Tipping for Dining Service

[WhenIsOurNextCruise]

This is our first Freestyle cruise. Since we will be dining all over the ship, is it safe to assume tipping for dining service gets charged to our onboard account in a preset amount and the ship distributes the tips to the entire staff? If yes, do most people tip an additional amount for the upcharge restaurants?

 

Thanks!

[terrymtex01]

Wait staff do benefit from the Daily Service Charge so if you do not tip any additional amount you are ok. We usually always leave something extra in the main free dining venues when we get good service (which we always have) and in the surcharge restaurants we add 20% to our bill because the service is always exceptional, to us at least. There are times where we have been given "comped" meals in the surcharge restaurants by the Hotel Director or the Casino, etc and when that happens, we leave an additional cash tip equal to 20% of what we would have been charged.

 

It is totally up to you. Don't feel bad if you don't leave additional, but if you are inclined to do so, it will be very appreciated by the wait staff that work so hard for you.

[WhenIsOurNextCruise]

Wait staff do benefit from the Daily Service Charge so if you do not tip any additional amount you are ok. We usually always leave something extra in the main free dining venues when we get good service (which we always have) and in the surcharge restaurants we add 20% to our bill because the service is always exceptional, to us at least. There are times where we have been given "comped" meals in the surcharge restaurants by the Hotel Director or the Casino, etc and when that happens, we leave an additional cash tip equal to 20% of what we would have been charged.

 

It is totally up to you. Don't feel bad if you don't leave additional, but if you are inclined to do so, it will be very appreciated by the wait staff that work so hard for you.

 

This Daily Service Charge is a new for us. Does it just cover waiters and food service or your room steward too? And do you know what the daily per person charge is? I can probably search for the answer or find it at NCL - but I love hearing from someone with experience.

 

Thanks!

[rsinj]

This Daily Service Charge is a new for us. Does it just cover waiters and food service or your room steward too? And do you know what the daily per person charge is? I can probably search for the answer or find it at NCL - but I love hearing from someone with experience.

 

Thanks!

 

It covers everyone and your are not expected/required to tip anyone.

 

If you are in a suite and the butler/concierge do additional things for you, tip what you feel was justified by the services provided.

 

Current amount is $10/day for adults, lesser amount for kids, going to $12 for everyone in January.

 

Howard

[pcreek]

This Daily Service Charge is a new for us. Does it just cover waiters and food service or your room steward too? And do you know what the daily per person charge is? I can probably search for the answer or find it at NCL - but I love hearing from someone with experience.

 

Thanks!

 

Depends on when you're cruising....in 2008 the daily service charge is $10.00 pp/per day. In Jan 2009 it goes up to $12.00 pp / per day. <--for the first 2 people in your cabin...think it's a little less for 3rd & 4th person.

 

You are made to fee NOT obligated to tip anywhere else at all - it's totally not mandatory - however, the staff do enjoy it.

When you get a drink anywhere - lounge/bar/java cafe - a 15% gratuity is automatically added.

[Cosmopolitan]

Wait staff do benefit from the Daily Service Charge so if you do not tip any additional amount you are ok. We usually always leave something extra in the main free dining venues when we get good service (which we always have) and in the surcharge restaurants we add 20% to our bill because the service is always exceptional, to us at least. There are times where we have been given "comped" meals in the surcharge restaurants by the Hotel Director or the Casino, etc and when that happens, we leave an additional cash tip equal to 20% of what we would have been charged.

 

It is totally up to you. Don't feel bad if you don't leave additional, but if you are inclined to do so, it will be very appreciated by the wait staff that work so hard for you.

 

We do the same. We also tip the room stewards and, of course, butler and concierge.

[newmexicoNita]

This Daily Service Charge is a new for us. Does it just cover waiters and food service or your room steward too? And do you know what the daily per person charge is? I can probably search for the answer or find it at NCL - but I love hearing from someone with experience.

 

Thanks!

It covers everything. You are not expected to tip anyone else, but you can if you want. The exception would be the Kids kamp, that deserves a special tip as does your conciergre and/or butler, if you use any of them. We normally do tip our cabin steward a little extra and maybe a favorite bar tender of cocktail server.

 

Nita

[newmexicoNita]

We do the same. We also tip the room stewards and, of course, butler and concierge.

 

forgot about the sur charge dining rooms

 

Nita

[garycarla]

Drink gratuity is automatically added to your bill at 18%.

 

More info on cruising with NCL here.

[grey625]

Do you leave the tip in cash or do you add it to your onboard account? The first CTN we went on we ate in one of the specialty restaurants and just added a tip to the check. The second CTN we ate in one of the main restaurants, and since we didn't order any wine or drinks, never saw a check.

 

So I guess my question is how would you leave the tip if there was no "check" involved?

[Philob]

So I guess my question is how would you leave the tip if there was no "check" involved?

 

I leave cash on table or palm it in the servers hand if service was really good, when we leave, what they do with it I don't care. I never take the auto charge off as it takes care of the staff we don't see. Just because one moron waiter messed up your meal or whatever, you don't punish the others who didn't.

[family cruisers]

We tipped extra in the specialty restaurants. They worked hard for it and we felt they deserved it.