine, all they do is charge you a "corkage" fee, typically anywhere form $10 to $20 per bottle. If you drink very expensive wine that the ship does not carry, then it would be worth your while. If you drink what the ships usually carries, then it is questionable to bring your own.

We are not heavy drinkers but enjoy a glass of wine here adn tehre, we just buy from the ship and couldn't be bothered with lugging it around. I know people who brings bottled water, soft drinks ect on board.

And yes, you can buy a bottle and ask them to save it for another day (or time). They do it all the time. The question is how long will it keep after it was open before it turns bad, some keeps longer than other. All they do is just pop the cork back in half way and that's it. They don't do any extra with it.

Ita, looking forward to your trip report and go have a great time!

Eschew - thanks for the info. I had read that some lines treated bottles of wine as contraband. I suppose I could take my Vacu-Vin along for use instead of corks. (See http://www.vacuvin.com/270/Vacuum_Wine_Saver.html - although mine is older and less fancy.) I live alone and only drink one glass with dinner, and it keeps the wine drinkable for several days.

Regarding kids and cruise cards - it is possible to get kids cruise cards with no charging ability - you do it when you board. (At least that was the case on several lines when our kids were minors)

The small tip in advance practice also got our son enough crab legs at one dinner so that his plate looked the deck of Deadliest Catch episode.

I forget about the cruise card. How do you wear it? Do the kids have it around their necks or wrists?

There are pros and cons to no charging ability. It is a good learning experience. I would like the kids to be able to charge if they do it responsibily. You have to know your customers (kids react differently) and keep a close check.

You can get a lanyard and they can wear it around their neck. They can punch a hole on it and hook the card on it, or you buy the lanyard with a pocket.

Older kids can carry it in their pocket.

I did not find tipping a problem. It seemed natural to do what we did. We went with the add on gratuities and then gave extra gratuities to the waiter who was very nice to the kids and to our cabin steward.

ita, how as the crusie? and did you like the ship? Looking forward to your TR, and your experience with the extra bodies in tow.

Just went on my first P & O Australia cruise. They don't auto add tips. I was expecting it on our bill. I checked later and their website said that they had changed it. A friend who had cruised before told us to cancel the auto tips. I decided that I wouldn't do that as I figured there were so many people behind the scenes that we didn't see and they should be rewarded just as much as the waiter who brings us our dinner.

Here is my dilemma. When you leave an xx% tip on the table in a place where the American custom prevails, how much of it is a salary supplement and how much of it is for excellent service? If you don't know, how can your waitress/cabin attendant know? And if they don't know, what happened to the concept of a 'tip' being a recognition of above-average service? Where is the incentive? Seems to me the concept is bugged.

Secondly, why do some posters claim that you must tip "because they work so hard and have families to support"? What happened to the concept of a fair and just wage/salary?

In conclusion I find it appalling that tourists are expected to conform to an AMerican system which is based on slave wages. It is just the passing of a legitimate operating cost on to the consumer. Why do Americans accept this Middle Ages system?

I want to know my total cost when I contract for something, and I want to tip for exceptional service, not to supplement salaries. Simple!!

Rockknocker-I don't know where you're from, but I agree with you, and I'm from the U.S. We do leave the auto. tips in place because we do get very good service on most cruises. Have only removed them once due to terrible service. On one 27 day cruise had we tipped according to the recommendations we would have left hundreds of dollars in tips. We tipped as we saw fit on the last night to those who really did a wonderful job and did go above and beyond the expectations. I think tipping in the U.S. has gotten way out of hand.

It was 10%, then 12%. It is "only" 15% now but I have seen anywhere from 17% to 20% for some places. Do you see 25% in the horizon or maybe 100% sometime in the not too distant future?

The tipping is not restricted to the crusie industry but restauarnts, hair dressers, tour guides, taxi drivers, and most service inustry in general as well. There are places that I have come across (especially in East Asia) where they added a 10% service fee and the staff is still expecting a "tip" over and above.

The staff claimed that the 10% service fee was kept by the house and they only get a small percentage of it. The kitche, the manager all receive a share of the pool.