I always go to the Purser and request that I am taken off the "automatic tip procedure" I prefer to make my own mind up about which staff should be tipped. Don't like paying for a service I have not yet received..............

Surely if the cruise companies paid their staff a decent wage, there would be no need to tell passengers that tipping is in their eyes compulsory! The staff work very hard, we had mostly Eastern Europeans on a cruise in June who were mostly very friendly and helpful and we gave our cabin girl and dinner waiter extra tips when we left making sure they really did get something. The tips added to your final bill are supposedly divided up between certain staff, but are they? In future we shall go to the pursers office and request tips to not be added to our final bill and tip according to the service received.

Absolutely not. It makes me so wild when I receive those envelopes and suggestions on how much to tip. Tipping is a personal thing, and if you don't get the service you expect, then you shouldn't tip at all. Sorry to sound tight, but I am when it comes to tipping. Nobody has ever tipped me in my job!

Having cruised on many occasions, in my opinion, the best system is for the cost of the cruise to include the TIPS and a statement that all gratuities are included. Swan Hellenic 'Minerva' and Hebridean follow this course and no one ,to my knowledge' has complained. Ralph Yardley

On the Azamara Journey its $12.50 per day NO chance to 'opt' out as i was told its now the 'Policy' of the cruise line!! so, we all had this charged to our final bill. I sailed with them in April from Miami to Barcelona. Some people 'pre' paid when they booked the holiday also 18% on drinks was added!!! a very exspensive holiday.

The daily rate per person is $10:00 which is an automatic charge but you can change this to what you want to give as gratuities by going to the pursers desk and stating you will pay your gratuities yourself at the end of cruise, you will then find the envelopes for tipping the cabin steward, waiter and busboy, and Maitre D in your cabin the last night of the cruise. Enjoy.

I think the Celebrity system is excellent. A few days before the end of your cruise you are given a form which you can fill in and drop off at Guest Relations. It offers the opportunity of automatically having the recommended tips added to your bill so it is charged to your credit card (same as other costs on board). This is so much easier and less "embarrasing" than handing out cash to people and you don't have to worry about having the right dollars! Alternatively, you also receive little envelopes which you can use instead of the recommended daily amounts added to your bill, or you can use the envelopes to give a little more to people who have been particularly helpful. I don't think you should ever "pre-pay" tips before a cruise! Crazy idea!

they are not stopped automatically but believe me you get told often enough by staff just what they expect and at the voyage end you get envolopes in your cabin to me it got annoying that you were being hinted at all the time. what reaaly annoyed me was that on the millenium the maitredhore sent an envolpope back to company on our table saying it was not enough

the first thing i always do when i embark the ship is to tell the purser i do not wish tips to come off my stateroom.you sign a form . then you tip who you think should have them.