tips in specialty restaurant

[sengil]

I just made our first reservations at the specialty restaurant on the Infinity. I'm sure I've seen this asked before, but I forgot. Does the $30 cost per person include the tip? Or is it proper to tip again? And if so, how much should we tip? Thanks.

[Shirley C]

Supposedly the $30 pp is for the tip, however, we have always tipped extra when dining in the specialty restaurants. How much depends on the kind of service you receive.

[mardon]

$30 pp IS the tip. Enjoy

[qe2]

Enjoy the specialty restaurant. It's a great experience!

[cb at sea]

Yes--the surcharge IS the tip. Some will tip more. You don't have to.

[Gonzo70]

No, only a SMALL portion of the $30 goes to the servers for gratuity. The $30 surcharge largely goes to the cruise line (to cover the increased cost of higher quality food as well as operating the specialty restaurant and for the cruise line to make some profit off of it). In my experience just about everybody I have spoken with and observed in the specialty restaurants tips extra - usually somewhere between $5 to $10 per person extra (a few people more than this).

 

While one should not feel obligated to tip (since the cruise line does state that the gratuity is included within the surcharge), please do not base your decision on whether or not to tip extra on the misconception a few people on these boards like to promulgate that the entire surcharge goes to the servers. If so the cruise line would be losing big money on the specialty restaurants and we know that isn't happening!

 

On Solstice class ships guests staying in suites receive two to three complimentary meals in the specialty restaurant (depending on length of cruise). They are told there is a $5 suggested gratuity. From this we can surmise that it is very likely that $5 of the surcharge goes to the servers when people eat in the specialty restaurant.

 

Enjoy your cruise. The specialty restaurants on Celebrity are amazing.

[amarillocruisecat]

No, only a SMALL portion of the $30 goes to the servers for gratuity. The $30 surcharge largely goes to the cruise line (to cover the increased cost of higher quality food as well as operating the specialty restaurant and for the cruise line to make some profit off of it). In my experience just about everybody I have spoken with and observed in the specialty restaurants tips extra - usually somewhere between $5 to $10 per person extra (a few people more than this).

 

On Solstice class ships guests staying in suites receive two to three complimentary meals in the specialty restaurant (depending on length of cruise). They are told there is a $5 suggested gratuity. From this we can surmise that it is very likely that $5 of the surcharge goes to the servers when people eat in the specialty restaurant.

 

Enjoy your cruise. The specialty restaurants on Celebrity are amazing.

 

 

Thanks for the post. I agree that Celebrity's specialty restaurants are awesome. Although we always tip extra, I have often wondered about the surcharge/tip issue. Your logic arround the Solstice suite guests seems reasonable.

[sengil]

Thanks everyone. We can't wait!!

[linmar114]

If we want to tip extra, how do we do that? In cash right there, or what? Thanks--this is our first cruise.

[carlyshenk]

How are the specialty restaurant waiters paid? We love the specialty restaurants, but we also are unsure or how to handle tips for them.

[spearmint]

I just made our first reservations at the specialty restaurant on the Infinity. I'm sure I've seen this asked before, but I forgot. Does the $30 cost per person include the tip? Or is it proper to tip again? And if so, how much should we tip? Thanks.

 

I called Captain's Club about this a couple of years ago, and was told that the $30 charge was indeed the tip.

[Gonzo70]

I called Captain's Club about this a couple of years ago, and was told that the $30 charge was indeed the tip.

 

And many others have reported being informed that the $30 charge includes the tip (i.e. a portion of the surcharge goes to the servers as a tip). Do you really think Celebrity would lose massive amounts of money on the specialty restaurant? If the $30 went entirely to the servers Celebrity would be losing money on the food, the salary of the chefs, dishwashers, maitre' D, the china and decor, etc. No way. They did not put three specialty restaurants on Solstice class ships because they lose them money. Also how do you explain that suite guests are told to tip $5 in the specialty restaurants when they have complimentary meals there if the normal gratuity is $30? This is not an issue a Captain's Club telephone customer service rep is likely to be knowledgeable about. Also many people mistakenly believe when they hear someone say that the surcharge "includes" the gratuity that this means the entire surcharge is a tip.

