Thread: Tipping on A Cruise : Do you agree with this article.

Here is an article I read over at itipping.com

Several cruise ship lines, such as Carnival Cruise Lines, automatically charge you for tips and gratuity at the start of the cruise. Tipping on Princess Cruise Ship or on the Crown Princess is also automatic -- according to the Princess Cruise Line web site, a hotel and dining charge of $10 per day per person is added to your shipboard account. Automatic tip charges can usually be increased or decresaed at the Purser's Reception desk onboard.

On some cruise ship lines, including Radisson Seven Seas, Seabourn, Silversea and Windstar, tipping is not required, according to their web sites.

Most other cruise ship lines recommend tips totalling about $9-$13 a day, and most automatic tipping programs are in this range. Here are average tips for each person that we've compiled:

Cruise Ship Tipping

Crew Member Average Recommended Daily Tip
Dining Room Waiter $3-$4 a day
Assistant Waiter or Bus Boy $1.50 - $3 a day
Dining Room Maite D' $.50 -$1 a day
Dining Room Head Waiter or Head Server $.50 - $1 a day
Room Steward $3-$4 a day

Disney Cruise Lines's suggested tips fall around the higher-end of the ranges above.

On most cruise ship lines, bar bills already include a 15% tip, and while most permit you to increase or decrease this amount, you are not required to tip additionally.

For spa services on a crew, we recommend the typical tip of 15%-20%, unless it is a cruise line that discourages any kind of tipping, or tips are already included in the spa treatments (Norwegian Cruise Lines is an example of this)..

If you go on excursion in port, we recommend typical tour tipping. If you are pleased with the tour, you can tip $2-$5 to the tour guide for a full day tour, $1-$2 to the driver.


What do you, think Cruise Line Fans.

Are these in line with your standard and best practices?

Thanks for sharing

tim

Yes and I also give extra. On RC you have to sign a form at the pursers desk if you want the tips automatic.

We just count the automatic tipping as part of our cruise fare, and plan on handing out cash tips for exceptional service.
I do find the "suggested tips" charts to be helpful for those of us who are new to all this.

Some have a problem with the auto tip, but it's fine with us ... especially good when using Anytime Dining.

Especially, love having it added to our bar tap!

Naturally, we normally give an additional tip to our room steward, in speciality restaurants, bar tenders, etc. Also, we ALWAYS tip room service.

My DADDY always said to tip any who can be of help to you EARLY and OFTEN .... My DH does the same. It's better to tip EXTRA while you're there ... than when you're gone!

Originally Posted by LuLu

Some have a problem with the auto tip, but it's fine with us ... especially good when using Anytime Dining.

Especially, love having it added to our bar tap!

Naturally, we normally give an additional tip to our room steward, in speciality restaurants, bar tenders, etc. Also, we ALWAYS tip room service.

My DADDY always said to tip any who can be of help to you EARLY and OFTEN .... My DH does the same. It's better to tip EXTRA while you're there ... than when you're gone!

Well said LuLu....I plan ahead for tipping. I bring many 1s and 5s put aside for tipping. A few dollars mean so much to the crew. I think they can always use the extra cash NOW.....It is not paying for service but for a service well done.

We prepay our tips before the cruise so that it feels like just another part of the fare. If we need to adjust for poor service (something we have not had to do yet), I'm sure we can do that and just end up with an OBC for use elsewhere. Of course, we have extra cash on hand to tip where needed. No one suggested to us on our last cruise that we should remember to tip our excursion guides - so we weren't prepared to do so. (Oops!) We will definitely be prepared this time.

Originally Posted by gesualdo

No one suggested to us on our last cruise that we should remember to tip our excursion guides - so we weren't prepared to do so. Oops. We will definitely be prepared this time.

PLEASE ... Don't feel too bad about this! Can't remember the number of times we've been on excursions with others who didn't realize they might need some cash for tipping and other things .... and have borrowed money from us.

Just as a guideline: $2.50 pp for a half day ... $5.00 pp for a Full day.

We have tipped sometimes more and sometimes less. For us it totally depends on the excursion and how much EXTRA effort was given.

We think they should just include the tipping in the price and then leave it up to those who wish to tip extra. We have not removed auto tips for bad service, as their systems seem to punish all servers and not just the bad ones. So we always tip extra for great service!

My DH always says, you can't keep it if you don't give it away first LOL

Here's a great site for a Cruise Tip Calculator
: Cruise Tip Calculator - Your automated guide to Cruise Tips

We always pre-pay our tips and we always give extra to the crew that deserves it.

I agree with Ziggy, the cruise lines should just include it in the cruise price. Less "hassle" that way.

I also agree with Ziggy.....What did she say?












lol