I went on my first cruise last summer to Alaska. We sailed on the Carnival Legend from Seattle to Alaska with several beautiful and scenic stops along the way. Seeing as it was my first cruise, I didn’t have any set expectations, but I was happy with what I discovered. The whole experience was wonderful, but what I want to talk about today is the service. (Which held up the same on my second cruise, as well) Specifically, the service from crew members who maintained rooms, waited tables and kept the whole ship in shape by taking care of things we would normally not even notice.
If you have never been on a cruise, you may not know that most of the people working on these ships are from other countries. The room stewards and restaurant wait staff are generally from places that would often qualify as under-developed nations. Crew members are generally on boats for months at a time, getting very little time to go home and visit families. Many of them are doing it to support their families at home; sending much of their paychecks back to keep food on the table. It’s a job, but it’s also a sacrifice.
According to CruiseCritic.com, on average a room steward will make anywhere from $650 — $1,150 a month including gratuities. In the dining room, an assistant waiter can make between $900 — $2,200 a month, also including gratuities. Keep in mind that all crew members are generally working 10 to 12 hour days for at least 7 days straight. Some of you may say these are low skill jobs, but I don’t think the gratuity is paid for their skill, I think it’s paid for their level of service. What do I mean by that? Let me explain.
As soon as you get to your cabin on a ship, you generally meet your room steward within a few minutes or so. They will stop by to ask you if you would like your room cleaned once or twice a day, if you want ice, robes, extra hangers, etc. That’s when you will get introduced to each other. But from that moment on, for the rest of your cruise, they will remember your name and address you by it each time they see you. Even if it’s in a different area of the ship. It’s like a magic trick! They don’t forget your name. I can barely remember the steward’s name, and I only have to remember one. They’re dealing with hundreds of people a day. And they’re learning new names on a weekly basis. It’s crazy.
On top of the never-forgetting-your-name thing, they’re also the NICEST people. I mean, they always have a smile on their faces. They speak to you in such a well-mannered way and are never grumpy or stand-offish. That’s a difficult task working a labor intensive job for long stretches of time. But as I mentioned before, many of them are from other countries and have a cultural etiquette when it comes to how you treat others. For them, being rude and grumpy because you’re tired is not a thing. Many of them are just so grateful to have a job and serve others, that they do it with a smile. In my opinion, that’s the highest job skill of all.
Additionally, they also leave you these cute towel animals every time they fix your room. We always have fun with them and include our “Cruise Bear” Bingo. Guess what? They always play along!
Given all that, there are still frequent cruisers who complain that the gratuity is too much or that they don’t want to pay it. Granted, you are not required to pay it. On a Carnival cruise, they suggest a gratuity of $13.99 a night per person. Which you can choose to pay upfront with your cruise fare or wait to pay it at the end. $13.99 a day for a 7-day cruise comes out to less than $100. That’s it. For a full week of housekeeping and formal dining three times a day (if you eat in the dining room each meal), all you have to tip is $100. That’s less than you would spend on a 3-course meal in a fancy restaurant.
So, what’s my point here? Be gracious with your gratuity. You can pay the suggested amount or you can tip extra to your specific stewards and servers, but don’t be stingy. If you can afford to go on a cruise, you can afford to pay a tip to the people who make your experience better.
