Bringing Gifts Onboard?

[JennyJenny]

I've seen folks mention that they bring little gifts on board to give to their cabin steward?

Question 1: is there one steward or kind of a team? If a team, how many?

Question 2: would love to know what kinds of things folks bring as gifts. I like to do stuff like this and have ample time to pick up some things between now and my cruise.

Obviously this will not be instead of proper gratuity but in addition to.

Thanks!

 

 

[CDunninTX]

2 minutes ago, JennyJenny said:

I've seen folks mention that they bring little gifts on board to give to their cabin steward?

Question 1: is there one steward or kind of a team? If a team, how many?

Question 2: would love to know what kinds of things folks bring as gifts. I like to do stuff like this and have ample time to pick up some things between now and my cruise.

Obviously this will not be instead of proper gratuity but in addition to.

Thanks!

 

 

Ooo good question. I'd like to read what people think. Maybe bring something local to where you're from? I live in Texas, so my choices are unlimited.

[WAAAYTOOO]

We usually bring some little goodies for our attendant.  It's important to keep in mind that they have very little personal space in their rooms so whatever you bring, make it small !!  I usually bring a bag of Hershey's kisses or Reese's cups or something easy to dispense. Of course, money is what they really want so please do not make this treat in LIEU of their tip - make it in addition to their tip (which you have already clarified !!).

Unless you are in Star Class, you will usually only have a single cabin attendant that does everything for you from cleaning your room, making your bed, bringing you fresh towels, cleaning the glass on your sliding doors and balcony to bringing your daily paperwork and any goodies from C&A, etc. to keeping your ice bucket filled.  They work so hard....

 

[Momof4crazytocruise]

I've brought NASA stickers or mission pins (I work at Johnson Space Center) - small, compact, and usually well received! 

[JennyJenny]

1 hour ago, CDunninTX said:

Ooo good question. I'd like to read what people think. Maybe bring something local to where you're from? I live in Texas, so my choices are unlimited.

I'm in Virginia so I'm sort of like: not bringing a ham on board !!!

1 hour ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

We usually bring some little goodies for our attendant.  It's important to keep in mind that they have very little personal space in their rooms so whatever you bring, make it small !!  I usually bring a bag of Hershey's kisses or Reese's cups or something easy to dispense. Of course, money is what they really want so please do not make this treat in LIEU of their tip - make it in addition to their tip (which you have already clarified !!).

Unless you are in Star Class, you will usually only have a single cabin attendant that does everything for you from cleaning your room, making your bed, bringing you fresh towels, cleaning the glass on your sliding doors and balcony to bringing your daily paperwork and any goodies from C&A, etc. to keeping your ice bucket filled.  They work so hard....

 

10-4 on the small quarters. Sounds like something "consumable" would be best.

[JennyJenny]

12 minutes ago, Momof4crazytocruise said:

I've brought NASA stickers or mission pins (I work at Johnson Space Center) - small, compact, and usually well received! 

I was actually just thinking this! I am in sort of an interesting field and I can bring some pins or stickers from what I do!

[WAAAYTOOO]

I'm designing new fighting vehicles for the Army.  Maybe....nah...it would never fit in the suitcase.

[JennyJenny]

1 minute ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

I'm designing new fighting vehicles for the Army.  Maybe....nah...it would never fit in the suitcase.

[Kao935]

I have given our cabin steward a T-shirt from for my state and money!  They really do appreciate the "gifts".

