Tipping Staff in Windjammer Questions

[OliverTheCat]

Ok, as my cruise approaches the 1 month countdown, I have a question about Windjammer tips.

 

As I have said previously, we are choosing to eat only in Windjammer this cruise for dinner. We also have not opted for prepaid gratutites, nor want it on seapass card, so I assume we just pay the people with cash the appropriate amounts?

 

And the servers in Windjammer, now how much cash should we tip them in hand at the end of the week? What is the amount you all leave? The same amount as dining room? Do you tip host at door?

 

Also, dont worry, I plan to tell the dining room UPON BOARDING we are not eating there so they can give our seats away to someone else.

 

We just dont want to dress up for dinner this time, and have more flexible dining time options...no biggie. Always nice to try something new.

 

Thanks in advance for your advice.

[Weez]

Ok, as my cruise approaches the 1 month countdown, I have a question about Windjammer tips.

 

As I have said previously, we are choosing to eat only in Windjammer this cruise for dinner. We also have not opted for prepaid gratutites, nor want it on seapass card, so I assume we just pay the people with cash the appropriate amounts?

 

And the servers in Windjammer, now how much cash should we tip them in hand at the end of the week? What is the amount you all leave? The same amount as dining room? Do you tip host at door?

 

Also, dont worry, I plan to tell the dining room UPON BOARDING we are not eating there so they can give our seats away to someone else.

 

We just dont want to dress up for dinner this time, and have more flexible dining time options...no biggie. Always nice to try something new.

 

Thanks in advance for your advice.

 

I always left a couple dollars on the table after we ate at the windjammer, the staff was always changing up there and i would not have known who to tip at the end of the cruise.

[Candleonwater]

I'm curious to see the replies, as this is exactly what I plan to do for our spring break cruise!

[springtxbill]

If you do not plan on tipping any in tyhe dining room since you will not be eating there, then you should tip the recommended amount in the Windjammer each day.

[Weez]

If you do not plan on tipping any in tyhe dining room since you will not be eating there, then you should tip the recommended amount in the Windjammer each day.

 

Ahh thats a good point, I was referring to the snacks and lunch that we ate in the windjammer. If you were to eat all your meals there then I agree.

 

BTW: We only ate dinner there one night, if you were to eat there on a regular basis could you expect the same waiter/waitresses? or is it always someone different?

[Candleonwater]

I ate all but 2 dinners there last year, and you don't really have a "waiter", but rather floating staff - offering tea, taking empty plates. So that leads me to wonder... who would actually get any money left on the table?

[Weez]

I ate all but 2 dinners there last year, and you don't really have a "waiter", but rather floating staff - offering tea, taking empty plates. So that leads me to wonder... who would actually get any money left on the table?

 

Im not really sure, I don't know if they pool the tips there or if the guy/gal cleaning the table pockets the money. I do know from speaking to one of the bartenders, most of the staff rotates and at some point they end up in the windjammer. That's one of the least desirable jobs because the tips were much lower.

[luvjftffc]

I would physically give the money to the person who helped you out during your dinner. I would not wait till the end of the cruise because you might not get the same waiter each night, or they might not be in the Windjammer each night.

[Ocean Boy]

If you eat dinner in the Windjammer you will see that the same waiters are in there for the entire week. They rotate daily for breakfast and lunch but they do a weekly rotation for dinner. If you sit in the same area of the Windjammer you will have the same waiter each evening. We ate all our meals there on Serenade and at the end of the week we tipped him as we would have in the dining room.

 

I also tipped the hostess at the door simply because she made our arrival at dinner, and lunch for that matter, seem like such a special occasion.

[Weez]

If you eat dinner in the Windjammer you will see that the same waiters are in there for the entire week. They rotate daily for breakfast and lunch but they do a weekly rotation for dinner. If you sit in the same area of the Windjammer you will have the same waiter each evening. We ate all our meals there on Serenade and at the end of the week we tipped him as we would have in the dining room.

 

I also tipped the hostess at the door simply because she made our arrival at dinner, and lunch for that matter, seem like such a special occasion.

 

Thanks for the clarification.

[critterchick]

YOu could also take note of their names (they usually have a card on the table and they all wear name tags) and ask the purser's desk how to give them a tip at the end of the cruise. There are always extra envelopes for people other than the "standard" group, but I'm not sure how you get the money to them other than handing it to them directly.

 

We usually just have breakfast or lunch in the WJ and always carry some singles with us to tip as we go. I prefer to hand it to the server because I'm always wary of some other cruiser pocketing the money. You can take the girl out of New York...

 

(as in naturally suspicious, not as in New Yorkers are thieves, anymore than the rest of us).

[beachgirl8078]

If you have prepaid tips and you end up having a few dinners in the Windjammer, is there a way to get that money that you prepaid directed towards the Windjammer staff instead of it all going to the dining room staff? We're on a 5 night Grandeur with kids, late seating which we didn't want, and I'm not sure how we're going to handle dinners. We may be doing all Windjammer dinners but prepaid our tips. SOunds like I might have screwed this up.:confused:

[Weez]

If you have prepaid tips and you end up having a few dinners in the Windjammer, is there a way to get that money that you prepaid directed towards the Windjammer staff instead of it all going to the dining room staff? We're on a 5 night Grandeur with kids, late seating which we didn't want, and I'm not sure how we're going to handle dinners. We may be doing all Windjammer dinners but prepaid our tips. SOunds like I might have screwed this up.:confused:

 

I've never done the prepaid tips so im not certain but i think when you prepay, they give you certificates to give to the waiter and they turn them in for cash.

[beachgirl8078]

bump, thanks!