Planning a cruise? Get The Ultimate Cruise Planner. It's a 47 page cruise travel planner with packing checklists, shore excursion planning forms and much more! ($10 off for a limted time). Details here: lifewellcruised.com/ultimate-cruise-planner/

@Matlockization

8 ай бұрын

I've been to the U.S. and don't like tipping. Give the workers a wage. Why don't you just give the crew a flat salary and bypass the nightmare that are gratuities ? Are taxes paid on gratuities ?

@michaeli160954

6 ай бұрын

Gratuities shouldn’t be added. The cruise staff should be paid a decent salary. Increase the base price of the cruise and stop scamming guests to subsidise your pay role

@Fonoyb

6 ай бұрын

The sad thing in America is we have Uninformed, willfully uneducated people who vote to keep their wages low. It's hard to believe but it's true. Republicans now are trying to get their SS and Medicare and they still are voting for them. Rather than research, they just call Democrats liars. Even though it's against their own interests!

@Fonoyb

6 ай бұрын

The owners not the staff should be paying more wages. They need to pay the Crew more also

@waynemyers1135

5 ай бұрын

We would always tip at the end of the cruse. We would leave a nice tip each of the staff. Ourselves and the staff were happy.

I think gratuities should just be a part of the base fare. The cruise lines should just pay the staff a good salary and reflect that on the base fare.

@lennybuttz2162

9 ай бұрын

I totally agree, pay a fair wage, those people work dang hard often 7 days a week, 12 to 16 hours a day they need to be paid more money. Let me tip for services rendered.

@gildaolsen2888

9 ай бұрын

The tips reward good service. No tips penalize bad service. It is a way to force personnel to go the extra mile. 🤔

@peterbechard1900

9 ай бұрын

That would totally destroy much of their marketing strategy of sell cheap cruises to compete then nickel and dime you once onboard. The lines owned by publicly owned corporations don’t give 2 💩💩 about their staffs. They only care about the bottom line and lining their wallets.

@peterbechard1900

9 ай бұрын

The more I watch these videos the more jaded I get. Let us all be honest with ourselves and realize there are a ton of self entitled folks out there that wouldn’t think twice about stiffing a service worker. Building it into the initial fare for a cruise just allows the line to sit on your money at least until you “remove it”. This allows them to make a little while avoiding paying their staff a decent wage. Their plane is to “compete” by showing cheap fares just praying to get you on the ship and let then bleed you with all the nickel and dimming you to death. WhenI saw a cruise line that bragged about their coffee or soft drink and juice packages I was blown away. So you get some cheap wine at dinner and hopefully at least some instant coffee in the morning otherwise it just water for you. Wow, that’s living the high life right there. But wait they may offer you a package that the one thing you want but stuffed with a bunch of other stuff you’ll most likely barely or not use. My wife and I just went on a cruise not owned by a corporation and the staff was great and extremely well trained. There were no add on garbage nor extra charges for everything we wanted. Did it cost more, absolutely. However comparing to our friends who went on a “less expensive” line with almost an identical itinerary and they were done adding the “extras needed to the same level of service they ending up paying dang close to what we paid for the “expensive high end brand” that truly does include everything.

@PatsyMellen

9 ай бұрын

I’ll take their cheap cruises and bring on my wine and pop. I won’t pay extra for specialty dining or the other extras but we do tip up and beyond what is expected.

Last year we went on a 28 day cruise. My husbands health had deteriorated so much he only left our room 5 times. Our room steward had to adjust his cleaning schedule around my husband’s location in the room. The steward even checked our room to ensure my husband hadn’t fallen. Did that steward get an additional cash tip? Absolutely! Because of that steward I had peace of mind when I left our cabin.

@paulbunion6233

9 ай бұрын

that is completely right and a classic example of a person going above and beyond. That kind of person though would likely have done the same without any tips although it was no doubt appreciated and well worth it to you and your husband.

@patriciachirgwin3238

9 ай бұрын

I am a Canadian (so I understand the tipping issue) that has lived in the U.K. for 37 years. My husband and I have cruised from the U.K. on Saga cruises, which is one of the ever increasing cruise lines here that includes gratuities in their cruise fares. I can only presume that because the fares are slightly higher, that crews are paid fairly. That doesn’t stop us, though, from giving additional tips to those cruise staff members who have taken good care of us. In the ‘olden days’, when I cruised from the U.S., tips were not imposed, but there was an ‘advisory’ tip amount that of course we paid (as you said, we wouldn’t leave a restaurant without tipping, so why do it when we were at sea)? I do think that those cruise lines that add gratuities should just include it in the cost of the cruise and pay all their staff a reasonable wage! Of course they won’t change as that would make their cruise fares look more expensive. I do think that cruise lines think we’re stupid and can’t work it out, and they think we’ll be paying the minimal amount. Kind of like the advertisements that say that cruises are ‘from £($)499’! Who books those cabins? Not me! Most cruisers end up paying up anyway - just add it to the fare!

@prabjotgill7291

9 ай бұрын

Staff really do make a big difference in the cruise experience and I accept that tipping is a part of the fare. As you said, you wouldn’t go to a restaurant and not tip. So if you don’t want to leave a tip, and the service was not poor, you shouldn’t be going on a cruise, IMO.

@amymedina1966

9 ай бұрын

I like it when the tipping is already part of the cruise fair because then at least you know everybody has paid towards tipping the staff. There are some people that do not tip at all they figure why should I tip them, they're getting paid to do their job. Because of that those people aren't getting tipped but others are. If someone's going above and beyond and is cordial every time you see them of course you are going to tip them I can see at least $50 for the person that's cleaning your room.

@phillipayoung10

9 ай бұрын

Your steward went above and beyond

We got Covid on our last cruise. The ONLY person that would answer my calls during the night were my cabin steward. Medical and customer service were on voicemail. He was amazing. He ended up contacting the right people and getting us the help we needed. We tipped him generously. I hope he got to keep it all.

@sct4040

8 ай бұрын

I hope you gave him cash in person.

@allyrooh3628

8 ай бұрын

@@sct4040 yes, that's the only way! :)

@emjayvick511

8 ай бұрын

Thats his job..........

@allyrooh3628

8 ай бұрын

@@emjayvick511 it was also the job of the medical people and the customer service people. We needed help. We got extraordinary help. We were grateful.

@58wheelerL

8 ай бұрын

We always tip in person if given good service.

The very definition of gratuity includes voluntary participation of the giver. The cruise lines should pay their employees fairly and bill it up front.

@jenniferknight2010

2 ай бұрын

They don't pay their staff enough. NONE of them do. This is a non issue. UNLESS YOU'RE A SLIMEBALL, WHO WOULD TAKE THE GRATUITIES OFF THEIR BILL?? If you're too cheap to leave a healthy tip on top of the standard gratuity for your cabin steward and your restaurant servers, YOU DONT DESERVE THE PRIVILEGE OF CRUISING. This whole video just made me mad.

@July.4.1776

2 ай бұрын

@@jenniferknight2010…..I agree with you! With that being said the way to solve the issue is to bake it into the fare. One can always give more if you like.

@derekbland5253

Ай бұрын

And that's why they call it a service charge. Surely the cruise line should pay the wages of peoples whose job it is to serve and then we tip based on level of service.

@M4DForever

Ай бұрын

@@jenniferknight2010 are the cruise line companies slimeballs too?

@jenniferjones3717

Ай бұрын

And I don't agree at all. I will pay what I FEEL is deserving. Not everyone treats you the same or does their job the same just like a waiter or waitress. I don't include my gratuity and pay it at the end. So call it whatever you want but that's anyone's decision​@@jenniferknight2010

Hi Ilana, crewmember here. I cannot speak for every crewmember but the cruiselines i do work for the gratuities do reflect on our payslip and generally split amongst crewmembers. Do we know when a guest removes the gratuity? I dont want to say 😅 but i want to add that leaving a positive feedback mentioning our names is super helpful and normally posted in the crew quarters for all to see, i can debate it could actually be more useful than gratuities, because we get rewarded and even promotions. Thanks for reading!

@elisaastorino2881

9 ай бұрын

I'm very relieved to hear that - I didn't bother filling out the card on my first cruise because I honestly didn't know if it meant anything , but I made sure to do it the next time. My steward was a sweet guy and was very attentive to a small problem in the cabin, so I'm glad to know that my comments got him well deserved recognition.

@katieboerger7568

9 ай бұрын

Since we carry our phones, we've started putting crew members' names in our notes so we can mention them in the review we get sent from the cruise line because we were told that names in reviews is helpful. Just a tip

@JessicaSantos-gb8ht

9 ай бұрын

Thank you for sharing this information. I will for sure leave a review (& tip) to the staff besides the upfront service charge. They take care of me....and I take care of them.🎉

@beezneez2056

9 ай бұрын

Thank you for this information. I wouldn’t have known! I will definitely do this next time. I really appreciate all the crew members who help us throughput our stay. I grew close to one of them on our first cruise and even cried when we said goodbye!

@kendal4452

8 ай бұрын

This is good to know! Thanks for chiming in.

This is why gratuities SHOULD be included in price. It will make everyone feel better and remove so much headache from everyone

@visaman

9 ай бұрын

What kind of headaches are you getting?

@mariajones8304

9 ай бұрын

@@visaman thinking about how much to tip and if it’s enough.

@DiscoDiva747

9 ай бұрын

Totally agree the whole add on thing is just getting out of hand!!!

@stevesmith6554

9 ай бұрын

@@visaman Your headaches will begin, when you automatic gratuities which are just additional fees baked in, lead to poor service. When your service is properly rewarded, you services are generally better.

@visaman

9 ай бұрын

@@stevesmith6554 I try not to think of them

My daughter works on a cruise line. The gratuities are taxed and then divided among the crew. Cash gratuities are usually kept by the person who receives it. These tips are generally very well appreciated as crew members work grueling 10 hour shifts, 7 days a week for 10 weeks.

@emjayvick511

6 ай бұрын

Their choice and they live free and see the world free

@lisamccurdy4099

6 ай бұрын

Thank you, for the info.

@stanrussell9956

5 ай бұрын

Taxed??? That just means the cruise lines gets that portion

@DanielEsquivel

5 ай бұрын

Just a scam.

@ellenkester6703

4 ай бұрын

Is this all cruise lines? NCL states it is used for incentive programs. We have paid it but I do wonder.

We went to Australia/New Zealand on a Viking cruise. Our favorite bartender was so wonderful. My husband gave him a very generous tip. He actually sent us photo of his parents holding a white board with a lovely thank you! He must have told them I agree you need to be as generous as possible. Our son is in the hospitality industry and as he says " those $$$ will not change your life but it means the world to those who serve you".

