maybe strange tip question...

M

myfreedom

Guest
My first cruise is this week (YAY!! SO EXCITED) on the Sensation..
Does anyone here know for a fact if the tips are pooled or given individually to the employees?
Why I ask...
Now being a bar and server wench for a few years now (AKA waitress/bartender) I have seen firsthand how tip dispursement can sometimes be, well.. UNFAIR.. As in slackers getting equal shares as the good employees when tips are pooled.. Also, worked for a couple companies that kept a portion of tips adding various fees.. sleazy, yes, but you don't realise how often it happens.
My understanding is that the tips will be automatically added to the S&S card.. I am planning on removing the tips from my card except for the $.75 a day and giving cash instead.
It's so much more a personal thank you and I know for a fact they are getting ALL of my thank you..
My only concern is that I might miss someone who deserves to be tipped.. Has anyone here just "tipped as you go" and what rule of thumb did you use?
I figure it's the easiest way to avoid missing someone and also the last night begging (might annoy me, don't want that)
Thanks guys.. This place is great !
Josette
 
C

Cruzman

Guest
Automatic tipping covers your waiter, assistant waiter and cabin steward. A 15% gratuity is automatically added to any bar purchase. It is customary to tip room service a dollar or two each time this service is performed. You may also wish to tip your head waiter if he performs a special service for you. Also, the Camp Carnival staff, if you have children that access their facilities. I, too, prefer to hand out individual tip envelopes for many of the same reasons to which you have alluded.
 
D

DianeD

Guest
I was on the Triumph in December and experienced "auto tipping" for the first time. As you mentioned, I had them remove all tips from my S&S card.

The room service people were tipped each time, beverages already have an "auto" 15% added and I tipped the cabin steward, waiter and assistant waiter in cash.

As you say, some work harder than others and I feel they should be compensated for it. It's nice to be able to hand the envelopes to them the night before you get back into port -- you know it's appreciated.

My younger sister has been in the bar business for about 10 years and she tips a little differently. When we cruise, she tips the cabin steward up front, as well as her favorite bartenders get an up-front tip to "keep her drinks" fresh. It works for her and the bar staff knows exactly what she wants. Just thought I'd share -- not conventional, but a different spin on tipping.

You're going to have a wonderful time on your FIRST cruise. We'll be anxious to know how much fun you had.

Enjoy :)


52 days - Star Princess (Alaska Inside Passage)
 
M

mindy

Guest
I read on one of the board where someone who has been in the cruise business for many years said that it didn't matter if you tipped the staff on your own, they still pooled all the tipps. This doesn't seem fair that my server who may be excellent should have to share his/her portion w/ someone who never even came near me.
 
S

Sharkin

Guest
Maybe the crew or line doesn't think it is fair for the servers of the passenger who won big in the casino get a huge tip that could or should be shared among them all. There is also the plain old big tipper and plain old cheapskate issue. I think the fact that pooling tips tends to even out their periodic income, instead of maybe having a very small pay period occasionally, is more desirable than a big windfall once in a while. It could be this method will cause slackers to be "encouraged" to improve, by those that they pool tips with.
 
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