Drink Voucher Service Insider Tips?

[Ships R Great]

Can anyone give some tips on how to minimize problems with using Elite drink vouchers? The posts about crowded bars and long waits are alarming. Also, with the 5-7 hour limitations, late diners coming early for drinks, is there more of a problem for early diners getting served in a timely manner?

[Lsimon]

They had the vouchers on our TA last December. While the bars were more crowded than usual I don't think I knew of anyone having problems getting served within a reasonable time nor any other problems.

 

I wouldn't be alarmed or worried. Relax.

[Ships R Great]

Good to hear. Thanks, Larry

[KeywestK]

We are boarding the Eclipse tomorrow for our first X sailing. We are Elite, due to our Diamond level on RCI, so we need a little guidance about tipping with the vouchers during the 5-7 o'clock Elite coctails. If it would have been in a separate lounge, I would have tipped the bartenders at the end of the cruise, but not sure how to handle it on a nightly basis, when we could be at different bars each evening. Do we just give the bartender a small tip at the end of each evening, or even with each cocktail?

 

How have others handled this?

[Hapytocruise]

We had vouchers on our TA this past December. My DH tipped $1 each time we ordered drinks - $3 per night for the two of us that way who ever served us got the tip. Service was excellent at the end of the cruise we tipped a bit extra to our favourite servers.

[Ships R Great]

Were the waiters the same in ech bar or did they shift them around?

[Hapytocruise]

For the most part I would say the servers and bar tenders were scheduled to be in the same bars (at least that is my observation). We did not go to the same bar every evening.

[Bobal]

We are boarding the Eclipse tomorrow for our first X sailing. We are Elite, due to our Diamond level on RCI, so we need a little guidance about tipping with the vouchers during the 5-7 o'clock Elite coctails. If it would have been in a separate lounge, I would have tipped the bartenders at the end of the cruise, but not sure how to handle it on a nightly basis, when we could be at different bars each evening. Do we just give the bartender a small tip at the end of each evening, or even with each cocktail?

 

How have others handled this?

 

Keywest, do you mind me asking whether you have been informed that they are using vouchers on your sailing. My understanding is that vouchers are only used when there are an extremely high number of Elites onboard and, certainly in the case of earlier Eclipse sailings this year, Elite members were advised in advance that this would be the case. If you haven't heard anything it probably means that they will not be using the voucher system.

 

I am interested since we are on the Eclipse sailing following yours.

[helen haywood]

We used two of the three coupons nightly in the Oceanview Bar aft while enjoying sailaway. We tipped our waitress the first time we used the coupons and every evening after that when we appeared she would approach us and confirm our orders and when 5 arrived she promptly brought our drinks. We used the third coupon for drinks to take into Select dinner when we went at 6:45. There were always too many people at the Martini Bar for us to feel we could get our drink when 7 was approaching....so we went down one deck to the Destinations Bar on deck 3 and there was never a problem getting one there.

[helen haywood]

I should add that this was the Eclipse's 14 night sailing last month.

[Hapytocruise]

Keywest, do you mind me asking whether you have been informed that they are using vouchers on your sailing. My understanding is that vouchers are only used when there are an extremely high number of Elites onboard and, certainly in the case of earlier Eclipse sailings this year, Elite members were advised in advance that this would be the case. If you haven't heard anything it probably means that they will not be using the voucher system.

 

I am interested since we are on the Eclipse sailing following yours.

 

I was interested also (we are sailing on her April 6 and really hope for the vouchers) the roll-call for tomorrows sailing had a few mentions which indicated to me they heard via email from Celebrity mid week prior to the sail date.

[KeywestK]

Keywest, do you mind me asking whether you have been informed that they are using vouchers on your sailing. My understanding is that vouchers are only used when there are an extremely high number of Elites onboard and, certainly in the case of earlier Eclipse sailings this year, Elite members were advised in advance that this would be the case. If you haven't heard anything it probably means that they will not be using the voucher system.

 

I am interested since we are on the Eclipse sailing following yours.

 

We received an email the other day from X telling us that all Elite members will get 3 drink vouchers in lieu of the nightly cocktail party, due to the high number of Elites on our sailing.

[Bobal]

We received an email the other day from X telling us that all Elite members will get 3 drink vouchers in lieu of the nightly cocktail party, due to the high number of Elites on our sailing.

 

Thanks for your response, I have my fingers crossed that they do the same for our sailing.

[jackdiamond]

I do it very simply, I tip the server with each drink or canape (s).

[KeywestK]

Thanks for your response, I have my fingers crossed that they do the same for our sailing.

 

I am happy about the vouchers is this way we can have cocktails with friends who are not Elite:)

 

I do it very simply, I tip the server with each drink or canape (s).

 

I think this is probably the best way, and I will do this as well. Good thing I got lots of single bills before we left home;):)

[CruisinCindy]

We just got off Eclipse today. Our Caribbean sailing had 700 Elites on board and the voucher system was used. We got email notification about a week before the cruise.

 

There are a few bars which are not approved for voucher use, but we had no problem at any of the bars we went to every night. The Sunset Bar (aft bar by the grass) and Oceanview Aft bars were great for sailaways, the Ensemble bar was nice for music, and the Martini bar was good for social energy. We ended up going to the Sky Lounge most of the time because the view was nice, and it wasn't crowded because the Elites were spread all over the ship.

 

As far as tips go, we ended up tipping with cash with our particular server each night, since we moved around. Our standout was Eric the bartender in the Sky Lounge, who was fantastic, making the Captains Club cocktails fresh and setting up our drinks when he saw us arriving. We tipped him each day we saw him.

 

Darn, I sure wish we were still on board!

[marieps]

We bring a bank envelope of 50 $1 bills for this very reason. A small group of us gathered at the Molecular Bar each night, and while 6 of us had the package, 2 were using coupons. Alex (Eclipse Molecular Mixologist) would take their coupons are go to another bar to fetch their wine. He was extrodinary, and we tipped accordingly each night, over and above the 15% we'd pre-paid. If you single out a few servers early in the cruise with gratis they will recognize you and raise their game, IMHO.

[A Sixth?]

The vouchers are only when Elites are in great numbers grazing the various bars and watering holes. :p

 

We had them one night only on our New Years cruise on the Eclipse for New Years Eve only. There were over 500 Elites aboard and the HH was in the Sky Lounge save that voucher night.

 

Not only were they easily accepted, we didn't notice the restriction on which bars would accept them and found ourselves using them in one that wasn't supposed to serve us. In fact, the bartender liked us and never actually bothered taking the coupons and instead kept the drinks coming!

 

Celebrity! I love them!

 

[CathyCruises]

Interesting that yours say 5-8! That would be so much better for those of us with late dining--sure hope they stay with the 8 PM deadline. Bummer that they can't be used in the martini bar, esp since there are Apple Martinis on the CC drinks menu.