SargassoPirate

2 hours ago, SantaFeFan said:

 

And now your story is that they are charging you for two drinks? Interesting how the story has evolved over the course of this discussion.

 

You continue to miss the point. It is not whether you have all of your allotted drinks that matter. It's the actual pours for each drink that matter. The bar tenders have no idea whether you will end each day swilling down as many drinks as you can in another bar to meet your allocation. They can only pay attention to each of your drinks individually. And you are not getting more or better pours than is allocated for EACH drink. 

 

As many people here have carefully and accurately pointed out, the cruise lines - and the people who work for them - do not randomly pour larger and better pours just to reward someone who tips well. The employers don't care about how large your tips are. They care about the bottom line - managing the amount of alcohol that is used up each day. 

 

But, if it makes you feel better about your tipping habits to live in a fantasy world where you get bigger and better pours by tipping more, then by all means have your fun with that imagination. Just be aware that the bar tenders are playing you for bigger tips, and you are naively going along for the ride.

 

No Santa, I'm not changing my story at all.  I merely asked to consider that scenario.  I only have two or three drinks an evening and really have no idea how the crew charges them to my plus package.  If they pour a double, I guess I could check, but why?  I order my usual drink and after a couple of nights it looks like there's a little more in the glass and the Scotch has heavier notes of peat. Why does that bother you so much that it makes you claim that I'm engaging in bribery and theft?

What about the drink allotment that I leave on the table every day?  Should I go down to guest services and get a refund?  After all, I've paid for a drink package and if I don't use it up, the cruise line is essentially picking my pocket.

Smooth and happy sailing to you.  I'll still tip extra and be a happy cruiser.

Travel is stressful enough without cutting things too close.  I fly in a few days ahead of the cruise and fly home the day after I disembark.  I understand that not everyone has the luxury of time, but after I retired many years ago - after traveling a lot for work - I swore I'd take the kore leisurely approach to getting there and back.

I find the PES lounge to be a pleasant experience and since I avoid the MDR for dinners I can usually find enough to eat there that I'm free for the rest of the evening.  

6 hours ago, tonit964 said:

This was my one disappointment of Discovery. I’m so used to the full walk around Promenade deck on the other ships.

 

Didn’t stop me from booking another cruise on her though, will be sailing again in 3 weeks.

When I sail solo, I sail in an inside so the promenade is my own sanctuary.  I use it to walks laps in the morning and afternoon and I love to sit and read on whatever is the shady side - upwind on the Nicotine Alley side.  A full promenade is almost a deal breaker for me unless She Who Must Be Obeyed wants to do a cruise for a particular itinerary and it's on one of the ships without a wrap around promenade - but then together we book balconies as her private sanctuary. 

11 hours ago, NSWP said:

Double pours, better grade of booze? They would get the sack if they got caught by their supervisors.  Yes it is bribery. You already pay a gratuity on your drink, why pay more?

Consider this - I have a drink package.  It's evening in the Elite Lounge. I tip extra. I get a better pour and a better quality Scotch.  I may have two or three over the course of the evening.  I come nowhere near close to using my daily allotment of booze and the crew recognizes my pattern.  If they charge my account for the better pours as two drinks or a double, is it bribery and stealing?

Explain.

One thing I was wondering about is how one defines "rich".  

By my way of thinking, I'm the richest guy in the world.  In my 70s I have my health and am not on any prescription medications.  I have a wonderful wife who "lets" me do whatever I want to do with old cars and new motorcycles.  We've saved and invested to where now we can do whatever we want and whenever we want.  We keep crossing things off and adding more to our bucket lists (his, hers, and joint) The kids are grown and have always been independent financially once we got them through college. Being of sound mind and body, we are spending their inheritance and with continued good fortune we'll slide in late for our own funerals and that last check will bounce.

Yes, I'm the richest guy in the world and looking forward to more bucket list items.

2 hours ago, donaldsc said:

If you can find a good TA you are always better off going w a TA than w Princess.  The problem is finding a good one.  The reason is not the perks that you may get but the service you will get when (not if but when) stuff happens.

 

A recent example.  We just came back from a trip that involved flying from Las Vegas to Athens through Atlanta.  We had 3+ hours layover time in Atlanta which which should have been plenty except that there was a 2 hour weather hold in Vegas which could have presented a problem in Atlanta.  While we were sitting on the runway in Vegas I texted our TA to tell her potential problem.  Her response was "I'll get on it and check in w me when you get off the plane in Atlanta. "  When we got to Atlanta there was a message from her telling us that she had an alternative route and had even put a hold on it if we needed it.  As it turned out we did make our Atlanta to Athens flight but if we hadn't we would still have gotten to Athens in time.  

