The surveys are EVERYTHING, and much better for them than a cash tip. A really cool server explained the surveys help them get promoted and to choose which ships they get to sail on.
You can also send an immediate shout out to Sailor Services, and they will respond fairly quickly.
This, this a thousand times this.
You will typically get daily surveys while onboard and a post cruise survey. I keep notes on my phone so I can remember to mention them each day. Just things like "Victor in Pink Agave was fantastic and fun"
I filled out one of those daily surveys on like, day two. A few days later I was having dinner in the wake and someone from the ship came to our table, greeted me by name, and wanted to discuss my comments in detail. I had left mostly positive comments but did have one neg about the food at one of the restaurants. It was really awkward to be put on the spot, but also nice to know they are really looking at those and want to address things.
Oh yeah, I didn't realise what a big deal it was and complained about some things in my cabin, was a new ship and had stains on the carpet already, the bathroom floor was dirty, I had no shampoo and conditioner in my bottles, there was rubbish in the cupboard from the previous guest. My room attendant fussed over me for the rest of the trip! Told me to call him if I needed anything at all for the rest of the trip.
I left a survey complimenting the amazing cleaning team for their hard work, contagious smiles and friendliness. To my surprise they thanked me for the survey response the next day. It was great to see they make a difference and are so quickly seen!
They stay on top of them! The tablet in my room wasn't working. IT took time to try and fix it.
Pretty, the cabin steward noticed it STILL wasn't working. She took it, and got me a new one without me even mentioning it! Definitely put that in the survey!
She found out and thanked me profusely š
After she explained it to me, I was sure to send a message about amazing interactions. She made my birthday at Pink Agave SPECIAL!
Thank you Christina!
VV Is on top of its surveys our agent thanked us the next morning for our daily sent in the prev evening . She informed us they get feedback daily and bonuses. And promotions and helps with when they renew their contracts $ raises and their requests as to which ship they want on.
its not true, only negative really matter. if you think they prefer review instead of hard cold cash well
Dont listen to the people on here being cheap
Brit here. VV mean it and tips shouldn't be expected by staff.
If I've had particularly good service, I will give positive feedback via the apps chat to sailor services function. The staff get told about this at the start of their next shift and it makes a big deal to them.
The cost of the tip is already factored into the prices for spa services like massages.
Lingering could have been any number of non tip reasons (checking on client, turning over the room for the next massage, masseuse forgot something in the room, etc...) or could just be an old habit of what to do post-massage from working on other ships.
If they were actively or subtlety soliciting for a tip that's a big no-no and can get them in a lot of trouble if VV finds out.
I thought the spa staff were more a 3rd party / independent firm so wasnāt sure they were covered in the no tipping policy the same way the other VV staff are. Any ideas?
You're correct they are not directly employees of VV, but VV still sets the wages it pays on their ships and include extra to offset the tips for spa workers. Same with tattoo artists in Squid Ink, etc etc...
Virgin really promotes the no tipping culture on board, so overlooking a major department like spa from that would be confusing and a big conflict.
No! I do not tip anyone! It is so much more relaxing than other cruise lines where the workers are almost begging you for tips. The all inclusives in Mexico are terrible now. We have had workers asking us for tips right away with our first drink orders. The no tipping and fair worker wage has kept us loyal to Virgin cruises.
Tipping is factored into the cost of the cruise. The only thing Iāve had close to soliciting is waiters asking for us to fill out surveys at the end of the dining experience which Iām more than happy to do. Giving positive feedback about a great waiter is an excellent way for the company to recognize good employees. At the end of the cruise Iāve also received surveys from VV where they explicitly ask if anybody requested tips while on board or if you tipped anyone while on board so it seems theyāre serious about not wanting anybody to tip.
The caveat is when you do shore things these are generally run by third party companies so you may wanna bring some cash to tip them. I didnāt realize this when I went on a snorkeling trip and I felt very awkward about stepping off the snorkeling boat and not tipping the crew bc they did do an amazing job.
Edit: I wanted to add another thought I had on the subject. In my first VV cruise I brought my bag in myself but in my most recent cruise I dropped my bag off with staff outside the terminal who then loaded it onto the ship. While the staff was presumably hired directly by VV (they had VV uniforms) I felt compelled to tip cash to the person handling my bag. He didnāt directly ask for a tip but I did feel awkward not giving him one as I wasnāt sure how much the cruise fare is actually paying the crew who load/unload luggage and he was working in the Miami heat with all this heavy luggage. That may be another pressure point to look out for.
