Tipping

The service is good, the employees are kind, and mostly from Eastern Europe. I have a bit of empathy, they work hard and honestly need the money. I'll not begrudge tips that only cost an additional 8-10% to the cruise. I think if I can cruise, it's up to me to tip generously. To us it's just being charitable.

This confuses me, why not be kind and generous?

Either I can go and enjoy or not, improper tipping won't enhance my holiday.

As long as these big businesses depend on passengers' generosity to make up proper wages they will continue to underpay them. Its an American custom. I don't tip people in shops, hospitals or schools. Nobody ever tipped me nor did I expect it. Why should I subsidise these companies? Viking makes massive profits. They could pay their staff 'properly' rather than use emotional blackmail to get us, their paying customers, to top up poor wages.

I feel opposite. I tip for my hair cut and other salon services. I tip delivery people. I tip in restaurants, cafes, my GC tutor - any time I can thank any service person for helping, I tip generously. And at Christmas.

I bet you're popular!
I also tip waiters and hairdresser -if the service has been good. I wouldn't dream of tipping a tutor but might give them a gift at Christmas if we seemed to be on these terms. Of course they are in the UK, are paid properly already and are not part of a product or service that has already necessitated the forking out of many thousands of pounds. We're not going to agree on this Norah. Bon voyage for your next trip.

I have never taken any type of cruise, but was rather amazed by the amount of tip suggested by cruise companies.
Has anyone ever refused to tip?
I'm not anti-tipping, but do regard tips as being for service, ' over and above.'
I am happy to reward cheerful and thoughtful service, but unwilling to tip for surly, or 'just doing the job's style of service.
What is the law on tipping for cruises?

Just to divert slightly, I now rely on taxis and wonder how others view tipping the driver, not if,but how much.
When shopping some drivers will get out and put my bags in the boot and then carry them up the drive. It doesn't seem enough just to round up the bill if it is 10/20p.
Others sit in the car and watch me struggle to get the bags in the myself and just tell me how much outside my home.
On Thursday last week I used black cabs and the second driver was a very cheeky chappy who when I got in warned me the traffic was very bad and asked how much I had paid before. He agreed a price £1 more than I told him and then switched the meter off. I paid him the agreed price and no more.

The shopping trips are local,using the same firm, and cost under £5.

I'm in a similar situation annsixty. I do tend to tip more for friendly helpful taxi drivers. After recent knee op I've had to rely on these. I average about 50p but it depends on what the fare comes to. Although I always have the same destinations the price varies which I don't understand! If its the lower amount I tip more as I'm sort of resigned to how much my trip will cost. If the fare is mysteriously a higher amount then I tip less.
Sorry -not very helpful!! I do understand your quandary though.

I give roughly ten per cent.What a cheeky chappy annsixty

I do not tip my hairdresser, she is self employed! the taxi driver like annsixty if they cannot be bothered to get out of the cab to open the door, then no tip, if they do, then it is just a small one. Also like ann, the prices vary from 50p to £1 for same distance/journey. We use dial-a-ride for hospital/doctor visits which are cheaper, and need to be used if they are to be kept going. The o.h. does drive, but only the shortest of distances, when he is well.
We always leave a tip for the waiter/waitress, 10% of the bill usually. Our friends who were regular cruisers always left a tip for the steward at the beginning of the trip, then topped it up at the end, they were sea cruises.

I give a big tip at the hairdresser's at Christmas and don't bother otherwise. My hairdresser is self-employed now and rents a chair, but other staff do the shampooing and clearing up. I regularly take a taxi to and from the station when I go to visit family and either give 10% or say 'keep the change'.

I always tip my hairdresser £5, I go about 3 times a year and have the works highlights, cut, blow dry, my tip is less than the suggested 10 per cent, but it's a pretty expensive process anyway without adding another £12 or so. I don't think hairdressers get tips from all their clients, my contribution comes across as being acceptable, well receivd with a smile at any rate, but who knows. My husband always tips in restaurants and asks whether the waitress/waiter gets it personally, if not he tries to give cash instead of adding it to the bill on the card. I have read recently that some chains are keeping the tips, very mean, maybe since the "living wage" came into force.

This conversation about tipping in general was a diversion from the original discussion about cruise tipping, with excessive amounts suggested by the tour operators.
Does anyone know if these suggestions are enforceable in law?
I was under the impression that tipping was at the discretion of the customer.

I'm not a lawyer but I think tipping is discretionary. On some cruises (the American ones as far as I know) the tipping is paid up front with the option of withdrawing if the client is dissatisfied, I wonder how many actually bother? They probably have to put that clause in simply because tipping is not enforceable legally.
Again diverting from cruising my sis-in-law went to lunch with friends where a 15 percent service charge was added. They all agreed that was excessive and left 10%. This was queried and they said they felt 10% was enough. No more said.

An increasing number of passengers on cruises are now seen at the reception desk asking not to pay the gratuities allocated preferring to give what they wish .For example ,we gave the cabin staff way above what was suggested as they were so good but the waiting staff got much less as they were very slow and always seemed to leave our table till last.

How mean!

Of whom??

There are many regular cruisers on this site who know the exact ins and outs of how cruise staff are paid, and hopefully they will post and give you the accurate information. However, I know that the staff are not paid well, are overworked compared to when I started cruising twenty five years ago, and greatly value gratuities and a high scoring evaluation from their guests to keep their jobs. They now have too many guests to cater for, so have no time to chat. Please tell me which cruise line these "tight" people were on so that I will never have sit at a table with such skinflints!

Round and round we go. Read the previous posts aquagran

Indeed, Jane10, indeed. Why not be kind and generous? Either go and enjoy or not, improper tipping won't enhance the holiday.

I agree with aquagran, staff are not paid well. I'll tip generously for good service.

It's preference or opinion, that I feel is important for the underpaid in the world.

Exactly Norah. Gratuities are just part of the holiday. Be kind and generous to overworked waiters and I'm sure the service you receive will be what you require.

We never sit with Brits, all they do is moan.

My point for the 4th time (at least) is that I'd rather pay the cost of a cruise that covered decent wages for all staff and not prop up the multinational companies that employ staff on pathetic pay rates and happily let us suckers supplement their pay with tips that these extremely profitable companies have the nerve to dictate.
Mean or stupid. Take your pick.