Room Service Gratuity

[krkheffe]

Does anyone know if when you order room service, do they add gratuity on it on your bill like they do with bar drinks etc? I am just wondering as I have read some people say that at times when they got a drink somewhere, that they automatically added gratuity to their bill but they didn't know it at the time and tipped the bar people again.

 

Just wondering if we tip the person that brings it..which is what I would do...or/and if they add gratuity for room service to your bill at the end of the cruise.

 

I was thinking of ordering room service the first night in Maui as we are going on the Road to Hana tour the next day through the cruise ship and I know they do not provide lunch.

 

Thanks!

[CruiserBruce]

Not sure how this applies to Hawaii. Auto-tipping onboard a ship, with a room service bill may depend on cruiseline, although I have never heard of it. No cruise line I have been on has auto tipping on room service. What cruise line are you talking about?

 

Yes, most cruise lines put a automatic tip on booze. But not on room service.

[jonbgd]

Since your doing the overnight in Maui you are pprobably doing the POA

No there is not automatic gratuity for room service, but for the hours of midnight to 5am there is a delivery fee($5?)

So yes you can tip the person that brings it. Thats what I do

[krkheffe]

Not sure how this applies to Hawaii. Auto-tipping onboard a ship, with a room service bill may depend on cruiseline, although I have never heard of it. No cruise line I have been on has auto tipping on room service. What cruise line are you talking about?

 

Yes, most cruise lines put a automatic tip on booze. But not on room service.

 

Sorry...I didn't specify that it was on Pride of America...which is why it applies to Hawaii. Just thought someone that had been on this cruise may know the answer.

 

I guess if I had read the question posted on this board I would have assumed that it applied in some way or the person wouldn't have posted it here. Then, if I chose to answer it, I would have said something like, "I am assuming that you will be on a cruise to Hawaii.....Auto-tipping onboard a ship....etc".

 

Then, the person who originally posted this question...me.... wouldn't feel as stupid.

 

It just gives newer people a friendlier feeling and makes them more willing to contribute.

 

Thanks for your help.

[krkheffe]

Since your doing the overnight in Maui you are pprobably doing the POA

No there is not automatic gratuity for room service, but for the hours of midnight to 5am there is a delivery fee($5?)

So yes you can tip the person that brings it. Thats what I do

 

Yes, POA.....I am fairly new here posting stuff and originally posted this on the roll call board for my cruise in Dec....however, they were having problems and it never got posted so I re-posted here, on the Hawaii one. I need to remember to be more specific about cruise ship etc.

 

Thanks for letting me know about the hours and delivery fee.....and your answer. It helped a lot.

[flamomo]

Sorry...I didn't specify that it was on Pride of America...which is why it applies to Hawaii. Just thought someone that had been on this cruise may know the answer.

 

I guess if I had read the question posted on this board I would have assumed that it applied in some way or the person wouldn't have posted it here. Then, if I chose to answer it, I would have said something like, "I am assuming that you will be on a cruise to Hawaii.....Auto-tipping onboard a ship....etc".

 

Then, the person who originally posted this question...me.... wouldn't feel as stupid.

 

It just gives newer people a friendlier feeling and makes them more willing to contribute.

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Perhaps you are unaware that the POA is not the only ship that cruises the Hawaiian islands. Princess does r/t LA - Hawaii itineraries (which I have done 3 times so far, and have a booking for next Spring to do again). Other cruiselines also offer cruises there.

Ergo, Cruiser Bruce's response!!! He was not being a S.A., or unfriendly .... just asking a legitimate question. Different cruiselines tend to do things different ways, so an answer to a question can vary with cruiseline.

BTW, welcome to Cruise Critic!

[krkheffe]

Perhaps you are unaware that the POA is not the only ship that cruises the Hawaiian islands. Princess does r/t LA - Hawaii itineraries (which I have done 3 times so far, and have a booking for next Spring to do again). Other cruiselines also offer cruises there.

 

Ergo, Cruiser Bruce's response!!! He was not being a S.A., or unfriendly .... just asking a legitimate question. Different cruiselines tend to do things different ways, so an answer to a question can vary with cruiseline.

 

BTW, welcome to Cruise Critic!

 

I know other cruise lines go to Hawaii...I just failed to mention it was POA in my haste to post this question. I took it as snippy but shouldn't have and should have just went on with life....long day for me...but no excuse...sorry if I was the snippy one here....sorry as well to you....Cruiser Bruce.

 

Appreciate everyone's help and I have learned so much.

[WestfieldTraveler]

I was thinking of ordering room service the first night in Maui as we are going on the Road to Hana tour the next day through the cruise ship and I know they do not provide lunch.

