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Thread: Tipping Youth Counselors

  1. #1
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    Tipping Youth Counselors

    I know that the Youth Counselors are not in traditional tipped positions, but that it's customary to tip them in the form of gift cards, right? Target, Walmart, phone cards, that sort of thing, right? What about iTunes?

    How do you know who to give a gift card to, which ones were most helpful for your child or who they might have interacted with most?

    Or if we give a gift card to one are we supposed to give a gift card to them all? Wouldn't that last option get a bit expensive? How do we know ahead of time how many there are, what amount to give?

    Any advice from past cruisers who have done this would be most appreciated.

    Karin


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    I was wondering about how to tip them as well. I was thinking of a gift basket they could share, was not sure yet what to put in it though. I had not heard about the gift card thing, and your child and mine are small so I don't think we can just ask "ok and who was the most helpful to you?" I am sure my daughter would just point out the most fun and out there counselor, but that might not be the one worked with her the most.


  4. #3
    Read Everything-Assume Nothing GusMan's Avatar
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    Just wondering - where did you hear that it is customary to tip the youth staff? I know we never have in the past.

    For one, what do you give them and to whom do you give them to? The kids interact with many of them throughout the trip and it would be rather difficult to be fair about it.

    We know that the dining wait staff and the stateroom staff are tipped positions, but I never heard about tipping others such as counselors, etc. That's not saying that a nice gesture is not appreciated, but at the same time, you kinda have to draw the line somewhere. Otherwise, you would tip everyone you meet since everyone is helpful and friendly.

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  5. #4

    On our past cruise our family (okay my Mom) became pretty chummy with one of the CMs in the Lab who went above and beyond with her Grandkids. We were on an excursion. A CM from the Lab was on his own personal time and still he made sure that her Grandkids on the Grand Cayman Sting Ray City Excursion were having the time of their lives.

    Long story short my Mom was very impressed with this young man. When we got back on the ship she went to the Lab & asked to speak with whoever was in charge to express her gratitude. The supervisor thanked my Mom and pointed out that if she really wanted to express her gratitude for this young man she would write a nice comment on the comment cards handed out at the end of the cruise naming him personally. Apparently the CMs earn shore leave and extra down time when they receive positive comment cards about them. My Mom made sure all of us filled in this CMs name with positive comments. She also followed it up with a hand written letter she attached to her comment card.

    This might be a nice thank you if you feel someone went above and beyond with your children. In the case of younger children who might not express to you who their favorite CMs were I would consider who made you feel comfortable leaving your child for a while to enjoy some adult time. As a former Child Care Center Director I can speak of experience and tell you that making parents feel comfortable leaving their little ones is sometimes more difficult then dealing with the little ones separation fears. As a Mom I know its worth my childs weight in gold to know that when I leave my kids they are safe, happy, adjusted and well taken care of. If someone takes those extra steps when both dropping off and filling me in on what they did during my absence it tells me they are paying attention to my childs needs. These extra steps make me feel comfortable leaving which in turn allows me to relax and enjoy my precious little non-Mommy time.

    Mily


  6. #5
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    There is no specific tipping structure for the kids counselors, and there is no obligation to tip them. Some people like to recognize CMs who do above and beyond with their kids (like momofthree's mom). My understanding is that they cannot accept cash (I don't think they can even do it under the Refuse Three Times First concept). Thats' why some people bring along Walmart gift cards, or Phone Cards, etc. But don't ever feel like you are obligated to tip them.

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  7. #6
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    Chocolate made them VERY happy!! and of course, we did mention them on the comment card.

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  8. #7
    Read Everything-Assume Nothing GusMan's Avatar
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    It is always a good idea to provide feedback via the feedback cards. They take the feedback seriously, regardless if it is positive or negative.

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