Additional tipping

[Lendebw]

For those that chose to tip more:

sailing on Royal’s Symphony OTS in Sky Class Suite.  Looking for a range of tips for Concierge, wait staff in Coastal Kitchen and Suite attendant.   Have heard of people tipping at each meal.  Tipping concierge at end. Tipping attendant at start of cruise.  What are your thoughts and experience 

[rkacruiser]

#1:  Welcome to Cruise Critic fellow Ohioan!  

 

#2:  The advice you will receive about tipping will be as varied as those who offer such.

 

#3:  I have no experience on your ship or with your accommodations.

 

#4:  I have experience as a Yacht Club guest on MSC Meraviglia.  Possibly, an equivalent type of accommodation. 

 

#5:  Additional gratuities that I offered were as follows:

        My Butler

        My Assistant Butler (who did the most work as the Cabin Stewardess in taking 

            care of my suite)

         Both Maitre d's in the YC Restaurant 

 

#6:  No additional gratuities were offered to the YC Restaurant staff or the YC Top   

         Lounge staff.  No assigned dining produced no specific Stewards on a regular 

         basis in either venue. 

 

#7:  Concierge?  Never considered giving them a tip.  They did, for me, what a YC  

         Concierge is expected to do.  I asked nor expected anything more than what

         these gentlemen provided.  

 

As far as "tipping at each meal", my opinion, the only time that I have done so is when I dine in a ship's specialty restaurant and the service/experience is so superior that I feel I ought to do so.  And, that does not often happen.

 

Watch your shipmates that leave their dining table.  Will you see much cash left on the table?  The times that I have seen such behavior has become extinct during my most recent cruises.  

[bassmk]

I don't cruise on Royal Caribbean, but here are my tipping habits:

 

1. Cabin Steward gets a little cash every day. I usually leave a $20 bill on the bed with a smiley face note or a thank you or something so they know it's for them and not just an errant bill lying around. Debarkation day I leave $100 bill and a thank you note. (That's assuming the service was good, which it always has been, without fail.)

 

2. I always leave a little extra, $1-$2 when signing a bar bill, even though it's included.

 

3. Dining room staff get $50 each on the last day I eat in the MDR. In the specialty restaurants I will leave a gratuity equal to what I would in a restaurant on land, anywhere from 20-35%.

 

I know that seems excessive, but I'm in a financial place to do it so I like to. They work very hard and they deserve it. I also like to pre-pay gratuities when booking so it doesn't show up on my onboard account.

Edited May 23, 2022 by bassmk

[furloughedagain]

I had the same question. Also curious how you tip at specialty restaurants or at Coastal Kitchen (the restaurant for suite guests).

 

we’ve tipped the concierge in the past. Never considered additional gratuity for the room steward but that’s an interesting idea. How about room service?

 

Thanks very much!

 

[rkacruiser]

2 hours ago, furloughedagain said:

I had the same question. Also curious how you tip at specialty restaurants or at Coastal Kitchen (the restaurant for suite guests).

 

we’ve tipped the concierge in the past. Never considered additional gratuity for the room steward but that’s an interesting idea. How about room service?

 

Thanks very much!

 

 

If their service warrants it, an additional gratuity is given by me to the following:

 Cabin Stewards, Dining Room Stewards (if I have fixed seated dining), bartenders and Lounge Stewards if I am a frequent patron, a regular Wine Steward, and an Assistant Maitre d' or Maitre d' is they perform a special service for me.

 

I do not tip a MDR Steward if I have Open Seating with the Steward du jour.

 

Specialty restaurants:  I have left a tip and then wonder why I did.  For me, it depends on the service.  Most recently, while the service and experience has been very good/excellent, I have not left anything more than what I paid for the meal.  I watch what others are doing when they leave their table and, increasingly, I see most not leaving a gratuity.  

 

Bottom line:  you do what you wish and are comfortable doing.  

 

 

[BklynBoy8]

Thank you for ideas