Nice video but I have to disagree with you on prepaid gratuities. Unfortunately, the behind the scenes workers DO NOT get any of the prepaid gratuities on Princess. The next time you take a cruise please ask someone who’s cleaning the public areas or the kitchen staff. You will get a very different answer. A lot of them aren’t aware that passengers prepay gratuities. As jonathanlee1837 commented they get a straight salary that is based on their country of residence. It’s best to give specific workers cash tips. They’re paid the lowest wages but work the hardest (11 hours a day, 7 days a week). Some people commented that tips are demeaning. The workers don’t view tips as demeaning at all. They’re very happy to receive them.
Newsflash for you! The pre-paid gratuities DO NOT go to staff or behind the scenes people. They go directly to ship mgmt. That's why always tip in cash to those who have rendered good service. How do i know? As a former employee of several cruise lines, and who have friends still in the industry...this is a hard fact! Everyone gets a fixed salary! Period! The extra we make comes from cash tips directly from passengers.
@@jonathanlee1837 I ran the numbers and on a small ship of 2200 passengers, gratuities alone are $37,000 a day, $261,000 a week or $13,000,000 a year. Lots of money to be skimmed off the top. It’s only $17 a day per person they say, my eye. Thanks for the info.
Even when the tips are prepaid, it feels like a money grab because you always get something to sign and you have to cross off the tip if you're not going to tip on every glass of hooch you're going to drink.
Tipping is one of the most discussed subject for many Passengers. For Americans, it's part of their Culture, but there are many Countries where tipping is not done automatically. It's always said, ohh, but the Staff on Cruise Ships come from 3rd world Countries and don't get paid much? Just do the sums of the Pre-paid Gratuities ..... for a Ship that carries 4-5000 Passengers? It's a tidy Sum that subsidises the Cruise Lines Staff Salaries. I prefer to Tip individually and ho[p, that Cruise Lines will start to pay Fair Salaries to all their Staff, so these Pre-paid Gratuities become a thing of the past. Especially, when such Gratuities are now "compulsory!!??
Gratuities are AUTOMATED not MANDATORY. You do not have to pay them. Paying these gratuities is a personal decision. IF you do not want to pay or want to pay less per day, go to Guest Services and tell them. And people should not be shamed for not paying or paying. The crew’s salaries should not be dependent on the vagrancies of the passengers. The cruise lines should pay their crew appropriately OR include the “gratuities” as service charges. But then they would have to include that amount in the cruise fare. I tip my cabin attendant, any bartender that serves me, and anyone that provides good service. The cabin attendant gets the equivalent of the daily gratuities if the service is at least good. IF he/she wants to share…they are free to do so.
I myself (line cook) was a crew onboard cruiseship, so as my brother..we never get extra money besides our salary .with or without passengers... that (daily pre-paid gratuities) goes to the owner of the ship to built a new cruiseship.
I can say that for Princess Cruises, although it's not _technically_ part of the standard fare, you can pay extra for the Plus package (I think about $60/day/prsn) then you can just _pretend_ that it's included in the fare. Along with a few other nice perks like a drink package and free wifi! What I like about it is that cruise lines that include tips in the fare mean that the fare is more expensive. OK, how much is the crew really getting? You can just go ahead an prepay the tips which makes it much more transparent.
I like to pre-pay everything before I get on my cruise so that way all I have to worry about is drinks and specialty dining if I choose, just makes it easier
So if we don’t use most of the services on a cruise are we still expected to tip the max? We don’t use the spa, we don’t drink, we rarely eat at the formal dining, we have never even spoken to the head waiter, we don’t use the pools, we have never used room service so is it fair to say that a $40 a day for the minimal use of services is off the chart? We usually leave the tips on but is it fair to pay for services not rendered and not even disclosed to whom it goes to.
Think of the cooks you never see, the laundry staff, the guys keeping the engines working. I assume they will get some amount from the daily gratuities on your account.
@@hansgustaf540 well, I ran the numbers. We’re going on the Island Princess soon, so let’s say the ship holds 2200 passengers and have 900 crew members. If all 2200 passengers pay $17 a day, that equal to over $37,000 a day or $261,000 a week. If only 90% of crew members are untitled to the gratuity pool the passengers are paying on average $323 a week each service member, plus their wages, plus their free room and board, plus any additional tips they receive. I read somewhere that room stewards receive 30% of the gratuities, so let’s say a steward is assigned 10 staterooms paying $11 each, that means a room steward will make $110 a day or $40,000 a year just on gratuities, plus all the perks. On top of that, passengers are entrusting the very cruise line that pays a subpar wage to distribute the gratuities honestly and according to policy. Despite this, the cruise line doesn’t think it’s important to disclose their gratuity policy. I’m not hating on crew members, but there has to be a better way and there needs to be a lot more transparency when it comes to others money. In the past we always leave the gratuities on our onboard account and leave a little extra, but this time may be different.
Here in Australia, the gratuities are included in the cruise fare across all cruise lines. It is customary to tip the cabin steward and main dining room wait staff. It's important to know that if a tipping envelope is left in your cabin, then the tip goes into a pool and is shared, and with each share the recipient must declare it as income for tax purposes. However, if you give a cash tip directly to your cabin steward and wait staff, they don't have to share or declare it.
My Florida bank (REGIONS) orders me fresh/NEW/CRISP $2 bills prior to each cruise. They make a big impression and take up less room than dollar bills. MANY servers say they save them for family at home. Bartenders love them too and other guests almost always comment/question and it's a good way to be engaged in chat.
The only thing about that is, they're trying to discourage the use of cash on board. I do like that idea better than paying with a pair of $1 bills, but how do you do it without _any_ cash? I'm going to have to figure this out before our upcoming cruise.
The tips are way too expensive plus you have to pay mandatory gratuities. It’s all a deceptive practice to increase additional income to the cruise line. If gratuities were mandated to be disclosed in the total price of a cruise, business would drop off considerably.
@Gregory-Masovutch I always add the prepaid gratuities (and, now, trip protection) to the cruise price before deciding to purchase the cruise, then I divide it into $/day to see if it fits my budget. So no skimping on tips because I forgot to save some cash for the end of the cruise. On my first cruise (1995), there were still envelopes for each service left on the bed the night before embarkation day. I had almost forgotten to save some cash for that purpose. I have prepaid gratuities since that service was first offered. I can still tip extra, if I want. No takeaway - solve the problem.
I hate idea of tiping they shul d be paid for the job they do In Australia we dont unless very good service I always r remove tiping and just look after my cabin guy
@@stalagnightmy husband hates the American tipping system .people should be paid a proper wage .when we went on holiday to Australia he loved that tipping wasn’t expected .far better system!
