What about tipping?
The typical recommendation is that each passenger tip $3.50 per day to your cabin steward, $3.50 per day to your waiter, and $2.00 per day to your assistant waiter (busboy). That adds up to $9.00 per passenger, per day, which would be $27.00 per passenger for a three-night cruise, or $54.00 for two of you. The tip for children should be half as much. Usually envelopes are provided the last evening of the cruise, and you can put cash in the envelopes, and hand the envelopes out the last night. If your waiter remembers your name, what you like to drink, and your favorite salad dressing, and is consistently friendly and helpful, you may want to give him a little extra. Remember that for most of the staff, they are not paid--their tips are all the money they make. On the other hand, if your waiter is new to the job, does not speak English well, and leaves you wanting for better service, hold back a little on his tip. Usually guests are so well served that they feel like being generous when tipping. Holland America advertises that tipping, "is not required." Well, it's "not required" anywhere. It's just recommended. We feel that Holland America just says that because they are a class act, and we tip as usual. On Holland America ships you will find tipping envelopes on the counter at the information desk the last evening of your cruise, rather than in your stateroom. If your maitre d' does something special for you, tip him as well. This just in: Carnival Cruise Lines is implementing a new policy of adding the tips for your dining and stateroom services to your onboard charge account, at the rate of $9.75 per guest per day. This has already been implemented on PARADISE and IMAGINATION, it will be in effect on CARNIVAL SPIRIT and CARNIVAL PRIDE when they are inaugurated later this year, and it will be in effect fleet-wide by the end of 2001. If you are not happy with this, you can go to the purser's desk and adjust the amounts, or arrange to not have the tips charged, and then give the tips yourself.
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