@tonychristie4009

Ай бұрын

I work in a hotel, yes it's great get a tip in appreciation for the good job done. But it's not expected because it is our job, yes our wages are OK now I hope all who work on the cruise ships get a good wage... dose anyone know what there rates are 😢

If it is a requirement, it is not a gratuity, it is a fee.

@burningblue1254

9 ай бұрын

Its recommended but not mandatory.

@peggybentley9395

9 ай бұрын

If you pay at the end of cruise a big bill comes to you that IS mandatory NOT recommended.@@burningblue1254

@kazzhulse

9 ай бұрын

@@burningblue1254 no you just get a guilt trip comment like the one in the video instead

@burningblue1254

9 ай бұрын

@kazzhulse regardless its recommended but not mandatory

@Omega_thehusky

9 ай бұрын

@@burningblue1254 most people cant do that, so its mandatory in their head it. doesnt matter its mental abuse and it is mandatory because of the consequences. thats usally the definition of mandatory unless i got it wrong if you dont do something something else happens unless you wanna change mandatory to extortion ill accept that. at the end of the day if something doesnt feel like a "recommendation" its mandatory thats whats being said. or how i should have said it is if something Feels mandatory its probably mandatory

5 years ago on a Princess Alaskan cruise when a staff member delivered our morning breakfast ( the one from the door knob menu), I signed for an added tip when the gal told me … “ Just to let you know, when you add on a tip it goes to the corporate office. However we get to keep the cash tips”. I gave cash the rest of the cruise. Thanks for the video! 😊

@jameswarfield4152

Ай бұрын

I wonder if she said that because she didn't want to share any tip with the rest of the crew. Not sure but if a cruise line is station in the US, they would be govern my US Employment laws, and Business have to pay the employee their tips, minus taxes.

@gailabert7976

Ай бұрын

@@jameswarfield4152 🤷

@carolr7823

2 күн бұрын

@@jameswarfield4152 That's not true in the U.S. Many restaurants pool tips and the tips end up going to managers and cooks who are already paid above minimum wage.

Do away with gratuities altogether everywhere. It just adds more stress. Do you tip for bad service? Do you tip for every little thing? Charge a bit more for the cruise and pay the staff what they're worth. Staff can make or break a cruise so cruise companies should make sure they're well treated.

As an Australian I can tell you no Australian ships don’t but we sailed to Hawaii on Royal Caribbean and they for the four of us wanted $1000 for gratitudes which we removed instead we tipped those who went above and beyond, our waiter, our cabin crew. We just sailed with celebrity to New Zealand we paid the gratitude, I personally will never rebook or sail with this company again for lots of reason, the biggest was I came across late about 10pm a man who wasn’t drunk but couldn’t remember where is cabin was etc he was every frightened. I took him to customs service desk no one there, I heard vacuuming in dining room so I grabbed a staff member, it took 15 minutes to get customer service who were very rude, refused to call the cabin and speak to his wife, I got the cabin number, and went and got his wife but before I left I gave this staff member a piece of my mind. Next morning I put in a complaint as I was told they don’t call rooms after 9pm, it’s bullshit. Anyway the service from staff on this cruise was the worst and it’s my fifth cruise. Never again. Tips and gratitudes are a sore point, pay your staff better in the first place.

@sabrinamerrick1271

6 ай бұрын

Glad you helped that man. I forgot my room number once, not alcohol related. It can happen to anyone. Even in a hotel.

Last year on our 11 night Hawaii cruise, we prepaid our gratuities. Then we tipped our cabin attendant when she went above what we expected. For example, our cabin attendant was very sympathetic that my wife got sea sick. She suggested the green apples and the ginger ale. Next day, my wife was much better. We made sure to tip the cabin attendant for her suggestion and for her truly caring.

@stoehrcov

9 ай бұрын

Well done

@susanbrechbiel7033

9 ай бұрын

That’s what we do! We pay gratuity when we book the cruise n then we give the room steward extra when we leave, we appreciate them as well when they go above n beyond!

@emjayvick511

9 ай бұрын

anyne would be sympathetc to someone suffering from Mal de Mer.. Im very sympathetic are you going t giive me a tip ?? best solution iis to focus on something that doesent move.. IMO mal de mer is a fram of mind..

@emjayvick511

9 ай бұрын

@@susanbrechbiel7033 in what way do they go " above and beyond" ???

@paulaortega3756

9 ай бұрын

​@@emjayvick511I'm pretty sure sea sickness isn't just a 'frame of mind'. It's physical.

I personally have no problem giving the prepaid gratuities. It’s a part of the cruise cost. What I don’t like is the pressure to give beyond what you have already prepaid. The snobbery from the $50-100 additional tip club givers, the arrogance from the $200-500 additional tip club givers is getting tiresome. A true giver would not tell how much they give let a lone announce that they do it. Giving is from the heart. And there it should remain.

@emjayvick511

8 ай бұрын

Its not part of tge cruise price now is it.. its an optional extra

@nannieg7622

8 ай бұрын

Just returned from RC cruise, $20 per day extra for tips ! Just a couple of days before we disembarked an envelope appeared in our cabin , it had printed on it “tip tip hooray ! Bloomin cheek I thought.

@JulioWY

8 ай бұрын

Jesus knows

@mohsman

8 ай бұрын

Your definition of “true giver”, that giving IS solely from the heart, and “should” remain there is more than a bit judgmental and dogmatic. Act on your beliefs but accept that they are not the only way to view the actions of others.

@pw-sz6ds

8 ай бұрын

@@mohsman it’s my opinion of what I believe a “true giver” means. Sounds more like you are the one judging and being dogmatic about someone voicing their opinion. This is a free forum to express your thoughts and feelings. So if you freely expressed your thoughts about my thoughts by calling me dogmatic then you are none the better.

On my last cruise, I noticed the room Steward was calling everyone in our cabin by name on the first day. It appeared he was doing it with all of his assigned rooms. And I'm sure he did it for the group of people who just disembarked that morning. He was only with us for a few days but he really did work hard to take care of us during those days. He did his job and he did it well. The same could be said of our waitstaff. I appreciate that level of attention. I'm happy to reflect that in my tip.

@jbrook877

7 ай бұрын

What bothers me is the staff who prepare the food, who wash the linen that the wait staff bring to us. Are they paid a living wage?

@CL-mp4vn

7 ай бұрын

@@jbrook877 Those I think they call _behind the scene staffs_ . I think the gratuities will go to their paychecks. So, IMO, gratuities is a must and they can't let passengers remove it.

@darleencherry4374

7 ай бұрын

​@@jbrook877yes

@casperghost50

6 ай бұрын

​@@jbrook877tip them too

@donaldmclean6455

5 ай бұрын

I paid £360 upfront in gratuities for my wife and I on a 10day cruise to the Caribbean. What I would like to know is how is this money shared out ie who all gets a share of it and do they all get the same amount?

In most cultures, tipping is only for service above and beyond. In some, like Japan, tipping is seen as an insult. As a Brit I mostly lean towards tipping for excellence, but I very much enjoy Asian countries where tipping doesn’t exist. I no longer visit extreme tipping areas of the US such as New York, where tipping has got seriously out of control. Pay a proper wage, let people tip only if they want to. It’s a much better culture.

@mymai5859

3 ай бұрын

We don't tip in New Zealand or Australia. Minimum wage is a legal requirement under Employment Law.

@carolr7823

2 күн бұрын

Originally tipping in the U.S. was only for service above and beyond and not for regular service.

Here's the thing that has always irked me about the gratuities "description" when you research who they go to - It says it goes to crew members that aren't customer facing and work behind the scenes to make our experiences better. I'm not sure I fully understand this mentality. When I go to a restaurant, I don't tip the chef, as the chef gets paid an appropriate amount to be a chef. I don't tip the host /hostess, as that person gets paid an appropriate amount to manage the seating's. I don't tip the bartender if I'm not sitting at the bar drinking because they play no role in my service. When I go to a restaurant, I tip my wait staff, because they're the ones that are actually serving me and my table. As we all know, a server's hourly wage is always minimal and they rely on tips to compensate their income. They know this when applying to be server. So why in the world are the cruise lines not paying an appropriate amount to the staff that are behind the scenes??? That seems to be the biggest issue I have with this system. If they want to charge more for a cruise and pay their crew members appropriately, that would be much better in my opinion and I would trust the fact that the appropriate staff are reaping the rewards of their tremendous service. Again, this seems to be a corporate issue that has made its way to us as the consumer. I shouldn't feel bad that I don't want to tip someone that may be doing the laundry for the rooms, or the maintenance people that need to fix stuff on the ship, or whoever else is "behind the scenes." This should be the responsibility of the cruiselines to take care of their staff and pay them appropriately for the positions they were hired for. Just my 2 cents....

@meganashlea

9 ай бұрын

I agree with you, raise the cruise fare and crew pay accordingly. I’m not a fan of the way Princess describes how the crew appreciation is being pooled across the company vs staying with the ship… does this include the CEO? The way they rolled out this last update has me questioning the company as a whole. I’d prefer to tip the staff directly so I know they are receiving it.

@Melissa-lr7hs

9 ай бұрын

Actually if you go to a restaurant and tip the server, the server is generally required to "tip out" or "tip the house". This means the server has to give some of their money made to the restaurant to be divided amongst the other staff including the chef, cooks, dishwashers, host/hostess. This response isn't to say I don't have issues with how the cruise lines go about paying their staff or gratuities but just wanted to clear up the piece about restaurant wages and tips.

@keptanony8162

9 ай бұрын

@@Melissa-lr7hs not sure what restaurant that is. Never seen a host/hostess or chef get tipped from the wait staff tips. I know bussers get tipped out and bar staff, but that’s it. Like most, I’ve worked in restaurants. Based on your response, I think you might have missed the point in my post.

@Melissa-lr7hs

9 ай бұрын

​@keptanony8162 didn't miss your point at all. I think both customer facing and non customer facing staff should be making a living wage instead of relying on tips. I was merely correcting your point about tips in restaurants. In my experience, back of house staff are partially compensated based on the tips received by servers. Actually, that's slightly incorrect as servers provide money to be divided amongst back of house staff based on their sales, not how much they received in tips so if customers decide not to tip, the servers actually lose money. I say this as someone who worked as a server and office manager (responsible for dividing said tips amongst the BOH staff) at 3 different restaurants over about a decade. I will say this is how it works where I live but could be different in different areas of the world :)

@lindatann3955

9 ай бұрын

I have to agree with you. Corporate should be taking care of its employees. Good service gets good tips!

