Gratuities and tipping

[MTNest93]

1 minute ago, cruzsnooze said:

Is that a tip or a bribe?

T.I.P. - "to insure promptness", so it stands to reason that those who tip more would receive prompt service. 

[david63]

I doubt that tipping makes any difference, apart from in your mind, about the speed at which you get drinks, or any other service for that matter, when the Medallion is in operation. All orders will be queued and served in order.

[wowzz]

47 minutes ago, HotRoot said:

Our drinks are made before others in line. 

If I was waiting to be served, and that happened,  I would poliitely  tell the bar person, that I or whoever else was waiting, was next in line, and you should get to the back of the queue. 

After over 50 years of experience in ordering drinks in pubs, no one pushes in front of me, bribe  or  no bribe !

 

[wowzz]

38 minutes ago, MTNest93 said:

T.I.P. - "to insure promptness", so it stands to reason that those who tip more would receive prompt service. 

But they only think they get better service.  

If a bar man overtly serves one customer over another, they run the risk of getting a poor report on the end of cruise comment card.

[DallasGuy75219]

12 minutes ago, wowzz said:

If I was waiting to be served, and that happened,  I would poliitely  tell the bar person, that I or whoever else was waiting, was next in line, and you should get to the back of the queue. 

And then there's the way things actually work in the real world.

 

10 minutes ago, wowzz said:

But they only think they get better service.  

If a bar man overtly serves one customer over another, they run the risk of getting a poor report on the end of cruise comment card.

You just contradicted yourself.

[wowzz]

1 minute ago, DallasGuy75219 said:

And then there's the way things actually work in the real world.

Not in my world  !

 

2 minutes ago, DallasGuy75219 said:

You just contradicted yourself.

Yes I see that ! Whoops.

[startedwithamouse]

1 hour ago, HotRoot said:

We always have a drink package.  When we order our first drinks at a bar, we tip $5.  For the rest of the cruise, when the bartender sees us, he makes our drinks.  We tip $1 a drink for those drinks.  Our drinks are made before others in line.  I would assume the same would work for room service.  We have never used room service for drink orders.

^THIS^  Crowded pool bar, we walk up, guess who the bartender comes straight to, or gives us a nod?  One of us holds up a couple fingers, and he starts our favorite drinks. Bam!  Front of the line. 

[2 cruises a year]

4 hours ago, disneyochem said:

I tip $2 for my cappuccino delivered to my stateroom at 4:30 am.

If someone knocked on my door at 4:30 am, I would have a tip for them, and it doesn't begin with a $.

Just kidding, I earned my cruising being called out at all hours.  I'm used to it, and can fall right back asleep.

[wowzz]

15 minutes ago, startedwithamouse said:

^THIS^  Crowded pool bar, we walk up, guess who the bartender comes straight to, or gives us a nod?  One of us holds up a couple fingers, and he starts our favorite drinks. Bam!  Front of the line. 

And I would loudly shout out that I am next !  The trouble is, people don't stick up for themselves.

The bar tender won't serve you again first, if I am in the queue.

[2 cruises a year]

14 hours ago, cruzsnooze said:

    Does the $110 PP PD I'm paying for Reserve class  a gratuity for elevated service?

The difference in cost for a Club Class Mini-suite over the cost of a Mini-suite should more than cover the added service, tips and all.

As always, a little extra cash in their hand is always appreciated.

[RedIguana]

2 hours ago, wowzz said:

As a matter of interest, when in Europe, do those of you who normally tip $1  give a €1 coin instead ? 

On a ship whatever currency the ship uses (The one trip I had done from Amsterdam to Norway was still USD). On land the local currency (so tipped in Euro in Amsterdam, and Krone in Norway).

[2 cruises a year]

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

But they only think they get better service.  

If a bar man overtly serves one customer over another, they run the risk of getting a poor report on the end of cruise comment card.

 

54 minutes ago, DallasGuy75219 said:

And then there's the way things actually work in the real world.

 

You just contradicted yourself.

 

51 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Not in my world  !

 

Yes I see that ! Whoops.

I don't see any contradiction.  You did say "if".

[MTNest93]

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

But they only think they get better service.  

If a bar man overtly serves one customer over another, they run the risk of getting a poor report on the end of cruise comment card.

Promptness doesn't necessarily mean cutting in line ahead of others.  We don't do that...ever!  But if you tip the bartender in the beginning, they may remember your drink preference and save time by not having to come over and ask what you want, etc.  

[startedwithamouse]

53 minutes ago, wowzz said:

And I would loudly shout out that I am next !  The trouble is, people don't stick up for themselves.

The bar tender won't serve you again first, if I am in the queue.

