Tipping After Covid

[david63]

Not had a tipping topic foe while so I will start a new one

As we all kinow with P&O tipping is included now but I have usually given an extra tip if I have recieved good service.

Now that cruising has restarted after Covid am I wrong in thinking that I am lucky enough to be able to afford to come on a cruise therefore I feel a certain obligation to tip the crew who have a tough couple of years not knowing if/when they would ever be able to work again. Obviously only if I get good service from them.

[Kendhni]

When P&O switched to 'no tipping' I suspected that the cruise director or staff may drop hints about leaving a little extra ... I was actually ready to lodge a complaint if they did. However, I have seen no hinting or expectation in relation to tips. LIke yourself I may feel a token amount is deserved by the cabin steward or in the select dining restaurants, but that is it.

[Manoverboard]

Possibly a fiver for excellent service to the Cabin Steward(ess) but that would be that.

[barney]

I’ll still drop £20 for the steward assuming that they do a good job of course.

[david63]

Possibly a fiver for excellent service to the Cabin Steward(ess) but that would be that.

That would be per day I presume - not a month

[kaymar]

"As we all know with P&O tipping is included now."

Period.

[Onelife]

Those of you who do give extra are in my opinion sending out the wrong message. I didn’t agree with my wife giving our cabin steward a tenner but had to go along with it …Squeak! Squeak!

[david63]

Tipping is incuded and nothing more is required but on our current(s) we have had some of the best service, throughout the ship, that we have ever had on P&O and, in my opinion, should be rewarded.

[towny44]

Tipping is incuded and nothing more is required but on our current(s) we have had some of the best service, throughout the ship, that we have ever had on P&O and, in my opinion, should be rewarded.

Does not seem unreasonable, but I guess the staffs best reward will be that they are working again, and earning well above the average wage back home.

[Kendhni]

Those of you who do give extra are in my opinion sending out the wrong message. I didn’t agree with my wife giving our cabin steward a tenner but had to go along with it …Squeak! Squeak!

That had crossed my mind, but if someone goes above and beyond what is reasonably expected, then I think it is still fair.
I apply the same rules to restaurants at home, I only ever tip if service is above and beyond.

[Manoverboard]

Possibly a fiver for excellent service to the Cabin Steward(ess) but that would be that.

That would be per day I presume - not a month

Per cruise ... the tips are fully inclusive so that's the end of it.

[oldbluefox]

The crew should be better off with the new system since everybody now contributes equally to their gratuities. There should be no need to tip further unless you feel you want to reward outstanding service but not for someone merely doing their job.

[Kendhni]

It's going to feel weird next time we are on an American line. About $15-16 per person per day.

[Mervyn and Trish]

It's very simple for me. There used to be tips suggested. Many simply didn't tip and steadily the suggestion rose and with it the number opting out. Those of us tipping were subsidising the rest. P&O decided to include tips. And presumably quietly increase prices to include it and pay the staff more.

For me that is the end of it. If we continue to tip on top of the tips already included the whole crazy cycle starts again. So no we won't be adding a tip on top of the included tips.

Yes we normally tip in a restaurant for good service. Bur not if the menu or bill clearly states service charged included.

[oldbluefox]

We don't tip tour guides either unless they go out of their way to do something special.

[Ranchi]

‘ a strict ‘no-tipping’ policy.’ is fine.
The old system where a suggested amount is also fine.
The current system has flaws. We were sitting dining with some long term cruise friends and it was their first cruise since the new policy. They had taken the P&O’s included tips policy at face value and were quite uncomfortable as they realised that many on other tables were handing over envelopes on the last night. Between us we managed to rustle up some € and £ notes and an envelope (who carries money on a cash free ship? Fortunately some of our table had their handbags)
We had decided along the same lines as Mervyn & Trish that as we had paid our service charge & that was it but did feel that the ambiguity of the situation caused unnecessary discomfort.

[Stephen]

Now look what you’ve started David

[Kendhni]

We don't tip tour guides either unless they go out of their way to do something special.

In Egypt, tour buses always had an armed guard on them. I remember visiting the pyramids and wanting to climb the inside of the great pyramid but the good lady didn't want to ... so she stayed outside. She was telling me that the local vendors were hassling her badly to the point she was getting scared and was trying to get back to the safety of the bus. Our guard noticed this and went up to them gently opened one side of his jacket and all the vendors moved off swiftly. He stayed close by until I came back down and then he quietly moved off without saying a word.

He did the same on other instances when I went to explore. So I gave him a nice tip when we arrived back ... he seemed very surprised but genuinely grateful.


PS Those guards pack some heat. I was in the toilets when a couple came in and started stripping off to put on a change of clothing, they seemed to be pulling all sorts of armament from every nook and cranny. yet to look at them you wouldn't notice they were carrying anything.

[Onelife]

They’ve clearly updated their firearms arsenal as they were using canes when we were last there.

[Manoverboard]

On our coaching tours it was customary to tip the tour guides. A $US1 bill per person was the accepted rate, $5 for a full day. Rarely tipped on cruise tours because most were simply not up to the same standard, there were exceptions of course. We did however tip very generously the Thai guys who looked after us for three days in and around Bangkok but they were outstanding.

[Kendhni]

On our coaching tours it was customary to tip the tour guides. A $US1 bill per person was the accepted rate, $5 for a full day. Rarely tipped on cruise tours because most were simply not up to the same standard, there were exceptions of course. We did however tip very generously the Thai guys who looked after us for three days in and around Bangkok but they were outstanding.

Not sure $1USpp is considered the accepted rate ... I would have thought closer to $5US for a half day would be the norm ... some articles suggest between 10 and 20% of the tour cost (although I am convinced they were written by tour guides).

On the 'Below decks' series they seem to think that a $15,000 tip for 2-3 days is stingy.

[Mervyn and Trish]

I'm doing the sums here. $5 per person for say a 40 seater coach is €200. Tip. On top of wages? No way

[Manoverboard]

Not sure $1USpp is considered the accepted rate ... I would have thought closer to $5US for a half day would be the norm ... some articles suggest between 10 and 20% of the tour cost (although I am convinced they were written by tour guides).

On the 'Below decks' series they seem to think that a $15,000 tip for 2-3 days is stingy.

I did say that it was ' customary ' on the ( very upmarket ) tours we were on. Many of our fellow passengers were from OZ and considered a one dollar tip to be exceedingly generous. North Americans were far more generous of course due to their own customs. Brits sit somewhere in the middle, don't like tipping but realise that for appearances sake a one dollar bill will do nicely.

[Ray B]

For blatantly asking everyone to tip, the water taxis at St Martin. Considering the ticket price and the thousands of passengers, no way.

[Stephen]

Here's a tip...............do the job your paid to do and think yourself lucky your in employment.


Now where did I put my tin hat