how much extra to tip cruise staff

Dont Shes always win, I know Mrs G does. Road service: This includes jump starting your battery or towing your car. Cruise ship gratuity, service charge and tipping guide: Everything to Instead, write them a note of appreciation or mention them specifically in any positive reviews of your trip. This is a place to discuss anything and everything about cruising, working on cruise ships, and experiencing the lifestyle of cruising! Therefore, it may be a good idea to give extra tips for that reason alone. Many of the room service items on DCL are available free of charge. Maybe we're cruising wrong, or maybe we're generally self-service kind of peopleidk. ", Tipping guide: Heres who should get a tip and, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Tipping guide: Heres who should get a tip and how much. They will likely stop by your table to greet you during dinner, but otherwise its not immediately clear what they do to merit a gratuity. Room service tipping on the app was not offered to me on any of these trips. On one cruise we had an amazing waiter but only four out of eight paid the set gratuities. The first is to pre-pay cruise gratuities when you book your reservation. Pin Cruise line tipping policies vary from one cruise company to another. Bar tabs (at the coffee bars and at the traditional bars) on the Disney Cruise Line ships have an automatic 18% gratuity added. Not so much more ships, it's just more people.". Among them is "The Cruise Guy" Stewart Chiron, an industry expert who has been on over 300 cruises. Cruise Critic staff have all individually adopted a practice of tipping a little extra on top of our prepaid gratuities, especially if the service goes above and beyond. Guests often find this confusing. Your folio (cruise bill) will be billed the standard amount (or youve paid the standard amount in advance) and that amount will be automatically distributed to your crew team. How do you know there are MANY? My opinion only you do you I dont think that bare minimum level of tipping is adequate for the impeccable service youre getting at these restaurants. On the other hand, the head server position is a bit of a black box. Some items we would also add. The gratuities are supplemental income for the international crew, who often work for low base wages knowing that tips will help augment the amount they are paidin a similar manner to the tips waiters at your local restaurant receive. Cruisers staying in suites and other high end staterooms are charged higher daily gratuities. Viking River Cruises offer two ways to manage your gratuities: you can relax and enjoy your journey by pre-purchasing gratuities on My Viking Journey at our standard recommended rate of US$18 per guest per day; or, we will automatically add a discretionary service charge of 15 per guest per day . The biggest advice Chiron said he gives first-time cruise-goers is to "research online, but don't book online." The recommended gratuity is $15.50 per person, per night of sailing, compared to $14.50 for non-Concierge rooms. If you really care about your crew team, the best thing you can do to reward them is by giving them EXCELLENT (not Very Good) ratings on the comment card youll get on your last night onboard. So, if it is unclear, it is acceptable to ask if and which tips have been automatically charged to your bill. In such cases, its usually stated on the cruise lines website or in your cruise contract. It was just the two of us. 13 Posted October 13, 2021 I would like to get a general idea on what the average is from everyone on additional tips if any for the stateroom attendant, Head waiter, waiter, and assistant waiter respectively. Tipping wait staff extra - how much? - Cruise Critic Big ships will automatically add a gratuity of about 18 percent to your massage at the spa or to a blowout in the salon. Yes, this means a sit-down meal where you can order seven appetizers, five entres, and 12 extra cookies for a midnight snack. We have given extra $20 to waiters who have been really good - changing vegetables from set meals, etc. Ask a thousand people and youll get a thousand different answers. In short, even if youre not eating dinner in the main dining rooms, youre all but certain to be using waiter services during other portions of your trip. Even though cruise gratuities technically aren't mandatory, they are customary on most mainstream cruise lines. Some cruise lines have access to discounted flights and allow you to bundle your airfare with your cruise. These cash tips can be given at the time of service or at the conclusion of your trip. There is no specific amount youre required to tip for food. If a cruise includes a pre- or post-cruise hotel night, consider leaving a gratuity for the housekeeping staff at the hotelI typically leave $2 to $5 per day. For example, food preparation, general housekeeping and maintenance, laundry and other important positions may receive a percentage. The costs are based on the cruise line and