Both ships slap around 15 per cent service charge on the cabin prices a person. This is a fair arrangement, given that tips are integral to the crew’s income – provided that it is not some sinister scheme by the management to boost revenue.
“With cruise gratuities automatically charged, both our front-line and behind-the-scene crew members who play a crucial role in creating guest experiences will be equally rewarded and recognised,” says Mr Michael Goh, president of Dream Cruises and head of international sales, Genting Cruise Lines, in response to queries.
Passenger S.H. Raja, who has cruised between Asean ports, such as in Malaysia and Vietnam, and Far East ones in Japan, China and Taiwan, says: “Upfront gratuities eliminate the instances of passengers who do not understand the standard etiquette. Some passengers are tight-fisted and treat tipping as getting rid of loose change in the wallet.”
And in these pandemic times, the crew works doubly hard. More cleaning, more care and more attentiveness. The hours are longer and harder now. And the cap on passengers shrinks the tip pool. Thus, show more gratitude.
Pro tips:
• Recognise exceptional service with a further tip, even if the gratuities are pre-paid. I make a mental note of the waiter who remembers my weakness for desserts and quietly provides double helpings; my chirpy steward who cleans the cabin spotlessly and slips extra chocolates on the bed during turn-down service; the restaurant manager’s attentive but unobtrusive service; the mixologist who makes excellent cocktails; the deck hand helping to reserve my favourite shaded spot by the pool.
• Tip only in the local currency or in major currencies such as US dollars and euros. Getting rid of the spare renminbi or rupiah is not sincere.
• With the current pandemic, the health and safety culture has been rewritten for both passengers and crew. The recent Covid-19 false alarm aboard Quantum of the Seas has sharpened the learning curve for the cruise industry. More importantly, it demonstrated that the pilot cruise programme has a robust, efficient health-response system in place.
For those yearning for a “cruise-cation”, sailing at half the maximum capacity is a big draw. With seven crew members for every 10 passengers, this is an almost unprecedented level of care and attention.
And at slightly more than $300 a night, with full board for two persons plus entertainment, that is a pretty good deal.
The writer’s most recent cruise was a 22-night expedition to Antarctica in March. He was polar-diving with leopard seals between icebergs. During the cruise, he visited the ship’s clinic twice for fever. He shared his aged rum generously with the doctor, hotel manager and expedition leader.
This article was first published in The Straits Times.
