Tip your bar servers!!!!!!!

[travelbug11]

Agree. We just finished leg one of a b2b on the Radiance. BEST CL bartender ever: Rosario!!!!! He is the very best we have ever had! I also love JJ (HaJeong) the Concierge.

 

Thanks for this info, I'll be on the Radiance in a few weeks and will look for them. Can you tell me if they are using the coupons yet.....and if you can take the drinks out of the room.

[Merion_Mom]

Why is it any different if you are in or not in a DL? Do the waiters working in the DL get some special compensation? I've always been tipping them even though the drinks are free during that time. Are they already being tipped from elsewhere?

 

I'm just curious why it makes any difference whether it's in the DL or using vouchers?

 

Tom

 

Again, for the 4th time, my intention was to address the NEW situation. I was not trying to re-teach old tricks.

 

:)

[EmpressofPurple]

Although for some new diamonds, or those who haven't experienced lounge service (i.e. became diamond after no access to c.l. and before advent of d.l.)... we never knew it was appropriate to tip servers in those venues either!!

 

As mentioned in my earlier posts on this subject, when others wrote about "tipping the concierge" I never realized that was for daily happy hour drink service in the lounge - I thought it was just if you utilized concierge services such as booking shows, dinner reservations, cabanas, etc.

 

Since many tip for the week rather than by the drink (or do it so subtly I never noticed it being done), I didn't know such tipping was expected in the lounge (and now in the bars) -so I for one am grateful to learn about this tipping protocol!!

 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Forums mobile app

[mattwright]

I'm surprised to learn that servers are evidently NOT getting automatic 15% gratuity for each drink served - regardless of if they're working in the actual DL/CL or any other bar or lounge onboard.

 

It was my understanding from talking with servers on Radiance last summer that they still have to log each drink served in the DL/CL as if it was a purchased drink. Although we never actually saw a receipt for these free drinks, the paperwork was being done behind the scenes. So, like any other drink purchased onboard, our free drinks were still generating an auto-tip of 15% per drink. If I understood them correctly, they liked serving in the DL/CL and it didn't matter to them how many free drinks they served, because the more they served and logged, the more auto-tips they received.

 

I know the voucher system is new and probably therefore has some kinks to be worked out in venues other than the DL/CL, but I'd expect bartenders and servers in other lounges would be logging drinks "purchased" via vouchers in the same way and would therefore get the same 15% auto-tip. However, since it's been posted in this thread that receipts are (sometimes) being provided that show nothing but "0", that's obviously a problem. But that's a problem Royal Caribbean could fix on the back end with the way the drink vouchers are coded and charged internally.

 

Likewise, I'm completely with EmpressofPurple in thinking that Royal Caribbean and/or Crown & Anchor needs to take some responsibility in informing guests - especially those new to a certain C&A status level - of exactly how some of these perks work and what is expected of the guests. Granted, some guests would choose to not tip for "free" drinks regardless. But many - and I'd like to think most - would gladly provide a cash tip for free drinks if they knew that the servers were not receiving a 15% auto-tip like they do for every other drink purchased onboard.

[PattyG12]

CL - Concierge Lounge - for those staying in suites (except for Junior Suites)

DL - Diamond Lounge - for Crown and Anchor members Diamond status and above.

EX - Explorer of the Seas (I think - I didn't go back to read the thread to see where you saw it.)

 

Have fun in AK Linda ... can't wait to hear what you think!!

[ChipLondon]

Thanks Rik, you are very kind, hope you guys are keeping well :D

 

 

If you ever cruise with Chip and his lovely bride, you will understand why the servers in the lounge make sure that they are always taken care of.:D

 

....................................

Rick

[LMaxwell]

 

As mentioned in my earlier posts on this subject, when others wrote about "tipping the concierge" I never realized that was for daily happy hour drink service in the lounge - I thought it was just if you utilized concierge services such as booking shows, dinner reservations, cabanas, etc.

 

 

The Diamond concierge did not bring me drinks and I made no requests of her services. Why would I tip her? :confused:

[Dave85]

The Diamond concierge did not bring me drinks and I made no requests of her services. Why would I tip her? :confused:

 

IMHO it depends. If the D concierge makes the effort to do rounds, stops by and chat with us at least a couple of times, and is generally pleasant I'll usually give him/her at least a little something even if I made no use of his/her services. The one time I did not tip the D concierge at all was when she was generally unhelpful and rude to us. I had a tip earmarked for her, but just gave extra to the servers instead.

Edited April 1, 2014 by Dave85

[Langley Cruisers]

IMHO it depends. If the D concierge makes the effort to do rounds, stops by and chat with us at least a couple of times, and is generally pleasant I'll usually give him/her at least a little something even if I made no use of his/her services...

