Rebuttal to John herald

[Walter]

reading your lengthy thesis on tipping,,TIPPING is NOT a given,TIPPING-is a personal thing ,it is not and never should be a part of the cruise contract, and no it should not be an item just added to your on board cruise account..and yes there are deadbeats who try to skirt the issue. My self and my wife  hand it in an envelope to the person we deal with, as for the above mentioned reason yes we are sceptical as to allocation via cruise contract or onboard  daily account

[3Sisters]

@Walter This is definitely a very personal choice! I too question the allocation of tips via the cruise contract, and I struggle with the question, "Is it really going to the direct personnel who went above and beyond to make my cruise experience exceptional?" My husband and I always pay the mandatory tipping, but we also choose to give envelopes to those who spent so much time making our vacation unforgettable. Thankfully the last cruise we went on we called guest services and they provided envelopes and pens to our stateroom because we forgot to bring them along with us. I like the minimal mandatory tipping for those guests who would tip nothing otherwise. In my opinion, there is nothing like tipping cash for someone who is dedicating their entire year away from home to make money and provide for their families.