Not to beat a dead horse... but...
This is why I really, really love the Virgin Voyages model. They go ahead and pay their crew a decent enough wage that there is no tipping expected on the cruise. It makes things SO much easier when you go.
I know that tipping is a sore subject in a lot of places, and, FWIW, we usually tip well, but...
- do we really need to tip when I buy a sandwich at a fast-food restaurant (looking at you, spin around tablets!)
- when I go to buy the souvenir cooler on the MV of the Disney Wish (with no beverages, BTW, just an empty cooler), and they make you buy it from the guy standing next to the bar, why do I pay an extra 18% for someone to reach into a box and hand me a soft-sided cooler?
- when you eat at a buffet, like Boma, for instance, why do you pay the server 15-18% in tips when the only thing, and I mean the only thing that they do is bring drinks. Why do they get tipped the same percentage-wise as the server across the way at Jiko that also takes your order, brings your food and pre-buses your table...
Just asking...
I love on Virgin where it's just all taken care of up front and you don't have to play all of these guessing games...