 

Dave, that's how we feel too. On our recent Serenade cruise the D Concierge offered and printed off our boarding passes for us, very helpful. We asked nothing of him, he offered this to all the D members, and was absolutely delightful and pleasant.

[LMaxwell]

My interaction was limited to a brief stop to introduce herself a few days in to the cruise. Like I said, there was nothing done to be considered for an additional tip. I don't tip staff for saying Hello nicely; I expect that as a basic/given for all RCI staff:confused: If I have use of a concierge's services in the future that would be reason to consider a tip.

[Surfguyxxx]

While I was in college years ago, I worked in restaurants as both a waiter and a bartender. The array of people was from either end of the spectrum was amazing to me. Since then, I have always treated wait staff with respect and dignity. I'm sure most of them don't want to be servers, but hey, it pays/paid the bills.

 

I am an over-tipper. If you're deciding weather to leave $3 or $5, leave the $5. It's not going to break you but it certainly will make somebody's else feel better. I know from our many sailings that if you tip on cruises, they remember you and will come to you with expedience and a smile. I'm not saying $5 every drink but a few bucks will go a long way. ;)

[danzur]

While I was in college years ago, I worked in restaurants as both a waiter and a bartender. The array of people was from either end of the spectrum was amazing to me. Since then, I have always treated wait staff with respect and dignity. I'm sure most of them don't want to be servers, but hey, it pays/paid the bills.

 

I am an over-tipper. If you're deciding weather to leave $3 or $5, leave the $5. It's not going to break you but it certainly will make somebody's else feel better. I know from our many sailings that if you tip on cruises, they remember you and will come to you with expedience and a smile. I'm not saying $5 every drink but a few bucks will go a long way. ;)

 

Exactly...couldn't have said it better myself :)

[Guest maddycat]

My 27.y.o. daughter was horrified at the way the server spoke to me, and I was definitely embarrassed... however, if it weren't for that (admittedly unpleasant) interaction I would never have known that tips were not included in the posted drink cost before it was zeroed out by my diamond voucher on my card.

 

As I said, had he (or any of the bar staff that provided service during the week) informed me gently, I would have tipped him then... but I do feel this is the responsibility of c&a (not the servers!) to inform diamond and above guests that tips are not included in their free drink vouchers and they can either tip bar servers individually with cash, or ask for a bar printout and add a tip on the "additional tip" line.

 

While I was definitely a bit pink-cheeked after that encounter, in the long run I'm glad I learned about this policy (though I certainly would have preferred to learn about it in a better way).

 

I do think it would be better to include tips. As an example, the Disney dining plan used to include an 18% gratuity, plus an appetizer at the sit-down restaurants. To keep from raising the package price, they removed the appetizer and the tips (so less cost to them for the same price... or less for the customer for the same price, depending on your perspective)... but of course, that meant that the servers got a LOT less in tips than when they were included in the package.

 

I am always concerned that our attempts to save a few dollars here and there on our expensive vacations are not at the expense of the hard working people whose jobs are to make those vacations such a pleasure.

 

For the poster who started that "all bar tips are pooled" and implied that therefore they were making plenty from the auto-gratuity on the paid drinks the other 21 hours of the day meant they didn't feel obligated to tip during happy hour... well, imagine if you were serving those drinks during those hours and getting nothing, relying on shared tips from the rest if the day.

 

I sincerely hope that c&a puts a notice that diamond and above should tip their bar servers :-)

 

 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Forums mobile app

 

Since you are so concerned, why don't you write to C&A and make the suggestion.

[cruzsnooze]

Dear Diamond & up Crown & Anchor members:

 

More and more ships are putting three drink "vouchers" on your SeaPass card. You can still go to the CL or DL if you are eligible. The vouchers are good between 5 & 8:30 P.M. This has only benefits; there is no downside.

 

I am currently on the Explorer of the Seas, where there is no DL. Diamonds can get three drinks now, not just wine & soda. Same kind of standard drinks as in DL and CL.

 

BUT

 

BUT

 

BUT

 

PLEASE tip your bar waiters!!!!

 

Out there at random bars around the ship, they get NOTHING except what you give them.

 

PLEASE give them a gratuity!!!!!

Why should you tell people what to do. A suggestion wouldn't be so hostile but I find your post down right hostile and insulting. This is your opinion NOT mine. When RCL gives me a benefit for my D+ status I don't feel the need to tip them. They are tipping me for my tier status. I'm doing a B2B on Liberty and will be sure to do as I see fit not what someone tells me to do.

