Windjammer Vs using the Dining Room

[nubble88]

Me and my husband did not use the dining room once for dinner on our last cruise because we were assigned to second seating. We tried to change to first seating, but it was impossible because of the waiting list, so, we decided to use the Windjammer or some other place on the ship to eat.

 

If we ask from the beginning to not be assigned to the dining room at all, do we still have to pay the weekly tips to the waiter and assistant waiter?

[ChipLondon]

Yes the weekly tips also go to those that serve you in the WJ at breakfast and lunch time, as they are the same people that work the MDR in the evening.

[nubble88]

I was going to suggest that we just tip them because I was not sure how it was all divided. We would rather give to them in the Windjammer if that is where we dine. But, you believe it gets divided among all of them?

[Big Kev]

Me and my husband did not use the dining room once for dinner on our last cruise because we were assigned to second seating. We tried to change to first seating, but it was impossible because of the waiting list, so, we decided to use the Windjammer or some other place on the ship to eat.

 

If we ask from the beginning to not be assigned to the dining room at all, do we still have to pay the weekly tips to the waiter and assistant waiter?

 

 

To simply answer only the question you ask, without becoming emotional like you may see in subsequent answers..

YES.

.

[NorbertsNiece]

Have you considered registering for My Time Dining?

[romnan]

Me and my husband did not use the dining room once for dinner on our last cruise because we were assigned to second seating. We tried to change to first seating, but it was impossible because of the waiting list, so, we decided to use the Windjammer or some other place on the ship to eat.

 

If we ask from the beginning to not be assigned to the dining room at all, do we still have to pay the weekly tips to the waiter and assistant waiter?

tipping is a personal choice. We do not always eat in tghe MDR and because of that have gotten away from the envope suffing at the end of the cruise. To make life on board easier I just have it added to the Sea Pass. All thetips go into a pool

[estoyer]

We have always signed up for MTD. This way it give us the flexibility and all of the tips end up being pooled anyway.. Next year we are going to split the up our meals a bit more. However there are persons in our group that feels the head waiter should not be tipped. Although I totally disagree, everyone is entitled to there own opinion. I look at it this way, the head waiter deal, what would our country be without a President? Not to say that we support one or the other! Should he be compensated for his position? That's totally up to the individual in this case...

[yogimax]

Simple answer - You should absolutely tip the suggested amount.

[silentbob007]

I've tipped individually in the WJ as service was rendered when I knew I was going to be paying cash tips for the week.

[temple1]

DS and I dined exclusively in the WJ on our last cruise, I won't do it again, but we went ahead and prepaid our tips and registered for MTD because I just don't want to fool with who to tip when and how much when I'm on a cruise.

[Italy52]

WJ used to have a "pool tip box" stationed at the entry/exit doors the last night prior to the ending of the cruise --- do they still have that? This was on the Radiance.

[depplep]

We did prepaid on this cruise, we wound up eating in the MDR only once, as already posted, it was just easier for us to prepay and not worry about who needed to be tipped at the end.

[yogimax]

I've tipped individually in the WJ as service was rendered when I knew I was going to be paying cash tips for the week.

 

So how did your individual tips compare to the suggested guidelines over the course of the week?

[critterchick]

WJ used to have a "pool tip box" stationed at the entry/exit doors the last night prior to the ending of the cruise --- do they still have that? This was on the Radiance.

 

No, they don't. I read here that Miami got wind of it and made them take it out.

 

This is what I've heard and believe:

 

The tips you pay to the dining room servers in traditional dining are NOT pooled - they go to the individual assigned to your table. MTD tips are pooled and distributed among the people working in the main dining room at dinner.

 

Many of the people working the MDR at dinnertime also work in the WJ during the day. But there are also staff who only work the WJ for all 3 meals and they are working for no tips on that rotation. So RCI's suggested guidelines leave them out in the cold during their rotation in the WJ. I think they only go for a week or two at a time.

 

Personally, I don't think that's fair. If I were to eat only in the WJ I would seek out the manager and give him/her a gratuity to distribute to the staff there. But that never happens anymore - there are enough dining options on RCI, especially on the ships with specialty restaurtants, that I'd need a calculator to determine who gets what. So I've given up and just put the suggested amount on my Seapass.

 

I really think that it's time for RCI to follow ALL of the other mass market lines and just put a daily service charge on the bill. Even their sister lines X and Azamara do that now.

 

So how did your individual tips compare to the suggested guidelines over the course of the week?

 

(A) I don't think that's really our business:)

(B) We used to tip well over the suggested amount, but now that we're no longer availing ourselves of the MDR on a regular basis we're actually paying out less in gratuities. I don't feel good about that, either, since I think the guidelines are too low, but I just can't bring myself to put extra cash into the envelope when I've only been in the MDR for 3 dinners out of 7.

