Bar etiquette

[VincyLove]

Part of my family income comes from your tips on a cruise ship and it's much appreciated. Your cruise bar service staff has three goals...sell alcohol, give good service and make a living. They work very long hours, are away from their families for 6 months at a time, and work for less than most of you would even consider working for. Unless they have another job..they earn nothing on their months off. Most are friendly and all will have a bad day from time to time just like you. There is no problem "taking up space" in a lounge or bar even if you are not ordering anything...but please leave a small something...just to acknowledge that the bar staff was there to serve you...just in case you DID want something. They and their families appreciate it! If your bar staff remembers you and fixes your favorite drink spontaneously on your next visit to that bar...leave a little something extra. They took the time to remember you. If you have received excellent service...please remember them on your comments card. It may mean the difference between them getting another contract or not. You should also comment on consistently(not just a bad day) bad service. Someone somewhere in the world would love to have that job. Thanks!

[Sequim88]

We frequently sit in the Viking Crown Lounge for large parts of the daytime. Use of the space has already been paid for and we have as much right to the seat as any other passenger - drinking or not. I love to listen to iPod, read and gaze at the waves - especially on sea days.

 

Usually we don't consume anything at all but if we did ask for an "included" beverage (coffee, tea, ice tea, water, etc...) would they bring a zero charge slip that I could put sip on SeaPass account? When we do buy a chargable drink we add extra tip (above the built in one) on the slip but have never yet ordered a no charge beverage. We don't usually carry while cash on the ship so depend on the Seapass account.

[DRWhit]

I would say enjoy the show and don't worry about whether you are drinking or not. In my opinion, if they are having entertainers on the ship you are well within proper manners to sit in whatever the venue is, and enjoy the show. Many people can't drink because of health reasons, or just choose not to drink. That doesn't mean they should have to miss out on a good ole sing along.

[ryano]

Go to a table and enjoy the entertainment, but do not take up a place at the bar.

 

I totally agree with you on that :)

[Texmike]

Most of the time it's hard to find an empty seat at a bar during the peak hours of the day.

 

If all the chairs at the small tables are taken and there are only bar seats, we sit there.

 

We've always gotten a drink when went to a bar. My wife has coke card so she always at least gets that if she doesn't want a beer or mixed drink.

 

I almost always buy a Corona

.

But if cruisers don't drink anything, they shouldn't feel guilt about sitting at the bar.

[johneeo]

But if cruisers don't drink anything, they shouldn't feel guilt about sitting at the bar.

 

You southern gentlemen are much more refined than we northeasterners.;)

 

Someone sitting at a bar and not drinking?:eek: That is something totally incomprehensible up here!

[Puffinater]

Usually we don't consume anything at all but if we did ask for an "included" beverage (coffee, tea, ice tea, water, etc...) would they bring a zero charge slip that I could put sip on SeaPass account? When we do buy a chargable drink we add extra tip (above the built in one) on the slip but have never yet ordered a no charge beverage. We don't usually carry while cash on the ship so depend on the Seapass account.

 

I have never encountered this but I have never ordered anything but water. I usually carry $1 bills just in case.

[cruzeluver]

I'm sorry, but I am not going to consider the potential earnings of crew members when determining where to sit and what to order (or not order as the case may be). Its called vacation.

[BND]

We have occasionally sat in venues on every cruise without ordering a drink and we've never had anything but gracious servers approach us. We like to sit in the Viking Crown some evenings and listen to the music and survey the view. We have sat in the Schooner bar on several occasions without drinking as we like to LISTEN to the music. There is absolutely nothing wrong with sitting at any of these locations and not drink anything. Plenty of other times we do order drinks.

 

The "valuable space" issue makes no sense to me. You have paid to use the public space onboard and if you don't want to drink you don't have to. Everyone has a right to sit and enjoy the entertainment, the view, whatever. You are not in a private establishment/bar that has to turn over tables to make a profit. RCI is already making a profit by virtue of you being there. The servers don't expect every single person to order a drink.:cool:

[cruisegirl1]

We very often sit in bars on the ship to listen to music. Wait staff will approach and if we say we don’t care for a drink, they will leave a cocktail napkin on the drink table. I guess that is a signal to other servers that you have been approached. They politely tell us to let them know if we change or minds.

 

 

It never occured to me to tip the wait staff in this instance. (While not the topic at hand, we will often give a tip for the musician.)