[critterchick]

I'm surprised to learn that servers are evidently NOT getting automatic 15% gratuity for each drink served - regardless of if they're working in the actual DL/CL or any other bar or lounge onboard.

 

It was my understanding from talking with servers on Radiance last summer that they still have to log each drink served in the DL/CL as if it was a purchased drink. Although we never actually saw a receipt for these free drinks, the paperwork was being done behind the scenes. So, like any other drink purchased onboard, our free drinks were still generating an auto-tip of 15% per drink. If I understood them correctly, they liked serving in the DL/CL and it didn't matter to them how many free drinks they served, because the more they served and logged, the more auto-tips they received.

 

I know the voucher system is new and probably therefore has some kinks to be worked out in venues other than the DL/CL, but I'd expect bartenders and servers in other lounges would be logging drinks "purchased" via vouchers in the same way and would therefore get the same 15% auto-tip. However, since it's been posted in this thread that receipts are (sometimes) being provided that show nothing but "0", that's obviously a problem. But that's a problem Royal Caribbean could fix on the back end with the way the drink vouchers are coded and charged internally.

 

Likewise, I'm completely with EmpressofPurple in thinking that Royal Caribbean and/or Crown & Anchor needs to take some responsibility in informing guests - especially those new to a certain C&A status level - of exactly how some of these perks work and what is expected of the guests. Granted, some guests would choose to not tip for "free" drinks regardless. But many - and I'd like to think most - would gladly provide a cash tip for free drinks if they knew that the servers were not receiving a 15% auto-tip like they do for every other drink purchased onboard.

 

We were lucky enough to be invited on a few pre-inaugural cruises, and were assured by RCI that gratutities were taken care of. We later discovered (from people who aren't in the tip pool and have no reason to spin a sob story) that the bar staff work those PIs for free. So nothing in that regard surprises me any more.:( I have also heard that the bar staff don't get anything from the beverage packages, but I'm not quite sure I believe that.

 

We always have a bunch of singles with us because we don't do the same thing every night. By the end of most cruises, we are done with the CL or DL and just want to be out and about the ship, so we tip as we go, usually a dollar a drink.

[mollyeilis]

Although we are not yet part of the group to whom this thread applies, it's good info. Some of the things discussed (15% of 0.00, no receipts) brought up some questions I'd had about the drinks packages; seemed similar.

 

We were lucky enough to be invited on a few pre-inaugural cruises, and were assured by RCI that gratutities were taken care of. We later discovered (from people who aren't in the tip pool and have no reason to spin a sob story) that the bar staff work those PIs for free. So nothing in that regard surprises me any more.:( I have also heard that the bar staff don't get anything from the beverage packages, but I'm not quite sure I believe that.

 

If those people don't work in that area, how would they know if the staff are working the events for free?

 

If bar staff aren't receiving the tips from the drinks packages, where is that money going to? Those who buy the packages are paying it (even the water package, grr), so where is it going? And a question for a different thread would be HOW are the staff receiving them, especially since they are putting 0 or (for specific example) 70 cents for a bottle of water, or not giving a receipt to us at all? But that's for another thread.

 

Though it does feel related (on the back end of things) to the concern at hand from the OP.

[Loyal2RCCL]

We were lucky enough to be invited on a few pre-inaugural cruises, and were assured by RCI that gratutities were taken care of. We later discovered (from people who aren't in the tip pool and have no reason to spin a sob story) that the bar staff work those PIs for free. So nothing in that regard surprises me any more.:( I have also heard that the bar staff don't get anything from the beverage packages, but I'm not quite sure I believe that.

 

We always have a bunch of singles with us because we don't do the same thing every night. By the end of most cruises, we are done with the CL or DL and just want to be out and about the ship, so we tip as we go, usually a dollar a drink.

 

Actually, the bar staff are receiving tips from the beverage packages, BUT the tips are now pooled among all the bar staff (both out front and behind the scenes). They are making a lot less money since the introduction of the beverage packages than they did when drinks were charges individually.

 

The difference in their pay is significant enough that quite a few old time crew are looking to leave or change companies where they can make more money.

[yogimax]

I don't tip staff for saying Hello nicely; I expect that as a basic/given for all RCI staff:confused: If I have use of a concierge's services in the future that would be reason to consider a tip.

 

Just curious... do you tip the wait staff in the lounge?

 

If you do, I can understand your point.

[yogimax]

Why should you tell people what to do. A suggestion wouldn't be so hostile but I find your post down right hostile and insulting. This is your opinion NOT mine. When RCL gives me a benefit for my D+ status I don't feel the need to tip them. They are tipping me for my tier status. I'm doing a B2B on Liberty and will be sure to do as I see fit not what someone tells me to do.

