Unofficial Dinnertime Switching - Hassle for the Staff?

[Leo Jay]

I had a two-top as a solo, so I invited a friend to dinner a couple of nights. The first night, my waiter was gracious, but the second time, his nose seemed to get a bit out of joint, and he said something like "if you're going to be moving to this dinner time, you should give me your Sign and Sail card so we can change the records". My friend and I were taken aback and explained that it wasn't a permanent thing, but asked why it would be a problem anyway and whether we talk to the maitre d'? At that point, he backed off and said "oh, never mind, no problem, no problem." After that he seemed to bend over backwards to be nice to us, but the whole thing just seemed weird -- why would an occasional switch make any difference?

[big_duck]

The waiter was worried about the gratuities I would think.

[Sandgnat]

The waiter was worried about the gratuities I would think.

I agree this is what I think too.

[Kurbanfan]

Could be since your friend is not assigned to the waiters table the waiter will be serving him but not receiving tips from him.....

[klfrodo]

I think it would have more to do with planning and preparation.

 

Let's think of it as you are throwing a dinner party. You have 8 guests coming over. It's been a hectic day. You are mentally and physically preparing for 8 guests. All of a sudden, 1 guest brings a friend. No problem, you can deal with that. Now let's say 5 guests bring a friend. Now, there is a problem. Not necessarily with the amount of food, or the number of seats, or anything else, just that your whole mental preparation as been thrown off kilter. Now imagine that you have an entire section of a dining room.

 

Bringing a guest is not a problem. I just think that it would be common courtesy to inform the waite staff prior to doing so. The same as you would do if you know before hand that you will not be dining the next evening.

[Leo Jay]

I think it would have more to do with planning and preparation.

 

Let's think of it as you are throwing a dinner party. You have 8 guests coming over. It's been a hectic day. You are mentally and physically preparing for 8 guests. All of a sudden, 1 guest brings a friend. No problem, you can deal with that. Now let's say 5 guests bring a friend. Now, there is a problem. Not necessarily with the amount of food, or the number of seats, or anything else, just that your whole mental preparation as been thrown off kilter. Now imagine that you have an entire section of a dining room.

 

Bringing a guest is not a problem. I just think that it would be common courtesy to inform the waite staff prior to doing so. The same as you would do if you know before hand that you will not be dining the next evening.

 

Yeah, I understand that idea for a dinner party, but the whole dynamic of the dining room is that it fluctuates quite a bit day to day just based on who decides to eat at the buffet any given night. I don't have the sense that most people plan in advance which nights they're going to be eating in the dining room vs. buffet. I actually think it would be more hassle for the maitre d' to get a bunch of calls from people saying they weren't coming to dinner that night. The last night, I skipped the DR and actually thought about calling the MD or stopping in during dinner to let my waiter know, but it just seemed like it would be more of an unnecessary nuisance for everyone than anything else.

 

As for tips, I thought the whole lot was pooled and divided among the entire waitstaff, is that not so? Are you guys saying they're paid out according to specific dining rooms and mealtimes?

 

I guess the whole thing seemed odd because he made such a big deal out of it at first, instead of just explaining what the issue was, if any.

[bplazo]

It is assigned seating. He is having to do more work.

[farler05]

As for tips, I thought the whole lot was pooled and divided among the entire waitstaff, is that not so? Are you guys saying they're paid out according to specific dining rooms and mealtimes?

 

I guess the whole thing seemed odd because he made such a big deal out of it at first, instead of just explaining what the issue was, if any.

 

The dining room tips are not pooled & divided. So assuming your friend left the auto tips on, his assigned server was getting tipped, while your server did the work.

[G'ma]

Good grief!!! Such responses!!

 

Here's the deal. Each waiter knows how many people are assigned to him at his tables. He gets this list from the Maitre'd D. His wait schedule is very tight and he plans very carefully making sure each person and each table is being served prompty, correctly. He has a routine to accomplish this.

 

If another person suddenly shows up, it throws of his routine and schedule - and, consequently, other wait staff around him. These folks all have other duties and chores in the dining room during dinner....not just serving.

 

There is nothing wrong with inviting someone to dine with you a coupla nights. However, it is courtesy to advise the Maitre'd who will then let the wait staff know ahead of time and the schedule/routine can be modified to take into account another person.

 

Your waiter was not being rude, he was trying to ask you to make arrangements with the Maitre' D. It has nothing to do with tips (they're pooled anyway).

 

It is discourteous to invite someone without letting the Maitre'd know and it is a problem to those trying to render the best service possible. That's why people who are not coming to dinner on a given night usually let the wait staff know the night before or let the head waiter know.

[mississauga]

Tips are pooled but maybe they get their share based on the # of people they have at their assigned tables. If one waiter serves let's say 10 people vs another waiter who serves 14 people, I would think that the one serving 14 would get more of the pooled tips. They must have a formula to decide who gets what. Or if they get the same, maybe they are all suppose to serve the same # of guests.

[bplazo]

I agree with the above poster, it would not seem fair if one waiter waited on 20 people and received the same amount of tips as a waiter who waited on 15.

[farler05]

Good grief!!! Such responses!!

 

Here's the deal. Each waiter knows how many people are assigned to him at his tables. He gets this list from the Maitre'd D. His wait schedule is very tight and he plans very carefully making sure each person and each table is being served prompty' date=' correctly. He has a routine to accomplish this.

 

If another person suddenly shows up, it throws of his routine and schedule - and, consequently, other wait staff around him. These folks all have other duties and chores in the dining room during dinner....not just serving.

