Tip on a Cruise

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You've booked your cruise, arranged for neighbors to pick up your mail and you're set to take off. Congratulations! Cruising is a wonderful way to enjoy a vacation. But, you wonder about tipping on your cruise. It all seems so confusing. Years ago, passengers prepared individual envelopes of cash and handed them out to staff members on the last day. Now, even tipping has gone electronic and high tech. But, it's really quite simple.

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Look at your cruise documentation to see if your specific cruise line includes tipping in the cost. (Of course, you can still tip over that if you like.) Holland America (HAL) is one, and some of the more �expensive� companies might also include tips. You can also check with your travel agent or call the cruise line itself. If all else fails, you can ask while onboard the ship. The purser's office will be able to answer these types of questions.;

See if your cruise line or ship lists "tipping" or "service charges" on your "onboard" bill. This is a list of items and services you purchase while onboard the ship � your shore excursions, cocktails (and often sodas when not ordered during a meal), gift shop items, etc. This bill will be presented to you the day before you disembark. When you get it, look for this tipping/service charge � it will usually be listed along with the percentage or a set fee they suggest for each staff member � room steward, waiter, bus boy, cocktail waitress, etc.;

Think about what type of extra services some of the staff members might have done for you. Was someone in your group using a wheelchair or walker, and a staff member was always on hand to help? Did your room steward do lots of extra things for you? A waiter provide special requests? If so, you might want to consider giving them a larger tip.;

Consider whether you were consistently disappointed in one staff member's attitude or service. Then, you might want to lower the size of their tip.;

Decide on your final tipping amounts and check to see if the tipping is included on your bill. Then, just sign the bill and this amount will be added to your total bill and deducted from your credit or debit card account that you established when you first boarded your ship. (Or, you might have given them a cash deposit.);

Reduce the size of an individual's tip if you were displeased with their service. There will be an opportunity to do this on the onboard bill by reducing their �suggested� amount.;

If there is no specific charge for tipping on the bill, you can indicate the amount you'd like to give each staff member. Usually these would be your room steward, waiter and bus boy (in your regular dining room), maitre'd and wine steward. You probably signed an amount of tip when you ordered cocktails during the cruise.;

Prepare an envelope with cash if you want to tip a specific staff member and prefer not to add it to your onboard bill. Be sure to give this to your waiter and/or bus boy at dinner the last evening because you probably won't see them the day you leave the ship. Also, give it to your room steward because he/she might not be around the morning you disembark.;

Don't ever leave cash in your stateroom, even in an envelope marked with someone's name on it. There are lots of people wandering through the ship on disembarkation/embarkation day.

Visit http://www.cruisecritics.com and http://www.cruisemates.com for more information. Both sites have articles and message boards about specific topics.