Tipping Envelope Etiquette

[ntoeman]

What is the most common practice everyone uses for tipping and using the tip envelopes on the cruise? I kinda felt bad giving the envelopes when I was only leaving the standard tip. They'll get their tip even if you don't hand out the envelopes, right? I've seen some people bring their own cards and use cash in addition to the standard tip.

 

[tinkerone]

I hate the envelope system. yes, they do get the tip even if you don't give them the envelope it self. its just so awkward giving it. no matter how well I get to know the waiters its just plain awkward. and not giving it, to me, would be even worse. they probably think you've stiffed them. I wish it just went on account and there was nothing that needed to be handed out.

I know its just a nice way to say thank you but did I say awkward??

 

[rentayenta]

Oh man, I hate awkward. So how does this exactly work? We'll be taking our first cruise in 39 days!

 

[tinkerone]

Oh man, I hate awkward. So how does this exactly work? We'll be taking our first cruise in 39 days!

while I find it awkward some people love it.
your tips get billed to your room and if you leave it as is then on the second last night you will get little tickets and envelopes to put the tickets in. each envelope has the persons duty on it ie-head waiter, room host, server, asst. server. you can add money to the envelope if you wish to top up ones tip. that is totally up to you.
then the last nigh you go to dinner, act like its nothing special and eat. when dinner is over you will hand each envelope to the appropriate person. usually the head waiter swings around mid meal as he doesn't see you often and you get to hand it to him them. its a bit of a show for you to pass it to him and he to thank you while slipping it in his pocket like he feels awkward to.
now there is a box at the front door as you go into the dinning rooms where you can also put your envelopes in, but again, if I have nothing to hand the servers, I feel they think i'm stiffing them. that's my phobia . last cruise I watched the wait team take the prepared drinks from the table next to us as apparently the family were not coming to dinner and the team didn't look happy. I got the just that maybe they did not want to tip.
to me its just all so stressful, but that's just me. I take that feeling on and no one makes me. the servers are very nice.
for some reason giving the room host his envelope is fine. if I don't see him I just leave it on the bed when we go to dinner and its magically gone when we get back.
k, so i'm making a big deal over nothing. can't be helped cause.........its awkward! lol

 

[mmouse37]

I don't find it awkward...they are pretty much expecting it and know it is coming so at the end of the meal we just say something like "here you go, thank you for a great cruise" and hand it over. No big deal.

It is standard practice in the cruise industry and has been done this way for many, many years...since the golden age of cruising. Tip envelopes are usually handed out on the last evening of the cruise at the end of dinner. Tips are auto paid to your shipboard account but you will still get envelopes and vouchers delivered to your cabin representing the four tipped positions. You can add additional cash to the envelopes or just the suggested amount. Totally up to you. You would put the voucher corresponding to the tipped position in the envelope and then just add cash in if you want as well or not. Or, you could go to guest service and up the tip and the additional would be added to your shipboard account. I find it just easier to add cash.

We leave the tip for the room host on the bed or dresser before we head to our dinner seating. If we see him we will personally hand it over.

Don't let tipping scare you!!!

MJ

 

[Ravenne]

while I find it awkward some people love it.
your tips get billed to your room and if you leave it as is then on the second last night you will get little tickets and envelopes to put the tickets in. each envelope has the persons duty on it ie-head waiter, room host, server, asst. server. you can add money to the envelope if you wish to top up ones tip. that is totally up to you.
then the last nigh you go to dinner, act like its nothing special and eat. when dinner is over you will hand each envelope to the appropriate person. usually the head waiter swings around mid meal as he doesn't see you often and you get to hand it to him them. its a bit of a show for you to pass it to him and he to thank you while slipping it in his pocket like he feels awkward to.
now there is a box at the front door as you go into the dinning rooms where you can also put your envelopes in, but again, if I have nothing to hand the servers, I feel they think i'm stiffing them. that's my phobia . last cruise I watched the wait team take the prepared drinks from the table next to us as apparently the family were not coming to dinner and the team didn't look happy. I got the just that maybe they did not want to tip.
to me its just all so stressful, but that's just me. I take that feeling on and no one makes me. the servers are very nice.
for some reason giving the room host his envelope is fine. if I don't see him I just leave it on the bed when we go to dinner and its magically gone when we get back.
k, so i'm making a big deal over nothing. can't be helped cause.........its awkward! lol

Oh that is a bit awkward, and a pain. I like that they at least have a box for you to slip the envelopes in but I can see how it's kind of a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation. There are so many variables as to why someone wouldn't do MDR on the last night but it doesn't necessarily mean they don't plan on tipping. Do the servers need those slips to cash in their tips? What if you wanted to write each server a thank you note? Would it be ok to put the slip in the thank you card, decorate the envelope and hand it to the servers so it looks more personal and not as awkward (hopefully)? Would that be ok or does it need to be in their specified envelopes?