[RTripp]

Hi JennyJenny, I read on this blog that this was done, & i am a treat baggie gift person, so this was up my alley. I made 20 little baggies(two rooms), clear celephane bags with name tags to fill in( don’t roll your eyes  ....). Since It was our first and only cruise, i really wanted to say a special thanks to the nice people working away from their family. One of the gentlemam mentioned that they are away from their familys’for over six months!  The baggies included individual candy sized packs of m&m’s, mentos, tic tacs, & the tiny  bottled water flavoring packs. I was going for microwave popcorn packs too, but since this was our first cruise, i overpacked and simply had no more room. We had one attendant the entire cruise on HOTS, and usually two servers for dinners, and then any Bartenders, and i had extra that i ended up giving out to the Flowrider guide. Oh, perfect to mention this here...we traveled with Young Adults whom actually ASKED me for a favor bag. One of our servers at Jamies Italian Eunice, recognized them the next night out and went out of his way, on his night off to get something from another restaurant(she had food restrictions) made suggestions for her & then went & got her whatever it was. So nice that they could see the value in a tiny favor bag. Oh one more, if you have any extra cans of soda, instead of leaving them in your Stateroom fridge at tge end of the cruise, had one to the Port people towing the luggage carts, that went over really well. Happy cruising!

[12thman]

Would giving a gift card be appropriate? Something like Amazon? Amazon gift cards are for the US so I'm not sure if they bought something it could be shipped directly home without significant costs?

[Grenadyr]

Here's the suggestions I've found while looking around online for room steward gifts in addition to cash...

1.  Hard Liquor.  (Yeah, I know...)  Supposedly hard liquor can be difficult/costly for crew members to get as the crew bars stay with beer/wine.  Anyway, something regional or different could be fun as a gift.  (Assuming you get it onboard.)

2.  Snack foods.  I was thinking about regional foods again as you can buy doritos anywhere.

3.  USB sticks loaded with music / movies.  Crew internet access is limited and can be costly and supposedly there is great demand for electronic entertainment, especially if its tradeable.

4.  Toiletries.  Not sure about this one as people can be pretty picky about their deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, etc...

5.  International prepaid calling cards.  Not sure if this one is still relevant in the age of the interweb.

 

 

[bhageerah]

6 hours ago, CDunninTX said:

Ooo good question. I'd like to read what people think. Maybe bring something local to where you're from? I live in Texas, so my choices are unlimited.

Hello @CDunninTX!  I would gladly be your cabin steward for a week if you would bring me a wonderful Texas style brisket or two!  Forget the money, some  good BBQ would be payment enough!! 

[JennyJenny]

4 hours ago, Kao935 said:

I have given our cabin steward a T-shirt from for my state and money!  They really do appreciate the "gifts".

I try to tip well whenever I travel because I know how hard folks work and how little they get paid (that was me, too, once upon a time).

[JennyJenny]

4 hours ago, RTripp said:

We had one attendant the entire cruise on HOTS, and usually two servers for dinners, and then any Bartenders, and i had extra that i ended up giving out to the Flowrider guide. Oh one more, if you have any extra cans of soda, instead of leaving them in your Stateroom fridge at tge end of the cruise, had one to the Port people towing the luggage carts, that went over really well. Happy cruising!

Thanks for the list of people! I was trying to think who all I should bring one/something for (in addition to regular gratuities of course.

And love the idea to give the cold beverage to the porters!

[JennyJenny]

3 hours ago, Grenadyr said:

Here's the suggestions I've found while looking around online for room steward gifts in addition to cash...

1.  Hard Liquor.  (Yeah, I know...)  Supposedly hard liquor can be difficult/costly for crew members to get as the crew bars stay with beer/wine.  Anyway, something regional or different could be fun as a gift.  (Assuming you get it onboard.)

2.  Snack foods.  I was thinking about regional foods again as you can buy doritos anywhere.

3.  USB sticks loaded with music / movies.  Crew internet access is limited and can be costly and supposedly there is great demand for electronic entertainment, especially if its tradeable.

4.  Toiletries.  Not sure about this one as people can be pretty picky about their deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, etc...

5.  International prepaid calling cards.  Not sure if this one is still relevant in the age of the interweb.

 

 

1. Not a big drinker so I tend not to gift liquor because I never know what's "good" or "meh"

2. I like this idea but can't think of anything terribly particular to my state. Except ham lol

3. The USB stick is a neat idea.

4 and 5... yeah. It's hard these days to know what is still relevant or wanted (thus my asking!)

Thanks!

