Tipping the Maitre d - now known as Director of Restaurant Operations

[MustangGT]

We are having the best time on the Regal Princess!  After a dining snafu the first night of our B2B, we have been spoiled by so many people!  My question is - do we tip the Maitre d?  We have never made acquaintance with one before but Nicola has been outstanding!!  Always stopping by to check on us at dinner, chatting about upcoming ports and acknowledging us about the ship when we are masked. He has sent bottles of wine and other goodies to us. 
I do not want to commit a faux pas by extending a tip but we want him to know how much we appreciate his generosity and attention. 
Help!!  Thanks 

Edited January 9, 2022 by MustangGT

[waltd]

There is no right or wrong answer to your question.    If you want to tip the Maitre D then do so.    After all this is a service industry and I don't think anyone on board will turn down a tip.

[skynight]

Make sure you acknowledge him using the crew comment cards and also in the post cruise survey. From what you describe my feeling is that an additional tip would be in order, not out of place.

[Phantom of the Seas]

I think always a good idea if you want special attention and service, but to each their own, you will get great service without tipping regardless.....who is the Maitre-D on the Ruby...planning a cruise in August to Alaska out of SF

[Coral]

27 minutes ago, skynight said:

Make sure you acknowledge him using the crew comment cards and also in the post cruise survey. From what you describe my feeling is that an additional tip would be in order, not out of place.

I was told there are no crew comment cards anymore.

[Bgwest]

Americans are always ready to spread money around almost without provocation. 
never ceases to amaze me. 

[Coral]

50 minutes ago, MustangGT said:

We are having the best time on the Regal Princess!  After a dining snafu the first night of our B2B, we have been spoiled by so many people!  My question is - do we tip the Maitre d?  We have never made acquaintance with one before but Nicola has been outstanding!!  Always stopping by to check on us at dinner, chatting about upcoming ports and acknowledging us about the ship when we are masked. He has sent bottles of wine and other goodies to us. 
I do not want to commit a faux pas by extending a tip but we want him to know how much we appreciate his generosity and attention. 
Help!!  Thanks 

I would. I had one go out of his way to help me and I did tip. I agree to also comment on the survey that is sent to you.

[MissP22]

I normally don't tip the Maitre D' but seeing he sent wine & other items I just might slip him a little something.

[jascritz]

3 minutes ago, Bgwest said:

Americans are always ready to spread money around almost without provocation. 
never ceases to amaze me. 

It’s true that many of us are very grateful to have reached retirement with financial security, so that we now take pleasure in putting money back into the economy by rewarding people who work hard just like we did to build wealth. 

[Phantom of the Seas]

Well said!!

[donaldsc]

My attitude is that the Maitre d is management especially as he is apparently now known as "director of restaurant operations".  I don't feel that you tip management.

 

DON

[Steelers36]

45 minutes ago, donaldsc said:

My attitude is that the Maitre d is management especially as he is apparently now known as "director of restaurant operations".  I don't feel that you tip management.

 

DON

I agree with the point on being senior mgmt.  As someone posted once, do you tip the Captain if he gets you into a port 15 minutes early? 

 

In the situation outlined above, I'd want to do something.  Regardless of availability of crew comment cards, I'd find a way to document a kudos.  The name Nicola was mentioned - I think there are two of them, but if it is Nicola Furlan, he is nothing less than outstanding. 

 

So, I might be tempted to slip him something else in a special circumstance, but normally I would not tip sr mgmt.  OTOH, he doesn't own the restaurant and there may be reasons to tip the MD at a land-based establishment.  I don't think there is any "hard and fast" rule.

 

Aside:  I know a guy that generously tips the MD shortly after boarding - especially if someone he knows.  He feels that it comes with benefits.

[san diego sue]

I don't think the MaitreD is someone that should be tipped. He is considered Upper Management.

However, I do tip the Head Waiters. On our last cruise the Head Waiter Mario was fabulous.

