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2nd Officer
 
Group: Members
Last Login: 21 October 2008 22:26
Posts: 18,
Visits: 49
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| i am getting slightly anxious now about the tipping situation? most i have read about tips people seem to be happy with the amount expected but to be honest the expected amount is near to my weeks wage and i am getting worried we wont have enough spends for excursions because its being spent on tips instead.going freedom dining could we ask on arrival for them to not put iton the bill because we want to do our own tipping? that way we know how much we are giving .
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Commodore
Group: Members
Last Login: 25 February 2009 13:59
Posts: 347,
Visits: 323
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| I understand that if you are on freedom dining the tip is automatically added to your account. I also understand that you can ask for this to be removed if you wish to make you own arrangements for tipping waiting staff. Happy Cruising Meldrew N903
Happy Cruising
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Commodore
Group: Members
Last Login: 2 days ago @ 14:24
Posts: 3,506,
Visits: 9,867
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| Greste, I am not sure how long your cruise is but P&O add £1:60 per day per passenger over the age of 12 to the cabin account. This works out to be £22:40 per person for a 14 night cruise - as you say, a lot of money if you are on a low salary and have 4 people in your cabin aged over 12. You can go to the Pursers desk and ask for the amount to be removed for you party as you wish to tip individually - this is fair if you get the same team of waiting staff for the duration of your cruise. However, that may not happen in Freedom Dining and I think (though am happy to be corrected if wrong) that if you hand your tips to the waiter he is obliged to place it in a central 'pot' whereby it is evened out amongst the staff from that dining venue. Alternatively you can give a gift to the team of your choice which they can keep. Do not feel that you will be thought less of if you are not able to give the full amount that is recommended, I am sure your waiting team will be pleaed to know you have given them what you can afford to give and have really appreciated their part in making your holiday as enjoyable as it was. Nobody will look down on you for not giving huge tips. Remember, P&O do state that the sums are 'recommended' and not compulsory. Above all, enjoy your cruise and don't worry about issues like tipping, Feebee_71
http://picasaweb.google.com/Feebee71
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Commodore
Group: Members
Last Login: 2 days ago @ 16:20
Posts: 837,
Visits: 4,510
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| This is what it says on the P&O website First of all, please do not worry about it. Who, when and how much you tip is at your discretion. Tips are usually given in cash at the end of your holiday to your stateroom Steward, Restaurant Stewards in the Club Dining restaurants, and to any other staff who you feel you wish to reward. The amount you tip is entirely up to you although, as a guide, we recommend a total amount per person (aged 12 and over) of £3.75 per day, which covers all staff who have looked after you during your holiday. The only exception to this is for passengers travelling on Oceana and Ventura who have opted to enjoy the flexibility of Freedom Dining as, with this style of dining, you may be seated at a different table and served by a different waiter on each occasion. We will therefore add an automatic service charge of £1.60 per passenger, per day to your shipboard account for the Restaurant Stewards. You will, of course, be able to increase or decrease this charge at your discretion by visiting Reception at any point during your cruise. You can also tip any other staff, including your stateroom Steward, as you feel appropriate. Further details of who and when you should tip can be found in your stateroom.
Brian
Independence of the Seas May 09,Aurora R905 Jun 09,Oriana X914 Aug 09,Aurora R917 Nov 09
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Commodore
Group: Members
Last Login: 17 November 2009 00:13
Posts: 841,
Visits: 1,337
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| Greste, as has already been mentioned, how much you tip and to whom is entirely up to you. If you don't feel like your waiters or cabin steward have deserved the recommended amount then tip the amount that you feel reflects their service, and that you can afford. Of course you don't have to give a tip at all if you don't feel it is deserved. For example, my girlfriend and i witheld from tipping our waiters in the restaurant, where as we heavily tipped our cabin steward, a brilliant young man called Clevy who was the perfect steward. Our cabin was always left perfectly tidy, he always greeted us when we passed him, and he was genuinely hard working and deserving of a large tip. Just remember that staff are used to being tipped all sorts of amounts, i remember a couple from many years ago giving their waiter a £1 tip, and this was after a 2 week cruise. Don't let it worry you too much. Enjoy your cruise .
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Commodore
Group: Members
Last Login: Yesterday @ 21:13
Posts: 522,
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| Lots of advice has already been given about tipping but remember, too, that excursions are not compulsory. It depends where you are going, but often you can do very well using public transport or tourist buses laid on by the port at a fraction of the cost of P&O organised tours. This also gives you the freedom to do what you want to do for as long as you want to do it without being moved on and/or encouraged to spend time shopping in some gift shop. Many ports are destinations in their own right for which all you need is the shuttle bus. If you tell us which cruise you are going on, I'm sure you will receive advice about individual ports - particularly from Derek Kane. Sorry to drop you in it, Derek.
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2nd Officer
Group: Members
Last Login: 21 October 2008 22:26
Posts: 18,
Visits: 49
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| thanks for all the advice. we are goin on e827 to carib and has taken a while to save just dont want the tipping to spoil things. there are 4 of us and if we had to tip 22pound and thats only on the waiter because obs we will want to tip other services too.we usually tip £20 per person of our choice,but thats between us and can amount to £100.this is usually sufficient.thanks again dont feel as worried now and would welcome tips of my own on the diy excursions. thaks in advance cathy
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Commodore
Group: Members
Last Login: 2 days ago @ 14:24
Posts: 3,506,
Visits: 9,867
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| thanks for all the advice. we are goin on e827 to carib and has taken a while to save just dont want the tipping to spoil things. there are 4 of us and if we had to tip 22pound and thats only on the waiter because obs we will want to tip other services too.we usually tip £20 per person of our choice,but thats between us and can amount to £100.this is usually sufficient.thanks again dont feel as worried now and would welcome tips of my own on the diy excursions. thaks in advance cathy Cathy, What you have said sounds perfectly reasonable, I don't think any member of crew is going to be disappointed by £20 added to their totals. Also it is fair if each member of the family chooses one person to tip. Sorry I can't help with the excursions as I've yet to visit the Caribbean - going next March (GW & ABW) Feebee_71
http://picasaweb.google.com/Feebee71
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Commodore
Group: Members
Last Login: Today @ 09:12
Posts: 7,129,
Visits: 4,552
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| With so many in your party you will save a fortune if you DIY your trips ashore. Savings here will help towards you rewarding what you feel is a comfortable amount to tip on board. Remember, the ship is there to enjoy on port days too and becomes quieter, which can suit a lot of folks, and helps the pocket.
Derek “The Monocled Mutineer” Kane
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\__/|>o<| Last cruise: Aurora R906 06/2009 Next cruise: Oriana X003 03/2010 For cruise history view "Member's interests" "The past is a foreign country - they do things differently there." - LP Hartley - The Go-Between.
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Commodore
Group: Members
Last Login: 26 April 2009 14:42
Posts: 1,448,
Visits: 3,200
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| Hi Cathy DIY trips are very easy to do in the Caribbean , usually mini buses that take 15 - 20 people and when you disembark there will be plenty of choice ( much cheaper than taking P&O tours ) the drivers also act as your tour guide and obviously being local know far more about the islands, if you don't want tours but fancy a beach day just hop in a taxi they are very reasonable but always check the price first although some of the Islands do have a set tariff, when they drop you off they will arrange a time to collect you for the return journey ( don't know how they do it but even on a crowded beach they always manage to find you if you are not at the pick up point and they always turn up) I'm sure you will have a wonderful time, don't worry about the tipping whatever you decide I'm sure will be perfectly acceptable. Enjoy. Regards Jo
jo ( aka Samantha from Sex and the City ) x
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