[Skid]

8 hours ago, JennyJenny said:

I've seen folks mention that they bring little gifts on board to give to their cabin steward

The cabin stewards work SO hard (as do most other employees) and they really do love passengers showing appreciation for them. I felt soooo badly for ours one day on our last cruise because I forgot to take the do not disturb sign off the door. 

When that happens they have to stay longer as opposed to when they finish all their assigned cabins ASAP.  We had been given a bottle of Spumanti (I think from the Key, not sure). When I realized what I had done, I gave him that bottle as a small apology. The way he acted, you'd think he won the lottery. We had prepaid gratuities, but I then increased the extra tip we usually give at the end of the cruise.

[JennyJenny]

4 minutes ago, Skid said:

The cabin stewards work SO hard (as do most other employees) and they really do love passengers showing appreciation for them. I felt soooo badly for ours one day on our last cruise because I forgot to take the do not disturb sign off the door. 

When that happens they have to stay longer as opposed to when they finish all their assigned cabins ASAP.  We had been given a bottle of Spumanti (I think from the Key, not sure). When I realized what I had done, I gave him that bottle as a small apology. The way he acted, you'd think he won the lottery. We had prepaid gratuities, but I then increased the extra tip we usually give at the end of the cruise.

I know we do the prepaid gratuity on our account but if we want to give them something extra, is it "kosher" to simply pass them some actual cash? They won't get in trouble taking that, will they?

[RWDW1204]

 

41 minutes ago, JennyJenny said:

I know we do the prepaid gratuity on our account but if we want to give them something extra, is it "kosher" to simply pass them some actual cash? They won't get in trouble taking that, will they?

Actually, Guest Services has envelopes for that purpose, extra tip for someone who you felt went above and beyond. You can put their name and where they work and return it to Guest Services or just hand it to them sometime before the cruise ends. We usually pass ours out on the last night.

[JennyJenny]

Just now, RWDW1204 said:

 

Actually, Guest Services has envelopes for that purpose, extra tip for someone who you felt went above and beyond. You can put their name and where they work and return it to Guest Services or just hand it to them sometime before the cruise ends. We usually pass ours out on the last night.

Most excellent. I will keep an eye open for the envelopes!

[Skid]

6 minutes ago, RWDW1204 said:

 

Actually, Guest Services has envelopes for that purpose, extra tip for someone who you felt went above and beyond. You can put their name and where they work and return it to Guest Services or just hand it to them sometime before the cruise ends. We usually pass ours out on the last night.

 

5 minutes ago, JennyJenny said:

Most excellent. I will keep an eye open for the envelopes!

Personally I never leave an envelope in the cabin-I want to make sure it goes to right person. Just in case the person that served us all week happens to be out sick or whatever, the cynic in me doesn't think the covering attendant will pass the cash on. I will usually hand it to the steward on the second to last night, giving me another night to do it in case I miss him/her. (Hmmm....interesting---now that I think about it, I've seen them in the hallways, but don't remember ever having a female cabin attendant).

[Skid]

1 hour ago, JennyJenny said:

They won't get in trouble taking that, will they?

Nope. They won't get in trouble. Sometimes they even share it with their "team members". Apparantly, they sometimes get help with supplies and garbage disposal and other things from helpers we don't normally see.

[CDunninTX]

We go on the Allure of the Seas the end of September 2019 and have a large wedding party. I'm taking Buc'ee Nuggets for our room attendant and a handmade journal with my city postcard in the front. Straight from Texas baby!!

[fonemanbob]

Living in Tennessee I could bring Jack Daniels or store Moonshine or real Moonshine.  Then again I will keep the real.  We know how over worked and under paid they are and give them a gratuity at the start and at the end plus the prepaid gratuities.  It pays off in respect as to how well we have been taken care of during our cruises.  When you hear some of the stories that we have heard over the years you know that they are truthful and sad.  We are so fortunate living in this country compared to the rest of the world.  