I budget the pre-paid gratuities as well as extra cash tips into the cost of my cruise. The crew work so hard and I love to personally present additional money to our cabin steward, MDR waiter, and assistant waiter.

@TVHouseHistorian

9 ай бұрын

I really like this idea. I’ve only got 5 cruises under my belt, and I haven’t quite gotten on top of the whole cash tipping thing. As a solo cruiser, I’m already paying a lot, so it’s been a bit of a financial pill to swallow. When I began cruising, I had absolutely no idea about tipping - especially when gratuities were included in my cruise fare. I figured, “Cool, now I don’t have to think about it!” Well, now I’m rethinking that.

@hollie7670

9 ай бұрын

We prepay gratuities. And then give our room steward and wait staff about $40-$50 based on length of cruise. I am going to maybe give 1/2 to room steward at the start and the other 1/2 at the end. I've also told spa staff I will be giving a speerate cash tip if they don't 'sell' me stuff. So far it's worked.

@paulbunion6233

9 ай бұрын

WHY ? it is clearly stated that it is gratuity for the staff. Do you get a refund if you have a lousy waiter ? NO ! When I was working, I took the man's money and I did what was expected of me to the best of my abilities. If I didn't think I was paid enough I did not attempt to shake down customers. Yes I was a chef all my career @@TVHouseHistorian

@burningblue1254

9 ай бұрын

@@hollie7670 Spa staff are not cruise line employees. All cruise lines except Celebrity have spas run by an outside contactor named Steiger. Celebrity uses Canyon Ranch. Spa staff do not participate in the tip pool. Their gratuity is included in the fees. Its always nice to tip your wait staff and cabin steward that provide personalized service to you.

@connie_360

9 ай бұрын

Ditto and write down the names of the crew so I can compliment them during the survey

Ilana, I can verify that at least one cruise company honours Australia's 'no tips needed' culture. That first cruise that I've been so very excited about was a Princess Cruise out of Australia. The documentation Princess provided specifically stated that they honour the 'no tips needed' pay arrangement.

I think that gratuities should not be an automatic charge to the passenger. Some family go on a nice vacation on a budget and a $500 gratuity is a lot to be added to their expenses. The cruise line should increase the staff salary and not to depend on the guests gratuity

@richardknight8061

3 ай бұрын

thats why i cruise i like that i know EXACTLY how much it is going to cost plus spending money

@BasedinReality1984

3 ай бұрын

If there’s no consequences….. remove it. $500 can go a long way

@bhaskarshetty4981

3 ай бұрын

Why cruise ship tipping should be any way different than Hilton or Marriott?

@tombeegeeeye5765

3 ай бұрын

If you can't afford the tips what ,ske you think you deserve a cruise/ I avoid restaurant sif I don't have the money to tip. The tips should be part of your overall budget.

@RabHaw1947

2 ай бұрын

what an arrogant reply , did it ever cross your mind that some people have scrimped and saved to go on a once in a lifetime cruise, If you can easily afford it good for you, others may not be in that position.@@tombeegeeeye5765

I am a former crew member/ officer. I worked in few cruise companies. On Royal Caribbean ( i left in 2011) housepping and restaurant knew who removed the gratuities. Disney as well. But crew were not aware on NCL, P&O Cruises and Cunard. The best thing is to tip the crew member in cash. Rccl and Disney used to give the gratuities directly to the restaurant and housekepping staff in the end of each cruise. In other companies crew members have fixed salary and never received the full amount of the gratuites paid by a guest unless they get tipped in cash in person by a guest.

Some of us save for years, just to experience a cruise. If gratuity is included, I just have to thank them, and leave a good review. I don't know how workers feel with extra two or three dollars, but we should not have to feel bad if we can't do what others can. I did keep my inside cabin neat, voiced, and wrote, my appreciation. I'm planning my second cruise, and these types of cruise news sites are appreciated. Not many 80 year olds get to finally have the experience, so thanks to those who are able to tip. Some seem to think there was no gratuity, but I had it included in the cruise cost. I understand the workers may have hard jobs, but so did I in my working years. The statement, if you can't add more gratuity don't go. What if I said, "you wealthy people could put extra in the shared gratuity, for the people who cannot afford extra gratuity?" It's doubtful I will even be healthy enough to cruise again, as I will be 90 y/o, but please don't make another elderly person, feel they are not entitled to fulfill a dream of cruising, unless they can give extra, for every day they are on the ship. I have no more to add to this subject, so, be blessed, and let love...love, doing away with love of money.

@mickeymcintosh3425

9 ай бұрын

I think they appreciate thank you cards and those reviews are very important.

@garlandbridges9309

9 ай бұрын

I always pay the gratuity and give some extras. I don't think the daily charge should apply to ķids in the cabin at the same rates

@dsmith6601

9 ай бұрын

No, I think it’s very important to make sure you leave a good tip. Nowadays, we’re lucky anybody wants to work at all.

@paulbrungardt9823

9 ай бұрын

Your age doesn't pay the workers' bills--if you can't afford to pay for your obligations, then wait until you have saved enough or just stay home. ( I bet you voted for Joe Biden because he promised you Free Stuff--Now your grand-kids are screwed over by inflation.)

@ICONICPARIS

9 ай бұрын

​@@dsmith6601exactly

We recently took a cruise on Celebrity. We enjoyed it very much. All of the staff members were great. They made sure to remind us that giving them good marks on the post-cruise questionnaire was the most important thing we could do to help them. It took us several days to get around to filling out the questionnaire. By the time things settled down for us, and we were able to concentrate on the questionnaire it was (2 weeks at the most), we were notified that the time limit to complete it had expired. Why on earth would there be such a time limit? I feel very bad about not being able to perform this task that is, evidently, very important to all of the people who took excellent care of us during our cruise. Since I know there is likely no way to get this time limit fixed, everyone who desires to complete the questionnaire needs to know to do so right away!

@TheByard

8 ай бұрын

How can a service questionnaire be filled out before an assessment of the service is witnessed in full. Staff could give a fantastic service for one shift and not for the rest of the cruise.

@kellyalvarado6533

8 ай бұрын

Have found the same with HAL. I simply went to the website and used the Contact Us to send an email regarding the service, etc. on the cruise, and included in the email that the 2 week deadline fir answering the pre-programmed survey was ridiculous. On the flip side, it is hard to give meaningful feedback to the employee who is struggling when you bring up something a month or more later. And people also tend to have poor memories. Listen to anyone who has had a bad experience relay it to others. It will almost always get worse with each retelling. So, I kind of understand the reasoning for the 2 week cutoff/expiration.

@Martina1192

7 ай бұрын

The reason for such short time is probably because the staff turnaround is high. The people stay for a few months before they need to go home (and come back later if they want), so taking a longer time to give feedback would be basically useless to those crew members, especially if they were scheduled to leave a short time after. :)

@Martina1192

7 ай бұрын

I can speak as being a bar waitress and a bartender (yes, it was a long time ago, but unlikely it’s changed in the last 20 years). I do not know about prepaid gratuities, though, as that wasn’t a thing then. In general, as a bar waiter you get all your own gratuities, whether the ones automatically added to the bill, or any cash or other gifts you get. So, if you hassle, you can make better money. As a bartender, all the automatic gratuities for things served at the bar (we love when person buys directly from the bar and then goes sit down, as opposed to say send a waiter over, because we need those sales too), are then pooled together between ALL the bars and ALL the bartenders on the ship, and divided equally at the end of the cruise. That’s to make things fair for all bartenders, because some bars in some areas, might be super busy and some not at all, so this way the weekly schedule wouldn’t be a problem for income. But, that also means that when you hand cash directly to the bartender, they can keep that themselves, it’s just for their good service. Extra tip is always appreciated. Sometimes, I have gotten extra cash after each drink, sometimes a bigger sum at the end of the cruise, and sometimes even things like a gold pendant from a port of call… Dining room waiters and cabin stewards really depend on that tip at the end of the cruise, that’s their whole pay. At least our tip at the bar, was included after each drink, so we got it for sure. And yes, sometimes people wouldn’t pay them at the end of the cruise, thinking that its something extra, so why should they do that. It’s not extra, its the actual pay for work (unless you give little extra cash here and there, that’s extra for good service). We all had a salary of $50 a month for 10-16 hours work every day. Our true pay is the tips. :)

@CL-mp4vn

7 ай бұрын

@@Martina1192 $50/month for 10-16 hrs work everyday ????!!!!! OH, GEES. That is so under under paid. I can't believe the cruise lines are so rich but pay their employees so LOW

Something that always bothered me about restaurant tips is it's based on a percentage of the meal price. A person serving burgers works just as hard as one serving seafood but makes a significantly lower amount. I compensate by giving a higher percentage to the burger person.

@lenvella9541

8 ай бұрын

I believe what you say applies only to USA maybe Canada not in really civilised countries that have a minimum wage rate.

@davecooper3238

8 ай бұрын

Why on earth do you expect to just give a tip ? Tips are for perhaps when someone has done something above the call of duty. But apart from that zilch.

@CharleneCTX

7 ай бұрын

@@davecooper3238 Because in the US the minimum wage for tipped workers is $2.13/hr. You can argue that they should be paid fairly and I'd agree. But right now the reality is they are not and tips are part of their wages.

@davecooper3238

7 ай бұрын

@@CharleneCTX That is a disgrace. The US ought to be ashamed of itself.

@aebalc

7 ай бұрын

@@davecooper3238 There is no need to be ashamed because a good waitress/waiter can make excellent money because people do tip. A lousy server needs to get out of the industry and will not make good money - the system works. It works for the employer with low wages, it works for good waiters who get tipped well, and it works with better service for customers. Why would servers or customers want a system where excellent service and bare minimum service get compensated the same.

An additional "tip" is to write down the names of those who do an above and beyond service and pass that along to their managers. I've had numerous crew tell me that they truly appreciate getting positive feedback. I even had one crew member show where, on the web site, to enter the feedback.

@LifeWellCruised

9 ай бұрын

Absolutely!! Thanks for pointing this out

@lennybuttz2162

9 ай бұрын

This is very important, crew members can get bonuses like a free excursion or extra time off because of positive feedback it also helps in job security which is slim to none on a cruise ship. Positive feedback can also play a role in advancement, as they get a better job on the ship they can also get a private room or a bigger room. Leaving positive feedback can have a huge impact.