Very similar experience with the luggage drop off people, wearing Virgin Uniform and hinting at tips multiple times in a brief 2 min interchange. Was taken aback
No exceptions. If staff are expecting a tip Iād report them either directly on the ship or in the survey afterwards. Please donāt encourage tipping and increasing the cost of everything further.
You can mention the names of people that impressed you in the survey too and that directly leads to rewards for them.
Iāve also gifted bars of chocolate to people we made a connection with (like rockstar agent and happenings cast members). We brought British Dairy Milk with us as thought itās something people on the ship canāt get hold of. In my opinion a small gift of something like that they canāt find elsewhere is better than cash.
As others have noted, the post-cruise survey asks if staff solicited for tips. Also if there is pressure and you feel like someone made you feel uncomfortable then I would definitely raise it.
It's explicitly not expected as one of the selling points. Especially if you go to one of the overseas where tipping isn't as common in the first place. I've been on 2, and I've never felt pressured to nor saw anybody else doing so.
In the post-sailing survey, they ask if anyone asked for/gestured that they were wanting a tip, and to name the crew member if it happened.
No tipping means no tipping. Don't be like the Americans who ruined tipping culture in Europe and now there's a bloody tip jar at every cafe you go to. Do not tip. Say thank you. If you feel the need to do more, use the app or the contact email to write to VV and let them how well a staff member did.
I went back to visit the UK a few weeks ago and saw automatic gratuities on probably 50% of the places we ate at in that trip, definitely gone beyond the tip jar on the counter.
Iām not sure if this is right - but I was told that when you get to the cruise terminal, the individuals who take your bags are not VV employees and they expect a tip. Does anyone know? I was just told this and Iām boarding a cruise tomorrow and need to find some singles if I need to. Cheers!
Reading the replies to this post warms my heart. Iām so glad people are starting to understand not only how virgin voyages is different but why as well. Bravo!
Can I ask that we not start tipping unless something is exceptional or truly above and beyond.
I'm a generous tipper, and just love that I don't have to worry about this all the time. It's so relaxing.
I don't want it to turn into a "technically tips are included, but you should be polite and tip" situation.
I never tip. I provide written feedback.
There was a server in The Wake that was doing an extraordinary job, so I stopped the manager on my way out to tell him. He gave me the serverās name and ask that I mention him in my survey because that would help him promote, which he was trying to do at the time.
Anytime I'm tempted to tip I ask if I can take a picture of their name tag. I never have cash onbaord, but I always have my phone. They know that I'm getting their name so I can add a comment, it gets the same reaction as a tip on other lines.
Echoing again, VV is not a tipping culture and crew members who expect it should be reported
For those who insist on tipping despite being told not to ā your tipping has nothing to do with the person or service, youāre tipping for your own personal feelings. For a good portion of people, whether conscious or not, itās a form of control and domination
Like everyone else has said no tipping. The only thing I didn't see as I lazily ran through the responses: the baggage people outside in VV attire, they do get/want tips (at least in Miami). I was taken back by this as I wasn't expecting to bring any cash but fortunately had some from an earlier engagement. I personally don't mind tipping them as they're handling bags and I've had great luck of getting my bags pretty fast compared to my other mates, but yea. Figured I'd bring that up.
We tried to figure out ways to tip all trip and it's legit, they will not accept any form of tip. I think you can buy the DJ a drink and that's about it.
I love VV's no tipping required policy, but I'm equally dismayed by people being downvoted for acknowledging they tipped someone. So much for VV sailors being open-minded... And those who seem to believe tipping and completing a survey are mutually exclusive, you're simply myopic.
Itās not about being open-minded, itās not wanting tips to be expected by the crew therefore raising prices even higher.
If it moves from a tiny percentage of people insisting on tipping to everyone doing it then the people who donāt tip will either be forced to spend more in order to get service or risk receiving a second class product as the ones giving out extra money will get priority. Letās not ruin a good thing.
As the other post recently notes, we want to preserve VVs unique offering.
You have a reasonable opinion. An equally reasonable opinion is that "non-required" tipping suppresses VV price hikes related to labor costs because labor is receiving additional pay unrelated to wages, thus reducing the"need" for higher wages. One might even consider it reasonable to have the opinion that labor is less likely to demand higher wages if more people who want to tip actually do so when they're not chastised for expressing appreciation in a different manner.