Last 2 cruises - we asked the room attendants, waiters, their assistants and the people you see during buffets. Asked them whether they receive any additional money other than salaries they get. They said no. Our prepaid gratuities go to management. They wanted to get paid separately if we were planning to tip. So we asked for daily gratuity to be refunded and paid separately the room attendant, waiter, assistant or anyone else we thought deserved it. Felt good about it. Then wondered if we were being scammed by these attendants to get paid twice. Don’t have an answer but am torn now as whether I should pay separately or let the ship allocate it. Would appreciate input from others
Just remember you can cancel your gratuities and opt out to pay cash. Its that easy. Cabin stewards, waiters & assistant waiters are the usual crew that get gratuities. You can tip extra if the service is exceptional.
I pre-pay gratuities. I keep specific cash in small denominations in order to tip those whom I choose. I do it to be a blessing. I have received bear hugs and the biggest smiles.💕 (As well as a free boat ride and a gigantic expensive champagne just for me).💕
@@QuangWynn2711 that's what i wish someone would answer. Im going on my 1st cruise this dec so i have no clue what you pay those steward people. I'm so lost as to what I'm supposed to do
Customer service desk can always split big bill for you. As for me, I got changes from my bank and kept them in the safe of the room, take around ten to fifteen dollars small denominations so I can tip easily.
@@uncaboat2399 One is that you have to think about how much "extra" is. I do either prepaid gratuities or else it's charged daily on my account. If I'm giving more, I will put the money in envelopes and hand them out at last day/night of the cruise, so I'm only doing this one time. I just make sure to carry a few $5, $10, and $20 on board, but the cash stays in the safe, so I'm never walking around w/it.
Our travel agent usually gives us enough shipboard credit to cover the gratuities. We give a bit extra to our cabin attendant. We also bring cash in the local currency to tip our excursion guide and driver.
@@PepperPepper-dg7gr So if someone books directly with the cruise line at the advertised price and doesn't get several hundred back in shipboard credit, have they paid double for gratuities and drinks?
If I tipped the amount you tip, I couldn't afford to go on a cruise. A few extra dollars here and there, extra amount for stewart I can see if tips are prepaid but adding as much as you say is crazy!
The gratuity _is voluntary_ and you'll probably still get great service. No one says you _must_ tip or you _have to_ coz obviously you don't. But come on ... I assume you live in the West, probably America, and most of the crew lives in 3rd and 4th world countries, where even clean drinking water is a luxury. Very little harm will come to you if you tip, or tip too much, but it means a lot to the crew! If you can't afford the cruise _including tips,_ maybe you need to save your pennies for another year. No hatin', just sayin' ...
Remember it’s a blessing to tip and you will get the above and beyond service because they appreciate it. Don’t tip the bartender and drink. Then tip the bartender well and see the difference 😉. You need extra soap, towels or anything? Tip your room attendants!
@@uncaboat2399I am a pensioner and if I am careful I can afford a cruise, but tell me the price so I can work out my budget. I pay my gratuities why must I double tip. In the UK I love Weatherspoons their prices are good and when I order food I sit down and it is delivered with a smile then they are gone no tipping, SO I keep going and they earn more money.
I wish cruise lines would be transparent about the whereabouts my tips goes. If we never use most of the extra services are we expected to include them in the tipping pool?
Love your videos!! I am an extra tipper kind of person. I worked in the hospitality industry when I was young. My tips paid my way to college. Hard work !!! Yes I tip extra I give the bartender $1 ,Each drink. My gratuities are paid on advance, but I appreciate everyone 😊❤
We always pay for our gratuities in advance on a cruise. We also tip when our luggage is taken to board the ship. We usually tip 20% at a specialty restaurant but will look at the left of the bill to see if it states additional tip. Thanks for your advice on tipping.
Jayson….for me is very simple…I limit my tipping, I do selective tipping. I cancel automatic tipping by the second day on board. We dine many nights in the cafeteria and we do not have a designated server = no tip there… even if we go to the main dining room nowadays the service is not the service once was… may be I little tip to the server… The only guy we tip is the cabin steward and if he is nice…If they don’t like it, is time to reconsider another job occupation.
The cost for any cruise is : Cruise fare + Tax + Port fee + Tips. That why we always prepay gratuity. At the port I tip the porter $2 per bag, 1-2 bags tip $5, 3-5 bags tip $10.
Yes. PRE PAY when you paid off cruise . I budget out cash tips each month before my cruise so that extra tipping. For deliveries bar tender shore excursion etc. I agree do not remove daily and I also tip extra cabin and waiter I usually bring cash extra for specialty dining. Question I was taught not to tip officers but guest services are they staff or officers?
I’m curious how you reconcile wanting to provide tips for service through the auto gratuity but then suggest pre-paying the tip to avoid an increased tip rate at the time of your trip.
Hello Jason, new to your channel. I always pre pay my gratuities on my cruises. I am partial to NCL , the service I recieve in my opinion is I give an extra tip to certain staff, example state room attendant, waiter and usually some bartenders. On my last cruise to.Bermuda I had gotten to my cabin and my luggage was not at my cabin. My cabin steward had noticed I was outside my cabin looking for my luggage. He came right over and ask if he can help me with something, I had explained my luggage was not there. He said to to wait a moment and a few more moments he came by with my luggage. When I asked where he found it, he explain that there must have been an error when the luggage was being delivered and it was three cabins down probably a mix up with tag numbers and it was put in front of the wrong cabin. This to me is a service that went beyond. As I said I always tip my cabin steward extra when I usually get on the ship when I meet him/ her. In this case I tipped more then I usually do. I don't ever have a problem tipping extra. I've been on enough cruises to witness how hard the staff works. Also when he had put my bag in the cabin he noticed I did not have a coffee maker and said he will be right back . He knocked on the door and had brought me one. I myself didn't notice that there was one not there at the time. Service beyond and it does matter. .
What a useful cruise video! I haven’t been on a cruise in ages, and I am desperate to go. You made sense of a really confusing topic. I wonder if there is a way somehow to highlight this video so that I can easily find it and watch it again….
Newsflash: We tipped 30.00 for our luggage did not see it arrive any sooner, if fact one bag was sooo late, we felt ripped off from watching these videos....then, we saw other just take their bags with them onto the ship!! .....I saw many people that did not tip, if everyone gave 50 cents or 1.00 ...but tipping does not help. Our cabin girl was so sad when we arrived verbalized it "came to America easy money she went on to say "its so hard to make money and I'm away from home". We also prepaid our gratutity. We you leave the ship it was ez disimbarking ..so easy. I tried tipping 10 for wine to a server he promply gave it back and said you already included your tip ... I shoved it at him and said well, keep this anyway, he said thank you.
I got the Princess Plus package which includes, among other things, pre-paid gratuities (they call it "crew appreciation") of $16/person/day for the balcony.
@@tazman572 What is special about it is that you pre-pay the normal cabin gratuity along with a bunch of other nice things like the Drink package and the Internet package, all included in the Plus Package.
Thanks so very much Jayson! I’ll be in Europe on an American ship. 1) should I tip the porters in Euros and the people on the ship in USD? 2) If I’ve automatically been given free at sea (drinks etc) would that also cover the gratuities and, if not, would the amount of gratuities I have to pay depend on the amount I drink or is it a flat rate? 3) Room service $2 or $5?