 

Wow, I felt nothing "hostile" from the OP.

Your post, on the other hand reeks of anger....

 

So you don't tip. O.K., your problem. From your tone, I know nothing will change your entitlement mentality. Enjoy Liberty.

Edited April 1, 2014 by yogimax

[Dave85]

Actually, the bar staff are receiving tips from the beverage packages, BUT the tips are now pooled among all the bar staff (both out front and behind the scenes). They are making a lot less money since the introduction of the beverage packages than they did when drinks were charges individually.

 

The difference in their pay is significant enough that quite a few old time crew are looking to leave or change companies where they can make more money.

 

Interesting, thanks for sharing... I was wondering how that worked. I was SURE they were receiving tips from the beverage package (which RC states are included in the package price), but wasn't sure how it was distributed.

[Folk Singer]

Dear Diamond & up Crown & Anchor members:

 

More and more ships are putting three drink "vouchers" on your SeaPass card. You can still go to the CL or DL if you are eligible. The vouchers are good between 5 & 8:30 P.M. This has only benefits; there is no downside.

 

I am currently on the Explorer of the Seas, where there is no DL. Diamonds can get three drinks now, not just wine & soda. Same kind of standard drinks as in DL and CL.

 

BUT

 

BUT

 

BUT

 

PLEASE tip your bar waiters!!!!

 

Out there at random bars around the ship, they get NOTHING except what you give them.

 

PLEASE give them a gratuity!!!!!

 

 

very good point and thank you for stating this.:):)

[cruzsnooze]

Wow, I felt nothing "hostile" from the OP.

Your post, on the other hand reeks of anger....

 

. From your tone, I know nothing will change your entitlement mentality. Enjoy Liberty.

Actually I'm the perfect passenger because I tip exactly what the cruise lines asks for by leaving the auto tip intact. That's not an entitlement mentality it's a fact. if everyone left their auto tips in place the crew would be happy. It's not anyone's business how the tips are divided or much the crew earn, that's personal to them and only nosy people would dare to ask. When asked, most give a sob story to extract more. I know I have tipped the right amount because the cruise line already figured it out for me and charges me daily and when i buy the soda card they put an extra 15% for tips. It's their business what they do with that gratuity, none of my business.

[LMaxwell]

Just curious... do you tip the wait staff in the lounge?

 

If you do, I can understand your point.

 

I tip the wait staff in the lounge daily; I tip them with cash with each round of drinks.

 

Edit: Even if I didn't tip the wait staff, I'm not sure what it has to do with the concierge. Royal provides me access to a concierge. If I don't use their services or initiate monopolizing their time for myself I'm not going to pay them simply for their existence. Others prefer to use the concierge to perform tasks or sometimes grease something along; in those cases I think a tip may be warranted. It really is a personal and case by case basis. I don't want to feel like I have to be an open wallet just to walk into a lounge the cruise line has invited me to make use of.

Edited April 2, 2014 by LMaxwell

[Langley Cruisers]

Actually I'm the perfect passenger because I tip exactly what the cruise lines asks for by leaving the auto tip intact. That's not an entitlement mentality it's a fact. if everyone left their auto tips in place the crew would be happy. It's not anyone's business how the tips are divided or much the crew earn, that's personal to them and only nosy people would dare to ask....

 

Your comments here actually make good sense and seem less angry than the tone of your post earlier today. You've been here a few years now and perhaps do know or do not know the tone and intent of OP? I guess most of us do. Just saying that I, myself, didn't take her initial post as mandatory listen-to-me-or-else, and I'm not sure that anyone else did either...

 

We don't always agree with each other here but this is a good place to learn new "stuff", especially when posted by someone who is presently onboard when something new comes into play.

 

.

Edited April 2, 2014 by Langley Cruisers

[Guest maddycat]

Dear Diamond & up Crown & Anchor members:

 

More and more ships are putting three drink "vouchers" on your SeaPass card. You can still go to the CL or DL if you are eligible. The vouchers are good between 5 & 8:30 P.M. This has only benefits; there is no downside.

 

I am currently on the Explorer of the Seas, where there is no DL. Diamonds can get three drinks now, not just wine & soda. Same kind of standard drinks as in DL and CL.

 

BUT

 

BUT

 

BUT

 

PLEASE tip your bar waiters!!!!

 

Out there at random bars around the ship, they get NOTHING except what you give them.

 

PLEASE give them a gratuity!!!!!

 

I have a question for you since you are currently on the Explorer. I understand that vouchers are now on your seapass card and you can get a variety of drinks in any bar/lounge onboard. if you go the the Diamond Event can you get beer or mixed drinks or is it still just soda and wine?