Do you have to tip the dining room?

[Coco Loco]

If you don't eat in the dining room at all, are you still expected to tip? I just read somewhere on the FAQ's that you are still expected to tip the waiters and staff even if you choose not to eat in the dining room during your trip. Is that true?

[GeoHack]

New to the Carnival Boards, but on the RCCL boards common courtesy is to let the dining room know when you get on the ship that you don't intend to dine in the dining room. They can then make arrangements for your waiter to have/assist with another table instead of expecting you every night.

 

However, remember that unless your ordering room service all week, those people working breakfast - lunch - and dinner are the same people working the dining room also. So a tip somewhere is appropiate.

[BrendaB1]

Also working the Buffet area during the day. Their tips are only a small part of the $10 per day per person.

[Wennfred]

Yes, its recommended that you tip if you eat on lido deck, the same wait staff that work Lido are the same that work in the dining room. Someone has to clean up after you in the buffet area.

[cruisinbuddy]

Why would you want to eat the leftovers on the buffet when there's a stellar menu in the diningroom. We met someone on our last cruise who felt the buffet was a better deal, for leftovers?? Antway the $10.00 goes into a pool for all food servers. Any cash that you give you diningroom waiters is theirs.

[mrdood]

You can just reduce the dining staff team and add to the bistro staff, that would be minimally appropriate.

[Don Haynes]

Why? The auto-tip provides for both, as they are the same. Think of the ship as being one restaurant, not several different restaurants. Its the same with the drink waiters and bartenders too. While they may be stationed throughout the ship, there is only one restaurant and bartending crew.

[Coco Loco]

Thanks for the info. Makes better sense now. I figure I am not on vacation to have a schedule and I never eat at the time of their scheduled dinners so I prefer to have the option of other places to eat and heard the lines getting into the one dining room can be very long. Plus my young kids would be too cranky waiting till 6 to eat. Too each his own on where and when you eat.

[kujobie]

Why? The auto-tip provides for both, as they are the same. Think of the ship as being one restaurant, not several different restaurants. Its the same with the drink waiters and bartenders too. While they may be stationed throughout the ship, there is only one restaurant and bartending crew.

 

If it's one in the same, why do they break it down as x amount for bufet staff and y amount for dining staff.

[kujobie]

Why would you want to eat the leftovers on the buffet when there's a stellar menu in the diningroom. We met someone on our last cruise who felt the buffet was a better deal, for leftovers?? Antway the $10.00 goes into a pool for all food servers. Any cash that you give you diningroom waiters is theirs.

 

I've had meals in the buffet that were better than meals in the dining room. On our Imagination cruise last month, we had Prime Rib and fried Tiger Prawns on the same night in the buffet and both were superb. I'm not sure what you consider leftovers, but pretty much everything you eat on a cruise ship starts out frozen. They don't actually reheat food from the dining room and serve it in the buffet the next night. For anyone who's new to cruising and doesn't know any better, this is misinformation.

[Wennfred]

and heard the lines getting into the one dining room can be very long.

 

Everyone has an assigned dining room table. I think the longest I waited walking in the dining room was 1 minute. The line moves fast.

 

 

Fred

[Alvinsr]

That's why I pre-pay my tips, so I don't have to worry about it.

I do tip the room stewart extra. One less worry.:D

[colette5479]

Thanks for the info. Makes better sense now. I figure I am not on vacation to have a schedule and I never eat at the time of their scheduled dinners so I prefer to have the option of other places to eat and heard the lines getting into the one dining room can be very long. Plus my young kids would be too cranky waiting till 6 to eat. Too each his own on where and when you eat.

 

Unlike what a previous poster stated, the buffet food is not leftovers. Like you, I have cruised with children and sometimes it's just easier to grab a quick bite at the buffet instead of going through a 2 hour dinner. I love the DR but sometimes I like the convience of a faster meal. Since I'm not a foodie and don't live to eat, I find the food not to be bad at all.