Tipping twice at specialty restaurants ?

[uppitycats]

Don't all wait staff pool tips regardless of what dining room they work in?

 

 

I am an American..and this is my impression as well. It's not like the waiters in the specialty restaurants only work in those restaurants -- I see them in all the other venues around the ship. So -- if there was exceptional service -- then I'll tip extra, in cash. But generally we have received "exceptional service" in both specialty restaurants and in the MDR, so I've only done this once, when he brought -- unordered -- an anniversary cake when he heard our table discussion that it was our anniversary. (We hadn't told the cruise line, hadn't made any sort of formal mention of it.).

[Tak8]

Just off The Ruby Princess and there was a line for gratuity for both specialty restaurants. If the service is good or better than good, I tip. I also tend to give additional money to the staff at the end of the cruise.

[tenpin]

Once again we are now starting to tip on top of the tips already in place how long before we tip, those we have tipped before, then tip them again because we think we should. then tip those who deserve a bit more,

 

According to most cruise lines that have fixed gratuites, then are shared solely between all members of the crew except salaried staff.

[jfv379]

I have had to run back to the cabin a few times. ;)

 

We were going to add the tip in the space provided on the bill, at the Crown Grill on the Crown Princess.

 

Without going into detail, our server asked if we could tip in cash.

 

I had to go back to the cabin for cash but I didn't run.

[steponboard]

The surcharge includes the tip so there's no need to tip more. You have also tipped for the MDR because it was automatically added to your daily account. Some people just like to keep tipping and tipping and I'm sure the staff likes it but thinks we're a bunch of suckers.

[MTJSR]

Princess is certainly not going to say a word or attempt to stop people throwing money around, but you have already tipped by paying the surcharge. You have also paid for a meal you are not eating that night in the main dinning room. And paying for that service team as well. The specialty restaurant meal could turn out to be the most expensive meal of your life, if you get out of control. In my second life, I want to come back as one of these waiters. They must get huge hourly wages serving american tourists:eek:

[Colo Cruiser]

Princess is certainly not going to say a word or attempt to stop people throwing money around, but you have already tipped by paying the surcharge. You have also paid for a meal you are not eating that night in the main dinning room. And paying for that service team as well. The specialty restaurant meal could turn out to be the most expensive meal of your life, if you get out of control. In my second life, I want to come back as one of these waiters. They must get huge hourly wages serving american tourists:eek:

 

What if you end up being the one that refused the tip? :eek:

[justluv2cruisewithhubby]

We noticed that on the slip there was no area for tipping in the speciality restaurants, so we also ran back to our room and grabbed some cash to give to the waiter.

[cruisemom42]

We tip because we are very blessed and don't even miss a few bucks here or there. Those few dollars we don't miss seem to make a huge difference in the lives of others.

 

 

Dawn

 

....and here I thought that tipping was intending to be a reward for excellent service, not charity. :confused:

[kymbakitty]

The surcharge includes the tip so there's no need to tip more. You have also tipped for the MDR because it was automatically added to your daily account. Some people just like to keep tipping and tipping and I'm sure the staff likes it but thinks we're a bunch of suckers.

 

When one of those folks gets a cash tip from a specialty restaurant (or anywhere else on the ship), do you really think they are thinking "what a bunch of suckers"? Really....?

 

I think not.

 

I would never have even considered that anyone would request that the automatic tips be removed until I started reading various threads on this board and others. Most recently, there was some banter back and forth about a person and her spouse, from Australia I believe, and she wanted to leave her auto tip on and her spouse wanted to remove his and she was wondering if this was possible (is it all or nothing or could each passenger in one cabin to their own thing). At first, I like other people, it appeared as if he wanted to tip in cash....but you soon got the feeling that he hadn't planned on tipping at all!

 

So I wonder....how many people that we don't know are removing those tips COMPLETELY...especially from other countries where their tipping is unlike US customs?

