Tipping in Specialty Restaurants

[eel]

Very interesting thread. I think a cash tip at the specialty restaurants makes always called for provided the service is good but some of the amounts quoted seem very high. It is probably safe to assume that the tips in the specialty restaurant taken out of the upcharge are about the same as the recommended tips in the MDR. So that would be $3.50 + $2.50 - $6 pp or 20% of the upcharge. The rest of the upcharge covers additional food costs, overhead and profit. In a land based restaurant, I tip 20% for good/very good service, maybe slightly more for excellent service. I will tip 15% for not so good service and less only if the service is absolutely horrible. So assuming the $6 pp is equivalent to a standard 15%, that would imply that adding $2 pp bumps this up to a 20% tip. Based on this I add a cash tip of about $2.50 pp ($5 per couple) when I attend a specialty. Am I being too logical or does this make sense?

 

Basing your tip on how much the meal would cost at a land based restaurant is fairly insane. You would need to do the same for every meal which would roughly quadruple the standard gratuities for your wait staff! That is simply not how cruising works! I suppose if you can afford it and want to be especially generous, then be my guest but I don't think anyone should feel guilty about providing only a modest additional tip!

[Puffinater]

I think you may be right. No one could be so stupid as to think one could get a Chops steak for $14.99 in the MDR yet have it included in Chops except for a larger gratuity. Duh. Personally, I don't believe she has ever actually eaten in a specialty restaurant.

 

One can obtain so much information on here that you would not even have to have been on a cruise to rack up 30,000 posts. Just saying.

[Langley Cruisers]

The actual FOOD is included in your fare...

 

 

*blink* *blink*

 

Say WHAT? Oooof. :eek::rolleyes::eek:

 

~

 

OP... when the bill comes, you will see the surcharge x the number in your party; then there is a place where it says

 

GRATUITY:______________

 

You are free to fill in an additional amount, or put "0" and sign the slip. The decision is entirely yours. Enjoy your cruise and your specialty dinner. :)

 

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[karajeboo]

The actual FOOD is included in your fare...the surcharge is the tip! So, if your surcharge is $60 (for 2), then the bill for FOOD ONLY would have to be $300 (based on a 20% tip)...remember, any drinks are additional and have the tips added. So, your surcharge is MORE than ample to cover the tips. A similar meal in a landbased restaurant without drinks would never come to $300!!!

Leave more if you wish, but the surcharge covers it admirably!

 

We have only eaten at Palo on DCL but will be on RCI soon and just checking. I find it very hard to believe that DCL would just gladly give us this meal at no extra charge and give our $40 surcharge to the server????? :confused:

[Coralc]

If someone is looking for an actual amount, I think that is pretty reasonable.

 

Although head waiter gets .75cents pp per day. I think asst. gets 2.50 and waiter gets 3.50. So tipping anywhere around $5 extra pp in specialty is very generous. I've left around that, and I've left less. I've never left anything like $10pp.

 

to actually answer your question, we normally add $10 cash when we sign our charge.

 

I would say $5 p/p is the average amount of our tip as well. :)

[Pushka]

This tipping stuff does my head in. If the bill says that gratuity is included, then why on earth do people feel the need to tip any more. :confused: Doesn't the word gratuity imply payment for good services rendered?

[Langley Cruisers]

This tipping stuff does my head in. If the bill says that gratuity is included, then why on earth do people feel the need to tip any more.

 

The bill doesn't say it. The website says it, and passengers say it. Besides, it's up to each individual - basically, those who "don't know any better" (sorry!) will most likely give an additional tip. Let's face it... RCI is a business and they want to make money. Bottom line. :p

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[Pushka]

The bill doesn't say it. The website says it, and passengers say it. Besides, it's up to each individual - basically, those who "don't know any better" (sorry!) will most likely give an additional tip. Let's face it... RCI is a business and they want to make money. Bottom line. :p

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Ah, thanks for that tip:D. Kind of sneaky that by RCL.

[gmacruiser418]

so, does anyone think that when we have 2 servers in chops and we leave cash on the table, do they split it or does the one who picks it up take it? should we ensure they both get some by handing each of them some cash?

[Cruising89143]

Wrong info...again. Why do you continue to post this? Only part of the surcharge is the tip. The entire surcharge is not the tip. Stop posting bad information.

 

This has been pointed out over and over to this poster and they continue to post incorrect information each time. It's obvious that they don't care what they post.

 

OP, only a very small portion of the surcharge goes towards the gratuity. If you feel that you have had excellent service, then feel free to leave more. I think most do including us.

[rlpolobear9]

Look I get that the whole amount doesn't go to the server but come on people aging they can't afford to tip 10 bucks is bs if you can afford a 2-4 thousand dollar trip you can afford to tip someone for great service. I think a lot of responses on here depend on where you live and age... In NY or the north east it wold be totally unacceptable to not tip well for any service such as cabs, bartenders, servers, doormen etc...

 

The fact that the servers are paid substandard wages that would be unimaginable in this country should not be used as an excuse to be a bad tipper

[cruzincurt]

It appears to me that the waiters in the MDR may actually work harder because they have more tables and two seatings and have farther to lug the trays? We leave an extra cash tip if the servers were punctual and didn't leave dirty dishes sitting in front of use for more than 5 minutes.

 

Assuming we are also paying a tip in the MDR and we aren't eating there, everyone is being compensated one way or another.

