Kay S

The grill version on the deck will not have the pricey burger.

Just one of their Elite perk scale backs. There will be more, you can be sure.

As they say, hold on to your wallet.

Welcome to Cruise Critic. 🙂

"We need to improve our loyalty programs." Good for them. They seem to recognize that former (read: older) customers are worth something.

I think this has been true long before "these days."

The nicest Loo Lady I ever met was in St Petersburg. She didn't speak English and I didn't speak Russian, but she took a couple of Euros instead of the local currency, and she walked with me to the available loo. (It was a weird maze with lots of unhelpful signs in Russian.) I guess it's not a tip in that circumstance. It's a fee. Russia had some of the cleanest washrooms I've ever seen.

I'm sorry your daughter's feelings were hurt. However, this is standard operating procedure for servers and children. I have taken lots of cruises with kids in tow, and the servers ALWAYS make a giant fuss over them and call them pet names. On one cruise my granddaughter was "Fruit Salad" because that's all she ate. On another cruise, she was "LIttle Darling" and the waiter carried her all over the dining room. (She was a toddler, and I don't know that practice would fly today.) Don't go to any Disney venue because it's Princess this and Princess that to every little girl everywhere. I guess I don't see how that waiter was a disgrace since he was doing what he always does with every child. (BTW, this never has anything to do with tipping.) Edited to add: I guess it's possible you thought your daughter was the only child the waiter was "treating like royalty," but that seems an unlikely level of naivety for a seasoned adult cruiser.

I remember him.. It was the Ruby, 2008, I think. Great pianist.

Most Princess passengers are polite and friendly. It's only on these boards that the ugly comes out. I guess I'll never figure out why some people think YouTube is real life. Or why it's helpful to insult whole groups of people based on that. Especially people who admit they have never set foot on a Carnival ship. It's some psychological or self esteem thing, I suppose.

Why?

Yep. My argument is about tipping in America. Restaurant workers in America are not paid a living wage (in most cases). They rely on tips to live. That is the culture. Cruise ships are a little different in that they are not always floating idle in American waters. However, when a ship leaves from an American port, filled with lots of Americans, the tipping culture is likely to be American. You will also see that elsewhere in this thread I have encouraged the "When in Rome" approach. When in Sydney, do not tip the waiters. Or in Tokyo or even Lincolnshire.

Okay, my memory is sketchy, but wasn't SHARE more? Like $10 more? Has that thing gone from the Ruby?

I notice in the International Cafe sometimes they will have GF labels on some things.

🤣 Ask wowzz.

Because it is hard to operate my wheelchair when I have a bottle of wine in my hand. You ask the strangest question sometimes.

In the olden days, we didn't have a drink package. Now, DH is not thrilled with the by-the-glass selection.

Good question. Restaurants on land tend to have regular customers. That is of course different from a cruise ship. Restaurants in the same cities get most of the same customers over time, and word spreads among the restaurant's staffs. My point is that big tippers tend to get good service (over time) and bad tippers get the opposite. It's an American thing, so I don't expect you to fully appreciate it.

I know you don't tip. You follow the customs of your country. Nothing wrong with that. You do you. I'm curious, though, about "throwing dollars notes about" being "crass." Do these people toss the money at the waiter? Do they stand up and announce "I'm tipping extra"? How do you know who is tipping and who isn't? If the customer hands the server a dollar bill quietly, who would know other than the customer and the server? I would agree that making a scene about one's largesse might be tacky, but is that what's happening? In the old days of cruise cards, it was necessary to sign for each drink. There was a spot on the receipt where one could add a tip (or not). DH always added a tip. He certainly didn't stand up and announce it, but he was always happy to do it. He's a generous person. He's also an American. He does him. Now he slips the waiter a bill, and he does it quietly because he is afraid of the harsh judgement of people like you. I think he's wonderful and I think the world needs more kind people just like him.

Define "snippy." I am genuinely excited that there is yet another tipping thread because they are so entertaining. I also enjoy dress code threads. Good clean fun reading these. And what is not constructive about saying tipping experiences are subjective?

Thong. Okay, I'm sorry. 😜

Oh how exciting! Another tipping thread! I know the subject is cruise lines, but my daughter who waited tables for years (through high school, college, and graduate school) says big tippers get better service in restaurants. That's her experience. I don't see the harm done if someone thinks he gets better service if he tips. I don't see the harm done if someone thinks it makes no difference. One's experience is always subjective. However, this is a tipping thread, so let the games begin.

Sample size of one isn't a valid scientific study. I don't want to argue with Thrak or Pirate, but I am willing to agree with both of them that what they experienced was true for each of them. This thread started out as a question about tipping (always dangerous!) and I have seen a few answers why it might be a good thing, or not, that have nothing to do with the size of the pour. (Poor wowzz could throw his back out lugging around all those heavy Euros! A hard-working waiter might be able to send an extra couple of dollars home to his family.)

Standard procedure for us was always sit, look at wine list, order from our own waiter, get the bottle pretty fast and then leave any leftover with the waiter to get at our next dinner. Traditional dining... Sigh... On the Majestic after the pause, we tried to do this, but like everything else on that cruise, it was a nightmare. Different waiter every night who had no clue what we were talking about. Our solution was to drink the whole bottle at one sitting. Getting a glass to carry in to the MDR was not an option for me. The lines were long and the dining foyers were packed with jostling guests. Club Class this time, so I'm hoping it will work out.

One word: curtains. 🙂 We have a mini suite two deck down sort of just beyond the end of the glass walk, and I guess I'll go check to see what's up. I keep the curtains open during the day so I can enjoy the view (even in port!) but no need for them at night. I will report back.