 

So no....I don't think they are thinking, "suckers..." They are probably hoping that, just maybe, if they receive a couple more tips, just maybe, it just may lesson the blow of the many people that remove their automatic tips and don't leave anything. This could also be generational....there are all walks of life on these cruise ships....and I'm sure you could fill up a stadium of US folks that do not tip as requested either.

 

So I have to disagree with your take on what wait staff think when they get an extra tip from a passenger. I think it is more gratitude than laughter.

 

Just my 2 cents....

 

Dawn

[cruz chic]

....and here I thought that tipping was intending to be a reward for excellent service, not charity. :confused:

I think the strangest thing I heard on this board (not this thread) was that the poster tips even if the service is bad. She explains to them what they did wrong but gives them the tip anyway. Yeah....that person will learn something from the experience:rolleyes:.

[CruiseWherever]

I think we American need to travel more outside of USA, when we travel to other countries we revived excellent services and they do not expecting tips from us because they either get pay enough or this is their duty to serve the customers. Most of the servers in other countries make less than the cruise ship servers but still give you excellent services.

[Colo Cruiser]

When in Rome!!

[kruisey]

It is up to each individual whether they wish to tip extra or not. Its my way Of saying' Thank you so much ' for taking great care of me'.

This in a manner which I know they appreciate and it makes me feel good that I am helping them..............Heather:) Canadian/UK

[rolando]

Amazing to read such polarization on the topic. I'll go ahead and add my two cents (.....we could consider that...an extra tip..LOL). I agree with some of the posts on here....in that if you want to tip extra for what you felt was extraordinary service, you do it, and if your custom is not to do it, then you don't and each side of this discussion keeps their editorials and judgements about others' decisions on the topic to themselves. (let the flaming begin...). For those (like me) who do tip extra when we feel it is warranted, please note the following: a) The wait staff in the specialty restaurants does participate in the general tip pool. b) there is a small component of the specialty dining fee that covers tip and it goes to the general pool c) If additional tip is left on the check (where possible) that tip goes to the pool as well and not to the individual waiter (s). d) If intended for the people who served you, the only way to get that to them is via cash. e) An additional tidbit on the topic since some posters mentioned the complete or partial removal of the standard gratuities from shipboard accounts, if you provide cash to your general wait staff during or at end of cruise, they are required to take your cabin number and determine if you participated in standard tipping or not. If you did, they are allowed to keep their cash tips. If you did not, they are required to turn it in to the pool.

Cheers and happy new year to all!!!

[4cats4me]

FTLOG, we are already tipping $10.50 to $11.50 per day. I ALWAYS

leave extra money at the end of the cruise for our cabin steward since

we've ALWAYS had excellent cabin service. However, if I am paying

$25 pp to eat in the specialty restaurant and it is stated that the $25

includes part of the gratuity AND as already pointed out, you are not

even eating in the MDR where you are also auto-tipping, then the

$25 pp charge is sufficient. Americans are known as big tippers and now

I can see why, after hearing about those who tip on top of the tip.

LOL

[degarr]

We Americans do love to chuck money around like we make our own:D but as a result, have we trained the waiters to expect nothing short of a fat tip? Is the original intent of the charge to cover a gratuity? That's what was on reported on that TV show. I typically tip because I want to make it out of the restaurant alive. I guess in Australia they do not tip at all.

We tip in OZ on dining on land all the time (well I do unless the service is rubbish and I send a msg... of course others do not as is not a big tipping culture). It does help that waitstaff work here in a country where they receive a good wage and tips are a bonus.I spend a lot of time in NY and adjust to the "when in Rome" . On board If I order a $50 bottle of wine, they getting the 15% off that but I have not thought about tipping twice, as I believed that the extra cost included a tip.

If it doesn't why would what appears to be the sharpest staff work in these speciality restaurants?

 

Side line I often get confused in the states about what to tip (outside of dining) for and what not to and when asking locals they often can't tell me the definitive answer

[pg.]

