My EXTRA tip for Room Service

[MrsScooby]

I was told that if you want to leave something for the room steward that you need to leave a note saying that they can keep it or they are obligated not to.
Often we have more than we can take home and I now leave a note saying the CM can have anything we leave behind. Gives them the option to throw it out, give it away or keep it for themselves.

OP, your idea to share your verandah with the CM is a really nice one
Thanks for sharing it with us.

Also not a bad idea not to go overboard with any good thing as Irishcowboy points out this can cause problems too

[shburks]

Originally Posted by jdb in AZ

Have no idea. Hope his superviser didn't accuse him of stealing it.

That's what I was wondering, I guess...

[coloradodumbo]

Originally Posted by engle

So, we ordered room service every morning on the Alaskan. At least coffee. We had the same delivery person every day. And every day we would invite him in to put down the tray. The second day, the sights started to get AMAZING, so we invited him to step out on the verandah to take a look. He loved it! He was so thankful. I know they, especially dining and room stewards, do not get a lot of free time, and this was their first time to Alaska too. So be sure to invite your room steward and/or room service person to take in the sights for a few minutes while in your room...especially if you have a verandah!!

We did this with our room steward as we went through Tracy Arm Fjords the first month DCL was in Alaska. Then one of his buddy's was walking by and we invited him in to, they went out on the verandah and loved it! We also had our TV on the bridge camera so they saw what was coming also. They had never seen so much wood in the water or all of the snow and ice.

[dstein12]

I think what you did was great. If everybody in this world did just a little act of kindness everyday, what a different world we would live in. But I have a question, I saw someone posted that DCL does not allow tipping. Is this true? Because I have always given the staff from the cruise money at the beginning of the cruise to say Thank you before hand (I have 2 kids) and then again on the last night my tips. Things like room service I did each time and always try to help the room Stewart by keeping room clean everyday. But now I will also bring little gifts from home because that too will hopefully say thank you I was thinking of your hard work before I even get there.

[MrsScooby]

Originally Posted by dstein12

I think what you did was great. If everybody in this world did just a little act of kindness everyday, what a different world we would live in. But I have a question, I saw someone posted that DCL does not allow tipping. Is this true? Because I have always given the staff from the cruise money at the beginning of the cruise to say Thank you before hand (I have 2 kids) and then again on the last night my tips. Things like room service I did each time and always try to help the room Stewart by keeping room clean everyday. But now I will also bring little gifts from home because that too will hopefully say thank you I was thinking of your hard work before I even get there.

DCL allows tipping no problem, but if you leave things behind like books, magazines, gifts, they are not supposed to keep them unless you leave a note saying they can.

[kcashner]

Originally Posted by dstein12

I saw someone posted that DCL does not allow tipping. Is this true? Because I have always given the staff from the cruise money at the beginning of the cruise to say Thank you before hand (I have 2 kids) and then again on the last night my tips. Things like room service I did each time and always try to help the room Stewart by keeping room clean everyday. But now I will also bring little gifts from home because that too will hopefully say thank you I was thinking of your hard work before I even get there.

There are 4 tipped positions on DCL. CMs in other positions are not permitted to keep tips if they are given--they must turn them over to their manager who will pool them and use them for a department event (kid staff) or they are required to turn them in for donation to a charity. CMs in non-tipped positions can accept small gifts (candy, etc).

On one trans-Atlantic, we had a book swap group; at the end of the cruise, we donated the books to the crew library. You can do this by giving them to Guest services; we happened to see the ACD as we were heading that way, so asked if he could accept them for the crew or if we should drop them at GS--he took them.

If you leave stuff in your cabin without a note indicating that it is being left for the crew, they are obligated to place it in the Lost and Found. You are better off leaving a note or handing it to the CM in person.

[geoly1]

Up on tic tacs to giv as thank yous as an extra tip ( on top o cash) for room service & room Stewart, wait staff etc. thought they were easier & less mess than chocolate but now I am rethinking my tic tak plan from the reaction you got ;0

[wifey1220]

We gave our room steward 2 bottles of unopened alcohol we brought on board. I guess he didn't drink because he didn't seem very appreciative. So we also left some extra cash in an envelope for him.

[coloradodumbo]

Originally Posted by wifey1220

We gave our room steward 2 bottles of unopened alcohol we brought on board. I guess he didn't drink because he didn't seem very appreciative. So we also left some extra cash in an envelope for him.

Alcohol is one thing many guest service job positions are not allowed to accept no matter what. I know this from previous guest service jobs, in training that is one of the first things they point out that you may not accept even if there is a note from the guest. You are told to throw away the alcohol which can be a huge crime in my opinion because often people leave good alcohol behind normally.

