Gratuity confusion ??

[dave93]

I'm sure this has been discussed before however I can not find a thread addressing these issues. Two items I noted related to gratuities from my recent Solstice cruise:

 

1. In another recent post the issue of Specialty Dining gratuity was raised. It was stated that gratuity for the server is included in the price of the specialty dining fee. We booked in advance and paid the $30 per person to dine in Tuscan Grille. The evening we dined, when our check arrived, there were two cocktails on the bill, which we had ordered, and then a line stating "pre-paid dining" or something similar, showing $0.00 (as was paid in advance), and then a 15% gratuity for the drinks only. I asked the manager in the restaurant, and I'm glad I did, because he stated that no gratuity was included for the server, and so we added it on the blank line. Can anyone comment on this? It was sort of ambiguous. Another poster stated that a gratuity is included in the dining price, but it doesn't really say that anywhere in Celebrity's literature.

 

2. I found the auto gratuity charged daily to your onboard account to be very convenient and appropriate, however, I was surprised at the end of the cruise that there was no formality associated with providing the tips to the respective individuals as I've experienced on past cruises. It seemed very impersonal. In fact, our MDR waiter and assistant disappeared after dessert and never returned, so we waited around a little while and then just left the dining room. Our stateroom attendant asked if we liked our cruise two days before it was over, and then I didn't see him on the morning we were leaving, so that I could say thank you. In addition, I noticed throughout the week that our stateroom attendant had a "helper" always with him. And I noticed that this helper seemed to be doing a ton of heavy lifting and, in general, a lot of work. He also answered questions for us and was very friendly, almost more than our stateroom attendant. I would like to know whether this person receives money from the auto gratuities.

 

I think since things are seeming a little unclear, and that I want to extend tips appropriately to the proper people in certain amounts, that I would choose to cancel the auto gratuity on my next cruise and instead hand cash in envelopes at the end. Maybe that is "old fashioned" but I'd like to hear any perspectives!

 

Any clarification on this is much appreciated!

[Lsimon]

Once upon a time the Celebrity website specifically said the specialty restaurant cover charge included a gratuity. In fact there were a lot of past discussions on these boards was to whether the cover charge was 100% gratuity or not and if not what percentage was gratuity and is an additional gratuity necessary. My take was that an undisclosed percentage was for gratuity and the rest went to the cruise line, and while many gave an additional gratuity, as we always do there, it was more of a personal choice than a necessity since a base gratuity was included.

 

But now I can't find any such verbiage on the Celebrity website about the specialty restaurant cover charge including a gratuity. I wonder if that language was just deleted or if there has been an actual change in practice and it no longer includes a gratuity.

 

Anyone aware of a change on this?

 

 

On other tips - I prefer the charged tips to cash leaving the option, if one would like to, to add a little extra in cash at the end of the cruise. We've always had, and noticed, assistant stateroom attendants in the past on Celebrity - many of which did a lot of the hard work. We've always understood that they received a portion of the cabin attendant's tips but have occasionally given them a little extra directly. We've never had any issues visiting with the staff and saying our farewells at the end of the cruise.

[PartyAllDaTyme]

Good thread, as I've been a bit confused about this myself. On our first (but not last) cruise with Celebrity, we did not avail ourselves of the specialty restaurants, so the question did not come up. We tipped our steward extra, and wondered how her assistant was compensated. We didn't know if we should tip him separately, if they were a team and split the tip, or what.

 

We, too, did not see either the steward or the attendant the last night or the morning of disembarcation (deembarcation? debarcation? leaving the ship?). On boarding, we had been early and were anxious to get to our room to drop off our carryon bags, and got to the room before they made the announcement asking boarding pax to wait in lounges until the rooms were ready. I was thus concerned that some moron (excuse me, some other moron:o) would do the same, so I didn't want to just leave money on the dresser. We put it in an envelope, then called the steward to let her know to stop by the room at her convenience to pick up the envelope.

 

It appears that the assistant shares in the auto-tip the steward receives, and IIRC from previous threads, this is a fixed, mandatory amount. The steward is required to pay the assistant, even if s/he gets stiffed by someone removing the auto-pay (if/when it's possible to do that-- when you opt for Select Dining, you must prepay the tips). It's also possible that the assistant does not receive any additional pay:eek:, but is a subcontractor to the steward. If you tip your steward more than the auto-pay, or if you tip the assistant separately, are they obligated to share? If you get a bad steward but a great assistant, is it appropriate to seek out the assistant and tip them behind the steward's back?

