What if we don't go to MDR? Do we still tip?

[pandi77]

I know it probably isn't the most popular choice but if my husaband and I don't choose to go to the dining room at all while on our 5 day cruise would we tip the dining room staff at all? We plan on eating in the specialty restaurants or take meals in our room or on our deck. Any advice?

[coordinator23]

You should tip, because tips are shared, I'm sure you will eat breakfast and lunch, non pay venues. (windjammer or mdr or somewhere else on ship)

[Scoobydobe7]

I know it probably isn't the most popular choice but if my husaband and I don't choose to go to the dining room at all while on our 5 day cruise would we tip the dining room staff at all? We plan on eating in the specialty restaurants or take meals in our room or on our deck. Any advice?

 

 

 

If you do not go, you do not go, but I would at least let the "head waiter" or "maitre d'" know you will not be eating in the dining room at all (you should do this when you first board) -- that way they can give your seats to someone else who wants to be there -

[DonnaK]

If you are booked for traditional dining, you should either switch to MTD or release your seats in the MDR, so that people on the waiting list will be able to get the seats you will not be using. Also, you should have the tips put on your onboard account (autopay) so that RCI will distribute it to the appropriate people. Even if you don't dine in the MDR, you still need to tip your cabin steward as well as the dining room staff at breakfast, lunch and the buffet, etc....which would all be covered by the autotips.

[cb at sea]

The tipping is up to you...the tips to the waitstaff covers ALL (except the specialty restaurant servers) for all of you meals and snacks everywhere on the ship. That's why you don't have to tip for breakfast, lunch and any of the other eating venues. For the specialty restaurants, the tip is included in the fee.

[tugboat]

The only time you would not Tip is if you didn't eat on the ship meaning you pack your own food.

[griffy116]

Whether you eat in the MDR, have MTD, room service, Windjammer, Sorrentos, Cafe Promenade or Specialty restaurants, the tip is the same. The waiters all pool the tips, and you don't tip as you go. What if you make you own bed, and don't take a bath and dirty any of the towels? Still expected to tip the room steward. Just follow the daily guidelines and budget the tipping in as part of the cost of cruising.

[pandi77]

I see, we don't plan on going to the MDR at all..breakfast, lunch or dinner..or the Windjammer but I also understand that is how the dining room attendants (top to bottom) make their money so we will tip anyways. We have already notified RCI that we don't intend to use our late seating status for dinner that we had to select at booking so we will just plan to tip!

[Ashland]

I see, we don't plan on going to the MDR at all..breakfast, lunch or dinner..or the Windjammer but I also understand that is how the dining room attendants (top to bottom) make their money so we will tip anyways. We have already notified RCI that we don't intend to use our late seating status for dinner that we had to select at booking so we will just plan to tip!

I for one wish RCI would give you the OPT OUT dining if you aren't going to use the MDR or MTD that would allow more that want to get their choice of those...

[montekat]

The MDR waiters take turns working in the Windjammer, so yes, you should tip them as they are still working for you. As others have said, the tips are pooled and shared. They work hard for those tips.

[tright]

My DH and I rarely go to the MDR on our cruises ( we do not want to have to "dress" for the MDR ) so we chose MTD so that the tip is prepaid. Even before they had MTD we would prepay tips that way the dinning staff is covered. When we go to the specialty restaurants we add a little extra to the bill.

[bplazo]

Just curious as to where you will be having lunch or breakfast? Room Service?

[pondlover1969]

I totally agree about giving the option to OPT out of main dining room seating. We just got off the Radiance and we had to book the late dinner seating. We visted the dining room the minute we boarded the ship and asked for early seating. They told us there was a wait list for it. The next night we received a letter indicating that we could be seated at early seating. When we arrived for the early seating, we were sat at a table for 10. In most cases there was us and one other couple at the table for the remaining part of the cruise. They were also assigned late seating and were given early after the first night.

 

For at least 3/4 of the cruise there were at least 7-8 tables that had no one sitting at them for the early seating. It was crazy! We also saw our assistant waiter in the windjammer during the lunch hours. He remembered us and took the time to say hi while we were passing by.

 

I wasn't aware that they are pooled their tips and shared them. Is it all staff that pools the tips together or do waiters share with waiters, asst waiters share with asst waiters, etc?

[pandi77]

Yes we understand. We really enjoy having our meals in our cabin and is one of the primary reasons we book a suite when cruising so we can have access to all the same offering of the MDR.

 

We tip our stateroom attendants heavily as we know we keep them running as well as the attendants in the specialty restaurants.We also tip the concierge as we frequent it as well we just have always wondered if everyone else who doesn't use the Windjammer and MDR still tips those attendants too? I have often wondered if I should hold back some of what would go to the dining room we don't use and pass it along to the stateroom attendants bringing us all those meals!