 

[Saamh]

I thought the box in front of the dining rooms were for comment cards? We were on the Wonder in December and I didn't see a tip box. Confused?

 

[Bear3412]

...Do the servers need those slips to cash in their tips?
No. Not if charged to the onboard account

What if you wanted to write each server a thank you note? Would it be ok to put the slip in the thank you card, decorate the envelope and hand it to the servers so it looks more personal and not as awkward (hopefully)? Would that be ok or does it need to be in their specified envelopes?
That would work and be sweet. You may use any envelope, or none.

My technique, at least in the MDR is say "Oh no, I forgot the envelopes!"
They respond, "It's all good if charged to onboard account. No worries."

They may suspect they might be getting stiffed, but I've never noticed any change in behavior or service. And when they check their tip sheet, I'm confident they are always satisfied.

The tipable CM's can get a tip sheet listing there tip amounts with room # and lead pax name. So they can know how much you tipped if you didn't give them the tip coupon/slip.

 

[luv2sleep]

I find it awkward. If the tips are charged to the onboard account then why do we have to hand them the envelopes?

 

[I❤MICKEY]

We always hand it to the servers the last morning at breakfast. We leave the envelope in the room for the room hosts.

 

[Bear3412]

I find it awkward. If the tips are charged to the onboard account then why do we have to hand them the envelopes?

It's customary, or as MJ put it ....

.... It is standard practice in the cruise industry and has been done this way for many, many years...since the golden age of cruising.....

I may hand them empty envelopes just to see their reaction next time.
Of course if I did that, after a few minutes I would hand them a handsome slip.

 

[GrtWtNorth]

I prepared the envelopes and had my daughter hand them to the staff who served us. I'm not sure she knew what was going on, but she always received a very gracious "thank you".

And I only tipped the suggested amounts using the "bill to your stateroom" option. I know that workers prefer cash, but I just don't carry much $US.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Normally the tip is expected last night and not breakfast all DCL documents say this clearly. Also if your server team are disembarking that cruise they will go through an immigration check and you can get different servers on disembarkation breakfast, this has happened twice to us when they were stuck with compliance.

So do tip last night otherwise they may feel you are not going to tip.

Also try to hand the tickets over or if you do not please check the names on one cruise they gave us tickets for the wrong person, so if I didn't hand it over or have that checked the tip would have gone to the wrong person, it's made harder as some give you an English name but thier true name is longer and different.

So just not handing over the tickets can cause problems our tips would have gone to the wrong server the explanation was the server team for our table changed previous cruise and the computer wasn't changed.

 

[danfromca]

What is the most common practice everyone uses for tipping and using the tip envelopes on the cruise? I kinda felt bad giving the envelopes when I was only leaving the standard tip. They'll get their tip even if you don't hand out the envelopes, right? I've seen some people bring their own cards and use cash in addition to the standard tip.

On most cruises I am so pleased with the service, that I find it very easy and not awkward at all to hand it to them at the end of the last dinner with a smile and a hearty thanks. I almost always toss in some extra cash as well - as they really do somehow manage to "exceed expectations" almost every time....

 

[MillauFr]

I just threw away the envelopes except for our room steward. I think the envelopes are goofy. I tried to tip our room steward through out the week but he just said it was not necessary so I threw in an extra $75 at the end of our seven night cruise. The servers in the restaurant I just gave them an extra $3 or $5 at each meal in addition to our standard tip. We got great service and my son still talks about Hans two years later.

 

[It'sWDW4me]

I had gotten the envelopes ready before our last dinner.... and then forgot them in our room. We left the servers the standard tips (sorry to say that we weren't WOWWED by our servers) but we then threw some extra cash in our room host's envelope and made sure he got that as we were heading up to breakfast the last morning. Our room host DID wow us and we still talk about our daily towel animals. We also made sure to mention him by name on our survey.

 

[Ravenne]

How do you tip servers at Remy and Palo? Do they hand you slips and envelopes as well and you hand them back at the end of the meal?

 

[michellekcm]

How do you tip servers at Remy and Palo? Do they hand you slips and envelopes as well and you hand them back at the end of the meal?

At Palo I had to sign to charge the meal to my room. There was a standard tip line on the bill, like a credit card payment at a restaurant. I just added mine there.

 

[Maineiak]

First time cruiser as well.

So, if I've prepaid my gratuities, I'll get cards to slip in the envelopes? And if I chose, I can add extra cash to the envelopes?

 

[lulucornbread]

What is the benefit of prepaid gratuities? Shouldn't you experience the service first?