hello..
i'm new! http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/smile.gif
6 months ago..i went on HAL to Alaska.. i know it says 'no tipping required on HAL'.. but my gf and i ended up tipping anyways.. HER DECISION..

so anyways.. seeing that you guys are all experts here.. http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/smile.gif i need some help in tipping.. ie.. how much.. and to whom.. and on which cruiseline..

thx in advance.. http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/smile.gif



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always clueless...

Every cruise brochure gives you what they consider the correct tip amounts. On a 7 night cruise total tips usually run around $125.00, but I always tip according to service.

what about when it's 'no tipping required'.. then we don't tip? 'cuz i didn't see anyone else tipping but us.. http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/frown.gif

You also have to be careful and not double tip unless you want to do it.Some cruise lines are automatically adding the tips on the Sign & Sail tab.

I was incensed when I discovered that Holland America's "Tipping Not Required" policy was a sham... they still hustle tips just like the other lines.

Princess does it well. As a default, they add a recommended amount to your bill. You can change or delete these at will.

Rule of thumb for a seven-night cruise: $25 each for the waiter and steward, $10 for the assistant waiter. I only tip the Maitre D' if he provides some special service--$10-$20.

Tips for cocktail servers are usually added automatically as you purchase drinks.

There is "no tipping required" and there is "no tipping." Seabourne, and couple other high end lines would be "no tipping."

QuietLion: your assessment is correct, but is a PER PERSON, amount, so if you are a couple you need to double that amount. http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/smile.gif

You might want to try cruisecritic.com and run a search on tips in your specific cruises forum. You'll get some great tips.

You did not see many tipping, but they did! HAL employees deserve it and go out of their way. They don't make much money and as you pointed out - it did not say "no tipping" just "not required." If you can afford the cruise, you can afford to budget for tipping (when deserved). I think your girlfriend is very classy in insisting that you both tip.

Right, per person.

I've got no problem with tipping the customary amount or more for excellent service. The problem is with Holland America taking out full-page ads with enormous headlines claiming "TIPPING NOT REQUIRED" when in fact the expectation is to tip EXACTLY the same as the competition they are attempting to differentiate themselves from.

I have to agree with QuietLion. When I order room service at a hotel they often add up to a 20% "delivery/service charge". I certainly do not expect to tip an additional 15%-20%. The implication HAL makes is that your price includes a percentage for their employees.While some additional tips may be deserved,I don't believe that the "normal" tips given on other lines should be expected.

Like others have said, make sure you aren't paying twoce. I will usually tip more if the service was excellent.

The general guidelines, which will be in the cabin someplace:

Room Steward - $3.75 per person per day
Your Waiter - $3.75 per person per day
Assistant Waiter - $1.50 per person per day

Bar Staff - that is usually added on to the bill, 15%, but they wouldn't turn down a dollar here and there (or more depending on how much you are drinking)

Head Waiter - If they do anything then tip them

Maitre type guy - Same as the head waiter

Massages, hairdressers - As you would tip at home

Tour guides - I think they recommend a dollar for a half day, and two dollars for a full day per person, I find that to be very low if they are very good.

Porters to move the bags - If you use them tip as at home

It is deceptive on HAL's part. However, all their crew who have ever served us have been so lovely, gracious and efficient that I want to tip them well.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by BuBu:
what about when it's 'no tipping required'.. then we don't tip? 'cuz i didn't see anyone else tipping but us.. http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/frown.gif

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I agree with you about the good service on HAL, paradocs. Of course since I discovered Princess I haven't sailed with HAL. But they aren't bad. It's only the ad campaign I have an issue with.

Quiet Lion: Why are you liking Princess better? We always go on HAL or Royal Carribean. We have teenagers and didn't think we'd find enough of those on Princess.

FYI.. when i went on HAL to alaska.. my gf and i are the only 20 something ppl.. i was told princess has more teenagers.. ??

The food on Princess is distinctly superior to HAL, NCL, and RCCL and much better of course than Carnival. Also the Grand Princess has very loose video poker.

Teenagers are a funciton of the cost and timing of the cruise. You will find plenty of them on Princess during vacation weeks. Disney is the most family-oriented line but they have no casino.

I always tip directly, as I've been told the person ends up with more than if it's added to your bill and ends up in a *tip pool*.

My Wife and I are going on our 1st cruise, 7 days on the Grand Princess. We figured how much it would cost but I didn't think about the tipping. As I have posted before - I have grown to dispise the whole tipping sham. I wish ALL cruise lines would have a "no tipping policy"! A true "no tipping policy" means that not only are the passengers not expected to tip, but the employees will be fired for accepting tips!

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Aubie:
My Wife and I are going on our 1st cruise, 7 days on the Grand Princess. We figured how much it would cost but I didn't think about the tipping. As I have posted before - I have grown to dispise the whole tipping sham. I wish ALL cruise lines would have a "no tipping policy"! A true "no tipping policy" means that not only are the passengers not expected to tip, but the employees will be fired for accepting tips!

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Princess now automaticailly charges the tips to your room at I believe $10 per day. You can adjust it up or down as you see fit at the purser's desk, but don't tip everybody the full amount in cash only to find when you are reading your bill on the plane on the way home that they already got a cut from your bill.

I am in no way shape or form saying I agree with tips being added to the bills, but I also know most people do.

We just got our Princess information today. It states that a $10 per person per day tipping charge will automatically be added to the room charge. We do have the option of deducting if we request.

Q? If the cruise is 7 days, and we each must pay $10/day in tipping charges, why didn't Princess Cruise Lines just increase the cruise by $70 and pay the employees a higher wage?

Q? If the tip is automatically added, is it really a tip?

How about I deduct $70 from what I paid Princess, and out of that, I will dole out the wages! oops, it's tips, not wages.