Bar Tips

[ja2nowak]

I usually tip a buck or two per drink. It depends on how much of a pain I'm being. If I order a complicated Martini or fancy drink I tip more. If it's just a beer that gets opened I tip less. But on day one I always tip. Day 2 I will tip more every other drink or so. Mostly since carrying 5's takes up less space in my pocket. And absolutely I tend to get my drink order taken and my drink ahead of a lot of people. I guess just like back home the bar staff takes care of those that take care of them.

[LGW59]

2 minutes ago, ja2nowak said:

I usually tip a buck or two per drink. It depends on how much of a pain I'm being. If I order a complicated Martini or fancy drink I tip more. If it's just a beer that gets opened I tip less. But on day one I always tip. Day 2 I will tip more every other drink or so. Mostly since carrying 5's takes up less space in my pocket. And absolutely I tend to get my drink order taken and my drink ahead of a lot of people. I guess just like back home the bar staff takes care of those that take care of them.

I like how you roll, on land and on sea

[ClevelandCruisin]

I just give cash, usually $2-3 per round.

[ClevelandCruisin]

The reason I choose cash, it doesn't go in a computer to where they will have to claim anything on their paycheck for tax purposes.

[ChiefMateJRK]

1 hour ago, Hutcha said:

Will probably tip $2 per round and it cuts in half the number of bills I have to carry in my pocket.

 

Didn't think about the acceptability of them though.

You really don't have to carry around a lot of bills.  If the ship has a casino, it is a very easy place to get singles from the cashier as needed.

[FlGoodShips]

2 hours ago, fabnfortysomething said:

the whole point of pre paid gratuititeis and auto gratuaties on bardrinks is that you dont need to carry cash on board

particularly  if you arent from USA

Has nothing to do with being from USA.

Giving extra tips helps all of them to support their families back home.

If you get to know their back stories about their families, you will tip and it does make a huge difference to them. A couple of extra bucks isn't going to break you.

 

[Hutcha]

38 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

You really don't have to carry around a lot of bills.  If the ship has a casino, it is a very easy place to get singles from the cashier as needed.

Or just ask for change from the bar tender you're tipping. There are lots of ways. This is the one that I choose.

[CielG22]

1 hour ago, FlGoodShips said:

Has nothing to do with being from USA.

Giving extra tips helps all of them to support their families back home.

If you get to know their back stories about their families, you will tip and it does make a huge difference to them. A couple of extra bucks isn't going to break you.

 

It kind of does, when you talk about an "extra couple of bucks".

If you're not from the US, and you aren't on a sailing departing from a US port, you won't have anything smaller than maybe a $5 (and that depends on where you get your USD, some bureau de change won't give anything smaller than a 10 note of the currency you want) and they won't have very many of them, so they have to find somewhere to change the larger notes for smaller ones and, having never tried changing getting smaller denominations of foreign currency outside of the country I'm using it in, I'm not entirely sure how easy or feasible that would be. Especially since I don't want to be constantly charging tips to my onboard account.

[LGW59]

7 minutes ago, CielG22 said:

It kind of does, when you talk about an "extra couple of bucks".

If you're not from the US, and you aren't on a sailing departing from a US port, you won't have anything smaller than maybe a $5 (and that depends on where you get your USD, some bureau de change won't give anything smaller than a 10 note of the currency you want) and they won't have very many of them, so they have to find somewhere to change the larger notes for smaller ones and, having never tried changing getting smaller denominations of foreign currency outside of the country I'm using it in, I'm not entirely sure how easy or feasible that would be. Especially since I don't want to be constantly charging tips to my onboard account.

Do you pay gratuities in advance when you book?

[CielG22]

2 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

Do you pay gratuities in advance when you book?

I do, but I'm still used to tipping when I go out for a drink or a meal. So I'd feel bad not tipping. Only thing I can think of is to do what I used to do when I visited Germany which is tip when leaving the bar. It would at least make me feel better and that I wasn't being a stingy person.

[FlGoodShips]

16 minutes ago, CielG22 said:

It kind of does, when you talk about an "extra couple of bucks".

If you're not from the US, and you aren't on a sailing departing from a US port, you won't have anything smaller than maybe a $5 (and that depends on where you get your USD, some bureau de change won't give anything smaller than a 10 note of the currency you want) and they won't have very many of them, so they have to find somewhere to change the larger notes for smaller ones and, having never tried changing getting smaller denominations of foreign currency outside of the country I'm using it in, I'm not entirely sure how easy or feasible that would be. Especially since I don't want to be constantly charging tips to my onboard account.

So...ask for change from the bartender, get change from casino.

Crew members work so hard and deserve tips. 

Like the Nike slogan...."Just do it"

 

[FlGoodShips]

7 minutes ago, CielG22 said:

I do, but I'm still used to tipping when I go out for a drink or a meal. So I'd feel bad not tipping. Only thing I can think of is to do what I used to do when I visited Germany which is tip when leaving the bar. It would at least make me feel better and that I wasn't being a stingy person.

Or tip good when you get your first drink instead of when leaving bar....Service will be outstanding.

You'll never be without a drink.