 

If you are going to be on the ship for Maui day one on the PoA, I would go to the sandwich bar then, bring some sandwiches back to the room and put them in ziplock bags and store them in the fridge (ask your room steward to remove all the usual minibar items when you first see him/her). Or do that at breakfast, but you have a smaller selection of meats available (although my Bagle/cc/lox did taste very good on the road!). You can also do a Peanut Butter/Jam as welll at breakfast.

 

Another option is to make a chicken breast sandwich the night before from the Key West bar & Grill and eat it cold.

 

On the room service menu I do reacall just a BLT and Turkey as cold sandwiches plus PB/J for kids. I usually tip a buck or two upon delivery - but you do have to be fast as the servers do NOT hang around for a tip!

[krkheffe]

If you are going to be on the ship for Maui day one on the PoA, I would go to the sandwich bar then, bring some sandwiches back to the room and put them in ziplock bags and store them in the fridge (ask your room steward to remove all the usual minibar items when you first see him/her). Or do that at breakfast, but you have a smaller selection of meats available (although my Bagle/cc/lox did taste very good on the road!). You can also do a Peanut Butter/Jam as welll at breakfast.

 

Another option is to make a chicken breast sandwich the night before from the Key West bar & Grill and eat it cold.

 

On the room service menu I do reacall just a BLT and Turkey as cold sandwiches plus PB/J for kids. I usually tip a buck or two upon delivery - but you do have to be fast as the servers do NOT hang around for a tip!

 

Great idea about the sandwich bar...I didn't even know there was a sandwich bar! We will be on the ship but only some day 1 in Maui....we are renting a vehicle and not sure exactly whet we will do the morning early afternoon...but going to Lahaina for a luau that evening. We may drive up to the volcano or just go around Ioa on the way to Lahaina....and wee what happens.

 

So, not sure we would be on the ship when they had a sandwich bar...probably not.

 

We will figure it out...thanks for the tips!

[smrtypnts]

If you are going to be on the ship for Maui day one on the PoA, I would go to the sandwich bar then, bring some sandwiches back to the room and put them in ziplock bags and store them in the fridge (ask your room steward to remove all the usual minibar items when you first see him/her). Or do that at breakfast, but you have a smaller selection of meats available (although my Bagle/cc/lox did taste very good on the road!). You can also do a Peanut Butter/Jam as welll at breakfast.

 

Another option is to make a chicken breast sandwich the night before from the Key West bar & Grill and eat it cold.

 

On the room service menu I do reacall just a BLT and Turkey as cold sandwiches plus PB/J for kids. I usually tip a buck or two upon delivery - but you do have to be fast as the servers do NOT hang around for a tip!

To answer the OP's question coming from another angle--with little exception, room service is free therefore there's nothing to add the tip to--like there is with the purchase of a beverage. Therefore, yes, you should tip for room service. I generally tip $2. Also, as Westfield Traveler notes--you can go upstairs to the breakfast buffet and you'll find cold cuts and bread etc to make sandwiches. We brought collapsible coolers and plastic baggies--some baggies held our sandwiches and some baggies held the ice inside the cooler. We also brought some plastic containers and took some sliced fruit some days.

[krkheffe]

To answer the OP's question coming from another angle--with little exception, room service is free therefore there's nothing to add the tip to--like there is with the purchase of a beverage. Therefore, yes, you should tip for room service. I generally tip $2. Also, as Westfield Traveler notes--you can go upstairs to the breakfast buffet and you'll find cold cuts and bread etc to make sandwiches. We brought collapsible coolers and plastic baggies--some baggies held our sandwiches and some baggies held the ice inside the cooler. We also brought some plastic containers and took some sliced fruit some days.

 

Thanks...that is really what I would have thought...but didn't know if they added some sort of tip to your bill. Good way to explain it. We are planning on bringing a collasible cooler and ziplocs too...we will see how it works out. Likely I will only do that once or twice.

[smrtypnts]

Thanks...that is really what I would have thought...but didn't know if they added some sort of tip to your bill. Good way to explain it. We are planning on bringing a collasible cooler and ziplocs too...we will see how it works out. Likely I will only do that once or twice.

Funny you should say that because we only did it once or twice also. VNP was one of the times and I think Road to Hana was the other. After that, I simply couldn't be bothered...not to mention it really wasn't necessary.

[krkheffe]

Funny you should say that because we only did it once or twice also. VNP was one of the times and I think Road to Hana was the other. After that, I simply couldn't be bothered...not to mention it really wasn't necessary.

 

 

Same here..haha. Road to Hana and VNP. We are doing several things the same it seems so far accoring to your trip review! But...we are taking the ship tour of Road to Hana as we are doing it on the 2nd day.