 

Now tell me.  If we had booked through Princess and had the same problem would we have gotten the same service?  I doubt it.  That is why you need a good TA.  Not a Big Box TA but a real one who cares about you as a person.

 

DON

That's some really good service, Don.  

My experience with the big box has been booking and the perks.  I carry an annual travel insurance policy with a section to call for travel-related problems.  Had some problems getting stuck in Australia when covid started shutting down everything, but I solved them myself so I didn't need any help with alternative travel - but the insurance paid all of the out-of-pocket unexpected expenses and Princess refunded my money for the cancelled cruise that was supposed to be my ride back to the US from OZ.

If everything goes smoothly you don't have adventures and good stories to share over a wee dram.

3 hours ago, wannagonow123 said:

Part of the issue on Carnival is not he "Gluttony"  but the waste. There is that "I paid for it" mentality. I just got off a 10 day Carnival cruise, and a lady sitting at a table next to us ordered one of each entree, put the proteins on one plate and never touched the sides. She would take a few bites of each protein, then ask for her desert. The waiter asked her if she just wanted the proteins and her response? " I want everything I have paid for. 

She probably reserves her lounger on the Melanoma Deck with a towel and a magazine as well - she paid for it!

I've just got to ask.  How does one get to D+ and not understand that you need to be aware of what is below , above, and across the corridor when selecting a cabin?

On 11/3/2022 at 4:40 PM, Merion_Mom said:

 

If you are looking for the cheapest option, that's washing out your items in your sink.  (the shampoo/bodywash in the shower dispenser is an EXCELLENT laundry soap).  After wringing out your clothes,  roll them in a towel, walk on the rolled up towel to get out as much moisture as possible, then hang to dry.

 

 

🙂 

Ditto, and I'll add that I use pool towels as the wringing out method.  They are free on the Melanoma Deck, and they come with some free reading material.  Just ask around and others will tell you which "reserved" loungers to choose from. 

Definitely if you are a member of the big box warehouse club. Their travel agency will give you a gift card at the end of your cruise based on what the cruise line pays the TAs by way of commission.  Other perks are available depending on the sailing.

I usually book with the cruise line first since their search engine is easier to use, get the perfect cabin booked, and then transfer the booking to big box and garner their rewards.  Then to double down, I use my big box credit card to pay for the cruise and get some cash back rewards there too.

It's a win win win.

41 minutes ago, odyssyus said:

Its not the norm.  You will have those that virtue signal, and otherwise try to guilt you into giving more.  The corporations love this because you will subsidize salaries for them.  Tipping culture is out of control.

I see tip jars just about anywhere anymore.  I ignore them.  The person behind the counter is making at least minimum wage.  At bars and restaurants - in the US at least wowzz - I tip.  In other countries, I try to follow local customs.  In Japan, for example, it is considered rude and insulting to tip.

14 hours ago, shank63 said:

To me the dress code is simple and straightforward.  Country Club Casual.  Although we are no longer members of a country club but occasionally attend as guests, the standards are uniformly respected by members and guests, i.e., no headwear, jeans, non collard shirts, etc allowed in the clubhouse.  Dining room dress standards are generally more strict (jackets for men) and respected as well. The reality is that attitudes have changed and for some, rules and laws are optional and traditions are not respected.  I intend to follow the club casual dress code and encourage other traditionalists to follow suit.

When cruising, my evening attire is black slacks, black sport coat, and a variety of colored T-shirts with matching pocket squares. I pack light and usually combine land travel with a cruise, so everything does double duty.  Never been turned away on a formal night on any cruise and there always seems to be some guy in shorts and wearing his ballcap backwards that serves as a diversion.  

I fold them, place them in a 2 1/2-gallon zip lock bag, and sit on the bag to let the air out.  Keeps everything dry in case the bag sits out on the tarmac during a rainstorm - been there, done that, clothes stayed dry even though the bag was wet inside.  

I even manage to fit my sports coat inside the zip lock bag.

2 hours ago, caribill said:

 

If I tip the Maitre d', can I wear shorts to the dining room on a formal evening?

You can do that without a tip.😊  Top off those shorts with a wife beater, flip flops, and wear your ballcap backwards and I can almost guarantee you that the staff won't say a thing.  They are afraid to confront anyone for fear of getting a bad review. 

4 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

The Royal Class ships (and newer) do not have a walk around full Promenade Deck. Many complaints. Princess didn’t listen to their “loyal” passengers and built a newer class without.  
 

