Tipping or Not in Specialty Restaurants

[gonecruising]

I have been on numerous ships and eaten at specialty restaurants. I have yet to figure out if the fee you pay up front includes tipping or not. We were sort of embarrassed to ask. So if you do tip on top of the $25 or $30 per person, how much?

[usha]

The fee charged is for the tip, but you're always welcome to tip over and above the $30.

[lisiamc]

Normally we don't tip extra for the speciality restaurant, but on one cruise we ate there several times, with the same staff. At the end of the cruise, we gave them each a thank-you note with a tip inside. They seemed very pleased with the extra thanks, and not at all as though they were expecting a tip as well.

 

Lisa

[charlielinda]

We regularly eat a speciality restaurants on cruises and never tip about the stated extra charge. We have eaten many times on the same cruise and haven't tipped extra and always received excellent service. I understand that the extra charge is considered the tip.

[cfprunner]

As mentioned, the $30 fee is the tip. You will note that it is one of the few charges that doesn't get the tip added in like at the Martini or Pool bars.

 

I don't know what happens if you use a coupon for free dinner in the speciality restaurants.

[lisiamc]

Sorry - I didn't meant to imply that one should tip if eating in the speciality restaurant more than once. As you rightly say, the extra charge covers the tip.

 

Lisa

[ladysail2]

I agree that it can be confusing. I ate the the specialty restaurant last week on Carnival Glory. I also had a glass of red wine. When the 'bill' came to sign.....the restaurant bill had the total $30, plus a line for Gratuity. The wine bill had the price of the wine...the line for the automatic 15% gratuity...then another line for extra Gratuity. While everything was fine...the wine wasn't the best....I didn't feel that I needed to add a tip on the tip.

 

Don't feel embarassed....I didn't tip extra....I felt that I had paid sufficiently for the service given.

[Schplinky]

I think the presence of the extra tip line is the confusing part. When we ate at specialty dining, my partner tipped extra and if I could have tipped less, I would have. The waiters giggled amongst themselves and seemed to be enjoying some ongoing, private joke. It was annoying.

[Tricia724]

I think the presence of the extra tip line is the confusing part.

 

I agree....it is confusing. By the way, when did that additional tip line show up anyway? I just noticed it in September and didn't remember seeing it last year. With that statement on the slip that says something like "the standard 15% gratuity has been included but an extra line has been provided for exceptional service." It made me feel like I was expected to add more. Occasionally I did, but often I didn't. You get to the point where you wonder how much is enough.