Thread: Cruise Tipping versus Hotel Tipping

Originally Posted by BritGuyEspana

I have to seriously question why anybody would tip on a one night stay in a hotel. Just WHAT did you expect when you paid your bucks for the room? Did you expect the pits and are so overwhelmed that it is nice that you feel humbly obliged to recognize this?
Soon, somewhere this stupidity will have to stop. Possibly the horrendous situation that we are all about to dive into might just be the trigger that brings this about.
Please. tip when it is deemed that the hotel staff went above and beyond but in my experience of hotels in over 70 countries I have only thought on very few occasions that this was a viable option.
Tipping for tipping sake, because you somehow feel obliged to or you feel you will be regarded as a cheapscate, is not the answer and in my opinion devalues the whole experience.
Tipping for excellence is a different matter but PLEASE do not tip because our ridiculous society has ingrained upon you that you must do this. Please be of independant mind and action and not follow the herd.

What I hear you saying is that we should not tip anyone who does their job in the manner in which we are expecting them to perform unless they go above and beyond what is expected. By this way of thinking, we should not tip waiters, luggage handlers, cab drivers, stateroom attendants, etc, etc. unless they perform above what is normally expected, which in most situations is very difficult to do given some job limitations and requirements. Besides, what one person thinks is above and beyond, another will consider normal.

And, by this way of thinking, if we do not provide a tip for someone doing their job, how do we punish those who do not perform well?

Having been a waiter in my early days, as well as other service-oriented jobs, I understand both sides of the situation. Since many of these people work for wages that are at or below minimum wage, as they are in jobs relying on tips for the majority of their pay, I hope I never become so uncaring about those who provide a service to me that I would never provide a gratuity to them for doing their job.

I provide no tip for those who perform below my expectations. I provide a normal tip for those who perform up to my expecations in a normal manner. And I provide a larger tip for those who perform above my expectations. This is not following any 'herd' or feeling 'obliged' or 'tipping for tipping sake'. This is a common courtesy I wish to follow based on my own independently-minded moral code while showing my appreciation.

Pete