Tips,Bribes, and Stuff Like That

[Pam in CA]

Actually, I've always thought that a politely phrased and reasonable request, a smile, and a "Thank you!" goes much further than a pre-tip. I have never tipped on a cruise other than at the end of the cruise.

[stellalimelight]

I have never pre tipped or bribed for good service. I was on the Diamond Princess in Sept for 18 days and had the best service every night in the Savoy. The MD was wonderful, knew what we wanted, and took care of it. The waiters were wonderful and would get upset if I did not sit back in their area. I told them I needed to spread myself around:) and trust, I am no spring chicken, so it wasn't because I was a young chickypoo.. Only tipped 4 staff members at the end of the cruise and didn't feel the need to do so, just felt like it. So I say to each your own.

[johnmik1]

The men who are in the suits. I call them asst maitre d's, I consider the head Maitre D the dining room manager and the others his assistants.

 

Its the gentlemen or women in the jacket and tie.

 

don

The men in the suits are headwaiters.We normally know one or are remembered by one on each cruise.We then make it a point of going to their dining room.We normally are asked if we would like a special pasta each evening or what type of pasta we would like the next night.They also waive our corkage fees and advise the waiters to bring extra thick cuts of whatever we are having.We are treated like VIP's.I normally tip them $50 for a one week or $100 for a two week cruise.We have had one headwaiter three times and he is a genuine friend.He even comes from the Traditional dining room to the Anytime dining room when he hears we have arrived.Excellent service but the tip is never in advance.

[Joedog]

Following the advice of someone on the CC Boards, on the first day of our cruise last summer on the Carnival Valor when the room steward introduced himself to us we pre-tipped him a $20 bill and told him we liked lots of ice and would appreciate him keeping an eye on it, and also, since we had the big wrap around aft balcony, we would like a couple of deck chairs out there if he could do it.

 

He replied that he would only be in the cabin twice a day so he wouldnt be able to do anything about the ice except at those times and if we wanted deck chairs we would have to talk to the front desk.

 

So much for pre-tipping.....although he turned out to be an okay steward and he did get the chairs for us AFTER we got the front desk to call the housekeeping supervisor. Never did get extra ice though......

 

Maybe we will pre-tip the Maitre D and see how that goes....my guess is the service wont be any worse than if we dont pre-tip him and maybe, just maybe it will something to post about.

[Joedog]

Following the advice of someone on the CC Boards, on the first day of our cruise last summer on the Carnival Valor when the room steward introduced himself to us we pre-tipped him a $20 bill and told him we liked lots of ice and would appreciate him keeping an eye on it, and also, since we had the big wrap around aft balcony, we would like a couple of deck chairs out there if he could do it.

 

He replied that he would only be in the cabin twice a day so he wouldnt be able to do anything about the ice except at those times and if we wanted deck chairs we would have to talk to the front desk.

 

So much for pre-tipping.....although he turned out to be an okay steward and he did get the chairs for us AFTER we got the front desk to call the housekeeping supervisor. Never did get extra ice though......

 

Maybe we will pre-tip the Maitre D and see how that goes....my guess is the service wont be any worse than if we dont pre-tip him and maybe, just maybe it will something to post about.

[Joedog]

Following the advice of someone on the CC Boards, on the first day of our cruise last summer on the Carnival Valor when the room steward introduced himself to us we pre-tipped him a $20 bill and told him we liked lots of ice and would appreciate him keeping an eye on it, and also, since we had the big wrap around aft balcony, we would like a couple of deck chairs out there if he could do it.

 

He replied that he would only be in the cabin twice a day so he wouldnt be able to do anything about the ice except at those times and if we wanted deck chairs we would have to talk to the front desk.

 

So much for pre-tipping.....although he turned out to be an okay steward and he did get the chairs for us AFTER we got the front desk to call the housekeeping supervisor. Never did get extra ice though......

 

Maybe we will pre-tip the Maitre D and see how that goes....my guess is the service wont be any worse than if we dont pre-tip him and maybe, just maybe it will something to post about.

[bdjam]

Maybe we will pre-tip the Maitre D and see how that goes....my guess is the service wont be any worse than if we dont pre-tip him and maybe, just maybe it will something to post about.