[JennyJenny]

16 hours ago, CDunninTX said:

Buc'ee Nuggets

I had to google that lol

 

[AshleyDillo]

1 hour ago, JennyJenny said:

I had to google that lol

Buc'ees is a destination in itself if you ever happen to visit the area of TX they are located in.  They've even expanded into other states!

[tiny260]

On 7/8/2019 at 5:19 PM, 12thman said:

Would giving a gift card be appropriate? Something like Amazon? Amazon gift cards are for the US so I'm not sure if they bought something it could be shipped directly home without significant costs?

I was told by the Head waiter at Coastal Kitchen that they use Amazon all of the time, they have it shipped to their home port, then pick it up when the ship docks again.

So Amazon gift cards should be a really good idea.

[tiny260]

19 minutes ago, AshleyDillo said:

Buc'ees is a destination in itself if you ever happen to visit the area of TX they are located in.  They've even expanded into other states!

Love Buc'ees when I'm driving through Texas. When we drive down to Galveston for a cruise we have a minimum of 2 that we stop at.

Who wouldn't love 120 gas pumps and bathrooms as large as most other gas stations.

[JennyJenny]

1 hour ago, AshleyDillo said:

Buc'ees is a destination in itself if you ever happen to visit the area of TX they are located in.  They've even expanded into other states!

I saw a You Tuber do a video on it but only heard the name of the place spoken so didn't automatically connect with it when I read the word. That place was a wonder to behold when I watched the video!

[RWDW1204]

1 hour ago, AshleyDillo said:

Buc'ees is a destination in itself if you ever happen to visit the area of TX they are located in.  They've even expanded into other states!

Used to live in El Paso. Did I-10 from there to Florida twice a year. Usually made a pitstop outside Houston. They're one of the best, cleanest big places for gas, food and bathrooms.

[CDunninTX]

On 7/17/2019 at 1:04 PM, JennyJenny said:

I had to google that lol

 

Buc'ee is iconic to Texas.

[tiny260]

11 minutes ago, CDunninTX said:

Buc'ee is iconic to Texas.

I didn't look on their web site but I think they may have built one further north close to Richardson, which will be awesome for me.

[CDunninTX]

3 minutes ago, tiny260 said:

I didn't look on their web site but I think they may have built one further north close to Richardson, which will be awesome for me.

I know they just opened the one in Denton off of I35E.

[FManke]

On 7/8/2019 at 10:34 PM, Skid said:

but don't remember ever having a female cabin attendant).

Had one last cruise

[TXcruzer]

3 minutes ago, tiny260 said:

I didn't look on their web site but I think they may have built one further north close to Richardson, which will be awesome for me.

It is in the Melissa/Anna area ( I live in McKinney), they also just recently opened a location in Denton.

[CDunninTX]

On 7/17/2019 at 2:25 PM, AshleyDillo said:

Buc'ees is a destination in itself if you ever happen to visit the area of TX they are located in.  They've even expanded into other states!

There is a buc'ee's in Alabama now too.

[FManke]

3 minutes ago, CDunninTX said:

There is a buc'ee's in Alabama now too.

Is Buc'ees like Stuckey's? I sure miss Stuckey's here in IL. Pecan Log anyone?

[AshleyDillo]

14 hours ago, FManke said:

Is Buc'ees like Stuckey's? I sure miss Stuckey's here in IL. Pecan Log anyone?

Stuckeys on steroids! 

Seriously, there's 70+ gas pumps and inside there's a BBQ pit, a deli/bakery, souvenirs and the typical gas station convenience store stuff but 5x the quantity and choices of it all.  

There's was even a billboard on I-10 in Florida advertising Buc'ees..stated 898 miles away "you can hold it".  They've now opened one up at the FL/AL border on I-10, so there's one even closer now.

[FManke]

1 minute ago, AshleyDillo said:

Stuckeys on steroids! 

Sounds like a road trip is in order! 

[AshleyDillo]

1 minute ago, FManke said:

Sounds like a road trip is in order! 

https://www.buc-ees.com

Plan a route!