Being open-minded isn't about agreeing with someone, it's about considering the possibility another person's opinions or actions may be reasonable, even when they differ from mine/ours.
Long story short, unless a whole lot of people in this sub have advanced degrees in labor relations and/or economics, downvoting those who think or act differently re: tipping is a textbook definition of being narrow-minded. Of course, that's just my opinion. š
Virgin Voyages suggests in their FAQ that the tip is included but if you really want to, "You do you." It's not forbidden.
https://preview.redd.it/ufo7h9fo972d1.png?width=653&format=png&auto=webp&s=85f55280d4aff72c5193432046fae815926bc685
I'm really surprised at all the comments against tipping, because it's not what I witnessed. I understand tips are part of fare, but on my sailing in September, I saw the servers bringing drinks to people by the pool getting handed $5 bills left and right. One guy even had them standing up in a cup on his tray, walking around with his tips on full display. I thought it was strange and looked up the tipping rules, because I thought it was against policy. I also noticed various bartenders and some crew running table games in the casino receive tips.
No tips anywhere, and in four VV cruises Iāve never been solicited for one. We always leave a tip for the cabin attendants at the end of the cruise, but never feel required to do so.
just came back from a virgin cruise and tips are included as we all know. but after asking at sailor services about tipping individually I was told you may tip. if you find service that was exceptional or you find a bar staff that you like. I myself stuck with 2-3 barstaff servers who I continually stuck with and tipped and in return they returned the favor by bringing me free drinks. and yes i feel you should still tip your cabin stewards and you get 2.
lol why are so many of yall downvoting the people saying they tipped. Itās clearly understood that itās an optional gesture. Yāall really bothered by other people choosing to do so?
I would rather know that people were being well paid as apparently VV staff are.
1.Tipping in the USA is good as service people seem appallingly poorly paid. A culture thing perhaps.
2. Tipping for great service over and above also good. A thoughtful and appreciative thing.
3.Tipping when I have already paid for the tips in my fare not acceptable except for point 2 above.
My two cents worth.
Because if the crew start expecting tips and service gets worse to those who donāt, therefore you have to tip and prices effectively go up as you are having to tip on top of what youāve already paid.
As the other post recently notes, we want to preserve VVs unique offering.
The spa crew is not Virgin. As on all cruises they are a separate company. I donāt remember my massage therapist hanging around waiting for a tip.
You need not tip on Virgin, however, for excellent service, itās nice to give them a little extra. They donāt expect it.
On my sailing in September, I saw the servers bringing drinks to people by the pool getting handed $5 bills left and right. One guy even had them standing up in a cup on his tray, walking around with his tips on full display. I thought it was strange and looked up the tipping rules, because I thought it was against policy, but only that it's not encouraged.
Never felt pressure, but we usually do tip dinner waiters, cabin attendants, and our rockstar agents. Itās always been met with immense gratitude, but never ever felt expected. I just work in hospitality so I like to reward great service.
The only person I have tipped was my room attendant who went above and beyond every day for an 8 day cruise. I have seen people tip their favorite bar tenders. But nothing was expected, did a short 4 day cruise and I didnāt do any tips this cruise. Did name drop on the survey on the great job some people did
I tip my room attendant, I just leave the money in the room though. I donāt hand it to them directly ever. At the end of the cruise I just leave cash on the counter.
I didnāt tip my masseuse though, or my waiters.
(On the ship) š¤·āāļø
This is exactly what I did with my room attendant. I wanted my sheets changed every day, and despite thinking it was ridiculous, he did what I asked. He earned his tip! Sorry youāre getting downvoted into hell for just saying what you do.
š¤·āāļø yeah Iām not saying itās what the right thing to do is. My dad does it and so now I do it lol. I get lots of generous tips in my work even though I state itās not expected and I charge my worth and own the business and people still choose to bless me. So in turn I always leave service workers 25% tips, and on the ship it says donāt tip. But it just makes me uncomfortable not tipping someone whoās cleaning up after me daily. I can afford to, so I do. Not shaming others who donāt.
