Does Everybody Tip for Room Service?

[eculmone]

Am I missing something? We are sailing with Celebrity and they automatically add $11.50 a day to our seapass for tips for everyone including 'other personel' and then 15% on each drink ordered so why would I tip again for Room service? They are covered in 'other personel' are they not :confused: ok so 3 passangers x 7 days= $241.50 in tip plus whatever we drink an additional 15% I find it difficult to justify adding more $$$ especially when we've paid almost $8,000 for this vacation not including shore excursions??? Is this wrong?:confused:

[uppitycats]

Am I missing something? We are sailing with Celebrity and they automatically add $11.50 a day to our seapass for tips for everyone including 'other personel' and then 15% on each drink ordered so why would I tip again for Room service? They are covered in 'other personel' are they not :confused: ok so 3 passangers x 7 days= $241.50 in tip plus whatever we drink an additional 15% I find it difficult to justify adding more $$$ especially when we've paid almost $8,000 for this vacation not including shore excursions??? Is this wrong?:confused:

 

No, not wrong at all. There is a lot of debate as to whether the room service delivery people are covered in the tipping pool. Some will say not, some will say they are. I just think that having room service is a bit special, they're interrupting whatever their normal schedule is to deliver the food to me, so I offer a token "thank you" in the form of a dollar or two (which, by the way, is often not accepted!) as a way of saying thanks.

 

But if you've paid your auto-tip and then the 15% for drinks, you've well met your obligation and don't need to think anything more of it.

[staygulf]

I NEVER tip for room service which is free. Their tips come out of the general tipping pool, so why give more ?

[Izzblizz]

In looking at several Carnival funtimes in PDF form, they actually have a little blurb that says "24-hour complimentary room service is available. A gratutity for room service is customary."

 

This seems to imply it is not included in the tipping pool?

[mbisson]

I NEVER tip for room service which is free. Their tips come out of the general tipping pool, so why give more ?

 

But you said on another thread that you're removing the DSC...lol=there's that baby bird sound again

[Aquahound]

I NEVER tip for room service which is free. Their tips come out of the general tipping pool, so why give more ?

 

What cruise line are you referring to?

[Cruzaholic41]

There is a lot of debate as to whether the room service delivery people are covered in the tipping pool.

 

That's because on some lines it is and on others it isn't.

[waiting4acruise]

I NEVER tip for room service which is free. Their tips come out of the general tipping pool, so why give more ?

 

In looking at several Carnival funtimes in PDF form, they actually have a little blurb that says "24-hour complimentary room service is available. A gratutity for room service is customary."

 

This seems to imply it is not included in the tipping pool?

The room service delivery is not part of the tipping pool.

[runnerandme]

We tip for room service. On Celebrity, we usually have room service once a day. There are four of us. We usually have four covered dishes on the tray plus coffee and juice. That deserves a tip!

[ithaca gal]

Before I leave on a cruise, I go to the bank and get a stack of $2 bills. I use them mainly for the continental breakfast room service. I have never ordered a full meal, but would tip more than the $2 if I did.

 

All passengers are certainly free to tip or not -- however, I think that these people work soooooo hard to make our vacation enjoyable, $2 a day for seven days is not going to make or break my vacation budget.

[foxesden1]

I do, $2 per meal or so.

 

I am sure you are not alone in not tipping.

 

Yes. Amounts between $2.00 and $5.00 depending on what was ordered, how much they had to bring, etc.

[staygulf]

We tip for room service. On Celebrity, we usually have room service once a day. There are four of us. We usually have four covered dishes on the tray plus coffee and juice. That deserves a tip!

 

Why does it DESERVE a tip ?

[staygulf]

But you said on another thread that you're removing the DSC...lol=there's that baby bird sound again

 

Here we go again. I said that I was happy with the service on Celebrity and paid the autotip. Had I been unhappy with the service I would have reduced or even removed it. That is my choice alone to make. I have already paid for the service by paying more in the UK for the same cruise than you pay in the US. This has been adequately covered in that other thread to which you refer. In the main my room service has been brought to me by my stateroom attendant who is already receiving tips. Anyone else is already being paid and tipped to do other things around the ship. No need to adopt this attitude of "if it moves give it a tip".

[David&Heather]

Getting confused here - the daily tip / service charge was introduced to take all the akwardness and guesswork out of the subject?

So if my understanding is correct provided you leave the daily charge on there is no need to tip extra unless you choose to do so?

We leave the charge on as we understand that the cruise lines do not pay their staff a decent living wage, and that we get billed for their services on a daily basis, we would of course prefer to pay this as part of the fare.

So why do we feel criticised because having paid our daily service charge we dont tip extra to every person for just doing their job:confused:

[mbisson]

Getting confused here - the daily tip / service charge was introduced to take all the akwardness and guesswork out of the subject?

So if my understanding is correct provided you leave the daily charge on there is no need to tip extra unless you choose to do so?

We leave the charge on as we understand that the cruise lines do not pay their staff a decent living wage, and that we get billed for their services on a daily basis, we would of course prefer to pay this as part of the fare.