@markevans8262

9 ай бұрын

Holland American has a tool on their "app" to give crew feedback. It works really well for me to give feedback at the moment when a staff member does a good job.

@PatsyMellen

9 ай бұрын

We get envelopes from the front desk and give our steward, waiter and assistant waiter extra money along with our favorite bartenders.

@jenbrooks5872

9 ай бұрын

We do this too. We give them thank you cards, send the compliments to guest services mentioning those who really made our trip special. (Hero cards) then do so again on the web survey.

First time cruiser here from Australia and booked a cruise departing from Australia. I can confirm that daily gratuities are built into the pricing when we booked and was aware of this fact. Because of our non-tipping culture, this works well for me as I don't have to worry about potentially being rude if I don't tip someone in a face to face setting. I would also never remove the gratuities from the booking and the fact that you would even be allowed to is very odd.

@LifeWellCruised

9 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing your experience 😊

@dimitrz2000

9 ай бұрын

But the problem starts when the staff expects you to still tip over and above the pre payed tips.

@samuellarielle-jones9690

9 ай бұрын

@@dimitrz2000 I've not heard of this being an issue in all of the various cruise vloggers videos I have watched 🤷 I don't know where you are getting this information. From what I have seen in volgs and read, it is completely up to the cruiser is they want to tip personally and separate to the included gratuities or not.

@trishdavidson9979

9 ай бұрын

As I am cruising with Cunard from Australia next year I am really interested in that you say the gratuities are built into the fare. I have been told I will be billed for gratuities at the end of my cruise. Which line are you sailing with?

@kazzhulse

9 ай бұрын

@@dimitrz2000 yeah we're seeing this problem in Canada, wages were hiked for service staff, they don't make below minimum wage, yet they're wanting tips. Some make off with $600 a night in tips, some will also be loud about it if you don't tip 18% after tax!

Wow, this video and all the comments are so interesting to me. It was like a deep dive into USA tipping culture. Though I live in the US, I come from a country were tipping just isn't a thing at all. Everyone is paid a good wage for services, and the employee is expected to live up to certain standards. As an outsider looking in, I have a few thoughts. 1. Nobody forced these wonderful people to work on a cruise ship. They chose to do what they are so amazingly doing for us. So please, don't view it as "slave labor." I've seen horrific slave labor and this is not that. 2. If it eases anyone's conscience, we simply prepay gratuities and that's it. We are very friendly to the staff, but extra tipping doesn't even occur to us. 3. Be kind and dignified. I was surprised how upset some people got in the chat. This is such a personal and cultural topic. Thank you Ilana for your videos! They have been fun and helpful!!!!

@eminbc

29 күн бұрын

Well said.

Transparency regarding tipping from the cruise lines would help.

We have tried to INCREASE the daily gratuity, but customer service advised against it with the suggestion of tipping individuals for their service. Another lesson learned many years ago was to write a personalized thank you card. When a crew member gets a note from a guest (with the cash inside) it’s apparently a huge deal. The employee gets extra perks and benefits. These are especially nice to give to the unsung crew members who don’t normally get recognized.

@761jared

9 ай бұрын

Thanks for this. I never really thought about bringing cards for exceptional staff members, opting instead to give cash personally or leaving it in the cabin for the steward when disembarking.

@funship5673

9 ай бұрын

Customer service knows very well the crew member won't get the extra.

@nabelb1208

9 ай бұрын

I just did just that on Royal recently. I watched videos ahead of time and heard that Thank You cards go a long way. Since I don't carry lots of cash when I travel, I left a thank you card with a receipt of an additional gratuity that I put on my credit card through the customer service desk. They made it easy for me to apply it on my card and I was more than happy to add the additional tip with a note thanking our steward for a wonderful vacation.

@kerrymotton1819

9 ай бұрын

We did our first cruise in 2021 and I made sure to buy a few small thank you cards before leaving home. On the last day we left cards for our room attendant, dinner server and helper, and one particular drink server that we always went to. We included a hand written note expressing our appreciation for their service and a generous tip. Many of the crew are from small, poor countries and work away from home to support their families

The whole facility is designed to remove you from your money. Then they don’t pay their employees enough, so they expect you the customer to pay them to make up the difference.

@th1926

9 ай бұрын

I liken it to restaurants in the USA where the waitstaff get paid a few bucks an hour and tips are meant to make up the difference. Honestly, I wish in both these cases they'd just set actual livable wages so the tip truly was extra and not requisite for the person to get a full wage. It's sad and ridiculous.

@dougronald561

9 ай бұрын

@@th1926 yes agreed

@darkstar7999

9 ай бұрын

There is a reason why this is typically set up this way. Restaurants expect good service from their waitstaff. Competition for tips helps ensure good service. I have seen the results when the waitstaff is paid a "living wage" instead. My dad was Air Force, and we were stationed in the Azores. I and my friends used to eat at the NCO club for lunch during the school year. When I was in my senior year, the Status of Forces agreement between the US and Portugal, for use of the base, was renegotiated. The waitstaff got 400% raises. After that, service plummeted to the point that we stopped going there for lunch, as we were unable to get our orders taken and served before we had to leave to go back to class. The waitstaff spent their time instead back in the kitchen BSing. Tips became unimportant, as they were now, by local standards, VERY well compensated for their work and no longer needed the tips. Oh yes - and they couldn't be fired either. And yes, we did leave tips when we ate there. Also, later when attending college, I worked at a restaurant as a busboy/dishwasher. I had the opportunity to talk to quite a few waitresses during that time. While they would of course have liked to have more money (who wouldn't), they preferred tips since they didn't declare most of their tips on their taxes.

@TH-eb5ro

9 ай бұрын

@@th1926aside from the issue where people are told the customer is to make up their wages it leaves out the law that the employer is to make up the wage.

@grumpymedik

9 ай бұрын

exactly what i have been saying in my other post replies

In always have tips removed but I always individually tip especially to cabin crew. I’m from Europe where we don’t have the tip culture that’s normal in the US, people are paid for the job they do and a tip is an appreciation of service received. Cruise lines are starting to include gratuities in the base fare now which is how it should be

The cruise line I cruised with twice has tips included in the price of the cruise, so we never needed to worry about it. They also tell you that you can tip individually if you want to, so we tipped the cabin stewards because they worked so hard.

Thank good I’m living in a country without tips. It just feels so stressful thinking about it when visiting the US.

@elenhin

Ай бұрын

this is one of a million reasons I will never visit the US to be honest.

@dmaextraordinaire8205

Ай бұрын

It’s absolutely out of hand here these days! Even automated things are asking for tips! Ridiculous.

@TrixieTricks

Ай бұрын

When I visited Scotland, I found it so much more enjoyable to not have to think about tipping. And, guess what, the service was BETTER!

My late dad use to be a professional waiter in his teens ( early 60s). He was always impressed with cruising wait staff and the room attendant. He taught me on when to tip and how much to tip. He also taught me " if you cannot afford the tip then do not go ". Those folks bust their butts for you and I to have a great vacation. So, guess what you don't spend 100 bucks in the cassino. Save it for the end of the cruise to make someone's day.

@latachia_2981

9 ай бұрын

They need to change this! Once you pay the price, that's it! It's not a matter of "affording to go"Everything should be included in the price! Employers need to just pay them a better wage! And by the way, I waited tables for many years, I would have rather had a good wage that I could of counted on(maybe $20 hr) making , as opposed to sometimes it's good & sometimes it's not...Like when there are no customers ,because it's 0 degrees outside & nobody is coming out. They're all staying home ,because of the weather & all your getting is minimum wage,,,,And also.they severly cut down your schedule as well, because of it & send you home early.because of it as well...At lest they can't send them home early on a cruise ship & they are getting thier hours in. And probably, aren't paying much for thier room & board, as well & don't have utility bills to pay & such. They probably get good benefits for medical & such,on the ship. that many waitresses don't get at restaurant. as well.

@travelnomad2128

9 ай бұрын

Heck, they might be even better off than most US workers 😅 They get their wages free & clear just minus personal expenses. No rent, free food, free utilities, no commuting, no deductions, etc.

@cookielocurto7075

9 ай бұрын

My father taught us if we didn’t have enough money to tip our servers , we need to stay home .

@bettywith2girls

9 ай бұрын

@@latachia_2981 I waitressed in my teens and I can't tell you how many times another waitress/waiter has stolen my tips right off the table. If the manager isn't around, I've had other waitresses think it's funny to tell my customers behind my back that they didn't have to tip me for whatever reason. Or I've have waitresses tell my customers, again behind my back, n-o-t to leave tips on the table but to give them to the hostess and they will get back to me...I'm told this also, and at the end of the night, when I ask about my tips...the hostess, who is a teenager also, just purposely ignores me and walks away from me...with my tip $$$, because how can I spend an entire evening working my butt off and giving excellent service, yet not get any tips? Complaining to the manager does nothing, most of the time managers don't even want to be there. One time I got so frustrated that I told a table that had purposely not tipped me because they thought they didn't like the tipping culture, that I made $2 an hour, the rest was suppose to be supplied by tips...a no-no in the restaurant world. I would have l-o-v-e-d to just been paid a high wage and did my job the best that I could, getting in trouble or fired if I didn't...like everybody else.

@Bekind817

9 ай бұрын

I dont understand why you pay gratuities and also whu they give you a enveloppe at the restaurant and in your room too. So that means 3x gratuities.

To remove or pay the daily service charge is such a hot topic. Do what you feel right with.

We had the same dilemma on our recent horrible holland cruise nov 2023. The gratuities of 18% was added to ALL purchases aboard! When I buy a logo ball cap gift or aspirin in The gift shop it was auto added. I don’t agree with that practice. It was auto added to all restaurant reservation meals and any sodas or bar drinks. I agree with cabin staff but this is on top of the $16 per day per person. 😮. I felt like we were paying double gratuities.

@nleem3361

3 ай бұрын

This is the problem. I don't want to tip at the convenience store or normal shopping in general. I like the idea of tips dispersing to behind the scenes crew and for things like house keeping, I wouldn't want the only one who cleans my cabin the last day of my trip to get a tip when it was likely cleaned by multiple people thought out my stay. Or that I didn't see the person carrying my bags into the room or whatever sweet things get done behind the scenes. After watching cruise ship worker video, it sounds like a few extra dollars go a long way, so next time I cruise, I'll bring a few hundred in $1 & $5 and hand them out like candy.

@user-du2mr7gs4f

2 ай бұрын

Correct your already paying the 18% gratuity up front.so if i book a family trip for 10 thats 160 per day x 10 days equals $1600 added to my bill ,and then a third gratiity to whom i would wish to leave money for.That is tipping three times,,INSANE!!

