Room Service Tip

[Aussie Claire]

Thank you Rick and Gonzo70.

[cruzsnooze]

New to Celebrity. Should we decide on room service...please advise of appropriate tip for breakfast, lunch, dinner.

It is included in your daily fee for tipping so no extra is needed or expected unless you want to.

[jackdiamond]

We always tip at least 2.00, for morning room service coffee; and, 5.00, at least for a full breakfast. We are not cheap.

[cruise kitty]

I appreciate the explanation of room steward vs other staff doing the breakfast delivery, past couple of cruises, it's always been either room steward or his assistant delivering breakfast, & each time I've had call out "please wait" while I grabbed my 2E coin. They seemed a bit surprised/taken aback by this, so now I understand why... I'll still stick with the 2E for breakfast, seems like a reasonable tip to me.

[Gonzo70]

It is included in your daily fee for tipping so no extra is needed or expected unless you want to.

 

If any of the daily service charge goes to room service personnel, it is a very small, token amount. While tipping for room service is certainly not required, it is good etiquette to award a small gratuity if someone other than your room steward (or butler if you are in a suite) delivers your order.

[hurwitz5]

We have been cruising for over 20 years. Our understanding of cruise etiquette is that you should tip the room service waiters a few dollars ($2 - $5) for this EXTRA service. We tip according to how much food is delivered (hopefully, in a timely manner). The daily tipping charges (cabin steward, waiters, etc.) don't include tips for room service. We don't order room service frequently, but really enjoyed this service on our last cruise when I had a bad cold. The chicken soup, tuna sandwich and hot tea hit the spot.

[Aussie Claire]

This is a very interesting discussion, as an Aussie I am not used to tipping in general, I am aware tipping is the norm in the USA and parts of Europe and I always try to fit in to other countries cultures.

 

What I don't understand is; If I prepay a tip per day of approx. $3.65 (not sure if this amount is correct for Concierge) and approx. $3.50 per day for the Cabin steward. Say for instance I have breakfast in my cabin, lunch off the ship (we will presume this is a port day) and I go to a Specialty restaurant that evening for dinner.

 

What happens to my $3.65 restaurant tip, who does it go to?

 

Specialty restaurants charge, so I presume the staff working in that area are covered by that charge, so what happens to my $3.65 tip which I have paid for in advance?

[Lsimon]

This is a very interesting discussion, as an Aussie I am not used to tipping in general, I am aware tipping is the norm in the USA and parts of Europe and I always try to fit in to other countries cultures.

 

What I don't understand is; If I prepay a tip per day of approx. $3.65 (not sure if this amount is correct for Concierge) and approx. $3.50 per day for the Cabin steward. Say for instance I have breakfast in my cabin, lunch off the ship (we will presume this is a port day) and I go to a Specialty restaurant that evening for dinner.

 

What happens to my $3.65 restaurant tip, who does it go to?

 

Specialty restaurants charge, so I presume the staff working in that area are covered by that charge, so what happens to my $3.65 tip which I have paid for in advance?

 

The dining room tip is shared between the dining room staff and other food and beverage service staff. You'll find that the same staff who wait on you in the dining room for dinner are working in the buffet for breakfast and lunch as well as staffing any special event food service on board such as the nighttime deck parties or dessert buffets. Keep in mind that although we may not like it the "tips" (they should really be called service charges) cover the overall compensation for these people as, unlike similar staff working at restaurants in your country, they do not receive a base wage that would sustain them. So even if you choose to dine at a specialty restaurant one night they still need to be compensated for being in the dining room available for you. Not a great system but one which is in place whether we like it or not.

[Wine-O]

What about those in a Suite who have a Butler? Do you tip him each morning when he brings you your espresso? You already tip him $7 per day.

[Lsimon]

What about those in a Suite who have a Butler? Do you tip him each morning when he brings you your espresso? You already tip him $7 per day.

 

I never give an "on the spot" tip any staff person, such as a butler or cabin steward, who provides service directly to us throughout the cruise. Instead we'll consider the overall level of service and the requests we've asked for throughout the cruise in determining any extra gratuities we give them at the end of the cruise. The biggest exception I can think of was one time when we had big party on the veranda of a suite and the butler went all out to set it up very nicely and get some special part treats for us. I gave him an extra tip for that when I saw him the next day.

[Gonzo70]

What about those in a Suite who have a Butler? Do you tip him each morning when he brings you your espresso? You already tip him $7 per day.

 

No, the butler is already being tipped through the daily service charge and delivering you food is one of their standard duties - so no tip for that. If you use the butler a lot and they do a great job, an extra tip at the end of the cruise is nice, but not mandatory.

[Gonzo70]

This is a very interesting discussion, as an Aussie I am not used to tipping in general, I am aware tipping is the norm in the USA and parts of Europe and I always try to fit in to other countries cultures.

 

What I don't understand is; If I prepay a tip per day of approx. $3.65 (not sure if this amount is correct for Concierge) and approx. $3.50 per day for the Cabin steward. Say for instance I have breakfast in my cabin, lunch off the ship (we will presume this is a port day) and I go to a Specialty restaurant that evening for dinner.

 

What happens to my $3.65 restaurant tip, who does it go to?

 

Specialty restaurants charge, so I presume the staff working in that area are covered by that charge, so what happens to my $3.65 tip which I have paid for in advance?

 

You are over analyzing this. It is like asking where your cable tv fee goes if you are paying for 100 channels, but only watch 15. Your daily service charge is allotted to various service personnel and some behind the scenes people assisting servers. Makes no difference when and where you eat, it is a service charge so that those having food available throughout the day are accommodated. The service personnel make nearly all their money from the service charge and extra tips; waiters and room stewards receive only $50 per month in salary from the cruise line.