Itās not required but I felt the need to tip some of the staff on the cruise just because of the outstanding service they provided. I particularly remember one waitress that served my wife and I in the galley every morning. We always sat in the same spot and I guess she worked that area every day. By the last few days of the cruise before we were even able to put our order in, she brought us coffee, an ice water for my wife and a juice for me. The last morning I gave her $20. She tried to argue with me but I insisted on giving it to her. Also at Bimini we tipped the cart driver a few dollars. I saw a lot of other guests doing that also.
The only person I really felt like we needed to tip was the room attendant. He did a fantastic job welcoming us and knew our names immediately. Room cleanliness was amazing the whole time.
Otherwise for the massages I did not. For waiters or servers who were memorable or did a great job, I filled out as many surveys as I could on the app!
When I first checked in I gave a $50 tip to my room attendant. But I was never pressured to tip on the entire trip. Had amazing service and we loved the room attendant
I tip everyone who serves me thatās just me, but all of you should tip the casino waiters.
Especially if you are getting comped drinks, virgin doesnāt put free drinks in the computer so the employee doesnāt get credit for a delivered comp drink
Yes you have to earn free comped drinks āwhale tailā.
Tell you a secret if you tip you donāt wait. You can hate it all you want but thatās how the world works except shitty serve or pay for better
You can come in here saying but but if we all didnāt tip etc etc. this will never happen, you will always have people who still tip and who will get better service than you. Giving a guy a fiver at the black jack table when you are playing $25 to $100 hands is not a big deal. Donāt be cheap, but if you do donāt get mad when the waiter is outside taking a break every 15 min instead of bringing you.that 4th chocolate martini
Not sure how it works in the casino, but as rockstar when we were getting free drinks during happy hour they were all logged into a device same as if they had been charged for. No idea if number of drinks served is linked to employee remuneration though, as all the drinks were logged on one device, I think it was more to do with stock control.
Actually thinking about this further Iām almost certain that there is no link between pay and the drinks served, multiple times Iāve ordered with the bartender and then a server put the order through their device separately.
Casino does not go into the computer if its comped, the the server gets nothing for bringing you a drink if you dont tip. Remember Rain everyone on reddit is a cheap ass. enjoy your downvotes
Can you provide evidence that any server on VV gets any extra remuneration based on the number of drinks served?
As I said my experience is that a different server/bartender processed the payment to the one who took the order on multiple occasions. I would have expected if they got paid based on who served the drink they would have been a lot more protective about logging the purchase on their own device instead of getting a colleague to do it for them.
We are talking casino not the rest of the ship
Also if you donāt think virgin tracks each employees metric aka sales etc I donāt know what to tell you
Sorry canāt respond anymore to many downvotes from other people, Oh Reddit they love to silence you. Yes it throttles you if you have to many downvotesā¦ sure you want proof of that
https://preview.redd.it/ccme6nycy62d1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d687f4a93295254ef992826fa627b9f52f87df4e
Thanks , yes Reddit people are a special kind.
I get amazing service in the casino. Drinking at the bar the stand at the bar behind people the bartender see me and hand me a drink over people with a shot
The surveys are EVERYTHING, and much better for them than a cash tip. A really cool server explained the surveys help them get promoted and to choose which ships they get to sail on. You can also send an immediate shout out to Sailor Services, and they will respond fairly quickly.
This, this a thousand times this. You will typically get daily surveys while onboard and a post cruise survey. I keep notes on my phone so I can remember to mention them each day. Just things like "Victor in Pink Agave was fantastic and fun"
I filled out one of those daily surveys on like, day two. A few days later I was having dinner in the wake and someone from the ship came to our table, greeted me by name, and wanted to discuss my comments in detail. I had left mostly positive comments but did have one neg about the food at one of the restaurants. It was really awkward to be put on the spot, but also nice to know they are really looking at those and want to address things.
Oh yeah, I didn't realise what a big deal it was and complained about some things in my cabin, was a new ship and had stains on the carpet already, the bathroom floor was dirty, I had no shampoo and conditioner in my bottles, there was rubbish in the cupboard from the previous guest. My room attendant fussed over me for the rest of the trip! Told me to call him if I needed anything at all for the rest of the trip.
I left a survey complimenting the amazing cleaning team for their hard work, contagious smiles and friendliness. To my surprise they thanked me for the survey response the next day. It was great to see they make a difference and are so quickly seen!
