tipping

[rbum]

We booked a cruise on Island Princess through the Princess website and did not see anything about the tips being included. However, I read where some people had mentioned the tips were automatically included with the cruise fare. Was wondering if anyone could give me some info.

[DetectiveMom]

From what I understand, Princess adds on $10 a day per passenger for tips. I believe additional tipping is welcome for the room steward if he/she gave exceptional service....please correct me if I'm wrong.

[rbum]

Thanks, DetectiveMom. So pardon my ignorance, but does this mean that it was included with the original price, or is this an additional amount that will be added later?

[Karen Knowlton]

It will be added to your shipboard account sometime during the cruise, and will show up on the final bill you get before disembarkation.

[rbum]

Thanks. We couldn't find any info on this on their website. Actually, I think it's a good thing that it's not voluntary. So many people don't understand (or just don't care) that its mostly tips that those workers live on.

[LHT28]

On Princess they add them each day to your account. I usually get a print out part way through the cruise and they are on there.

http://www.princess.com/answer/dining.html

[funship freddy]

Call me old fashioned but I prefer to do my own tipping. I end up tipping MORE than the suggested amounts but prefer to reward my steward and waiters etc. on my own. Simply visit the purser's desk and they will remove the automatic tips.

I was recently on Caribbean Princess and ate dinner each evening in Sterling's Steakhouse. I tipped our server at the end of dinner each night.

[funship freddy]

A good site for Caribbean Princess info is:

www.cruisingthecaribbeanprincess.com

Have a great time.

[tattboi26]

I think the tipping should be optional, I know that tipping is part of the american culture. In Australia we do not tip so we are finding it a bit rough having to pay another almost AU500 for tips.

[LHT28]

Originally posted by tattboi26:
I think the tipping should be optional, I know that tipping is part of the american culture. In Australia we do not tip so we are finding it a bit rough having to pay another almost AU500 for tips.

You can ask to have the tips removed but for $13 AUD. pp pd ...the crew do earn it.
On Princess the tips are pooled so the wait staff and room stewards share that amount.
With PC dining it is hard to track down all the aiters that serve you to tip individually and they would only have to submit the money to the pool anyway.