Retreat Tipping

[lakegirl16]

Everyone's favorite topic ... tipping.  I've read previous posts on this subject and am trying to confirm if "extra" tips for the Luminea staff are pooled?  We're on the Solstice and have been seated in the back part of the dining room.  Would tips be combined with all staff in Luminea or just in our section of the dining room?

Also, I know there may be varying opinions on this but what would be considered "extra services" where a butler is concerned?  

 

Thank you!!!
 

 

 

[Arizona Wildcat]

32 minutes ago, lakegirl16 said:

Everyone's favorite topic ... tipping.  I've read previous posts on this subject and am trying to confirm if "extra" tips for the Luminea staff are pooled?  We're on the Solstice and have been seated in the back part of the dining room.  Would tips be combined with all staff in Luminea or just in our section of the dining room?

Also, I know there may be varying opinions on this but what would be considered "extra services" where a butler is concerned?  

 

Thank you!!!
 

 

 

There is no agreement on if or how tips are pooled.

Same answer for a butler.  My opinion is having a complete meal served or a party would certainly merit a tip.  Think of things that would not extra or specific to your needs or desires.

[jelayne]

We were told tips were pooled among entire staff, not by section.  We were also told that the sommeliers are not in the tip pool for the dining room.  We leave a note and extra tip for the Luminae staff with MD or Head Waiter.  
 

Some “extras” from the butler could be decorating the suite for a birthday with a cake and or beverage, fixing a  ‘emergency’ e.g. sole comes off shoe, broken zipper,  glasses frame comes apart, spilled wine on shirt.  Setting up and assisting  with a gathering of people in our suite.  Leaving little surprises during the cruise.  We also tip additional if we use room service more than a couple of times during the cruise.  

[Northern Aurora]

We have been told a number of times that Luminae waiters & assistant waiters tips are pooled.  This doesn't matter if you are on a S-class ship with forward and aft Luminae dining areas, or on a M-class with a single dining area.  And we also have been told a number of times that the sommelier is not part of that pool.  So we tip the Luminae waiter pool, the seating host/hostess, the sommelier and the maitre'd.  We also additionally tip the butler and stateroom attendant as we have always had great service.

 

We also tip the Retreat/Michael's Club bartender in addition to their assistant.  We also tip the snack attendants.  And we generally tip the Michael's Club/Retreat Concierges, although were times several years ago when we were sufficiently underwhelmed that we didn't tip the MC/R concierges.

[LGW59]

9 hours ago, lakegirl16 said:

Everyone's favorite topic ... tipping.  I've read previous posts on this subject and am trying to confirm if "extra" tips for the Luminea staff are pooled?  We're on the Solstice and have been seated in the back part of the dining room.  Would tips be combined with all staff in Luminea or just in our section of the dining room?

Also, I know there may be varying opinions on this but what would be considered "extra services" where a butler is concerned?  

 

Thank you!!!
 

 

 

I can assure you that nothing has changed since any of the previous tipping posts you have last read.  All I can tell you is the way that I do it is the right way, everyone else is wrong.  🙂

[CHEZMARYLOU]

I can never understand why it is important to know if tips are pooled or not.  The crew signs a contract knowing and agreeing to various requirements, including compensation.  It's not my place to ask how they are paid.  I give extra tips to those who go what I consider above basic service levels. If it is in a dining venue with different servers throughout the cruise I give an envelope to the hostess or Maitre d for the staff.  I also fill out attention to detail cards to recognize some one who has been particularly helpful.

[RichYak]

9 hours ago, Northern Aurora said:

So we tip the Luminae waiter pool, the seating host/hostess,... and the maitre'd.

Can you clarify? I thought it was a Luminae pool, not just a waiter pool. I would assume the host/hostess and maitre'd already gets a share of the first tip you listed and tipping them separately means tipping them twice. I agree that the the sommelier is a separate pool so I removed that from the context.

[dlh015]

I already pay the gratuities in advance. So I don't concern myself with pools. I leave that distribution up to Celebrity and don't give it a second thought.

 

I directly tip those members of the staff who I think made my voyage more pleasurable (at the end of said voyage)...in cash. 

[wrk2cruise]

Yes, everyone in suites pre-pay their gratuities as they are included in the Retreat fares.   Any additional tips given in the dining room are pooled and shared by the Luminae staff excluding the sommelier.

[LGW59]

1 minute ago, wrk2cruise said:

Yes, everyone in suites pre-pay their gratuities as they are included in the Retreat fares.   Any additional tips given in the dining room are pooled and shared by the Luminae staff excluding the sommelier.

So the envelopes I handed my head waiter and assistant waiter (had the same for all 14 days) is pooled rather than them keeping it individually? 

[manmachine]

As I have said a hundred times before:  when ‘tips’ are included it becomes a service charge.  And then you’ll be expected to tip over and above.  And the owner of the business will then come to see the service charge as income, and begin working on ways to keep more of that income.  

[wrk2cruise]

5 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

So the envelopes I handed my head waiter and assistant waiter (had the same for all 14 days) is pooled rather than them keeping it individually? 

In Luminae as far as I know yes.  It shows in how the servers all help each other in that venue.

[LGW59]

3 minutes ago, wrk2cruise said:

In Luminae as far as I know yes.  It shows in how the servers all help each other in that venue.

Ahhh OK, while I do hope they were able to keep it themselves, I 100% agree on them assisting each other, especially the bread basket and water teams, they seemed to be all over the dining room.

[dlh015]

1 minute ago, LGW59 said:

Ahhh OK, while I do hope they were able to keep it themselves, I 100% agree on them assisting each other, especially the bread basket and water teams, they seemed to be all over the dining room.

Agreed. Once I give it to them, it is theirs to do with as they see fit. If it ends up going in some pool, that's fine with me...certainly can't have a problem with spreading the joy...