[raananh]

Originally Posted by fdpaq0580

A Rose by any other name is still a Bribe. Exclamation mark!

And "magic" doesn't exist.

A rose imagined is not a rose.

Magic does happen, from experience, an experience that you do not have because you don't tip.

Enjoy your cruise, your way.

[paulajr]

Nope…NEVER Bribe a crew member to do his/her job. It’s insulting, and shouldn’t make one bit of difference. Leave $ at the end.

Originally Posted by raananh

My recommendation as a frequent cruiser: on the first day when you meet your room Steward, give a small tip ($$).

... magic will happen for the rest of the cruise without you needing to request it.

Then, on the last day, tip the rest.

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by NoMo50

Hopefully, you do realize that the people who clean your stateroom, serve your food, bring you drinks, etc all work for tips. The salary paid to workers on cruise ships is relatively low, and it is the tips (not bribes) from appreciative cruisers that provide them with a liveable wage.

The staff on cruise ships work hard, for long hours, day after day after day for the duration of their contract. Please tell me you are not one of those cruisers who goes to Guest Services on the final night of a cruise to have the automatic gratuities removed from your final bill.

I was only talking about how we treat the crew. We always tip and do it based on the service we received but almost always just leave the suggested tips on and give extra as we leave on the last day if warranted.

[Rickanvic]

I spent a lot of time talking to employees on the ship. We cruise a lot. We spent 113 days last year on cruise ships. A few different lines. Though the wage isn't great it is based on the country They come from. So in their country it is much more than what they would be making there. Asked about the pre-tipping and they said that it was a nice gesture but when it comes with a list of things they need to do they feel like it is a bribe. I asked if that insulted them and they said they are always very appreciative for any tips they receive, but will prefer to be tipped daily after doing the service or at the end of the cruise. One person said by pretipping they felt like the passenger did not have the confidence in them to do their proper job. They also said what is most important to them is the survey after the cruise. It goes a long way in helping them get promoted. I always take a picture of their card so that I can make sure I know who I am giving the praise to. I asked about gifts from home and though they said again they appreciate it, they just don't have the room to store anything. They are fed very well on the cruise ship. I have always asked if they wanted anything when I went on to the islands. I have never been told that they do.

[Arctic Fox]

...and learn your cabin steward's name, and use it every time you see him/her

You like it that they take the trouble to learn yours (and thirty others, every week or two) so return the favor

[raananh]

Originally Posted by paulajr

Nope…NEVER Bribe a crew member to do his/her job. It’s insulting, and shouldn’t make one bit of difference. Leave $ at the end.

What on earth made you think this a "bribe"?

If you bothered to read, I said "magic will happen for the rest of the cruise without you needing to request it."

So it's not a "bribe"! Period.

It's good will, on both sides.

And if you are not happy, then don't give a tip at all on the last day. Simple as that.

Enjoy you future cruises like I do.

[shut the front door]

Originally Posted by Stu from NYC

50 or so cruises never bribe steward or any crewmember to give good service.

Say please and thank you and they will reciprocate with great service.

I'm with you, I never tip prior to service being performed.

[raananh]

Originally Posted by shut the front door

I'm with you, I never tip prior to service being performed.

A tip and expecting a tip is a "bribe" to do better jobs.

Those who claim that giving a small part of the tip in advance is a "bribe" are those who do not tip.

Many / most cruisers do not tip their room steward.

Room stewards know that very very well.

Many people, like me, who give some tip in advance, for sure, will tip in the end. And those people, like me, enjoy their cruise much better.

Enjoy your cruise!

[biker1]

You stated that "Many / most cruisers do not tip their room steward". Since virtually all cruise tips are now added automatically to your onboard account, are you suggesting that "many/most" cruisers are going to the customer service desk and having the automatic tips removed? I know there are some who do this but what evidence do you have that "many/most" are doing this? ChatGPT provided an industry estimate of about 10% reduce or remove automatic tips. The cruise ships we frequent actually have the tips included in the fares. Perhaps you were referring to "many/most do not tip in advance"?

Originally Posted by raananh

A tip and expecting a tip is a "bribe" to do better jobs.

Those who claim that giving a small part of the tip in advance is a "bribe" are those who do not tip.

