Tipping - Cash or Sign

[Highlander1]

We usually carry a bunch of $2 bills along for tipping servers and others a little extra for their efforts. At least by giving them cash, one knows they are getting the entire amount and don't have to share.

 

My concern is when dining in specialty restaurants, and wanting to leave an additional gratuity, if I add it on the voucher and sign for it, does the tip get split or does the server get it all. My intention is to make sure the person responsible for providing the service is compensated, the others can earn their own. Please clarify.

[kampinguru]

I am not sure if they have to split cash or not but please keep in mind that the people behind the scenes in the kitchen, the sommolier, etc all play a very large part in your servers ability to provide you great service.

 

We usually carry a bunch of $2 bills along for tipping servers and others a little extra for their efforts. At least by giving them cash, one knows they are getting the entire amount and don't have to share.

 

My concern is when dining in specialty restaurants, and wanting to leave an additional gratuity, if I add it on the voucher and sign for it, does the tip get split or does the server get it all. My intention is to make sure the person responsible for providing the service is compensated, the others can earn their own. Please clarify.

[backyardponder]

We usually carry a bunch of $2 bills along for tipping servers and others a little extra for their efforts.

 

I would not recommend using $2 bills or dollar coins. Someone receiving them on the ship will have to convert them to a more standard denomination since they would not be accepted in their home country, assuming they are taking their cash home with them.

 

My son was in the Peace Corps in Turkmenistan when the US was changing some of our currency. When we sent him cash (I found a secure way to do it) we had to make sure it was the current bills. The attitude in Turkmenistan was "why would the United States print new money if the old money was still good".

 

John

[kitty9]

Are you talking about leaving cash on the table in the dining room after every meal? Sorry, but that's just not done and like with all tips on cruise lines, they must be put into a "bank" for all crew members. They don't get to keep cash tips. Things have changed with regards to crew keeping cash. They can't do that anymore and must turn in all cash tips.

 

As for the $2 bills, those are not a good idea either because many places don't recognize that denomination and may think it's fake. It's the same with the $1 and $2 coins. Most foreign areas don't recognize those.

[Lsimon]

We usually carry a bunch of $2 bills along for tipping servers and others a little extra for their efforts. At least by giving them cash, one knows they are getting the entire amount and don't have to share.

 

My concern is when dining in specialty restaurants, and wanting to leave an additional gratuity, if I add it on the voucher and sign for it, does the tip get split or does the server get it all. My intention is to make sure the person responsible for providing the service is compensated, the others can earn their own. Please clarify.

 

I believe that if pooling is required then the employee is required to remit any such tips received in cash just as they would if the tips were charged and that there are severe repercussions for not doing so. So if your goal is to avoid sharing then I don't think leaving cash would make a difference.

 

As to when pooling is required: I think that in many cases the basic, or automatic, gratuities are shared, but that amounts in excess of this can be retained. An exception to this would be situations where the service is provided by a team, rather than an individual, as it is in the specialty restuarants.

 

Of course all the above is based on my observations both on the ships and from reading posts on these boards. The servers on the ship are pretty tight lipped regarding tips and when the tips are pooled and I suspect there are policies against discussing these topics.

[FrankinPA]

Are you talking about leaving cash on the table in the dining room after every meal? Sorry, but that's just not done and like with all tips on cruise lines, they must be put into a "bank" for all crew members. They don't get to keep cash tips. Things have changed with regards to crew keeping cash. They can't do that anymore and must turn in all cash tips.

 

As for the $2 bills, those are not a good idea either because many places don't recognize that denomination and may think it's fake. It's the same with the $1 and $2 coins. Most foreign areas don't recognize those.

 

Maybe I am not understanding your statement. If "they must bank" the cash they receive and cannot keep it, what difference does it make if the cash is in $2 bills or $1 coins? The bank knows these are valid currencies so the employees will not have to worry about it. Please elaborate.

[PS90]

I am not sure if they have to split cash or not but please keep in mind that the people behind the scenes in the kitchen, the sommolier, etc all play a very large part in your servers ability to provide you great service.

 

I don't mean any offense, but I have never understood the "making sure you tip the behind-the-scenes crew" argument.

 

For one, they should already be taken care of as part of the extra charge for going to the Specialty Restaurant; and for two, even in the US, the kitchen staff in land-based restaurants don't regularly receive tips anyway - so why is there this need on cruise ships to "guilt" people into making sure every crew member receives part of the tip?

 

So, IMO, any cash slipped to your waiter should be able to be kept by that person. Whether that actually happens is another story.

[nycmode]

I just gave the people I liked a good amount of cash that I felt they deserved. But when I was in speciality restaurants, I just signed for the extra tips.

[jackdiamond]

We always leave on the auto tips; and, then if we tip extra it is in cash.

[dzcruisers]

We always leave on the auto tips; and, then if we tip extra it is in cash.

 

We do too, and as I understand it , the crew gets to keep any extra money you have given them if you leave on auto tips.

There are many threads on this. I almost saw this thread as a troll trying to stir things up with $2. bills and cash only.

[kampinguru]

Most restaurants in Canada require the wait staff to put a percentage of their tips into a pool that is split by the kitchen staff. I know Boston Pizza and the Keg do this as I have nieces that work there. One in the kitchen and one as a wait staff.

 

For one, they should already be taken care of as part of the extra charge for going to the Specialty Restaurant; and for two, even in the US, the kitchen staff in land-based restaurants don't regularly receive tips anyway - so why is there this need on cruise ships to "guilt" people into making sure every crew member receives part of the tip?

 

So, IMO, any cash slipped to your waiter should be able to be kept by that person. Whether that actually happens is another story.

[yayvacation!]

I've always left a tip on the check that I assume is being split. The last two specialty dining experiences have been free because of staying in a suite, so I think $10 is recommended.

 

Then I give cash in hand to the waiter and assistant waiter as a little extra, but I've always thought they got to keep what was palmed to them. :confused:

 

I hope they do get to keep the cash as I meant it specifically for them and the service they provide.

[PS90]

Most restaurants in Canada require the wait staff to put a percentage of their tips into a pool that is split by the kitchen staff. I know Boston Pizza and the Keg do this as I have nieces that work there. One in the kitchen and one as a wait staff.

 

That may true, but typically in the US, the tip-pool is distributed between the waiters, busboys, hosts, and other service-type positions, but not with the kitchen staff. I would have to find the reference article, but I recently read something that said the average amount of tips that make it to the kitchen staff is around 3% of the total tips.

 

Now, on land in the US, the kitchen staff typically makes a living wage, while the service staff works for less than minimum wage and relies on tips for the rest. I have no idea what the compensation for chefs vs. service staff is on-board a cruiseship, but they supposedly follow the US tipping customs.

[Hawaiidan]

Here and at sea, and everywhere I always put a tip on the tab and pay with my credit card. Why?

Well not only am I getting to show appreciation to others, but my credit will reward me with miles as well. It is a win-win for us both;).

 

Cash is NOT king... it is a horrible waste of money. I have a credit card I pay off every month and use it like cash, or check. I seldom ever carry more that $20 cash with me anywhere in the world.