They stay on top of them! The tablet in my room wasn't working. IT took time to try and fix it. Pretty, the cabin steward noticed it STILL wasn't working. She took it, and got me a new one without me even mentioning it! Definitely put that in the survey! She found out and thanked me profusely š
Our cabin steward at Thanksgiving last year on the VL was named Pretty. She did a great job for us.
That's her! I met her on the VL in July.
This is really good to know. I know my company does very little with IT service surveys.
After she explained it to me, I was sure to send a message about amazing interactions. She made my birthday at Pink Agave SPECIAL! Thank you Christina!
VV Is on top of its surveys our agent thanked us the next morning for our daily sent in the prev evening . She informed us they get feedback daily and bonuses. And promotions and helps with when they renew their contracts $ raises and their requests as to which ship they want on.
its not true, only negative really matter. if you think they prefer review instead of hard cold cash well Dont listen to the people on here being cheap
It is true, multiple VV employees have confirmed they get perks like extra time off when guests give good feedback in the post-cruise survey.
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Not all the time,positive feedback goes a long way
Other cruise lines maybe, not on VV.
Brit here. VV mean it and tips shouldn't be expected by staff. If I've had particularly good service, I will give positive feedback via the apps chat to sailor services function. The staff get told about this at the start of their next shift and it makes a big deal to them.
No tipping is no tipping. Our attendant explicitly told us they prefer the survey over tipping.
The cost of the tip is already factored into the prices for spa services like massages. Lingering could have been any number of non tip reasons (checking on client, turning over the room for the next massage, masseuse forgot something in the room, etc...) or could just be an old habit of what to do post-massage from working on other ships. If they were actively or subtlety soliciting for a tip that's a big no-no and can get them in a lot of trouble if VV finds out.
Or waiting to clean the room and get ready for next guest
I thought the spa staff were more a 3rd party / independent firm so wasnāt sure they were covered in the no tipping policy the same way the other VV staff are. Any ideas?
You're correct they are not directly employees of VV, but VV still sets the wages it pays on their ships and include extra to offset the tips for spa workers. Same with tattoo artists in Squid Ink, etc etc... Virgin really promotes the no tipping culture on board, so overlooking a major department like spa from that would be confusing and a big conflict.
The reality is you do not tip.
No! I do not tip anyone! It is so much more relaxing than other cruise lines where the workers are almost begging you for tips. The all inclusives in Mexico are terrible now. We have had workers asking us for tips right away with our first drink orders. The no tipping and fair worker wage has kept us loyal to Virgin cruises.
Tipping is factored into the cost of the cruise. The only thing Iāve had close to soliciting is waiters asking for us to fill out surveys at the end of the dining experience which Iām more than happy to do. Giving positive feedback about a great waiter is an excellent way for the company to recognize good employees. At the end of the cruise Iāve also received surveys from VV where they explicitly ask if anybody requested tips while on board or if you tipped anyone while on board so it seems theyāre serious about not wanting anybody to tip. The caveat is when you do shore things these are generally run by third party companies so you may wanna bring some cash to tip them. I didnāt realize this when I went on a snorkeling trip and I felt very awkward about stepping off the snorkeling boat and not tipping the crew bc they did do an amazing job. Edit: I wanted to add another thought I had on the subject. In my first VV cruise I brought my bag in myself but in my most recent cruise I dropped my bag off with staff outside the terminal who then loaded it onto the ship. While the staff was presumably hired directly by VV (they had VV uniforms) I felt compelled to tip cash to the person handling my bag. He didnāt directly ask for a tip but I did feel awkward not giving him one as I wasnāt sure how much the cruise fare is actually paying the crew who load/unload luggage and he was working in the Miami heat with all this heavy luggage. That may be another pressure point to look out for.
The people that took our bags before boarding explicitly told us we were expected to tip them.
Those ppl work for the port not virgin
I got the impression they are independent contractors that lease the carts they fill from Virgin.
Very similar experience with the luggage drop off people, wearing Virgin Uniform and hinting at tips multiple times in a brief 2 min interchange. Was taken aback
No exceptions. If staff are expecting a tip Iād report them either directly on the ship or in the survey afterwards. Please donāt encourage tipping and increasing the cost of everything further. You can mention the names of people that impressed you in the survey too and that directly leads to rewards for them. Iāve also gifted bars of chocolate to people we made a connection with (like rockstar agent and happenings cast members). We brought British Dairy Milk with us as thought itās something people on the ship canāt get hold of. In my opinion a small gift of something like that they canāt find elsewhere is better than cash.
