Do you TIP your Bar Tenders

[marci22]

$1 or $2 or even a little more as some have stated works for me!! We will be tipping ion that fashion on our upcoming cruise (instead of adding on the zero to make it $10 or $20!)

 

How do you determine "recognition'?

 

What do folks add on in the MDR when they order cocktails and after dinner beverages wether they be spiked coffees or shooters? Do you add on the same dollar or two (or more)? Or NADA?

 

We usually only order a bottle of wine or the BOGO glasses of wine when we're in the MDR. I don't tip extra on the bottle, I will tip extra on the free glass of wine because it's not getting an auto-tip. If I got specialty coffee I probably would not tip extra.

[Sugar*Magnolia]

The last several cruises we've taken, our waiter has taken care of bar service. Maybe there are just fewer bar servers in the dining room now. I will keep an eye out next cruise (we leave Sunday).

 

Early this year (or end of last year?) they tried having the waiters do bar service too, for a few months until it proved to be a very bad idea. My aunt and uncle I think were on one of the last cruises before they went back to bar servers in the MDR and my aunt said they Wait staff was very unhappy about having to get cocktails too. They went back to bar servers in the mdr in March-ish (could have been april). We loved ours this past summer! What a personality, it was like we were all family friends..

We usually only order a bottle of wine or the BOGO glasses of wine when we're in the MDR. I don't tip extra on the bottle, I will tip extra on the free glass of wine because it's not getting an auto-tip. If I got specialty coffee I probably would not tip extra.

 

 

Thanks!

 

I was wondering, maybe we should just tip the bar server in the MDR at the end of the cruise and put CASH in an envelope? Instead of adding it on every night...? :confused:

[EmmaCel]

Always tip extra...we paid $1 a drink extra in tips, like we would at any other bar, but this paid off in the end. Halfway through the trip bartenders started giving us LOTS of free drinks. We would go to a bar, sit and drink several beers and mixed drinks, and then get a bill for one drink. We tip a little extra, and repeat the process later.

 

Everyone wins =)

[marci22]

Always tip extra...we paid $1 a drink extra in tips, like we would at any other bar, but this paid off in the end. Halfway through the trip bartenders started giving us LOTS of free drinks. We would go to a bar, sit and drink several beers and mixed drinks, and then get a bill for one drink. We tip a little extra, and repeat the process later.

 

Everyone wins =)

 

I'm sure Royal loves reading that, lol.

[Barbiegator]

We leave $1 per drink in cash.We enjoy talking to them and they appreciate additional thanks for their service.

[Canusa02]

That's a big point of contention, would you be more open to it if it were a 15% service charge or simply all the prices were increased by the 15% so it's hidden?

 

I have an even better idea. Keep the prices the same, as they are already marked up, and let me tip according to the service I receive.

[lifeastrin]

TBH I ive in a big city and the drink prices on RCCL even with the 15% added were cheaper than we pay here. We just thought of the price as the price and tipped extra each time. Most times we sat in Boleros and had cocktails and they had to come get our order and bring it back AND they gave us glasses of nuts. They were nice people, always chatty and happy. We liked to tip. But don't fret about it. If you want to tip do it if not... it's fine they don't expect it.

Dx

[Scotty G]

Since a gratuity is applied each time I buy a bar drink, I then decide whether I want to add a tip. I will do this for better than normal service. Usually a dollar. For exceptional service during a cruise I will tip the bar person an additional amount based on how great the service was. I differentiate between gratuities and tips. Gratuities are service charges that should be called the latter. Tips are done in the American fashion. If you are from a country where tips are not part of your culture, please don't take it out on those who serve you on a cruise. Recognize that they are working under the conditions created primarily by the owners of the cruise ships. If you don't like it, you have alternatives.

[foxesden1]

For most of the bartenders I do not tip anything additional. If I do come across one or two particular servers who I hit it off with and subsequently receive extra, exceptional service, at the end of the cruise I give them an additional cash tip as a "thank you".

