anytime dining- a different tipping question

[oceanseagle12]

OK, at the risk of opening a hornet's nest...

 

I will be doing anytime dining. I have read on here that the dining tips for each day, are given to the server you get for that day.

 

What I am curious about it what happens on the days I don't go the MDR? This isn't a "do I have to tip" thread, or anything like that. I just would like to know where my money is going.

[firefly333]

Not trying to open a can of worms either ... but since they dont write down who sits at what table in any time dining .... how would they give it particularly to your server in particular?

 

I assumed they pooled the tips for any time dining.

[oceanseagle12]

it is all computerized. when you check in, you tell them your cabin number(s), and it is recorded, because you could come back the next day and say, I'd like the same crew, and they'd do it. They also know who you ate with- say, if you have multiple cabins coming at the same time.

 

On the Liberty, by day three, they didn't even ask me the other cabin that was with us.

[bunyababy]

Not trying to open a can of worms either ... but since they dont write down who sits at what table in any time dining .... how would they give it particularly to your server in particular?

 

I assumed they pooled the tips for any time dining.

 

fire.....what you said makes perfect sense to me too. The only way to do this is to pool the tips. Even when you are dining at an assigned table, your waiter gets his or her portion of the tip regardless of whether you eat there that evening or not. This would explain the reasoning behind still having to "commit" to one form or another of your dining choice at the time of booking your cruise!......Very good "Dear Watson"!! :D;)

 

Smiles, Connie

[UpstateCruizer]

it is all computerized. when you check in, you tell them your cabin number(s), and it is recorded, because you could come back the next day and say, I'd like the same crew, and they'd do it. They also know who you ate with- say, if you have multiple cabins coming at the same time.

 

On the Liberty, by day three, they didn't even ask me the other cabin that was with us.

 

 

That's how it was for us when we tried it as well. They asked for our S&S card and put our number into their system for the table we sat at. When we requested to change to traditional dining later that night they again took our card and knew exactly where we had been sitting.

 

Op good question as to what happens on the nights you don't eat in the dining room when you are doing anytime dining. It would seem they'd pool those tips with the anytime dining staff but no clue how it really works.

[oceanseagle12]

grr.. if the search functions were working better, I'd be able to find the other threads I read about it.

[firefly333]

fire.....what you said makes perfect sense to me too. The only way to do this is to pool the tips. Even when you are dining at an assigned table, your waiter gets his or her portion of the tip regardless of whether you eat there that evening or not. This would explain the reasoning behind still having to "commit" to one form or another of your dining choice at the time of booking your cruise!......Very good "Dear Watson"!! :D;)

 

Smiles, Connie

 

Someone else said they do keep track the whole time of which table you eat at. wow. good to know. Always learning.

 

OP dont have a clue, as I dont really like anytime dining. We are early dining fans. If I wait to eat, I start snacking and then dont want dinner. bad girl.

[oceanseagle12]

LOL fire. Well you can eat at 5:45 with anytime dining! :D

[MrPete]

Look at it this way.

 

The meal you aren't served by the servers you are tipping, they are serving someone else.

 

The servers that are serving YOU are being tipped by the pax assign to tip THEM.

 

The servers assigned to you that are serving other pax are being tipped by you.

 

This way every one gets served, and every one gets tipped.

[oceanseagle12]

Mr. Pete-

that doesn't really answer the question.

 

Since I don't have an assigned server, your comment about them serving someone else doesn't apply.

[salty dingo]

Someone else said they do keep track the whole time of which table you eat at. wow. good to know. Always learning.

 

OP dont have a clue, as I dont really like anytime dining. We are early dining fans. If I wait to eat, I start snacking and then dont want dinner. bad girl.

Correct. We just returned from Miracle and had anytime dining. When you get to the hostess you tell her your room number and she pulls up the record on the computer. She also assigns your table, so it's very possible they add that table to your record for distributing the tips. I did not look at the computer once I gave the room number.

 

We were very happy with the anytime dining.

 

The best part was when we arrived a couple minutes prior to the late seating. There was a long line of people waiting for their seating to begin, and we just walked to the front of the line and were immediately seated.

[mcarlson]

I don't always go to the MDR and posted this question before one of my cruises.... why/who am I tipping if I don't even use this service. I was informed that the dining staff that is tipped are also the ones serving me on the Lido deck. So basically whoever is feeding me is getting a portion of these tips. If you take the time you will notice that the people who serve you in the MDR are also on the Lido during the day, etc. It all works out in the end from what I understand.

[oceanseagle12]

mcarlson- I know about that. The difference between regular and anytime dining, is that with regular, your tip is going to a specific person- tips are not pooled as some like to say.