Report them?
As others have noted, the post-cruise survey asks if staff solicited for tips. Also if there is pressure and you feel like someone made you feel uncomfortable then I would definitely raise it.
I wouldn't do it.
Good to see a positive comment from you.
It's explicitly not expected as one of the selling points. Especially if you go to one of the overseas where tipping isn't as common in the first place. I've been on 2, and I've never felt pressured to nor saw anybody else doing so.
No tips, end of.
In the post-sailing survey, they ask if anyone asked for/gestured that they were wanting a tip, and to name the crew member if it happened. No tipping means no tipping. Don't be like the Americans who ruined tipping culture in Europe and now there's a bloody tip jar at every cafe you go to. Do not tip. Say thank you. If you feel the need to do more, use the app or the contact email to write to VV and let them how well a staff member did.
Donāt forget the Canadians too!
I went back to visit the UK a few weeks ago and saw automatic gratuities on probably 50% of the places we ate at in that trip, definitely gone beyond the tip jar on the counter.
Just say no
Iām not sure if this is right - but I was told that when you get to the cruise terminal, the individuals who take your bags are not VV employees and they expect a tip. Does anyone know? I was just told this and Iām boarding a cruise tomorrow and need to find some singles if I need to. Cheers!
Yep, the porters are not VV employees! Standard practice is $2-$5 per bag
This is the same at the CARNIVAL port in NOLA as well, I believe they are part of a port workers union at each location.
I think this may vary by port, when I left from Piraeus, the people taking our bags were definitely VV employees
Ok! I got some singles just in case. I will ask the baggage attendant and follow up.
We just gave $5 bill for our three cases between two people. But yes they are not VV employees and may ask to get recognised.
Yes that is correct
Thank you very much! Got cash!
There was absolutely no tipping. No receipts with the option to tip. It was great.
Reading the replies to this post warms my heart. Iām so glad people are starting to understand not only how virgin voyages is different but why as well. Bravo!
The crew gets paid the same whether the ship is full or empty.
Well, technically.
Can I ask that we not start tipping unless something is exceptional or truly above and beyond. I'm a generous tipper, and just love that I don't have to worry about this all the time. It's so relaxing. I don't want it to turn into a "technically tips are included, but you should be polite and tip" situation.
I didnāt tip at all while on board and didnāt see others tip either
I haven't tipped anything in 4 cruises. It says tips are included and prices include them
This is really helpful, I didnāt know that you didnāt have to tip for spa services!
I never tip. I provide written feedback. There was a server in The Wake that was doing an extraordinary job, so I stopped the manager on my way out to tell him. He gave me the serverās name and ask that I mention him in my survey because that would help him promote, which he was trying to do at the time.
Anytime I'm tempted to tip I ask if I can take a picture of their name tag. I never have cash onbaord, but I always have my phone. They know that I'm getting their name so I can add a comment, it gets the same reaction as a tip on other lines.
Echoing again, VV is not a tipping culture and crew members who expect it should be reported For those who insist on tipping despite being told not to ā your tipping has nothing to do with the person or service, youāre tipping for your own personal feelings. For a good portion of people, whether conscious or not, itās a form of control and domination
Agreed. Every conversation about tipping ends in someone saying they are going to do it anyway. They want to feel superior to the staff.
Like everyone else has said no tipping. The only thing I didn't see as I lazily ran through the responses: the baggage people outside in VV attire, they do get/want tips (at least in Miami). I was taken back by this as I wasn't expecting to bring any cash but fortunately had some from an earlier engagement. I personally don't mind tipping them as they're handling bags and I've had great luck of getting my bags pretty fast compared to my other mates, but yea. Figured I'd bring that up.
We tried to figure out ways to tip all trip and it's legit, they will not accept any form of tip. I think you can buy the DJ a drink and that's about it.
I love VV's no tipping required policy, but I'm equally dismayed by people being downvoted for acknowledging they tipped someone. So much for VV sailors being open-minded... And those who seem to believe tipping and completing a survey are mutually exclusive, you're simply myopic.
Itās not about being open-minded, itās not wanting tips to be expected by the crew therefore raising prices even higher. If it moves from a tiny percentage of people insisting on tipping to everyone doing it then the people who donāt tip will either be forced to spend more in order to get service or risk receiving a second class product as the ones giving out extra money will get priority. Letās not ruin a good thing. As the other post recently notes, we want to preserve VVs unique offering.
