Is it considered disrespectful not adding additional tip to bar purchases

[mda0303]

What is the norm for bar purchases? I have the automatic per day gratuity set up and I know they add 15% gratuity to all bar purchases. Does that 15% stand in as the normal tip youd leave at any bar? And the additional tip is left for situations of great service?

[Ronnie1a]

that the bartender does, an extra cash tip may not be out of line. But if you start leaving money every time you order a drink staff will look at you as a sucker rather than a good tipper.

[Times Prince]

It is not considered disrespectful at all. The 15% is, for bar staff/servers, the equivalent of the hotel charge for stewards, yet it only applies to those who avail themselves of the bar service. The automatic tips go into a pool.

 

Should you find someone who provides outstanding/extraordinary service, then an extra tip and/or written recommendation on your cruise survey is in order. Most people I know who tip bartenders do it at the end of the cruise.

Edited January 29, 2014 by Times Prince

[richla]

We just use the 15% that's built in. If there's really something special then we might.

 

However, some get to know you by name, greet you on entering and know your likes. It feels more like personal service through out the cruise. There are usually some standouts. For those we give a special cash tip the last night of the cruise for their outstanding service to us. And I agree with the last poster, they love to have that special service write up sent in on them. We usually tell them and fill it out the card on the spot. They get recognition for it.

Edited January 29, 2014 by richla

[Thrak]

Just remember that any extra tip you write on the tab goes to the pool - not to that bartender. If you want to tip a specific bartender use cash.

[SeaWolfe]

i usually have one place I tend to hang out at for most of the cruise. I will tip the wait/bar staff that has taken care of me at the end of the cruise. Except for the time, when I may or may not have been tipsy, I stood up and kicked the table spilling a couple of drinks and several glasses of water!!!:o Needless to say I tipped our server and the server that came over and helped clean up the mess! I wrote in a nice tip on my ticket plus gave them the cash I had in my pocket!

[paul929207]

If I am server often by the same bartender or waiter/waitress, I will give them something extra at the end of the cruise. Otherwise the 15% is enough

[SoCalWave]

I have become friends with the assistant waiter on our Disney cruise, and she says that she almost prefers a positive comment card to additional tips. She said she had to share the tips, but the comment card goes into her file and helps her immensely with promotions and with favorable scheduling. I imagine it is similar for bar staff. I usually end up doing both for people who go above and beyond.

[bhopal21]

Bartenders do not have to share cash tips on Princess, so that is a different scenario.

 

Mike:)

[Loonbeam]

For the most part the 15% is sufficient. Extra service or extremely complicated orders may warrant something extra.

[ONT-CA]

that the bartender does, an extra cash tip may not be out of line. But if you start leaving money every time you order a drink staff will look at you as a sucker rather than a good tipper.

 

A simple one-dollar bill tucked into the signature holder for each and every order has always resulted in the best of service in both delivery and in pourings. Cash tipping at the bar is shared by all bar service.

[cbrad]

yikes - I thought I recalled reading that 1) bar bevs (e.g., wine) convey an extra charge not incl in the cruise fee, and 2) the tips on bar bevs are not part of the auto tip set up, thus would be expected. did I miss something!?

[bhopal21]

A simple one-dollar bill tucked into the signature holder for each and every order has always resulted in the best of service in both delivery and in pourings. Cash tipping at the bar is shared by all bar service.

 

I agree with the first part but not the sharing part.

 

I have noticed at the end of a shift bartenders retrieving plastic cups of money from under the bar and I asked on more than one occasion and was told that they got to keep cash tips on an individual basis but tips on cruise cards were pooled.

 

Mike:)

[sunsetbeachgal]

I really do not care for the "additional gratuity" line on the receipt. Gratuity is already added in for drinks, coffee cards, etc., and auto-tip is on our account (and we always tip extra to Steward and wait staff if we have the same ones for the cruise). It makes me feel cheap if I don't add extra...:confused:

Edited January 29, 2014 by sunsetbeachgal

[Av8tor]

yikes - I thought I recalled reading that 1) bar bevs (e.g., wine) convey an extra charge not incl in the cruise fee, and 2) the tips on bar bevs are not part of the auto tip set up, thus would be expected. did I miss something!?

