Why tip specialty servers & not main servers

[*Wink*]

It should go to the wait person you have that night.

Maybe it's different from ship to ship, as I've only cruised on Majesty. There was a wine steward, who took the order and served the wine (I think), there was a roll person who served us rolls, the main waiter who takes the food/dessert orders, and then the minions who actually bring out the food and, I thought, served it. Maybe the main waiter does do the serving.. I can't remember. We usually sat by a wait station since that's where the 2-tops were located, so I would watch the staff a lot.

In a land based restaurant, the main wait staff receive the cash tip, but at the end of the night, tip-out the bartender, food runners, and the bus boys.

 

It's not that it really matters to me, I'm just wondering how it works on NCL.

[iheartbda]

A question for those who haven't had their cards swiped: are you sure your spouse/dining partner didn't hand over his sea card? They only need one card per party. It's done so quickly that it could easily be missed.

 

Positive.:)

[DonfromNC]

I don't recall them ever asking for my card in the main restaurant except when I order a drink. They sometimes ask your room number if there is a wait so they can call you by number when a table opens up, but I don't believe they keep a record to match the table to a passenger.

 

I have assumed that the reported practice of pooling the tips from those who removed it from their onboard account applied only to the room staff.

[Studebaker59]

I think another reason for swiping the card would be if a person is celebrating a birthday or anniversary, the maitre d' knows which restaurant they're in, and at which table they're seated.

[kamfan]

I've only had it done in the main dining rooms, never in a specialty restaurant.

 

On the Wind in 2006 only time card was swiped was for wine, or for the specialty charges. Absolutely not for the main dining rooms.

 

Same for the Pearl just a month ago. And never before hand, only at the end of the meal in the specialty restaurants.

[HannaBelle]

If you are tipping in one of the main dinning rooms, how much are you tipping? Per person? Per table?

We are a family of 4 (booked in AE on PoA) and I fully anticipate eating breakfast in our room each morning. The kiddos can watch cartoons and I can eat on the balcony! Lol

Some nights I am sure we will eat in our room as well. We are not messy/high maintenance people (hehe…at least in my opinion!), but we are not the type to want to be in throngs of people or standing around waiting for a table.

We typically tip a minimum of 15% in restaurants/hair cuts/nail salons/car wash places/valets and usually 20% if service is good.

 

This is our first cruise and I don’t want to be cheap, but I don’t want to throw money around willy-nilly either. What is a reasonable tip for the main dining room, specialty restaurants, for the butler and for the concierge?

[HannaBelle]

No opinions? :D

[Jamrenjer]

Hi Hannabelle,

We hope you have a wonderful cruise! We usually just cruise by ourselves-- wife and I.... if that is the case and the service was excellent- we will leave an extra $5 in the main dining rooms- maybe a little more in the specialty restaurants.... we ususally just get coffee in the mornings from room service.... and will give a couple of bucks....

not sure if that is much help!:)

[*Wink*]

HannaBelle ~ Tipping extra in any dining venue is not mandatory. You are paying a tip everyday in a service charge.

 

If you feel you received extra special service and you WANT to give a little token of appreciation, then a cash tip is always welcomed.

 

There are some staff who are not part of the tipping pool, like kids club crew, butlers, concierge, so a tip is expected. What size of tip? You'll get better opinions on that from others, as I've not used their services.

 

We also tip $1-2 for room service, but that staff IS included already in the tipping pool.

So are Room Stewards, but they are often tipped when you felt they served you well. I've read some people tip a little in the beginning when making special requests.

 

When you arrive to the dock, luggage handlers expect to be tipped. At least they do in Charleston.

 

I'm sure I've forgotten a few things others will help with, but I do hope you have a wonderful first cruise.

[katiel53]

When we were on Pearl to Alaska the end of May, we had 5 family members traveling together. Each time we entered the dining room for breakfast or lunch, one card was swiped. We didn't eat dinner in the dining room except for lobster night, and I can't remember if they did swipe or not.

 

We do tip extra in the specialty restaurants if the service warrants the tip. For example, our last night of the cruise, we had wonderful service in Cagney's and tipped $10 per person extra. In Le Bistro, our service wasn't good at all, so we didn't tip anything more. Some of the other specialty restaurants warranted an extra tip and others didn't.

 

We also had a great bar tender in the martini bar. We usually tipped her extra. I am not a mango lover, but sure did get to love mangopolitans, lol.

 

We didn't order anything from room service, but our normal policy is $1-$2 for coffee and pastries. If we ordered more, we would probably tip more.

 

As AWinkler mentioned, tipping the port people is a good idea. I hate to think of what would happen to my luggage if I didn't. I have read in other posts that in Miami, the porters get almost aggressive if not tipped. They make it known that they expect something. We tip them even if there are signs stating it's not necessary. (Pt Canaveral comes to mind.)

 

I guess tipping is a personal thing, and if you feel someone deserves a tip, then feel free to do it. I know if someone works hard(er) for me, I give them a little extra. Enjoy.

[terrymtex01]

If you are tipping in one of the main dinning rooms, how much are you tipping? Per person? Per table?

 

We are a family of 4 (booked in AE on PoA) and I fully anticipate eating breakfast in our room each morning. The kiddos can watch cartoons and I can eat on the balcony! Lol

 

Some nights I am sure we will eat in our room as well. We are not messy/high maintenance people (hehe…at least in my opinion!), but we are not the type to want to be in throngs of people or standing around waiting for a table.

 

We typically tip a minimum of 15% in restaurants/hair cuts/nail salons/car wash places/valets and usually 20% if service is good.

 

This is our first cruise and I don’t want to be cheap, but I don’t want to throw money around willy-nilly either. What is a reasonable tip for the main dining room, specialty restaurants, for the butler and for the concierge?

 

For room service you really should tip at least $1 per person as they are not in the tipping pool, or so I have been led to believe. As others have said, in the main dining rooms IF we leave a tip it is usually $1 or $2 for each of us, maybe more, just depends on what we havee in our pockets. It is just a way we like to give them an extra thank you. I stressed IF because, again, as others have said, it is not necessary, just optional. We usually always do, but that is just our choice. In specialty restaurants we tip 20% of our total bill.

 

As far as the butler and concierge, I really don't know having kids involved, but for just the two of us we start out budgeting $10.00 per day for each of them. If we get some extra terrific service from one or both of them we will add to it. Never have we taken away from it. We have always given them a minimum of $10.00 per day, and we give it to them the last full day of the cruise. Also, even though the room stewards are a part of the tipping pool, we always try to give the two of them $20.00 to $40.00 each at the end of the cruise, again, just as a thank you for the great job they have always done for us.

 

Except for room service and your butler and concierge, the spa, the hair styling place, and the kids club, the tipping is optional. They will appreciate anything you decide to give them.

 

Oh.. drinks from the bar, alcoholic or not, have an automatic 15% tip included. If we order just a glass of water, we tip $1.00 per person.

 

Hope you have a blast on your cruise.