Thinking of Tipping Crew With a Gift Card? Carnival Says It’s Not That Simple
Key Aspects:
Gift cards can be used as extra gratuities for crew members, but not all gift cards are appropriate.
Carnival crew members cannot make use of Carnival Cruise Line gift cards in any way.
Other gift cards are acceptable, but guests should be careful with which ones they may offer.
Many cruise guests generously tip extra to crew members who offer extraordinary service, such as their cabin attendants, dining room team, or favorite bartenders. But how can those extra tips be offered?
Cash is king, of course, but if guests want to offer a significant tip or just don’t feel comfortable carrying higher amounts of cash, how about a gift card?
One guest reached out to Carnival Cruise Line’s brand ambassador, John Heald, asking about whether or not crew members would be able to use gift cards.
“We always take gift cards and add to our Sail and Sign account,” the guest noted. “If we were to leave [our] steward a $100 gift card can they use it onboard?”
The question is an intriguing one. Offering gift cards would be an easier way to offer generous gratuities without the need for large sums of cash or if one’s cash might run low toward the end of the cruise. The answer, however, depends on the type of gift card.
“That is absolutely very, very lovely of you,” Heald replied. “If this is a Carnival Cruise Line gift card, I’m afraid they can’t really utilize this. I’m so sorry.”
The same restriction would likely apply to any cruise line, and crew members would be unable to use gift cards from their own cruise line. Fortunately, there are many other types of gift cards that could be useful.
“If it’s not a Carnival Cruise Line gift card that you are mentioning then yes, I’m sure they will be able to use it,” Heald said. “Thank you for being so generous and kind.”
Cruise Planning: Calculate and Compare Cruise Gratuities
Pre-paid Visa or similar general use gift cards would likely be the most versatile for crew members to use on whatever purchases or expenses they may have. Amazon gift cards might also be very popular, because crew members could have purchases delivered to their homeports or might even send gifts home to their families.
Other fun options might be gift cards for fast food restaurants or retailers in ports of call where crew members might have time for a break.
Unique Tips Can Cause Controversies
Guests who might consider gift cards as extra gratuities should be aware that there could be problems with them. Monthly fees, for example, could make the gift card less valuable for crew members, especially if they are not able to use it quickly. Gift cards for retailers or restaurants crew members may not like are also less useful.
Cruise Hive has previously reported on some tipping controversies, such as the practice of laying out cash in different words or patterns. While the generosity is appreciated, there is some argument that it is less than a professional way to thank crew members and might actually make more work for them.
Another unique option is offering $2 bills as a gratuity, which are very welcome and considered especially lucky by many crew members.
Of course, while any extra gratuity is certainly appreciated, it is never expected and guests should not feel obligated to offer any additional gratuity, gift, or other token.
Carnival Cruise Line is firm that guests have the ability to adjust automatic gratuities at their discretion, a policy that has no plans to change.
A sincere thank you, a kind word, and positive reviews either on the post-cruise survey or sent to John Heald through his popular Facebook page are other ways to thank crew members for all the fantastic service they provide.
Thinking of Tipping Crew With a Gift Card? Carnival Says It’s Not That Simple