RiverSong 403 Posted October 2, 2013 Report Share Posted October 2, 2013 I am never sure which way is best with regards to tips? Do/Can I pre pay them? Do I leave them on my on board account? Do I just give it to the crew member direct? I have no problem with tipping the crew just don't want them to lose out if I leave it on the on board account, also I don't agree that I should make up their wages. Which way do you think is best? Thank you iaincheshire 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
loulou 8 Posted October 2, 2013 Report Share Posted October 2, 2013 i like to tip the crew member personally as you never know who actually gets it if you pre pay, at least then you know the person deserves it. Chaucer, flyingfish and bootneck32 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Firefly 21 Posted October 2, 2013 Report Share Posted October 2, 2013 These people depend on the tips for their wages, I always think that if you pre pay at least everyone gets their fare share. If you just give it to the visible person that has served you then other people behind the scenes may lose out and what they do surely is just as important in the runnning of things. I once sat on a table with a gentleman who only gave his left over foreign currency as a tip at the end of the cruise - it was nowhere near enough and it made me so mad!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
WAVES 125 Posted October 2, 2013 Report Share Posted October 2, 2013 i like to tip people when i see them Quote Link to post Share on other sites
angel 121 Posted October 2, 2013 Report Share Posted October 2, 2013 I don't mind tipping if i know that the people that deserve it are actually getting it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tigerlilly 97 Posted October 3, 2013 Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 i hate it on the last night when people suddenly dont go to dinner so they dont have to tip! grrrrr they are infuriating! whisper and flyingfish 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RiverSong 403 Posted October 3, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 I could never do that, don't mind tipping always has fantasic service Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tigerlilly 97 Posted October 3, 2013 Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 me too Quote Link to post Share on other sites
caerglowhill 8 Posted October 10, 2013 Report Share Posted October 10, 2013 Tips are given to the people who tend to our needs ie. Cabin valet, table waiters, I understand it's all down to teamwork and they should all benefit, the problem would not arise if wages related to skill Quote Link to post Share on other sites
seawitch 291 Posted October 10, 2013 Report Share Posted October 10, 2013 we have always tipped ,even making a trip down to the main restaurant on the last night to tip the waiters before going for a birthday meal in a specialty restaurant . With the rise of pre- paying tips we have decided to compromise we leave one lot of tips on automatic, then we top up extra tips for the cabin steward and waiters. if we had freedom dining we would leave the tips on automatic as we wouldn't have the same waiters every night. I think we would still give an exceptional cabin steward extra even if we had paid the tips on the shipboard account. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest shilly3191 Posted October 12, 2013 Report Share Posted October 12, 2013 Dont always believe that by removing auto tips and giving cabin steward/waiters tips personally that they keep them there is a high chance that the cruise lines make them hand them in and pool them along with the auto tips. This is the method they use in most land based restaurants for years where they are all pooled and then shared amongst everybody weekly/monthly. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
steve874 0 Posted October 20, 2013 Report Share Posted October 20, 2013 We always remove auto tips, preferring to tip personally to the people concerned. Do the cruise ships actually say that the pooled tips are distributed to all parties? I heard on one cruise that if the people dont get "Excellent" in the passenger questionaire then their tips are docked? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Northern Star 166 Posted October 20, 2013 Report Share Posted October 20, 2013 On our last P & O cruise we used the auto tips,however we have in the past tipped the waiters and cabin steward on the last evening . I was a bit concerned that perhaps the waiters missed out but I asked our waiter and cabin steward and they assured me that they did in fact get the tips. Our cabin steward was excellent and we felt he warranted an additional tip and so gave him extra in the usual envelope on our last evening. There was much discussion around the tipping methods on our last cruise with some passengers opting out of the auto tipping but the staff need these tips for good service. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dst87 353 Posted October 20, 2013 Report Share Posted October 20, 2013 I like leaving the daily charge on or pre-paying where possible. It removes any worry about having to tip and the (in my view) subservient relationship of slipping someone an envelope of cash. I think some people prefer it because it makes them feel important or good about themselves. I'm happy to auto-tip. I'm happy to add a little extra on the receipt if I feel service has been exceptional in a bar or lounge (even on Celebrity where 15% is included on ex. UK cruises). It's important to ensure that these are spread out fairly, and I don't believe that handing your waiter and cabin attendant an envelope of cash at the end of the cruise accurately compensates everyone who has made your trip great. We always remove auto tips, preferring to tip personally to the people concerned. Do the cruise ships actually say that the pooled tips are distributed to all parties? I heard on one cruise that if the people dont get "Excellent" in the passenger questionaire then their tips are docked? I believe this was rumoured to happen on P&O. I don't know the current state of things and agree that I don't want tips going to the cruise line. beartoes 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jayneez49 1 Posted October 20, 2013 Report Share Posted October 20, 2013 I agree with DST87, We pay tips up front as there are lots of crew that make the Cruise special, The Kitchen Crew who cook all the food, The Laundry,etc, etc. There are a lot of behind the scenes Crew who all work to make our holidays special. We just give a little extra to cabin staff, our own waiter etc, but they all work so hard. