[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by Pairadocs

Totally agree. Just a few days short of pinnacle on RCCL so you know we've been cruising since the "early days" when ALL tips were ONLY handed personally to employees. As you said, by the end of longer cruises, we knew many we came into contact with on a more personal level, so many times were able to add a personal note to the gratuity. One tip you didn't mention was one told to us by world cruises when I was a young adult, still at home, and cruising with my parents. It was a tip my husband and I, and our family, continued to follow. On the first day when settling into our cabin, we always give our attendant an upfront bonus with a hand written note, along with a small gift from our home state. Tipping will always be controversial, long ago on cruises it was made VERY clear it was completely optional, the mandatory (added to bill daily) was a later "invention"... possible due to the number of people who would walk off a three week cruise without tipping anyone. Of course the old, even valid, argument is, PAY your staff a decent wage. But, the truth is, just like in restaurants, it's probably never going to happen, so WHY PUNISH those who work so hard to give us a nice vacation, or a nice meal and good service right here in The V's. I don't see a living wage coming soon for these folks, so until then... those who can should be generous IMO ! In college I worked cleaning rooms in a motel off the interstate near the university. Few people stayed more than one night, so not like a resort. I doubt many people realize how much the $5, or even $3, left for the maid really means. Due to the type of motel where I worked, I almost never found a tip in the rooms I cleaned, but when people who were only there one night left me $5, and a few times even $10 (and back then that was a LOT of money, almost enough for a week's food for a college student (noodles, Kraft mac & cheese, etc.).... it meant so much. Now when we stay in motel chains on an auto trip, we think about those days (yes, hubby also worked cleaning rooms until he was able to find a better paying job as a dry wall (sheet rock) assistant on weekends) and wonder just how many people ever leave anything when only staying one night ?

We are frequent cruisers who have never seen the need to bribe a cabin attendant for good service.

We learn their name and talk to them and always say please and thank you. At the end of the cruise they get the auto tip and a bonus if deserved.