[Night Owl]

I will try to keep this in mind, this is something that is so easy to do, but yet I would have never thought to do. Since they are on these cruises 10 months or so out of the year, I would have thought they have seen it all before. I never stopped to consider that they probably are not able to see the sights when they are busy working This is a good eye opening thread. Makes me sad to think the employees are the ships are treated badly by the guest

Originally Posted by engle

So, we ordered room service every morning on the Alaskan. At least coffee. We had the same delivery person every day. And every day we would invite him in to put down the tray. The second day, the sights started to get AMAZING, so we invited him to step out on the verandah to take a look. He loved it! He was so thankful. I know they, especially dining and room stewards, do not get a lot of free time, and this was their first time to Alaska too. So be sure to invite your room steward and/or room service person to take in the sights for a few minutes while in your room...especially if you have a verandah!!

[mmouse37]

Originally Posted by Night Owl

I will try to keep this in mind, this is something that is so easy to do, but yet I would have never thought to do. Since they are on these cruises 10 months or so out of the year, I would have thought they have seen it all before. I never stopped to consider that they probably are not able to see the sights when they are busy working This is a good eye opening thread. Makes me sad to think the employees are the ships are treated badly by the guest

While it is nice to have them see the sights from your cabin (I have done it in the past), I was told by a room service CM since then that they are not allowed to stay and linger in guests' cabins...it could get them into trouble. While it might be a nice gesture, you could be setting them up for getting in trouble.

Also, with all the heated talk a few months ago when an Ipad went missing from a cabin and the crew was blamed, I think you are setting up the crew member for possible problems if, God forbid, something turned up missing from your cabin. Anyone who had been in that cabin would immediately be under suspicion even if they didn't have anything to do with it.

Just another point of view.

MJ

[sullyandsid]

On our seven day cruise this January we brought chocolates over from the UK just for our steward .. we also brought gum as they cant buy it and its apparently really usefull for them to trade for other things.

We are going on the fantasy for two weeks in Jan 2013 and already we have started to put items in our case - just for our steward as we know they will look after us.

They also appreciatte getting fruit .. I used to bring it back from breakfast in a bowl and leave a note saying it was for the steward.

They might not eat it - but it is appreciatted and they respond very positively when you look after them.

We have a veranda for the first time this cruise - and its an extended one ... maybe we should have a crew party lol ... (only joking .. dont want people moaning about not getting their coffee :-) )

[Hrhpd]

Do people really do things like this? I am just now planning our very first cruise, so I have no experience to draw from.

But to me, it sounds a bit condescending. "Here you poor soul who is locked up in darkness 24/7, come out on us rich people's verandah so you can see the light of day for a minute."

Maybe I don't understand the job these guys do, but it would feel a bit pretentious inviting staff into our room to look at the view. Are the Disney workers so overworked, they never have a minute or a day off to look out a window?

I liken it to somebody inviting a minimum wage worker to come see their Mercedes because the minimum wage worker would never be able to afford one, so "here, come sit in mine." It just seems condescending.

But again, I have no experience. Maybe my view will change after I cruise for the first time.

[mom2d&b]

When we cruise DS10 and Dd13 head to Target to pick out some snacks to pass out to the crew. On our last cruise (non DCL) our dinner server cried. He told us no one had ever given him any gifts. Something so small and simple can make a huge difference.

[MariDisney]

Originally Posted by Hrhpd

Do people really do things like this? I am just now planning our very first cruise, so I have no experience to draw from.

But to me, it sounds a bit condescending. "Here you poor soul who is locked up in darkness 24/7, come out on us rich people's verandah so you can see the light of day for a minute."

Maybe I don't understand the job these guys do, but it would feel a bit pretentious inviting staff into our room to look at the view. Are the Disney workers so overworked, they never have a minute or a day off to look out a window?

I liken it to somebody inviting a minimum wage worker to come see their Mercedes because the minimum wage worker would never be able to afford one, so "here, come sit in mine." It just seems condescending.

But again, I have no experience. Maybe my view will change after I cruise for the first time.

We are in the process of planning our first cruise, so I'm lurking around the DCL boards to learn about various aspects. I'm just surprised at this thread. I never would have thought that members of the crew don't see the light of day. I understand that they work 7 days a week. But, I'm surprised to learn that those in room service don't get to go up on deck at all. I was also surprised that they need to trade for things (someone mentioned trading gum). I assumed they bought things like we did. There must be some bartering system instead of being paid? Sounds so archaic to me, I'm just surprised. The other thing that shocked me is the PP who mentioned giving them fruit. I would have bet my life that their provisions included such basic items as fruit. I'm literally floored that they need to get fruit from a customer. It actually makes me question whether I want to financially support an entity that treats its employees so poorly that they aren't given basic nutritious food and opportunity to see daylight.