What about tipping the maitre'd? Usually, this person is not included in the prepaid tips. We always get an envelope addressed to the maitre'd, expecting to tip that person on the last night. Yes, this may be the person who oversees all dining room operations, but if nothing "special" is done, such as changing a passenger's dining time, is it really necessary to tip anything extra? Managing dining operations is to be expected from a person of that level. If everyone on a large ship tipped $5 each trip, the maitre'd would make a lot of money!
What about tipping the maitre'd? Usually, this person is not included in the prepaid tips. We always get an envelope addressed to the maitre'd, expecting to tip that person on the last night. Yes, this may be the person who oversees all dining room operations, but if nothing "special" is done, such as changing a passenger's dining time, is it really necessary to tip anything extra? Managing dining operations is to be expected from a person of that level. If everyone on a large ship tipped $5 each trip, the maitre'd would make a lot of money!
It would bug me when the maitre'd would come around the second to the last day of the cruise and really pour it on. Then it seems he is planting the seed that he expects a tip. Since we usually don't require his services (moving to another table, special requests, etc.), we don't go out of our way to tip him. When he does help us (when we need it), then we might.
Clearly reading every single response tips are very much an issue. I have always preferred to tip with the envelopes. Then I can adjust it so that, for instance, if my Dinner waiter REALLY looks after me then he is going to get over and beyond the norm. I have never tipped below the norm. The fact is that I actually enjoy giving the envelopes on the last night and when I have automatic tipping I feel guilty because I cannot hand out these envelopes and I also feel that an integral part of my cruise has been taken away from me. Of course, despite what they might say, this is how the cruise lines want you to feel.
Maitre D's annoy me so much. I observe them as a fleeting shadow for the whole of the cruise until tip time comes around. In nearly 30 cruises I have never found one that truly added to my cruise. I therefore will go out of my way to miss these people out re tips despite the fact that they suddenly appear on the last night but one obviously expecting their bung!
We have to be very mindful of the fact that automatic deductions for tipping start to set a precarious precedence, a ball rolling, that might be hard to stop in future years.You have to be VERY careful that it is not the proverbial thin end of the wedge.
Certain cruise lines (not the good ones) will most probably hope that in a few years time the automatic deduction of tips is taken as a perfectly normal part of the cruise price and that passengers have fully accepted the idea. Then they could most likely put pressure on you to tip the people that really mattered, in fact I have already seen this persuasion with certain bits of paper that arrive in the cabin about re-tipping those that have "gone above and betond". We must never loose sight of the fact that cruise lines are expert marketeers and if using the better nature of people suits their aims then they sure as heck will use this ploy. The result is of course that they have cleverly engineered double tipping by using the fact that most people are really just that....NICE PEOPLE!
Out of all of the replies I could not agree more ( in fact 100%) with the comments from CRUISE PLANNER. Now here is a guy that understands the whole concept and I appluad him! We have to also remeber that this is not for me (or us) but the whole generation of cruisers that follow us way after we have ceased this mortal toil, well cruising really! The important question is....do they have cruises at the next place after we have moved on.....and more importantly do we have to double tip the angels?
I think we got vouchers on Royal Caribbean so you still use the envelope & then you can add some to it.
I laugh reading about the Maitre Ds. I always love it when they come over 2 nights before we leave & act like our best friends. I realize they over see the dining room & make sure all are doing their job, but I like to make him take care of me personally. I ask to meet him on the first night. I will then ask for filet ahead of time on a night it's not on the menu & a shrimp cocktail, again on a night it's not offered. If you give them notice, they will do it for you.
i think i prefer pre-paid, and invoiced and paid for up front. then if anyone warrants extra , give it to them personally.
maitre D's situation and for that matter the rest of the dining room staff does not arise on N.C.L.as we rarely sat in either the same restaraunt or table twice.
On our Explorer cruise on Royal Caribbean, we did the auto-tipping and we had the envelopes with vouchers to give out the last night. I do like the voucher system and find it easier to include the voucher with some extra cash in the envelopes for those we want to give extra to.
