Who do I tip?

[amy1115]

Leaving on our first cruise next weekend and I'm wondering who all it is expected that we should tip while cruising? TIA!

 

[clten]

There are 4 standard positions you tip - 1 is your stateroom host. The other 3 are your dining service team - your head server, server and assistant server. Your server will be the one that leads service for your table and a couple others in the same area. The assistant server works with your server and typically handles drink orders and does running for your server. The head server some people have little interaction with outside of saying hello every night but this person manages your team (and about 1/3 of the whole restaurant) and addresses any problems.

Tips for these 4 positions are suggested at a total for all of $12 per person per day. Typically you give the tips on the last night of the cruise. DCL automatically adds the suggested amount to your onboard account but you can adjust or even remove if you prefer to tip in cash. You will get information on board (you get little slips to give out on the last night if you charge the tips to your onboard account.)

If you are concierge, you may also tip the concierge hosts. This amount is at your discretion and would vary based on how much service they provide your family.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

The following are automatically charged to your account: tips per person for dining room server, assistant server, head server and stateroom host.
All bar bills carry an automatic gratuity of 15%. Can give more if you want.
Tips should be provided for: Room service delivery, tour guides on excursions, porters at embarkation/debarkation, spa personnel (do they add to the bill for the spa, like they do for the bars?)
I still see debates about whether to tip Palo/Remy servers. I tip them.
Not sure about the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.

 

[Dug720]

There are 4 standard positions you tip - 1 is your stateroom host. The other 3 are your dining service team - your head server, server and assistant server. Your server will be the one that leads service for your table and a couple others in the same area. The assistant server works with your server and typically handles drink orders and does running for your server. The head server some people have little interaction with outside of saying hello every night but this person manages your team (and about 1/3 of the whole restaurant) and addresses any problems.

And those will be automatically added to your account per person per day. You can add extra if you choose.

 

[MasonDuo]

Okay stupid question - do you tip (cash tips - ie for room service or any extra on top) in the local currency or in dollars? I ask because we are going on a British Isles cruise in September (it is the last cruise before the transatlantic back to the US) and are American. Do I bring dollars anticipating that the crew will be on the way back to the US or should I get pounds prior to boarding?

Thank you!!!

 

[Ben E N]

I'm sure if you tip extra in Yen people would be happy to take it.

 

[Ntows]

Thanks for this thread. I understand the people to tip and the amounts.
My main question is around the etiquette of handing it over. If we have prepaid the tips do we still handover tip envelope to the server or room host?
What happens if we do not see them on the last day?

 

[ACQUADUCK]

Thanks for this thread. I understand the people to tip and the amounts.
My main question is around the etiquette of handing it over. If we have prepaid the tips do we still handover tip envelope to the server or room host?
What happens if we do not see them on the last day?

You get little tickets if you pre pay or it's debited to your ship account, you have these over last night. Even the head server will make an appearance.

You will see your servers on the last night at dinner, and the stateroom host will be around in the corridors moving luggage and making up rooms all evening. You hand over the envelopes provided with tips in them, you can add cash if you wish.

Do hand them over, as mistakes occur, some staff have long names, and I have had the wrong serving team named on my tickets, but if you hand them over, they can sort it out, but do check tickets that arrive before last night in your stateroom. Concierge will sort out in concierge inc their tips.

Note last night is the traditional time to do it, and as well as that, some staff may go to a surprise border immigration check, on debarking morning, or may leave the ship on leave and over staff cover Breakfast.

 

[amy1115]

Thanks for all the responses. We are actually going on Carnival (please don't kick me out ) I just love asking questions on the Dis and kind of assume that tipping would be pretty much the same across the board regardless of which line you use. So we have already done the prepaid gratuities. So am I understanding that for the most part we would just tip anyone we feel goes above and beyond. As far as the waitstaff and bartenders are concerned specifically? We will of course tip our Steward extra.

 

[Weedy]

You should also tip the porters a few dollars per bag ( you will need chash for this).
On Disney there is an automatic 15% added to your bar bill not sure on Carnival. If not you should tip on your bar bill. So be sure to read your bar bill it will say if the tip in already been added.

 

[amy1115]

You should also tip the porters a few dollars per bag.
On Disney there is an automatic %15 added to your bar bill not sure on Carnival

Got it. Thanks!

 

[MakiraMarlena]

oh. My response was for DCL.

