What About the Maitre D.?

[cruisercrash]

Probably discussed before, but we have been on at least a dozen cruises and I only tip the Maitre D. if he does something specifically for me. For example, table adjustments for me, nice tip for him or her. But, in most of our cruises I have found the Maitre D. to be rather officious and useless. I know he manages the staff, but I would rather give extra to the waiters and assistants than give it to someone that seems to be only taking up space. Am I wrong?

[Sargent_Schultz]

You are not wrong.

[spideyfam]

We agree also.

[*Mach*]

I do much the same but I've been on several cruises where the Maitre d' has made it a point to drop by the table, make sure all is well and generally treated me well. Those folks get a tip.

The ones who stand at the podium and act like they're conducting an orchestra don't rate a tip in my opinion.

:)

[Backwoodsdan]

If you want to tip him/her that is great, but I find it offensive that they tell you it is "customary" to give him a tip. I also never liked the CD or MD led cheering sessions for the help.

[norituck]

Probably discussed before, but we have been on at least a dozen cruises and I only tip the Maitre D. if he does something specifically for me. For example, table adjustments for me, nice tip for him or her. But, in most of our cruises I have found the Maitre D. to be rather officious and useless. I know he manages the staff, but I would rather give extra to the waiters and assistants than give it to someone that seems to be only taking up space. Am I wrong?

 

I agree.

[uppitycats]

The last cruise I was on the only time I saw a maitre D was on the last night when he made a point of going table to table to schmooze...and no, he didn't get a tip.

[gaylensgigi]

I agree, I have never tipped the Matre'd before my recent cruise.Always felt the money should go to the servers.

BUT..on this past cruise,we had a huge mixup with our seating,Ken fixed it right away.To us, dinner is the point of the day when we all reconnect and celebrate,so seating is important.He also changed a song schedule for my friend,because it was due on the night we went to the supper club.He sang every night and stopped by the table to make sure everything was good .I have never had that experience with a Carnival Matre'd before,and might not again, but for that extra effort,he did recieve a tip.

If you ever get he chance to be in Kens' dining room(Scarlett on the Dream), do not miss it.

[Crazy4Koko]

We were seated in the lower level of the Posh dining room on our last cruise...not my choice of dining areas..wonder if they saw that our tablemates had an interior room as we had a balcony? :rolleyes:

 

I couldn't have told you who our Maitre d was if my life depended on it. So, no..he didnt get a tip from us.

 

Bar service was lousy, too. Only saw bar staff one time the whole week.....

[cb at sea]

We don't always tip the head waiter---if we don't ever see him, he doesn't get "tipped"...sorry! It's hard to tip someone when you can't recognize or find them!

[UpstateCruizer]

Ken Byrne changed my opinion on Maitre`d's. If Carnival could train them/hire them all as good as he is I wouldn't think twice about tipping them. What a remarkable talented man he is. :) He's the only one that has ever earned a tip in all 6 of our cruises. When we boarded the ship we went to see him at the assigned time to request a table with another couple we had become good friends with prior to sailing. When we asked he acted as if it was the easiest thing in the world to do in fact he said he was giving us one of the best tables in the dining room. It was near the upstairs railing so we could see everything that was happening on the lower level. None of the usual "well I'll try and if I can I'll send a note to your stateroom blah blah" stuff. Simply amazing is all I can think of when he comes to mind. If you have not had the pleasure of sailing with him check out some of the video clips of his performances on you tube :)

[SeaPA1]

I usually tip the maitre d, though sometimes I don't do so to the extent of the 'suggested' amount.

 

When we were on the Inspiration last week, I noticed that they had removed the maitre' d from the tips that are automatically applied to your onboard account. I was somewhat surprised by this & it left me scrambling to get some change to tip him (they did the old "envelope" method that cruiselines had always done up until a couple of years ago).

[mudpievelour]

On our last Conquest sailing we had to change one couple from the back dining room to the front one and change all couples (3) to the same table. The MD did it on the first day with no problem, and when we tried to tip him (afterward) he refused the tip, saying that moving the tables was a part of his job and did not require any further compensation. Now that's a great MD.

[GlendaleCruiser]

I with you all in that I tip the Maitre 'D if he has done anything to help us with table assignments or come by on a regular basis to make sure all is well. Our last MD stopped and asked us specifically if we were seeing the bar waiters and wanted to know how Wilmer and Cynthia were doing. We too the opportunity to rave about their great service and he came by a couple of more times during the 12 days.

 

If I don't see them except for the last night schmooze and they don't help me with table assignment issues, I don't tip them.

[zellers]

We were seated in the lower level of the Posh dining room on our last cruise...not my choice of dining areas..wonder if they saw that our tablemates had an interior room as we had a balcony?