We cruise quite frequently. I quit tipping the bag of chandlers because of damage to our luggage on three separate occasions, especially when my luggage was brand new and actually had a wheel completely snapped off of it. Of course I took the guy before all this happened so I’m assuming I tipped him to damage my luggage. unfortunately, I had no insurance and had to eat the cost of replacing some of the luggage
You can ask for the same serving team might not always get them but u should get.them more often. We always dine anytime n we always take $5 cash but we only leave it if they go above n beyond. Like the rest of the world the cruise ships are short staffed. And the service is not what it was precovid. Your room steward some times has over 30 rooms or more now n they don't have a full time helper they share a helper an hour at a time.
@@sherrywagner8449 Room steward definitely gets extra $$$ every time. That is the only person that actually does anything for us directly. Assigned dining was way better. By day 2 the staff already had your preferences in mind. You had the same waiters for the entirety of the cruise. And the staff had a more predictable schedule where all meal courses came out at the same time for all tables. With anytime dining there is everything happening all at once and it’s chaotic. Negatively impacting customer service and working conditions.
We always prepay. On our last cruise we gave each of our cabin attendants extra in envelopes and what happened next really angered me.The attendant opened the envelope and gave a disappointed look, which made me start scrambling to explain that we prepaid and what should have been a great last day instead had me rethinking cruising in the future. That happened in 2019 and haven't sailed since, however we are sailing in September, this time on NCL. Wish us luck.
We always give tips in the dining room, bartenders our stewards and butler. We save money for tips before we cruise for excursions and services rendered in our cruise and if you are kind respectful to them they go above and beyond to assist you on your needs.
@@leticiatantoy4350 I think we say your luggage, from our balcony we saw someone’s luggage get run over and got stuck under the forklift. They were some good looking pieces I may add. That’s why we buy the cheapest and the ugliest luggage we can find at Marshals. If it gets broken he toss it, and the uglier the better, because we can always pick them out in a crowd.
Yikes! So much for a relaxing trip you have to think so much. It’s almost like a job. Sounds like all the ships that you cruise on should be named La Gran Propina.
I always prepay my gratuities and tip extra to my cabin steward or stewards (HAL has 2 stewards per room.) I also tip room service attendants between $2-$5 depending how much I order and what time they bring my order. I almost always cruise with HAL and room service is included in the fare so no additional charges or gratuities. Mostly I dine in the buffet and I don’t tip anyone there even though I have considered doing so as some of the servers at the buffet are so helpful and entertaining. As for excursions, I give $5 if I’m on a bus and if it’s a smaller number of people in a car or van , I give $10 or more depending on how I feel they did their jobs as tour guides. Great video and very helpful and important! Thank you.
Jayson, this video was VERY well done and concise, thank you very much!...... I have a question, do you tip for meals that are apart from your main waiter but not specialty dining? i.e. eating lunch in the MDR etc. Thanks! 🙂
Jason, it’s against the law to charge Australians or New Zealander automatic tips. Let the cruise lines charge more an pay their employees a better wage. Don’t have them depend on tips.
I pay for a drink package with gratuity built in. I then give a dollar tip for every drink that I get (almost.) I even gave a Windjammer table cleaner a 2 dollar tip on the last day and she just about cried. It's nothing to me but means so much to them and their families.
We prepay plus I like to daily tip my room attendant, waiter&asst waiter, the person that brings us drinks and clears dishes in the buffet, room service, coffee bar, or if someone is bringing us a drink from the bar to where we are located on the ship (Princess).
Next June we are going on the oasis. We got a grand suite and we bought the beverage and they also had a meal package that covers all the specialty restaurants and it wasn’t bad so it’s nice. We can go anywhere we want to run the whole ship.
Outside the USA, I generally do not tip (including cruises). Tipping is not the norm in most countries. If there is a tip line on the bill it is there for Americans who are unaware of the local customs and I ignore it. I follow local customs when outside the US. “Tipping culture in the U.S. is unique, and most other countries do not have the same tipping norms,” said Amanda Belarmino, assistant professor at the William F. Harrah College of Hospitality at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. I'm not telling you what you should do. I'm saying what I do with my money.
Most cruise companies are considered “US companies” no matter where they cruise to or from. We are cruising twice next year from other countries with major cruise lines. The automatic tips are still there and I will leave them on and tip extra as I see fit. Locally I am aware you don’t tip and if we are eating out or doing onshore I will adjust. Personally I enjoy tipping for a job well done. Thanks for watching
@@JaysonJudsonthe automatic tips are not always there. It can depend on the cruise line, the country you booked your cruise in and possibly where in the world the ship is operating. The tipping rules are not the same for each individual on the same cruise. This makes tipping even more confusing and why it will always remain divisive on cruises.
@@kiwigirlcruiser yes this is only true for Aussies and Kiwis on Princess that have booked their cruise from Australia or NZ and like you said the ship is on such a cruise. Same goes with Carnival. Another example is RCCL and Celebrity never has daily auto gratuity for Australians and Kiwis. It doesn’t matter where in the world the ship is operating. Gratuitous have already been paid in the upfront cruise fare and because it’s not labelled as an auto grats, it can not be removed unlike other nations. Also you would never tip to drop your bag in non tipping countries. As you can see tipping rules are not the same for everyone. That’s why videos like this can be confusing depending where you are from and can remain divisive.
@@Fish29077 I think Australia pays all their staff well. When talking to man from the Philippines he said there was no tipping in his country. People can of course still reward someone who goes beyond expectations and I have done that myself. Interestingly the last time I cruised from Auckland there was a sign No Tipping at the port. The people who take people in a wheelchair are volunteers and would not accept a tip and there is no charge for suitcases.
This makes me not want to cruise. It's not this complicated at resorts. So before you try to take a vacation you've been saving for, you basically need to have $1000 for tips. Going to do this family cruise and that's it.
I’ve been in a spa that charged an automatic additional 90% gratuity - I spoke with the manager & hotel manager to have it removed & then only tipped 10% because they were in my opinion being greedy!
I consider the gratuity as another part of the trip cost. I budget for my "direct" tips. I know exactly what I plan to tip and if the service is good, I tip, the extra. If its not, then I dont. Nothing says I appreciate you more than a tip. Id never remove my gratuities. That is a low class move. I tip the porter, steward, dining server, and shore excursion.
We tip extra to baggage porters around $5/bag, $1 extra to drink waiters per drink order, room steward $10-20/day at end of cruise, dining staff $20-50/each at end of cruise depending on length of cruise, specility dining is based on service offered usually $20/ meal ... now debating the prepaid gratuities debate... who really gets the money?? If it doesn't go to staff as some on here say thn it's going to corporation then I will start remiving mine!
Tipping is a scam. In most countries in the world, tipping is not expected because employers pay their staff fairly and do not put the onus on the customer. Wake up!
