All cruise travelers quickly come to realize how hard working crew members can be, and few work harder than the dedicated stateroom stewards. Many passengers enjoy rewarding that hard work and dedication with an extra gratuity, but how should that extra acknowledgement be offered?
A fun trend embraced by many travelers is to use cash bills to spell out “Thank You!” “Thanks!” or other messages of gratitude on the stateroom bed or beds, leaving the money for stewards to find. But not all guests agree with this practice.
“STOP showing these photos John. You are just virtue signaling,” one upset guest wrote to John Heald, Carnival Cruise Line’s Brand Ambassador. “This is outdated, offensive and demeaning. If you are going to give a worker cash, hand it to them or place in an envelope. They are not children. This kind of photo should be trashed, not celebrated.”
Heald responds to several hundred questions, comments, and requests nearly every day via his popular Facebook page, and the subject of tipping and gratuities is a common one.
In response to this particular guest comment, Heald obviously does not share the commenter’s opinion, but is open to what other travelers think of the trend.
“This lady is referring to this photo which I think is, well, simply lovely. And I am sure the cabin attendant was smiling when he saw it and appreciated it so very much,” he said.
Heald does point out that the money crew members earn through their employment with the cruise line allows them to support their families with a far better life than what they might be able to do through other careers. Extra gratuities are always appreciated, however guests may choose to offer them.
The practice of spreading the money out, however, can be very polarizing among travelers. Some view it as cute and whimsical, a fun way to express appreciation.
Other guests, however, consider it making more work for the already hard-working crew to have to “pick up” an extra tip in such a way. Even it if only takes a few moments, that adds one more task to already very busy days.
“Is this lovely way of saying ‘thank you’ wrong?” Heald asked.
Some travelers think the trend is a fun and entertaining one, sure to be pleasant for everyone’s day.
“This is so adorable! And yes, I’m positive it brought a smile to the cabin attendant!”
“Anybody can do an envelope, but they took time to be creative to tell them how much they appreciated them!”
Other cruise guests, however, disagree with trend, even though it may be well-meaning.
“I think while it’s meant as a cute gesture, it’s one more thing for them to clean, and should be handed to the cabin steward or in an envelope.”
“I kind of agree that this is a silly way of giving an adult a tip. Bring a thank you card, write a short personal thank you and put the money in the card. Having the employee scooping up the dollar bills is very impractical and unnecessary.”
Heald also asked whether an extra gratuity should be offered in an envelope or spread over the bed in the word thank you as part of a larger round-up poll.
Of the votes collected, nearly 10 times as many guests believe an envelope or handing the gratuity to the attendant personally is a better choice than writing out words with cash.
Of the more than 50,000 votes cast, 32% (roughly 15,800 votes) prefer an envelope, while just 3% (roughly 1,480 votes) would create a cute sentiment.
Can Giving Gratuities Be a Form of Virtue Signaling?
Part of the issue and why this trend can be controversial is the idea of whether or not it is virtue signaling and more about the guest’s reputation rather than actually showing gratitude to the stateroom attendant.
Read Also: Carnival Cruise Gratuities – How Much and Why?
Virtue signaling is the act of using social media to show how good one is with posts, comments, or photos that supposedly demonstrate one’s high moral stance or highlight positive noteworthy actions. Ultimately, virtue signaling in itself is not seen as a positive trait.
“I left my cabin steward a $100 in an envelope with a thank you note. I don’t need to glorify my tipping to make myself feel important.”
“I think its a great way to bless a worker, but I like to bless people in secret and not telling everyone what I did.”
“The person is tipping this way, taking this photo, and sharing it with the world to show how great THEY are, not how great their steward is, in my opinion.”
If you leave extra gratuities for a stateroom steward, how do you do it? Share your “tip tips” on the Cruise Hive boards!
