Tipping the concierge?

[yogimax]

I pay my tips on my seapass account so if there was a suggested amount it would be there and it's not. So no, I don't tip the concierge, nor do I tip the captain or the cruise director.

 

Here's the difference...

 

Neither the captain nor the cruise director provides PERSONAL service directly to you. The concierge does.

[marci22]

If I was a suite passenger, $20 -$50 for a one week cruise, depending on how often I used the lounge. Now that the Diamond lounge will be charging for most drinks, I will have to reevaluate the tipping as I am assuming the 25% off drinks will come with a bar service fee of 15% already included. We'll have to wait to find out.

[steponboard]

Here ya go Concierge Tipping

 

Please read all 4 pages.

No where is there proof of what the concierge earns, just rumor about the concierge's salary. I think too many people spend too much time wondering about things that are none of their business. Who earns what is not our business. If everyone tipped the suggested amounts as I do they would have met their obligations. Tipping extra is above and beyond which is a personal choice but shouldn't be treated as a given or something that should be done.

[steponboard]

Here's the difference...

 

Neither the captain nor the cruise director provides PERSONAL service directly to you. The concierge does.

The captain certainly does. He invites me to the welcome back party and shakes my hand on the way in and has cocktails served at his party. He has invited me to dine with him on a few occasions which includes wine and a special menu.

[cruisenfever]

The captain certainly does. He invites me to the welcome back party and shakes my hand on the way in and has cocktails served at his party. He has invited me to dine with him on a few occasions which includes wine and a special menu.

Does this mean we should tip the Captain because he did something personal for us like invite us to a party and shake our hand? :D Remember not everybody gets invited to dine at the Captain's Table during a cruise.

[steponboard]

Does this mean we should tip the Captain because he did something personal for us like invite us to a party and shake our hand? :D Remember not everybody gets invited to dine at the Captain's Table during a cruise.

If you want to you can but my response was to yogimax regarding personal service. YOU didn't post the FACTS about where to find the concierges salary so I we knowit is rumor.

Tipping the concierge is a personal choice and I'm not going to debate the good the bad and the ugly, the OP asked who tips and I answered and you won't change my mind. If people can't answer a question without everyone trying to inflict their opinion on someone else these blogs will become useless.

[wolfganghowell]

Stepon - thanks for turning a civilized thread discussing varying amounts of appropriate tipping into a contentious debate on tipping them at all.

 

I don't believe any concierge has foisted "sob stories" on passengers. Many experienced cruisers are aware of cutbacks through general conversations and even travel related news reporting.

 

I have personally received the tipping form that does have the concierge on it with no recommended guideline. We have tipped based on our usage of the facility, our interactions with the concierge and have tipped cash to the waiters who directly served us.

[cruisenfever]

If you want to you can but my response was to yogimax regarding personal service. YOU didn't post the FACTS about where to find the concierges salary so I we knowit is rumor.

Tipping the concierge is a personal choice and I'm not going to debate the good the bad and the ugly, the OP asked who tips and I answered and you won't change my mind. If people can't answer a question without everyone trying to inflict their opinion on someone else these blogs will become useless.

You can call it a rumor...............we know it as fact because it has been told to us by more than one Concierge. Now, I don't think that all of the Concierge's got together and decided to invent a sob story to get more tips. When I saw it on our Tipping Form that we received in our cabin on Splendour back in March/April of 2008..........that's was all the proof I needed.

 

Stepon - thanks for turning a civilized thread discussing varying amounts of appropriate tipping into a contentious debate on tipping them at all.

 

I don't believe any concierge has foisted "sob stories" on passengers. Many experienced cruisers are aware of cutbacks through general conversations and even travel related news reporting.

 

I have personally received the tipping form that does have the concierge on it with no recommended guideline. We have tipped based on our usage of the facility, our interactions with the concierge and have tipped cash to the waiters who directly served us.

Thanks Karen............when you have sailed on a particular ship many times, as we have on Radiance, you get to know the staff and crew pretty well. What we have learned is not rumored it is fact.

[jackdiamond]

Assuming, arguendo, that that person does a good job, I personally believe that $3.50-$4.00, per day is not sufficient.

[TexasHorseLady]

Tipping the Concierge, as well as the Concierge Bar Tender is definitely tricky. There doesn't appear to be any clear standard.

 

 

OK this might be a stupid question - but please humor me. :D

I think of the "concierge" as the person sitting at the Concierge Desk. Everywhere I go, on ship or on land, that's the Concierge there at the desk handing out maps or getting us tickets to some event. But I see all these mentions of the Concierge serving drinks. Could someone please explain what the nice lady from the Concierge Desk is doing over there behind the bar?

