Tipping Question

[randrea]

If you only eat in the dining room one or two nights and the rest in the windjammer, how do you tip?

Do you just tip the dining room waiters per night?

What about the wait staff in the windjammer? Any tipping for them?

 

Our last cruise we ate in the dining room every night, but this time with our kids I think we'll be using the windjammer most nights.

 

Thanks for the help,

Andrea

[Cuizer2]

If you only eat in the dining room one or two nights and the rest in the windjammer, how do you tip?

Do you just tip the dining room waiters per night?

What about the wait staff in the windjammer? Any tipping for them?

 

Our last cruise we ate in the dining room every night, but this time with our kids I think we'll be using the windjammer most nights.

 

Thanks for the help,

Andrea

 

You tip at the end of the cruise, not at each meal.

[the_admiral]

Keep in mind that whether or not you eat in the dining room, the "tips" you pay at the end of the cruise are in all reality the staff's salary. If you choose to eat in the Windjammer every night, you should still tip your waiter as if you ate in the dining room every night.

[Langley Cruisers]

The wait staff depend on our tips to make up their salary. From what I've read on these boards, those who serve in the Windjammer are paid regardless, and have actually already made their tips from those collected when they wait in the dining room. The WJ staff are the dining room staff; I've seen head waiters in the WJ during the day.

 

I fully understand your desire to eat in the WJ with the kids - we'd probably do that too if ours were little. But, the dining room is fun and there are many families in there. No passenger is too young for the dining room... we saw a 6 month old "work the room" every night in the arms of his Grandma so his mom could eat her dinner. It was cute. :)

 

Honestly, I would still tip the same amount for the week. The staff are there to serve you whether you show up or not; they depend on your tips to most likely support their family back home. My opinion - I don't know how others feel but we tipped the full amount suggested, even though we did not dine every night in the DR.

 

Have a great cruise!

[shensadie]

What is customary for tips for waiters?

[Havana Daydreamin]

I think it is expedient to tip the customary amount to your waiters REGARDLESS of whether you ate in the dining room or not. These same waiters also rotate through windjammer (with NO tips) and also room service (with tips at passengers discretion)

 

Another way to look at it is, they were ready to serve you in the dining room. They have made a commitment to be at your disposal and try to please you with excellent service. It is not their fault, nor anyone's for that matter, if the passenger chooses to dine elsewhere than in the dining room.

 

It is just a nice touch. PLUS....if you are not going to be dining in the dining room on a regular basis, It would be very polite to inform the Matre De (sp?) so you don't hold up service to those assigned to the same table as you would be.

 

Happy Cruising.

[PhoenixCruiser]

What is customary for tips for waiters?

 

Here's a great tool that was created by TPKeller:

 

http://cruisetip.tpkeller.com/

 

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[randrea]

Okay, I got it now.

I didn't realize that it was the same waiters in the windjammer as in the dining room. I wasn't trying to get out of tipping them, I just wanted to make sure I tipped the right people.

 

I love eating in the dining room and it's not because my kids are little (they are 10 & 13). It's just that we have second seating and I have a feeling it will interfere with some of the kids programs so we'll have to eat earlier.

 

Thanks for the info,

Andrea

[Merion_Mom]

If you would like to try to switch to first/main seating, just go see the Maitre D' in the dining room as soon as you board.

[SLH]

Okay, I got it now.

I didn't realize that it was the same waiters in the windjammer as in the dining room. I wasn't trying to get out of tipping them, I just wanted to make sure I tipped the right people.

 

I love eating in the dining room and it's not because my kids are little (they are 10 & 13). It's just that we have second seating and I have a feeling it will interfere with some of the kids programs so we'll have to eat earlier.

 

Thanks for the info,

Andrea

Why not take the kids to eat earlier, send them off to their activities and then you go to the dining room and have a relaxing dinner?