Won't bother us as we'll be walking away with our drinks. 😉

Edited March 22, 2023 by startedwithamouse

[chefchick]

Maybe it’s because I’ve worked in the service industry, but am I the only one who tips extra not because I expect preferential treatment, but because the bar crew works their butts off and helps to make my vacation better?  I don’t tip every time and it may only be an extra buck or two, but when someone delivers my drink to me in a crowded venue or puts up with my overly complicated martini preferences I just feel like it’s the right thing to do….again, I’m not judging others and I know gratuities are already included in my package, I just consider it part of my overall vacation budget.  

Edited March 22, 2023 by chefchick

[david63]

44 minutes ago, MTNest93 said:

But if you tip the bartender in the beginning, they may remember your drink preference and save time by not having to come over and ask what you want,

Without ever tipping at the beginning of a cruise by about the third night I have found that waiters know my order.

5 minutes ago, chefchick said:

but because the bar crew works their butts off and helps to make my vacation better

Isn't that what they are being paid for bearing in mind that they already get commission on all the drinks order that they take.

[Sprocket]

6 hours ago, disneyochem said:

I tip $2 for my cappuccino delivered to my stateroom at 4:30 am.

Have lots of those nights here at home, fortunately I am able to sleep on the ship.  Vanilla Bean or Butter Pecan latte with Baileys is my morning go to.

[roadster08]

Although not a tip,  when ordering a drink in some local US ports you may also be charged a small local tax , even if you have a package. 

[startedwithamouse]

2 minutes ago, roadster08 said:

Although not a tip,  when ordering a drink in some local US ports you may also be charged a small local tax , even if you have a package. 

on the difference, i.e., you go over the $15 limit per drink, you can only be taxed on that.  Or you can be taxed for items not in the package, like canned drinks.   

[MTNest93]

38 minutes ago, david63 said:

Without ever tipping at the beginning of a cruise by about the third night I have found that waiters know my order.

Isn't that what they are being paid for bearing in mind that they already get commission on all the drinks order that they take.

Tipping extra is at your own discretion.  We take care of those who take care of us whether it's on vacation or locally.  No one is saying you have to tip and I'm not judging you if you don't. 

[antsp]

7 hours ago, HotRoot said:

I would tip a dollar drink.  They know who tips.  Your next order will move to the top of the list.

Ha ha, you really believe that. 

[damiross]

19 hours ago, MissP22 said:

No . All drink tips are already included. 

Correction.   there is a surcharge for drinks.  If you can remove the 18%  then it is a tip. 

 

Remember:  Tips are optional, surcharges are mandatory.

[Bobbiegentry]

7 hours ago, billco said:

No tip. It does not make sense to me to tip the person who brought the class of wine to my room without tipping the person who poured the glass. (Wouldn't tip anyway, since it is included). Also, if I am sitting in a lounge or bar I wouldn't tip the server who brought me a glass of wine. We just completed 30 days on the Discovery Princess on a B2B2B2B2B in 5 different cabins. We tipped each of our room stewards at the end of the respective cruises. We also tipped our MDR servers and head waiter and two servers we had formed a relationship with over the cruises. I felt the servers were more interested in getting a positive comment on the review.

This  ☝️

[JimmyVWine]

4 hours ago, MTNest93 said:

T.I.P. - "to insure promptness"

Often stated.  Never correct.  

First, grammatically, the words "insure" and "ensure" mean two different things.  Were the word derived from an acronym, it would most assuredly would have been TEP and not TIP.  Second, acronyms are very much a 20th Century convention, and the word "tip" has roots back centuries before that. It appears in some forms as early as the early 1600s, well before acronyms were ever a thing. 

 

The word has a number of uses, and developed from the same slang that led one to ask for a "hot tip" on a good horse in the seventh race.  Surely its usage in that sense has no correlation to "insuring promptness", though one might like to believe that the horse one bet on arrived at the finish line promptly.  It is also the same word that gives us the phrase "tipped off", as in, "the informant tipped off the police."  Again, there is no relationship to "promptness" here.  Rather, the word refers to giving the police a leg up, or an advantage, or something for free.  Tipping off the police and tipping the bartender are two horses of the same color, only the former is done with cash and the latter with information.  Both are getting something extra and are better off because of it.

 

You're welcome.

Edited March 22, 2023 by JimmyVWine

[JimmyVWine]

Out of curiosity, at what price point does Plus have to soar before we all agree that we have kicked in a sufficient sum such that additional payment is no longer required, regardless what hour the server arrives or how harried they appear to be behind the bar?  Plus has gone from $40 to $60 in a matter of a year and a half.  If they raise the fee to $200 per day, would that do it?  $150?  $75?  Isn't there a point where the term "Gratuities Are Included" has real meaning?