 

Sorry, more questions than answers.

[FinelyCruising]

Good thread, as I've been a bit confused about this myself. On our first (but not last) cruise with Celebrity, we did not avail ourselves of the specialty restaurants, so the question did not come up. We tipped our steward extra, and wondered how her assistant was compensated. We didn't know if we should tip him separately, if they were a team and split the tip, or what.

 

We, too, did not see either the steward or the attendant the last night or the morning of disembarcation (deembarcation? debarcation? leaving the ship?). On boarding, we had been early and were anxious to get to our room to drop off our carryon bags, and got to the room before they made the announcement asking boarding pax to wait in lounges until the rooms were ready. I was thus concerned that some moron (excuse me, some other moron:o) would do the same, so I didn't want to just leave money on the dresser. We put it in an envelope, then called the steward to let her know to stop by the room at her convenience to pick up the envelope.

 

It appears that the assistant shares in the auto-tip the steward receives, and IIRC from previous threads, this is a fixed, mandatory amount. The steward is required to pay the assistant, even if s/he gets stiffed by someone removing the auto-pay (if/when it's possible to do that-- when you opt for Select Dining, you must prepay the tips). It's also possible that the assistant does not receive any additional pay:eek:, but is a subcontractor to the steward. If you tip your steward more than the auto-pay, or if you tip the assistant separately, are they obligated to share? If you get a bad steward but a great assistant, is it appropriate to seek out the assistant and tip them behind the steward's back?

 

Sorry, more questions than answers.

 

This is exactly why I start to lose patience with the way the cruise line handles these issues. It should not be anyones concern who is getting tipped out and by whom. Maybe the assistant gets a fixed amount and has to wait his/her turn to make it to Steward and get the optional extra amounts.

 

All I know is that I don't want to be involved to this degree of minutia, so Celebrity, just keep telling me how much and I will happily go along. :)

[Johnthed0g]

I think people think about this too much, just pay the Autotips & forget it, if you want to tip more then give more to those you feel deserve it.

[r5516]

When I have dined in the specialty restaurant, the dinner was prepaid, I received a check for wine and drinks which added 15% to the bill, I then left either a cash gratuity for the server staff or added it to the bill. Increased gratuity was based upon the level of service. Hope this helps.

[BonnieVA]

Maybe the assistant gets a fixed amount and has to wait his/her turn to make it to Steward and get the optional extra amounts.

 

My gut tells me that this is so.

[B-Anne]

there are many people who do not tip at all!! To most of us, this is unconscionable. Our stewards, assistants, servers and assistant servers all deserve our tips for their outstanding service. I have cruised with people in the past who have felt they "got over" because they didn't leave any tips. Many people fail to realize these people work so hard to try to please everyone, yet some of them remain in the background just doing their jobs. Perhaps this is the reason the cruise lines implemented auto tips. At least they receive some extra compensation for a job well done!! Any extra we give to them is for the extra mile!!

[i guide the sky]

so if you pay gratuities through auto pay everyday and you use anytime dining and get a different server every night, your servers are covered by your autotips. so then if you go to a specialty restaurant why would that server not be taken care of by auto tip? wouldn't the little line on the bill be for an extra tip? otherwise someone is getting an extra tip.

[FinelyCruising]

so if you pay gratuities through auto pay everyday and you use anytime dining and get a different server every night, your servers are covered by your autotips. so then if you go to a specialty restaurant why would that server not be taken care of by auto tip? wouldn't the little line on the bill be for an extra tip? otherwise someone is getting an extra tip.

 

Based on limited information we find out here and deduce, it seems that Specialty staff is not part of any sort of pooled arrangement.

 

On this new news, I think I am going to send an email to Celebrity and ask them, and then ask them how much they think should be left as a gratuity. For Suite guests who sometimes get a pass for Specialty, there is a suggestion for them to leave $5.00 pp.

[jaybird from SC]

We recently received a "pass" for speciality dining and was told that we would be responsible for the $6.00 pp tip. Also, at the end of our cruise, we did receive the cards and envelopes stating that we had participated in pre-paid gratuities. This card can be handed to your service person with additional tips if you so desire. That way they definitely know you "paid up".

[dave93]

Based on limited information we find out here and deduce, it seems that Specialty staff is not part of any sort of pooled arrangement.

