Tipping Cheers

[fozzy1975]

so I think

We have decided to get cheers this trip, but I want to know if it is frowned upon to not tip additional? I know the package includes gratuity, but honestly and hate if you must but I don't want to tip additional. It's already costing almost $700 and for 2 of us tip just $1.00 extra at 10 drinks each that's an additional $120. I feel kinda odd leaving the tip line blank. Can I ask you all if you tip extra or not. I have heard extra tip stronger drinks but with cheers I am not that concerned. Thanks!!

[hard_eight]

Tipping extra can get you better service. Don't have to do it all the time either...

 

Feel free to just cross that line out though, you already paid for it!

[jdemps]

The tip is based on the price of the package, not on the value of the drinks so we always tip extra. The $8 included tip per person is good for maybe 5 alchemy drinks at their stated value and on many days we have more than that. It's comparable to tipping on the discounted amount on a check instead of the original amount if you have a 25% off coupon for a restaurant.

 

I would think the bartenders and servers are very used to people not giving an extra tip though so I wouldn't worry about it if it's not in your budget.

 

You can buy the cheers package for $5 less per day if you get the gift cards at 10% off online from AARP, Verizon, Allstate, etc. Our package for a 7 night cruise was $805 but I only paid $720 for the $800 in gift cards. nice savings!

 

Have a great trip!

[MissKIA]

I don't think you should have to tip extra either. However, I will bring some extra tip money and tip as I feel appropriate. If I find a great bartender who is super friendly and/or makes extra special drinks for example, yes I will tip extra. If some surly jerk pops open a beer for me, a tip is not gonna happen!

[RHilla619]

I've only tipped extra on the spot/slip at the alchemy bar as I feel that those bartenders are really working. Besides that during the day while at the pool bars opening a beer or pouring a vodka club is fairly simple, so the pre-paid tip is suffice in my opinion. However at the end of the week I will also give an additional $20 each in cash to my regular pool and alchemy bartender.

[Briitini]

We tip $10-$20 at once when we find a bartender or server we will see consistently through the cruise. Best.service.ever!

 

 

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[cmichael1279]

I'll usually tip the Alchemy bartenders, especially early on. That definitely seems to speed up the service a day or two into the trip! :)

 

Otherwise, I'm probably ordering a bottle of beer at the casino or pool bar, so I won't tip then.

[indygirl76]

I think fewer people tip extra than not, so you wouldn't stand out for not giving an additional tip. Having said that, my personal calculus works like this:

 

* I tip 20-25% at home.

* Therefore, 15% is already "under-tipping" for me.

* That 15% is based on ~5 drinks/day. Bump it up to my rough average of 10, and now we're at a 7.5% tip. (Without even considering bottled water, sodas, etc.)

 

----> I tip extra, on every drink. In theory, if I were served by "some surly jerk," I probably wouldn't reward that with an extra tip. But that didn't happen one time on my last cruise, nor anything even close.

[BryceRun]

Cursing with cheers in 2 weeks and I assume like NCL that 15% tip is added / visible on every drink order. So it isn't like yiu're not tipping on every order and just giving a fixed amount based on the total cost of the package. The tips carnival ends up paying out can far exceed the cost of your package *15%. However I found an extra $1 goes a long way for the next round. If I'm going to hang at one place / bar for a awhile or a couple times on the cruise being Thankful (with cash) comes back around in aces.

 

 

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[Saint Greg]

Cursing with cheers in 2 weeks and I assume like NCL that 15% tip is added / visible on every drink order. So it isn't like yiu're not tipping on every order and just giving a fixed amount based on the total cost of the package. The tips carnival ends up paying out can far exceed the cost of your package *15%. However I found an extra $1 goes a long way for the next round. If I'm going to hang at one place / bar for a awhile or a couple times on the cruise being Thankful (with cash) comes back around in aces.

 

 

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It's not on every order. You pay it on the total package up front. The package is 49.99/day...after gratuity it's like 57.50/day. So if you had 12 beers and left no additional tip, you really tipped 10%.

[schittenden]

We don't do Cheers, but I do get the bottomless bubbles. I tip $1 extra per soda. When I'm drinking my alcoholic beverages for free in the casino (or even sodas), I tip $2-5. My glass never gets empty.

[shellsd]

If I go to the bar, wait, order my drink, and receive it, I usually don't tip. If somebody is bringing me a drink (comedy club, pool, theater) then I tip $1/per drink. Sometimes a bartender at the pool is just funny, makes me happy, makes me laugh then I tip them too,

[10-777]

We've done over 20 cruises on 4 to 6 star ships and never tipped any extra. Service has always been great.

[coevan]

We try to stay on the Serenity, when available. When you give the server a couple of bucks, he will know your name and folio number. We are in the service industry and tipping .90 on a $6 beer is not acceptable.