So why do we feel criticised because having paid our daily service charge we dont tip extra to every person for just doing their job:confused:

 

Actually you understand correctly...someone else in the thread believes the DSC is included in the cruise fare and removing it is justified (and not tipping in other forms is fine when it is removed)

 

You don't seem to share in those beliefs

[Cruzaholic41]

Here we go again. I said that I was happy with the service on Celebrity and paid the autotip.

 

On all RCCL brand cruise lines, the pre-paid gratuities, or "auto-tips" as people are calling them, only covers the waiter, head waiter, assistant waiter, and room attendant. They do not cover room servers waiters. Celebrity is an RCCL brand.

[KirkNC]

We never get it but if we did we would.

 

Kirk

[staygulf]

On all RCCL brand cruise lines, the pre-paid gratuities, or "auto-tips" as people are calling them, only covers the waiter, head waiter, assistant waiter, and room attendant. They do not cover room servers waiters. Celebrity is an RCCL brand.

 

It actually covers "stateroom service" as per the X website. This includes roomservice.

[runnerandme]

Why does it DESERVE a tip ?

 

I want to give a tip, I think they earn the tip. Trays are heavy. They call first to let me know they are on the way. ( I can grab a robe). They bring the tray with a smile and a very pleasant "good morning madam. " They don't act like they expect it either. They are gracious when they accept the tip. AND the number one reason, I do not have to get dressed and go get coffee...

 

SO if you don't tip, that is your business. But I tip and believe they do deserve the tip. We also add an extra dollar to the bar tab if we have great service..again our choice to do so.

[Cruzaholic41]

It actually covers "stateroom service" as per the X website. This includes roomservice.

 

"Stateroom Service" is your room attendant and the services they provide. As already stated, on all RCCL brands, the auto gratuities cover your room attendant, but not room service from the galley.

 

BTW - My neighbor is a senior exec from RCCL. Just a hunch, but I think her word is a little more reliable than your opinion. ;)

[staygulf]

I want to give a tip, I think they earn the tip. Trays are heavy. They call first to let me know they are on the way. ( I can grab a robe). They bring the tray with a smile and a very pleasant "good morning madam. " They don't act like they expect it either. They are gracious when they accept the tip. AND the number one reason, I do not have to get dressed and go get coffee...

 

SO if you don't tip, that is your business. But I tip and believe they do deserve the tip. We also add an extra dollar to the bar tab if we have great service..again our choice to do so.

 

Just interested, do you also give them a tip for taking the somewhat lighter tray away for you ? After all, they are presumably doing the same journey. If so, do you give them a lesser tip ?

[mikewrit]

There's an old saw, frequently debunked but still durable, that TIPS is an acronym for "tipping insures prompt service." It endures because it touches upon a truth. People who are known to tip regularly and sometimes lavishly get better service from people in service work. And people in service work are generally the best tippers. Obviously a good cruise line insists on very good service and does not renew the contract of an employee who does less. But tippers do get something extra. As do people who show appreciation in other ways. I tip people who go above and beyond because I've been in their place and know the difference it makes.

[hartoff2]

This thread was supposed to discuss tipping for room service but, since it's been expanded to bar staff and others, I'll add my two cents worth. I always tip for room service, usually just coffee and danish in the morning and usually $2 per trip. Occasionally, I'll decide to just order a sandwich or burger and fries for dinner when I'm not especially hungry. This also merits a tip. These are special services and not included in the "pool" money. If your cabin steward delivers the food, he most likely had to stop performing his/her regular cleaning duties in order to do so. A couple of bucks is a small enough amount for the convenience.

 

I normally don't augment the 15% bar bill as the cruise goes along but, if I have had a particularly good waiter during the trip, I'll put their name on an envelope at the end of the cruise. Last time, the tip was $20, although it may vary somewhat, depending on my mood and the phase of the moon. :) I always make a point of mentioning their name on the questionnaire. I understand that management actually reads these comments.

 

To expand one more time: on my recent Prinsendam cruise, there was an entertainer whom I enjoyed immensely. She was a singer/pianist who was in the Crow's Nest each night and she engaged the audience wonderfully. I gave her a tip on the final night of the cruise. She had entertained me every night for three weeks and I felt that she deserved more than a "thank you".

 

My point is that tipping is a personal choice and doesn't have to be limited to cabin staff, MDR staff, etc. Some folks choose not to tip at all and that's their choice, although I totally disagree. I choose to think that anyone who provides me a service or enhances my enjoyment of a cruise deserves that recognition.

[SwissDave]

For room service I always give a couple of $ to the person who brings what I ordered. This has never been my room steward but a member of waiting staff. On Princess the room service people are not, I believe, included in the auto tip pool - and even if they were I would still do it. Besides which, if I'm lazy enough to not be bothered to go and get my own food then the person who brings it surely deserves a little something for their efforts. A weeks cruise, maybe 5 x room service (mainly breakfast) = $10 additional out of my pocket - hardly going to break the bank, but it means a lot to those who work hard to please us.

 

 

I never tip bar staff over and above what is already added to the bill, except, if a particular person in a particular bar has gone out of their way to give me good conversation, knows my preferred drink at different times of the day etc. Most they would get is an extra $15 for the week - again, not going to break my bank.

 

Oh, and yes, autotip stays on.

[sjcruiser]

I do, $2-$3 dollars, or sometimes more ($5) per order, which is usually for 2 people. It depends on how much we order.