@jeanetterequintin9055

Ай бұрын

you are right. it is like a tax over another sales tax. It might true that price per/day can be cheaper in a cruise ship, compared to land vacation, but if you add up all the other expenses, it will add up eventually.

I'm a former crew memenber and this is the biggest discussion amongst cruisers and crew members. There's soooooooooo much that's not being told about the gratuities. We never knew who removes the automatic gratuities. Whether you remove the charges or not, it's best to put a little something extra in the crew members hand.

@robertslutzky6684

9 ай бұрын

If a passenger agrees to the daily gratuities there should be a way that it can’t be removed. Very simple.

@ajwhite1077

9 ай бұрын

@@robertslutzky6684 Once the cruise line start telling the truth about the automatic gratuities then passengers will think twice about removing them or leaving them. I work on cruise ships for 4 years and my salary was set and the only tips that I received came directly from passengers putting it in my hand not from the daily gratuities

@kingsgaurd

9 ай бұрын

Sorry, if the service is poor, gratuities should not be automatic. However, rather than remove gratuities when the service is poor, definitely talk guest services first to see if the service issue can be rectified. An example with NCL that I encountered was actually with guest services, when I was having trouble with the app. The help I received was completely wrong despite going back several times.

@erniesimmons4452

9 ай бұрын

This sounds more believable to me.

@jenlot4

9 ай бұрын

My husband likes to tip personally, so we remove his daily tip but leave mine. We give the cabin attendant money every other day and the waiters and assistants waiters tips and the host a tip also. We feel like it’s more balanced that way and the crew members seem happy about it.

Cruise companies have dissolved into the "nickel and dime" arena and only fuel the controversy over automatic gratuities. They post sometimes ridiculously low and unrealistic prices to lure people into the booking. This comes at a cost to their employees. By not paying their crew properly, and forcing them to live off of the gratuities, a very lopsided employment structure is created. These folks work long hard hours and should be compensated in a reasonable manner. The problem is often exacerbated by hiring crews from depressed third world countries where people simply don't expect a fair wage. In the end the passenger is gouged at every juncture and the crew is overworked and under paid. The lack of transparency is appalling and designed solely to increase profit. It would be refreshing to know exactly how the crew is paid and how the gratuities are divided.

@travelnomad2128

9 ай бұрын

I understand from the few crew members that I talked to, before they deploy they already signed their contracts with their monthly wages stated in it let's say $2k per month so they already know how much they're earning. Gratuities are extra!

@kamelhaj6850

9 ай бұрын

I get a feeling that the crew are being paid better today than when I first started cruising 17 years ago. Back then, I heard that they were getting about $20/day and had to depend on their share of gratuities plus any tips for anything extra.

@761jared

9 ай бұрын

That's when you look into which companies implement practices that you most align with. Virgin Voyages (my preferred brand) isn't a "budget" carrier by far, and the tips are included the base fare. I've neither felt pressure, nor even been asked, to tip after booking the trip. In fact, the only pressure I've felt is losing the lower prices and incentives for booking another trip(s) while onboard.

@lcflngn

9 ай бұрын

But the main question is, if one pays gratuities “in advance” how are those divided amongst the crew?? We really ought to have that answer.

@garyjarvis2730

9 ай бұрын

@@lcflngn I agree but take it one step further - pay the crew a fair living wage for the long hours worked from the start. Yes, cruise fares will go up however the passenger can be assured the service they get is being properly paid for. Some companies used to have a European contract that complied with the EU regulations on pay and benefits (for European crew members) while having a Philippines contract that paid much less and provided none of the extras. This was for people doing exactly the same job but coming from different labor markets. When gratuities act as a different wage channel they aren't really gratuities.

At the end of a Celebrity cruise earlier this month, I asked my room attendant for tip envelopes when I couldn’t find them. He told me they are only given to cabins that have not prepaid gratuity. So he absolutely knew who had already paid!

I always leave a tip wherever go. Treat people how you want to be treated.

Ilina, you are such an inspiring KZreadr. Polished, to the point, easily understood, professional, and mature with an attractive persona. As an avid cruiser, I watch each of your releases. Your success speaks volumes.

@LifeWellCruised

9 ай бұрын

You’re too kind! Thanks for watching & for your comments 😊

UGH! This is an ongoing debate that gets worse as time goes on! I work in food service. By law in our state, the company is allowed to pay us below the minimum due to the fact that we work in a tip-based industry. Years ago this wasn't a problem, my tips averaged out the difference. Over the last few years, more people don't tip or complain about tipping. I've worked in places where tips are pooled together and the company skims off the top, (and not for tax purposes) Illegal, yes. Provable, sometimes. I would be more than happy to be paid a livable wage and forgo the tips.

@suzemartin5194

9 ай бұрын

We generally don't tip in NZ everyone gets a living wage minimum per hr .. tips go to services that really stand out.. we are a small nation with a small population..if we can afford great Healthcare and minimum wage..why can't big countries? 😢

@amtank

9 ай бұрын

It is my opinion that the percentage inflation is at the heart of the issue. I've seen statements saying that for excellent service that the tip should be 25-30% it is getting insane.

After noticing that the wait staff I see serving coffee and juices early in the morning buffet are the same folks that I saw hustling to serve a busy dining room late the night before, I realized how hard they all work and for many long hours too. For that reason and also for all the wonderful service provided by our cabin stewards, I always pay the standard gratuities plus give cash bonuses to those with whom we are in direct contact the most. I like the Princess Plus Package that includes the gratuities. Note: after reading “Cruise Confidential “ by Brian David Bruns, I gained a whole new appreciation for the crew’s great service, considering their own cabin experiences. Thank you for another great video that covers such a unique cruise topic.

Something to keep in mind. ANY tip placed on your ship account goes into the shipwide tip pool. This includes the standard tips added to EVERYTHING you purchase on the ship as well as any extra tips you give a bartender, etc. All goes into the pool. If you want to give a bartender, server, etc an extra tip, do it in CASH so it goes in that person's pocket, not everyone working on the ship.

@burningblue1254

8 ай бұрын

Bartenders do not share in the tip pool at least on Princess and Cunard. Only beverage packages or individual drink tips go to bar staff. The tip pool is only for crew that everyone uses.thats why salon spa bar babysitting etc. Have separate tips.

@1111atreides

8 ай бұрын

Amen. Tip pools are too communistic for my tastes. Everyone knows that where they work, there are the mediocre workers, the hard chargers and the loafers. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, you're the loafer.

@CL-mp4vn

7 ай бұрын

But IMO, the _behind the scene staffs_ deserve some tip, too.

@james-rd4dq

5 ай бұрын

I disagree the cruise company needs to pay them. @@CL-mp4vn

I remember when we sailed back in the 80s the ship would provide us with envelopes in our cabin so we can give cash tips. The cruise line would provide us with a starting tip amount and we would adjust it accordingly.

@nancymurphy3127

9 ай бұрын

I like the way they use to do that. My question is what are they doing with the prepay gratuities for several months. They all have to be paid at final payment. To me there is some kind of racket going on with the cruise line.

@j.g7506

9 ай бұрын

@@nancymurphy3127 they probably bank the money, collect the interest and then pay their employees...I still tip cash to our room Stewart and waiters. I also leave little snacks for our room steward with a have a great day note... believe me they appreciate it.

@user-fc9dd6ej9w

9 ай бұрын

Near the end of that era, I remember our waiter on the last night looking over his shoulder as I handed my envelope to his assistant. When asked, he admitted that the maitre d was looking to see just who got envelopes so the he could confront them to get his cut. This new method just formalizes that protection racket mentality. I got around it by making it obvious that I was putting his envelope back into my pocket and looking stern. As we were finishing coffee, I took the cash out of the envelope, folded it up and pressed it into his hand as I shook it on the way out.

@bettywith2girls

9 ай бұрын

@@user-fc9dd6ej9w Holy sh!t! LOL! It made you feel like you were paying someone off. I hated those envelopes! We just pay the automatic gratuity every time (and yes, I bet they can tell who does and who doesn't) and considered it a part of the cost of the cruise. Usually tip the bartender extra per drink or if we asked for something special...which we never ask for anything special anyway. We also directly tip the luggage porters and tour guides and bus drivers. The tour guides that are independent know how to work it tho, so keep that in mind. I haven't met so many supposedly single mothers of 4+ kids whose baby-daddies barely come around (we don't ask but all this info is told to us anyway by the tour guide who just happens to casually mention it on the bus) but who are apparently educated enough in a foreign country to speak English fluently...LOL! You can't blame them but we tip them the usual adequate amount anyway.

We just got back from a 15 day cruise tour with Princess to Alaska. It was amazing and every single staff person we came in contact with was so friendly and really went above and beyond. We gave out so many extra tips and we have zero regrets. 15% gratuity was included on our land tour meals, we bumped it to 20% every meal. On the ship, motorcoach rides, excursions, etc. we freely handed out tips and even our son noticed how thankful everyone was. We are spending so much on a vacation, more than most people can afford to do-calculating tips into that is part of the price and to us it doesn’t matter if some tips are already included. The staff are working hard and long hours so we can all have a vacation.

@garyroberts3859

9 ай бұрын

HELLO, people work hard in other industries and never get a tip.

@porchsitandknit8532

9 ай бұрын

@@garyroberts3859 ok? I’m not sure of your point? I work very hard and so does my husband but we are not in the service industry relying on tips. Many service industries pay folks less per hour, relying on tips to supplement their income. I hate that model but it is what it is. Are you saying these folks do not deserve tips for their hard work because others don’t receive tips? I work hard but I don’t work 6-7 days a week, 10-12 hours a day, on a cruise ship away from my family. There is a difference.

@greekgirl9897

9 ай бұрын

Very nice of you.

@meghanstufflebean4139

9 ай бұрын

@@garyroberts3859you sound like my 90 year old grandpa. I’m a nurse. I make a good income. I don’t need a tip.

@garyroberts3859

9 ай бұрын

@@meghanstufflebean4139 I’m in the same generation as your grandpa…l was a teacher not making a good income…can’t see I should tip other people for simply doing their job. The expectation makes me a little angry

That’s one thing I love about Virgin. It’s included in the fare. It’s the company’s job to pay its workers a salary.

I'm a crew piano player on a ship. Believe me the gratuities arent divided, I don't tip my crew room attendent but I make fragrences for them. Buy the staff a drink and acknowledge when you see them. The main issue for staff is not feeling like a robot working for months on end.

