Please read if cruising soon TIPS

[ThinkTink1]

I just got off a back to back on the Dream and have to say I’ve never in my 16 cruises felt a need to write to the hotel director about anything negative, but this was the first time I really felt I needed to be a voice for the crew especially the bar crew!! They have done away for the time being using paper receipts… I’ve never felt that .82 for a drink was a good tip especially since we know these people live off tips….I always throw a couple extra bucks out… what happens now is they post it on your folio and you have a 2 hour window to add something… you might think ok it works but not really… the amount of time they posted it under my boyfriends or MIL ( same room) and not mine so I had no access to add gratuity unless they were right there with me or they were on their phones at the right time to be able to add it on or you go to add gratuity and the window is closed… and god forbid you are on Castaway Cay and the WiFi to connect to the app isn’t working ( over half the time on the island) these people are making half of what they used to make! I guess the lesson of this post is to either bring cash for tips for Room service or bar drinks or be diligent on your phone unless you are ok with the pocket change that is automatically charged to your drinks and such and/or please make sure to write a letter like I did to the hotel director or go to GS and speak to them there… Let’s be honest the crew members are the people really making that magic that bring us back time and time again and not to another cruise line… as great as they treat us I want to make sure I treat them great as well!!

 

[jimandshane]

That's odd, whenever we ordered drinks they always asked who it should be under, even though it was just the two of us. I'm surprised they would just put it under people randomly!

 

[ThinkTink1]

Weird because they always asked us what room and never a specific person. Now my daughter went to Vanallope’s and tapped her card so that went specifically to her, but because they didn’t take our cards it was just them asking what room.

 

[jimandshane]

Yes they always asked which room, and then which person it should go under.

 

[mmouse37]

I always bring about $50 in singles to hand out for tips to bar staff or room service, porters, etc.

MJ

 

[BuzzLightyearInTampa]

Great points! Not to mention that eliminating paper receipts does absolutely nothing to prevent spread of COVID-19. It is spread through the air, not on surfaces. Lots of these policies are based on 18 month old knowledge of this disease that has since be disproven.

 

[CamColt]

Going to the Hotel Director was a good idea!

We had some times on the ship, when it wouldn't even let us add extra. We made note of this on our comment card. It's so unfair to the bar crew, some of whom we have known for years now and yes...THEY are the ones making the magic!

 

[FWRR3]

To add to this issue, when I made my first drink purchase of less than five dollars, the app gave a choice of three possible additional tip options, $3, $5 or $8. I could not figure a way to make it any other amount. Then my next purchase of $16 gave the same three option amounts. When at Guest Services I asked about this and the CM didn't realize that this was the case but said they would forward this to IT. He had no idea how to change the amount but agreed that it didn't seem right. (And before someone says it, I do realize that a gratuity is automatically added. But like ThinkTink1, I often want to add more.)

And on the subject of tipping, I believe someone previously said that you cannot tip room service in cash, which was not true for us, and we asked first about the policy.

 

[Fruto76]

We tipped room service in cash with no problems- they were not able to bring the tray in the room, but that was no big deal. We always get $2 bills for tips on the ship (my husband has a thing with $2 bills so he usually goes to the bank and gets nice, new crisp bills to tip with)

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We always get $2 bills for tips on the ship

Did you see this recent discussion about $2 bills?

https://www.disboards.com/threads/b...nough-tipping-threads….3849909/#post-63303030

 

[tvguy]

Did you see this recent discussion about $2 bills?

https://www.disboards.com/threads/b...nough-tipping-threads….3849909/#post-63303030

Apparently $2 aren't a problem for crew members to receive.