Many / most cruisers do not tip their room steward.

Room stewards know that very very well.

Many people, like me, who give some tip in advance, for sure, will tip in the end. And those people, like me, enjoy their cruise much better.

Enjoy your cruise!

[Marathon Man]

For me, the 'magic' happens out on the ship. I can't think of anything that the cabin attendant could do that would rise to the level of 'magic'. I always prepay tips when booking, unless they are included, as in a suite. I always keep my cabin clutter free to help the attendant clean. I always greet the attendant by name whenever I see him/her. And I am sure to give them a mention in my trip survey. I think that works.

[paulajr]

We always enjoy our cruises, and tip our cabin attendants well. As others have said, it is an insult ( verified by crew) to give them a bribe to do their job. They also don’t want your chachki’s or snacks, I can guarantee they go right in the trash. Give them a decent tip at the end.

Originally Posted by raananh

What on earth made you think this a "bribe"?

If you bothered to read, I said "magic will happen for the rest of the cruise without you needing to request it."

So it's not a "bribe"! Period.

It's good will, on both sides.

And if you are not happy, then don't give a tip at all on the last day. Simple as that.

Enjoy you future cruises like I do.

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by raananh

A tip and expecting a tip is a "bribe" to do better jobs.

Those who claim that giving a small part of the tip in advance is a "bribe" are those who do not tip.

Many / most cruisers do not tip their room steward.

Room stewards know that very very well.

Many people, like me, who give some tip in advance, for sure, will tip in the end. And those people, like me, enjoy their cruise much better.

Enjoy your cruise!

What about the people who bribe their steward in the beginning and skip out on tips at the end? Saying many/most cruisers do not tip their steward is wrong.

If that happened tips would be made mandatory by cruise lines.

[ThirdOfFive]

Tipping is subjective, often extremely so.. No one is going to change their minds on how they see it from reading the opinions posted here; on the contrary, the only tangible effect is that people will just dig in their heels a bit more. “This is how I do it, therefore it is right“ and all that. No discrete group, in my experience, is more in love with their own opinions and threatened by those of others, as is a gaggle of geezers.

Paying tips in advance is advantageous in that the bulk of the problem is solved beforehand. The disadvantage, of course, is that doing so is part of the one-size-fits-all way of doing business that rewards mediocrity and excellence at the same rate. Not much of a believer in that. Tipping for a service “above and beyond” is something that we do when warranted: room service, bar service, guest service workers going above and beyond on our behalf, etc. all get rewarded on the spot, additionally, we employed the cash-in-an-envelope technique on the last day of the cruise for folks like the dining room maître D, head table, waiter and his or her assistant (we cruise exclusively with Royal Caribbean and use the “my time” dining option, which means we can get the same table and waitstaff at dinner for the duration of our cruise), room steward, etc., if such service, in our opinion, has been above and beyond. We once tipped the lady $50 whose job it was to admit people to the main dining room for dinner, and who showed absolute magic when dealing with impatient and or argumentative people. She was shocked, and for a moment it looked as if she was going to cry.

Cash is an immediate and appreciated reward for “above and beyond“, but an even more meaningful action, as mentioned previously in this thread, is to take some time at cruise end to review, in writing, the performance of the crewmembers that you would like to recognize for better than average service. These reviews are tremendously important to the recipients, used by supervisory staff to help determine wage increases, promotions, etc.

Finally, treat the crewmembers you come in contact with as human beings, not servants. I have witnessed more than a few incidents where cruisers are over-the-top rude and demanding towards people providing service to them: berating their waiter in public for whichever, bawling out the maître d because the dirty dishes at an adjacent table were not removed, in the opinion of the cruiser, quickly enough, yelling at a bartender because in their opinion, they were not served quickly enough (one bartender serving 25-30 customers is going to result in some delay), etc. It’s ironic that this or that bottom-dollar cruiser occupying a second deck inside cabin seems to think that they are going to be served as if they were Caledon Hockley on the Titanic, and who become quarrelsome or worse when that level of service is not there. Treat the crew as human beings, show a personal interest in them as people, and be quick to complement them publicly for what you see as good service. It’s magic. And it makes your cruise a much more pleasant experience for them and for you.