Unless you’re looking for a special seat, there’s really nothing the Matre’d will do for you after a pre-tip that you can’t have done just by asking your Head Waiter. I think you should save that pre-tip and give it to someone who you think deserves it at the end of the cruise.

[jemingway]

If money gets the job done, and you're willing to pay, what's the problem? Unfortunately, I don't think pre-tipping works.:confused:

[negc]

Those that tip up front in the belief that it will guarantee excellent service run the risk that it will not and leaves them with little recourse at the end, since the maitre'd, headwaiter, wait staff or room steward, already have their money (and on Princess, their auto tip as well). They can never be truly certain that the exceptional service they receive is not the same caliber service they would have received anyway if they waited until the end of the cruise to provide a thank you and a gratuity. We never tip in advance and really can't imagine how the service and attention we generally receive could have been any better.

I do prefer RCI's tipping procedure where your tips are not automatically added to your account unless you authorize them to do so. Should you have them added to your account, they will provide vouchers and envelopes to hand to your servers on that last night. If you choose to tip more than the recommended amounts you simply add the cash to the envelopes. If you are less happy with one or more of your servers, you can opt not to have the tips added to your account by not filling out the authorization form. Then you are free to reward the staff according to what you perceived to be the quality of their service. No need to make a trip to the purser to explain why you want to adjust tips downward.

[OuiOnboard]

How about if I just give it to him afterwards for genuine service that didn't rely on a bribe? :)

You might miss a chance to give him as nice a tip because you won't be getting anything so special as, in idssms' case, the superlarge prawns from the specialty restaurant and other niceties...what is special in your case may be different. Whaddya say? :)

........Oui

[OuiOnboard]

The men in the suits are headwaiters.We normally know one or are remembered by one on each cruise.We then make it a point of going to their dining room.We normally are asked if we would like a special pasta each evening or what type of pasta we would like the next night.They also waive our corkage fees and advise the waiters to bring extra thick cuts of whatever we are having.We are treated like VIP's.I normally tip them $50 for a one week or $100 for a two week cruise.We have had one headwaiter three times and he is a genuine friend.He even comes from the Traditional dining room to the Anytime dining room when he hears we have arrived.Excellent service but the tip is never in advance.

Just for clarity...some people refer to the Head Waiter=Asst. Maitre'D=Sectional Head Waiter(larger dining room with more than one Head Waiter).

Do you think that you would be accorded those especially nice touches (special pasta offer, waiver of corkage fee, thicker cut offer) the very first night of dining if you knew no MD's and more importantly, they didn't know your tipping habits? Some people subscribe to the concept of priming the pump and as such, would pre-tip at the 1st meeting to "ensure prompt service" even on that cruise, and having established an "understanding", could thereafter return to just the generous tip. This way you get that excellent service right from the get go cruise?

May not be for everyone..but whaddya think?

.........Oui :)

[Quilting_Cruiser]

We have never pre-tipped and have always received excellent service, for which we're happy to tip generously at the end of the cruise.

 

Just a note, from one of the feature articles here on CC:

 

When to Tip

 

One strategy many Cruise Critic members recommend is to offer a partial tip to your steward and waiter at the beginning of the cruise (paying the remainder at the end). Here's a surprise: Not always is an "early" tip taken positively. Crew have confided their feelings of wonder (and a sense, sometimes, of being insulted) that when tipped early, they feel that you think they cannot do the job right without that money or that it is a "little" bribe. Their choice to show you how they genuinely work has been taken away.

 

Here's another hint. What makes a serious difference, to them, beyond receiving gratuities, is you. Your smile is going to travel more miles than your cash. Show kindness. Treating them with a ray of light, laughter and a good time will set the pattern of great service.

[bdjam]

I do prefer RCI's tipping procedure where your tips are not automatically added to your account unless you authorize them to do so. Should you have them added to your account, they will provide vouchers and envelopes to hand to your servers on that last night. If you choose to tip more than the recommended amounts you simply add the cash to the envelopes. If you are less happy with one or more of your servers, you can opt not to have the tips added to your account by not filling out the authorization form. Then you are free to reward the staff according to what you perceived to be the quality of their service. No need to make a trip to the purser to explain why you want to adjust tips downward.

