Do we have to tip to get a good table in anytime dining?

[Lynda90]

You should be able to ask and get a good table without tipping before the service. Tipping before to me is a bribe, tipping after getting a good service is showing appreciation not a bribe. :rolleyes:

Agree, 100%! Well put! :p

[sunshine nana]

It is very interesting to read that some people are tipping ( or is it a bribe?) the MD for a good table. I think that Princess should put a stop to it now! Anytime should not be "at the right price". We did not see this on the Star, Emerald, Dawn or Crown, only on the Island last February.

[cruzsnooze]

No of course not. The first night ask if you can the same table every night. Tipping is for good service not bribes.

[cruisequeen4ever]

We have not had to tip to get a good table. Each time we have been given a standing res for a particular table, we do tip extra at the end, but the head waiter/host had no idea they'd be tipped until the end of the cruise.

[JimmyVWine]

 

A different example. On embarkation day, your steward comes in to your cabin to say hi and you slip him or her $50. The implication here is that you want to be treated better than his other cabins. Or at least those who paid less of a bribe (which is why the bribe culture is a bad thing).

I agree with most of what you posted, but the above-quoted passage assumes too much. Not that I have ever done this, but if I did, it would not be because I want or expect "better" treatment than my neighboring cabins. For how could I, as I know not what treatment they are to receive, nor do I know what, if anything, they may have paid. So I have no way of assessing where I am positioned in the pecking order. No. My payment is not to assure better treatment. It is to assure treatment that I find to be exemplary. Even if that exemplary treatment falls below the treatment of my neighbor. As long as I have achieved a level of treatment that meets my satisfaction, I really don't care what other people get. For example, I really, really want 4 chocolates on our pillows at night, but have no need for more than that. I tip my steward in advance and hint that I want 4 chocolates, and I get them. Later, I learn that my neighbor got 6 each night. But I don't care. I wanted and got my 4. I don't care about being superior to my neighbor. I only care about achieving my personal level of satisfiction. When tipping for a good table, all one cares about is getting a table that meets their personal level of satisfaction, not getting a table that is superior to everyone else. The latter is impossible since table preference is subjective. One person might want a quiet out of the way table for "discretion". Someone

else might want a window table. There is no "best".

[vandalayceo]

A discussion close to my heart.

We always take anytime, and insist on a table for two- my socializing is at Crooners with the bar rats,dinner is to sit and focus on my love (of 38 years)- hey it is the "Love Boat!",at least for us.

20 cruises, and we have worked out our system.

First night as we walk up to the desk and the seaters, and are asked -

"Will you share?"

We answer, not rudely, but emphatically-

"No, only a table for two, and not close to anyone else. We will wait as long as is necessary."

The odd time this gets us an immediate seating, usually we get the pager.No problem.

Next night, we repeat the same little kabuki dance.

May take 3 or 4 nights, but then as we walk up they no longer ask, and now we are likely to be seated immediately, and everynight after that at a very satisfactory table.

Still remember on the Diamond, we got a reputation and we walked up they said-Here come the "Honeymooners!".

Sometimes this means they will let us book the table,but as others have mentioned this depends on the head wait staff.

Even if this is not the policy on the ship we find at some point they can be very accomodating, knowing what we are serious about what we want and providing it.

I'm speculating, but I think the staff really wants to accomodate everyone, but that's impossible just given volume and vagarities of people-many of whom are incredibly obnoxious and deserve no consideration whatsoever.

These are people, and I don't think $20 particuliarly motivates them to put up with someone who feels entitled,but when they see someone who really knows what they want,is reasonable,and as long as they are not an a**hole, they will go out of their way to make it happen.

This process takes a little patience, and maybe not be practical on a 7 day cruise, but it works for us, and it has quaranteed that I know I will be looking at that incredibly beautiful face across from me at dinner, without any distractions.

Worth it!.

[RMM34667]

I know I will be looking at that incredibly beautiful face across from me at dinner, without any distractions.

Worth it!.

 

Sweet!

[WCAB]

We do any time dining and always get the table we want but we do so by going very early for dinner. I do the same thing at home. We have dinner out every Saturday but I cannot tolerate waiting for a table so we dine between 4:00 and 4:30. I also like having my evening open to see shows, visit the casino or just take a walk around the ship. Works for us.