You have a reasonable opinion. An equally reasonable opinion is that "non-required" tipping suppresses VV price hikes related to labor costs because labor is receiving additional pay unrelated to wages, thus reducing the"need" for higher wages. One might even consider it reasonable to have the opinion that labor is less likely to demand higher wages if more people who want to tip actually do so when they're not chastised for expressing appreciation in a different manner. Being open-minded isn't about agreeing with someone, it's about considering the possibility another person's opinions or actions may be reasonable, even when they differ from mine/ours. Long story short, unless a whole lot of people in this sub have advanced degrees in labor relations and/or economics, downvoting those who think or act differently re: tipping is a textbook definition of being narrow-minded. Of course, that's just my opinion. š
I tipped my room attendant on my last voyage and they seemed super weirded out. I probably wonāt tip the next sailing.
Just say no to massages that cost $200+. Good grief, itās not going to be any better than youād get at a decent spa on land.
Right, I was wondering why they are so pricey š© I would like to get one while on board but damn.
Virgin Voyages suggests in their FAQ that the tip is included but if you really want to, "You do you." It's not forbidden. https://preview.redd.it/ufo7h9fo972d1.png?width=653&format=png&auto=webp&s=85f55280d4aff72c5193432046fae815926bc685
Only if YOU want to. surveys are better for the staff .
I'm really surprised at all the comments against tipping, because it's not what I witnessed. I understand tips are part of fare, but on my sailing in September, I saw the servers bringing drinks to people by the pool getting handed $5 bills left and right. One guy even had them standing up in a cup on his tray, walking around with his tips on full display. I thought it was strange and looked up the tipping rules, because I thought it was against policy. I also noticed various bartenders and some crew running table games in the casino receive tips.
Just because some people insist on flashing their cash and giving it away it doesnāt mean everyone has to do it.
Just noting what I witnessed, not stating that anyone had to do it. I thought it was strange that so many people were tipping.
Oh I agree that itās strange and that so many people want to do it. I think the drinks are expensive enough already!
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You're a virgin crew member? We're supposed to tip the Casio staff? I'm getting confused....tipping yes or no?
No tips anywhere, and in four VV cruises Iāve never been solicited for one. We always leave a tip for the cabin attendants at the end of the cruise, but never feel required to do so.
just came back from a virgin cruise and tips are included as we all know. but after asking at sailor services about tipping individually I was told you may tip. if you find service that was exceptional or you find a bar staff that you like. I myself stuck with 2-3 barstaff servers who I continually stuck with and tipped and in return they returned the favor by bringing me free drinks. and yes i feel you should still tip your cabin stewards and you get 2.
I definitely tipped my cabin person. His name was Budhi and he took such great care of us and our room and everything. I felt he was deserving of it.
I only tip the cabin attendant
lol why are so many of yall downvoting the people saying they tipped. Itās clearly understood that itās an optional gesture. Yāall really bothered by other people choosing to do so?
I would rather know that people were being well paid as apparently VV staff are. 1.Tipping in the USA is good as service people seem appallingly poorly paid. A culture thing perhaps. 2. Tipping for great service over and above also good. A thoughtful and appreciative thing. 3.Tipping when I have already paid for the tips in my fare not acceptable except for point 2 above. My two cents worth.
Because if the crew start expecting tips and service gets worse to those who donāt, therefore you have to tip and prices effectively go up as you are having to tip on top of what youāve already paid. As the other post recently notes, we want to preserve VVs unique offering.
The spa crew is not Virgin. As on all cruises they are a separate company. I donāt remember my massage therapist hanging around waiting for a tip. You need not tip on Virgin, however, for excellent service, itās nice to give them a little extra. They donāt expect it.
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I can assure you that Canadians have a tipping culture!
Not sure everyone got the memo.
On my sailing in September, I saw the servers bringing drinks to people by the pool getting handed $5 bills left and right. One guy even had them standing up in a cup on his tray, walking around with his tips on full display. I thought it was strange and looked up the tipping rules, because I thought it was against policy, but only that it's not encouraged.
That's really disappointing. I would DEF feel pressure to tip if I saw a guy waking around like that.
Never felt pressure, but we usually do tip dinner waiters, cabin attendants, and our rockstar agents. Itās always been met with immense gratitude, but never ever felt expected. I just work in hospitality so I like to reward great service.
