Tipping onboard... $2 bills

[djs113]

Howdy all,

I have read many threads that have talked about tipping, and many people have mentioned that they tip cast members with two dollar bills.

Is there a special significance to this? Or is it just that it is "different" to use $2 bills?

Many threads on tipping have also mentioned giving phone cards to cast members as an additional tip, since many of them live internationally.

My second question is: Do you guys recommend any place / site that has the best prices/deals to buy these international phone cards?


Thanks in advance.

- David

 

[Bev J]

We used $2 bills and gold dollars and got funny looks from the people we gae them to, I think they thought it was funny money. We had to explaine what the gold dollars were. Next time we will just bring $1"s

 

[Señor Ferrari]

I don't know that there's any significance to $2 bills other than they are unique. I'm sure two $1 bills would be just as welcome.

We buy a pack of 12(?) MCI 120 minute pre-paid long distance cards at Costco to take with us. On the last night of the cruise, we tour the ship visiting those crew members who have made things fun for us. Usually a bartender or two, a waiter at Palo, etc. We also put a card into the tip envelopes for our wait staff and room steward (on top of the actual tip). The crew that we give this to usually seem to really appreciate them.

 

[inkkognito]

We managed to get our hands on some gold dollars and $2 bills after hearing that the crew members enjoy them. Unfortunately, like Bev, all we got were funny looks! Now we stick to dollars and phone cards. They definitely like the phone cards, as we have had some crew members who received them on a previous cruise mention to us how much they liked them when we return.
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com

 

[GenieDana]

I hear Walmart and Target gift cards are appreciated too. The crew gets go shopping for personal itemsin the nearby stores in Merrit Island between cruises.

 

[Firefighter Mickey]

I think the problem with the $1 coins is that they look too much like quarters.

I never got any strange looks, but I sometimes got the feeling that the room service person thought I was cheap by only giving him 75cents or $1.

 

[ducklite]

I just brought a stack of ones and fives. I don't like the Sakachewea (sp?) coins or two dollar bills, so I'm not going to inflict them on anyone else either

I gave AT&T prepaid phone cards in addition to the tips, bought a package of them at Sam's Club. They can be used to call just about anywhere except places like Afghaniastan, Iraq, Cuba, North Korea, etc.

I gave the phone cards to the Common Grounds counselors as well.

Anne