I cannot believe people actually tip 20 to 30 dollars extra, PER PERSON,,, let me tell you ,, YOU are the exception,, you are big tippers.

 

An average dinner out for us is usually more or less around 100 dollars, we tip 15-20 percent. Thats a far cry from your 40 to 60 dollars you think to tip, ,, you guys must be very wealthy and don't mind giving it away.. I will post my address if you want to send some my way,, LOL .

 

As for others, if you are told tip is included, WHY do you tip more,, why is that your custom?? If they said it wasn't included I can understand.. but it is,, so it does seem odd to me. This is a question,, not an accusation.

 

All said,, if I felt service was exceptional I would consider an extra 5-10 dollars for two people ( and yes, this is only if I am told tip is included)

[1 HappyCruiser]

I cannot believe people actually tip 20 to 30 dollars extra, PER PERSON,,, let me tell you ,, YOU are the exception,, you are big tippers.

 

An average dinner out for us is usually more or less around 100 dollars, we tip 15-20 percent. Thats a far cry from your 40 to 60 dollars you think to tip, ,, you guys must be very wealthy and don't mind giving it away.. I will post my address if you want to send some my way,, LOL .

 

As for others, if you are told tip is included, WHY do you tip more,, why is that your custom?? If they said it wasn't included I can understand.. but it is,, so it does seem odd to me. This is a question,, not an accusation.

 

All said,, if I felt service was exceptional I would consider an extra 5-10 dollars for two people ( and yes, this is only if I am told tip is included)

 

I fully agree with you thinking about the extra large tips. On our last visit to the Crown Grill the service was far worse than in our regular seat in the AT DR and for that I should be expected to tip larger than normal?

I seriously doubt if people tip extra as much as they say that do.

[kymbakitty]

....and here I thought that tipping was intending to be a reward for excellent service, not charity. :confused:

 

You are correct...and that was presumed in my response. My response is based on the presumption that we received excellent service. I don't think anyone is running out to tip those that they did not receive excellent service. Actually, we've also been fortunate to receive nothing but excellent service in all faucets of our cruising. Perhaps we need to do a lot more cruising in order to experience bad service and we've just been very lucky....only 9 cruises so far....which is very far behind the average cruiser on this board. And since I haven't cruised for a few years, maybe service on cruise ships has gone waaaaay down and we'll have our chance to not tip extra to anyone.

 

Our tipping has nothing to do with charity--sorry it may have appeared that way.

 

Assuming we get excellent service, we are very blessed with the ability to tip as a few dollars is not missed and the people that receive a few dollars most definitely can feel the difference.

 

Dawn

[cruzmoor]

if you write in a tip on the ticket , it goes to the tip pool, split by many staff,

[MTJSR]

Just watched a "Cruising Do's and Dont's" show on the travel channel. They said, the additional fee for the specialty restaurants covers the gratuity. Do they now anticipate that we will tip on top of the tip??

 

So after all that, does anyone know, if it is printed anywhere in Princess brochures or on their website, that the intent of the surcharge is to cover the gratuity? I am just curious more than anything. I too can get caught up in the moment and drop way more tip than was earned.

[cruisemom42]

So after all that, does anyone know, if it is printed anywhere in Princess brochures or on their website, that the intent of the surcharge is to cover the gratuity? I am just curious more than anything. I too can get caught up in the moment and drop way more tip than was earned.

 

In this Cruise Critic line-by-line review of specialty restaurants, some lines specifically mention a gratuity (mostly small; $5-$7). I notice that no additional gratuity is mentioned for Princess, FWIW.

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=144

[Putterdude]

if you write in a tip on the ticket , it goes to the tip pool, split by many staff,

 

May I ask how you know this?

[hubofhockey]

I usually tip $15 to $20 in CASH to the servers in specialty restaurants if service is great and it usually is. Left to their own devices, I think cruiselines give short shrift when it comes to compensation of the staff. If my impression is wrong, then I guess I am tipping too much.