Showing Gratitude With Gratuities
My Mom raised me right and taught me that tipping is not optional. She's the type where if the waitress at a restaurant was crabby, she'd likely tip more because she knew that the waitress was probably having a bad day. So, when it comes to tipping on a cruise, I don't consider if, but how much. With most major cruise lines, you will have a required prepaid service charge. This goes to most of the service staff, those who are front facing as well as those in the galley and other out of the way places. With Norwegian that is currently $20 per person per day for regular rooms and $25 per person per day for suites. That sounds like a pretty big tip, but if you factor in that there were 1,600 crew on my last voyage, that's only 01.25 cents per person. I was taught that leaving a penny as a tip was the greatest insult. There's also people that you will encounter along the way that are not covered by the service charge like porters helping with your luggage at the dock and the butlers and concierge in a suite. Everyone who serves you should receive your gratuity, and the best way to show it is with gratuities!
This is one of those things you have to plan ahead for and bring small bills though, so how do you know how much to bring? Here's a breakdown of how I tipped on my last cruise as an example:
Shuttle driver from airport to hotel ($2 per person): $4
Maid at hotel ($5-$10 per night based on level of accommodations): $5
Shuttle driver to the cruise port ($2 per person): $2
Porters at cruise port ($1-2 per bag): $2
Dinner at Cagney's ($10 per person): $10
Dinner at Los Lobos (($10 per person): $10
Staff who delivered my chocolate covered strawberries: $2
Tour guide in Portugal: $5
Driver in Portugal: $5
Tour guide in Spain: $5
Driver in Spain: $5
Tour guide in France: $5
Driver in France: $5
Room Steward at the end of my cruise ($5-$10 per night based on level of accommodations): $65
Shuttle driver from cruise port to airport: $5
Husband who picked me up at the airport: a kiss
Total tips: $139
Note: this is just representational, not factual. I didn't tip the porters at the cruise port because they were rude, insisting on a tip, and I didn't have the cash handy. I didn't tip the staff who delivered my chocolate covered strawberries because I wasn't there at the time. The rest is pretty accurate.
Are there other people I could have or should have tipped? Maybe. I saw some people leave a few dollars on their table in the main dining room. I've never done that, but I could see it as being viable. I did see another staff member clear the table and pick it up, not sure if it ever got to the intended recipient. I didn't have a butler or concierge on this cruise, but if I did, I would have tipped them according to how much I had utilized their services. Some people spend a lot of time at a particular bar or lounge and then it would be appropriate to tip your bartender who had served you the whole cruise. If anyone goes out of their way to help you, a gratuity is an appropriate gesture.
So how much should you tip? That's a tough question, and one that each person really needs to decide for themselves. I've struggled with this for years, but I was really helped by this article. While I don't align specifically to their recommendations, the idea of coming up with a standard for tipping makes it much easier in the moment. I'm not good with making decisions and if I have to figure out if I should tip, how much I should tip, and get the money ready - odds are it won't be available in time. Then I just feel awkward. So, I developed a tipping standard for myself, and I would recommend that you do the same! To give you a starting point, here's what I do:
- Maids in a hotel or Room steward on a cruise: $5-10 per night depending on size/level of accommodation. If I am in a simple room with a bed and a basic bathroom, $5 is usually good. If I'm in a suite with multiple bedrooms and a living room in addition to multiple bathrooms, some that are really fancy, I'd go more like $10.
- Shuttle drivers: $2 per person, more if they give additional help with bags or mobility devices
- Porters: $1-2 per bag
- Wait staff in restaurants: $10 per person for a specialty meal that has been paid for by the cruise line (think Free at Sea or Platinum Latitudes Reward meals). If I am paying for the meal, I would tip as I usually do, about 20%.
- Tour guides and drivers: $5 each usually unless it is a really long tour in which case I might double it.
- Delivery Staff: $2 if I am in the room when they deliver
But are cash tips the only way to show your gratitude? On a cruise, no. Equally, if not more, important are feedback cards. Yes, they are a hassle, but what takes you five minutes could mean the world to the crew member you write it for. Many cruise lines base salaries, promotions, or special privileges like meals in specialty restaurants or shore time on these feedback cards. While a couple of dollars is a nice gesture, taking the time to fill out a few feedback cards is even more important. I used to do this on the last day of the cruise, and it got to be quite tedious when I wanted to do a dozen of them. Now I try to fill them out the day they are noticed and turn them in as I go so they don't get forgotten. I pick up a few at guest services early in the cruise and then when I had a good tour guide for my behind-the-scenes tour or an excellent speaker at a seminar, I ask them if I can take a picture of their name tag. This helps me to remember the spelling of their name, it gives me their position (requested on the feedback card) and serves as a reminder to fill out the card.
Here's the Thing: On Norwegian Cruise Line they call these exceptional staff members, "Vacation Heroes", and they truly are. It's these people who can make a good vacation great. They are not just doing their job; they are going above and beyond. Do you like to be recognized when you do that?
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