As a seasoned cruiser, I always remove the automatic gratuity and give directly to the crew members who assisted me. My cabin steward always gets $50 at the beginning of the cruise, and at least $100 at the end of the cruise (or more depending on the length of the cruise). I always thought that tips should be voluntary, and people should be paid a living wage without needing tips to augment their salary.

@machintelligence

9 ай бұрын

That sounds like a good way to stiff the cooks and workers at the buffet line.

@jahbern

9 ай бұрын

How do you do the tips for the wait staff? Who do you hand those to? Do you just do it on the last night of the cruise?

@dougdavidson3260

9 ай бұрын

@@machintelligence since the gratuity collected by the cruise line is distributed however they see fit including to meet salary contract it’s actually best to tip in this manner. The gratuities are not split. They are used for salary the crew makes regardless of 4 or 4,000 onboard. It’s all a lie sold by the industry. They put the money in their coffers.

@lw3158

9 ай бұрын

"seasoned" cruisers would know that there are hard working crew that we never see on the ship, that also make our cruise experience special. Removing the grats just tells me the person is well seasoned at stiffing people.

@maggiewakefield875

9 ай бұрын

@@jahbern Yes, generally the last night of the cruise I go around and tip the wait staff, bar tenders, etc. I actually spend more in tips, but I feel if the cruise line wants to use the money to “pay salaries”, then just make it a charge and stop calling it a gratuity. There is nothing gratuitous about it.

Thank you for addressing a controversial but important subject in such a thoughtful way. I have been continually impressed by how diligent and cheerful the cruise crew members are on every cruise I've been on. They earn every penny in my book. I pay it up front and just consider it part of the fare.

@Gardis72

9 ай бұрын

Exactly. Well said.

@ashleymyrrh1756

9 ай бұрын

Why do we not tip airline cabin crew? They don't do a good job?

@rgruenhaus

9 ай бұрын

This should be addressed with the cruiseline not just between us cruisers.

@rgruenhaus

9 ай бұрын

​@ashleymyrrh1756 I don't think there is a question about flight attendants getting good pay, unlike ships crew who are worked much harder than flight attendants.

@robertlulek1634

9 ай бұрын

@@ashleymyrrh1756 reason for that is, it's just one day. Cabin stewards are there every day for your vacation as well as the ships crew. It's a different format.

We just went on our first cruise on Holland America to Alaska. It was absolutely amazing and the service was top-notch! We left an additional tip for the room stewards, and were more than happy to pay the daily gratuity that was automatically charged. I did not know it was even possible to take that off, but I would never do that. Your videos and tips helped us a lot preparing for our first cruise, thank you!

@emjayvick511

6 ай бұрын

Why wouldn't you take it off ??

Thank you for this video. My husband and I hope to go on a cruise soon, and I was very confused about tipping. Now I understand a little bit better. I also really enjoyed the comments and found them useful. Thanks again!

I choose to prepay gratuities and then give an additional tip to my cabin steward on the first night. I prefer to give additional gratuities individually to bartender, wait staff, etc.

@CalgaryGuy

9 ай бұрын

ditto

@LifeWellCruised

9 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing 😊

@martyklestadt6766

9 ай бұрын

It's always a good idea, if one can afford it, to tip cabin stewards, bartenders, wait staff, etc. on the first night in addition to what you might tip them at the end. If you do this, they will remember it and do their absolute best to take care of you.

I pay for gratuities with my cruise. I tip baggage handlers, and I tip my room steward. Now, my rant. People have lost their minds over tips. Drive throughs with tip buckets at the window. Convenient stores with tip jars. People on social media complaining because they only got A $5 tip on a $20. Bill. Your tip is based on your service. So while you are talking with the pretty girl while I am waiting for a refill on my ice tea, then guess what? Your tip starts going down. Just because you are in the service industry does not mean you automatically deserve a tip. So onboard ship, you prepay for tips, then everytime you buy a drink, or anything else, a tip of 18% is automatically added, then you are expected to put a tip in the jar. I understand how people are getting fed up with tips, especially when the service people complaining on social media. They just seem ungrateful. Some people paid thousands of dollars for these cruises and tipping 3 or 4 times for a drink is getting ridiculous. You prepay gratuities, you pay 18% on the drink then you put $2.00 in a jar. No. Some of these people sound ungrateful for what they get.

@eminbc

29 күн бұрын

Exactly. My argument in Canada is the now %18 or 20% presented for tips at check-out. What? If prices go up, then your 15% is also going up. PLUS why are we tipping on a government tax??? Tax is not a restaurant cost but something required to turn over to govt. Wish more would discuss this.

Thank you. Very informative, as are all of your videos. First time cruiser here. Thank you, again, for the information.

I hate when the cabin Steward asks for tips. Was on a Royal Caribbean cruise and I was reminded by all the staff on the last day of the cruise, I left an envelope in your room... Mind you, this was a company paid trip and the company had PRE PAID for everyone's tips, so im like dude, the company paid for it already, he said well if YOU had good service you can tip too. Real turn off.

I always remove my auto gratuity. I tip at restaurants and even the made when I am at a hotel but I do not tip the cook or the guy at the front desk. When I cruise I give a large tip to my steward and my waiter. I have food allergies and must have a head waiter the usually is assigned to me for the entire cruise. Both of those receive a hefty tip at the end of the trip. My last 14 day cruise I also had a butler. Each of them were given well in the hundreds on the final day. I do not feel bad in the least for not supporting those who do not personally interact with me. That is what the ship pays salaries for. As a business owner who serves the public I do not expect the customer to pay my employees wages. If the receive a tip it is a reward for going over and above and they deserve it.

@rodchris8630

9 ай бұрын

Well said and you are absolutely correct

@jimklemens5018

9 ай бұрын

If you can't afford to tip the back staff, you shouldn't go.

@warmspicytea4285

2 ай бұрын

Facts!

@dmytrobur

Ай бұрын

How do you remove it?

@malikarose8788

16 күн бұрын

@@dmytroburGo to guest services and ask them to remove it.

We always give an extra tip because they work so hard and I appreciate their excellent service

I have ALWAYS wanted to know about this. THANK YOU for making this video.

I took the plunge and bought your cruise planner because we're battling our way through trying to pick out a Mediterranean cruise next year and barely knew where to start. Lots of helpful stuff in there, and I think it's going to help us stay organized instead of panicking and scrambling. I especially appreciate the packing lists. Thanks for all your videos!

@pulaski1

8 ай бұрын

The idea that a vacation needs a "planning tool" is one of the main reasons I haven't yet been on a cruise. I am already stressed and haven't even _booked_ a cruise!

@katarh

8 ай бұрын

@@pulaski1 For a Caribbean cruise, you probably don't need to use any tools. The advice I got was to start with a short 2 day cruise from Florida to the Bahamas or something, where as long as you have a passport and a plan to get to the cruise port by the day of embarkation, you'll be fine. But we're doing a much longer international cruise for the first time, and we don't want to forget anything vital!

@hill77276

6 ай бұрын

I'm taking my 5th cruise since the 1990's. (Solo 1/5/24 NCL Prima @ Galveston). I purchased your digital planner. LOVE IT! Printed only the pages I would use. (10 using BOTH sides of paper !). Filled in all the info I could = Peace of Mind Added / removed categories/ items to pkg list (ended up with a doubled-sided page). I also created a quick glance, hand-written Spreadsheet detailing: Day / Port / Arrive & Leave Excursion Pickup & Return Excursion Event (plus dining reservations) Cost Then rows with info on decks that I plan to visit most: 6,7,8,17,18,19 I'm so excited that I'm already packing my carry- on! Glad I ordered double pack of 3-1-1 bags from Amazon. One for liquid other for electronics.(So much LARGER than ordinary quart baggie). I'll keep watching for new content to hone my Adventure

@iammedusa2600

3 ай бұрын

@@pulaski1 go through a travel agent!

@iammedusa2600

3 ай бұрын

go throug a travel agent!

I’m taking my first cruise in February, I have prepaid my gratuities. I will have cash with me for extra tips along the way. I work in a tipping industry, I’m an esthetician at a day spa. I’m paid a base commission plus whatever the client leaves for a tip. I love what I do and I still treat everyone the same even if I know someone is a poor or non-tipper. My philosophy is what goes around comes around. I always tip well, folks work hard!

@JilSpangenberg-ys7fz

Ай бұрын

And what do you consider "well?" That's my issue

I know that they know. I had a massage on a cruise and I tipped her $35 cash. I then noticed that I had been charged a $32 gratuity on that massage. So I removed it because I had already tipped her more than the stated gratuity. I had another massage with her on the last sea day and she told me that she understood why I removed the gratuity. She knew immediately when I had removed it. This was on a Carnival ship. So they DO know.

@LifeWellCruised

9 ай бұрын

Very interesting

@southernsunshine6154

9 ай бұрын

I think the shops, beauticians, etc are handled differently from other crew. I think they have different contracts and gratuities.

@RetiredSignDude

9 ай бұрын

That was a SPECIFIC gratuity to a SPECIFIC person, not the inclusive daily charge.

@bettywith2girls

9 ай бұрын

Come on now, people! You really honestly think that the room stewards or waiters don't know if you drop that 18% automatic gratuity??? Really??? LOL Of course, they do. They have friends who work in the area of customer accounts and can look up stuff.

Tipping is normal, and those who don't are considered stingy and rude. Those cabin stewards work their butts off to make your vacation a good one. I always pay the recommended gratuity and usually hand the cabin steward and sometimes the waiter some extra cash as well. It makes me feel good because I know it makes them happy. Spread some kindness!

@solovjud

Ай бұрын

Normal? Only in America where employers do not pay living wages. Shame on them, not the customer!

What I have noticed post automatic gratuity is that service has gone downhill fast. This past cruise we never got our drinks refilled without first asking and then waiting a long time. Often the drink wasn’t refilled until after the three course meal was finished. At home I base my tip on how well the staff keeps up,with our drinks. If I chew on ice between refills, the tip goes from 20% to 15%. If I chew ice u til there is no more ice in the glass, it goes down even further. On our last cruise, we would finish our drinks and the glass would be completely empty (no ice remaining) before they even asked if we still wanted a refill. At home we’d never return to that restaurant again. Auto tipping is simply subsidizing the cruise lines wages. The cruise line needs to come off of this form of forced wage subsidization and pay a reasonable wage and charge the correct cruise fare, then allow guests to tip accordingly to service.