 

dito.

[sgjanice]

I try to make a connection with one bartender. If he is making my drinks a little stronger than what he would normally do, I will stick with him and give some extra! :cool:

Exactly what we do :)

[Bolphin]

Dear friends:

 

Do come visit us in Madrid if you like a heavy pour.

 

I have noticed that in the U.S. and on U.S.-oriented cruises, the pour is a quarter of a glass.

 

Here in Madrid, and in most parts of Spain, the standard pour is half the glass, and you can even tell the bartender you'll pour it yourself and he will just leave the bottle on the bar for you.

 

Hope you come visit us.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

 

I have not been to Madrid or Spain, however when I was in Naples I expereinced this heavy hand! This was about 10 years ago and I was just shy of 21 so I was very happy to be in Italy where I could order drinks. Imagine my surprise when my whiskey and Coke came and it was WHISKEY and tinsy bit of Coke. My friends and I went shopping after our drinks and I definitely made some purchases that I would not have with a clearer mind!:D:D

 

 

On the subject of extra tipping, I think that it is different for everyone. I generally figure that my prepaid tips are adequate for the service that we expect to receive. However, on our first cruise there was a bartender that was from Singapore that connected with me on my Japanese style tattoos. We talked a great length and after that initial conversation he was always very kind and made sure that I never needed anything. I did tip him extra just because of the fact that he went out of his way a few times to get items for my family and I that were not in his bar that he knew we liked. Granted getting them insured we got our drinks from him, but he did not have to do it either! He did get some extra tips from us, but he was so fantastic that I felt he deserved them.

 

I also left a little extra for the room steward on our Monarch cruise. DH is very tall.... him + the shower curtain was not a good match and the bathroom was always soaked. We would mop up what he could, but the poor steward would have to handle the rest when we ran out of towels. He was so nice about it, which I know is his job, but we still felt bad and slipped some extra in the envelope. ;)

[bouhunter]

This is what happens to only the bartenders' 15% gratuity The 15% auto tip is pooled and divided equally among all the bartenders on that cruise, including the ones working the crew bar and any service bar that you don't see. Anything you add to the tab or tip in cash is for that one bartender only.

 

We always tip additional. $1 and $5 throughout the cruise and on the last day $20 to who ever really stood out.

 

Not so sure about that. We had a great drink waiter in the main dining room a couple years ago and he specifically told me that he himself received the 15% that was on each drink tab.

[houlacruiser]

We always tip extra. $1 per drink.

[Quadsd]

Being a bartender I always tip well, except for poor service. On a cruise I'll tip extra for a good bartender who is really friendly and makes good drinks.

[natezero]

I would just like to thank everyone who does not tip. This just makes all of us tippers stick out and get better service and drinks :)

[UNV-IT!!!]

agreed

I would just like to thank everyone who does not tip. This just makes all of us tippers stick out and get better service and drinks :)

[gaiamother]

I generally tip 1$ per drink served, which is how I generally tip at my local bars here. Yes, this is on top of the 15%, which I seriously just view as a necessary part of the price. The 1$ doesn't break the bank, and it's an additional 10-20% tip when you consider the price of the drink. Works for me. :D

 

We are similar, we usually tip $1 per round (two of us). We love to find one or two bars/bartenders we love and continue to return to and tip more. We do find that we are taken care of very well, reciprocal generosity:-).

T

[sjcruiser]

It's already added, but if you give a little extra, it makes for making a new friend, and leads to a great week!!!

[cooncat_mom]

For just getting drinks on the pool deck, the tip is already added so we don't usually tip extra...however - we do have a tendency to find one of the pubs/bars on the ship that we like and go there every night. For that pub we will tip since we're returning customers.

[lhanson38]

We alway tip a doller or two for drinks..Its what we would do at at a bar on land so why wouldn't we take care of our bartender on the ship.

Take care or your servers and bartenders and they will take care of you!!