 

Your recall is correct! What you missed is that every time you purchase a drink by charging it to your cruise card, there is 15% gratuity that is added to the cost of the drink. There is also a separate line for additional gratuity if you want to add more to that particular tip. This 15% beverage service gratuity goes into a pool just for the bar & server staff and is different from the daily auto-tip that is added to your main stateroom account. The daily tip charge goes to your room steward and dining wait staff. The daily auto-tip can be removed from your account (just visit the purser's desk) if you want to tip your waiters/steward on your own, but I always just leave it on and then tip additionally in cash. I've never heard of anyone trying to get the 15% beverage gratuity removed and I don't think it's possible - it's just part of the price of the drink...

[bdjam]

But if you start leaving money every time you order a drink staff will look at you as a sucker rather than a good tipper.

 

This is absolutely untrue.

[ONT-CA]

I agree with the first part but not the sharing part.

I have noticed at the end of a shift bartenders retrieving plastic cups of money from under the bar and I asked on more than one occasion and was told that they got to keep cash tips on an individual basis but tips on cruise cards were pooled.

Mike:)

 

Cruise card tips for bar service is shared among the entire ship's bar staff no matter where the bars are located. But cash tipping is shared only among those servers at the bar in question. This they have told me. Bars that are not popular of seldom frequented will still share in the card tipping receipts of the evening even though they have little to do. But they begrudge the posting for the lack of cash tips.

[bhopal21]

Cruise card tips for bar service is shared among the entire ship's bar staff no matter where the bars are located. But cash tipping is shared only among those servers at the bar in question. This they have told me. Bars that are not popular of seldom frequented will still share in the card tipping receipts of the evening even though they have little to do. But they begrudge the posting for the lack of cash tips.

 

No cash tipping was shared at Crooner's on the Golden this fall as they each had their own plastic cup with their name on it and they emptied it at the end of their shift. I asked Muni the senior bartender and he said that they individually kept their own cash tips.

 

Mike:)

[cbrad]

guess I'm willing to let mgmt and labor work out their issues. just trying to get handle on true costs to me:). if I get it right, i should expect to be charged (beyond cruise fee) for the drink and the 15% they automatically apply; any + 15% is optional for me. sound right? thanks!

[babyher]

that the bartender does, an extra cash tip may not be out of line. But if you start leaving money every time you order a drink staff will look at you as a sucker rather than a good tipper.

 

 

You have obviously never been a bartender . Good tippers out rank even hot girls. :)

[Colo Cruiser]

We don't add anything above the 15%.

Unless the service warrants additional.

Not disrespectful at all.

Edited January 29, 2014 by Colo Cruiser

[SCFCRUISER]

The 15% will be fine. I always tell the bar waiter when I get my first bucket of beer, to keep an eye on me! We always call each other by our first names & on the last day of the cruise I slip him a $20 & they are always thankful.:):)

 

Steve

[bhopal21]

You have obviously never been a bartender . Good tippers out rank even hot girls. :)

 

 

As well as good service!:D

 

Thanks

 

Mike:)

[islandatsea]

A simple one-dollar bill tucked into the signature holder for each and every order has always resulted in the best of service in both delivery and in pourings.

 

Agree with that comment. Each cruise we have been on, first day on the ship, we will talk to the bartender and see if he or she will be working that bar & which other bar they work at later. We tip cash for the first drink(not every drink) and if they are very, very busy, the bartender will "see"us & get what we want without waiting. Does make the turnaround time from no drink to having drink much quicker. Our comment cards always mention the people who give great service.

[RLK33853]

We usually tip extra if the bartender or waiter does something extra. An example was this month on the Coral, one of the waiters in Crooners poured our martini while balancing the glass on his forehead - quite a feat when the ship is rolling. If that isn't worth five bucks, I don't know what is - and if that makes me a sucker, so be it.

 

We also try to pick a bartender that listens to us when we say we want a Long Island without much coke - doesn't sound that hard, but try to get one to make it with just a touch of coke. When we find that bartender, we tip him once a day and for the most part they always remember us. Thus when we approach the bar, they take care of us. That saves us from having to tell another bartender about our special request, as the one we tipped has already told him he will take care of us.

 

On the other hand when we order a bucket of beer, it is my opinion that the 15% is all that is needed.

 

Tipping is a personal preference and what works for me may not for you. The OP has lots of info to consider and will no doubt make their decision based on their experience and the wide range of responses everyone has provided. Have a great cruise.