 

On this new news, I think I am going to send an email to Celebrity and ask them, and then ask them how much they think should be left as a gratuity. For Suite guests who sometimes get a pass for Specialty, there is a suggestion for them to leave $5.00 pp.

 

It would be nice to have some clear direction from Celebrity on this as, another poster said, I don't want to spend so much time dealing with these little details because they can't get it straight on their end and communicate it clearly.

 

I will say, after already being charged $90.00 for 3 people to dine in Tuscan (where I personally felt the experience and food did not live up to the hype) I left much more than $5.00 per person tip after discovering tip was apparently not included. I quickly tried to determine an appropriate tip amount based on how much a similar meal and experience might cost in a restaurant on land where you pay menu prices and not a "cover charge", and figuring 15-20% of that amount. The point is, after spending thousands on the cruise, another tip is not a make or break deal, but I just wish they would do better at communicating these types of things.

[I Fly]

The reason the tipping question continues to come up is because Celebrity's policy about tipping is kept very quiet. Yes, we know what the cabin attendant gets as well as the waiter and assistant, and feel confident that what is given on auto tips goes directly to them. All of the rest of the tips is a mystery. I have no question that one of the cardinal rules that each and every crew member adheres to is to NEVER discuss tips with the passenger.

 

Now to the question about tipping in the specialty restaurant. My understanding is that the tips are pooled and somewhere between $5-$7 of the specialty restaurant fee goes into the tip pool. With the $5 suggested tip for suite guests, when they are invited for no charge, I think that the $5-$7 is still about the going amount for how much gets into the tip pool. Similar to the amount the waiter and assistant gets in the main dining room. While the waiters and assistants work in the buffet during the daytime, the staff in the specialty restaurant, at least on the M-Class ships work in the Aqua Spa Café. Just as cabin attendants work their way up to better assignments, (Penthouse and Royal Suites.) They do this in the hopes of getting extra tips from the bigger spenders. I'm not saying all of them have this is mind, but one would imagine the likelihood of getting an extra tip and sometimes a HUGE tip is more likely from a Penthouse guest. The same idea works in the specialty restaurant. While the base tip might be the same for a waiter in the main dining room and a waiter in the specialty restaurant, the likelihood of getting a better tip is in the specialty restaurant. So are the gratuities included in the specialty restaurant? Yes. Do the staff in the specialty restaurant expect a little extra tip for the outstanding service they offer? They hope.

 

Steve

[FinelyCruising]

Steve - I am not sure if the specialty staff is on a different pay scale than others who are in the MDR or Specialty.

[mafig]

Wait, the Specialty restaurants are not included in the tipping pool.:confused:

 

Is this new?

 

Just on Solstice?

 

We always leave a little extra, but on every single other cruiseline we've been on my understanding was the tip was included.

 

We were just on Oasis OTS and it was clearly stated that the amount included gratuity.

[ginavol]

So who gets the waiter/maitre d/etc tip that you have prepaid (for anytime dining or main dining room seated dining times) on the nights you go to the specialty restaurants and have a tip supposedly built into the amount you are prepaying? Are you tipping someone who hasn't provided you a service or do they somehow route that money to the specialty dining waiter?

[Beckyfaye-2008]

The following site may be of interest, re tipping.

 

http://cruisetip.tpkeller.com/

[FinelyCruising]

So who gets the waiter/maitre d/etc tip that you have prepaid (for anytime dining or main dining room seated dining times) on the nights you go to the specialty restaurants and have a tip supposedly built into the amount you are prepaying? Are you tipping someone who hasn't provided you a service or do they somehow route that money to the specialty dining waiter?

 

Specialty dining staff are completely separate.

[FinelyCruising]

I sent an email to Celebrity earlier today. I'll let you know when I hear back.

[i guide the sky]

Specialty dining staff are completely separate.

 

look i don't want to stiff anyone,and I don't, but if this is the case then celebrity is effectively double dipping tips. because you aren't using the main dinning room and you are leaving a tip for the specialty.

 

for example, if you cruise and eat at a specialty dining every day of the cruise, and you are expected to tip the wait staff separately at the specialty dinning restaurant. then you are paying tips in the main dinning room for doing nothing(through autopay). again I understand that these people work hard and deserve a lot but I'm only making my argument in the interest of fairness.

[FinelyCruising]

look i don't want to stiff anyone,and I don't, but if this is the case then celebrity is effectively double dipping tips. because you aren't using the main dinning room and you are leaving a tip for the specialty.