I have to say that the Explorer cruise was the first time we really interacted with a Maitre D', and not because we needed anything. He would stop by our table every night to ask how we were, what we did that day and would be chatting with us for at least 10 minutes, he was from Taiwan, married with 4 kids, he was working to pay off his home and missed his wife. He was a real chatter I think he may have been even friendlier than our waiter!
On our Carnival cruises we only ever came in contact with them on the last night while walking into the dining room, they didn't even stop by our table the night before.
Our last cruise it was annoying to remember to have the cash available for the envelopes for the tips, we prepared them before leaving our house & kept them in the safe. From talking to some of the staff on one of the cruises was on, know how little they get paid compared to the hours they work and the terms of time contract they are have to sign on for. so when you break it down by the hours, time off, living quarters, and how long they have to stay with the ship working on it, most of them are getting below minimum wage. Yes, alot of them come from foreign countries and to them it's alot of money and free room & board. But they have to put up with alot of garbage from people who expect alot of BANG for their dollar,as if they were better than the rest of us or those serving them.
So, when you look at all the people that $11 per day goes to (Princess Cruise line), it's really not that much per person. and what we're getting for that $11, it's alot. I couldn't smile for & be nice to all 24/7 or however long a cruise it is. Especially the wait staff, after the midnight buffets, they set up for bkfst and then can go to bed but have to be ready for the 1st seating at what 7/7:30am ?? and then go all day> whew.
so we'll pay our $11 and be thankful for the service and try to smile back at the staff and say hello to them as we meet them around the ship. just another opinion, no offense meant.
Our last cruise it was annoying to remember to have the cash available for the envelopes for the tips, we prepared them before leaving our house & kept them in the safe. From talking to some of the staff on one of the cruises was on, know how little they get paid compared to the hours they work and the terms of time contract they are have to sign on for. so when you break it down by the hours, time off, living quarters, and how long they have to stay with the ship working on it, most of them are getting below minimum wage. Yes, alot of them come from foreign countries and to them it's alot of money and free room & board. But they have to put up with alot of garbage from people who expect alot of BANG for their dollar,as if they were better than the rest of us or those serving them.
So, when you look at all the people that $11 per day goes to (Princess Cruise line), it's really not that much per person. and what we're getting for that $11, it's alot. I couldn't smile for & be nice to all 24/7 or however long a cruise it is. Especially the wait staff, after the midnight buffets, they set up for bkfst and then can go to bed but have to be ready for the 1st seating at what 7/7:30am ?? and then go all day> whew.
so we'll pay our $11 and be thankful for the service and try to smile back at the staff and say hello to them as we meet them around the ship. just another opinion, no offense meant.
Our last cruise it was annoying to remember to have the cash available for the envelopes for the tips, we prepared them before leaving our house & kept them in the safe. From talking to some of the staff on one of the cruises was on, know how little they get paid compared to the hours they work and the terms of time contract they are have to sign on for. so when you break it down by the hours, time off, living quarters, and how long they have to stay with the ship working on it, most of them are getting below minimum wage. Yes, alot of them come from foreign countries and to them it's alot of money and free room & board. But they have to put up with alot of garbage from people who expect alot of BANG for their dollar,as if they were better than the rest of us or those serving them.
So, when you look at all the people that $11 per day goes to (Princess Cruise line), it's really not that much per person. and what we're getting for that $11, it's alot. I couldn't smile for & be nice to all 24/7 or however long a cruise it is. Especially the wait staff, after the midnight buffets, they set up for bkfst and then can go to bed but have to be ready for the 1st seating at what 7/7:30am ?? and then go all day> whew.
so we'll pay our $11 and be thankful for the service and try to smile back at the staff and say hello to them as we meet them around the ship. just another opinion, no offense meant.
I agree. $11 gets you one hand at the blackjack table-maybe.
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Cruise ships' built-in tipping fee rubs passenger the wrong way
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I think he may have been even friendlier than our waiter! 
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