If you’re new to cruising you may be wondering about the protocol of tipping.

Some comedians, including professionals like the late great British comic, Tommy Cooper, will try the usual joke: “Have a drink on me.” And then hand over a teabag.

Or you could follow the example of the passenger who said to the ship’s barman, “Would you like to sell more beer?”

“Certainly, sir,” came the reply.

“Then fill the bloody glasses up.”

It’s just a bit of fun but not recommended for the novice tipper, unless you immediately hand over a decent tip in the form of money, or, if they get really shirty, the contents of your wallet or purse.

On most cruise ships there are basically three ways to tip.

The first is when you hand over a set amount in cash to the dining room waiter, busboy (or equivalent), cabin steward/stewardess, and butler (if you’re lucky enough to afford one) for every day they have served you throughout the voyage. This event usually happens on the last evening of a standard cruise up to 14 days, and some financially challenged (tightfisted) passengers have been known to go into a serious decline for months afterwards.

The second method is for the gratuities (usually 10% to 15%) to be added to your on-board account, and the money is shared among the ship’s crew. For most of the service personnel on a cruise ship don’t get paid a lot and rely on tips for topping up their salaries.

The third method is (and some passengers who have been delighted with the service they received actually do this) pay the extra gratuity on your bill AND give some money direct to the people of your choice as a personal thank you.

However if you feel the service has let you down somewhat I believe you should reduce your tip – or do away with it completely, provided you make your reasons known immediately to the purser, before you leave the ship.

Cruise ship service staff, like most other service industries, have to work hard for tips – which smooth the way and encourage staff to maintain and/or improve the quality of how they look after their passengers. If you don’t tip, the whole thing falls apart. The crew get unhappy if they feel the extra personal attention they have given you was ignored or undervalued.

In the end I feel tipping should always be up to the passenger – or indeed a customer in any bar or restaurant.

You know the kind of places I mean. I was in a restaurant (land-based) with my wife a few months ago and, when I finally managed to catch the waiter’s eye, told him, “If it wasn’t for the salt and pepper I’d be phoning Oxfam to send us a food parcel. Do we have to sit like this until we starve?”

The waiter stopped, briefly, and replied, “No, we close at ten.”

But the best tip of all is for everybody to smile and say please and thank you, when appropriate.

And always ask the person you’re booking the cruise with about your chosen ships’ view on the subject of gratuities.

James Leavey

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