We have been cruising for more than 40 years. My wife and I have been on 6 cruises in the past year and a half. Everyone on the ship works so hard and we truly appreciate everything they do. On top of the daily gratuity, we leave our cabin Stewart $100 on a 7 day cruise. Also leave a nice tip for our waiter and helper. They work long hours to make our cruise enjoyable and they deserve it.

@rosestrange3042

9 ай бұрын

ALSO CONSIDER TIPPING THE BATHROOM CLEANER WHICH I DO.

@scotsmuscle

9 ай бұрын

i do the same thing.

@donnatumulty9521

9 ай бұрын

That’s exactly what we do too I make envelopes up at home a few months before cruise. Then I don’t even have to worry about it on last day 😎

@saritah4757

9 ай бұрын

@@donnatumulty9521that’s a great idea. We usually bring the thank you notes with us but don’t stuff them until the last night. But now I will consider stuffing them at home.

@cynthiag.5325

9 ай бұрын

How do you give them to the waiter and the bathroom worker??

I do not like the concept of cruise ship graturities... but I almost always prepay them these days, and I have NEVER stiffed anyone on gratuties. We do however give an "extra" cash gratuity to those who give us additional/extraordinary service.

@mhager1978

9 ай бұрын

Yes, that’s what we do.

@rubypersha5881

9 ай бұрын

im going on my very first one in 14 days i pay prepay and will still give the workers you are so right

This was a worthwhile topic to explore THANKS , Interesting.

I've always been a big tipper for good service. I went on my first cruise last May. It was only a 4 day trip and I tipped my cabin attendant pretty well as he was always helpful. When I was getting ready to disembark, he thanked me for the gratuities. These folks work really hard. I'll never understand people who take back the tips.

We prepaid for our gratuities so that we didnt have to worry about that expense at the end. We also took extra cash to give over and above tips to crew that went beyond our expectations and went out their way to make our cruise memorable. Cant wait to get to go again.

We sailed on the Disney Dream and our cabin attendant was amazing and we definitely took care of him!

I always tip, regardless of whether it's included or not.

No matter what I always give an extra tip to my cabin attendant on day one. If I get great service than I also give an additional tip on the last day. But I never ever would dream of removing the automatic gratuities, even though I don't know who gets what. The fact that these folks are away from their families for so long means they deserve it.

@michellewhitley8668

9 ай бұрын

I agree with you.

@manonsinclairladyofblairad9675

9 ай бұрын

Agree 100%, I pay the gratuity and tip extra to my cabin attendant and the waiters in the dining room every night.

@lennybuttz2162

9 ай бұрын

No, no, no. When you take a job like this you know you're going to be away from family and friends for up to 9 months. That's part of the job and if you don't want to be away then you find another job. I don't own anyone anything because of the type of work they choose to do. They also get free food and lodging for the entire time, they get to travel to exotic places and they do get time off the ship, maybe not at every port but they do get it and they don't have to pay for it. Yes parts of their job isn't great but many parts of their job is wonderful. Some people want to get away from their family. It's great that you tip for service, I worked in the service industry all my life and I always appreciated tips.

@PatsyMellen

9 ай бұрын

Yes! We do too.

@lisagardner903

9 ай бұрын

I tip the cabin steward a $ 100 bill on day one and get superior service the entire cruise. My husband and I are super easy and I always make the bed myself because I am a clean freak anyway. It cracks me up when the cabin steward remakes the bed.

Very informative video Illana. On a Carnival cruise I talked with a couple who both worked for the company. They confirmed that the whole tip pool both the ones we see on our bill plus the auto tips on drinks we buy does get split among the crew. We have never taken the tips off our bill even on a cruise with poor service. The crew members deserve them even when we aren't totally happy. For me I use cash tips to the crew members who really take giid care of us. They are usually the cabin attendant, dining waiter, and recently the our suite butler. These people work long hours 7 days a week and deserve to be rewarded for their efforts. One tip my dad taught me many years ago tip some at the beginning of your cruise and then ar the end of it. It is amazing how appreciative the crew member is when I am am so appreciative of them. Happy cruising Illana!!

@LifeWellCruised

9 ай бұрын

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing this

@rickk6700

9 ай бұрын

One other fact I got from the Carnival employees was the huge last minute discounts for cabins was to encourage people to go on the cruise in order to build the tip pool. Told me how important that pool of money truly is.

I know for a fact that the cabin attendant knows if you have prepaid or removed the gratuity. The closet in the hallway where the attendant keeps their stuff was open one day as I walked by, and there was a clipboard hanging on the wall which contained room number, name, and a column that indicated if the gratuity had been prepaid or not for every room they serviced. It was clear that the attendant knew who didn’t pay gratuity or if it had been removed, and the printout had a date/time that it was printed. They probably get a new sheet every day showing any changes.

I just learned the staff works 11 hour days without any days off. One guy worked 7 months, 11 hour days, zero days off. Said this is how it is. -Symphony of the Seas He left yesterday and said he's done with cruises and went back to India. He was excellent and so sweet. It opened our eyes though.

@Mike79555

2 ай бұрын

Should start talking to cruises to raise pay so doesn't filter that to the Cruiser's

@malikarose8788

16 күн бұрын

Modern day slavery!

@Mike79555

16 күн бұрын

I felt bit guilty even on my trip they were constantly hot cooking no breaks no nothing WOW I'm definitely tipping more next time

Gratuities should be built into the fare. I hate paying thousands of dollars for my cruise and at the end they hand you a bill for an additional $400. The industry really needs to do better.

@visaman

9 ай бұрын

With Princess the gratuities are part of the Princess Plus package, that you pay upfront.

@burningblue1254

9 ай бұрын

@@visaman Correct, they are part of the Plus and Premier packages.

"gratuities" should just be a part of the fair. You would still book the cruise if it was another $200. It is like an extra tax. I pay in advance and forget about it. Actually if they auto charged it in the fair, you would get 100% "gratuity collection" and this should result in more money in the employees hands.

@LifeWellCruised

9 ай бұрын

I can understand this

@csh43166

9 ай бұрын

Exactly. Because whether you pay it in the fare, or pay it separately, you're still going to pay it. I think this is a great idea!

@wjrsb58

9 ай бұрын

Virgin has the right idea. The price of the cruise includes gratuities and all the restaurants. The others should do the same.

@rochellea9652

9 ай бұрын

I preferred tipping myself at the end of the cruise with the envelopes and had to each crew member myself. Or dily rhen extra at the end.

@superturtle61177

9 ай бұрын

I don't know if it works the same for cruise ships because many are registered in foreign countries, but in the US switching from "gratuity" to part of the price changes everything. It puts the obligation on the company to collect appropriate taxes. It might also change the worker's designation as a tipped employee, which means they must pay them a higher rate. The worker now has all of their earnings on the books and so they will have to pay the appropriate taxes on all of it. The customer now gets the full cost up front, but moving say $200 in tips to the quoted price could raise the price by like $250 or more because of the added expenses to the company, and the government is now collecting more in taxes.

very hard working people amd will do anything for you . We allways take care of them extra in the cabin and the bars , they will remember you by name.

We enjoy extra tipping for great serve. It’s part of our vacation experience. Sharing the wealth. 🎉

I personally remove the automatic gratuities and tip with cash appropriately. The part I really don't like is the per person, not per cabin policy. When you go to a restaurant, you tip according to how much your order was, not so much per person. Some nights, I don't even go to the main dining room for dinner; I eat in the buffet. Plus, I hope people realize this, when you book a drink or dining package, they automatically add on 18% for gratuities. I always order a case of water to be delivered to my room as my drink package and they even add on a tip for that...just for someone to drop it in my room! Plus, if you don't have a drink package, every time you order a drink, an extra 18% is automatically added on. They even add on 18% to hand you a cupcake or a donut at a venue that's not included in the cruise fare that you pay extra for! Come on people! We're being nickeled and dimed enough, not to mention the increasingly high prices just to get on the cruise. Instead of double tipping or tipping for services I don't even use, I do leave a nice amount of a cash tip for my room steward who works hard tidying up my room and making sure we have everything we need. I do feel that crew members should be paid more, but that is the Cruise line's job to do that, not me as a guest!

@jimklemens5018

9 ай бұрын

If you can't afford to tip, you shouldn't go.

@alcogito8287

6 ай бұрын

If you want a really pleasant cruise, try Viking. No nickle&dime-ing, no children, no crowds, red and white wines (nice ones) on the table at no extra charge. Just lovely. Someday I will compare prices between big ships and Viking. I wouldn't be surprised to find they come out even, total cost-wise.

@warmspicytea4285

2 ай бұрын

The per cabin is a scam as well as automatic gratuities, creating an entitled culture. People think they are entitled to extra money just for doing their job.

As a former crew manager and front office manager for two major cruise lines I can assure you the crew generally are not informed of who removes the tips. This is done for several reasons, not least of which is to ensure service in these cabins remains at the usual standards. As you surmised supervisors / managers in the departments will monitor to see if paterns which may indicate service issues appear in case (for example) a new crew member may be in need of more training or such. All moneys recieved are divided among the crew and mostly nowadays included with the payroll. I used to have to spend one morning each week paying out in cash prior to this change. When I cruise as a guest I will usually leave the auto tips on as it is the simplest and most efficient way and if I get good service (which I usually do) I leave a little extra at the end. Communication with your steward not only makes their day better, but easier as they will know when you are in or out without disturbing you. I spend a lot of time on my balcony reading (on sea days) and as such let my stewards know they can clean whilst I'm out there which makes things easy for them.

@tamo9520

9 ай бұрын

I want to pipe up here & add my comment. I have worked my entire career in the hospitality industry. You said 'generally' not informed. Let's think about this: You have a crew that works together on a regular basis. Yes, team members may come and go, or be on a time off turn around, but in the end, they end up getting to know their co-workers. Wages are so low in the hospitality industry, that employees "do" count on their tips. That 'is' a reality that many more people need to realise. I look at the industry in this way, as an employee, I'm basically an independent contractor - in a way. The better "I" look after my customers, the better 'my' chances are of a better tip. Let's add this though, and it's very important. As an employee in the industry, you have to keep you chin up & not let a non-tipper get to you. There are going to be good days (or in this case, trips & customers) & there are going to be bad days (or 'trips' & customers). You just have to take the good with the bad & just continue on knowing that there will be a better day (or again, a better trip) somewhere down the line. However, in today's society, there seems to be more people, in this case, employees, who 'expect' to be tipped & to be tipped well! That word 'expect', or as I'd like to say, 'entitlement' makes me cringe! But with those attitudes in a huge group of employees, you are going to get employees with the same attitude passing on information that should be kept private. Meaning, that even tough an employee or 2 in a certain department has access to information, like the information you stated in your comment - the information of knowing who removed their tip or not, if Jane A has the same attitude as Jane B, during their time behind the scenes (in their own cabins and employee areas) they are going to talk! It's a given. It's unfortunate, but society LUVS to gossip! So I do fully believe that the information of who removed their tips is well known among the employees.