 

I didn't know it makes a difference of where your table-mates cabin is situated to where you get seated in the dining-room :confused: Wonder where the people who have bunks go to eat? :D

[reno3]

If I pre-pay my tips on the Freedom is there a tip for the MD on that?

My last cruise I did not pre-pay but put it on my SC card.

Short story....

On my last cruise we were waiting for the dinningroom to open and there was a couple that had cut-off and flip-flops and the man had on a tank top:cool: I told my husband if the MD lets them in I will not give him a tip.

Well he let them in and even said good evening to them as they passed the podium he was standing at as you entered the dinningroom.

He also never came to our table during the cruise except for the last night:rolleyes:

[Crusin6]

I do much the same but I've been on several cruises where the Maitre d' has made it a point to drop by the table, make sure all is well and generally treated me well. Those folks get a tip.

 

The ones who stand at the podium and act like they're conducting an orchestra don't rate a tip in my opinion.

 

:)

Why tip him for just coming around? Everything should be well and everyone should be treated well, right? Even if he comes around and spends a few minutes talking to us, I still don't tip him. I didn't ask him to stop by, did I?

 

I just don't get the guilt some cruisers have about tipping or not tipping the MD. They are getting paid more...I just think the whole thing is a scam and we fall for it.

[Crusin6]

If I pre-pay my tips on the Freedom is there a tip for the MD on that?

My last cruise I did not pre-pay but put it on my SC card.

Short story....

On my last cruise we were waiting for the dinningroom to open and there was a couple that had cut-off and flip-flops and the man had on a tank top:cool: I told my husband if the MD lets them in I will not give him a tip.

Well he let them in and even said good evening to them as they passed the podium he was standing at as you entered the dinningroom.

He also never came to our table during the cruise except for the last night:rolleyes:

good for you...I would have said the same thing to my DH

[Crusin6]

I didn't know it makes a difference of where your table-mates cabin is situated to where you get seated in the dining-room :confused: Wonder where the people who have bunks go to eat? :D

I believe it does make a difference and I don't think anyone can change my opinion on that.

[Crusin6]

If you want to tip him/her that is great, but I find it offensive that they tell you it is "customary" to give him a tip. I also never liked the CD or MD led cheering sessions for the help.

Customary is what stops us from tipping him as well....as if I have never traveled before and need to be told how to tip....sheesh!:confused:

[Max Circus]

If I pre-pay my tips on the Freedom is there a tip for the MD on that?

My last cruise I did not pre-pay but put it on my SC card.

 

The pre-paid gratuities don't include the MD - no matter when or how you pay them.

 

I agree with the majority. Don't tip the MD unless they have done something special for me such as change my table, get me a new dining time, etc. I really hate it when the CD makes you feel bad if you don't tip the MD. If the MD really needs the tips, then they should add something to the pre-paid ones.

 

My wife raised a good point about this on our recent cruise. If we are asked to tip the MD, why don't they ask us to tip the hotel director? Or the food and beverage manager?

[reno3]

The pre-paid gratuities don't include the MD - no matter when or how you pay them.

 

I agree with the majority. Don't tip the MD unless they have done something special for me such as change my table, get me a new dining time, etc. I really hate it when the CD makes you feel bad if you don't tip the MD. If the MD really needs the tips, then they should add something to the pre-paid ones.

 

My wife raised a good point about this on our recent cruise. If we are asked to tip the MD, why don't they ask us to tip the hotel director? Or the food and beverage manager?

 

 

Thanks for the infomation.

Now I feel better when I pre-pay my tips for my April cruise:D

[rmartin1286]

We were seated in the lower level of the Posh dining room on our last cruise...not my choice of dining areas..wonder if they saw that our tablemates had an interior room as we had a balcony? :rolleyes:

 

So they were supposed to put you at a better table/location because you had a balcony and they had a lowly interior cabin? Why would you think you would get better treatment? It's not a caste system.

[sapphire_407]

You should tip him if he provides a service for you. First thing I do when I get on a ship is to hunt him down and ask him for a table for two. My husband and I are not anti-social, but to have dinner every night with strangers right across the table is risky and one we don't want to take. They always accomodate us so we tip him.

[PROCRUISE]

Probably discussed before, but we have been on at least a dozen cruises and I only tip the Maitre D. if he does something specifically for me. For example, table adjustments for me, nice tip for him or her. But, in most of our cruises I have found the Maitre D. to be rather officious and useless. I know he manages the staff, but I would rather give extra to the waiters and assistants than give it to someone that seems to be only taking up space. Am I wrong?

 

I agree completely. By the way, out of the $10.00 a day you pay for gratuity, $1.00 of that goes to "restaurant management". Isn't that the Maitre D?