 

There is nothing wrong with inviting someone to dine with you a coupla nights. However, it is courtesy to advise the Maitre'd who will then let the wait staff know ahead of time and the schedule/routine can be modified to take into account another person.

 

Your waiter was not being rude, he was trying to ask you to make arrangements with the Maitre' D. It has nothing to do with tips (they're pooled anyway).

 

It is discourteous to invite someone without letting the Maitre'd know and it is a problem to those trying to render the best service possible. That's why people who are not coming to dinner on a given night usually let the wait staff know the night before or let the head waiter know.[/quote']

 

Obviously, you've never been a server. As a former server, I can tell you one additional person is not going to screw you up. Getting one more person's food will not mess up your routine, because you're getting it all at once anyway. One more salad, one more soup, one more main course...not a problem. People showing up late, now that will knock you off kilter because everyone isn't in the same place in their meal. Everyone is on the main course but the late folks who are still on salads. That's mucking up a routine.

 

I believe you're also wrong about the tips. It is my understanding that the dining room tips are NOT pooled. Your serving team keeps the tips. The tips for the buffet staff are pooled.

[fig414]

One poster said the tips are pooled. Another poster said tips are not pooled. Another poster said the waiters know how many are sitting at a specific table because they have a list from the Maitre'D. I KNOW that's not true because last year we were in a booth for 4 and our waiter had NO idea why no one joined us the first 2 nights. He finally found out on night 3 we never had another couple to begin with. Seems like this topic has a lot of guesswork and opinions going on. This may be one of those threads where the truth may never be known. I do like reading these though..........

[cathyoo]

I KNOW that's not true because last year we were in a booth for 4 and our waiter had NO idea why no one joined us the first 2 nights. ..........

 

Well evidently it was true for Leo Jay's waiter. It appeared he knew there was to be only one person at that table. On one of our cruises we were a party of 6 and were seated at a table for 8. The first night it was only us 6. Our waiter did tell us that 8 people were assigned to be at that table. Sure enough the next night the other couple showed up. They had just been too tired to join us the night before.

[Luv4dacruise]

Good grief!!! Such responses!!

 

Here's the deal. Each waiter knows how many people are assigned to him at his tables. He gets this list from the Maitre'd D. His wait schedule is very tight and he plans very carefully making sure each person and each table is being served prompty' date=' correctly. He has a routine to accomplish this.

 

If another person suddenly shows up, it throws of his routine and schedule - and, consequently, other wait staff around him. These folks all have other duties and chores in the dining room during dinner....not just serving.

 

There is nothing wrong with inviting someone to dine with you a coupla nights. However, it is courtesy to advise the Maitre'd who will then let the wait staff know ahead of time and the schedule/routine can be modified to take into account another person.

 

Your waiter was not being rude, he was trying to ask you to make arrangements with the Maitre' D. It has nothing to do with tips (they're pooled anyway).

 

It is discourteous to invite someone without letting the Maitre'd know and it is a problem to those trying to render the best service possible. That's why people who are not coming to dinner on a given night usually let the wait staff know the night before or let the head waiter know.[/quote']

 

I definitely do not agree with this. Having been a server a few years past, 1 person, is not going ot make a difference what-so-ever. If it does, well, you better find a new job, cause ya just ain't cuttin it.

 

Now lets say this particular server was to be given a couple more 4 tops at the same time, thats 8 people total. That is about borderline where you may start to lose it. 1 person is not going to cause even a hiccup in your service though.

[jetskier]

Tips are not pooled for the wait staff or room stewards. Remember they can check the list to see if you pulled their tips at the end of the cruise. They are also asked to turn in the tip if you tipped directly to them. This only occurs if you pull your tips. If the tips are in place, they get to keep anything you tip them directly.

 

Dave

[dlbutler5]

We always inform the wait staff as to our intentions if we are not going to dine in the dining room. I do this the night before or make a special trip down before dinner to let them know. I know many others do this also, it is common curtesy to me.

[DanBoy]

If someone DEFINITELY knows they won't be showing up for dinner, then yes, it would be the right thing to do to inform the waiter the evening before....I have always done that...But let's be realistic...Many times those decisions are made on the spur of the moment...Back late from a tour, or just a very late decision...

[Leo Jay]

Thanks for the responses, we certainly weren't meaning to be rude or discourteous, we just assumed it wouldn't be an issue because people always change dinner plans spontaneously on a cruise, so we expected them to expect fluctuating numbers. For my one friend who showed up last minute, I'm sure at least ONE other of my waiter's guests decided to eat at the buffet that night. It's not as though we needed them to scramble and add extra place settings and/or chairs to a table.

 

Anyway, it's interesting to know the tips are not pooled, although if he was overworked and undertipped by serving my guest, wouldn't he have been overtipped by all his guests who chose to eat at the buffet on any given night? Just seems to all come out in the wash. Anyway, just wish he hadn't behaved weirdly about it, he could have handled it better. Though he did seem to realize that and be apologetic afterwards.

:)

[serene56]

Tips that are left on the sign and sail card are given directly to YOUR service people.

Taking the tip off the card and handing cash is then pooled among ALL the wait staff.

 

There are many waiters that service many tables and a few that only get 2-3 tables. Same with room stewards-- some do many some do a few. Seems silly that a person waiting 2 tables will get the same tip as someone who does 4-5 tables.

 

The buffet staff share is ALL the times==inlcuding the dining room waiters/asst who work there. (i think this is where confusion is happening.

[Tapi]

Are there any Carnival waiters or Maitre'Ds out there reading this thread that can shed some accurate information???

 

I haven't seen such conflicting information on a Cruise Critic thread in a long time...! :confused: