Cruise passengers get very little guidance when it comes to tips.
Most pay their automated gratuities as well as adding a little extra for people who provide exceptional service. It's not always easy to know when you're supposed to tip and how much you should offer up.
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It's a challenge because the cruise lines provide no guidance as to what's the right amount. Some people think that the 18% added to their drink and dining packages counts as enough.
Others know that while they have tipped once, it's still a good idea to add $1 here and there for good service. If you splash a little cash around you will certainly be recognized and appreciated by the crew.
You don't need to be a high roller. Offering up a few dollars here and there when service dictates it generally makes staff take notice.
One of the biggest tipping questions, however, is what should you leave for your room steward. Technically, there's no need for additional gratuity, but most people do leave their cabin attendant something extra.
Some people are creative in how they do that and that led to one Carnival Cruise Line passenger sending an angry email to Brand Ambassador John Heald.
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Image source: Carnival Corp.
Carnival offers tipping guidance
Some passengers, as you can see from the picture above, take a creative approach to tipping their room steward. That's something at least one passenger took issue with.
"STOP showing these photos, John. You are just virtue signaling. Pay them a living wage. This is outdated, offensive, and demeaning. If you are going to give a worker cash, hand it to them or place in an envelope. They are not children. This kind of photo should be trashed, not celebrated," wrote one angry passenger.
Heald strongly disagreed with that statement.
"This lady is referring to this photo which I think is, well, simply lovely. And I am sure the cabin attendant was smiling when he saw it and appreciated it so very much. I refuse to get into the living wage reference although I will say that the crew love working with us, it gives them the ability to provide for a far better life than they could provide if they were working from home," he wrote.
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Carnival pays its crew members a salary that's generally well above the wage standards in the country where their workers live.
Carnival passengers have mixed opinions
While most of the over 1,000 comments on Heald's post were positive, some took issue with how the money was left.
"It’s not the tipping that’s an issue…it’s the way it’s done (making the steward essentially work for it - on top of the work they already do) and, yes, this is “virtue signaling.” The person is tipping this way, taking this photo, and sharing it with the world to show how great THEY are, not how great their steward is, in my opinion," wrote Mari Nyki.
Many of the comments appreciated the idea, but wish the passenger had simply handed the money to their room steward.
"I think while it's meant as a cute gesture, it's one more thing for them to clean, and should be handed to the cabin steward or in an envelope," posted Matthew Laurain.
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Carol Baldner agreed that a more simple approach would be better.
"I kind of agree that this is a silly way of giving an adult a tip. Bring a thank you card, write a short personal thank you, and put the money in the card. Having the employee scooping up the dollar bills is very impractical and unnecessary," she added.
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