Gratuity in speciality restaurants

Is Celebrity adding a gratuity to the charge? RC is adding 18%. Before the gratuity was included.

The service charge is included in the charge for the restaurant. Your bill will have a separate line for you to add an additional gratuity if you wish.

Aye, such is so! The gratuity is taken care of in the total amount. However, feel free to add whatever amount you wish to above the total amount for a tip.

Just did a 4 night dining package and there was not 18% added at purchase or at the restaurants. In 2 restaurants we were given a check for $0- implying a tip was expected and in the other 2 we didn't get any check-we left cash in those restaurants.

We were told the gratuities for the specialty restaurants are in the upcharge fee and those servers also get part fo the daily grat fees.

Just did a 4 night dining package and there was not 18% added at purchase or at the restaurants. In 2 restaurants we were given a check for $0- implying a tip was expected and in the other 2 we didn't get any check-we left cash in those restaurants.

I wouldn't take it that a $0 check meant that a tip was expected.

We've always assumed that the tip was part of the fee, but we always leave a little extra in cash if the service is good.

As noted above, the check received at the conclusion of your meal will say that an 18% gratuity is included. When purchasing the package for speciality dining the gratuity is still included. Another example is when you purchase a drink package the gratuity is also included and the bill shows $0. Extra gratuities are at your own discretion.

Hal

As noted above, the check received at the conclusion of your meal will say that an 18% gratuity is included. When purchasing the package for speciality dining the gratuity is still included. Another example is when you purchase a drink package the gratuity is also included and the bill shows $0. Extra gratuities are at your own discretion.

 

Hal

I have never seen nor heard anything about an 18% gratuity being included in the cover charge - only that a portion (of unknown quantity) of the cover charge goes to the staff as gratuity. Beverages (if one lacks a package - or for the overage if the price exceed's one's package limit incurs an automatic 18% gratuity), but this does not hold true for the food portion of the specialty restos.

I have never seen nor heard anything about an 18% gratuity being included in the cover charge - only that a portion (of unknown quantity) of the cover charge goes to the staff as gratuity. Beverages (if one lacks a package - or for the overage if the price exceed's one's package limit incurs an automatic 18% gratuity), but this does not hold true for the food portion of the specialty restos.

We had dinner in Murano two nights ago and our waiter was spectacular.

When I told him that I wanted to give him a little extra and he was very insistent that it wasn't necessary as the tip was already covered.

I told him it didn't matter because he deserved the extra, which I gave him in cash because he didn't provide us with a check saying it was fully covered by our dining and drinks packages.

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We had dinner in Murano two nights ago and our waiter was spectacular.

 

When I told him that I wanted to give him a little extra and he was very insistent that it wasn't necessary as the tip was already covered.

 

I told him it didn't matter because he deserved the extra, which I gave him in cash because he didn't provide us with a check saying it was fully covered by our dining and drinks packages.

 

 

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We did the same, just a little difference. We ask if we could read his Palm...then told him he would come into some money, and slipped him a single large bill. quite fun. LOL

We did the same, just a little difference. We ask if we could read his Palm...then told him he would come into some money, and slipped him a single large bill. quite fun. LOL

LOL. Will have to remember that one. I'm more of an old school palmer.

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I wanted to bring up something that was attached to the email that a number of people recently received - the version sent in reference to Celebrity stated the following:

Other onboard gratuity policies remain the same: an 18% gratuity is automatically added to bar service beverages, specialty dining reservations, and mini bar items—and will be itemized on your receipt.

This has me wondering if they will be following in Royal's footsteps and adding that 18% to the dining reservations. We had planned to purchase a package anyways and we almost always add additional tip due to the amazing service, but I'd rather have this disclosed up front as I always understood that the pricing for these restaurants included gratuities.

"Other onboard gratuity policies remain the same: an 18% gratuity is automatically added to bar service beverages, specialty dining reservations, and mini bar items—and will be itemized on your receipt."

I got the same email with this line included. Remains the same would mean, to ME, that there will be no changes to the gratuity policy for these items (bar service, specialty dining and mini bar). I know that when I buy a drink the price includes the tip. When you take something from the mini bar the price includes the tip. When you pay for your specialty dining the price includes the tip. They say they aren't changing this policy. So yes, the cover charge at the specialty dining venues includes an 18% tip.

