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Tipping in the Specialty Restaurants

Preds

By Preds,
in Norwegian Cruise Line

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Preds

Preds

Posted
Posted

Is there a general rule of thumb for tipping in the specialty restaurants? We sailed the Spirit last August and I felt weird trying to figure out tips at the specialty restaurants. I just had no idea what to base it them off of.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the daily service charges to your room do not include tips for the specialty restaurant waitstaff? Right?

 

What's the norm to base your tip off of? The drink bill if any? The restaurant surcharge? Can anyone tell me what they base their tips off of in the specialty restaurants?

 

TIA!

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Toyz711

Toyz711

Posted
Posted

at the speciality restaurants we tip according to what we would tip at a normal land-based restaurants. we had a party of 7 and tipped about $50 for excellent service, didn't have a big bar bill but they did go extra to get another sugar free dessert and another app for FIL. yes, normal tipping at the speciality restaurant is done. tip what you would for a $20 per person food bill. we were there for the 1/2 price session and enjoyed the meal and service. we don't stop to figure it out, if you feel the service was worth $20, leave that..or more or less. they appreciate whatever you leave.

on the star, no tip added to the surcharge restaurants.

for drinks..when you sign the slip the 15% is added to that bill.

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shoreguy

shoreguy

Posted
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I was always told that the surcharge was for the Tip or service charge and no more was required.

 

Used to be the case in the pre-freestyle days. Today they are in the same tip pool as all the wait staff. No requirement to tip extra. That said I have never eaten in one of the speciality reatuarants and not tipped extra. The service normally merits it. How much ? Your call. I normally leave $10 to $20 for two of us.

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Cuizer2

Cuizer2

Posted
Posted
Is there a general rule of thumb for tipping in the specialty restaurants? We sailed the Spirit last August and I felt weird trying to figure out tips at the specialty restaurants. I just had no idea what to base it them off of.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the daily service charges to your room do not include tips for the specialty restaurant waitstaff? Right?

 

What's the norm to base your tip off of? The drink bill if any? The restaurant surcharge? Can anyone tell me what they base their tips off of in the specialty restaurants?

 

TIA!

 

The daily service charge includes the room and wait staff. The extra charge in the restaurants that have an extra charge includes a tip. However, if you want to add little more you can. You can either add it to the check when you sign for it, or you can leave a little extra cash with the check when you sign for it.

 

I don't like to carry around extra money, so I just add a little to the check if the service warrants an extra tip.

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electricron

electricron

Posted
Posted
The daily service charge includes the room and wait staff. The extra charge in the restaurants that have an extra charge includes a tip. However, if you want to add little more you can. You can either add it to the check when you sign for it, or you can leave a little extra cash with the check when you sign for it.

 

I don't like to carry around extra money, so I just add a little to the check if the service warrants an extra tip.

 

Didn't you read Shoreguy's reply? The surcharge at the Speciality restaurants do NOT include a tip. Your $10 per day per adult passenger includes the tip.

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Dolphins

Dolphins

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The wait staff in the specialty restaurants are included in the mandatory tipping pool. I challenge those who say they are not included because I have seen the wait staff in Cagney's working in other restaurants for breakfast and lunch. I try to treat them as I would others in the mandatory tipping pool (wait staff and room stewards)- an additional tip for exceptional service.

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dolfandude

dolfandude

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OK, this has struck a nerve.......Why is tipping ANYWHERE for ANYTHING required? Shouldn't employees be compensated by their employers at a full wage? My customers certainly do not tip me. And before anyone comes unglued let me say this....I was a waiter in college and made alot of $$$ from it. To this day I tend to overtip when the service warrants it and at least 15% even when the service stinks! BUT.......and a BIG BUT.....NCL charges me $10/day ($40 for my family). That's $280 for the week. That equates to $1875 worth of services/food that we're suppose to get during the week (at a 15% tip rate). And then I'm suppose to tip more??????:confused: :confused: :confused:

I don't think so. And believe me, I'm a very generous person. Yes, I did give my room steward an extra $100 last month. And yes, I tipped the masseuse extra. But no, I didn't tip ANY of the wait staff extra. Sometimes I just think enough is enough. BTW...I'm putting on my flame resistant costume as I write.....bring it on!!!!;)

 

Steve

 

Steve

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Cuizer2

Cuizer2

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OK, this has struck a nerve.......Why is tipping ANYWHERE for ANYTHING required? Shouldn't employees be compensated by their employers at a full wage?

