Question about tipping - did I do it wrong?

[marley]

I've been reading a lot of threads (and my Passporter) about handing everyone their tips on the last night.

Both DH and I remember never handing anyone a tip but filling out a form on the last night of our cruise and charging all of the suggested tipping amounts (for various positions, i.e. dinging room server, stateroom hostess, etc.) to our stateroom and figured everyone would be given their tips after we left.

Did we do this wrong? I always just go to Topsiders for breakfast so I don't see my servers in the morning, so hope no one thought we didn't tip them. We tipped well but we would rather have the amount just charged in full on our credit card. Should we do differently for our next cruise? Help!! What is the correct etiquette?

thanks, Marley

 

[DMS_cruisers04]

Marley, I wouldn't worry about it. From what I've read some cruisers do charge their tips and, if done early enough I guess, you can place a receipt in the appropriate envelope and hand it to your servers/steward. I wouldn't worry it you didn't do it exactly like that on your last cruise, I'm sure the tips were applied to the appropriate people. I would also guess, those class-less few that don't tip at all, avoid the dining rooms on the last night, so I would think if your servers saw you, they would have thought you'd charged your tips.

 

[hydster]

We went to Guest Services and charged our tips as well to our Amex (might as well get FF miles right?) and they gave us a ticket for each person (resembling an excursion type ticket you get in your room) and we just placed them in the corresponding envelope and handed them out at dinner and when we saw our stateroom hostess that night. We added some extra cash for our stateroom hostess and also our servers because they were outstanding. I'm pretty sure however if they didn't get the envelope from you that Disney keeps track of it and the tips get credited to each employee that received a tip. I know we did the same thing on Carnival on our last trip and I fretted about it so I called Carnival and asked them. They assured me (and I have no other recourse than to believe them) that the accounting department on board the ship has a program that tracks tips for each guest that charged them and it gets credited to the employee's folio which they are free to cash out at any time. I would imagine all cruise lines are pretty similar in this regard as the employee's didn't receive cash but a receipt.

I hope they got them otherwise I will feel badly as well....I guess I can only hope they did.

Heidi

 

[marley]

thank you. that makes me feel better.

We did go to guest services early that night because I've heard there is a terrible rush the longer you wait but I guess we just put the receipts in our luggage and came home with them. This next cruise, I'll put the receipts in their envelopes (definitely love those extra FF miles!) and it will make me feel much better that they know we didn't forget their wonderful service!