 

With anytime dining, you aren't assigned anyone. So my question is where does the money go? It has been reported here that it goes to whatever wait staff you wind up with each day, but that doesn't tell you what happens when you don't eat there. If they are pooled, that's fine with me, but I'd like to know.

[salty dingo]

So my question is where does the money go? It has been reported here that it goes to whatever wait staff you wind up with each day, but that doesn't tell you what happens when you don't eat there. If they are pooled, that's fine with me, but I'd like to know.

I don't know, but I think a certain portion of the automatic gratuity is reserved for the alternative dining. So on the nights you do not eat in the MDR, maybe the money for that night goes into the pool for alternative dining.

 

At dinner the evening after we ate at the supper club, the hostess greeted us and asked us how our dinner was the previous night at Nick & Nora's. They obviously had that in the computer.

 

I belive they are tracking a lot more than we may realize. I don't think we need to be very concerned about where the tip money goes. Nice to know, maybe, but not really important to the passenger.

[oceanseagle12]

that makes sense dingo.

[Nunu]

I don't think we need to be very concerned about where the tip money goes.

 

I agree. I'm sure they have it all figured out.

[salty dingo]

I agree. I'm sure they have it all figured out.

We had one particular waiter a couple of nights, and we really would have given her an extra tip in a traditional dining situation, but I did not think it was necessary with only having her for two nights.

 

So in that respect, maybe the wait staff does get less tips when they go through the anytime rotation. But since they rotate, it comes out equally for everyone.

[Curious Cruiser 313]

Thanks for all the info on anytime dining tipping. I was just curious, when you tip your server extra in cash, do you just leave it on the table like in a land restaurant or is it better to hand it to them directly like when they bring desert?

[gargoyle999]

The best part was when we arrived a couple minutes prior to the late seating. There was a long line of people waiting for their seating to begin, and we just walked to the front of the line and were immediately seated.

 

I may have to try that one night on our cruise leaving Friday...just for the fun of it!! :D

[oceanseagle12]

Someone asked John Heald on his blog. He is saying the tips are pooled among the head waiters assigned to anytime dining- not assigned to whoever served you each night, as previously posted (and repeated by me here). That remains the case when you don't eat in the MDR.

 

Here is the full post:

 

Eric Asked:

Hi John, Please Reply.

Looks like the bloggers cruise is great fun, I hope to join you for one sometime soon.

My question is in regards to tipping. I hear so many things so I figured I would ask you for the “correct version”. I understand a portion of the daily tip allowance goes to the dining room staff. On our upcoming cruise we will be doing Anytime Dining (which I LOVE – utilized this option on the Liberty in August). On this cruise I will be taking my 7 year old son for his first cruise. We most likely will not end up dining in the dining room each night. I can only assume that your tip goes to the server you have each night, which I know can vary when doing Anytime Dining. If we do not end up in the dining room every night where does the tip go?

Kye looks beautiful, so glad you will be home soon spending quality time with her! I look forward to this blog every day and enjoy sharing the “kid appropriate” portions with my son! He looks forward to the videos. He is bummed out that you will not be joining us on the pride in February.

Happy Holidays!

John Says:

Hello Eric

We are indeed having fun on the bloggers cruise and I hope that the next time we hold one that you will be able to join us. Anytime Dining continues to become more and more popular and thanks so much for asking about the tipping. The daily rate of $3.50 per day per person that you put on your Sail and Sign card is pooled amongst all the team head waiters that are assigned to anytime dining. This is because you are likely to have a variety of wait staff during the cruise. If you do not use the dining room the money will still be paid into the pool unless you tell us to cancel the daily rate that represents the number of days you do not eat dinner there. This is done via the Information Desk…….sorry…………Guest Services Desk………..still can’t get used to that name. I am glad you are enjoying the blog and thanks so much for the kind words for my family. I wish you all a wonderful cruise and my best wishes to the family.

John

[cb at sea]

If you tip the suggested amount, to the suggested folks, you don't have to worry about tipping anyone else....even if you don't use your "assigned" server's service, you ARE eating somewhere....

they have this worked out...just tip the folks they tell you to, and don't worry about the rest...they all get a "cut" of all the tips, anyway.

[oceanseagle12]

cbatsea- thanks for your "advice." If you read the title, or the rest of the thread, you would see that I am not talking about an assigned server. I simply wanted to know where my money is going. I understand that this may not be information you care to know, but I do. Thanks again for your help.

[Kurbanfan]

I would think that is the only way it would work.......to pool it.

I know that is how they do anytime on Princess.......makes sense....

Another reason they don't allow traditional diners to use anytime........their tips go to their assigned waiters......

The cruiselines know what they are doing and do it well.....