 

for example, if you cruise and eat at a specialty dining every day of the cruise, and you are expected to tip the wait staff separately at the specialty dinning restaurant. then you are paying tips in the main dinning room for doing nothing(through autopay). again I understand that these people work hard and deserve a lot but I'm only making my argument in the interest of fairness.

 

I follow what you are saying and recognize that for two it is $13.00 for the DR staff that are on auto.

 

Now with that, a bunch of people will tell you that it is for dining the entire day; breakfast, lunch and dinner, so think breakfast in dining room, lunch in dining room or special brunch in dining room when available, think buffet several times a day where the MDR staff supports the buffet operations all morning and afternoon too.

 

So the $13.00 (for two) is spread among all the usual food venues that one might participate in for the entire trip. It is not a per dinner rate.

 

So when that is looked at in that way, I can't assign an exact amount of that $13.00 that would be apportioned to the dinner experience in the MDR for a pro-ration of that daily amount, but I do know that the $13.00 does get watered down a good bit because of all of the assignments the wait staff has throughout the day for the entire cruise.

 

Is it double dipping, in theory, yes. Is it a material amount or a significant amount when apportioned to one dinner? Each of us can decide to answer that for ourselves.;)

[cjrlauve]

Now with that, a bunch of people will tell you that it is for dining the entire day; breakfast, lunch and dinner, so think breakfast in dining room, lunch in dining room or special brunch in dining room when available, think buffet several times a day where the MDR staff supports the buffet operations all morning and afternoon too.

 

So the $13.00 (for two) is spread among all the usual food venues that one might participate in for the entire trip. It is not a per dinner rate. ;)

 

To follow that argument, if you don't autotip and just tip directly to your MDR staff who serve you at dinner, than are you stiffing all those other staff members?

 

Seems like it would all be easier if everyone was paid a fair and living wage directly from the cruise line thanks to our ticket price. And "thank you"s, in whatever form, would be optional but not expected. But, alas, life is not that simple.

[i guide the sky]

To follow that argument, if you don't autotip and just tip directly to your MDR staff who serve you at dinner, than are you stiffing all those other staff members?

 

Seems like it would all be easier if everyone was paid a fair and living wage directly from the cruise line thanks to our ticket price. And "thank you"s, in whatever form, would be optional but not expected. But, alas, life is not that simple.

 

Well it was that simple back in the glory days of HAL!!!!

just tip extra to who you think deserves it. Which I might add was almost everyone!!! I have never seen better service from anyplace land or sea back when HAL was no tipping required. I understand it has fallen since then.

 

I follow what you are saying and recognize that for two it is $13.00 for the DR staff that are on auto.

 

Now with that, a bunch of people will tell you that it is for dining the entire day; breakfast, lunch and dinner, so think breakfast in dining room, lunch in dining room or special brunch in dining room when available, think buffet several times a day where the MDR staff supports the buffet operations all morning and afternoon too.

 

So the $13.00 (for two) is spread among all the usual food venues that one might participate in for the entire trip. It is not a per dinner rate.

 

So when that is looked at in that way, I can't assign an exact amount of that $13.00 that would be apportioned to the dinner experience in the MDR for a pro-ration of that daily amount, but I do know that the $13.00 does get watered down a good bit because of all of the assignments the wait staff has throughout the day for the entire cruise.

 

Is it double dipping, in theory, yes. Is it a material amount or a significant amount when apportioned to one dinner? Each of us can decide to answer that for ourselves.;)

 

you make a fair point!

 

But so does cjrlauve. so i still don't know where to come down on this. I guess I'll just tip everyone and enjoy myself.

[FinelyCruising]

To follow that argument, if you don't autotip and just tip directly to your MDR staff who serve you at dinner, than are you stiffing all those other staff members?

 

Seems like it would all be easier if everyone was paid a fair and living wage directly from the cruise line thanks to our ticket price. And "thank you"s, in whatever form, would be optional but not expected. But, alas, life is not that simple.

 

I think that depends...based on the concern that I guide the sky posed about double dipping due to participation in specialty one evening, I guess if the intent is to be 100% fair to both you and the staff for actual use, an amount needs to be determined for what the one "night" value is that was missed.

 

If what you are asking is if I pay cash or if I auto tip but in either form it is being conveyed at the suggested amount as described by the cruise line, then no, you are not stiffing the wait staff.

[wlrees2002]

Hi - my travel agent just got off the phone with Celebrity. They recently raised the price for specialty dining, and that now includes the tip. You can of course, tip extra for great service!