Tipping on Cruise, any guidelines?

Question

Do I need to tip any individuals, like in the cocktail lounge or in the casino? Do people always put tips in the envolop at the rate suggested by the carrier? Can we tip the restaurent server if we like his/her service? What about the porter carrying our bags?

Answer 1

On most cruise lines, if you are staying in a standard cabin, you will be billed $10 per person per day for tips. These can be put on your on board account, or you take it off your on board account and tip in cash at the end of the cruise.

The people who serve you drinks will automatically add 15% as a tip. You can increase that amount if you wish.

I don't gamble, so I don't know the protocol for tipping in a casino.

The porter who carries your bags is usually tipped $1 pr $2 per bag.

If you order room service the food is free, but you are expected to tip $1 or $2 in cash to the person who brings you the food.

The tips should reflect the level of service. You can adjust the recommended amount up or down, depending on the level of service you received. I have never had to adjust the amount down. I have in some cases tipped only the recommended amount, and in other cases increased that amount by as much as 50%.

Answer 2

Given that I'm under 21 and there fore havent been in a cocktail lounge or casino I can't say anything on those but I have been on 3 cruises and I know towards the end of the cruise the people that clean your room give you an envelope that suggests how much you should tip your cleaning people, your porters and your waiters. I believe you tip you porters right there on the spot and if you really can't find out the answers to the questions you can always ask some body near your room or the people you eat dinner with.

Answer 3

The tips/gratuities for your cabin steward, table waiter and ***'t waiter and Matre D will be added to your on-board ship account automatically, unless you make arrangements to pay in cash at the end of the cruise. The total of these tips is about $10 a day unless you have a suite and it is about $15. a day. The ship will give you a breakdown of how the total gratuity figure is arrived at per person. You can give more to these if you want. Most cruise lines will give you an envelope on the last day of the cruise to either put money in or a voucher that say you have made a gratuity payment for each.

Whenever you order drinks on ship a gratuity is automatically added to the tab, but you can increase the standard 15% to 17% amount if you want, just write in what you want to add.

Yes you can tip anyone whenever you want when you sign a check, just add what you want.

Answer 4

Go to the website that your purchasing your cruise from.
We are going on a Carnival cruise. All of the guidlines are there.
A Mandatory Sign and Sail card is necessary on day of sail. We have to put a certain amount for however many days we cruise. We are told not to worry about tipping.
An automatic $10. per day per person will be taken off the card.
So tipping is not necessary. Anything additional is at your own discretion.
Plus15% gratuity for any and all drinks (the tipping can be negotiated before the end of cruise).
$1.00 per bag for porter if you use one. Going and coming home.

Answer 5

Many cruise lines now asses a daily fee to cover tips. On my recent cruises with Holland-America and Princess, a gratuity charge of $10 per day was added to our shipboard account. It is then divided among your cabin steward and dining room staff. You can have the charges removed it you don't like the idea, but it simplifies the process. You can always personally tip those who provided outstanding service.

Answer 6

usually on cruises it's mandtory at the end that you need to tip everyone all at once. like the waitor and then the assistant waitor, and the last cruise iwent on they gave us a piece of paper of "suggested amounts". Deifnately tip the cleaning people that clean your rooms, and as cocktail lounges and casinos well looks around and see if anyone elses, i mean its not mandaotry to tip them.

Answer 7

You typically tip like this:

$3 US per day per person for your waiter and the same for your cabin attendant;

$2 US to $2.75 US per day per person for your assistant waiter.

$ 0.50 US to $1 US per person per day for your headwaiter.

Naturally, you can add more if the services rendered were, in your opinion, outstanding. Remember that cruise ship workers in the services industry depend on your tips.

Additionally, if you use the hair salon or spa services (such as massage) you should tip each person who performed a service, just as you would in a salon/spa on land.

Lounges and bars usually add a tip to your bill, which is charged to your stateroom, but you may leave extra cash if you wish. Room service waiters are usually tipped at your discretion.

I've never tipped at the casino (escept for drinks) and the porters usually deliver your bags to your stateroom and leave them in the corridor. You rarely get a chance to see them.

Answer 8

Most cruise lines have pre-paid tips.
If you prefer to tip personally, let the reception know you will do so, so they wont charge your onboard account.
Then the usual is 3,5USD per person/per day to the waiter.
3,00USD per person/per day to the cabin steward, 2,5USD per person per day to the asst waiter.
Barternders and bar waiters get 15% of anything you buy from them, so no need to tip.
Remember one thing, this people get real bonus when you write good coment cards about them, in some lines they even get $$$.
The same happens when you complain about poor service.
Coment cards are really important for crew/staff members.

Answer 9

If you're going to tip anyone i suggest people who wait you, people in the cocktail lounge working behind the bar, see if you can get any of them to do some flaring if they aren;t already (throwing bottles around and catching them) also some of the cocktail makers know some pretty cool magic tricks they show you to get some extra tips and just pass the time, its well worth it though!

Answer 10

Most cruise lines automatically will assign a tip for your primary staff, ie, room steward, wait staff, etc. this is done at the end of the cruise. if you want to tip more or someone who did extraordinary service, you are free to tip, I'd just wait till toward end of cruise.