Tipping

[Gatorsrockvegas]

With the recent changes to stateroom services, (service once a day, mornings or evenings) have you changed the way you tip? We started pre tipping our stateroom attendants last year after reading a post on this board. Then add a tip at the end of the trip for extraordinary service we received. 

[Montemy2419]

We have had 4 cruises so far and we are adding extra tipping when the service is good to excellent.  We only tipped an assistant waiter $10 on a 3 day cruise because the server we had she ended up doing most of his work.  On the same 3 day cruise our room attendant did just the minimum so we didn't leave him anything extra.  At the beginning of the 3 day cruise we did give him a roll of the stick on eyes for the towel animals and he was very happy so I figured that was enough as we leave the room neat.

[CanHardlyWait]

I believe what people tip is nobody's business but there own. Enough said.

[Xaa]

1 hour ago, CanHardlyWait said:

I believe what people tip is nobody's business but there own. Enough said.

Let me fix this for you.

"I believe that what I tip is nobody's business but my own.  Enough said.  Everyone else is free to make their own decisions about sharing or not sharing."

To the OP, I last cruised right at the end of the two per day service.  For extra tipping I follow generally what you post.  I like to tip the attendant upfront and on the back end.  I think, like you, if the extra service touches suffer so will the back end gratuity.  If the reduced instances of room cleaning aren't impactful, then all the better and the backend remains the same.  Certainly hoping to want to keep tipping how I have been.

MDR, I like to do the same and tip head waiter first and last night, but table waiters each night.  Haven't had any issue making me want to not do so, but if I did have them, it would impact that night.

Drinks at the bar, 1 to 2 bucks each time.

[ScottD]

We leave the room attendant a 20 on day one... and at the end, we leave another 20.  This past trip, my wife broke a wine glass in the room on night 4, so we left him a note warning him of the broken glass next to the bed with another 5  bucks attached to the note for making an extra mess. We ALWAYS tip bartenders extra, yes it's included already in the package prices, but a dollar or two each round or so goes a long way for those bartenders. You can see the appreciation when you give them actual cash after ordering. If we find a bar\bartender that we keep returning to or plan on hanging out regularly (this past trip it was the crew at the upstairs bar of Music hall)... we will leave a 20 on the 2nd or third night after leaving the dollar here and there the first few nights.... never wait for a drink, or even have to ask for a refill for the rest of the trip. 

[Gatorsrockvegas]

6 hours ago, CanHardlyWait said:

I believe what people tip is nobody's business but there own. Enough said.

I believe the question was how you tip not what you tip. I have spoken. 

[CanHardlyWait]

5 hours ago, Xaa said:

Let me fix this for you.

"I believe that what I tip is nobody's business but my own.  Enough said.  Everyone else is free to make their own decisions about sharing or not sharing."

To the OP, I last cruised right at the end of the two per day service.  For extra tipping I follow generally what you post.  I like to tip the attendant upfront and on the back end.  I think, like you, if the extra service touches suffer so will the back end gratuity.  If the reduced instances of room cleaning aren't impactful, then all the better and the backend remains the same.  Certainly hoping to want to keep tipping how I have been.

MDR, I like to do the same and tip head waiter first and last night, but table waiters each night.  Haven't had any issue making me want to not do so, but if I did have them, it would impact that night.

Drinks at the bar, 1 to 2 bucks each time.

My PROBLEM with your post is you quoted me and added a line of your own in MY quote. That is technically miss quoting me. Please do not do that. 

[Xaa]

33 minutes ago, CanHardlyWait said:

My PROBLEM with your post is you quoted me and added a line of your own in MY quote. That is technically miss quoting me. Please do not do that. 

The quote box is word for word, check it again.

The "Let me fix it for you" is me modifying what you said to what perhaps you intended or to my own opinion of it.  I don't think that presentation is widely interpreted as a misquote vs the sarcasm that it is, but my apologies if it appears that way to you.  

Here's the graphic of what you said and what I quoted.  100% identical

[DoomSlayer]

7 hours ago, CanHardlyWait said:

I believe what people tip is nobody's business but there own. Enough said.

Have to agree. Tip within your means and based on the service you felt you received. There is no hard set rule, just follow your conscious and budget.  Anything you add beyond the standard gratuities will be appreciated — no matter how big or small. 

[ZBrady]

We live in a society, as the saying goes, so I don't think it is unreasonable to be curious that your choices fall in line with those of others. But definitely don't feel pressured, do whatever you think is appropriate.

As others have, we also started tipping our stateroom attendant at the beginning in addition to what we normally give at the end - just kind of a recognition that their job is difficult and we appreciate them and it makes us feel a little better when asking for specific requests. 

