Tips for room service

[LoriAB]

Hello all...sailing for 8 days on NOS right after Thanksgiving. We are really looking forward to ordering some meals, especially breakfast, in our balcony stateroom....just want to wake up and have our breakfast on the balcony....doesn't get any better than that:). Wondering how much of a tip should be given to delivery person. Thanks!!

[uksimonusa]

Hello all...sailing for 8 days on NOS right after Thanksgiving. We are really looking forward to ordering some meals, especially breakfast, in our balcony stateroom....just want to wake up and have our breakfast on the balcony....doesn't get any better than that:). Wondering how much of a tip should be given to delivery person. Thanks!!

 

really depends on what you order, I normally give a couple of bucks for a coffee and $5+ for a complete meal

[Puffinater]

We usually tip $2/$3 for breakfast and $2 for a midday snack. Love those Bistro Burgers:D

[cb at sea]

Bear in mind that unless you're in a suite, there's no dining table on your balcony, so eating a full meal is kind of difficult off of that knee-high patio table!

We tip $2 for coffee/danish and $5 for a full meal for 2.

[deltatango]

I am allowing $2 per room service, but hey we are from the UK not good at tipping, breakfast most days

[bigque]

Bear in mind that unless you're in a suite, there's no dining table on your balcony, so eating a full meal is kind of difficult off of that knee-high patio table!

We tip $2 for coffee/danish and $5 for a full meal for 2.

 

We ate breakfast out there last year on the Serenade just about every morning except the last day when we ate in the Windjammer with no problem. You just have to adjust and adapt! In the pictures we didn't on top of the food containers we just held the plate in one hand or lap. I tipped $3.00 each morning.

 

 

[sherilyn70]

The Oasis has higher tables from my understanding so it makes it a lot easier to eat out there. Otherwise I might consider taking a camping table with me.

 

This picture inspired me to do an entire breakfast on the balcony.

[bigque]

The Oasis has higher tables from my understanding so it makes it a lot easier to eat out there. Otherwise I might consider taking a camping table with me.

 

This picture inspired me to do an entire breakfast on the balcony.

 

Now that is a better deal than those little round tables that we had in my pictues up above! It just gave me the idea to maybe go to the local walmart and purchase one of those cheap card tables for the upcoming cruise on the Freedom!

[Woodmnky]

Can you add the tip to your sea pass account or do tips need to be in cash?

[MrsPete]

really depends on what you order, I normally give a couple of bucks for a coffee and $5+ for a complete meal

I second these amounts.

Bear in mind that unless you're in a suite, there's no dining table on your balcony, so eating a full meal is kind of difficult off of that knee-high patio table!

We tip $2 for coffee/danish and $5 for a full meal for 2.

I agree. I hate to eat on the balcony. Why do I want to eat outside in the heat with my hair blowing in my face?

 

We occasionally do eat a snack in our room.

Can you add the tip to your sea pass account or do tips need to be in cash?

Tips must be in cash. We usually pick up $50 in singles before a cruise, and that's always been more than enough for us.

[bigque]

You don't have to tip them at all, but when you do, you should just slip them some cash. I had brought along some one's on the cruise just for that occassion.

[bigque]

I agree. I hate to eat on the balcony. Why do I want to eat outside in the heat with my hair blowing in my face?

 

For us it was just so nice sitting out on the balcony each morning as we were pulling into each port. The temparatures were not hot yet that time of morning and the ship had slowed enough were the wind was not a major factor!

[Woodmnky]

We occasionally do eat a snack in our room.Tips must be in cash. We usually pick up $50 in singles before a cruise, and that's always been more than enough for us.

Thanks for the info. Princess has you sign a slip stating that you received your order and coincidentally there is a space to add a tip just like you would on a credit card receipt. Glad I know this, so that I can plan ahead.

[Alaska Newbie]

We are going on LOS in February and our TA told us tipping for room service is not required. Tips will be taken care of at the end of the cruise. Then for drinks the tip is added on at the time. Is it necessary to give a tip if it is already being taken care of?

[Retired LEO]

We are going on LOS in February and our TA told us tipping for room service is not required. Tips will be taken care of at the end of the cruise. Then for drinks the tip is added on at the time. Is it necessary to give a tip if it is already being taken care of?

