What to tip Concierge Ball park

[OasisOTS2013]

$100.

 

Unless they are terrible like on Oasis. If they aren't above average, $0.

[MeLike2Travel]

We recently stayed in a GS (for the 1st time) on Explorer of the Seas and did pre-paid gratuities. I thought that included a tip for the Concierge. Is that not correct? I gave him a little extra at the end because I was very happy with the service.

[DebJ14]

We have always given the Concierge at least $100 and $50.00 for the bar waiter(s) who take care of us on a 7 night cruise. I am surprised by the low amounts here. I often wonder if those who don't tip are the ones who sit in the same seat at cocktails for hours on end.

When we vacation in Mexico and have a butler or personal concierge we usually tip $250.00 for a week. We have found most of them have the uncanny ability to anticipate our needs and provide for them without us asking.

[kruzerci]

We usually tip $50 for a week. If the concierge is excellent or we use the venue more than usual, sometimes we do $100.

[Pickels]

I know you tip based on service but I need a baseline.

 

I'm not sure of which cruise we were on, but it does't matter to make my point. On one RCI cruise we never meet our concierge, her phone calls were always "Dear Sir or Madam". She never introduced herself. So she got zip! On another RCI cruise the concierge went out of her way, making dinner reservations, getting us set up for shows, helping us get off the ship, excursions, etc. We gave her $100. Plus.

[marci22]

We have always given the Concierge at least $100 and $50.00 for the bar waiter(s) who take care of us on a 7 night cruise. I am surprised by the low amounts here.

 

You think $50 for 7 nights is a low amount for the concierge? That's what most people are posting.

 

Drink service: If you figure $1 per drink average, and a couple has 4-6 drinks per night total (seems average to me) it's about $40 for the bar servers for the week. So $20 per server seems appropriate as well.

 

How much extra are you giving your waiters? They are probably spending a lot more time and effort on you.

[bchalker]

You think $50 for 7 nights is a low amount for the concierge? That's what most people are posting.

 

Drink service: If you figure $1 per drink average, and a couple has 4-6 drinks per night total (seems average to me) it's about $40 for the bar servers for the week. So $20 per server seems appropriate as well.

 

How much extra are you giving your waiters? They are probably spending a lot more time and effort on you.

 

Any tip you give them is about what they get from the tip "pool". The bartenders switch positions each week so they all get from the "pool". We leave $1 per drink in addition to the mandatory 15%.

[marci22]

Any tip you give them is about what they get from the tip "pool". The bartenders switch positions each week so they all get from the "pool". We leave $1 per drink in addition to the mandatory 15%.

 

I am talking about tipping the servers who serve the 'free' drinks in the concierge/diamond lounges. I was explaining how one could come up with an 'appropriate figure', since no tipping guidelines are suggested for the lounge servers.

[bchalker]

I am talking about tipping the servers who serve the 'free' drinks in the concierge/diamond lounges. I was explaining how one could come up with an 'appropriate figure', since no tipping guidelines are suggested for the lounge servers.

 

I am talking about the same people. Servers/ bartenders in the cl receive the same money from the tipping pool as the other employees. The server in the CL that you give $1 is making the same money as the server in the schooner bar when you give them $1.

[stones902]

I am talking about the same people. Servers/ bartenders in the cl receive the same money from the tipping pool as the other employees. The server in the CL that you give $1 is making the same money as the server in the schooner bar when you give them $1.

 

I believe you are correct that Bar Men in the CL are included in the automatic 15% gratuity pool charged against all drinks sold on board. In addition to that those assigned to the CL receive cash gratuities from those in the lounge that are not pooled. The CL is considered a "plum" assignment on board.

 

 

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[TexCruise371]

Mario Reyes is as good as it gets as a concierge. He always earns my tip at the high end of the scale.

 

 

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We have had Mario twice. By far the best concierge we have ever had. When Mario is the concierge he always gets extra. I am not sure on an answer for your question. If money paid to the Cl is split up or not. That is a good question.

 

Mario is the best in our book too! What a great guy!

 

We really don't have a set amount that we tip but, certainly will vary depending on the type of service and how often we use their services. I think the least we have ever tipped is $50. We do enjoy the CL and always tip the servers pretty good too.

[bchalker]

I believe you are correct that Bar Men in the CL are included in the automatic 15% gratuity pool charged against all drinks sold on board. In addition to that those assigned to the CL receive cash gratuities from those in the lounge that are not pooled. The CL is considered a "plum" assignment on board.

 

 

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Exactly. My only point was that you dont need to tip them any more than you would normally leave over the 15% at any of the other bars. That being said we usually tip $1 per drink. The concierge gets tipped based on how much we ask him to do. We tipped $50 on the Liberty but didnt really have him do much. Our our last cruise on the Jewell we tipped nothing as the was no DL and the lounge they set up was a joke and the concierge never made an appearance.

[Host Star]

just off the Allure.. I was told by the conceirge that the servers in the cl pool their tips.... and we tipped the conceirge separately.. they provide envelopes for you..when we gave the person that mostly served us , however we had several servers, not necessarily the same one every nite .. the envelope I saw her go and hand it to someone that was collecting the envelopes ...

Edited January 12, 2014 by Host Star

[critterchick]

We recently stayed in a GS (for the 1st time) on Explorer of the Seas and did pre-paid gratuities. I thought that included a tip for the Concierge. Is that not correct? I gave him a little extra at the end because I was very happy with the service.

 

That is not correct. The Concierge is kind of a hybrid salary/tipping position. I have no idea what their salaries are, but did hear from one of them a few years ago that RCI cut the salaries by 50% and told them to make up the rest in tips.

 

I'm surprised that there wasn't a tip form in your cabin for the Concierge - before RCI went to a daily charge, suite guests could add a tip for him or her on their Seapass, or give cash. I guess that stopped with the change. Über-frequent cruisers would know better, but there's no reason to expect a first-timer in a suite to.

[A&L_Ont]

just off the Allure.. I was told by the conceirge that the servers in the cl pool their tips.... and we tipped the conceirge separately.. they provide envelopes for you..when we gave the person that mostly served us , however we had several servers, not necessarily the same one every nite .. the envelope I saw her go and hand it to someone that was collecting the envelopes ...

 

On a side note I have also been told that the Concereiges also pool their tips in the CL when there is more than one of them. I was told this by a Concereige on Oasis.

[stones902]

I wonder if pooling the tips among staff in the CL varies ship to ship?

 

At any rate, our gratuity in the CL among staff is based on the level of service we receive along with the friendliness / relationship that you build over the voyage. How they divide the spoils isn't any of my business.

 

 

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[Host Star]

yes. the conceirges pool theirs also... we gave them one envelope with both names on it....the last nite there are envelopes on the conceirge desk as you walk in....