I ordered a drink to be sent to my room @ particular time and when I received the drink, it was so watered down. It was just terrible. I didn’t tip which I normally would because I could see that it was very water down. I had also bought a premier package and for the money that I paid. I was not very happy with the drinks. I ordered the peach tea smash from different bars and everyone made it differently. Only the very first one that I received was actually good and that is why I kept ordering it. Lesson learned
I think the porters are longshoreman and probably make more than I do but just in case I’m wrong about it I also do a few bucks a bag but o also keep our group together and tip once for all the bags
I have a question about tipping the maitr D……. We are going on a cruise in about 10 days and since we booked it kind of late the only dining option we have is late, we want to change it to anytime and I’m thinking about handing the MD a $20 bill?
I pre-tip. I do tip extra my cabin attendant-waiter and assistant. I also tip the porters and the excursion drivers. I have been burned on the spa service as I didn’t realize it is already included. So I ended up paying about 38%. Yikes.
Hi, I just found your page. We are a couple that never prepay our tips and pull all tips! We tip only those who personally give us a service! Cabin Stewart, waiter and Bartender.The last cruise, I tipped only bar service! Stewart was terrible and we ate at the buffet only! Tipping has gotten out of hand. Tips are for extra service and not for people behind the scenes.
You should NEVER withdraw your gratuities, as mentioned in the video even those behind the scenes get a share of the daily gratuity. People behind the scenes are Cook's and other kitchen staff, laundry attendants who clean the bedding, table cloths, towels, robes, etc., as well as miscellaneous service staff throughout the ship that you may never see, yet they too are ensuring that you enjoy your cruise.
@@betruetoyourself8738 that’s your opinion. Cooks,kitchen staff do nothing for me personally and there fore will never receive a tip from me! Cruise lines are using the so called prepaid gratuities to supplement wages. Gratuities are supposed to be for service above and beyond the norm. We will never supplement pay by prepaying gratuities!
@kenstears2512 OH! So, you don't eat any of the prepared food while on the ship? You bring your own bedding and towels, or wash them while on the ship? You clean up after yourself and others while on the ship? Yeah, OK, keep telling yourself that you are SPECIAL and those working behind the scenes are expected to serve you and deserve nothing extra from you or anyone else. Have a great day, and enjoy being cheap!
@@betruetoyourself8738we always tip (very well) but I hate when it’s mandatory. Also it’s up to the cruise line to pay their staff not the customer. This will be our first cruise and we’re considering taking off the gratitudes .
Spa RC. We felt guilty and tipped however I believe when you book it the tip is part of that amount. Being honest. Good experience and service. Had to decline sales pitch 6 times and to guilt tip. Don’t know that we will ever do a spa treatment again. We live in a vacation area and can get prob 2 for same price.
On a couple of cruises we had envelopes labelled for the maitre d left in our state room and he was standing right at entrance to the dining room waiting to collect all the envelopes. We didn't feel comfortable doing this so we didn't. Were we wrong? Is a person in this position considered one of the officers?
If everyone took the tips off, they would change the system. Never prepay and never let the cruise line determine your tip or raise the daily tip amount. I never tip per person any where, why would I do it on a ship? TIP on good service only when they go above and beyond the job they are already being paid for.
What Alaskan cruise are you going on? I'm going on Princess Grand 7 day on Aug 27 - Sep 4th heading Northbound to Whittier. I bought the plus package for myself and GF. Doing the 5 glacier sea plane ride booked through the cruise.
This is what I do. Since I always prepay the gratuity, I never spend even 1 cent extra on tipping. Do I feel guilty? Not at all, because I already pre-tipped them. I don’t understand why I should tip over pre- tipping. Btw, I always use the service covered by the cruise fee. I don’t even tip the housekeepers because they are included in the pre-tipping.
We always prepay, then if anyone does great service or have done extra for us we tip extra. Also just a heads up check with your server if they have to pull their tips together, even if given cash they might have to turn that in as well. I was a server over 30yrs, and companies that pull tips and then split it up if your caught keeping cash tip you could be fired. So you might want to ask that ad well.
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Always prepay gratuities
Nice video but I have to disagree with you on prepaid gratuities. Unfortunately, the behind the scenes workers DO NOT get any of the prepaid gratuities on Princess. The next time you take a cruise please ask someone who’s cleaning the public areas or the kitchen staff. You will get a very different answer. A lot of them aren’t aware that passengers prepay gratuities.
As jonathanlee1837 commented they get a straight salary that is based on their country of residence. It’s best to give specific workers cash tips. They’re paid the lowest wages but work the hardest (11 hours a day, 7 days a week). Some people commented that tips are demeaning. The workers don’t view tips as demeaning at all. They’re very happy to receive them.
Newsflash for you! The pre-paid gratuities DO NOT go to staff or behind the scenes people. They go directly to ship mgmt. That's why always tip in cash to those who have rendered good service. How do i know? As a former employee of several cruise lines, and who have friends still in the industry...this is a hard fact! Everyone gets a fixed salary! Period! The extra we make comes from cash tips directly from passengers.
It’s a bribe
@@jonathanlee1837 I ran the numbers and on a small ship of 2200 passengers, gratuities alone are $37,000 a day, $261,000 a week or
$13,000,000 a year. Lots of money to be skimmed off the top. It’s only $17 a day per person they say, my eye. Thanks for the info.
That's a scam and should be illegal because they claim that it goes to the workers.
@@Remember_when yes a way for them to not pay tax on it.
Yeah, pay us an extra 30% to offset us using profits to pay staff
What's the point of pre pay (which I do) if additional tipping is 'expected'? So now it's salary, tip, and more tip.
Even when the tips are prepaid, it feels like a money grab because you always get something to sign and you have to cross off the tip if you're not going to tip on every glass of hooch you're going to drink.
Tipping is one of the most discussed subject for many Passengers. For Americans, it's part of their Culture, but there are many Countries where tipping is not done automatically. It's always said, ohh, but the Staff on Cruise Ships come from 3rd world Countries and don't get paid much? Just do the sums of the Pre-paid Gratuities ..... for a Ship that carries 4-5000 Passengers? It's a tidy Sum that subsidises the Cruise Lines Staff Salaries. I prefer to Tip individually and ho[p, that Cruise Lines will start to pay Fair Salaries to all their Staff, so these Pre-paid Gratuities become a thing of the past. Especially, when such Gratuities are now "compulsory!!??
Gratuities are AUTOMATED not MANDATORY. You do not have to pay them. Paying these gratuities is a personal decision. IF you do not want to pay or want to pay less per day, go to Guest Services and tell them. And people should not be shamed for not paying or paying.
The crew’s salaries should not be dependent on the vagrancies of the passengers. The cruise lines should pay their crew appropriately OR include the “gratuities” as service charges. But then they would have to include that amount in the cruise fare. I tip my cabin attendant, any bartender that serves me, and anyone that provides good service. The cabin attendant gets the equivalent of the daily gratuities if the service is at least good. IF he/she wants to share…they are free to do so.