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
James Ikpeme 4 Posted October 20, 2013 Report Share Posted October 20, 2013 I am quite happy for the company to take what they consider is a fair tip and distribute it to their staff. Many of the staff do useful work that affect us, but we do not see them. There are quite a few passengers who do not tip, and use all sorts of devious methods to avoid tipping on the last day, eg, just not turning up to the restaurant, and eating elsewhere, or leaving their cabin without saying "goodbye" to the steward. Jayneez49 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fifidemontparnasse 1 Posted October 20, 2013 Report Share Posted October 20, 2013 In the 21st century it is high time that tipping became a thing of the past. Employers should pay their staff a salary that if fair, not making all customers subsidise low wages, sometimes for very poor service. Yes, prices will probably go up, but customers are increasingly wanting all inclusive holidays, so should accept this. Expecting staff to be grateful for that little envelope at the end of a holiday is embarrassing for clients and demeaning to staff - making tipping compulsory does not only reward the excellent staff who take customer service seriously. Come on cruise lines, restaurants, hairdressers etc move with the times and pay staff properly and offer total prices that clients can choose to accept or take their custom elsewhere. RiverSong 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
flyingfish 0 Posted October 20, 2013 Report Share Posted October 20, 2013 Bad service,no tip.Good service,good tip.Excellent service excellent reward.We have all had the odd waiter,steward,or other member of the ship who ,for one reason or another,has been really annoying,why would you tip them for that? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Panthersnotts 22 Posted October 20, 2013 Report Share Posted October 20, 2013 I have said on lots of forums put it on the price of the cruise then everyone pays...... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mistygrey 0 Posted October 20, 2013 Report Share Posted October 20, 2013 I agree with putting on the price of the cruise. It really annoys me when people take off the automatic tip with the excuse that they prefer to give to individuals. So do they go and find the chef who cooked their food, or the laundry man who washed their sheets?....I think not, the automatic tips are much fairer, as they are divided between all of these very hard workers,not just your waiter or cabin steward. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lintee 6 Posted October 20, 2013 Report Share Posted October 20, 2013 Whatever the rights and wrongs of tips being relied upon to ensure adequate income it is a fact of life when cruising and we don't intend to let worrying about it spoil our holiday. We were told, however, by our cabin steward that if their satisfaction scores on the end of cruise questionnaire don't hit a certain score from all the cabins they service the auto tips are withheld. We have found that he amount applied for auto-tipping on P & O is actually less than we felt appropriate prior to it's application. It is way less than other cruise lines we have used. We rather like it as it means we can manage our on-board spend, especially using the on-board account screen on the interactive TV. We then usually hand a little more to anyone we feel has gone the extra mile for u.. Job done! Lintee Quote Link to post Share on other sites
The Don 11 Posted October 21, 2013 Report Share Posted October 21, 2013 This is a very controversial point. whilst reading P&O's blurb between the lines it would appear that the tips are not distributed evenly,as it says that if a crew member gets a good report from the passengers they get extra, so how can that be even distribution? How can you give an excellent remark to someone who toils in the bowels of the ship never sees the light of day or a passenger for the whole of the cruise. Quite frankly all the cruise lines are at it making the passengers increase the pittance they pay the crew. People seem to forget that T.I.P.S is an acronym for :- TO IMPROVE PROMPT SERVICE Quote Link to post Share on other sites
eyes12 82 Posted November 7, 2013 Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 i agree mistygrey the service is so good by eveyone why would you want to take them off !!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NICOLE 56 Posted November 7, 2013 Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 Automatic tips are good so you dont have to think about it. Also us Brits seem to be embarrassed about tipping so it solves that too Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tigerlilly 97 Posted November 7, 2013 Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 does anyone know if ncl put the gratuities onto your onboard account? can you remove them? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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