tipping in specialty restaurants

[Mrs.Gosse]

You usually have the same two or three servers all night. My husband shakes each of their hands and tips in cash as we leave. We never add a tip to the slip except occasionally at the bar if we forgot cash.

 

Most of the time the maitre d is our sabatini's breakfast maitre d so we usually tip him at the end of our cruise in the morning but occasionally we will tip him on specialty night as well if he's outstanding. Which he usually is LOL

 

we have been very lucky for most of the mornings that we have specialty dining at night, our maitre d will mention that he will see us later since he has already looked at the reservation book. I think that is extremely wonderful and shows that he cares about his job and the guest. He deserves an extra tip in my opinion.

 

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Edited January 31, 2017 by Mrs.Gosse

[FritzG]

DH always leaves a cash tip. There really isn't a place on the tab that comes to the table, and often when he asks where to put the tip the server says it's not necessary. In the past he would just write a tip anywhere on the tab, but it didn't always end up on our folio. DH solved this by handing the server a cash tip as we leave. It's the only time he carries any cash while onboard.

[VTX-AL]

The "Service Charge" you pay for the dinner is technically the "tip;" but like you, I always leave at least a $20. When you figure what a meal like that would cost in a restaurant on land the service charge plus a 20 barely seems like enough.

 

Don't agree with your math ... assuming two folks dining $58.00 service charge , plus $20.00 , equals $78.00 "tip". And, this does not include the meals portion of your cruise fare that the bean counters have added in when calculating your fare.

[GRAYTech]

We usually stay in a suite so the cover charge is waved the first night. If service is good, (outstanding usually in the Crown Grill) I shake the waiter's hand with a $50 folded up. They have always been very appreciative of the cash tip. And yes he did hover as we were leaving.

[floridalover5623]

We do leave an additional tip because of the extra special service but nowhere near the $20 that some posters leave.

[donaldsc]

I had always assumed that the waitstaff at the specialty restaurants were included in the tip pool. Am I wrong? If they are part of the tip pool, I see no reason to add an extra tip. If they are not part of the pool, I guess that I have accidentally stiffed some of the waitstaff.

 

DON

[anthonyy7]

Tip or no tip, at the very least get their names and leave good feedback after the cruise. We've had fantastic service at CG and they said the best thing you can do is give good remarks for them in the survey.

 

 

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[floridalover5623]

I had always assumed that the waitstaff at the specialty restaurants were included in the tip pool. Am I wrong? If they are part of the tip pool, I see no reason to add an extra tip. If they are not part of the pool, I guess that I have accidentally stiffed some of the waitstaff.

 

DON

 

Of course they're included. Our recent waiter in Sabatini's can be seen working in the Horizon at times.

[compozer]

Of course they're included. Our recent waiter in Sabatini's can be seen working in the Horizon at times.

 

On our last cruise - (5 weeks), the normal waiters from the specialty restaurants were working in Horizon when the restaurants were not busy which was almost every night.

 

You would think they would get to relax a little back in the kitchen but Princess keeps them busy and there is always work to be done in Horizon.

Edited January 31, 2017 by compozer

[floridalover5623]

On our last cruise - (5 weeks), the normal waiters from the specialty restaurants were working in Horizon when the restaurants were not busy which was almost every night.

 

You would think they would get to relax a little back in the kitchen but Princess keeps them busy and there is always work to be done in Horizon.

 

None of the crew gets to "relax".

[GUT2407]

when everyone eats in a specialty restaurant what is your opinion on tipping? they bring you a slip to sign and the waiter stands there while you sign and there is a spot on the slip for a tip so you definetly feel guilty if you don't tip. what does everyone do? thank you

 

Surely if you've paid your auto tips enough is enough.

[Iowa Traveler]

On a similar note, what are your thoughts about tipping at Chef's Table and/or Winemakers dinner?

[weedpindle]

I'll bet there are some who post 'n boast how much extra they tip when in fact they tip not at all. A portion of the fee for a specialty restaurant is designated as a tip for the staff.

[dtb55]

I'll bet there are some who post 'n boast how much extra they tip when in fact they tip not at all. A portion of the fee for a specialty restaurant is designated as a tip for the staff.

 

 

 

I don't know why anyone would do that, but I'm guessing you're a non tipper. The bottom line is if you don't want to tip don't, but I'll tip if I want to.

 

 

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[floridalover5623]

On a similar note, what are your thoughts about tipping at Chef's Table and/or Winemakers dinner?

 

I personally wouldn't tip extra but the the ones who profess to tip based on what they feel the meal would cost them in a restaurant at home would no doubt do so.

[johnfas]

I agree...$78 for dinner without adding wine or a drink now you are talking over a hundo for dinner. Plus what you already paid in your cruise fare. It can get out of hand. Being american, and accustomed to tipping I would hand our waiter and extra five. Don't feel your obliged to tip for this meal.

[floridalover5623]

I agree...$78 for dinner without adding wine or a drink now you are talking over a hundo for dinner. Plus what you already paid in your cruise fare. It can get out of hand. Being american, and accustomed to tipping I would hand our waiter and extra five. Don't feel your obliged to tip for this meal.

 

That extra $5 goes into the tip pool so your waiter probably only sees about $1.50 or so if he's lucky.

[antsp]

That extra $5 goes into the tip pool so your waiter probably only sees about $1.50 or so if he's lucky.

 

He's already got hit tip from your daily gratuities, don't understand the issue

[tommy47]

we just got off the regal princess last week and we ate in the steak house and like I said when the waiter came over with the slip he asked me to sign it and there was a line that said tip so I know there are some people here saying that tips are included in the payment for the specialty restaurant but if this was true then there wouldn't be a line that says tip.

[dickinson]

we just got off the regal princess last week and we ate in the steak house and like I said when the waiter came over with the slip he asked me to sign it and there was a line that said tip so I know there are some people here saying that tips are included in the payment for the specialty restaurant but if this was true then there wouldn't be a line that says tip.

 

That line is in case you want to tip extra and have it come off your folio instead of you having cash on hand. Tipping is not required nor expected and not everyone tips.

[tommy47]

one more thing to add. some people are saying that the bill is only 29.00 each so for 2 people the bill is 58.00 which is a great deal but you do have to realize that in reality its actually more than that because when you paid for the cruise the meal in the dining room is part of that.

[azbirdmom]

We had been told by staff in the past that the cover charge included gratuity but that we were always welcome to tip extra in cash if we wished. The old checks didn't display a line for tips but on our last two cruises we noticed that there is now a place to indicate an extra tip. Interesting though that we inserted a $10 tip on that line on our check at the Crown Grill on the Royal a couple of weeks ago but were never charged.

 

I think the specialty restaurants are similar to the bar tabs. There is a tip included but you can give extra if you want.

[antsp]

we just got off the regal princess last week and we ate in the steak house and like I said when the waiter came over with the slip he asked me to sign it and there was a line that said tip so I know there are some people here saying that tips are included in the payment for the specialty restaurant but if this was true then there wouldn't be a line that says tip.

 

 

There is a line for a tip when you buy a drink, are you saying there's no tip added to drinks then

[Lucy Jane]

Its an "additional" tip

 

 

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[floridalover5623]

one more thing to add. some people are saying that the bill is only 29.00 each so for 2 people the bill is 58.00 which is a great deal but you do have to realize that in reality its actually more than that because when you paid for the cruise the meal in the dining room is part of that.

 

People don't ever consider that part of the equation. :rolleyes: