A Guide to Tipping.(Sorry)

[diana11, midlands]

I have just returned from a 2 week Cunard cruise. I was amazed by the number of passengers who told me on first meeting them that they had taken their gratuities off and did I know that I could too! One passenger went as far as telling me that I would be the only one paying them as EVERYONE takes them off. Please believe me when I say that I did not ever bring up the issue of gratuities. The lady at our dinner table even wanted to know whether we would add to her tip to our waiter as she had taken her tips off. We told her bluntly that NO we wouldn't as we had left our gratuities in place.

[annie, Glasgow]

From the link you could not be bothered to read.


The guides are from travel experts and companies (Just printed in the Mail)...Taffy

Hi Taffy

All I will say is I know, from experience, the Chinese tip the Chinese whether in the UK or China.

Annie

[cruisedreams, Thirsk]

Maybe it is different in Hong Kong (still China) but my niece who lives there told me not to tip when I visited last September, the Chinese look upon it as condescending,

[annie, Glasgow]

Maybe it is different in Hong Kong (still China) but my niece who lives there told me not to tip when I visited last September, the Chinese look upon it as condescending,

Maybe the ethnic Chinese don't like accepting tips from 'foreigners' ? However I know I may sound like a broken record but the Chinese relatives I have tip Chinese Home and Away.

Annie

[SteveH2508, London]

Just a personal observation - since gratuities have become automatically added to the cruise onboard spend, I feel the standards of service have dropped ( as if they don't need to make the effort) It could of course just be that as cruise lines compete for business they make cuts elsewhere and the standard of staff is one of them.

I would suggest that it is not the standard of staff - it is the number of staff that has reduced. There were definitely less waiters in Bar City on Norwegian Jade (an area we are very familiar with!) on recent cruises. Room Stewards seem to have more rooms to clean - there are less drinks waiters around the pool - the MDR staff seem more stretched. I suspect this is probably true of several lines - a 'simple' cost-cutting measure for the bean-counters.

[cruisedreams, Thirsk]

Maybe the ethnic Chinese don't like accepting tips from 'foreigners' ? However I know I may sound like a broken record but the Chinese relatives I have tip Chinese Home and Away.

Annie

Maybe you should visit China first hand Annie like I did, your relative maybe out of touch since 1995.

[echo, derby]

Well, I didn't know tipping is not expected in China. That's handy. Every day's a school day!

Bill

Well the girl I met in a bar in Hong Kong in the 70s certainly wanted a tip.

[Taffy, Wales]

I always read the Port info they leave in my cabin,it helps regarding the local attitude regarding tipping in bars and Taxis etc,

Found that in some countries they include the tip in the taxi fare ,no need to give extra.
The Amount expected in Bars and Restaurants varies country to country.
Try not Tipping in America ,my Daughter had a very nasty incident in NY when she did not tip enough.
They still expected a tip after the meal went back and she got ear ache from the waiter for complaining ,she threatened them with calling the police ,as she said very scary ...Taffy

[Harvey, Bristol upon Cream]

Well something has changed in 2000 tipping was not unusual.

My Chinese SIL tips - I take my lead from her rather than the Daily Mail.

Annie

Quite agree. I wouldn't even trust the 'Date' on the front page of the Daily Mail let alone any article inside it. It is a newspaper, and I use thae term loosely, not known for factual or truthful reporting. It's even worse than The Sun!

[Lacey, Wirral]

Just a personal observation - since gratuities have become automatically added to the cruise onboard spend, I feel the standards of service have dropped ( as if they don't need to make the effort) It could of course just be that as cruise lines compete for business they make cuts elsewhere and the standard of staff is one of them.

That has not been my experience.