@fiberclassics97

8 ай бұрын

I worked as a purser over 20 years ago. Crew NEVER knew who removed gratuities.

@jofarwell9744

8 ай бұрын

We just finalized a cruise and as incentive to 'upgrade' our cabin, the 'gratuities' were 'covered' in the price--rather than added to the final billing-- which was a sizable amount for a budget last minute deal. Are we penalizing the crew and is this for real or is it just 'fancy bookkeeping' and it's still paid and not reflected on the 'bill' and was just a 'hidden discount incentive'? Supposedly the ship is 'not full'. Also, do the room stewards get higher wages as the rooms get bigger on higher decks and cruisers are charged pro-rated 'crew incentives' according the the 'price' of the room?

@warpedweft9004

8 ай бұрын

we used to try and go easy on our cabin steward by maintaining the room ourselves and not letting them service our room every other day, until we noticed the steward becoming quite agitated and it occurred to us that maybe he was getting into trouble for not servicing regularly. So now we let them service daily but make sure they don't have much they have to do. I don't really feel comfortable letting someone else clean up my mess, frankly.

I've finally figured out what cruise gratuities remind me of. They are basically ransoms and are a great example of why you should never pay a ransom.

@juliehall2893

4 ай бұрын

You don't live in the US do you? Counter service here now asks for a tip when you pay.

@blargblarg5657

4 ай бұрын

@@juliehall2893 I do, but I rarely tip. Never at a register.

@erinwais-hennen8025

Ай бұрын

Then don’t go on the cruise 🚢

@blargblarg5657

Ай бұрын

@@juliehall2893 nah, still going to go and still going to remove gratuities. Maybe you should demand the cruise line pay a proper wage instead of expecting me to do so for them .

I think tipping is fun. Tip them cash while ordering and it feels more like a bribe than a reward.

After reading all of these comments now I understand why our cabin attendant cried when I handed him $200 at the end of our last 7 day cruise (April 2023). That man worked constantly, no matter what time of day we walked down our hallway he could be found cleaning, always with a smile and a wave. He told us about his wife and toddler daughter in asia, and how he hoped his daughter would recognize him in December when his current contract ends. NCL cabin stewards work at least 12 hours a day with no days off for their entire 10 month contract (unless there is a break between sailings). Glassdoor lists the "median" NCL cabin steward salary as $3836/mo, which equates to approximately $10.65/hr. 7 days a week for 10 months straight. Median means "average" meaning some actually make LESS than that. If the $20/day included gratuity is split between other crew, that doesn't increase their pay significantly.

@lisagardner903

9 ай бұрын

That is so cool you did that. I always cruise NCL and tip $ 100 crisp bill on the first day and I get superior service. My husband and I are pretty easy and I make the bed every day because I am a clean freak. It amuses me the cabin steward remakes the bed and it is way better than what I did! I love to tip the cabin stewards and I almost always write them an outstanding review that I turn into the front desk.

@lizculmone9462

9 ай бұрын

Is that factoring in their meals, room and board?

@burningblue1254

9 ай бұрын

Only US citizens pay taxes on their earnings. All other crew receive their salary tax free. Also, obviously the room and board is free as is the medical while onboard. This makes it a little more appealing doesn't it?

@sauronthegreat5799

9 ай бұрын

Meanwhile the CEO of the cruise companies make $15 million plus for doing absolutely nothing. And I bet he’s not a philipino or Ethiopian.

@burningblue1254

9 ай бұрын

@@sauronthegreat5799 Not sure the CEO gets paid for doing absolutely nothing. BTW the correct spelling is Filipino.

Gratuities are a virtual salary. The company should just pay the crew and not leave it up to chance how much they will get from the passengers. "Automatic daily gratuities" are just another name for the price of the cruise and make the advertised price less than the true amount.

I fully agree that the the cruise lines should be paying their staff appropriately and not relying on cruisers to offset their wages with tips. My wife has been bugging me for years to do a cruise and the tipping malarkey is one of two main reasons which have kept me from making a cruise. The people in the United States have gone crazy on tipping and it is totally out of hand. I resent being told what I should be paying in the way of tips. I am usually a good tipper (20% or more), but I do not want to be told what I should be tipping or even have tips automatically added daily. To me this is dishonest and a blight on the cruise lines' personnel policies.

I totally agree with the daily gratuity charges, they automatically add to our stateroom account. What I think though, and this is particularly to Royal Caribbean because I don't know if other cruise lines are still doing the same, is that they should remove that envelopes they leave in our stateroom the day before the disembarking day. The envelopes made sense in the past, when the daily automatic gratuity charge wasn't a thing, but now, it doesn't make any sense. If I want to add something extra to any crew member I will do it directly to the person in question, and definitely arriving in my stateroom and finding those envelopes with the tags of the disembarking groups is too pushy in my point of view.

@emjayvick511

6 ай бұрын

Why do you agree with employers not paying a fair wage ?

Pay them a livable wage and stop holding the passengers responsible for this especially since we are already being nickeled and dimed out of our money as soon as we book to the time we dock....

Crew are ROCK STARS, and deserve every penny that they get! Some of them are sacrificing time with families in order to be on the ships, and give us a nice vacation that they can’t have.

@leisamcpherson1317

9 ай бұрын

Everyone makes choices, why do I as a holiday purchaser need to subsidise their income?? I bust my ass working to afford my holidays & I am not paying out money because they are in an industry that underpays, sorry 😢😢😢

@sharonfrazier4217

6 ай бұрын

@@leisamcpherson1317 I wonder how many of these biting responses are crew workers, their families, and friends. I think Nursing staff, and Educators put their lives on the line, little pay, and not given tips? A person chooses their jobs, and cruise ships aren't going broke. I can't let big tippers ruin my once in a life time trip, because after pre-paying gratuities, I can't tip another 50 dollars to each crew member, who chose their job. I doubt seriously the Cruise ship owners would say, big tippers only.

When they started automatically adding it on a daily basis to cruises we would go straight to reception ask for tips to be taken off, got envelopes and we tipped as we used to according to who we got great service from, the cabin steward, the dining room staff etc. we felt it better to give this way as they were more likely to actually get it…..we didn’t give any less than was expected per day.

Great service deserve extra tips.. by tipping , in affect, you are not only paying for the service you receive, but you incentive-vise good service for others going forward

Clear as mud. Industry standards should be transparent

Illana, thank you for bringing up this very important and often overlooked subject in such a respectful way. Keeping it classy must be a 🇨🇦 thing!

@LifeWellCruised

9 ай бұрын

Lol thanks for watching & for the comment

You do such a great job clarifying confusing issues. I recently went on my first cruise and tipped my room steward $20 at the beginning and $20 at the end, I tipped my bartenders and servers during the cruise and paid the prepaid gratuities. I was on my own so it was reasonable, I could see how it would be more challenging for large families or groups.

@fluffytail6355

8 ай бұрын

I disagree on the large family or group part of your comment - it should be more affordable for more people to split the cost of tips than one person or a couple to do so. First, gratuities are added to each person’s fare so no change there but if groups want to tip more, it’s easier for everyone to throw in $10 than for one person to throw in $20

I believe a proper wage is necessary, rather than crew staff hoping people tip enough to receive an adequate wage. Tipping should be an optional bonus!

It seems like a bait and switch. One price for the cruise then I have to pay the crew. I don't like being forced to tip.

I booked a 40 night cruise from Australia to the UK and when I booked, the deal was that gratuities were included. Early in the cruise I noticed my shipboard account was accruing a daily gratuity cost. I straightened it out with the purser and the gratuity was removed. I did not see any fallout from crew, in fact I had exceptional service from everyone, it was an amazing cruise.

@warpedweft9004

8 ай бұрын

the gratuities have to be included for Australians booking through Australian booking services because of Australian consumer protection laws. But thanks for the reminder to check that they aren't double dipping. If I want to give additional tips, I will. I do not expect them to be taken from me without my consent.

I have always prepaid gratuities and I have also tipped in cash. The room attendants were the ones who I gave bigger tips to because they are who I interact with the most. They take care of every single need we might have. I have also tipped wait staff, they work very hard and they all deserve the tips they earn imo.

@foxythedirtydog4494

8 ай бұрын

I work hard and never get tips. I never understand why some people think they should tip. People should be paid through wages not by begging.

@berniemm4437

8 ай бұрын

@@foxythedirtydog4494 I worked on cruise ships as a cabin stewardess for many years, now retired to work on land. Many cruise ship staff reply on these tips as they get a paltry salary of a few hundred $$ a month. Please do not compare them to you. It's also a tough life.

@foxythedirtydog4494

8 ай бұрын

@@whitebeardInn why not just have a word with their supervisor and get them sorted? As for wait staff work hard, that is a strange comment. Come and spend a few days doing my job and you will understand what hard work is. My job is not even that hard compared to what some men do. Yes I do mean men as women would not be able to do those jobs.

@foxythedirtydog4494

8 ай бұрын

@@whitebeardInn are you really that dense? Read my posts again as you missed my points by a lightyear. I am not pleading poverty and I don't ever expect or even want tips. Tips are demeaning. If I am offered a drink on a hot day it is much appreciated but that is as far as it ever goes. It is down to my company to pay me and I will move on if I think it is not enough. I don't expect customers to subsidise my wages. The crew on those cruise ships who felt so bad when they didn't get a tip should be aiming their anger at the shipping company who pay them crap wages not the customers that have paid a high price already. Give them decent wages and stop this stupid tipping nonsense. Do you tell writers, taxi drivers, Bell boys etc to change jobs when they look disappointed with their lack of tips? Or if you are a generous tipper, how do you choose who to tip? The server in McDonald's, the Amazon delivery driver or the checkout girl in the supermarket do they deserve tips or only those that work in good hotels and fancy restaurants?

@emjayvick511

8 ай бұрын

So how do wait staff work hard ??? They write your order and bring it to you.. how is that hard ????

I have removed gratuities once.....After $250 was taken from a folder in my suitcase after I forgot put that folder in the safe. After losing 2 hours with security searching my cabin and questioning me but seemingly not my cabin steward, I was clear on my reasons why. My one negative experience in 15 years of cruising.