I myself (line cook) was a crew onboard cruiseship, so as my brother..we never get extra money besides our salary .with or without passengers... that (daily pre-paid gratuities) goes to the owner of the ship to built a new cruiseship.
Even if someone leaves cash?
@nikizzard6172 we can keep the cash..but if it's from pre-paid gratuities we don't see that.
I wish more cruise lines were like P&O UK and included the tips in the cruise fair.
The same as Virgin Cruises - ALL tips and gratuities are included and NO staff expect any tips whatsoever... 😂😂😂
Yes, you’re right
I can say that for Princess Cruises, although it's not _technically_ part of the standard fare, you can pay extra for the Plus package (I think about $60/day/prsn) then you can just _pretend_ that it's included in the fare. Along with a few other nice perks like a drink package and free wifi!
What I like about it is that cruise lines that include tips in the fare mean that the fare is more expensive. OK, how much is the crew really getting? You can just go ahead an prepay the tips which makes it much more transparent.
Out of all the cruise line information I have watched on the internet, this was by far the best, most informative and useful one. Many thanks
This is the best video I've ever seen explaining the tipping process on cruises. Thank you! I've subscribed and clicked he bell.
Excellent info for someone who is new to cruising, or hasn't been on a cruise for some time. Thanks, Jayson
I like to pre-pay everything before I get on my cruise so that way all I have to worry about is drinks and specialty dining if I choose, just makes it easier
So if we don’t use most of the services on a cruise are we still expected to tip the max? We don’t use the spa, we don’t drink, we rarely eat at the formal dining, we have never even spoken to the head waiter, we don’t use the pools, we have never used room service so is it fair to say that a $40 a day for the minimal use of services is off the chart? We usually leave the tips on but is it fair to pay for services not rendered and not even disclosed to whom it goes to.
Think of the cooks you never see, the laundry staff, the guys keeping the engines working. I assume they will get some amount from the daily gratuities on your account.
@@hansgustaf540 well, I ran the numbers. We’re going on the Island Princess soon, so let’s say the ship holds 2200 passengers and have 900 crew members. If all 2200 passengers pay $17 a day, that equal to over $37,000 a day or $261,000 a week. If only 90% of crew members are untitled to the gratuity pool the passengers are paying on average $323 a week each service member, plus their wages, plus their free room and board, plus any additional tips they receive. I read somewhere that room stewards receive 30% of the gratuities, so let’s say a steward is assigned 10 staterooms paying $11 each, that means a room steward will make $110 a day or $40,000 a year just on gratuities, plus all the perks. On top of that, passengers are entrusting the very cruise line that pays a subpar wage to distribute the gratuities honestly and according to policy. Despite this, the cruise line doesn’t think it’s important to disclose their gratuity policy. I’m not hating on crew members, but there has to be a better way and there needs to be a lot more transparency when it comes to others money. In the past we always leave the gratuities on our onboard account and leave a little extra, but this time may be different.
Here in Australia, the gratuities are included in the cruise fare across all cruise lines. It is customary to tip the cabin steward and main dining room wait staff. It's important to know that if a tipping envelope is left in your cabin, then the tip goes into a pool and is shared, and with each share the recipient must declare it as income for tax purposes. However, if you give a cash tip directly to your cabin steward and wait staff, they don't have to share or declare it.
This is good to know
My Florida bank (REGIONS) orders me fresh/NEW/CRISP $2 bills prior to each cruise. They make a big impression and take up less room than dollar bills. MANY servers say they save them for family at home. Bartenders love them too and other guests almost always comment/question and it's a good way to be engaged in chat.
The only thing about that is, they're trying to discourage the use of cash on board. I do like that idea better than paying with a pair of $1 bills, but how do you do it without _any_ cash? I'm going to have to figure this out before our upcoming cruise.
Hey Mac! I remember you from the Summit last year. Guys like us who tipped got great service
The tips are way too expensive plus you have to pay mandatory gratuities. It’s all a deceptive practice to increase additional income to the cruise line. If gratuities were mandated to be disclosed in the total price of a cruise, business would drop off considerably.
@Gregory-Masovutch I always add the prepaid gratuities (and, now, trip protection) to the cruise price before deciding to purchase the cruise, then I divide it into $/day to see if it fits my budget. So no skimping on tips because I forgot to save some cash for the end of the cruise. On my first cruise (1995), there were still envelopes for each service left on the bed the night before embarkation day. I had almost forgotten to save some cash for that purpose.
I have prepaid gratuities since that service was first offered. I can still tip extra, if I want. No takeaway - solve the problem.
Love Virgin. Tips included. no extra tipping
Exactly... Virgin actually make a point of stating "We've taken care of all tips and gratuities".
@@stewedfishproductions9554 But if course it's built in the price, as it should be but as salaries. The comments indicate that tipping is a big topic.
I hate idea of tiping they shul d be paid for the job they do
In Australia we dont unless very good service
I always r remove tiping and just look after my cabin guy
Gratuities should be in the price of the cruise like Australia
@@IreneFreeman-u5w Gratuities should be abolished. It's demeaning.
@@stalagnightmy husband hates the American tipping system .people should be paid a proper wage .when we went on holiday to Australia he loved that tipping wasn’t expected .far better system!
We are going on a cruise next August. Im confused why there is specialty dining? I would think the food in the din8ng room would be good? Ty
Last 2 cruises - we asked the room attendants, waiters, their assistants and the people you see during buffets. Asked them whether they receive any additional money other than salaries they get. They said no. Our prepaid gratuities go to management. They wanted to get paid separately if we were planning to tip. So we asked for daily gratuity to be refunded and paid separately the room attendant, waiter, assistant or anyone else we thought deserved it. Felt good about it. Then wondered if we were being scammed by these attendants to get paid twice. Don’t have an answer but am torn now as whether I should pay separately or let the ship allocate it. Would appreciate input from others
Thanks!
Just remember you can cancel your gratuities and opt out to pay cash. Its that easy. Cabin stewards, waiters & assistant waiters are the usual crew that get gratuities. You can tip extra if the service is exceptional.
I pre-pay gratuities. I keep specific cash in small denominations in order to tip those whom I choose. I do it to be a blessing. I have received bear hugs and the biggest smiles.💕 (As well as a free boat ride and a gigantic expensive champagne just for me).💕
@@gigi4874-w3w
So you effectively miss out on those workers behind the scenes. I believe all workers should be rewarded by the employer.
Yes, I prepay my gratuities! I also tip my room steward and dining room staff extra at the end of the cruise.
I prepay gratuities and tip extra as well for seamless service.
Same here
I never take away gratuity and always tip dining room service everyday after every meal since sometimes we don’t go back to the same table next day.
How much should we tip ?
@@QuangWynn2711 that's what i wish someone would answer. Im going on my 1st cruise this dec so i have no clue what you pay those steward people. I'm so lost as to what I'm supposed to do
I prepaid my gratuities ahead of time but will tip extra if steward or waiter goes above and beyond
This is what I'm expecting to do, as soon as I figure out how you do that without walking around with a pocket full of cash!