[Gonzo70]

If we want to tip extra, how do we do that? In cash right there, or what? Thanks--this is our first cruise.

 

You can either leave cash or bill it to your sea pass card. At the end of the meal they will bring you a bill to sign and there is a spot to add gratuity.

[Milhouse]

Just off the Millennium today. Looking at my receipt for the Olympic, there a line items for

A drink

Subtotal

Tax (for the drink = 0)

Gratuity (for the drink)

Service Charge (for the dinner = $60 for the two of us)

Totals

 

Below, there are additional line items where you can add in (emphasis by me):

Additional Tip Cover Charge

Additional Tip Bar Service

Additional Tip Wine Service

Grand Total

 

When I read "service charge", I think of our travels in Europe where the SC covers dollars for the staff serving you and you round up or leave a few extra dollars if you feel service was exceptional, hence the lines for "Additional" tip.

I don't think it would be a problem leaving cash either.

[hcat]

Some of our local restaurants now are charging an 18% service charge for group events but that is not the gratuity--& sometimes they do not tell the clientele--poor servers are left with nothing!

 

We always add somehting extra--esp. for the great service in most specialty dining venues!

[garardo]

I year or two back I had the chance to ask the sommelier about this. He told me that a very small amount of the $30 goes to the service staff. They get their tips from the wine and other beverages served. Everyone gets a different cut of the total.

 

garardo

[Jeka]

Some of our local restaurants now are charging an 18% service charge for group events but that is not the gratuity--& sometimes they do not tell the clientele--poor servers are left with nothing!

 

We always add somehting extra--esp. for the great service in most specialty dining venues!

 

I believe in the US that service charge is indeed the tip. We've also seen this on buy one get one or 1/2 free. An 18% service charge is added based on the full cost of the meal. We leave something in excess of the 18%.

 

Like others here, we always leave an additional tip in Specialty restaurants, the service is always superb.

[spearmint]

And many others have reported being informed that the $30 charge includes the tip (i.e. a portion of the surcharge goes to the servers as a tip). Do you really think Celebrity would lose massive amounts of money on the specialty restaurant? If the $30 went entirely to the servers Celebrity would be losing money on the food, the salary of the chefs, dishwashers, maitre' D, the china and decor, etc. No way. They did not put three specialty restaurants on Solstice class ships because they lose them money. Also how do you explain that suite guests are told to tip $5 in the specialty restaurants when they have complimentary meals there if the normal gratuity is $30? This is not an issue a Captain's Club telephone customer service rep is likely to be knowledgeable about. Also many people mistakenly believe when they hear someone say that the surcharge "includes" the gratuity that this means the entire surcharge is a tip.

I meant exactly what I wrote! The Captain's Club rep told me that the $30 charge WAS the tip. Please.....don't change/interpret my response to what you want to say.

[Gonzo70]

I meant exactly what I wrote! The Captain's Club rep told me that the $30 charge WAS the tip. Please.....don't change/interpret my response to what you want to say.

 

I did not change your response in the least. I simply pointed out to you that this is not something a telephone customer service rep is going to be knowledgeable about. If you want to believe that Celebrity loses tons of money on the specialty restaurants go right ahead. Most people know better. The servers receive a small portion of that $30. You still haven't explained why Celebrity would tell suite guests on Solstice that the suggested gratuity in the specialty restaurants is $5. You still haven't explained why Celebrity would put three specialty restaurants on their new ships if their specialty restaurants lose them large amounts of money and tie up significant space that could be used for a venue that would make them money. You simply took for granted what a telephone customer service rep said (or what you thought they said) because it was what you wanted to hear.

[SusieV]

Some of our local restaurants now are charging an 18% service charge for group events but that is not the gratuity--& sometimes they do not tell the clientele--poor servers are left with nothing!

 

We always add somehting extra--esp. for the great service in most specialty dining venues!

 

What on earth are they charging the 18% for then? A tip is for the service, and if I'm being charged 18% already, I wouldn't be leaving anything extra unless the service was phenomenal.

 

I got married in Las Vegas and an 18% service charge was added to my reception bill, and one of the servers made a point to indicate the tip line. I thought that was ridiculous.

 

As for the specialty restaurants, we do tip extra, usually $10pp.