tipping at specialty restaurants

[scoob]

Do you have to tip additional at the specialty restaurants?

[Kineticoh20]

No but I always do!

[Colo Cruiser]

Do you have to tip additional at the specialty restaurants?

 

A quick search found this and many other threads on the subject...

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2133474&highlight=tipping+specialty

[Happy2cruise]

We do;)

[Sox Fan Cruiser]

We do the same thing as we would do on land. We reward good service.

 

We usually tip but we twice had a bad waiter and didn't leave any tip.

 

(Yes, we always tip on land but the tip amount reflects the service given.)

[JF - retired RRT]

The first time we ate in the CG we forgot to carry cash. The waiter heard us discussing the issue and told us, "not to worry about it and DON'T add a tip on the receipt".

[reedprincess]

Do you have to tip additional at the specialty restaurants?

 

Do you HAVE to? No, the cover charge covers additional gratuity. SHOULD you? Subjective. If service is extra great, etc then yeah, and additional gratuity is a wonderful way to recognize that. If service is mediocre, maybe not. Some people do, some people don't. Up to you if you would like to add additional gratuity. But you don't HAVE to.

[OCruisers]

While we don't have to, we almost always do in cash. :)

Once, we had really bad service in Crown Grill so no tip was left.

LuLu

[pusywillow]

The first time we ate in the CG we forgot to carry cash. The waiter heard us discussing the issue and told us, "not to worry about it and DON'T add a tip on the receipt".

 

That's because he won't get the tip it you write it on the receipt. It goes into the pool supposedly.

[camofwilliamsburg]

PCL is adding specialty dining as part of its 50th anniversary sale for one night. In the fine print telling about this, it states that gratuity is included in the certificate so no additional tip is being required. Also, these waiters rotate so they are part of the tip pool. So no matter where I eat I feel we are tipping them with the service charge. Also, I am not carrying around money while on the cruise.

[BridgeMates]

We love the CG and go there at least twice on a 7 day cruise, several times on longer cruises. The food is just so good and there's no way we could have steak, etc. with lobster on the side for $50. It's a bargain. We've had some wonderful waiters and whether tips are included or not, we always tip an extra $15-20. Wouldn't do it if service wasn't excellent tho. I think they use their best waiters in the specialty restaurants.

[Treven]

$20 cash only:)

[Astro Flyer]

While we don't have to, we almost always do in cash.

Once, we had really bad service in Crown Grill so no tip was left.

LuLu

 

That's because he won't get the tip it you write it on the receipt. It goes into the pool supposedly.

I recently had Princess Customer Relations confirm that procedure...when written on the bill the tip goes into the tip pool & cash is kept by the server as long as the auto-tip is in place.

 

Whether a tip is included in the fee has been debated often but I've never read a definitive answer. Tipping is a personal matter but most times we give an additional cash tip although not in the rare occasion when service wasn't exceptional.

Edited February 19, 2015 by Astro Flyer

[mellon1]

OK, we tip for specialties, but we always say you put $20 down and there is more than one waiting on you...do they split it or is it first come first serve?

[caribill]

Whether a tip is included in the fee has been debated often but I've never read a definitive answer.

 

On a recent Princess cruise I asked the crew personnel manager about this. She told me that no part of the specialty restaurant surcharge is a gratuity.

 

However, as someone else pointed out, the staff in these venues are part of the overall tipping pool.

[Astro Flyer]

On a recent Princess cruise I asked the crew personnel manager about this. She told me that no part of the specialty restaurant surcharge is a gratuity.

 

However, as someone else pointed out, the staff in these venues are part of the overall tipping pool.

 

Thanks...that was how I thought it was done but others have claimed that a tip was included in the specialty restaurant surcharge.

Edited February 20, 2015 by Astro Flyer

[cruzsnooze]

Never. I leave my auto tip intact so I've tipped once for dinner, I pay the surcharge for Sabitini so I've paid a second tip so why pay three times?

[Colo Cruiser]

I recently had Princess Customer Relations confirm that procedure...when written on the bill the tip goes into the tip pool & cash is kept by the server as long as the auto-tip is in place

 

Did you confirm that with 3 follow up calls? :p

[Iamcruzin]

I don't see any difference in the service between the anytime MDR and the specialty restaurant except that they have more time to chat you up in the specialty venues. I feel that the over worked stressed MDR staff are more deserving of a tip than the specialty staff. I don't tip either extra. I just let the prepaid gratuity cover it.

Edited February 20, 2015 by Iamcruzin

[crusinpeg]

Anyone know what an acceptable tip would be for the Ultimate Balcony Dinner?

[Colo Cruiser]

Anyone know what an acceptable tip would be for the Ultimate Balcony Dinner?

 

We give $10-$15 to each server.

Its really up to you, whatever you feel comfortable with.

[Astro Flyer]

Did you confirm that with 3 follow up calls? :p

 

We all know that info we get isn't always accurate & even when it's accurate implementation can vary. :p Misinformation happens anywhere but thankfully it's not like the IRS saying there's no guarantee that the info they provide is accurate & if wrong we still owe back taxes but are not subject to a penalty.

 

The info I posted didn't come from a reservation agent but from Customer Relations who called me in response to an email I sent them. Hopefully they are more knowledgable & do research to provide accurate info. ;) I previously talked to that CR rep about another issue & he provided accurate info to me.

 

Based on caribill's post & what I was recently told that's about as "definitive" of an answer as I can get although maybe not "definitive" for others.

Edited February 20, 2015 by Astro Flyer

[OttawaCA]

We celebrated last New Years Eve in the Crown Grill.

 

Amazing meal: filet mignon, lobster tails and champagne in the middle of the Pacific. If you can find a better way to end/start a year, please let me know.

 

I wanted to tip our amazing server at the end of the meal, but had no cash on hand. As I was writing the tip on the receipt, the restaurant head (sorry, don't know the proper title) told us not to. He said that it just goes into the pool, and that only cash tips went directly to the serving staff. And he stressed that wasn't necessary.

 

I felt bad, next time I will put some cash in my pocket. But I also understood that a tip was not really expected.

[donh1]

The whole process is very confusing. At a regular restaurant the tip goes to the waiter or in some cases the wait staff works as a team and the tips are pooled. If the waiters in the cruise ship specialty resaurants are receiving money from the tip pool then I think it would appear as if they have an unfair advantage over the dining room waiters. Same with those persons delivering room service. To be absolutely fair if they are receiving money from the pool then all cash money should go back into the pool. I do tip at specialty restaurants, room service and the cabin stewart but I believe I am tipping twice.

If the extra tips actually go back to the pool then the last thing a cruise employee would reveal is that fact.

Edited February 21, 2015 by donh1

[Colo Cruiser]

If the extra tips actually go back to the pool then the last thing a cruise employee would reveal is that fact.

 

 

At the risk of being dismissed you would be surprised at the revelation by the majority. ;)