Customer service desk can always split big bill for you. As for me, I got changes from my bank and kept them in the safe of the room, take around ten to fifteen dollars small denominations so I can tip easily.
@@evelynchang8729 I like this strategy!
@@evelynchang8729 This sounds like a great idea, if I can get this posting to slip past the YT post evaporator.
@@uncaboat2399 One is that you have to think about how much "extra" is. I do either prepaid gratuities or else it's charged daily on my account. If I'm giving more, I will put the money in envelopes and hand them out at last day/night of the cruise, so I'm only doing this one time. I just make sure to carry a few $5, $10, and $20 on board, but the cash stays in the safe, so I'm never walking around w/it.
I always prepaid for gratuity. & leave tips for the one cleaning my cabin.
In Los Angeles those porters make upwards of $100K per year and also expect a tip for doing their job. Just feels wrong.
That’s blatantly false, most cruise ship personnel are foreign nationals who are paid quite little.
Our travel agent usually gives us enough shipboard credit to cover the gratuities. We give a bit extra to our cabin attendant. We also bring cash in the local currency to tip our excursion guide and driver.
They aren’t giving you anything you’re paying in the cost of the cruise
@@PepperPepper-dg7gr So if someone books directly with the cruise line at the advertised price and doesn't get several hundred back in shipboard credit, have they paid double for gratuities and drinks?
Thanks for sharing this video n I Totally agree with all the points u made in this video.
Thanks for watching
If I tipped the amount you tip, I couldn't afford to go on a cruise. A few extra dollars here and there, extra amount for stewart I can see if tips are prepaid but adding as much as you say is crazy!
You are so right.Some people save up in order to go on a cruise not everyone can afford all these extra tipping
The gratuity _is voluntary_ and you'll probably still get great service. No one says you _must_ tip or you _have to_ coz obviously you don't.
But come on ... I assume you live in the West, probably America, and most of the crew lives in 3rd and 4th world countries, where even clean drinking water is a luxury. Very little harm will come to you if you tip, or tip too much, but it means a lot to the crew! If you can't afford the cruise _including tips,_ maybe you need to save your pennies for another year.
No hatin', just sayin' ...
Remember it’s a blessing to tip and you will get the above and beyond service because they appreciate it. Don’t tip the bartender and drink. Then tip the bartender well and see the difference 😉. You need extra soap, towels or anything? Tip your room attendants!
@@uncaboat2399I am a pensioner and if I am careful I can afford a cruise, but tell me the price so I can work out my budget. I pay my gratuities why must I double tip. In the UK I love Weatherspoons their prices are good and when I order food I sit down and it is delivered with a smile then they are gone no tipping, SO I keep going and they earn more money.
Get rid of this antiquated system!
I wish cruise lines would be transparent about the whereabouts my tips goes. If we never use most of the extra services are we expected to include them in the tipping pool?
Love your videos!!
I am an extra tipper kind of person.
I worked in the hospitality industry when I was young.
My tips paid my way to college.
Hard work !!!
Yes I tip extra
I give the bartender $1 ,Each drink.
My gratuities are paid on advance, but I appreciate everyone 😊❤
We always pay for our gratuities in advance on a cruise. We also tip when our luggage is taken to board the ship. We usually tip 20% at a specialty restaurant but will look at the left of the bill to see if it states additional tip. Thanks for your advice on tipping.
Jayson….for me is very simple…I limit my tipping, I do selective tipping. I cancel automatic tipping by the second day on board. We dine many nights in the cafeteria and we do not have a designated server = no tip there… even if we go to the main dining room nowadays the service is not the service once was… may be I little tip to the server… The only guy we tip is the cabin steward and if he is nice…If they don’t like it, is time to reconsider another job occupation.
Perhaps you should consider a different vacation you cheap sob
The cost for any cruise is : Cruise fare + Tax + Port fee + Tips. That why we always prepay gratuity. At the port I tip the porter $2 per bag, 1-2 bags tip $5, 3-5 bags tip $10.
This makes me not wanting to take a cruise. Tipping every where, a cruise of $500, gratitude is $300?????
@@JHall-dl1sb I feel the same.
Yes. PRE PAY when you paid off cruise . I budget out cash tips each month before my cruise so that extra tipping. For deliveries bar tender shore excursion etc. I agree do not remove daily and I also tip extra cabin and waiter I usually bring cash extra for specialty dining. Question I was taught not to tip officers but guest services are they staff or officers?
I’m curious how you reconcile wanting to provide tips for service through the auto gratuity but then suggest pre-paying the tip to avoid an increased tip rate at the time of your trip.
Hello Jason, new to your channel. I always pre pay my gratuities on my cruises. I am partial to NCL , the service I recieve in my opinion is I give an extra tip to certain staff, example state room attendant, waiter and usually some bartenders. On my last cruise to.Bermuda I had gotten to my cabin and my luggage was not at my cabin. My cabin steward had noticed I was outside my cabin looking for my luggage. He came right over and ask if he can help me with something, I had explained my luggage was not there. He said to to wait a moment and a few more moments he came by with my luggage. When I asked where he found it, he explain that there must have been an error when the luggage was being delivered and it was three cabins down probably a mix up with tag numbers and it was put in front of the wrong cabin. This to me is a service that went beyond. As I said I always tip my cabin steward extra when I usually get on the ship when I meet him/ her. In this case I tipped more then I usually do. I don't ever have a problem tipping extra. I've been on enough cruises to witness how hard the staff works. Also when he had put my bag in the cabin he noticed I did not have a coffee maker and said he will be right back . He knocked on the door and had brought me one. I myself didn't notice that there was one not there at the time. Service beyond and it does matter. .
What a useful cruise video! I haven’t been on a cruise in ages, and I am desperate to go. You made sense of a really confusing topic. I wonder if there is a way somehow to highlight this video so that I can easily find it and watch it again….
Newsflash: We tipped 30.00 for our luggage did not see it arrive any sooner, if fact one bag was sooo late, we felt ripped off from watching these videos....then, we saw other just take their bags with them onto the ship!! .....I saw many people that did not tip, if everyone gave 50 cents or 1.00 ...but tipping does not help. Our cabin girl was so sad when we arrived verbalized it "came to America easy money she went on to say "its so hard to make money and I'm away from home". We also prepaid our gratutity. We you leave the ship it was ez disimbarking ..so easy. I tried tipping 10 for wine to a server he promply gave it back and said you already included your tip ... I shoved it at him and said well, keep this anyway, he said thank you.
I paid the cruise company the cruise company pays the help, no tipping at all.
I got the Princess Plus package which includes, among other things, pre-paid gratuities (they call it "crew appreciation") of $16/person/day for the balcony.
That's nothing special. That's the normal cabin gratuity per person.
@@tazman572 What is special about it is that you pre-pay the normal cabin gratuity along with a bunch of other nice things like the Drink package and the Internet package, all included in the Plus Package.