[Host Kewlguy]

OK this might be a stupid question - but please humor me. :D

I think of the "concierge" as the person sitting at the Concierge Desk. Everywhere I go, on ship or on land, that's the Concierge there at the desk handing out maps or getting us tickets to some event. But I see all these mentions of the Concierge serving drinks. Could someone please explain what the nice lady from the Concierge Desk is doing over there behind the bar?

 

The concierge is in the concierge lounge. Not sure who you are talking about. Maybe the loyalty ambassador or someone from guest relations.

[TexasHorseLady]

The concierge is in the concierge lounge. Not sure who you are talking about. Maybe the loyalty ambassador or someone from guest relations.

 

?? No idea what that means.

I have never sailed RCI, I just joined in the conversation because I thought tipping a concierge was an interesting topic. But I am beginning to suspect the word "Concierge" means something altogether different on RCI ships than it does in the whole rest of the world. :rolleyes:

Here is what Wikipedia says a Concierge is. Not a word about bartending!

"A concierge assists guests with various tasks like making restaurant reservations, arranging for spa services, recommending nightclubs, booking transportation (limousines, airplanes, boats, etc.), procurement of tickets to special events and assisting with various travel arrangements and tours of local attractions. In upscale establishments, a concierge is often expected to "achieve the impossible", dealing with any request a guest may have, no matter how strange, relying on an extensive list of contacts with local merchants and service providers."

[cruisenfever]

OK this might be a stupid question - but please humor me. :D

 

I think of the "concierge" as the person sitting at the Concierge Desk. Everywhere I go, on ship or on land, that's the Concierge there at the desk handing out maps or getting us tickets to some event. But I see all these mentions of the Concierge serving drinks. Could someone please explain what the nice lady from the Concierge Desk is doing over there behind the bar?

 

?? No idea what that means.

 

I have never sailed RCI, I just joined in the conversation because I thought tipping a concierge was an interesting topic. But I am beginning to suspect the word "Concierge" means something altogether different on RCI ships than it does in the whole rest of the world. :rolleyes:

 

Here is what Wikipedia says a Concierge is. Not a word about bartending!

 

"A concierge assists guests with various tasks like making restaurant reservations, arranging for spa services, recommending nightclubs, booking transportation (limousines, airplanes, boats, etc.), procurement of tickets to special events and assisting with various travel arrangements and tours of local attractions. In upscale establishments, a concierge is often expected to "achieve the impossible", dealing with any request a guest may have, no matter how strange, relying on an extensive list of contacts with local merchants and service providers."

The Concierge on a ship is not the same as a Concierge that has a special desk in the lobby of a hotel. I guess Wikipedia isn't familiar with a Concierge that works on a cruise ship.

 

On Radiance, Voyager, Freedom and Oasis class ships, there is a Concierge Lounge that is available to suite guests and Diamond Plus Members (those folks with 24 cruise credits and above).

 

In the lounge is where you will find the Concierge who is there in the mornings and in the evenings for cocktail hour. The Concierge is the one that will make reservations for you at the Specialty Restaurants or spa appointments or anything else that might need attending to.

 

In the evenings during the hours of 5-8:30PM in the Concierge Lounge is a complimentary cocktail hour where the Concierge is in charge. He/she will serve you wine, champagne, beer, soft drink or mix a cocktail for you.............hence taking charge of the bar.

[TexasHorseLady]

The Concierge on a ship is not the same as a Concierge that has a special desk in the lobby of a hotel. I guess Wikipedia isn't familiar with a Concierge that works on a cruise ship.

 

On Radiance, Voyager, Freedom and Oasis class ships, there is a Concierge Lounge that is available to suite guests and Diamond Plus Members (those folks with 24 cruise credits and above).

 

In the lounge is where you will find the Concierge who is there in the mornings and in the evenings for cocktail hour. The Concierge is the one that will make reservations for you at the Specialty Restaurants or spa appointments or anything else that might need attending to.

 

In the evenings during the hours of 5-8:30PM in the Concierge Lounge is a complimentary cocktail hour where the Concierge is in charge. He/she will serve you wine, champagne, beer, soft drink or mix a cocktail for you.............hence taking charge of the bar.

 

 

Thanks, that does explain things. But is it just a thing they do on RCI ships? I have sailed a few cruiselines (usually Regent) but I have never heard of a Concierge Lounge.

[Host Kewlguy]

Thanks, that does explain things. But is it just a thing they do on RCI ships? I have sailed a few cruiselines (usually Regent) but I have never heard of a Concierge Lounge.

 

Royal Caribbean is the only cruise line at the moment that I'm aware of that has anything similar to a concierge lounge. Royal's sister line Celebrity Cruises just also started offering a two hour complimentary cocktail hour in Michael's Club which in some ways is similar to the concierge lounge. Except for the fact that the hours for the cocktail hour are from 4:00 pm until 6:00 pm which many find inconvenient, especially those with late dinner seating.