 

Steve

 

I agree. However, this custom of tiping for good service has become expected for any service. Some people believe that tips help improve the service. It depens on the person providing the service. Those that provide good service would provide it if they were paid more and did not receive a tip. Those that just want the tip (like the people I encountered in New York back in the late 70's) just want the tip. Even though they were expecting a tip the service was average to none (and my tips ran from average to none). Why does NCL Hawaii have service related problems that the rest of NCL does not have? It is the same company. However, because Americans are not as service oriented (NCL Hawaii) service on the three Pride of ____ has not been as good as service on the NCL ships staffed by more service oriented crew members (who usually come from other countries).

 

I would rather see people paid a fair wage and the customers not have to tip to get good service. But that is not how it is in real life, so I have to tip to be fair to the person who is serving me, who is receiving less than (s)he should because his/her employer expects him/her to get a tip. That being the case, I tip based on the level of service I receive. My tips on land have varied from zero to 33% On board the ships I usually receive average or better service, so my tips on the ship range from 15 to 30%.

 

Still, a percentage system is not fair either. Take two people sitting at the same table in a land based restaurant with separate checks. One orders a $30 steak while the other orders a $10 hamberger. Both drink water. Both tip 20%. Did the one who ordered steak and tipped $6 receive three times the service vs. the one who ordered the hamberger and tipped $2???

 

Tips should be based on the level of the service only. Not on the cost of the meal. Do you tip the porter more for the bag with all your good stuff in it, and less for the bag with the dirty laundry in it, because one bag is worth more than the other? Or do you tip the same for each bag, based on how helpful the porter was?

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watchdiva

watchdiva

Posted
Posted

We always leave an extra $10-20 for the two of us. We figure no matter WHO GETS WHAT from the tip pool, we appreciate the server and his/her efforts in the specialty restaurants and we thank them with a few $$.

 

Tipping is highly subjective - it's up to each individual to make their decisions as to should/should not tip.

 

We tip almost everyone that takes care of us - from the waiter at the pool who brings us a drink, the masseuse who works on me, etc., etc.

 

It's OUR choice to do so..........

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above sea level cruiser

above sea level cruiser

Posted
Posted
Used to be the case in the pre-freestyle days. Today they are in the same tip pool as all the wait staff. No requirement to tip extra. That said I have never eaten in one of the speciality reatuarants and not tipped extra. The service normally merits it. How much ? Your call. I normally leave $10 to $20 for two of us.

 

How do you leave this tip? We are on the Dawn in a couple of weeks and have no problem tipping extra. It just doesn't seem right to leave a twenty under a glass. Is it OK to hand it to the server in public? Or should it be more discreet? - Not trying to be funny in any way - I just don't want anyone to feel out of place.

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shoreguy

shoreguy

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How do you leave this tip? We are on the Dawn in a couple of weeks and have no problem tipping extra. It just doesn't seem right to leave a twenty under a glass. Is it OK to hand it to the server in public? Or should it be more discreet? - Not trying to be funny in any way - I just don't want anyone to feel out of place.

 

Easy - you get your check in a folder for the surcharge and drinks. Sign the check add a little cash and you are done. :)

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Dolphins

Dolphins

Posted
Posted
How do you leave this tip? We are on the Dawn in a couple of weeks and have no problem tipping extra. It just doesn't seem right to leave a twenty under a glass. Is it OK to hand it to the server in public? Or should it be more discreet? - Not trying to be funny in any way - I just don't want anyone to feel out of place.

 

When we dined in Cagney's, and signed for our shipboard account, there was a place to add an additional gratuity above your signature.

 

Finally, I would never flame Steve as I think his point was well taken.

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212cruiser

212cruiser

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Posted

We didn't use any hard or fast rule; on the Spirit we were so disappointed with both the food and service in Le Bistro we didn't tip anyting yet in Teppanyaki (Shogun?) we felt the food and service was very good and we left $10.00. Cagney's only $5.00; extremely unpleased by receiving a clearly very over-cooked steak (well done instead of med/rare), the miniscule vegetable portions, and the wine service was barely decent despite a special bottle of Cakebread.

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