Thanks so very much Jayson! I’ll be in Europe on an American ship. 1) should I tip the porters in Euros and the people on the ship in USD? 2) If I’ve automatically been given free at sea (drinks etc) would that also cover the gratuities and, if not, would the amount of gratuities I have to pay depend on the amount I drink or is it a flat rate? 3) Room service $2 or $5?
Euro in Europe
We cruise quite frequently. I quit tipping the bag of chandlers because of damage to our luggage on three separate occasions, especially when my luggage was brand new and actually had a wheel completely snapped off of it. Of course I took the guy before all this happened so I’m assuming I tipped him to damage my luggage. unfortunately, I had no insurance and had to eat the cost of replacing some of the luggage
If you pre pay your gratuity would that cover when you go to the bar ? Or you have to pay extra?
Totally agree about tipping the porters.
I prepay tip and hand extra to cabin attendants and main dining waitstaff; I tip additional at specialty dining.
Im not tipping anyone. I dont ask for extra, just give me the service that my cruise fare covers.
El Cheapo.
@@tazman572 call it what u want to.. give me what i paid for.. cheap people have money while u show offs be broke
@@tazman572 yup..
I always prepay gratuity but will give additional to room steward an dining room if the service is above average.
Great video, thanks for the info; and congrats on hitting 100k subs. I'm going on my first cruise in 2026 and this info was very helpful.
With the new non-traditional anytime dining, additional tipping for the waiters is no longer a thing since you get someone different every day.
You can ask for the same serving team might not always get them but u should get.them more often. We always dine anytime n we always take $5 cash but we only leave it if they go above n beyond. Like the rest of the world the cruise ships are short staffed. And the service is not what it was precovid. Your room steward some times has over 30 rooms or more now n they don't have a full time helper they share a helper an hour at a time.
@@sherrywagner8449
Room steward definitely gets extra $$$ every time.
That is the only person that actually does anything for us directly.
Assigned dining was way better. By day 2 the staff already had your preferences in mind.
You had the same waiters for the entirety of the cruise.
And the staff had a more predictable schedule where all meal courses came out at the same time for all tables.
With anytime dining there is everything happening all at once and it’s chaotic.
Negatively impacting customer service and working conditions.
@@sherrywagner8449 Not your problem.
We always prepay. On our last cruise we gave each of our cabin attendants extra in envelopes and what happened next really angered me.The attendant opened the envelope and gave a disappointed look, which made me start scrambling to explain that we prepaid and what should have been a great last day instead had me rethinking cruising in the future. That happened in 2019 and haven't sailed since, however we are sailing in September, this time on NCL. Wish us luck.
Prepay for NCL and give extra if Stewart met your satisfaction.
Or you will get a bill at the end of the week.
We always give tips in the dining room, bartenders our stewards and butler. We save money for tips before we cruise for excursions and services rendered in our cruise and if you are kind respectful to them they go above and beyond to assist you on your needs.
@@leticiatantoy4350 I think we say your luggage, from our balcony we saw someone’s luggage get run over and got stuck under the forklift. They were some good looking pieces I may add. That’s why we buy the cheapest and the ugliest luggage we can find at Marshals. If it gets broken he toss it, and the uglier the better, because we can always pick them out in a crowd.
Yikes! So much for a relaxing trip you have to think so much. It’s almost like a job. Sounds like all the ships that you cruise on should be named La Gran Propina.
Excellent tips! Thank you!
Thanks for watching
We always pre pay gratitude.
Yes you are so correct on the Spa. I made this mistake trip 40%. Thank you for the information.
Excellent video . Thanks for the info.
I always prepay my gratuities and tip extra to my cabin steward or stewards (HAL has 2 stewards per room.) I also tip room service attendants between $2-$5 depending how much I order and what time they bring my order. I almost always cruise with HAL and room service is included in the fare so no additional charges or gratuities. Mostly I dine in the buffet and I don’t tip anyone there even though I have considered doing so as some of the servers at the buffet are so helpful and entertaining. As for excursions, I give $5 if I’m on a bus and if it’s a smaller number of people in a car or van , I give $10 or more depending on how I feel they did their jobs as tour guides. Great video and very helpful and important! Thank you.
Additional tips - simply plan on and bring some cash - ensures it goes direct to the individual and "no tax on tips"
Jayson, this video was VERY well done and concise, thank you very much!...... I have a question, do you tip for meals that are apart from your main waiter but not specialty dining? i.e. eating lunch in the MDR etc. Thanks! 🙂
On ncl my last my cruise, I never met my room attendant,
I left a tip everyday, on my next
Cruise 2025 I will not leave extra tip
Jason, it’s against the law to charge Australians or New Zealander automatic tips. Let the cruise lines charge more an pay their employees a better wage. Don’t have them depend on tips.
I pay for a drink package with gratuity built in. I then give a dollar tip for every drink that I get (almost.) I even gave a Windjammer table cleaner a 2 dollar tip on the last day and she just about cried. It's nothing to me but means so much to them and their families.
We prepay plus I like to daily tip my room attendant, waiter&asst waiter, the person that brings us drinks and clears dishes in the buffet, room service, coffee bar, or if someone is bringing us a drink from the bar to where we are located on the ship (Princess).
Always prepay:::::::: but extra small tips for excellent service😊
Yes I always tip extra for room service.
Yes as they are bringing your food to you.
Great info, thanks!
I remove GRATUITIES and tip on my own. I do save just for tipping.
On RCCL you can’t remove gratuities. You must pay.
Thank you very much for the information!
On Carnival, the extra tip goes directly to the server according to numerous servers I've asked.
Next June we are going on the oasis. We got a grand suite and we bought the beverage and they also had a meal package that covers all the specialty restaurants and it wasn’t bad so it’s nice. We can go anywhere we want to run the whole ship.
Outside the USA, I generally do not tip (including cruises). Tipping is not the norm in most countries. If there is a tip line on the bill it is there for Americans who are unaware of the local customs and I ignore it. I follow local customs when outside the US. “Tipping culture in the U.S. is unique, and most other countries do not have the same tipping norms,” said Amanda Belarmino, assistant professor at the William F. Harrah College of Hospitality at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. I'm not telling you what you should do. I'm saying what I do with my money.
Most cruise companies are considered “US companies” no matter where they cruise to or from.
We are cruising twice next year from other countries with major cruise lines.
The automatic tips are still there and I will leave them on and tip extra as I see fit.
Locally I am aware you don’t tip and if we are eating out or doing onshore I will adjust.
Personally I enjoy tipping for a job well done.
Thanks for watching
@@JaysonJudsonthe automatic tips are not always there. It can depend on the cruise line, the country you booked your cruise in and possibly where in the world the ship is operating. The tipping rules are not the same for each individual on the same cruise. This makes tipping even more confusing and why it will always remain divisive on cruises.
