How do beverage package gratuities get paid out?

[Jsma]

We just got off a Royal cruise and had the beverage package.

I was curious if anyone knows how the bartenders get their tips when on the package?

 

Does the entire beverage team split it once it is purchased?   I know some other lines pool tips and if you add an extra tip only that extra goes to the individual server.

 

Or does the bartender that rings up the drinks get the tip?  

If this is the case, what happens if we make good use of the package?  Do they still get a tip and Royal takes a bigger loss (not that I think Royal is losing money)?

But I can imagine if you don’t make good use of the package, Royal profits.

 

Full disclosure- I really liked not having to sign anything after ordering a drink and never thought to ask for a slip to add an additional tip. We got most of our drinks from just a couple of bars that I thought had great service, so on the last night I gave those bartenders something extra and thanked them. Also mentioned them on the survey.

Just curious if anyone knows for sure….

[coachmike1959]

Tips go into a pool unless you leave a cash tip at the bar..then that money is usually shared with bartenders at that bar

[Billy Baltic]

I doubt anyone here really knows but you’ll still get people posting something as a fact. 

[loudbmw]

As far as cash tips go, I have seen them pool cash tips when multiple servers work at a bar.  
 

I have also seen them each keep their individual cash tips.  

 

I even saw a bar where most of the servers pooled their cash tips but one server opted out saying he worked very hard wanted to keep his tips.

[ARandomTraveler]

1 hour ago, Billy Baltic said:

I doubt anyone here really knows but you’ll still get people posting something as a fact. 

Everybody knows that the tips go to the first bartender you place an order with (so choose wisely). Been this way for years.  

[Ocean Boy]

3 hours ago, Billy Baltic said:

I doubt anyone here really knows but you’ll still get people posting something as a fact. 

You know how it is, people make "friends" on the crew who tell them the truth about all of RCI's secret workings. 

[expectthebest]

3 hours ago, Billy Baltic said:

I doubt anyone here really knows but you’ll still get people posting something as a fact. 

I happen to have first hand information on this topic.
I mistakenly fell asleep in a specialty dining room trying to finish my suite breakfast on the last morning of our cruise. I must have slid down my chair and ended up under the table surrounded by white table linens. Anywho.. 10:00am rolls around and I am awaken by a last call to exit the ship! I was quickly walking by one of the bars and that’s where I saw 4 stacks of bills on the rich mahogany. There were 4 bartenders so I can only imagine they were splitting tips from the morning goodbyes as passengers customarily press neatly folded $20’s and $50 dollar bills into their palms offering a generous handshake until next time. 

[expectthebest]

42 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

You know how it is, people make "friends" on the crew who tell them the truth about all of RCI's secret workings. 

Friends for the week.. we see it 52 weeks a year. It’s all part of their job to make the guests feel like family. 

[expectthebest]

2 hours ago, ARandomTraveler said:

Everybody knows that the tips go to the first bartender you place an order with (so choose wisely). Been this way for years.  

This sounds correct.

[Ocean Boy]

7 minutes ago, expectthebest said:

Friends for the week.. we see it 52 weeks a year. It’s all part of their job to make the guests feel like family. 

I actually think that RCI is pretty good at that. They make you feel like you are returning home when you step aboard one of their ships 

[PhillyFan33579]

I have talked to countless bartenders on RCI ships over the years. When I feel comfortable enough to ask someone about tips (like a bartender I have seen on multiple cruises), I have always gotten the same reply…the bartenders at each bar have the option of pooling tips or keeping tips individually. I have no reason to doubt these bartenders, but I also wouldn’t take it as being the gospel either. 

[crazyank]

15 hours ago, ARandomTraveler said:

Everybody knows that the tips go to the first bartender you place an order with (so choose wisely). Been this way for years.  

Everybody knows???  Don't think so

[not-enough-cruising]

Don’t know

Don’t care 

[ARandomTraveler]

16 hours ago, ARandomTraveler said:

Everybody knows that the tips go to the first bartender you place an order with (so choose wisely). Been this way for years.  

 

1 hour ago, crazyank said:

Everybody knows???  Don't think so

This was a joke

[gavvy]

There was a redit post a few months or so ago from a barman on Oasis who explained it, and it was posted on here somewhere. It was a bit complicated but basically, every sailing at a drink value given to it was dependent on the amount of drink packages sold.  Then they had to punch into the till 1000 drinks a month to earn the guaranteed wage, after that every drink punched into the till earned the person $1( in the example he gave )but that value varied sailing to sailing.  Even the auto grat 18% on a paid drink still only gave him the same credit ($1 in his example)

 

The server said it was easy to do the 1000 a month and he earned a good wage.

 

Any tip given to the person on top of this in cash or as an extra on the receipt they kept.

 

We cannot know if there was truth to this, but the person seemed very knowledgeable. 

 

I found the post

 

Edited 3 hours ago by gavvy
added reddit link

[Ocean Boy]

3 hours ago, ARandomTraveler said:

 

This was a joke

Humor is often lost around here.