[capriccio]

2 hours ago, Coral said:

I was told there are no crew comment cards anymore.

We were told the same last night on the CB.  The CD explained that they aren't using comment cards any longer to reduce paper especially with the threat of Covid.  He did encourage everyone to acknowledge good service by commenting in the survey which we received even before disembarkation this morning.

[Rick&Jeannie]

2 hours ago, jascritz said:

It’s true that many of us are very grateful to have reached retirement with financial security, so that we now take pleasure in putting money back into the economy by rewarding people who work hard just like we did to build wealth. 

Totally agree with you!  While it may be a bit questionable as to whether a tip is warranted in this particular scenario, in general a tip would be appreciated by almost anyone and we tend to "spread the wealth" even it it's not considered to be large in amount.

[Coral]

1 hour ago, capriccio said:

We were told the same last night on the CB.  The CD explained that they aren't using comment cards any longer to reduce paper especially with the threat of Covid.  He did encourage everyone to acknowledge good service by commenting in the survey which we received even before disembarkation this morning.

I hope you had a great cruise!

 

My survey arrived also before I disembarked the ship.

 

I had the wait staff write their names on a piece of paper and then I took a picture of the paper so that I wouldn't lose it on the way home. I did fill out the survey and included everyones' names.

Edited January 9, 2022 by Coral

[MustangGT]

@Coral - I also name as many as allowed on the survey.  I have started taking pictures of the name tags after a suggestion here.

I plan to send an email to Princess to mention them all and explain I was only given a limited number of acknowledgments in the survey.

[MustangGT]

@Steelers36 - Bingo!  Nicola Furlan!  He has been amazing!

[MustangGT]

I miss the comment cards 🙁

[Coral]

5 minutes ago, MustangGT said:

@Coral - I also name as many as allowed on the survey.  I have started taking pictures of the name tags after a suggestion here.

I plan to send an email to Princess to mention them all and explain I was only given a limited number of acknowledgments in the survey.

I noticed I was limited also to 5 I think.

 

I did try to include people's names in sections such as mention the great bartender in the section about bars, included the great waiter I had in Alfredos in the section on speciality dining, etc.....

 

I hope to write a letter to Princess in the near future with names. I had exceptional service on my last cruise.

Edited January 9, 2022 by Coral

[Coral]

2 minutes ago, MustangGT said:

I miss the comment cards 🙁

I was so glad to not have so munch "other paper" but I did miss these cards also.

[pms4104]

4 hours ago, MustangGT said:

We are having the best time on the Regal Princess!  After a dining snafu the first night of our B2B, we have been spoiled by so many people!  My question is - do we tip the Maitre d?  We have never made acquaintance with one before but Nicola has been outstanding!!  Always stopping by to check on us at dinner, chatting about upcoming ports and acknowledging us about the ship when we are masked. He has sent bottles of wine and other goodies to us. 
I do not want to commit a faux pas by extending a tip but we want him to know how much we appreciate his generosity and attention. 
Help!!  Thanks 

Personally, I am curious what exactly your first nite dining snafu involved ... must have been a super-duper doozy for the (formerly known as Maitre 'd) to be so solicitous.

Edited January 9, 2022 by pms4104

[cnd crsr]

We had a Maitre D' several years ago who was superb.   Because this is a management position, rather than a cash tip, I wrote a thank you  letter describing how he had helped as well as how well run his department was managed. He was very appreciative and let us know. how this letter given to the powers that be and would be placed in his file.

Over the years we have sailed with him many times and he always remembers us and our dining experience is always great.

[SinbadThePorter]

Tipping management is grotesque.

 

Save your dollars for the people who need it.

[12cruise2]

4 hours ago, Coral said:

I was told there are no crew comment cards anymore.

Yes, but you can write your own note and turn it in to Guest Services.  On Holland America, within a few hours that compliment was passed around to all the brass AND to the employee him/her self.  The staff really appreciates the comments, and it's used as a motivational/inspirational tool for other staff members besides.