[Debde]

We tip our stateroom attendants heavily as we know we keep them running as well as the attendants in the specialty restaurants.We also tip the concierge as we frequent it as well we just have always wondered if everyone else who doesn't use the Windjammer and MDR still tips those attendants too? I have often wondered if I should hold back some of what would go to the dining room we don't use and pass it along to the stateroom attendants bringing us all those meals!

 

Guess I am in the minority here. I would tip the stateroom attendant, concierge, specialty dining servers and room service folks who would be bringing me all the food.

[bajathree]

Guess I am in the minority here. I would tip the stateroom attendant, concierge, specialty dining servers and room service folks who would be bringing me all the food.

 

I am right there with ya;)

[sblair]

After our last cruise, we don't plan to eat in the MDR at all for our next cruise. I have a hard time with the logic of tipping the MDR staff when you aren't going to be eating there. I would rather be giving that tip money to those that actually do serve us, whether in the specialty restaurants or room service (we're in a suite).

 

I recall seeing something that says you are supposed to tip room service waiters at the time of the meal and they are not included in the 'pooled tips'.

 

I do not plan on tipping for MDR unless we actually eat there, I'll instead be tipping the servers for where we do eat.

[dmdicato]

If you are booked for traditional dining, you should either switch to MTD or release your seats in the MDR, so that people on the waiting list will be able to get the seats you will not be using. Also, you should have the tips put on your onboard account (autopay) so that RCI will distribute it to the appropriate people. Even if you don't dine in the MDR, you still need to tip your cabin steward as well as the dining room staff at breakfast, lunch and the buffet, etc....which would all be covered by the autotips.

 

This is definitely good! Releasing those traditional dining seats in the MDR is preferable whenever possible. There are some of us on that waitlist, or others who have been told that the waitlist is already closed....5 months before departure!

[Oscar_the_Grouch's_Sis]

My DH and I rarely go to the MDR on our cruises ( we do not want to have to "dress" for the MDR )

 

Apparently hardly anyone wants to "dress" for the MDR anymore ... but you will see post after post (thread after thread) that these people go anyway! Now I am not going to say if I am for or against ... I just wanted to let you know that if you want to go to the MDR in casual attire, there will be plenty of people there who share your dress code. (So go ahead and go if you want!)

 

and I second the idea that there should be an "opt out" for MDR if people are 100% sure they will not be dining there (but only if there is no chance they will change their mind)

[Snackdaddy]

The MDR waiters take turns working in the Windjammer, so yes, you should tip them as they are still working for you. As others have said, the tips are pooled and shared. They work hard for those tips.

 

I agree. Your wait staff works hard in the MDR and on rotation they work in the Windjammer. Moreover, with all of the staff reductions, they work even harder than ever before.

[time4u2go]

Whether you eat in the MDR, have MTD, room service, Windjammer, Sorrentos, Cafe Promenade or Specialty restaurants, the tip is the same. The waiters all pool the tips, and you don't tip as you go.

 

So I'm curious then...does this mean that it is pointless to tip your MDR waiters extra, since it will just be pooled and split (meaning that the extra would be miniscule when split among ALL the waiters)? Am I missing something here? Is this really how it works?:confused:

[alexkrn46]

Two of our cruises we never ate in the Main Dining Room, we tipped using the vouchers, if people don't tip there will be a service charge applied to every ticket.

[CruisesOnMyMind]

After our last cruise, we don't plan to eat in the MDR at all for our next cruise. I have a hard time with the logic of tipping the MDR staff when you aren't going to be eating there. I would rather be giving that tip money to those that actually do serve us, whether in the specialty restaurants or room service (we're in a suite).

 

I recall seeing something that says you are supposed to tip room service waiters at the time of the meal and they are not included in the 'pooled tips'.

 

I do not plan on tipping for MDR unless we actually eat there, I'll instead be tipping the servers for where we do eat.

 

And this is exactly why RCI needs to automaticaly add the tips to the sea pass card or the last statement, or before hand, like most of the other cruise lines do. Then there is no confusion what so ever on when or where to tip.:D

[dioxide45]

How exactly does tipping on MTD work. I know you prepay, but do you prepay at time of deposit or time of final payment?

[Coralc]

So I'm curious then...does this mean that it is pointless to tip your MDR waiters extra, since it will just be pooled and split (meaning that the extra would be miniscule when split among ALL the waiters)? Am I missing something here? Is this really how it works?:confused:

 

As I understand it....MTD tips are pooled. I don't know about the traditional. If you add extra, they individually keep that.

 

And the tipping is per night, per person, per cruise ship member. If there are people that think like the OP does, then I would like to see them go to a mandatory system. They are counting on a certain number of passengers and tips per sailing. They rotate to a 1 week evening dining in the windjammer....without tips. If everyone tipped the way they are requested to...everything would be fine for the folks that make your vacation a pleasant experience. :D:):D