🍺🍹🍸🍷

[LGW59]

10 minutes ago, CielG22 said:

I do, but I'm still used to tipping when I go out for a drink or a meal. So I'd feel bad not tipping. Only thing I can think of is to do what I used to do when I visited Germany which is tip when leaving the bar. It would at least make me feel better and that I wasn't being a stingy person.

well if you pay the gratuities in advance then you are still tipping, that's a good thing!  If you don't have the cash further, it does not make you stingy

[phillygwm]

7 hours ago, GeezerCouple said:

And we've also experienced (on land) Maitre D's who are remarkable in terms of remembering a name even a couple of years later (when there was not any reservation made for the current visit).  I can't remember a name 2 minutes after the introduction. 😞

 

How do they do it!?  Do certain crew members write this down in some central informal data base?

My first NCL cruise was on the Epic.  I spent (and continue to spend) a fair amount of time in the casino.  One year to the week later, I was on the Dawn.  Sat down at a blackjack table and the dealer asked if I was on the Epic last year.  I still can't believe she remembered me.  I'm not that memorable!  🙂

 

A few years later I did two cruises on Breakaway a few months apart.  Some of the bartenders recognized me on the second cruise but that was a shorter timeframe.

[phillygwm]

50 minutes ago, CielG22 said:

It kind of does, when you talk about an "extra couple of bucks".

If you're not from the US, and you aren't on a sailing departing from a US port, you won't have anything smaller than maybe a $5 (and that depends on where you get your USD, some bureau de change won't give anything smaller than a 10 note of the currency you want) and they won't have very many of them, so they have to find somewhere to change the larger notes for smaller ones and, having never tried changing getting smaller denominations of foreign currency outside of the country I'm using it in, I'm not entirely sure how easy or feasible that would be. Especially since I don't want to be constantly charging tips to my onboard account.

If I were on a European cruise and I were a European resident, I would probably just tip Euros.  I don't think the crew would be terribly offended 🙂

 

I was on the Greek Isles cruise and we hit Dubrovnik.  I picked up some Kuna at an ATM and had some leftover.  It comprised part of what I gave my room steward at the end of the cruise.  He didn't complain!  He probably spent it when he was back in Croatia a week later, or perhaps he just converted the currency.  

Edited February 19, 2022 by phillygwm

[LGW59]

4 minutes ago, phillygwm said:

If I were on a European cruise and I were a European resident, I would probably just tip Euros.  I don't think the crew would be terribly offended 🙂

 

I was on the Greek Isles cruise and we hit Dubrovnik.  I picked up some Kuna at an ATM and had some leftover.  It comprised part of what I gave my room steward at the end of the cruise.  He didn't complain!  He probably spent it when he was back in Croatia a week later, or perhaps he just converted the currency.  

Yep, when in Rome...

[BirdTravels]

11 hours ago, Mikial said:

After a number of cancellations and delays, we are - finally - headed out on the Bliss Sunday!

 

For those who have recently sailed -- are we tipping on the card at the bars these days, or should I be bringing a roll of singles with me?  Not sure if NCL has gone "cashless" since the pandemic...

Bring cash. It will be greatly appreciated. 

[beerman2]

15 hours ago, fabnfortysomething said:

the whole point of pre paid gratuititeis and auto gratuaties on bardrinks is that you dont need to carry cash on board

particularly  if you arent from USA

That has always been a “talking” point. Foreigners aren’t acclimated to tipping, whereas it’s basically a rule of thumb in the USA.

 

Not saying one way is better than the other.

 

Again right or wrong , you give a bartender a tip up front at a bar THEY will definitely remember you. Like mentioned a nod of the head/eye contact and your drink will appear.

[Lionkingrichard]

I would like to point out that NO ONE is saying you must tip extra. You have prepaid your tips and that is good.

 

Most of us are trying to be helpful to educate people on what really helps you enjoy a SOLD OUT cruise.

 

Go back 3 years ago on reviews of almost any cruise line and see the complaints of people having to wait 5 minutes for a drink. Their week long cruise was ruined because they were on a ship with 5 thousand other people all looking for a drink by the pool on a sunny day.

[LGW59]

2 hours ago, beerman2 said:

That has always been a “talking” point. Foreigners aren’t acclimated to tipping, whereas it’s basically a rule of thumb in the USA.

 

Not saying one way is better than the other.

 

Again right or wrong , you give a bartender a tip up front at a bar THEY will definitely remember you. Like mentioned a nod of the head/eye contact and your drink will appear.

After my first visit to most bars and giving a proper introduction the the bartender, my drinks almost magically appear as I arrive at the bar going forward.  

[JIMESOPUS]

19 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Why $2 bills?  

By accident we gave a bartender a $2 bill on a cruise, he seemed unusually excited about it. Later we asked him why he liked the bill so much, he said it's a sign of good luck. So now we carry a few along with ones and fives, our last cruise we had a bartender act the same way when we gave him a two.  

Edited February 19, 2022 by JIMESOPUS

[JIMESOPUS]

19 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Why $2 bills?  

Windows hung up, double post

 

Edited February 19, 2022 by JIMESOPUS

[RocketMan275]

12 hours ago, FlGoodShips said:

So...ask for change from the bartender, get change from casino.

Crew members work so hard and deserve tips. 

Like the Nike slogan...."Just do it"

 

Or, guest services.

[RocketMan275]

12 hours ago, FlGoodShips said:

Or tip good when you get your first drink instead of when leaving bar....Service will be outstanding.

You'll never be without a drink.

🍺🍹🍸🍷

We had a favorite bar with the same bartender.  I always gave him a couple of bucks with each order.  From the second night on, as soon as he saw me enter the doorway, he was reaching for my Black Jack.  My drink was ready before I could get to the bar.

[PTC DAWG]

Cash is king, and some banks don’t like to deal with the $2 bills…singles or fives are better for the crew.