your cabin type. There is an 18% gratuity automatically added to the price of any alcohol you purchase at the onboard adult dining venues (Remy, Enchant, and Palo). The person who washes your hair should get $1 to $5. This is a respectful way to advise the crew ahead of time about your plans. Others might tip more or less. Should You Tip Extra for Cruise Staff / Crew Members 2023 - CruiseGear The porters that handle your luggage in port will appreciate a tip. #1 Posted January 24, 2022 We are new to the Retreat and want to do the right thing regarding tipping the Concierge. If you find a favorite spot at the same bar, chances are quite good that the bartender will learn your name (and maybe even your choice of beverage). if your number was $39 and his $50 split the difference and make it $40. Whether or not to tip a cruise ship bartender is at each passengers discretion. Prior to doing so, however, speak with someone at the front desk (pursers desk or reception desk) to try to resolve the issues. You do what feels right for you, that includes adding to your part of the tip if you feel the server deserves it., Lois K. Solomon is a reporter for the South Florida Sun Sentinel and writes a weekly newsletter, "Essential South Florida," and a column, "Ask Lois. Adding a note written/colored by your child is a nice touch. It turns out that the waitstaff does much more than serve you dinner. What are the Best Travel Destinations to Visit in 2023? 1. This will allow you to add an appropriate gratuity AND avoid double tipping. We're not just walking the walk, either. It used to be that cruise ships really had the main dining room(s), and you ate at the same table with your same tablemates at every meal. If you feel that the service was unsatisfactory, you can bring it to the attention of the management and adjust the tip accordingly. The bare bones Disney Cruise Line gratuity amount is currently $14.50, per person, per night, for guests staying in non-concierge staterooms. On our last cruise, inJune, I had just finished chemo and my taste was way off. But now, on most cruise lines, guests can choose to dine wherever and whenever they likea tipping pool ensures that everyone who takes care of passengers receives a tip. You can, of course, increase that amount based on your experience on the excursion. Tipping wait staff extra - how much? - Cruise Critic I dont have any hard statistics. If so, who would you tip? 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. .css-18jw8gc{-webkit-appearance:none;-moz-appearance:none;-ms-appearance:none;appearance:none;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;justify-content:center;-webkit-user-select:none;-moz-user-select:none;-ms-user-select:none;user-select:none;position:relative;white-space:nowrap;vertical-align:middle;outline:2px solid transparent;outline-offset:2px;line-height:1.2;border-radius:var(--chakra-radii-md);transition-property:var(--chakra-transition-property-common);transition-duration:var(--chakra-transition-duration-normal);height:auto;min-width:var(--chakra-sizes-10);font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);background:none;border:0;color:black;display:inline;margin:0px;padding:0!important;font-family:var(--chakra-fonts-Roboto);font-weight:500;padding-top:0.625rem;padding-bottom:0.625rem;-webkit-padding-start:1rem;padding-inline-start:1rem;-webkit-padding-end:1rem;padding-inline-end:1rem;}.css-18jw8gc:focus-visible,.css-18jw8gc[data-focus-visible]{box-shadow:var(--chakra-shadows-outline);}.css-18jw8gc:disabled,.css-18jw8gc[disabled],.css-18jw8gc[aria-disabled=true],.css-18jw8gc[data-disabled]{opacity:0.4;cursor:not-allowed;box-shadow:var(--chakra-shadows-none);}.css-18jw8gc:active,.css-18jw8gc[data-active]{border:var(--chakra-borders-none);background:none;}.css-18jw8gc:hover,.css-18jw8gc[data-hover]{border:var(--chakra-borders-none);background:none;}.css-18jw8gc:focus,.css-18jw8gc[data-focus]{border:var(--chakra-borders-none);outline:2px solid transparent;outline-offset:2px;box-shadow:var(--chakra-shadows-none);}Cookie Consent, Dining room staff on Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas (Photo: Royal Caribbean International), What to Expect on a Cruise: Tipping Crewmembers on a Cruise. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. If anyone has given us outstanding service, we will tip extra at the end of the week. For our upcoming cruise I have booked a Haven cabin. Valet: If I am driving a Ferrari and I am at the Ritz, $20, otherwise $2 to $5, Murphy said. Even if included, you are free to add more for service that goes above and beyond. Americans tip in dollars and those dollars are converted by the recipients into their home country currencies worth fractions (sometimes small fractions) of a dollar. I would suggest asking her if it is all right to tip her. - November 4, 2022 If you're a first-time cruiser, then there's little doubt that you have questions about gratuities and tipping on your cruise. This means tipping on your upcoming cruise (and topping