[MarcelLucSell]

We had Cheers and made full use of it. We got to know one Lobby Bartender, an Alchemy Bartender, and the lady who took drink orders at dinner. We took care of them, and they took really good care of us.

[cruiserjimmy1955]

We had cheers as well on our last cruise, and I would tip the waiter/waitress a $1 every time and the bartender every other drink, like others have said, they start remembering you and what you like, if I order a soda, tea, coffee, I wouldn't tip.

[knmcashman]

We don't tip extra, it's already included. Plus, it's only a drink not a meal. Why would someone tip more than 10 or 15% on a beer or glass of wine?

 

 

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[BryceRun]

It's not on every order. You pay it on the total package up front. The package is 49.99/day...after gratuity it's like 57.50/day. So if you had 12 beers and left no additional tip, you really tipped 10%.

 

 

My point is the individual bartender gets a tip for each drink, 15% of that particular drink, not that you pay additional each drink. My experience on NCL was the bartenders seemed to like the auto 15%, I bet normally bartenders get less then that on cruise ships either due to amount of Europeans (not use to tipping), people having that mentality of "this is costing me so much already" or on these short party cruises budget cruises.

 

 

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[chipperberg]

We always tip additionally. At least $1 per drink. The calculated tip amount is only 15%. Plus the drinks on the ship are reasonably priced, start flaming now, but they are the same we pay at any standard bar or restaurant, some being actually cheaper on the ship with said tip and tax already included. So I try to do basically what we would do at home. The difference is we wouldn't purchase that much at home on any given week, or even month, hahahaha...so it SEEMS like a lot. But this is vacation. like someone said above, would you leave .90 cents on a $6 beer at home? I personally don't think that is acceptable, and a dollar isn't much better, but it is a least better.....if you don't want to tip extra, don't. But don't try to look for justification....if you feel it is ok, then you feel it is ok. Go with your own gut....

[indygirl76]

My point is the individual bartender gets a tip for each drink, 15% of that particular drink, not that you pay additional each drink. My experience on NCL was the bartenders seemed to like the auto 15%, I bet normally bartenders get less then that on cruise ships either due to amount of Europeans (not use to tipping), people having that mentality of "this is costing me so much already" or on these short party cruises budget cruises.

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Totally understand the point you're making, and having never sailed on NCL, I'll take your word for it that's how their program works. But on Carnival, it does not work that way. Drinks rung up under the Cheers package do not generate an automatic 15% for the bartender. The ~ $7.50/person/day that's charged on the package price, is pooled for the drinks staff - they do not get an additional tip for each drink you order.

[Je Souhaite]

RULE OF THUMB:

 

When someone TAKES the tip from you because THEY think you will not tip or tip enough, there is NO NEED to tip more.

 

This precludes any service that your wait staff goes so above and beyond that you may wish to reward them. To suggest that you need to tip someone more to do their job? Lunacy.

[funkidd]

I look at the 15% added tip as just part of the price of the drink because I think carnival keeps it and pays the bartender what they pay them. I doubt the bartender truly sees any or much of it. So I tip a dollar bill directly to my waiter for each drink. I get much better service that way. And you can see the smile from the waiter or bartender when they slip that money in there pocket.

 

 

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[cmukid87]

This is very simple, if you do not want to tip extra, that is fine. I tip extra only if I receive extra good service from a bartender OR if a waiter is hauling the drinks around to me I'll tip every once in a while

[Havingfun2010]

Another over tipping the poor bartender. Generally speaking in pubs, you don't tip a percentage. I never do. I tip per drink. It is usually $1.00 per drink. So a drink package, the tip is included. Since I'm not a drunk, and don't drink 15 drinks, but I do break even, I am still tipping about $1.00 a drink. I don't care if the amount is "pooled" or not. If it is, and the employees don't like it, than I'm sure, they can find a job more to their liking. The drinks are overpriced, and the tips are reflected on the overpriced drinks. Anything more than the included tip, is just ludicrous. I'm one of the many that leave the "tip" line empty. Plus, I still get drinks, and service.

[knmcashman]

Another over tipping the poor bartender. Generally speaking in pubs, you don't tip a percentage. I never do. I tip per drink. It is usually $1.00 per drink. So a drink package, the tip is included. Since I'm not a drunk, and don't drink 15 drinks, but I do break even, I am still tipping about $1.00 a drink. I don't care if the amount is "pooled" or not. If it is, and the employees don't like it, than I'm sure, they can find a job more to their liking. The drinks are overpriced, and the tips are reflected on the overpriced drinks. Anything more than the included tip, is just ludicrous. I'm one of the many that leave the "tip" line empty. Plus, I still get drinks, and service.

Thank you!! I couldn't agree more!!