[nubble88]

It is not that we mind the tipping, just prefer that it goes to where it should go. In fact, we give more than the suggested amount at times, just wanted to put it to the best use.

[MrPete]

Me and my husband did not use the dining room once for dinner on our last cruise because we were assigned to second seating. We tried to change to first seating, but it was impossible because of the waiting list, so, we decided to use the Windjammer or some other place on the ship to eat.

 

If we ask from the beginning to not be assigned to the dining room at all, do we still have to pay the weekly tips to the waiter and assistant waiter?

 

If I were not to use the MDR, I would let them know, and certainly wouldn't tip them.

[yogimax]

 

(A) I don't think that's really our business:)

(B) We used to tip well over the suggested amount, but now that we're no longer availing ourselves of the MDR on a regular basis we're actually paying out less in gratuities.

 

Yeah, that's what I thought!

 

And guess who gets the short end of the stick?

[Debde]

Me and my husband did not use the dining room once for dinner on our last cruise because we were assigned to second seating. We tried to change to first seating, but it was impossible because of the waiting list, so, we decided to use the Windjammer or some other place on the ship to eat.

 

If we ask from the beginning to not be assigned to the dining room at all, do we still have to pay the weekly tips to the waiter and assistant waiter?

 

This is a touchy subject. :eek: Gotta love it though :D

 

I would not and would tip my dinner servers in the WJ. If you eat in the WJ every night-you can have the same waiter as long as you sit in the same section every night. Same theory as MDR.

I don't worry about how RCCL pays its employees-I worry about tipping the people that served me.

 

Funny thing on this bb is too many posters assume you eat every breakfast and lunch in the WJ. it is quite possible that you do not.

 

No one can tell anyone the proper way to tip if they do not know your daily 3 meal a day eating habits!!;)

 

Besides-The person you tip in the WJ is probably doing another shift in there so you're covered just like tipping the MDR. I also like to think you may have a server in training in the WJ who is not on this rotation some speak of here[which I wonder about:rolleyes:] so they could use some cash.

 

I would let them know you will not be in the MDR at all. Some could be on a wait list and want your time.

[Italy52]

No, they don't. I read here that Miami got wind of it and made them take it out.

 

This is what I've heard and believe:

 

The tips you pay to the dining room servers in traditional dining are NOT pooled - they go to the individual assigned to your table. MTD tips are pooled and distributed among the people working in the main dining room at dinner.

 

Many of the people working the MDR at dinnertime also work in the WJ during the day. But there are also staff who only work the WJ for all 3 meals and they are working for no tips on that rotation. So RCI's suggested guidelines leave them out in the cold during their rotation in the WJ. I think they only go for a week or two at a time.

 

Personally, I don't think that's fair. If I were to eat only in the WJ I would seek out the manager and give him/her a gratuity to distribute to the staff there. But that never happens anymore - there are enough dining options on RCI, especially on the ships with specialty restaurtants, that I'd need a calculator to determine who gets what. So I've given up and just put the suggested amount on my Seapass.

 

I really think that it's time for RCI to follow ALL of the other mass market lines and just put a daily service charge on the bill. Even their sister lines X and Azamara do that now.

 

 

Thanks for the reply, appreciate it.

[temple1]

As I posted before, I don't want all these deep philosophical decisions while on vacation. According the RCCL website if I follow their guidelines, I'm covered. If I want to add more, I am free to do that.

 

In some of the many topics on tipping I've also noted that RCCL needs to either rethink their guidelines or at least reword them so people are not reading everything in the book into it.

 

But as all else on here - that is JMHO.

[critterchick]

 

(A) I don't think that's really our business:)

(B) We used to tip well over the suggested amount, but now that we're no longer availing ourselves of the MDR on a regular basis we're actually paying out less in gratuities.

 

Yeah, that's what I thought!

 

And guess who gets the short end of the stick?

 

They still get the recommended amount, they just don't get more. Yes, they're making less off of us but also doing less if we're in Chops or the WJ.

[nubble88]

Nicely put and that is what I thought. There are people who just work in the Windjammer. Whether it is just for a week or two or for their whole contract time. I just feel the tips should be distributed on how I spent my time for the week...should be up to the customer. I believe in a minimum, that's for sure since these people work VERY hard every day for months at a time.

[cruiseguy1016]

Lots of good suggestions here so far. It seems to me that the easiest way to do it would be to prepay your tips. That way you will know that the money is going to somebody. I'm sure the money is pooled so this way your servers will get some tips for the service that they have provided for you.

[phoenix1181]

I prepay tips to cover the basics and at the end of the cruise put cash in envelopes for those we think deserve extra. Last cruise it was an excellent bartender in the Schooner, a couple of people that always helped us in the Windjammer, a server in the casino, and our cabin steward. These are people that truly made our cruise more enjoyable and personally attended to our needs.

[nubble88]

Yes, we have just put the tips on our Sea Pass, but I just assumed that money went to the Dining Room automatically.