up on your prepaid tips if you can afford it) is more important and appreciated than ever -- even if you've already opted-into prepaid gratuities. Is it routine to give extra in cash at the end of the cruise to staff such as bartenders, your butler, waiter, or room steward? Youth activities staff are not normally tipped. The amount you tip is at your discretion. He's SUPER impre. There are three basic ways to pay tips on a cruise vacation. Other suites and The Haven see a charge of $25.00 per person, per day. One member of our party never ate in a main dining room. Glad your BF is loving his first cruise! I thought I heard somewhere that you can tip for room service in the app. All they really have to do for us is make up the bed and clean and restock the the bathroom. Salas said they should get a minimum of $2 if they open the door for you or hail you a cab. All rights reserved. For a five day, we do $50 at the beginning of the cruise and $50 at the end. 3 Quote Kayleigh Members 81 Posted April 15, 2022 We tipped our porter as well as our stateroom attendant. In Santorini, for example, he said cruise passengers are required to take a smaller tender boat to shore, and then hop on a tram in order to get to town. Tips for bar personnel are usually included in the bar bill at a rate of 15 to 20 percent of the total bill. . Must we tip anyone who helps us with an . We've pre-paid gratuities/service chargesnow I'm reading that people tip not only the butler, but the concierge, and I guess there's still cabin steward (not the butler? Per 2017 data, a nurse in a Manilla hospital earns an average of 19,000 Philippines Pesos per month. Cruise ship workers work hard. Many cruise lines add an automatic tip to bar and spa bills; check your bill, as you do not need to add an additional tip. More sharing options. Airport shuttle bus: $1 to $10, depending on length of drive and service. That said, at a bare minimum you should tip at least 20% for the food bill. "I think a lot of people get caught up with some of these sales. It's always a good rule of thumb to arrive at least one day before your cruise departs, especially if you're flying to the port . All expenses accrued (and not included in the price of your trip) will be due at the end of the voyage. Not all cruise lines, or cruise ships for that matter, cater to the same kind of clientele. If you want to adjust the amount, go to the reception desk. Daily grats are a fixed $14.50 pp pd, not a % - maybe you are thinking of drinks or other purchases which have an 18% grats. It's personal. These are the startling tipping percentage choices presented to many South Florida restaurant patrons as we pay our bills in 2023. There are, however, some other tipping situations where you will want to have cash on hand (see below). So he's figuring about $50 per person extra tip, which is considerably more than I was thinking. Amount could be increased depending on how challenging the request was, according to Salas. Tipping is customary for spa and salon services. Arrive at the port at least a day before the cruise departs. Cruise Hive was established back in 2008 and among the earliest blogs in the industry. We also tip the MDR staff $20 first night and $20 last night. If youre having trouble figuring out what your partys baseline tip amount will be, head over Scott Sanders excellent Disney Cruise Line Blog to use his DCL Tip Calculator tool. Some people leave $100/passenger for both the waiter and the assistant waiter. 2. Some ships have amenities tailored for kids like water parks, teen clubs, kids menus, and day care options, while other ships are far less accommodating toward young travelers. If the service was wonderful and you want to let them know, leave a tip that you can afford. I believe in tipping what someone is worth, not what is customary in their country. Should the occasion occur that you feel the service on your cruise is consistently below standards, you do have the option to remove the gratuities from your bill. Ialso empty my water glass at least 5 times at dinner (love the ship water!) Here are Salass tipping suggestions for other types of food service: Fast food and take-out: No need to tip, unless its brought out to the curb, then 10%. How much to tip extra on a cruise is entirely up to you because it is in no way required. The same automatic tipping applies in shipboard coffee bars and ice cream shops. Youll see an 18% gratuity added to your bill, but you can always add more. If you can get their name, where they are from, and what department (it helps) you can go to guest services. I guess I'm a cheapie, I usually do $20 for the wait staff. This baseline amounts will be automatically added to your stateroom bill. How much to tip waiter and his assistant? - Royal Caribbean Blog A typical tip is $5 for one or two suitcases, $10 for two or three suitcases, and additional multiples of that for additional bags. Passengers say that the best benefit to using this method of payment is sticker shock avoidance. Want to give something beyond cash? Also, bring along some envelopes or even a pack of small, printed thank you cards. AFAR participates in affiliate marketing programs, which means we may earn a commission if you purchase an item featured on our site. 2023 AFAR Media. So do nurses. Make sure you mention them by name. Full Guide to Cruise Ship Gratuities for 2021 (Amounts, Etiquette, and Many is a rough guess that about 50-60% of guests give more than the suggested amount. 