No tipping on a Princess ship that leaves or returns to Australia or New Zealand
@@kiwigirlcruiser yes this is only true for Aussies and Kiwis on Princess that have booked their cruise from Australia or NZ and like you said the ship is on such a cruise. Same goes with Carnival. Another example is RCCL and Celebrity never has daily auto gratuity for Australians and Kiwis. It doesn’t matter where in the world the ship is operating. Gratuitous have already been paid in the upfront cruise fare and because it’s not labelled as an auto grats, it can not be removed unlike other nations. Also you would never tip to drop your bag in non tipping countries. As you can see tipping rules are not the same for everyone. That’s why videos like this can be confusing depending where you are from and can remain divisive.
@@Fish29077 I think Australia pays all their staff well. When talking to man from the Philippines he said there was no tipping in his country. People can of course still reward someone who goes beyond expectations and I have done that myself. Interestingly the last time I cruised from Auckland there was a sign No Tipping at the port. The people who take people in a wheelchair are volunteers and would not accept a tip and there is no charge for suitcases.
This makes me not want to cruise. It's not this complicated at resorts. So before you try to take a vacation you've been saving for, you basically need to have $1000 for tips. Going to do this family cruise and that's it.
I’ve been in a spa that charged an automatic additional 90% gratuity - I spoke with the manager & hotel manager to have it removed & then only tipped 10% because they were in my opinion being greedy!
@@fionacharrington7709 Now that is a rip off.
I consider the gratuity as another part of the trip cost. I budget for my "direct" tips. I know exactly what I plan to tip and if the service is good, I tip, the extra. If its not, then I dont. Nothing says I appreciate you more than a tip. Id never remove my gratuities. That is a low class move. I tip the porter, steward, dining server, and shore excursion.
Definitely prepay and forget about it 🚢
The gratuities even if they go to the staff are shared ! Direct tips go right to the member doing a good job !
We tip extra to baggage porters around $5/bag, $1 extra to drink waiters per drink order, room steward $10-20/day at end of cruise, dining staff $20-50/each at end of cruise depending on length of cruise, specility dining is based on service offered usually $20/ meal ... now debating the prepaid gratuities debate... who really gets the money?? If it doesn't go to staff as some on here say thn it's going to corporation then I will start remiving mine!
Cruise Virgin Voyages and gratuities are already included!! Much much better .
Hi. New subscriber. I prepaid my last gratuities on my cruise. I didn’t need to worry about making sure I had money leftover.
Tipping is a scam. In most countries in the world, tipping is not expected because employers pay their staff fairly and do not put the onus on the customer. Wake up!
I ordered a drink to be sent to my room @ particular time and when I received the drink, it was so watered down. It was just terrible. I didn’t tip which I normally would because I could see that it was very water down. I had also bought a premier package and for the money that I paid. I was not very happy with the drinks. I ordered the peach tea smash from different bars and everyone made it differently. Only the very first one that I received was actually good and that is why I kept ordering it. Lesson learned
I think the porters are longshoreman and probably make more than I do but just in case I’m wrong about it I also do a few bucks a bag but o also keep our group together and tip once for all the bags
I have a question about tipping the maitr D……. We are going on a cruise in about 10 days and since we booked it kind of late the only dining option we have is late, we want to change it to anytime and I’m thinking about handing the MD a $20 bill?
I've just pre-paid the gratuities for my upcoming NCL cruise
Tips when up service when down
On the first day, I always give my cabin attendant an additions $50 cash tip up front. (and I always do the end daily tip thingy)
I pre-tip. I do tip extra my cabin attendant-waiter and assistant. I also tip the porters and the excursion drivers.
I have been burned on the spa service as I didn’t realize it is already included. So I ended up paying about 38%. Yikes.
I'm aligned with you across the board. Hard work deserves to be rewarded.
Hi, I just found your page. We are a couple that never prepay our tips and pull all tips! We tip only those who personally give us a service! Cabin Stewart, waiter and Bartender.The last cruise, I tipped only bar service! Stewart was terrible and we ate at the buffet only! Tipping has gotten out of hand. Tips are for extra service and not for people behind the scenes.
Tips are also shared with the people who serve you and you never see...laundry, kitchen, etc.
You should NEVER withdraw your gratuities, as mentioned in the video even those behind the scenes get a share of the daily gratuity.
People behind the scenes are Cook's and other kitchen staff, laundry attendants who clean the bedding, table cloths, towels, robes, etc., as well as miscellaneous service staff throughout the ship that you may never see, yet they too are ensuring that you enjoy your cruise.
@@betruetoyourself8738 that’s your opinion. Cooks,kitchen staff do nothing for me personally and there fore will never receive a tip from me! Cruise lines are using the so called prepaid gratuities to supplement wages. Gratuities are supposed to be for service above and beyond the norm. We will never supplement pay by prepaying gratuities!
@kenstears2512 OH! So, you don't eat any of the prepared food while on the ship?
You bring your own bedding and towels, or wash them while on the ship?
You clean up after yourself and others while on the ship?
Yeah, OK, keep telling yourself that you are SPECIAL and those working behind the scenes are expected to serve you and deserve nothing extra from you or anyone else.
Have a great day, and enjoy being cheap!
@@betruetoyourself8738we always tip (very well) but I hate when it’s mandatory. Also it’s up to the cruise line to pay their staff not the customer. This will be our first cruise and we’re considering taking off the gratitudes .
Spa RC. We felt guilty and tipped however I believe when you book it the tip is part of that amount. Being honest. Good experience and service. Had to decline sales pitch 6 times and to guilt tip. Don’t know that we will ever do a spa treatment again. We live in a vacation area and can get prob 2 for same price.
On a couple of cruises we had envelopes labelled for the maitre d left in our state room and he was standing right at entrance to the dining room waiting to collect all the envelopes. We didn't feel comfortable doing this so we didn't. Were we wrong? Is a person in this position considered one of the officers?
If everyone took the tips off, they would change the system. Never prepay and never let the cruise line determine your tip or raise the daily tip amount. I never tip per person any where, why would I do it on a ship? TIP on good service only when they go above and beyond the job they are already being paid for.
😮wow this is so sad it's so beautiful there.how deep of water were they in? I can't believe there was no look out people
What Alaskan cruise are you going on? I'm going on Princess Grand 7 day on Aug 27 - Sep 4th heading Northbound to Whittier. I bought the plus package for myself and GF. Doing the 5 glacier sea plane ride booked through the cruise.
This is what I do. Since I always prepay the gratuity, I never spend even 1 cent extra on tipping. Do I feel guilty? Not at all, because I already pre-tipped them. I don’t understand why I should tip over pre- tipping. Btw, I always use the service covered by the cruise fee. I don’t even tip the housekeepers because they are included in the pre-tipping.
Your ''' SPOT ON ''' with the Tips ..
We always prepay, then if anyone does great service or have done extra for us we tip extra. Also just a heads up check with your server if they have to pull their tips together, even if given cash they might have to turn that in as well. I was a server over 30yrs, and companies that pull tips and then split it up if your caught keeping cash tip you could be fired. So you might want to ask that ad well.