[OCruisers]

A DISCREET Hand$hake never hurts. ;)

 

LuLu

~~~~

[KruzPrincess]

I'm way too easy going and actually don't eat in the MDR much, but it would bother me if I was told there were no tables for two if that's what I wanted. I would tell him that I'd wait for the table I wanted, and stand there and look at him until he found one. I've greased a lot of palms in NV showrooms, but I would not do it on a cruise ship. I will tip after good service but not to get a decent table. I'll be going on the Island Princess soon. It will be interesting to see how they act.

[Cruisin' Chick]

It is stories like this that make me glad that we always go for traditional dining. I would hate to come every day and not know where I will be sitting, or with whom, and what waiter I will have. And then to have lousy service and seat selection because we did not want to tip in advance... this just turns me off.

 

OP, I'm sorry you had such a horrible experience. It sounds to me as if you would prefer traditional dining. Perhaps you should look into it on your next cruise.

 

I feel the same way. After one time with anytime dining (because we had booked so late and we didn't clear the waitlist), we were so glad to return to traditional. We don't have to worry about what type of table we get. We don't mind sitting at a large table. But I would mind having to "bribe" to get a table.

[FritzG]

We had a specific time and table assigned to us in the anytime dining on a recent cruise. We always choose traditional, but this time we had table mates with whom we were not all comfortable with for the first time ever. After the second night we met with the maitre d', and he called the dining room and found a table that we could have for the 4 of us at 7pm each evening. This was the dining room that was TD at 5:30 and anytime after 7:30. It worked out perfectly for us, and we were grateful to have the same terrific waiter each night. We didn't tip the maitre d' when we made the request, but we did tip him at the end because our dining experience was so good for the rest of the cruise.

 

If people are tipping each night for a good table someone, either the maitre d' or Princess, needs to stop it. You should not have to tip in advance to get a good table.

[cocomoe18]

just back from Ruby cruise - there was actually reservations accepted so I would think this might work in your case. We found it easy to just share with 4 or 6 other couples each night - it was a laugh to meet people from all over the world every night .. mingle for goodness sake !

[AKman2495]

Here is my experience-on a 17 day Panama Canal cruise last year, we never had a problem being seated. When asked if we would share we always replied "sure". I think at most we had to wait 3 minutes for a table. By then end of the cruise we always had a great table. And we frequently did not end up sharing.

 

My guess is the head waiter appreciated our making his job easier, which resulted in better service. I also liked moving around the dining room. Meeting all the staff and seeing the room from all the different angles breaks things up. Sitting in the same section, night after night, to me would get boring-which is why we choose anytime over traditional anyway.

[tryagainlater]

Some Maitre d's will let you make a reservation for the same table and time for the entire cruise, some for only before 6pm and after 8pm, some for just that day, etc. It's up to the Maitre d' which is why it's inconsistent. There's no Princess-wide policy. Be aware that on some ships, the tables for two are just inches apart so they're not private.

I had no idea this is not a policy. I went on my first Princess Cruise to Alaska on June 6th, Diamond Princess. We went with a tour company and he somehow was able to get two big tables for us which we sat at every day at the same time. When we went in to be seated we were called the "chinese table" by the hostess. Unfortunately, the tour guide didn't give a tip to the waiters at the end of the cruise. I know it's not expected but a couple of the people in the tour were picky with their food. I don't think we'll be using that tour company again, gave me a sour taste in my mouth when we found out they weren't tipped extra.

[Pam in CA]

I had no idea this is not a policy. I went on my first Princess Cruise to Alaska on June 6th, Diamond Princess. We went with a tour company and he somehow was able to get two big tables for us which we sat at every day at the same time. When we went in to be seated we were called the "chinese table" by the hostess. Unfortunately, the tour guide didn't give a tip to the waiters at the end of the cruise. I know it's not expected but a couple of the people in the tour were picky with their food. I don't think we'll be using that tour company again, gave me a sour taste in my mouth when we found out they weren't tipped extra.

Interesting.

 

Your tour company likely linked your bookings. That's all it should take to seat you together or near each other. If the tour guide implied otherwise, they're taking credit for something they would have done anyway. Every TA I know links bookings for people they know are traveling together automatically. It wasn't up to the tour guide to tip the waitstaff extra because they didn't do anything special or out of the ordinary. If someone was picky or had special requests, it was up to them to tip extra. Not you or the tour guide.

 

FYI, I think it's very rude to anyone, whether it's the Maitre d', Table Captain or waitstaff to call your table the "Chinese table." I wouldn't have tipped anything for that rudeness alone.

[cdngrl]

i always do anytime and the only bad experience I've had ever was on the island princess this past june.

 

i travel on my own and like to share a table. i also eat at 'normal' times. so many times i was told there was no table to share and i was sent off to a table on my own. i hate eating alone. this happened at breakfast as well as dinner.

 

worse was being seated with one other person at a table for 2. that's awkward! i'm thinking a lot about traditional but i want the flexibility of anytime.

 

i'm hoping that was just a one-off. i certainly felt that things on the island were not run normally.

[N00B]

