Has anyone tipped the wait staff on the first evening?

[friday109]

My husband really enjoys his food (and does not gain weight - aarrgg) & at times when he can not decide what he wants for dinner he may ask to have a combo of a couple items on the menu, or sometimes he may order 2 desserts.

 

We always have tipped our wait staff more than the recommended $$ at the end of the cruise - but sometimes I think that I would like to tip on the first evening so that they know up front that we appreciate their service & I know that my husband may keep you extra busy- but I don't want it to look like we are doing it as a way of saying "take better care of us" or "we think we're special" T.I.P.S. stands for "To Insure Prompt Service" so actually all tips should be given in advance. At home the tip you leave one day will get you better/faster service on your return visit - but it is different on a cruise ship.

 

Thoughts?? comments ??

[dforeigner]

Some people actually get offended when receiving tips prior to rendering a service. They think of it as a bribe.

 

gra·tu·ity

Pronunciation: \grə-ˈtü-ə-tē, -ˈtyü-\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural gra·tu·ities

Date: 1540

: something given voluntarily or beyond obligation usually for some service;

[paul929207]

No, I do not tip at the beginning of the cruise. I have always left n the autotip. At the end of the cruise, I tip extra when I feel I have gotten exceptional service or had special request(s).

[Garyorient]

I agree with the OP. I would tip at commencement of cruise.

 

To imagine that a waiter or steward or any service staff on an RCI ship would be offended at being given money is laughable in the extreme.

[patseacruiser]

I have tipped my cabin steward on day 1 when I ask for extra blankets and pillows. I usually tip an extra $20 or $40 and somehow I don't get any better service. I wonder if they think that is their whole tip. I don't know.

[friday109]

Some people actually get offended when receiving tips prior to rendering a service. They think of it as a bribe.

 

gra·tu·ity

Pronunciation: \grə-ˈtü-ə-tē, -ˈtyü-\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural gra·tu·ities

Date: 1540

: something given voluntarily or beyond obligation usually for some service;

 

 

 

 

 

Maybe I was not clear - I would not walk in and hand the waiter a tip before I sit down - yes............. that would look like a bribe -............... at the end of the meal on the first evening, as we are waling out, hand our waiter a $$$ & say "thank you - see you tomorrow"

[cb at sea]

You certainly can do it if you want....it's totally unnecessary, tho...If they give us great service all week, they get a great tip at the end!

[flamomo]

IMHO, tips are EARNED for outstanding service, not prepaid to make the wait staff feel obligated to do more for you than they do for others.

Auto-tipping is for "standard" service while an extra tip at the end of the cruise shows you recognize and appreciate the wait staff's personal attention to your special requests and any extra needs you may have had.

[dkjretired]

Some people actually get offended when receiving tips prior to rendering a service. They think of it as a bribe.

 

gra·tu·ity

Pronunciation: \grə-ˈtü-ə-tē, -ˈtyü-\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural gra·tu·ities

Date: 1540

: something given voluntarily or beyond obligation usually for some service;

 

Agree, that has been written many times on these boards as this is a frequent question. Some of the employees take it as an insult if they are tipped at the beginning. I think you should ask yourself what purpose there is to tipping at the beginning.

[Bonnie J.]

Once when NCL had just started automatic tips and free style we canceled the auto tips. Had major problems with our room stewardess. We found a fantastic waitress, Zoricha, the 2nd night of a 10 day cruise. We then sat at her table every night. We had to walk through the dining room to get to our cabin (on NCL's Dream) so we could see where she was serving earlier diners and get to the dining room when her table was empty. All the ladies orders were taken and served 1st. We didn't have to wait to be seated by the hostess- she would say just go. Because we had canceled the tips, we gave her $5 our 1st night with her then $10 every night with thank yous. Also gave a tip to Anita, her busgirl. Then they got a nice final tip the last night. We still laugh when we remember when she dropped the empty lobster tail down the back of my dress on formal night! Her table was up against a wall and she had to squeeze by. She was horrified but we all laughed. She had told my husband about coffee in Serbia. The last morning she brought him a pot of Serbia coffee in the dining room! She and the former asistant Maitre'd are now in Peru, off ships. In all our cruises, she was the best by far!

CRUISE LINES

Dolphin

Commodore

Regency

Premier

Cape Canaveral Cruises

Carnival

Royal Caribean

Celebrity

NCL

Princess

Costa

Costa

[uppitycats]

I'd not tip extra at the beginning of your cruise, either. Bringing extra courses at dinner on a cruise ship is almost expected -- while my husband and I are small eaters and rarely do it, we've seen it done repeatedly on all the cruises we've been on. I don't think those folks have pre-paid their waiters anything.

 

I'd only tip extra if I had asked for something special that wasn't on the menu, and they were able to provide it, or if I had some sort of extraordinary service -- which has not happened to me.

[Marie51]

Maybe I was not clear - I would not walk in and hand the waiter a tip before I sit down - yes............. that would look like a bribe -............... at the end of the meal on the first evening, as we are waling out, hand our waiter a $$$ & say "thank you - see you tomorrow"

 

If you hand the waiter $$$ at the end of the meal on the first evening, perhaps he will expect that same tip following each evening's meal, thinking you are tipping each day instead of at the end of the cruise. At least this is how I see it.

[sabled62]

On our last cruise our TA had sent two bottles of wine to our cabin. We do not drink and on the 2nd day of our 10 day cruise I gave our room steward the wine. He was taken aback and replied "what is this a bribe ?- I give everyone the same service" I felt stupid and explained that it was a gift and we do not drink and wanted someone to enjoy it. Next time I will bring a bottle to the dining room for my table mates to drink.

[martinchem]

I have never done it, never even thought of it. My sister and husband recently took there first cruise and did give a tip the first night on Carnival, they said they really put a smile on the waiters face and the service was beyond belief, but again it was there first cruise and really couldn't compare it to another.

[Marie51]

On our last cruise our TA had sent two bottles of wine to our cabin. We do not drink and on the 2nd day of our 10 day cruise I gave our room steward the wine. He was taken aback and replied "what is this a bribe ?- I give everyone the same service" I felt stupid and explained that it was a gift and we do not drink and wanted someone to enjoy it. Next time I will bring a bottle to the dining room for my table mates to drink.

 

Perhaps if you (or any other passenger) does not drink, there could be a subtle way to let your TA know so they don't send wine to your cabin. I'm sure their intention was good.

[G'ma]

I can think of no reason to tip ahead of time. To assume it will assure "better" service or attention is a little specious.

 

Service is excellent and efficient. It has to be. They are serving hundreds of people and know the most efficient way to do it. They aren't going to interrupt a food-service routine because somebody hands them a 20.

[cruiseco]

I tip the cabin steward ahead of time (it's actually an extra tip, not in lieu of) because I have a list of additional things I want to have happen:

 

#1 I love those Andes mints that sometimes are put on the pillow so I ask for extras every night (1 steward dropped off a whole box of them --144 to last me seven days)

 

# I want extra towels every day -- some times I'll shower 3+ times a day and want clean dry towels each time. And I always request the fluffiest ones he/she has on the cart. I drive the folks at my gym nuts with my fluffy towel requests. But I hate ratty old towels.

 

#3 Ice and lots of it -- they usually drop off an extra bucket and keep both filled all the time.

 

#4 No towel animals.

 

So I figure an extra $20 upfront is well worth it to me and I never never had a steward seem to be "offended."

 

I have also been known to pre-tip the drink servers around the pool or wherever I;m hanging out during the day. I'll usually tell him that if he ever sees me sit down just bring my a Budweiser -- don't even ask, just bring it. $10 the first day usually makes that happen.

 

I have never pre-tipped dining room staff.

[blindrid]

I agree with the OP. I would tip at commencement of cruise.

 

To imagine that a waiter or steward or any service staff on an RCI ship would be offended at being given money is laughable in the extreme.

 

I totally agree. Money is money, now or later. It's not like tipped employees get offended unless you totally stiff them. That's what auto-tip is for so they do not get slighted. Then if you want, flip them another 10, 20, whatever. I think the ones that suggest that someone gets offended it's normally the PP, not the server.

 

I do that with my favorite drink runner by the pool, as I make sure I go to the same club at night he is working at and typically get great service. Obviously, they are not in the tip sharing of pre-paids but same principle applies.

 

If someone would ask "Is this a bribe", my comment would be "hell yes and enjoy the wine".....

 

Do what you want to do.

[Perfect Stranger]

Awww, why wouldn't you want a cute towel animal? :confused:

[Putterdude]

We do not tip until the end of the cruise, we do leave the auto-tip in place and then tip both the room steward and the waiters something extra. However on a 14 day cruise we will sometimes give the room steward something mid-cruise but not at the begining.

[grod19]

The flip side to this argument is, if the waiter or cabin attendant already has the money from you why should he go the extra mile, he might focus on others since they are yet to give him the money.

 

Just presenting another view, personally I don't see many cruise employees doing this but you never know.

[cruiseco]

The flip side to this argument is, if the waiter or cabin attendant already has the money from you why should he go the extra mile, he might focus on others since they are yet to give him the money.

 

Just presenting another view, personally I don't see many cruise employees doing this but you never know.

 

On close to 100 cruises I've never had that happen.

[Bonnie J.]

Once we gave our room steward $10 the 1st night. There was NO difference in service. Now we only give something before end of cruise if something is done for us - getting us bathrobes when cabin doesn't have them, extra ice, etc., a thank you for something extra. Also give more at end of cruise too.

[Gonzo70]

T.I.P.S. stands for "To Insure Prompt Service" so actually all tips should be given in advance.

 

That is a misnomer/old wives tale. The word tip/tips has very different origins than "to insure prompt service." That acronym was coined hundreds of years afterwards.

 

I personally would only tip upfront if I made some type of significant special request, and then would provide a tip if such a request was granted. I would still give the regular tip at the end of the cruise (and any extra amount that may have been earned by excdeding expectations).

[nbevins]

we have done tip at the beginning of the cruise a few time..On one ship we could not get assigned dining--but had the open seating.On the first night we found a great waiter/busboy/We tipped maitre d asked for that table every night at 7 pm..We were immediately seated every night and did not wait for a table.(on that shipp here were many people waiting for tables--kinda of a zoO

 

on a european river cruise(small boat 130 so passenger) we had 8 of us traveling together.There were only 2 tables that would seat eight.We tipped the waieter to hold this table for us..One or several of us were one of the first in the dining room every night--so the waiters did not have a problem..River boats--have open seating.

 

a few other times we have given small tip at the start of a cruise--while letting the person know this was just a little extra spending money--not their tip--it has always been worth extra money