[anandaindonesia]

What I don't understand is; If I prepay a tip per day of approx. $3.65 (not sure if this amount is correct for Concierge) and approx. $3.50 per day for the Cabin steward. Say for instance I have breakfast in my cabin, lunch off the ship (we will presume this is a port day) and I go to a Specialty restaurant that evening for dinner.

What happens to my $3.65 restaurant tip, who does it go to?

Specialty restaurants charge, so I presume the staff working in that area are covered by that charge, so what happens to my $3.65 tip which I have paid for in advance?

 

Part and parcel of your cruise fare is that Celebrity provides you with a restaurant to dine in, and in addition to that there is a gratuity system based on which you are to "tip" the restaurant service personnel. The tip is calculated as "daily" which correspond to your cruise days, not as "per task" or "per job".

 

The restaurant is there, and if you choose not to dine in that restaurant, you are not going to ask Celebrity to deduct your cruise fare.

The service personnel are also there, ready, just waiting for you to "use" their service. If we opt to go somewhere else and not using their service, how can we deny their existence?

 

Technically speaking, you can eat and pay extra at a specialty restaurant of your choice, and after that you are still entitled to eat and be served at the dining room, if you wish to do so. Of course, very seldom we can eat a specialty restaurant AND the dining room at the same time. :-)

 

Yes, there goes your "tip" for unused services, but it is you who choose not to utilise that service. Prepaid your tip or payable at the end of the cruise, doesn't really matter.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

Michael

[orchestrapal]

What about those in a Suite who have a Butler? Do you tip him each morning when he brings you your espresso? You already tip him $7 per day.

 

We do eat breakfast on the balcony frequently and dinner at the dinning room table many times and some times with another couple.

We never tip our butlers during the cruise but do tip generously on the last day.:)

[anandaindonesia]

Hi Michael, thank you for your answer... ... Last year I cruised on Celebrity and never paid a tip for room service, I had no idea it was expected.:confused: I did however pay an extra tip to my cabin steward and his helper at the end of the cruise as their service was amazing.

Any breakfasts that I ordered were usually delivered by our cabin steward.

 

 

Hi Claire,

You have done the right thing. As Larry has pointed out, it s not necessary to tip your cabin steward daily for delivering breakfasts. You just tip them extra at the end of the cruise.

 

Yes! Their service is amazing!

 

Enjoy your cruise,

Michael

[BillnBev]

we have always had breakfast in our cabin and always tipped at least $2 each day. well worth it as we enjoyed the relaxation of not having to queue and look for tables at breakfast in restaurant (not MDR).

[fleckle]

On cruises we always keep a stash of $1 bills in a convenient drawer, readily available so there is never any concern or hassle about needing to remember to prepare tips in advance.

 

If the room service order is delivered by our own stateroom attendant or butler, we do not tip at time of delivery but tip extra at the end of the cruise.

 

If delivered by someone else, it is so easy just to reach into the drawer and grab a few dollars to tip the person at the time of delivery.

 

[Xcitdcruiser]

The majority of posters are suggesting to tip at the end of the cruise. Do you think the butler / room attendant would be more attentive if you tipped throughout?

[jackdiamond]

The majority of posters are suggesting to tip at the end of the cruise. Do you think the butler / room attendant would be more attentive if you tipped throughout?

Yes.

[cruzsnooze]

What if you have prepaid gratuities. Should you still tip?

 

I don't because it's included in your daily service fee they charge to your account daily. it's up to you what you want to do.

[Aussie Claire]

On cruises we always keep a stash of $1 bills in a convenient drawer, readily available so there is never any concern or hassle about needing to remember to prepare tips in advance.

 

If the room service order is delivered by our own stateroom attendant or butler, we do not tip at time of delivery but tip extra at the end of the cruise.

 

If delivered by someone else, it is so easy just to reach into the drawer and grab a few dollars to tip the person at the time of delivery.

 

 

I understand what you are saying, but I disagree with paying a tip for food service that I have already tipped for. Celebrity can see if I was in the Dining room for breakfast, or if I ordered room service. Therefore the tip should be allocated to whoever supplied the service.

[fleckle]

I understand what you are saying, but I disagree with paying a tip for food service that I have already tipped for. Celebrity can see if I was in the Dining room for breakfast, or if I ordered room service. Therefore the tip should be allocated to whoever supplied the service.

Then what about the people who go to the buffet for breakfast, or to the aqua spa cafe, or the elite lounge, or who skip breakfast, or who eat parts of their breakfast at different locations?

[Aussie Claire]

Then what about the people who go to the buffet for breakfast, or to the aqua spa cafe, or the elite lounge, or who skip breakfast, or who eat parts of their breakfast at different locations?

 

Yes, I understand what you are getting at. I just feel that if I have tipped once, that is enough. There may never be a perfect solution to these situations, all I need to do is feel comfortable with my decision.

 

Thank you for your imput.:)

[cruzsnooze]

We always tip at least 2.00, for morning room service coffee; and, 5.00, at least for a full breakfast. We are not cheap.

Nor are those that leave the suggested amount no more no less. The cruise line already did the math for us so why reinvent the wheel.

[Kevnzworld]

I always tip any room service people 2-3.00$. I don't tip my cabin attendant for bringing me ice, wine or anything else until the end of the cruise.

I think you have to separate the different people and their jobs. The waiters in the restaurant get the service charge money that's automatically added ( I hope, who knows )

I consider the room service delivery people a seperate entity.