Tipping

[caribill]

At Crown Grill and Sabatini's DH normally tips $20 in cash for the two of us. :)

LuLu

 

A 40% tip in addition to the waiter's share of the auto-tip. Not bad.

[Lovetocruiseprincess]

A 40% tip in addition to the waiter's share of the auto-tip. Not bad.

 

It's a good thing for the waiters that some people are big tippers, we sure don't tip that much. :D

[Treven]

It's a good thing for the waiters that some people are big tippers, we sure don't tip that much. :D

Actually I tip more on cruises than I do in land-based restaurants. But then I rarely eat in restaurants as nice as the speciality restaurants aboard ship.

[maz48]

Does anyone know if the wait staff at the Piazza coffee bar share in the added on gratuities to drinks? We had cruised a few other lines before our first Princess cruise last year and it was the first time I had ever seen cash being given as a tip to the wait staff in a bar situation. I mean every time a drink was brought to them. Actually it always seemed, and I always thought, that ships were cash free prior to that. Made me feel like I had to do the same. Well at the end of the cruise, which was 26 days for us, we did actually give a little as a thank you to a couple of them who did serve us more often and who we got to know a little, but it felt really strange and to be honest we might not have done so if we hadn't seen others, as it was something I didn't expect. Must add that we always keep auto gratuity on and often tip a little more, just this situation that cought me out.

Edited August 18, 2014 by maz48

[Loonbeam]

Depends on the server. Officially, cash is theirs to keep over the 15 percent, but many of them 'tip out' the bartenders, baristas, etc who help them make those tips. There's no pool per se. On some ships, this is more formalized as tradition than others.

 

Does anyone know if the wait staff at the Piazza coffee bar share in the added on gratuities to drinks? We had cruised a few other lines before our first Princess cruise last year and it was the first time I had ever seen cash being given as a tip to the wait staff in a bar situation. I mean every time a drink was brought to them. Actually it always seemed, and I always thought, that ships were cash free prior to that. Made me feel like I had to do the same. Well at the end of the cruise, which was 26 days for us, we did actually give a little as a thank you to a couple of them who did serve us more often and who we got to know a little, but it felt really strange and to be honest we might not have done so if we hadn't seen others, as it was something I didn't expect. Must add that we always keep auto gratuity on and often tip a little more, just this situation that cought me out.

[OCruisers]

We don't consider a $20 cash tip total for two people in a specialty restaurant over tipping when the service was good. :)

There's no right or wrong. How we want to tip is up to each of us.

LuLu

[ducklite]

Actually I tip more on cruises than I do in land-based restaurants. But then I rarely eat in restaurants as nice as the speciality restaurants aboard ship.

 

We don't eat out often, but when we do it's always a nicer restaurant. I'd rather eat once a month at the Capital Grill or Oceanaire Room than weekly at Olive Garden or Red Lobster. Service is usually fantastic, and the tip reflects that and is usually 25-30%.

[caribill]

Does anyone know if the wait staff at the Piazza coffee bar share in the added on gratuities to drinks?

 

Yes, that is the reason for the 15% gratuity.

 

Some passengers like to tip more, but it is not required or expected.

[maz48]

Thank you.