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We gave $40 extra to the wait staff last cruise I thinkthen $40 extra to some bar staff also. How much should you tip cruise ship employees? - Quora You will be able to leave a comment after signing in. Most frequent travelers keep several dollars on hand to give helpful staff $2-3. This doesn't mean you need to go to extremes. Now, many servers expect at least 20%. And when you get those answers, you cant 100% be sure that what theyve told you is true. Travelers in regular cabins may cough up one amount, while those in fancier suites often pay a higher rate. I know a lot of people don't like tipping. Give whatever you are comfortable with. Fran Golden is an award-winning travel writer who has sailed on some 170 ships to destinations around the world. These folks work incredibly hard to enhance your cruise experience, with no days off for months at a time. While not technically required, tips are generally expected when noted by the cruise line. And DEFINITELY take a photo of your table's placard that lists the table number and staff names, so you can mention them by name in the post-cruise survey. SMALL BITES: Stay cool this summer with Sip & Dip Catamaran Cruise, Like the LeBron effect, businesses look to bring Messi magic to Fort Lauderdale, Hot n cheesy: Ultimate guide to 13 pizza styles that call South Florida home, Built-in software death dates are sending thousands of schools Chromebooks to the recycling bin, A regular visit with your doctor is quickly becoming a thing of the past, How CU Buffs football coach Deion Sanders is changing Boulder, one menu at a time: The guy is unapologetically himself., State Farm Florida is now the states second-largest home insurer. Do you need to tip for drinks, meals, or snacks on a cruise? If you just add 2% to their daily prepaid gratuity, that brings it up to 20%. And, as the time to disembark approaches, make sure you let the crew members whom you have come to know that you appreciate them. They dont have much room for extra stuff. Additionally, they might have allergies or different tastes than yours. If you tip extra above the prepaid, how much? - Cruise Critic If this is your course of action, consider offering a cash tip to those individuals who provided good service during your voyage. I Work on a Cruise Ship: Most Common Mistakes Passengers Make - Insider Cash vs. credit is an ongoing debate, he said. Download the app or check on your cabins TV for up-to-date charges. If you enjoy participating in debates about restaurant tipping practices, check out the Sun Sentinels foodie Facebook page, Lets Eat, South Florida, where strong opinions about when to tip and how much flourish. If you want to see how much tips will be on your cruise, you can use our free gratuity calculator here. Haven tipping - Norwegian Cruise Line - Cruise Critic Community Chiron said he never travels internationally without purchasing trip insurance. Complete guide to tipping on a cruise - Cruiseable Cruise ship employees: Ricci recommends pre-paying so you can save yourself a big headache doing the calculations. There will be occasions for additional tips, he said, such as if servers perform outstanding work. Passengers say that the best benefit to using this. Retreat tipping - Celebrity Cruises - Cruise Critic Community As for our room steward, we have tipped anywhere between $50-100 for the week depending on how good they were. At the end of a cruise, some may also hand off a few dollars to a favorite bar waiter. Either way works. How Much Extra to Tip Cruise Staff - Jaquetta T Ragland Why did she get pushback? Norwegian Cruise Line. The debate continues as to the inclusion of forced cruise gratuities on board ship. One example of this situation is childcare services. Today, we can eat in any number of venues and have a host of different servers. Many river cruise lines include the gratuities, but for those that dont, the suggested range is between $10 and $20 per passenger, per day. Unless you are on an all-inclusive ship that covers gratuities in the cruise fare, such as luxury cruise lines Azamara, Seabourn, Silversea, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, and Virgin Voyages, it is recommended that you tip the crew. With Princess Cruises, for instance, the current tip amount for each passenger staying in interior, ocean-view, and balcony staterooms is $16 per day; for mini suites it's $17 per day; and for suites it's $18 per day. In the real world restaurants, I tip 20% of the total bill every timeI guess I'm struggling with what these different roles are and what they bring to the table? 