Carnival may have a lot of the same procedures as DCL. I've never been on Carnival but I have been on Royal Caribbean and their bar service tip was 18% whereas on DCL it is 15%. No idea what Carnival's is or if they charge it.

 

[Ben E N]

Got it. Thanks!

Pretty sure the same is for Carnival. I have not done them myself but am doing them as well this summer and have researched it too.

 

[lilsonicfan]

Thanks for all the responses. We are actually going on Carnival (please don't kick me out ) I just love asking questions on the Dis and kind of assume that tipping would be pretty much the same across the board regardless of which line you use. So we have already done the prepaid gratuities. So am I understanding that for the most part we would just tip anyone we feel goes above and beyond. As far as the waitstaff and bartenders are concerned specifically? We will of course tip our Steward extra.

Here's what Carnival says about its gratuities. https://help.carnival.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1123/~/service-gratuities-(tips)

 

[JWG]

We always try to have cash to tip for room service and porters (need to get our Mickey Bars somehow).
We also try to have extra cash in case we want to add a tip to one of the tipped position beyond the standard.

For drinks, we do add a tip when ordering at the bar. Yes the drinks are overpriced, yes you're already paying a 15% tip on top of the overpriced drinks, but we usually add another $.50 - $1.00 per drink. We've found our bar service becomes extraordinary. The bartenders know us by name and know our preferences better than the dining room servers and take great care of us. Occasionally we even get a free drink or item thrown our way. On one cruise they gave us cool Blue Moon soft side coolers and Mojitos.

 

[amy1115]

We always try to have cash to tip for room service and porters (need to get our Mickey Bars somehow).
We also try to have extra cash in case we want to add a tip to one of the tipped position beyond the standard.

For drinks, we do add a tip when ordering at the bar. Yes the drinks are overpriced, yes you're already paying a 15% tip on top of the overpriced drinks, but we usually add another $.50 - $1.00 per drink. We've found our bar service becomes extraordinary. The bartenders know us by name and know our preferences better than the dining room servers and take great care of us. Occasionally we even get a free drink or item thrown our way. On one cruise they gave us cool Blue Moon soft side coolers and Mojitos.

Good to know, thank you!

 

[Ralph&Pam]

Okay stupid question - do you tip (cash tips - ie for room service or any extra on top) in the local currency or in dollars? I ask because we are going on a British Isles cruise in September (it is the last cruise before the transatlantic back to the US) and are American. Do I bring dollars anticipating that the crew will be on the way back to the US or should I get pounds prior to boarding?

Thank you!!!

US$ are the ship currency, so we always do any cash tips in $s, although many times I add these additional tips to the charge slip that is presented. When I tip guides for shore excursions, I always use local currency when in Europe, so Euros in the Med and British Pounds for the British Isles cruise (which we have also booked). I'll need Pounds anyway, since we'll be staying in London for a full week after that cruise. In the Bahamas and the Caribbean, I've just tipped in US$.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Thanks for all the responses. We are actually going on Carnival (please don't kick me out ) I just love asking questions on the Dis and kind of assume that tipping would be pretty much the same across the board regardless of which line you use. So we have already done the prepaid gratuities. So am I understanding that for the most part we would just tip anyone we feel goes above and beyond. As far as the waitstaff and bartenders are concerned specifically? We will of course tip our Steward extra.

On Carnival you won't get the tip envelopes. If you want to tip additionally to the auto gratuity, you just do it yourself.

 

[clten]

Thanks for all the responses. We are actually going on Carnival (please don't kick me out ) I just love asking questions on the Dis and kind of assume that tipping would be pretty much the same across the board regardless of which line you use.

Tipping can be very different across the cruise lines. Many now have them built in as "service charges" rather than gratuities. They don't allow you to remove them if you want to tip in cash (or if you have real problems with a staff member - as we did on Princess). So yes, generally who gets tipped is the same across the cruise industry but how they are tipped does vary.

 

[ahain]

Okay stupid question - do you tip (cash tips - ie for room service or any extra on top) in the local currency or in dollars? I ask because we are going on a British Isles cruise in September (it is the last cruise before the transatlantic back to the US) and are American. Do I bring dollars anticipating that the crew will be on the way back to the US or should I get pounds prior to boarding?

Thank you!!!

I don't think it matters either way. the easiest might be just to add the tip using the slip of paper the room service attendant has available - no cash needed!