Service Gratuities

[ducky0501]

I will be traveling on Carnival and have prepaid the $10/day tips. According to their website, this is divided between Stateroom Services, Dining Room Services, and Alternative Services (other kitchen and hotel service staff). I have also read about the automatic tip on alcoholic beverages. Is there anyone other than the Maître d’, Luggage Handlers, and Room Service Staff that I will be expected to tip in cash?

[MarkSeattle]

Cash for luggage handlers, and tips for room service will probably be sufficient. On my Carnival cruise the Maitre'D didn't do anything except when it came to time trying to schmooze for tips. So, I'd leave that decision as to whether he's available, provides any service or really keeps the dining room running.

[jamers22]

I agree with MarkSeattle, I carry tip money for baggage handlers and room service. So far we've never had to ask the maitre'D to do anything extra for us, so no tip there.

We usually give an extra tip to our room steward since we have them do extra's for us (my son has medicine that needs to be chilled and they keep ice in the cooler for us).

And we'll give our wait staff a little extra tip since we travel with a group and they always do a great job.

[uppitycats]

I will be traveling on Carnival and have prepaid the $10/day tips. According to their website, this is divided between Stateroom Services, Dining Room Services, and Alternative Services (other kitchen and hotel service staff). I have also read about the automatic tip on alcoholic beverages. Is there anyone other than the Maître d’, Luggage Handlers, and Room Service Staff that I will be expected to tip in cash?

 

I've never tipped a Maitre d'. I've never seen one except on the last night, coming around to every table, inquiring if we were happy -- with his hand out. So no, other than the luggage handlers and room service, you're covered.

 

Unless you have kids that will be using the kids programming...or spa services. Those folks might require or expect a tip too (although I think one is built into the spa services bill, like what you'll see on the alcoholic beverages bill.) Oh -- you need to know, by the way, that *soft drinks* will also come with a bill to which an automatic tip has been added. They come from the bar, and are treated the same way.

[jerry2457]

I have never tipped the maitre'd because it seems like they never walk around to check on anyone except on the last night. I travel with a group and we tend to move around to our different assigned tables so we rarely have the same waiter. However the one cruise I did stay at an assigned table they did a really good job and by the 2nd or 3rd night knew my name, what I liked to drink, etc and I was impressed with them so I tipped him some cash on the last night. I tip the porters when I check bags with them. I also tip the room steward because then they become your best friends and will bend over backwards to do things or get things for you. If its a 7 day cruise and there are 2 of us, we slip em $20 at the beginning of the cruise. They don't make a lot of $ as it is so the tip money they get allows them to buy things in their area. Its your call if you tip them but at the very least you should tip the porters ($1-2 per bag) for handling your bags, the waiter if he is the same one all week and does a good job, and your room steward. I have yet to see a maitre'd who has been much help and on one of our group trips they assigned a girl a small table all by herself and she was in tears...one of her first cruises ever and we made sure that didn't happen again but when there was this problem no maitre'd was around to help.

[FlaGrl4Evr]

Tour guides and tour bus drivers. The norm is around $10 per couple for the tour guide and $5 per couple to the tour bus driver.

[98Charlie]

I agree with MarkSeattle, I carry tip money for baggage handlers and room service. So far we've never had to ask the maitre'D to do anything extra for us, so no tip there.

 

Have cruised 28 times and have almost always tipped our maitre'd something. Exceptions have been on cruises where the dining staff seemed to be discoordinated as a whole.

 

Too few pax understand the duties of the maitre'd since many of those duties are more ``behind the scene.'' He/she is responsible for the training of the dining staff, the over-all look of the dining area from table settings to the professional look of the serving teams.

 

Have witnesssed a maitre'd stop by tables many times to seemingly talk with diners when his main purpose was to casually turn a plate a few degrees or so to ensure the food on the plate was presented to the diner in the manner the Head Chef had planned. The maitre'd is the person who answers to hotel director if diners aren't happy. It's the maitre'd that has to ensure waiters are matched well as teams. It's the maitre'd that spends many hours before a cruise matching diners up for their table assignments --- evaluating information provided to him through information supplied by pax booking information.