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. Q&A with James Rodriguez, President & CEO of Atlas Ocean Voyages, Q&A: Cruise Insurance with Steve Dasseos of the TripInsuranceStore.com - Summer Session '23. Updated on May 17, 2023 To tip (extra), or not to tip, the dreaded dilemma on a cruise Bring up the topic of tips & tipping on a cruise ship and you'll get a wide variety of recommendations and no shortage of opinions on both ends of the gratuity spectrum. Tips Included? We wanted to show our appreciation. As the cruise industry continues to rebound from myriad challenges the pandemic has thrown its way, capacity levels on ships, particularly mega ships, have been making a slow comeback. Additionally, Concierge Guests often ask for guidance regarding gratuities for the Concierge Lounge Team (Concierge Managers and the Concierge Servers). A potentially controversial travel hack of Chiron's is to skip disembarkment at the ports he's already been to in order to enjoy the amenities of the ship, sans crowds. Experts say 15% is still OK, even though its often not an obvious selection on tablet screens (in that case, search for a write-in option on the screen). Since all purchases on cruise ships are cashless (with the possible exception of the casino), it is a good idea to keep an eye on your onboard account. This is often an important part of their income stream. Sign up for notifications from Insider! Anything additional that you give is "above and beyond" what they would expect to receive. While it may not sound like much money when quoted as a per person/per day cost, seeing the total on your final onboard bill can feel expensive. And if i really enjoyed them i take picture of our table placard. We've never been disappointed in the room service on the cruises we've taken. The total daily tipping rates for cruise waitstaff, cabin stewards, and other shipboard personnel are typically outlined both on the cruise lines website and on passengers cruise documents that they receive prior to their cruise. The same is true with the entertainment team, with the exception of a piano player performing at a bar who may have a bowl for both tips and song requests. Some say we are not compensated adequately for what we do,but I love my job. Quote Disney recommends that these folks receive a gratuity amount of $8.00 per night, per stateroom guest. Answer (1 of 6): The other answers are pretty good too. Sorry forgot the second half of your question @Julie. "This year was my third consecutive summer at Mykonos and Santorini and the difference between this year and last year is significant. Tip these folks in cash depending on the size of your party and the level of attention you receive. If $50 is within your budget, go ahead. That's if memory serves?? Some guests prefer to have a larger portion of their cruise expense paid in advance, often because this helps their budgeting process. The options start at 18% and get higher from there. Our last two cruises, on HAL and NCL, didn't have wait staff that was worth any extra. Airport employees who help move your luggage from the conveyor belt to your transportation or push your wheelchair to your gate: $5 to $20, Hassan said. If you have kids in the cruises children's program you can tip the staff if you want . duct tape. Pedicure or manicure: $5 or $10, Ricci said. It really is a personal choice. "There's a lot of ships that are just really incredible for kids and there are ships that aren't," Chiron told Insider. If you have the wherewithal to take a Disney Cruise Line vacation, the addition of a de minimus tip will mean significantly more to them than it will to you. And, the crew will still get their regular share even though you have received a discount on the cost. How much you tip on cruise excursions is entirely up to you, but a suggested starting price is $3 per person for a half-day tour and $6 per person for a full-day tour for the guide and $1 to $2 for the bus driver. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Typical extra tips may be $15-20 per passenger for a seven-day cruise paid to the cabin steward for exceptional work, or an extra $10-20 per passenger to a waiter who offered spectacular. On your bill, cruise gratuities may be listed in several different ways: tips, service charges, crew appreciation fees, crew incentives and others. Mountains of Colorado. Dateline Philippines | ANC (15 July 2023) - Facebook He's SUPER impressed with our wait staff, who havebeen giving the standard great service I've always experienced from wait staff in the MDR. We usually buy the drink package that has an 18 percent tip built in, but add an extra dollar to each order, which keeps ourglasses full and service fast. We have also tipped some bartenders who went above and beyond (had our drinks ready when we go there, knew us by name, etc).

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how much extra to tip cruise staff