It would be interesting to know how RCI distributes the tips among the crew members. And I think for those of us who feel the auto tip justified, the way Princess does it is more efficient – no need to have to deal with the vouchers.

 

A good point to remember is that either way, you are still free to reward the staff according to what you perceive to be the quality of service. The auto tip on Princess is not a guarantee and it can be removed from one's account.

[OuiOnboard]

.......I do prefer RCI's tipping procedure where your tips are not automatically added to your account unless you authorize them to do so. Should you have them added to your account, they will provide vouchers and envelopes to hand to your servers on that last night. If you choose to tip more than the recommended amounts you simply add the cash to the envelopes. If you are less happy with one or more of your servers, you can opt not to have the tips added to your account by not filling out the authorization form. Then you are free to reward the staff according to what you perceived to be the quality of their service. No need to make a trip to the purser to explain why you want to adjust tips downward.

Agreed...Princess' policy removes "the stick" by having compulsory pooling of tips up to the $ amount each would get if auto-tipping were left in place, if one removes the auto-tipping...thus there is no way to reduce the gratuity of a particular less than satisfactory performer. OTOH, the "pot can still be sweetened" (how's that for mixing metaphors) for the excellent performer(s). This restricts the control the tipper has in directing the rewards where desired compared to RCI policy.

..........Oui

[d5480]

Trust me, if you get to know your Maitre D and so give him $20 or $30 he will do nice things for you. Here s an example:

 

I ate at Sterling Steak House the 2nd night on our CB cruise in 9/05. They had the most huge shrimp there in the cocktails,, I mean 3 times the size of the normal coral dining room shrimp. At the Chart House, real big jumbo shrimp like that (4) would be $15 for a cocktail. Anyway, I mentioned to our Asst Maitre D that (i tipped him $40 the first night) that I loved those Sterling Steak House Huge Jumbo Shrimp the night after we ate at Sterling. From that night on,, each night I went to the Coral Dining Room for anytime dining, the Maitre D either went to the Sterling or had someone go down and get us 3 of those sterling huge shrimp cocktails. Thats in my mind $45 worth of shrimp at a good seafood restaurant.

 

Another neat thing:

 

When Princess served ice cream at dinner or lunch, it came with a great triangular cookie, a chocolate, light, flakey, thin thin cookie... I told the waiter,, plzz get me a few more of those great fresh triangular cookies...

 

The Maitre D gave me a 5 pound box, sealed of those cookies for me to take home and it lasted us over 4 months.

 

My point is my $40 tip really motivated the Maitre D to provide me outstanding service. I also of course tipped him at the end a very nice gratuity. When I go on the CB in the summer I guaranty the service level will be outstanding cause most of the Maitre D's will be there and will have remembered me.

 

I go on 4 cruises a year and I want the best experience I can get. With all the money spent for cabs, parking, plane fares, cruising,,, whats a few hundred extra dollars in tips. I guess,, dont be pennywise and pound foolish. Next time try it out and see what happens.

 

Don

Why don't you give a bartender $40.00 and maybe you will get free drinks in addition to free shrimp and cookies?

[MaryPoppinz]

You might miss a chance to give him as nice a tip because you won't be getting anything so special as, in idssms' case, the superlarge prawns from the specialty restaurant and other niceties...what is special in your case may be different. Whaddya say? :)

........Oui

 

I say: "Read my first post to this thread."

[Roses2]

"My point is my $40 tip really motivated the Maitre D to provide me outstanding service. I also of course tipped him at the end a very nice gratuity. When I go on the CB in the summer I guaranty the service level will be outstanding cause most of the Maitre D's will be there and will have remembered me."

 

In my view the above action is neither a tip nor a bribe it is gaucherie.

 

But then that is just my opinion--also one who does 4 cruises each year.

[OuiOnboard]

I say: "Read my first post to this thread."

Thanks...I appreciate that one must adhere to their values....happy sailing!

BTW...gonna love those BIG PRAWNS.