 

I've always felt the maitre'd is the unsung hero of a ``well oiled'' and efficient dining room.

 

Dianne

[uppitycats]

Have cruised 28 times and have almost always tipped our maitre'd something. Exceptions have been on cruises where the dining staff seemed to be discoordinated as a whole.

 

Too few pax understand the duties of the maitre'd since many of those duties are more ``behind the scene.'' He/she is responsible for the training of the dining staff, the over-all look of the dining area from table settings to the professional look of the serving teams.

 

Have witnesssed a maitre'd stop by tables many times to seemingly talk with diners when his main purpose was to casually turn a plate a few degrees or so to ensure the food on the plate was presented to the diner in the manner the Head Chef had planned. The maitre'd is the person who answers to hotel director if diners aren't happy. It's the maitre'd that has to ensure waiters are matched well as teams. It's the maitre'd that spends many hours before a cruise matching diners up for their table assignments --- evaluating information provided to him through information supplied by pax booking information.

 

I've always felt the maitre'd is the unsung hero of a ``well oiled'' and efficient dining room.

 

Dianne

 

He may well do all that. But he also gets paid substantially more than the service workers who actually serve you. I don't CARE if my plate is "just so", or for that matter if I have all the proper utensils, or if the dining room looks attractive (he may plan that..but it is the service workers who DO that!). And a maitre'd in an anytime dining room doesn't HAVE any trouble seating people...

 

So many of your arguments don't hold water, in my book. Unless there is some DIRECT benefit TO ME by the otherwise uctious maitre'd, he'll just have to settle for his usual salary.

[98Charlie]

He may well do all that. But he also gets paid substantially more than the service workers who actually serve you. I don't CARE if my plate is "just so", or for that matter if I have all the proper utensils, or if the dining room looks attractive (he may plan that..but it is the service workers who DO that!). And a maitre'd in an anytime dining room doesn't HAVE any trouble seating people...

 

So many of your arguments don't hold water, in my book. Unless there is some DIRECT benefit TO ME by the otherwise uctious maitre'd, he'll just have to settle for his usual salary.

Sorry if you felt that the observations of DW were "arguments". And, whether anyone tips the Maitre d' or not is of no real concern to us. I would be confident that his base pay is more than that of a waiter. "Substantially"....I don't know. I do know that the cruise lines generally suggest that it is a tipped position.

 

Apparently our experience with Maitre d's has been better than yours. As opposed to being "unctuous" (I assume that is the word you meant) most have been congenial and sincere. On most of our cruises the Maitre d' has stopped by our evening table 4 or 5 times during a 7 night cruise. We also eat breakfast and lunch in the dining room and normally the Maitre d' will stop.

 

We have also had one (maybe two) "magical Maitre d's" that have shown up on the last night of the cruise. In addition we have had a couple of over-the-top Maitre d's that have taken realllllly good care of us.

 

Like it or not, the Maitre d' is responsible for the dining experience of the guests in his or her dining room. That dining experience rests in the details of the dining operation. Most guests won't know or care if their meal is improperly plated or placed. Nor would it be a big deal if the silver is set incorrectly.

 

OTOH some would be miffed if they came to breakfast and there was no cup ready for the morning java. Those breakfast tables are set under the watch of the Maitre d' after the last meal is served the night before. Salt and peppers are cleaned and refilled. Service stations are likewise cleaned and restocked. DW and I have on several occasions had the opportunity to be in the dining room after all other guest have left for the day and see some of the work going on.

 

Your Maitre d' is also in charge of training of the dining staff. The waiters, assistant waiters and bus staff didn't just sign on the ship, put on a tie and start waiting tables.

 

So that's some of the responsibilities of the Maitre d'. If anyone tips as suggested by the cruise line, fine by me. If they don't, also fine by me.