[Havana Daydreamin]

Andrea,

 

I agree with another poster...give a shot to getting your dining time changed as soon as you are on board ship. It is worth a try!

 

Happy Cruising!

[kittyg]

It's not like the waiters can pick up extra guests if you don't show up. They have your table for the week and if someone doesn't come and tip, they are totally out of salary for the week. A family of 4 could be a good portion of their weekly income.

 

We had late seating and many times took the 8yo for pizza or to WJ around 6, dropped her off at Adventure Ocean when they opened back up at 7 for activities, and then had an hour to get ready for our dinner at 8:30. We finished dinner just in time to pick her up when AO closed at 10, or sign her up for the late shift ($5/hr) if we wanted to see a late show or go to the casino.

 

She also ate with us half the time in the dining room and had a wonderful time with the waiters entertaining her with all their toothpick tricks.

[stbmom]

If you only eat in the dining room one or two nights and the rest in the windjammer, how do you tip?

Do you just tip the dining room waiters per night?

What about the wait staff in the windjammer? Any tipping for them?

 

Our last cruise we ate in the dining room every night, but this time with our kids I think we'll be using the windjammer most nights.

 

Thanks for the help,

Andrea

 

I think the best way to do this would be to tip in the dining room as opposed to trying to split your tip between the windjammer and the dining room. You can call RCCL to see what they prefer though. We will probably be using the windjammer and room service on most nights also since we are traveling with a little one.

But, I think windjammer doesn't expect tips (although room service you do give a "little" something for delivery).

[cruisePRN]

I put the suggested tips on my seapass account regardless of which restaurant I choose to eat at. If you know in advance you won't be eating dinner in the dining room and can inform your table mates or waiter it's nice because they won't wait for you to order and things can go a little smoother for your tablemates.

[amu]

Can someone just give me a simple answer...

Can I just give the tips out at the end of the week in cash to the proper person?

On Carnival we had to have them automatically added into our account.

Thanks.

[superjerryw]

Can someone just give me a simple answer...

Can I just give the tips out at the end of the week in cash to the proper person?

 

Yes, you do not have to charge the tips to your onboard account. You can give the tips in cash if you wish.

[amu]

thank you!

[superjerryw]

You need to understand one basic thing about tipping the dining room staff. The tip that you give them is not just for their service at dinner time. It is for the service they provide in all dining venues at all meals throughout the cruise. Your waiter and assistant waiter may also be serving breakfast and lunch in the dining room. Since not everyone eats breakfast and lunch in the dining room the waiters and assistant waiters not being utilized there can be found assisting in the Windjammer. They may be helping you to carry your tray to your table, giving out plates, walking around pouring coffee, etc. We always meet our waiter and assistant waiter at some point during breakfast or lunch in the Windjammer where they are performing these adjunct duties. That tip you give them at the end of the cruise is for the service they performed at every meal at every dining spot on the ship. Therefore, even if you don't eat in the dining room each night you should tip the recommeded amount as if you did.

 

The servers in the Windjammer at night are actually assistant waiters, not waiters. They are rotated through the Windjammer every few weeks. I was asked a Maitre'd how these assistant waiters were compensated since they would get no tips in the Windjamme. He said the cruise line compensated them in some manner. I just don't believe him because I overheard one assistant waiter ask another at dinner time in the Windjammer how he was enjoying his week of working for free.

[sandees]

Interesting that you ask this- we just got off the 9 day explorer trip. On the 4th day we went to Portifino- well the day after we ate at the windjammer- the next afternoon I had a plate of fruit in my room with a note of apoligy if anything in the dining room had offended us(???????)...we ate in Portofino once more but understood thatour waiter was really counting onhis tip- so we tipped him about 95% of what we should have for the entire 9 days.My thought is thaton lines like Princess that they take the money from your card and split it up among everyone it is less of an issue than the structured dining room. Our waiter told my husband he sends all his money to take care of his Dad in India so I am pretty sure he counts onit. Good luck-