[Merion_Mom]

Wrong info...again. Why do you continue to post this? Only part of the surcharge is the tip. The entire surcharge is not the tip. Stop posting bad information.

 

I'm starting to think that cb is trying to grind our gears.

 

This has been pointed out over and over to this poster and they continue to post incorrect information each time. It's obvious that they don't care what they post.

 

OP, only a very small portion of the surcharge goes towards the gratuity. If you feel that you have had excellent service, then feel free to leave more. I think most do including us.

 

The answer is simpler than that.

 

She never returns to a thread after she has posted. Therefore she never sees the repeated times that she is corrected.

[Aquahound]

The answer is simpler than that.

 

She never returns to a thread after she has posted. Therefore she never sees the repeated times that she is corrected.

 

I think you are right. CB is corrected more often than any other poster, yet they keep posting the same misinformation. Probably has more to do with post count.

:rolleyes:

[negc]

The answer is simpler than that.

 

She never returns to a thread after she has posted. Therefore she never sees the repeated times that she is corrected.

 

I believe you are correct and I have long since despaired of hope that any corrections to her misinformation will cause her to discontinue spewing it out. I do, however, believe that it is important to correct her statements if only to prevent new or unsuspecting posters from believing what she states so unequivocally (and incorrectly).

[peteukmcr]

This tipping stuff does my head in. If the bill says that gratuity is included, then why on earth do people feel the need to tip any more. :confused: Doesn't the word gratuity imply payment for good services rendered?

Although as mentioned, it is the website that says gratuity is included in the surcharge, I don't see the need to tip additionally. So now I'm made to feel cheap by experienced cruisers from the US where tipping is a major way of life.

[Aquahound]

Although as mentioned, it is the website that says gratuity is included in the surcharge, I don't see the need to tip additionally. So now I'm made to feel cheap by experienced cruisers from the US where tipping is a major way of life.

 

Tipping extra is nothing more than an option. No one should be critized for not tipping extra. And likewise, no one should criticize those who choose to tip more.

[luvscruising2007]

We have booked Portofinos for our upcoming cruise. So, it is paid for. If we don't order drinks, will we still get a slip to sign so that we can add extra tips or will our only option be to leave a cash tip??

[Gordo]

I was not aware that the tip added to the specialty restaurant bill is split among the staff. Thanks for sharing.

[cruzincurt]

We have booked Portofinos for our upcoming cruise. So, it is paid for. If we don't order drinks, will we still get a slip to sign so that we can add extra tips or will our only option be to leave a cash tip??

My guess is you will get a receipt to sign indicating that you did have the meal just for paperwork purposes. Most slips I've seen also have another line for additional tip to be added if you desire. Even the drink tips with the 15% already added have a line to add more.

[bouhunter]

The actual FOOD is included in your fare...the surcharge is the tip! So, if your surcharge is $60 (for 2), then the bill for FOOD ONLY would have to be $300 (based on a 20% tip)...remember, any drinks are additional and have the tips added. So, your surcharge is MORE than ample to cover the tips. A similar meal in a landbased restaurant without drinks would never come to $300!!!

Leave more if you wish, but the surcharge covers it admirably!

 

There is NO WAY that the entire surcharge of 20-30.00 per person is all tip. Your "logic" about 20%, 300.00, whatever, is irrelevant and not applicable whatsoever.

[northcove]

Although as mentioned, it is the website that says gratuity is included in the surcharge, I don't see the need to tip additionally. So now I'm made to feel cheap by experienced cruisers from the US where tipping is a major way of life.

 

 

I think the crew on ships/land resorts all know the tipping customs of the various cultures they service.

 

For instance, they know Americans tip because it's part of our culture. They also know Brits don't because it's not part of theirs.

 

Nothing to feel "cheap" over.

[peteukmcr]

I think the crew on ships/land resorts all know the tipping customs of the various cultures they service.

 

For instance, they know Americans tip because it's part of our culture. They also know Brits don't because it's not part of theirs.

 

Nothing to feel "cheap" over.

Sorry to correct your misconception but we do tip in the UK, just not to the extent that is the norm in the US. I object very strongly to be classed as a non-tipping nation.

[Pushka]

Sorry to correct your misconception but we do tip in the UK, just not to the extent that is the norm in the US. I object very strongly to be classed as a non-tipping nation.

 

It's the same in Australia. We do tip too but it is never a given percentage. And we never consider it to be compulsory. It's usually only done for above the norm service which is the reason why tipping started in the first place. On the other hand having recently travelled to Europe and USA our prices are way above anything we saw os which is a sign of high wages we pay or we are being totally ripped off. Probably a combination of both.

[peteukmcr]

It's the same in Australia. We do tip too but it is never a given percentage. And we never consider it to be compulsory. It's usually only done for above the norm service which is the reason why tipping started in the first place. On the other hand having recently travelled to Europe and USA our prices are way above anything we saw os which is a sign of high wages we pay or we are being totally ripped off. Probably a combination of both.

Having travelled to Australia many times, albeit not as recently as I would like, I would say also knowing people in the service industry who emigrated to Australia, that they deserve higher wages due to the stringent exams they need to pass to qualify for the roles performed.

 

I can't comment on whether you think the higher prices are a result of being ripped off, as the currency exchange rates can skew the perception of whether something is more expensive when visiting another country and paying in a currency other than your own. I always felt that prices in Australia were more reasonable than in the UK when I visited.