Welcome to Cruise Critic. 

Most likely because a promenade doesn't produce much, if any revenue, per square foot like extra cabins, shops, or restaurants do.  At least on the Island Princess they left most of the promenade intact.  Bigger ships with no promenade keep people inside and the money flowing.

1 hour ago, PTMary said:

 

I would bet that thieves would say the same thing. 🙄

Why don't you explain why you think it's stealing if, as I stated, I don't ask the server and bartender to do anything extra?  If I tip a little extra and receive what I perceive is a better pour and a better Scotch should I jump up and dial 911 on the house phone and report a crime in progress? 

Better yet, what would you do if you receive a little something extra that you didn't ask for?

4 hours ago, MissP22 said:

No- more like skivvies. 

Boxers or briefs? 🤣

24 minutes ago, donaldsc said:

 

Do you have any hard evidence that this is true.  You could check by doing one cruise where you tip and another cruise where you do not and keeping track of your pours and delivery times.  Perhaps you are deluding yourself.

 

DON

Maybe so, Don.  But I'm a happy cruiser and it works for me.  

I don't see it as stealing and I don't ask the server and bartender to do anything extra - it's their choice.  A ready smile and a bit if chit chat helps - especially with some of the rude to and/or entitled people they have to deal witb.

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

 Because they are giving you something which you have not paid for. They are therefore stealing from the company.

 

See my post above wowzz.

12 hours ago, Bobbiegentry said:

Please explain how the cruise line earns back the lost and more expensive product which they could have sold but was instead pirated away from them. 

Oooo, that was a good one.  Arrrgh.

What difference does it make?  It's not "bribery" or "stealing" as some were quick claim.  I  almost always have the Plus package on Princess and on RCI I use the Diamond+ vouchers.  I never, ever get close to reaching my drink limit on Princess or using all of my daily vouchers on RCI.

In addition to a coffee drink or two in the daytime, I enjoy a few drams of Scotch in the evenings and my extra tips have produced better pours and better Scotches as I have stated.

So, how did I pirate anything away and how is there any wrongdoing on the part of the servers and bartenders?

54 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Sackable offence for the bar staff.  Not convinced that a $5 tip is worth losing your job for. 

Please refresh my memory wowzz and show me where I said I tip $5 extra.

16 minutes ago, SantaFeFan said:

 

Nope, not happening. The pours are carefully monitored and any imaginary "better" pour or imaginary "better grade of Scotch" isn't happening. You may have convinced yourself that you are special, but the cruise line doesn't care about that and will have a talk with bartender if he breaks the rules and gives you, or anyone else, more than they are supposed to. The drink pours and brand are very well monitored and by evenings end the hotel management will know who is helping you steal from the cruise line and will take appropriate action against that person.  

Maybe my better pour is coming out of wowzz's drink and it all evens out. 😅 And maybe some people can't tell a well Scotch from a top shelf brand. All I can do is share my experience and you can share yours.  

3 hours ago, Thrak said:

 

How dose this work? When I order Scotch I order a specific brand. I don't really see the bartender "upgrading" my order without permission. I've also seen them "measuring" the amount of liquor in the bottles so how does pouring a more expensive Scotch work with that? I also don't see the bartender "upgrading" the Scotch or doubling the amount simply because the server is getting a dollar or two tip.

 

Here's how it works for me.  I order a Scotch - no specific brand - and I tip a little extra to the server.  After I sip on that one and the server comes back by I'll make a positive comment about the flavor, etc etc.  When the next wee dram arrives, I often notice it's a little better pour and perhaps a little better flavor, maybe a little more peaty.     

On a recent cruise, on the third or fourth night the server asked if I had tried a particular brand noted for it's peatiness. I said no and he went to another venue and retrieved a bottle of it and had the bartender pour me a sample.  It was good and I complimented the server and the bartender on their recommendation and ordered one.

From that point forward that was my pour and at the end of the cruise I also tipped the bartender and thanked him again for his recommendation.

That's been my experience.

58 minutes ago, odyssyus said:

It doesn't happen.  Its just an attempt to say 'look at me and how cool/much money/what level/fill in blank.. I am'. 

I was merely sharing what my tipping experience has been.  The fact that my experience doesn't match your paradigm and that you think it "is an attempt to say look at me and how cool/much money/what level/fill in the blank...I am" speaks volumes.

All I can say it a little extra tip goes a long way and serves me well.

Enjoy your drinks from the well and I'll enjoy mine from the shelf.