"extra tipping" question with select dining and pre-paid gratuities

[sleepless]

DH and I always pre-pay our tips, and we usually leave extra the last night of the cruise with dining room staff, as we usually do traditional dining. We are doing select dining this time.

 

We will eat dinner most nights in the MDR, but will probably do a couple of nights in the buffet. In the MDR, we may not have the same wait staff each night. What is the best way to tip wait staff a little extra, but in the buffet and MDR? Can we leave cash at the table when we leave? In the MDR, do you still have a waiter and assistant waiter each night? What about the buffet? If leaving cash, how can we distribute so that both receive their tips? Not sure of the best way, as we have never done select dining before.

 

Also, if leaving extra tip in the buffet for dinner, how much "extra" do people tip for dinner? We have never had dinner in the buffet before.

 

Again, I know our gratuities will be pre-paid, just want to know the protocol for "extra" tips.

[neverbeenhere]

If you get a great waiter in Select dining it is worth requesting them on future days. You can hand anyone cash at just about anytime. If you leave it on the table, you will never know if it made it to the person.

 

In the buffet, again I suggest handing anyone you want to have a little extra cash straight to that person.

 

Lincoln skins, Jacksons and Hamiltons were built for this purpose. Enjoy your Select dining experience.

 

 

My "extra tip" is that there is no requirement to tip extra. So, give whatever you think the service was worth or nothing at all. Everyone will be appreciative.

Edited January 2, 2016 by neverbeenhere

[floridianny]

We usually eat in the MDR 2-3 times a cruise and in the buffet or specialty restaurant the other nights. If you do not have the same wait staff every night in "select" you do not need to tip extra. If you would like to, I would hand it to the waiter(yes you will have a waiter and assistant) as you thank them at the end. We have done this before. I have never seen anyone leave money on a table and I would be worried it would not end up with the correct person.

In the buffet, we usually tip the person who brings us drinks from the bar, whether its coffee and OJ or water, wine, etc. We give a dollar or two per beverage. I have never seen anyone tip the staff clearing tables etc. but I am sure if you wanted to hand them a tip at the end (or to someone who goes out of their way with a special request) they would be appreciative. I would not leave money on a table though. There are many people coming and going at all times.We have never felt anyone has expected a tip and always receive excellent service.

[cb at sea]

It is customary on cruises to do ANY tipping on the last evening.....if you won't be there on the last evening, you can tip on the last night you will be there. Tipping "as you go" is not the cruise way!

[neverbeenhere]

As Bob Dylan wrote: The times they are a changin'

[sleepless]

It is customary on cruises to do ANY tipping on the last evening.....if you won't be there on the last evening, you can tip on the last night you will be there. Tipping "as you go" is not the cruise way!

 

As Bob Dylan wrote: The times they are a changin'

 

Dear CB, I am not a new cruiser, and I do understand the tipping customs of cruising. However, if you read my post, you should have noticed that I have select dining, and will not be in the MDR every night, and the nights I am there I may not have the same wait staff. I always pre-pay my tips, DH and I usually leave additional tips on the last night when we have traditional dining. We would like to give extra trips to those that serve us on the nights we are in the MDR. I asked for the best way to handle this-not what was customary.

 

NEVERBEENHERE, yes the times are changing.

[Iamcruzin]

It is customary on cruises to do ANY tipping on the last evening.....if you won't be there on the last evening, you can tip on the last night you will be there. Tipping "as you go" is not the cruise way!

 

That only applies to traditional dining and would not work with select dining if you have different wait staff each night.

[SPacificbound]

There is nothing that says you cannot tip extra, to those who you feel gave you extra service, on nights/days that you received the service if you feel you may not see that server again.

 

It's your money, and you are already pre-paying tips, so tip as you want to, when you want to, and how you decide you "customarily" want to tip. :)

[bigbenboys]

Our last cruise we had Select Dining. I would say we have had Select Dining four times now. I have my TA make dinner reservations for about the same time each night. For the most part we have had the same waitstaff each night. When I do tip it is on one of the last nights. They really do try and put you with the same waitstaff each night. Hostess/Host might ask you if you liked the table you had last night.

[sleepless]

Thank you all for your replies. It is appreciated. If I am lucky enough to get the same dining room staff each night, it will make the process much easier.

[varoo]

It is customary on cruises to do ANY tipping on the last evening.....if you won't be there on the last evening, you can tip on the last night you will be there. Tipping "as you go" is not the cruise way!

 

That only applies to traditional dining and would not work with select dining if you have different wait staff each night.

 

Also for specialty dining, and for room service (when not delivered by your own stateroom attendant or butler),

and for drink service in some circumstances, spa services and other situations "tipping as you go" really is the way to go as you don't know when or if you will see that person again.

 

We find it much better to tip people you may not see again at the time you receive the service rather than trying to keep track of who does what for you throughout the entire cruise and then needing to go running around all over the ship on the last night trying to hunt them down.