 

Just my 2¢,

 

Charlie

[gerif]

I think a lot of people are confusing the maitre d' with the headwaiter. The maitre d' does not typically get tipped (although some have been known to slip him some cash on the first day in order to get a preferred table). The headwaiter is the one who sees that the waiters in his area are doing OK and that things are running smoothly. He's the one who comes around and takes the lobster tails out of the shell, etc., and will stop by on the last night to chat.

[98Charlie]

I think a lot of people are confusing the maitre d' with the headwaiter. The maitre d' does not typically get tipped (although some have been known to slip him some cash on the first day in order to get a preferred table). The headwaiter is the one who sees that the waiters in his area are doing OK and that things are running smoothly. He's the one who comes around and takes the lobster tails out of the shell, etc., and will stop by on the last night to chat.

No confusion here. The Maitre d' is in charge of the dining room. Under him/her are the assistant Maitre d's and/or headwaiters. The titles vary with the cruise line.

 

Charlie

[conchead]

The way I feel about it, and the way I understand many others to also

understand it is...

If you do not have any request or special needs and have no interaction

with the maitre d, other than just being in the dining room he is in. He has

done his job.... the job he is paid quite well to perform.

If he stops by the last night, tell him hello and let that be the end of it.

 

If he has honored a special request, then maybe slip him something the last night.

It is also not needed to slip him a $20 the first night as most respectible

ones will refuse. Many passengers also look down on it as bribing, I agree

with them.

[cb at sea]

Tip the recommended amount, and be done with it. If you use room service, tip them when they deliver the food to you. $1-2 is ample per delivery.

Tip the porters. That's all.

[98Charlie]

He may well do all that. But he also gets paid substantially more than the service workers who actually serve you. I don't CARE if my plate is "just so", or for that matter if I have all the proper utensils, or if the dining room looks attractive (he may plan that..but it is the service workers who DO that!). And a maitre'd in an anytime dining room doesn't HAVE any trouble seating people...

 

So many of your arguments don't hold water, in my book. Unless there is some DIRECT benefit TO ME by the otherwise uctious maitre'd, he'll just have to settle for his usual salary.

 

The way I feel about it, and the way I understand many others to also

understand it is...

If you do not have any request or special needs and have no interaction

with the maitre d, other than just being in the dining room he is in. He has

done his job.... the job he is paid quite well to perform.

If he stops by the last night, tell him hello and let that be the end of it.

 

If he has honored a special request, then maybe slip him something the last night.

It is also not needed to slip him a $20 the first night as most respectible

ones will refuse. Many passengers also look down on it as bribing, I agree

with them.

Just a question and nothing more: How much does a Maitre d' make in base salary??

[jcm996]

I will adjust my tips per service if needed. There has only been 1 cruise where I haven't tipped the min to everyone. Most of the time the service is so good we tip them extra. I have even tipped certain bartenders extra during the week because they took good care of us. (One afternoon we sat there drinking soda (soda card) and water and the bartender still took great care of us. So I gave him some cash.

 

Tipping is good, but if you really want to help a crew members career, write their name down on your review. I was talking with some crew one time and the best way to put this in 50 words or less is "each time their name is on a guest review they get or lose a "star" and if they get enough "stars" they can get better job assignments. (Bar tend/waiter by the pool or casino a high traffic area = more tips)"

 

Overall in life I am getting really tired of all the tipping we are expected to do. Figure for a cruise $10 a day on the ship for a 7 day cruise 2 people = $140. When you add in the taxi to/from hotel and porters and all you are pushing $250. Now I am seeing tip jars at fast food joints. So why do we not tip the airline stewardess, the ship captain, and such?

[cccole]

I have only tipped the maitre d' on one of our 8 cruises. No confusion here about the head waiter, wine steward, etc. I am one who also finds the practice of a maitre d' who comes around on the last night to "perform" for tips a disgusting practice. They seem to identify tables at the beginning of the cruise that they target and only pay attention to other tables when they think it is essential. Besides room service and excursion tips, we take extra $ for the cabin stewards and dining room staff. Cherie