The question I've never been able to get answered is this... if you receive a "free" dinner from X for whatever reason, do they pay any gratuity at all to the servers or should we then tip like we would at a restaurant at home? I've ended up tipping almost as much as the dinner would have cost if I'd bought it myself with the tip included. LOL

"Other onboard gratuity policies remain the same: an 18% gratuity is automatically added to bar service beverages, specialty dining reservations, and mini bar items—and will be itemized on your receipt."

 

I got the same email with this line included. Remains the same would mean, to ME, that there will be no changes to the gratuity policy for these items (bar service, specialty dining and mini bar). I know that when I buy a drink the price includes the tip. When you take something from the mini bar the price includes the tip. When you pay for your specialty dining the price includes the tip. They say they aren't changing this policy. So yes, the cover charge at the specialty dining venues includes an 18% tip.

 

The question I've never been able to get answered is this... if you receive a "free" dinner from X for whatever reason, do they pay any gratuity at all to the servers or should we then tip like we would at a restaurant at home? I've ended up tipping almost as much as the dinner would have cost if I'd bought it myself with the tip included. LOL

I think it is just a mistake in the e-mail that was sent (regarding 18% gratuity being added to specialty venues). On Celebrity the cover charge for specialty dining has always included a gratuity. It is of unknown quantity (not specifically 18%). When I have received a comped meal at specialty dining I have always left a gratuity and doubt the severs would otherwise receive any; I have based the amount on the level of service I have received. Back when suites first started receiving some free specialty dining as a suite perk (no longer a perk since Luminae came into existence) a card was sometimes in the suite on boarding day mentioning the comped meal(s) and "recommending" a $5 per/person gratuity be left for the comped meal(s).

I got the same email with this line included. Remains the same would mean, to ME, that there will be no changes to the gratuity policy for these items (bar service, specialty dining and mini bar). I know that when I buy a drink the price includes the tip. When you take something from the mini bar the price includes the tip. When you pay for your specialty dining the price includes the tip. They say they aren't changing this policy. So yes, the cover charge at the specialty dining venues includes an 18% tip.

While I very much hope they aren't changing things, I seem to remember my last cruise the stated price of something would receive an additional 18% gratuity charge on top of that. So my $10.00 drink would become an $11.80 drink. The mini bar items we normally have removed so have never had to deal with that side, but I believe those also incur an additional 18% charge on top of stated price. So, by sandwiching the specialty restaurants between two items that get an additional 18% added, it made me question.

When I heard about Royal's increase it wasn't from Royal, but via this site. While I very much hope they will continue to have things move forward as is, that sentence caught my attention.

I. On Celebrity the cover charge for specialty dining has always included a gratuity. It is of unknown quantity (not specifically 18%). ).

Next time, please check your bill. On the bottom, we had a statement to the effect that an 18% gratuity has been already included in the meal.

We add more for exceptional service.

Next time, please check your bill. On the bottom, we had a statement to the effect that an 18% gratuity has been already included in the meal.

 

We add more for exceptional service.

In my experience when 18% gratuity is mentioned it refers to beverages ordered (not covered by a drink package). Have had dozens of meals in specialty restaurants on Celebrity and have never seen reference to 18% gratuity pertaining to the meal itself.

Just an observation from having had many meals in Murano (most recently ate in the Reflection's Murano on 10 of 21 nights). The staff works as a team. On the Reflection we were served by every waiter in the restaurant (over a period of 10 meals). On many nights (especially when it was busy) we would receive service from several different waiters (they cover for each other when one is too busy) and even had the "boss" fillet our Sole on one evening :). Leaving cash (which would likely go to our assigned waiter) would have been unfair to the others that supported our table....unless we had the knowledge that this money would be pooled. Adding a tip to a check does make more sense since it does go into a pool. But that became impossible on many nights when our waiter did not even bother giving us a bill. A few waiters did present a zero balance bill....but we think that on 7 of the 10 nights we did not get a bill.

I would just add that we have oft been critical of many things about Celebrity (especially the recent cut-backs) but this is not the case when it comes to Murano. Every meal we have ever had in Murano (and we have dined there about 2 dozen times on 3 ships) has been near perfection. Given what we have seen on Celebrity in the past 5 years we suspect that it will not be long until LLP finds a way to either "cut back" in Murano....or jack up the price :(. But for now, it is a fine example of the Celebrity that used to be.

Hank

We have, often times, had Tuscan Grille offered at as much as 50% discount. How does that discount affect the 'included gratuity? We have usually just added a gratuity the equivalent to the discount we received.