 

Room service gratuities is totally separate from other standard gratuities and is not taken care of at the end of the cruise.

 

Please tip room service appropriately.

[readytogo2]

Tipping is not required, although, I usually give a buck or 2. Tipping is a personal thing, if you don't tip don't let others make you feel guilty.

[Oville]

The cruise line does encourage tipping for room service, I believe there is a pic of someone getting a tip on the room service menu.

 

Personally if we are ordering a full breakfast it's $5.00 or a cheese plate $2 or $3. If you don't tip the person delivering they may be unhappy and who knows what will be included in your next order.;)

[NordicPrince]

If you want to give your money away indiscriminately than it is of course your personal perogative but giving $3 to an anonymous someone who is delivering coffee and a danish and will do that numerous upon numerous times in a morning to many rooms is to me overtipping.

 

People skip out of the MDR on the last night so they don't have to give extra to their MDR waiter who has served them personally for many many

meals and knows their likes and dislikes but will not hesitate to overtip someone who just delivers an order?

 

Better re-think that one.

 

I tip for service not for delivery.

 

$1 or $2 dollars on any order IMHO is sufficient unless that person provides personalized service.

[Oville]

NordicPrince, I believe delivery is indeed a service. Don't hotels add an automatic gratuity for room service meals? My guess is most patrons add a few dollars on top of that.

 

If someone is bringing a full breakfast to your cabin they deserve a proper tip, not a buck or two.

[travelgrl1278]

We are going on LOS in February and our TA told us tipping for room service is not required. Tips will be taken care of at the end of the cruise. Then for drinks the tip is added on at the time. Is it necessary to give a tip if it is already being taken care of?

 

Your TA really should have let you know that while not required they are suggested by cruiseline. Tips for dining room and room steward are taken care of at the end of the cruise as your TA said. And the tips for drinks are already added but there is a spot on the bill that you'll need to sign for a spot for an additional tip if you see fit

[foxesden1]

We tip about a buck a person. Or a buck a plate depending on how large the order is.

[foxesden1]

The Oasis has higher tables from my understanding so it makes it a lot easier to eat out there. Otherwise I might consider taking a camping table with me.

 

This picture inspired me to do an entire breakfast on the balcony.

 

I am all over this on our next trip, I just have to work out how to fly with it!

[sherilyn70]

I am all over this on our next trip, I just have to work out how to fly with it!

 

The camping tables only weight a few pounds and roll up so they fit in your suitcase. I believe this is the table in that picture:

http://www.rei.com/product/378009/camp-time-roll-a-table

[NordicPrince]

NordicPrince, I believe delivery is indeed a service. Don't hotels add an automatic gratuity for room service meals? My guess is most patrons add a few dollars on top of that.

 

If someone is bringing a full breakfast to your cabin they deserve a proper tip, not a buck or two.

 

Automatic gratuities IMHO defeat the purpose of tips which is to reward extra service. If the hotel is concerned about their service personnel providing basic delivery service they should just pay them more.

 

And I will maintain that delivery is not personalized and is just a ship's function and should be rewarded accordingly. And I've already paid for the food. However if the delivery includes a personal touch like including a little extra plate of something or an extra Compass or notice then I reward that little extra.

 

In fact why don't we start tipping ship's personnel each time they just say hello to us? Is that a service too? I always tip the WJ greeter at the end of the cruise if they remember my name. That is going above and beyond. But just saying hello? That's their job.

 

I can't recall the last time I was called into my boss's office and being told

"Thanks for getting that report out. Here's a little something for doing what you are already being paid to do." After all I provide a service.

 

Maybe RCI should just implement service charges during regular room delivery hours which will be specifically noted as going for the staff like they do for the beverage servers and as you mention some hotels do. Then we would settle this discussion. But I bet the majority of people would object to that.

 

In the meantime we are both free to do as we see fit.

[teajak]

The Oasis has higher tables from my understanding so it makes it a lot easier to eat out there. Otherwise I might consider taking a camping table with me.

 

This picture inspired me to do an entire breakfast on the balcony.

I want a picture of my DH's face when I tell him I am going to take a table for the balcony on our next cruise.LOL.:eek: