Another gratuity question?

[CaboWabo62]

If guests choose not to eat in the Main Dining Room should they still be obligated to tip the MDR waitstaff? I fully understand that tips are part of the income for the crew, and always tip room steward, room service, and waitstaff in other dining venues.

[shorbr]

Yes

[cb at sea]

The reason being, that you will eat somewhere on the ship, and you are NOT expected to tip anyone other than your assigned dining room waiters....by doing so, you're covered, as far as tips go....and if everyone does the "right" thing, no one gets "stiffed". The tips to your dining room staff cover all the folks who will serve breakfast and lunch, too....

[steponboard]

If guests choose not to eat in the Main Dining Room should they still be obligated to tip the MDR waitstaff? I fully understand that tips are part of the income for the crew, and always tip room steward, room service, and waitstaff in other dining venues.

Do you walk past a restaurant and run in to give a tip, of course not. I do not beleve in tipping for services NOT rendered. If someone makes your meals especially pleasant in the WJ you may consider tipping them.

[Sue L]

Do you walk past a restaurant and run in to give a tip, of course not. I do not beleve in tipping for services NOT rendered. If someone makes your meals especially pleasant in the WJ you may consider tipping them.

 

You are being served and helped by the wait staff somewhere, you may not eat dinner in the dining room but you will eat in the other venues that they all rotate to .. So unless you plan NOT to eat for the whole cruise then yes you should tip.

 

Sorry the above post might make sense on land but not on a ship.

[Powriv]

Sorry for the hijack, but

 

Why do people get so worried about tipping and want to nickle and dime the servers if they don't see them personally each and everytime/every meal?

 

Whether you eat in the dining room, WJ or room service someone is working for you and should be compensated accordingly. Cruiselines make it easy for 99.9999% of the passengers by posting tipping amounts and either allow one to prepay the tips or pay them on their sign and sail card

 

I could imagine that they are the same people that complain about the cruise line nickle and diming the passengers

[katiel53]

Do you walk past a restaurant and run in to give a tip, of course not. I do not beleve in tipping for services NOT rendered. If someone makes your meals especially pleasant in the WJ you may consider tipping them.

 

I think that perhaps you don't realize that those working in the dining room for dinner, also work other places for breakfast and lunch. If you don't eat anything other than room service, then I would agree with not tipping. I am sorry, but I feel it's people like you, that make me think the tips should become a mandatory service charge.

 

Things are different on land than at sea, but I know I can't change your way of thinking. We all live with our beliefs and hopefully, yours will be changed at some point.

[joeyancho]

Seems like we beat this dead horse about once every two weeks.

[tnt10]

If guests choose not to eat in the Main Dining Room should they still be obligated to tip the MDR waitstaff? I fully understand that tips are part of the income for the crew, and always tip room steward, room service, and waitstaff in other dining venues.

 

Not "Another Tipping Question," it's the "Same Tipping Question for those who Don't Want to Tip."

This topic has been so done, you can stick it with a fork!

Happy Cruising,

TnT

[Ashland]

I think that perhaps you don't realize that those working in the dining room for dinner, also work other places for breakfast and lunch. If you don't eat anything other than room service, then I would agree with not tipping. I am sorry, but I feel it's people like you, that make me think the tips should become a mandatory service charge.

 

Things are different on land than at sea, but I know I can't change your way of thinking. We all live with our beliefs and hopefully, yours will be changed at some point.

:mad: "Mandatory service charge"...I think NOT....Everyone has the right to tip as much as they want, when they want, and to who they want...a few people that do not understand this have no right to impose a change for the majority that do.....

[amybear912]

Nowhere in any cruise documentation or brochure of any sort have I EVER seen that waitstaff tips are specifically designated for MDR...

 

In other words, you are making an assumption that dining tips only pertain to the MDR and this is false...

 

The wait staff work in various areas around the ship... at some point they are serving you... Follow the guidelines and your conscience is clear...

 

The only way I could ever justify not tipping the waitstaff is if I didn't eat for the entire cruise...

[steponboard]

I am allowed to disagree with many of you. I would not tip for dining room service if I used a buffet for all my meals. I don't think there is a comparison. If you use the MDR you tip the suggested amounts if you don't use that service then don't tip.

[Sue L]

I am allowed to disagree with many of you. I would not tip for dining room service if I used a buffet for all my meals. I don't think there is a comparison. If you use the MDR you tip the suggested amounts if you don't use that service then don't tip.

 

 

The dining room staff works in the buffet also for lunch and breakfast. So you are still utilizing them there so YES you are still using them and should tip. Unless you are cleaning up your own dishes and preparing your own food you are utilizing their services somewhere on the ship. Sorry sounds like you are justifying a reason not to tip.

[lcguy]

Fact is, your dining room waiter this week may be in the WJ for all services next week. Due to the rotation, you really need to tip your dining room staff. Frankly, RCI should explain that or instead of tipping your waiter, assistant waiter and head waiter, it should be one tip for the wait staff as a whole.

 

Take the amount of gratuities and divide by the number of staff in an algebraic equation that would signify the waiters get 60% of the take, ass't waiters get 30% and head waiters get 10% then divide individually.

 

That could really make the staff pull together and work to provide excellent customer service throughout the ship at every meal and in every dining venue!

[steponboard]

The dining room staff works in the buffet also for lunch and breakfast. So you are still utilizing them there so YES you are still using them and should tip. Unless you are cleaning up your own dishes and preparing your own food you are utilizing their services somewhere on the ship. Sorry sounds like you are justifying a reason not to tip.

 

The WJ is usually not a tipping venue anyway. I really think you need to stop bullying people into your way of thinking. My opinion is just as valid as yours, actually more so in this case because i am following RCL's guidelines.

[Sue L]

The WJ is usually not a tipping venue anyway. I really think you need to stop bullying people into your way of thinking. My opinion is just as valid as yours, actually more so in this case because i am following RCL's guidelines.

 

I am not bullying anyone, I am stating the facts, you just are justifying your opinion when everyone on here is telling you that those same servers help you in the Windjammer that work in the dining room. Show me where in RCCL's guidelines it says don't tip if you eat in the buffet?

[pauly]

The dining room staff works in the buffet also for lunch and breakfast. So you are still utilizing them there so YES you are still using them and should tip. Unless you are cleaning up your own dishes and preparing your own food you are utilizing their services somewhere on the ship. Sorry sounds like you are justifying a reason not to tip.

 

This statement is correct. I do not believe you are obligated to tip anyone, but if you would like to follow RC guidelines, then you should leave the wait staff a gratuity.

[Oxymoron]

If guests choose not to eat in the Main Dining Room should they still be obligated to tip the MDR waitstaff? I fully understand that tips are part of the income for the crew, and always tip room steward, room service, and waitstaff in other dining venues.

 

Valid question

 

Seems like we beat this dead horse about once every two weeks.

Not "Another Tipping Question," it's the "Same Tipping Question for those who Don't Want to Tip."

This topic has been so done, you can stick it with a fork!

Happy Cruising,

TnT

Invalid answers

 

The good thing about CC is that a lot of new people come in each week looking for answers to a myriad of questions. Hell, that is probably why the board was set up in the first place; to help new cruisers out with answers to their questions. So just because you have seen the answer many times before doesn't mean a new member has.

 

As for the OP question I would say yes, you are still obligated for a number of reasons.

[jlocole]

I tend not be an overly generous tipper and on my first cruise I thought it would bug me to pay the suggested tipping amount. I was pleasantly surprised at what RCCL suggested for a week long cruise (Rhapsody): $70.00. That is $10.00 a day on three (or more) meals daily, plus housekeeping services. Not excessive at all. I cruised on Carnival Conquest and it was very similar. People tip far more than $10.00 after eating a 5 course meal on land. On a cruise people are constantly picking up after us; from our room to the buffet, to the sit down dinners, to the bars and entertainment areas, etc. It's nice that the tips are pooled and split up.

[beastiemom]

The WJ is usually not a tipping venue anyway. I really think you need to stop bullying people into your way of thinking. My opinion is just as valid as yours, actually more so in this case because i am following RCL's guidelines.

 

No one is bullying you and you are not following RCCL guidelines. The reality is that RCCL expects you to tip the waitstaff regardless of where you eat. If they didn't expect you to tip if you ate only in the WJ, they could easily set it up so that you could opt out of the MDR and not have to tip. They don't. Again, I am shocked by the amount of people that work so hard to justify not tipping approximately $7.00 pp/pd for all the waitstaff service you get. You in general have spent thousands for a vacation, yet quibble about this amount?:confused:

 

I wish they would just institute a service charge and be done with it like they do on almost every other cruiseline. If people wanted to tip more, fine; but at least everyone would be paying the mininum amount due to the employees.

[BehrHunter]

The cruise line should just bill the tip into the cost of the ticket and be done with it. Like a mandatory service charge at a restaurant. In fact all the cruise lines should do it and put an end to the argument. That way everyone pays the same. At the end of the cruise, if someone went above and beyond in service, feel free to tip them some extra if you want.

 

This whole topic is just maddening. There will always be some group looking to save a buck or two at some poor crew members expense.

[lcguy]

The cruise line should just bill the tip into the cost of the ticket and be done with it. Like a mandatory service charge at a restaurant. In fact all the cruise lines should do it and put an end to the argument. That way everyone pays the same. At the end of the cruise, if someone went above and beyond in service, feel free to tip them some extra if you want.

 

This whole topic is just maddening. There will always be some group looking to save a buck or two at some poor crew members expense.

BehrHunter- I am in complete agreement. However that said, that would be too easy of a solution! :)

 

I do like the competitive/teamwork put it all in the pot aspect though.

[BehrHunter]

BehrHunter- I am in complete agreement. However that said, that would be too easy of a solution! :)

 

 

It just seems like a no-brainer to me. From a cost perspective, I would assume it would save on staff hours on the pursers desk. Just think, no more explaining to be done and no more cheap and angry passengers. The passenger can simply make a cost decision prior to booking. Sounds like a win-win to me.

[steponboard]

. If they didn't expect you to tip if you ate only in the WJ, they could easily set it up so that you could opt out of the MDR and not have to tip. They don't. Again, t?:confused:

 

OPT OUT? You put cash in envelopes and give it to your servers so there's no opt in or opt out. If I didn't eat in the MDR I wouldn't have a server to give that cash to. I personally have always used the MDR so I've never had this scenario come up but if it did I would not tip servers I never met in the MDR, I'd leave that to the people who used their service.

[Ashland]

I think this discussion is just going no where...Just stick to how it has always been done with guidelines that are provided by RCCL..We are all responsible for ourselves in a free society that allows us to have a choice...What we do with those choices should be entirely up to each individual and their circumstance...