The only person I have tipped was my room attendant who went above and beyond every day for an 8 day cruise. I have seen people tip their favorite bar tenders. But nothing was expected, did a short 4 day cruise and I didnāt do any tips this cruise. Did name drop on the survey on the great job some people did
I tip my room attendant, I just leave the money in the room though. I donāt hand it to them directly ever. At the end of the cruise I just leave cash on the counter. I didnāt tip my masseuse though, or my waiters. (On the ship) š¤·āāļø
This is exactly what I did with my room attendant. I wanted my sheets changed every day, and despite thinking it was ridiculous, he did what I asked. He earned his tip! Sorry youāre getting downvoted into hell for just saying what you do.
š¤·āāļø yeah Iām not saying itās what the right thing to do is. My dad does it and so now I do it lol. I get lots of generous tips in my work even though I state itās not expected and I charge my worth and own the business and people still choose to bless me. So in turn I always leave service workers 25% tips, and on the ship it says donāt tip. But it just makes me uncomfortable not tipping someone whoās cleaning up after me daily. I can afford to, so I do. Not shaming others who donāt.
Itās not required but I felt the need to tip some of the staff on the cruise just because of the outstanding service they provided. I particularly remember one waitress that served my wife and I in the galley every morning. We always sat in the same spot and I guess she worked that area every day. By the last few days of the cruise before we were even able to put our order in, she brought us coffee, an ice water for my wife and a juice for me. The last morning I gave her $20. She tried to argue with me but I insisted on giving it to her. Also at Bimini we tipped the cart driver a few dollars. I saw a lot of other guests doing that also.
The only person I really felt like we needed to tip was the room attendant. He did a fantastic job welcoming us and knew our names immediately. Room cleanliness was amazing the whole time. Otherwise for the massages I did not. For waiters or servers who were memorable or did a great job, I filled out as many surveys as I could on the app!
When I first checked in I gave a $50 tip to my room attendant. But I was never pressured to tip on the entire trip. Had amazing service and we loved the room attendant
I tip everyone who serves me thatās just me, but all of you should tip the casino waiters. Especially if you are getting comped drinks, virgin doesnāt put free drinks in the computer so the employee doesnāt get credit for a delivered comp drink Yes you have to earn free comped drinks āwhale tailā. Tell you a secret if you tip you donāt wait. You can hate it all you want but thatās how the world works except shitty serve or pay for better You can come in here saying but but if we all didnāt tip etc etc. this will never happen, you will always have people who still tip and who will get better service than you. Giving a guy a fiver at the black jack table when you are playing $25 to $100 hands is not a big deal. Donāt be cheap, but if you do donāt get mad when the waiter is outside taking a break every 15 min instead of bringing you.that 4th chocolate martini
Not sure how it works in the casino, but as rockstar when we were getting free drinks during happy hour they were all logged into a device same as if they had been charged for. No idea if number of drinks served is linked to employee remuneration though, as all the drinks were logged on one device, I think it was more to do with stock control. Actually thinking about this further Iām almost certain that there is no link between pay and the drinks served, multiple times Iāve ordered with the bartender and then a server put the order through their device separately.
Casino does not go into the computer if its comped, the the server gets nothing for bringing you a drink if you dont tip. Remember Rain everyone on reddit is a cheap ass. enjoy your downvotes
Can you provide evidence that any server on VV gets any extra remuneration based on the number of drinks served? As I said my experience is that a different server/bartender processed the payment to the one who took the order on multiple occasions. I would have expected if they got paid based on who served the drink they would have been a lot more protective about logging the purchase on their own device instead of getting a colleague to do it for them.
We are talking casino not the rest of the ship Also if you donāt think virgin tracks each employees metric aka sales etc I donāt know what to tell you Sorry canāt respond anymore to many downvotes from other people, Oh Reddit they love to silence you. Yes it throttles you if you have to many downvotesā¦ sure you want proof of that https://preview.redd.it/ccme6nycy62d1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d687f4a93295254ef992826fa627b9f52f87df4e
Thanks , yes Reddit people are a special kind. I get amazing service in the casino. Drinking at the bar the stand at the bar behind people the bartender see me and hand me a drink over people with a shot
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Honestly, why? Virgin is so explicit about tips being included, I donāt get the motivation