[OCSC Mike]

4 minutes ago, ZBrady said:

As others have, we also started tipping our stateroom attendant at the beginning in addition to what we normally give at the end - just kind of a recognition that their job is difficult and we appreciate them and it makes us feel a little better when asking for specific requests. 

I've mostly been a "tip at the end based on service" guy using the fairly common reasoning that you tip based on service and shouldn't have to tip in advance to receive better service. I like how you worded it though. Maybe it's semantics but it sounds less like a bribe (for lack of a better word) with your phrasing. I'm now giving it some thought so thanks for that.

All that said, maybe I've been incredibly lucky (and I haven't cruised since the once a day, more cabins per attendant change) but we've had excellent service from our cabin attendant on every single cruise we've taken. At worst, they weren't overly chatty and just did their job efficiently (which is totally fine with us). At best, and more often the case, we've seen and talked to them quite a bit and always gotten a "hello" or "how was your day?" or "heading off to dinner?" when passing them in the hallway.

If the changes have caused this to become less common (for which I certainly wouldn't blame the attendants; if they're too busy to chat b/c they have more work now, that's obviously not their fault) I will miss the old interaction.

[ZBrady]

35 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

I like how you worded it though. Maybe it's semantics but it sounds less like a bribe (for lack of a better word) with your phrasing.

Thanks - I'm definitely not one to tip large amounts to a bartender in hopes of getting preferential service, so its definitely not that. To me, the once a day policy is the result of our unfortunate reality - as much as cruisers are "suffering" from the decline in services offered, I feel like the stateroom attendants are ultimately suffering much more from the new demands of their job. Pay it forward or whatever.

[OCSC Mike]

32 minutes ago, ZBrady said:

Thanks - I'm definitely not one to tip large amounts to a bartender in hopes of getting preferential service, so its definitely not that. To me, the once a day policy is the result of our unfortunate reality - as much as cruisers are "suffering" from the decline in services offered, I feel like the stateroom attendants are ultimately suffering much more from the new demands of their job. Pay it forward or whatever.

Well said (again).

I'm with you 100% on the bartender thing. I'm not a huge drinker and the 8 diamond vouchers between me and my wife are enough for us (she mainly uses a couple on virgin daiquiris while by the pool/Solarium and maybe one at night for some sort of dessert drink so I wind up with 5-6 per day). On cruises where we go to the same spot most days and have drinks (the Solarium for example) the bartenders seem appreciative of my small cash tip per D drink but I don't think I'm treated any differently other than eventually being recognized after X number of trips to the same bartender.

Maybe it's different if you have the DBP and/or just drink a lot while parked at a crowded venue. When I grab a drink at whatever bar I happen to pass on my way to a show or something my service has always been fine.

Back in the days before vouchers, when you got a 3 hour open bar in the DL, we often got to know a server or two there as we used to spend quite a bit of time there. In that case, I would often give a larger tip at the end of the cruise, but that was very different than walking up to the bar for a drink and going back to my lounge chair.

[Ampurp85]

I echo that tipping is personal and feel free to do what feels right for you. 

I was on the receiving end in April of the new once a day service. I normally tip up front because I want ice in the evening and then tip some more in the end. However, on my sailing in April I came into a dirty cabin, that wasn't serviced at all the first day. Even though the head of housekeeping came and said they would deep clean it. I never met my cabin attendant but on the day before disembarkation, there was a tip envelope sitting out. I did not feel my service was up to par so the minuscule tip I left reflected that. 

[Traveling Mike]

First of all, I love when people ask about tipping.  Cruising can be confusing, and we have this great forum to ask questions and get lots of different opinions.

Now on tipping amounts:  How much you tip depends on what type of room, how many people in the room and how your finances are.  I consider my tips big but if I ever hit the lottery my tips will be very big.  

My tipping procedure:  I got in a habit of tipping at the beginning of the cruise and apologize for the mess my son was going to leave when I was not there.  I know my son would come in a hurry to change for the pool or from the pool and leave a mess the cabin steward would have to deal with before I came to the room.  Now that my son is grown, and I cruise solo I still tip extra at the beginning of the cruise.  At the end of the cruise, I tip my cabin steward and dining room staff based on the service I get.  My last cruise my cabin was only cleaned in the evening, but my cabin steward made sure I had plenty of towels and bathroom supplies.  Occasionally he would pop in during the late morning and grab our dishes from our late-night snacks.  I appreciated it and made sure he was compensated.  

 

 

[Wheeler825]

1 hour ago, Traveling Mike said:

.....bathroom utensils. 

 

 

Like.. a poop knife? Or do you have some toilet chopsticks?

[smokeybandit]

1 hour ago, Wheeler825 said:

Like.. a poop knife? Or do you have some toilet chopsticks?