Crew Gratuities

[EricJ]

I generally give a $300 tip for a 7 day, Aggressor-caliber liveaboard, and I think that's generous.

This sounds about right to me. On the two live aboards we've done, we talked to the other guests and came up with a group plan. It was nice to know that we all tipped about the same amount. It came out to be about 10% of the basic live aboard fare.

 

[mike_s]

A hard working cabin attendent with Royal Caribbean Cruise lines can make $70k plus (but I think an RCCL employee works harder than an Aggressor employee).

Really? I'm surprised the "cabin attendent" makes that much. You mean I spent all that time college for nothing? (just kidding)

I thought most of them were from third world coountries and the cruise line paid them below minimum wage. I guess if you are making good tips though, that could be standard, just like in the US resturant business.

I had read that the average cruise boat employee made about $2000 to $2500 per month. Which is pretty good for saving money considering you don't hardly have any expenes. Your room and board is covered and since they work you 15 hours a day and 7 days a week, you don't have time to spend any money.

How many cabins do the attendents typically "cover"? (just curious).


When I was on a Royal Caribbean Cruise, I think the "reccomended" tippping was $3.50 per passenger per day for the cabin attendant. For a 2 passenger cabin, that's $7 per day or $49/week (7 day cruise).

Of course we tipped him much better than the suggestion because we thought he did extra stuff like get us ice when we asked for it and we really like the cool "towel animals" and asked for them each day.

If he takes care of 10 cabins then he'll make a "base" of about $500/week in tips. If he does 15 cabins then he'll make a base of about $750a week in tips. Plus what ever other salary he gets paid and "free room and board". That's about $2000 to $3000 per month plus base pay. Chances are he's not paying US taxes on it either since he's "at sea". Not that bad for an unskiller laborer. Of course he works 7 days a week and typically very long days. I really don't think they get much of a day off because the boat turns right back around and goes back to sea the same day it arrives.


Anyone here ever worked on a "cruise ship" before? or a liveaboard?

-mike

 

[deepstops]

Going back to my first post
http://www.scubaboard.com/showpost.php?p=947122&postcount=2
I stated I thought 10% was the right starting place. My comments to Pilot Fish were harsh (my apologies PF) but the comment that $300 was "generous" made me think he thought it was too much. I think it's "right", not generous.

Tipping varies among the cultures on the planet. Tipping in Japan is considered an insult but base wages (and prices) reflect it.

I've done onboard contract work for RCCL so I was privy to the inner workings (and salaries) in the cruise industry. Working in the cruise business is not a bad place to work (at least with RCCL). I would imagine it's not a lot different working on Carnival or Norwegian ship.

Cabin attendents work an average of nine months a year (six on, two off). 20 cabins/attendent X $7 per cabin per day times 270 days PLUS a base salary puts them well over $50k. If they are personable and willing to go "the extra mile", $70k is doable.

 

[deepstops]

Oh, those towel animals are a "standard" on every ship I've been on in the RCCL fleet.
I personally love the monkey on the hanger

 

[mike_s]

Oh, those towel animals are a "standard" on every ship I've been on in the RCCL fleet.
I personally love the monkey on the hanger

yes I know that they do them all the time. We just really like them. They've done them in some of the rooms at resorts we've stayed in also. We like the surprise of coming back to find what the room attendant has done.

On some trips though they haven't done them everyday, which why we asked for them. I don't mind tipping extra for them.

FYI.. on RCCL trips they usually offer a class sometime in the cruise that will teach you how these are done.

 

[Louie]

Have I been miscalculating by a digit?

The times I've done Red Sea liveaboards - on mid-range boats - I've paid a lot less.

The most generous was a voluntary 20 pounds stirling for a seven-day trip (five over the amount recommended by the instructor/management team as I really enjoyed the good food). On a charter trip a few years ago, the group was instructed to pay 10 pounds (about $17 US) per person for the week.

I thought that was one of the attractions of places like Egypt: you may not get first world service but it's damn cheap.

 

[pilot fish]

Going back to my first post
http://www.scubaboard.com/showpost.php?p=947122&postcount=2
I stated I thought 10% was the right starting place. My comments to Pilot Fish were harsh (my apologies PF) but the comment that $300 was "generous" made me think he thought it was too much. I think it's "right", not generous.

Tipping varies among the cultures on the planet. Tipping in Japan is considered an insult but base wages (and prices) reflect it.

I've done onboard contract work for RCCL so I was privy to the inner workings (and salaries) in the cruise industry. Working in the cruise business is not a bad place to work (at least with RCCL). I would imagine it's not a lot different working on Carnival or Norwegian ship.

Cabin attendents work an average of nine months a year (six on, two off). 20 cabins/attendent X $7 per cabin per day times 270 days PLUS a base salary puts them well over $50k. If they are personable and willing to go "the extra mile", $70k is doable.

No problem, Brian. I appreciate you kind gesture. Do you work in the dive industry?

I did think $300 was generous because it would have been in excess of 10%, which I think is fine. As I said before, Americans are into this big deal, over-tipping nonsense, which I don't understand.

 

[vladimir]

I stated I thought 10% was the right starting place

the comment that $300 was "generous" made me think he thought it was too much. I think it's "right", not generous.

On average, a 7 day Aggressor is less than $2500. So $300 is more than 12%, which I think is generous. Obviously I don't think it's too much, since that is what I give. But I do think it's more than the average tip.

I'd be interested to hear from divers who are routinely tipping more than this.

 

[mike_s]

.
Cabin attendents work an average of nine months a year (six on, two off). 20 cabins/attendent X $7 per cabin per day times 270 days PLUS a base salary puts them well over $50k. If they are personable and willing to go "the extra mile", $70k is doable.

Did you (or the others who weren't US based) have to pay taxes on money made on Cruise boats since it was done outside the US? just curious what the rules were...

 

[deepstops]

Did you (or the others who weren't US based) have to pay taxes on money made on Cruise boats since it was done outside the US? just curious what the rules were...

I was not paid by RCCL as I work for a US based company. I install & service medical instrumentation such as ell counters, chemistry, and coagulation analyzers. Every ship has a "mini hospital".

US citizens pay taxes when working on board, (RCCL now calls Miami as their headquarters) There are ways around that though. I met a bunch of IT guys on Legend of the Seas that rent an apartment in St Petersburg Russia and call it home. And pay no taxes. They told me the rent was $190/month and they sublet it. I think six of them were using that address.

The only other nationality that was treated differently were the Filipinos. Their country requires ALL the cruise lines to send (I think) 20% back home. I was told it was because the cruise and shipping industries take so many men away, it affected the financial solvency of the country.

If I was young & single, I'd do it.

The best thing about going onboard as a contractor is you are treated like a passenger. The trips also counted towards my membership in the RCCL Crown & Anchor Society (frequent cruiser club). Now when I book, I automatically get upgraded two levels. I just wish RCCL would go back to Asia and the South Pacific. (they consider the entire area a security concern)