TIPS

[Jerome]

HI WE SEE ALOT OF PEOPLE SAYING THAT THEY TAKE THE GRATUITIES OF WHEN THEY GET ON THE SHIP AND PAY THEMSELVES. DO YOU PAY EVERY NIGHT OR JUST AT THE END OF YOUR CRUISE TO THE CABIN STEWARDS AND WAITERS, AND IF YOU LEAVE IT ON THE SAIL N SIGN AND WE WISH TO LEAVE THE CABIN STEWARD EXTRA DO WE LEAVE IT IN THE ROOM AT THE END OF THE CRUISE OR WHAT

[Dave]

Those who opt out of the automatic tipping usually hand out envelopes with cash tips on the last night of the cruise. This is for the entire cruise. Don't do it every night.

If you wish to use the automatic tipping but still give extra for a deserving employee, just put the little extra in an envelope and present it to them on that last night. Make sure you tell them that it is in addition to the automatic tips. Don't leave it in the cabin assuming they will see it. And don't worry about not finding the steward. They are typically quite visible on that last night!

[barbarah33]

Dave56 is correct. You can tip on your own or add-on to what you have left on your cruise card. If you wish to do either envelopes are easy to come by: you can get them from your cabin steward or guest relations. (Most of the time on the last full day of your cruise there will be a big box of them sitting on the front desk where you can just help yourself.) Either way you do want to hand them to the person you are giving them to so you can be sure he/she received them and knows they came from you.

[Larry in Miami]

It's always nice to give someone that gave you special service something extra. I always give them cash so I know they got it.

[Memecakes]

I take Thank-you cards that I have handmade (hay I'm a Scrapbooker/rubberstapper addict as well as a cruise addict!) and put a little extra into them on the last night of the cruise. I give them out to whoever I think did a great job making my vacation a wonderful time!

[Jim C.]

Jerome- Take the "Caps Lock" key off and stop shouting at us... we can hear you just fine

As far as taking off the automatic tips, I have heard that many people do this and also read on this board that many people don't tip at all. I was just wondering how prevelant that practice really is?

We have been on cruise that had the envelopes that you used to manually tip AND also been on the newer cruises where they do this automatic thing. Last cruise I wondered how much tip money they were losing out on because of people who may have left more with the envelope method, now just assume that the automatic amount is good enough?

Frankly, I feel tips should not be automatic. They are for showing appreciation for a job well done.

Anyone actually have any data on how many people don't tip at all?

Jim

[Jerome]

sorry jim about the caps i was just wondering the same thing you see alot of people saying they take them off i do believe in tipping for good service also this will be our second cruise and a learning experience i'm just wondering about this automatic tipping or maybe i would feel better rewarding for the service given.

[thomas stanton]

For years I was under the impression that auto grat's equaled bad or inferior sevice.My thinking was that if they knew they were going to get paid anyway why go above and beyond. Last month we were on the Carnival Legend and the service was about the best I have ever had.It was auto grat's and I left it on my card plus gave extra.They left envelopes in the cabin the last day.As I say the service was great, so I geuss I have been wrong about thinking the way I have about the auto grat's.
Tom

[Rodney]

Thanks Thomas for that new viewpoint. Going on my first cruise, and was actually looking forward to automatic tipping, so I didn't have to leave cash each dinner, etc. But, I will take extra cash for the servers/steward that goes above and beyond the call...they deserve it!

[thomas stanton]

Rodney
You are welcome, I will leave my gratuities on the sign and sail in the future unless I have a bad experience.When I look back now some of the worst service that I have had has been on ship's that had the traditional tipping.The one that comes to mind that was the worst was the Celebrity Horizon.The dinning room service was excellent,but the rest was terrible.They are supposed to be one of the best lines for service.So I geuss this goes to show you can have good or bad service on any line. Tom