Anytime Dining Tipping??

[mikjr]

With fixed seating dining, you always have the SAME servers, and at the end of the cruise we would usually tip a bit extra to our waiter and assistant, especially if the service was better than usual.

 

But now, with Anytime Dining, we normally have a different server every night. There have been a few times when we might get seated in the same area twice, but that's usually the exception.

 

personally, I don't feel a need to tip someone extra that has only served our table once or twice.

 

Any opinions on this issue? How does anyone else handle the tipping of Anytime Dining servers??

[Pam in CA]

What's called the "auto-tip" was initiated in 2001 with the introduction of Anytime dining on the Grand Princess. Just leave the auto-tip on and your waitstaff, whether in Traditional or Anytime, will be tipped as well as your cabin steward. If you wish to tip extra, you can bring cash with you and if earned, tip your waitstaff. When you leave the auto-tip on, they get to keep it. Otherwise, it goes into the tipping pool.

[DeloreanGirl]

We had Anytime Dining and tipping was automatically taken out the same way it would be if you had the same server.

 

I didn't mind because we loved nearly all our servers. Most were fantastic and funny and energetic and only 1-2 were silent.

 

If you remove automatic tipping, the wrath of the Cruise Critic Tipping Board will come after you. ;)

[paul929207]

As long as you have left on the autotip, there is no need to give anything extra to a cabin steward or waiter.

[Nebr.cruiser]

We almost always do Anytime Dining and don't leave anything extra, normally. We always leave the daily service charge on, of course.

 

One time when we were on RCI with 7 grandkids, even though we were in anytime, they always had the same large round table in the same place ready for us; we ate about 6 every night because it worked best with the kids (normally we'd eat at varying times).

 

So, we always had the same waitstaff, who were wonderful with the kids. We did tip them extra.

 

I don't tip waiters extra even if we are not doing Anytime, unless service is extra-oridinary, but I do usually tip our Steward extra.

[sept10dsm]

When we had anytime, if the waiters we had were really great, we left a few dollars. If just doing their job they had the portion of the auto tips. That's how we did it!

[Goldiedog]

In the UK we have to pay up front the tips if we are doing anytime dining with final payment of our cruise so we cannot have it removed when we board as we have already paid.

[chipq]

We almost always are ATD and have tipped extra when the wait team was above and beyond the regular service. Extra friendly without being annoying, prompt and ready to respond to any request, good rapport with our kids.

[Cruisin' Chick]

We got stuck with AT dining on our last cruise (booked it pretty close to the sailing date and never made it off the wait list) and didn't really liked it for many reasons. We did notice some of our fellow diners giving the green fisted salute to a waiter at times, but we didn't tip any individually (of course, we kept on our autotips).

[EmiGirl826]

On Carnival you have to PREPAY the grats if you have the anytime dining.

[mikjr]

What's called the "auto-tip" was initiated in 2001 with the introduction of Anytime dining on the Grand Princess. Just leave the auto-tip on and your waitstaff, whether in Traditional or Anytime, will be tipped as well as your cabin steward. If you wish to tip extra, you can bring cash with you and if earned, tip your waitstaff. When you leave the auto-tip on, they get to keep it. Otherwise, it goes into the tipping pool.

 

I guess I didn't make myself clear... we are experienced Princess cruisers and always leave the auto tips in place... when we had fixed dining, we would give the servers a bit extra on the last night. So, my question was, does anyone tip EXTRA for ATD service, and if yes... how do they go about it?

 

from what I am reading... no one feels it is necessary to tip extra for servers if the have ATD. not having the same servers nightly, I feel the same way.

 

thanks for the input...

[kitty9]

Since you don't have the same waitstaff, there's no reason, or any real way to tip extra. I've never seen anyone leave money on the table after dinner. It's just not something that is done.

Edited June 16, 2012 by kitty9

[Putterdude]

There is no reason to leave anything extra in ATD unless you happen to have a standing reservation which you keep renewing...in which case you may care to leave an extra tip but that is up to you.

[EmiGirl826]

We did. We had requested the same wait staff every night and we did give our waitress extra just because she was so incredibly awesome.

[moswinner1]

It's an old chestnut, But, I really resent paying up front for service that I MAY GET, rather than the service I'VE HAD. Please don't get me wrong, I have always paid at least the going rate and often more. And up to now have always had great service. It gives me pleasure to hand over the envelope to our stewards at the end of the cruise, who have not only done a great job but have become our friends. I can only imagine that the "Tips up front" procedure is in place to make those who don't like to tip feel uncomfortable.

On recent cruises I have left the tips on, and given extra. but I wonder if it will eventually make the crew less attentive if all tips are automatic.

Happy Cruising:):)

[mjjden]

We have requested the same wait staff when we find someone who is fun and provides great service. On our last Nordaam cruise, Dotty and his staff, impressed us one night, so we asked for them every other night and so left them a tip at the end.

[Velvetwater]

On Carnival you have to PREPAY the grats if you have the anytime dining.

 

Not true on Carnival but true on most other lines.

 

OP, you could ask for the same servers each night? That would fix your problem as I am have seen many cruisers do this with a 10 minute or so wait.

[cb at sea]

Just keep the "auto-tip" or pre-paid tips, or daily service charge..whatever your cruisline calls it in effect...and everyone who is supposed to be tipped, will be tipped.

 

If you run across someone you feel needs more, then hand them cash on the last night.

[OCruisers]

Just keep the "auto-tip" or pre-paid tips, or daily service charge..whatever your cruisline calls it in effect...and everyone who is supposed to be tipped, will be tipped. .....

 

It certainly makes things easy! :)

We almost always tip our cabin steward and favorite bartenders extra, but never extra to the Anytime dining staff.

 

LuLu

[SadieN]

We keep auto tips in place, treat all staff with respect and have found that a dud is a dud. Our Room Steward on our last 9 day MR was so horrendous that we actually wrote up a note to the ship.

Writing is the best or worst thing you can do. From this comes how their next contract is handled.

Edited April 26, 2015 by SadieN

[aquilegia]

In the UK we have to pay up front the tips if we are doing anytime dining with final payment of our cruise so we cannot have it removed when we board as we have already paid.

 

This is not the case with all cruise lines and UK passengers. I travel with Princess, always have Anytime dining and have never been asked to pay upfront. The autotip is added daily to my shipboard account in exactly thr same way as it is with American passengers (not that I would want to remove it anyway).