i always do anytime and the only bad experience I've had ever was on the island princess this past june.

 

i travel on my own and like to share a table. i also eat at 'normal' times. so many times i was told there was no table to share and i was sent off to a table on my own. i hate eating alone. this happened at breakfast as well as dinner.

 

worse was being seated with one other person at a table for 2. that's awkward! i'm thinking a lot about traditional but i want the flexibility of anytime.

 

i'm hoping that was just a one-off. i certainly felt that things on the island were not run normally.

 

I have traveled alone many times, and coincidentally am also a Cdn girl. I think that if I was seated at a table alone I would probably walk right back up to the Maitre D' station and tell them I would wait for a shared table as I prefer not to eat alone.

 

As for being seated with one other person, I agree, awkward. I think in this instance I might try to discuss with the other person whether we should walk back up to the entrance and ask to be seated at a larger table. I'm sure your table mate found the situation just as awkward.

 

I often feel like a pest or a trouble maker, but if something is bothering me I often won't sit quietly about it and get quite assertive about my needs.

[donaldsc]

You should not have to tip to get a good table. Also, do not start a bad precedent where they expect tips.

 

DON

[donnylad]

I'm really enjoying following this discussion. For me this is what CC is all about, gleaning very useful information to help one get the best out of cruising.

Our first Princess experience was also on the Diamond, as part of an organised Tour in TD. I'm sure it wasn't coincidence that we were all seated in the same dining room area (which we labelled "Brit Corner") but the atmosphere was pretty lively, we had the same waiter/asst throughout the cruise and always had a large table (seats 4) to just the two of us.

[Cruisin' Chick]

I had no idea this is not a policy. I went on my first Princess Cruise to Alaska on June 6th, Diamond Princess. We went with a tour company and he somehow was able to get two big tables for us which we sat at every day at the same time. When we went in to be seated we were called the "chinese table" by the hostess. Unfortunately, the tour guide didn't give a tip to the waiters at the end of the cruise. I know it's not expected but a couple of the people in the tour were picky with their food. I don't think we'll be using that tour company again, gave me a sour taste in my mouth when we found out they weren't tipped extra.

 

I too am wondering why the tour company would be tipping the staff. It's the passengers who do their own tipping, which is done through the auto-gratuities, and if you want, you can give an extra tip on top of that. If the tour company had a guide on the ship too, then the guide's folio should be charged for the guide's tips, not all of the passengers. Now if the tour company said they would cover everyone's auto-grats, I guess they would arrange that with the ship's personnel, but will tell you that, too. My guess is that they weren't paying for your tips.

[JimmyVWine]

FYI, I think it's very rude to anyone, whether it's the Maitre d', Table Captain or waitstaff to call your table the "Chinese table." I wouldn't have tipped anything for that rudeness alone.

My first reaction was the same as yours, but as I think about it, I'm not sure why. If I sailed on a Costa ship where Europeans were in the vast majority, and the maitre'd greeted us on the third night and said: "Welcome my American friends. Let me show you to your table", and then instructed the server to bring some nice wine glasses to the "American table", it wouldn't bother me a bit. I would accept that adjective with a great deal of pride. But when I see someone say: "the Chinese table", it seems insulting. I wonder why that is? Am I alone in this?

[Pam in CA]

My first reaction was the same as yours, but as I think about it, I'm not sure why. If I sailed on a Costa ship where Europeans were in the vast majority, and the maitre'd greeted us on the third night and said: "Welcome my American friends. Let me show you to your table", and then instructed the server to bring some nice wine glasses to the "American table", it wouldn't bother me a bit. I would accept that adjective with a great deal of pride. But when I see someone say: "the Chinese table", it seems insulting. I wonder why that is? Am I alone in this?

And here I have to disagree with you although it's based on the assumption that the "Chinese" reference was ethnic rather than nationality. The poster doesn't give their location but I inferred that they were English-speaking and American or Canadian. I took it the same way someone might have said, "The Jewish" table rather than the American or Brit table.

[rdsqrl]

Yeah, that's how I read it, as an ethnic reference. Which rubbed me the wrong way. Were they really from China? What if they were Korean? Singaporean? Could the hostess really tell the difference or was she just making generalizations based on outward markers? See, at this point, you're in a minefield, which is why she should have kept her big yap shut [as in her mouth, not to be confused with people originating on the island of Yap]. Having said that, I often give the staff a pass on language that seems jarring, as for almost all of them, American English isn't their first language. I'm sure I've uttered some howlers in Russian and Spanish in my day.

[Muscleshop]

No. It is not common since if you don't have a reservation, Anytime is based on first come, first served. Someone who tips to get ahead of the line is essentially telling me, "I'm much more important than you are."

 

A suggestion is to talk to the Maitre d' the first day after boarding and explain your previous experience. You can ask to make a standing reservation for the cruise. Some Maitre d's will, others won't but it's worth asking. If he's willing to accommodate you, you could "reward" him but to be honest, that's his job.

 

Not to be snide, but isn't "making a standing reservation" the same thing you balked at, minus the tipping? What if hundreds of people decided "they" should each have a standing reservation, for free......