[MaryPoppinz]

One night on our last cruise, the headwaiter brought us some kind of huge shrimp (or were they prawns?) and avocado salad that was artfully arranged and really delicious. I wonder if it would have looked nicer and tasted better if I'd bribed somebody? ;)

 

Wait....what if you bribe him, and he *doesn't* bring you prawns???

[Ethel5]

One night on our last cruise, the headwaiter brought us some kind of huge shrimp (or were they prawns?) and avocado salad that was artfully arranged and really delicious. I wonder if it would have looked nicer and tasted better if I'd bribed somebody? ;)

 

Wait....what if you bribe him, and he *doesn't* bring you prawns???

 

LOL........:rolleyes:

[OuiOnboard]

Wait....what if you bribe him, and he *doesn't* bring you prawns???

Well then I'll feel good knowing that I've helped someone provide for their family :) ...for it's better to give than to receive............Oui:D

[mike1117]

I've only been on one cruise before so I don't claim to be an expert, but...

 

I was on RCI MOS and my wife really wanted to have a table for 2, as we were looking forward to a relaxing romantic cruise to celebrate our anniversary. We were assigned a table for 4 right by the entrance to the dining room. I politely discussed the situation with the Maitre D and he said he could see what he could do for the next night. Sure enough he created our very own table for 2 towards the back of the dining room with a great view of the lower dining rooms. (I know he added a table because we were the only table that wasn't just a number - ours had an "A" at the end - and the waiters had a hard time finding it.) Every night he came by and asked if we needed anything. I gave him a generous tip the last night of the cruise, but nothing up-front.:cool:

[BigWheel]

We've endured the smarmy MD and also enjoyed the other extreme. On Celebrity we had an Assitant Head Waiter who was a real people person. For lunch, she was up in the Lido buffet but would recognize her dining room passengers and greet them with a hug. Did she do if for tips or because of bribes? Neither. In fact, even though Celebrity was still doing envelopes, the one time she was hard to find was after our final dinner.

 

When are bribes appropriate? Save them for that smarmy MD. It's a perfect match.

[bdjam]

No, the auto gratuity they put on your seapass card is "Extortion" not a bribe, as they are requesting it from you, not you offering it to them.

I don’t think the act of extortion includes a request. Nobody is stealing anything – if one doesn’t want to be in the program a quick trip to the Purser’s Desk will facilitate being removed from it. Then tipping can be done the old fashioned way and it will go into the same pool.

Agreed...Princess' policy removes "the stick" by having compulsory pooling of tips up to the $ amount each would get if auto-tipping were left in place, if one removes the auto-tipping...thus there is no way to reduce the gratuity of a particular less than satisfactory performer.

This is not correct – you can remove the auto tip percentage for room steward or wait staff (waiter or assistant). The Purser’s Desk can determine the correct amount to remove.

I’m not sure why everyone thinks Princess has their hands tied when it comes to auto tipping. And then in the next breath they say how generous they are with cash. Either way, it’s the same thing for those who get the money.

I ate at Sterling Steak House the 2nd night on our CB cruise in 9/05. They had the most huge shrimp there in the cocktails,, I mean 3 times the size of the normal coral dining room shrimp. At the Chart House, real big jumbo shrimp like that (4) would be $15 for a cocktail. Anyway, I mentioned to our Asst Maitre D that (i tipped him $40 the first night) that I loved those Sterling Steak House Huge Jumbo Shrimp the night after we ate at Sterling. From that night on,, each night I went to the Coral Dining Room for anytime dining, the Maitre D either went to the Sterling or had someone go down and get us 3 of those sterling huge shrimp cocktails. Thats in my mind $45 worth of shrimp at a good seafood restaurant.

The thing is, you can get the same kind of service just by asking and without pre-tipping. I had special appetizers put together for my table two nights on Regal Princess and they were cheerfully served without the benefit of a pre-tip. I did tip at the end of the cruise and the Head Waiter I tipped was genuinely surprised that I did so - he wasn't expecting anything.

When are bribes appropriate? Save them for that smarmy MD. It's a perfect match.

How does one know the “smarmy” ones? I’ve never encountered the like on a Princess cruise.

[funduo]

MaryPopinz

 

What is the VIP menu? I have never heard of a special menu. Who normally gets them and what foods usually appear on them that do not appear on normal menus?

 

Thanks