To Tip or Not to Tip? Suzanne’s Guide to Tipping on All-Inclusive Cruises

Hi fellow travelers. It’s Suzanne writing to you from Skagen, Denmark.

To tip or not to tip - that is the question. I am switching residences tomorrow for the next three weeks so this came up today.

Todays post is going to be about tipping - on a cruise where gratuities are included. It’s a topic that generates much discussion and hand wringing. To tip or not to tip - that is the question. TIP originally meant to insure promptness so we have come quite the distance since the concept was invented.

First and most important it is totally a personal choice. No passenger should ever feel compelled to color outside the tipping box. One of the reasons that Explora Journeys has wrapped it into your fare (I think) is to take this off of your mind.

Yet the question always seems to come up on the last few days of a trip - what is everyone doing?

I will give you my personal choice and please bear in mind this is MY choice. I was raised by a father who was so poor when he started out that he had one white shirt that his mother washed and pressed every night for work the next day and a mother whose parents were from Italy and worked every day until she was eight months pregnant with me (can you say trailblazer?) I’ve come a long way thanks to them. But I will never forget the story of my father - having been accepted into Harvard, on full scholarship-to get his PhD in economics, needing an additional $500 in 1949 for living expenses (he has just gotten married) to get his degree. No one would help him at all. It changed the course of his life - and one that was at times filled with the wonder “what if?” He went on to be enormously successful (having advised four presidents) and prominent BUT it impacted my view of the world. You will never know what those few extra dollars can mean to someone.

No one should feel compelled to argue with me about the merits of all inclusive etc. I get it. This is what I have done on all my cruises and what I will continue to do. People who work on cruise ships are motivated by the love of service, especially those that take care of your room, your drinks, your table service etc! Of course they are getting a paycheck. But you don’t choose to leave your family for six months at a time just for money. In my opinion there are other factors at work as well.

The person who has the most direct impact on my stay is my suite host. Your suite hosts role is to make sure you are having the best cruise possible. I have been incredibly lucky to have an amazing suite host. Perhaps it is a function of my being a solo traveler, one with mobility issues and of a certain age. In 15 days I have never had to ask for anything twice. Double espresso very hot coffee at 7:00 am since day 2 has never failed. Each night my bed is made up with the extra blanket folded just so. How much do I tip you ask? I figure an amount for each per day and calculate it that way.

There is always one or two (or three in my case) servers who make you smile when you see them. They always greet you by name, remember what you like to drink etc. Servers work in different restaurants on the ship so you might see them in one place at breakfast, another at lunch and a third at dinner and lastly in the bar. These three people have made my cruise delightful so far.

For those others that are not so front and center on your daily routine there is the Crew Fund. This is an all purpose fund that crew members can draw on to subsidize their excursions on days when they can get off the ship. It’s a way of acknowledging the rest of the crew. I usually add $100-$200 depending on the length of the cruise.

As I mentioned I always write a note to each of these people. The notes, are as important as the money, in my view. It is a way of them knowing that you see and appreciate them in what they do every day.

I am happy to answer any questions but please. If you feel the need to be rude or snarky don’t press the send button.