 

Enjoy

M

[KuffMUp]

DH and I drink a lot on a cruise. Somehow it has never occurred to me to scrutenize what others are drinking in a lounge. IMHO, any passenger should be able to utilize the public venues. I don't dance but sometimes want to listen to music and watch. Does that mean I shouldn't go to one of the night clubs because I am taking up space from dancers?

 

I do have sympathy for the workers. I tip on every order and I tip the waitstaff where I spent the majority of the time with an extra tip at the end of the week. You would probably be very suprised to learn that many people don't tip the staff when they drink and expect it to be covered by the pre-paid gratutity.

[Puffinater]

We very often sit in bars on the ship to listen to music. Wait staff will approach and if we say we don’t care for a drink, they will leave a cocktail napkin on the drink table. I guess that is a signal to other servers that you have been approached. They politely tell us to let them know if we change or minds.

M

 

We have had several servers tell us it was to let the Bar Managers know they had been by the table. Probably a signal for both.

[spookwife]

You southern gentlemen are much more refined than we northeasterners.;)

 

Someone sitting at a bar and not drinking?:eek: That is something totally incomprehensible up here!

 

 

actually I am pretty sure that's illegal.. or at least immoral...:D

 

DH and I prefer to sit at the bar for a variety of reasons. and when I am alone( as I have been the last 2 years since DH is overseas ) and I go out, I sit at the bar so I can have adult human conversation.

 

of course we are drinkers so that's a no brainer but we also order food if an option.

[peteukmcr]

 

I do have sympathy for the workers. I tip on every order and I tip the waitstaff where I spent the majority of the time with an extra tip at the end of the week. You would probably be very suprised to learn that many people don't tip the staff when they drink and expect it to be covered by the pre-paid gratutity.

OK, so I know this thread has deviated from the OP original question but I am confused. You say that you tip the waitstaff on every order, are you saying this is in addition to the 15% gratuity added to your order?

 

Am I totally mistaken that the 15% gratuity is the mandatory tip? Please bear in mind I am from the UK and as you are aware mandatory tipping / gratuity is not required in our culture, may be it is expected more and more these days, but until I get great service here in the UK, the staff don't get 15%, more like 10% max.

[LA_CA_GAL]

I think the lack of bar etiquette comes up because a large percentage of the cruise ship passengers have never been in a bar other than on a cruise ship.

 

You are right on with that post.

[BND]

OK, so I know this thread has deviated from the OP original question but I am confused. You say that you tip the waitstaff on every order, are you saying this is in addition to the 15% gratuity added to your order?

 

Am I totally mistaken that the 15% gratuity is the mandatory tip? Please bear in mind I am from the UK and as you are aware mandatory tipping / gratuity is not required in our culture, may be it is expected more and more these days, but until I get great service here in the UK, the staff don't get 15%, more like 10% max.

 

I was going to mention that too. Yes, the 15% is the tip and is on every drink ordered. The wait staff does get their tips from that amount. You don't have to tip additionally for drinks. The pre-paid tips are separate and are for the dining staff, room steward, etc., not the bar staff. There is no need to tip additionally unless you want to.

[peteukmcr]

I was going to mention that too. Yes, the 15% is the tip and is on every drink ordered. The wait staff does get their tips from that amount. You don't have to tip additionally for drinks. The pre-paid tips are separate and are for the dining staff, room steward, etc., not the bar staff. There is no need to tip additionally unless you want to.

Many thanks for the clarification. Admittedly I have tipped favourite bar staff additional amounts at the end of the cruise, but was worried I'd be labelled a cheapskate for not adding to each and every bar order.

 

If that were the case then I'd have to cut down on the upcoming Med cruise as each bar order already costs an extra 23%, 15% gratuity to the bar staff and 8% to the Spanish government!:D

[joe6666]

This is all about etiquette. When you violate any sort of etiquette most people won’t confront you, and that accounts for the number of people who never know that they are making themselves look like rookies who don’t know what they don’t know.

Of course you can sit in a bar drinking a glass of water or tea while all those around you are drinking what most people drink in a bar. On a cruise ship you can do that cruise after cruise year after year and never realize that you are violating bar etiquette because you never go to a real bar.

You can also sit in the Windjammer reading a book or watching dozens of people walk by looking for a table, never knowing you are violating Windjammer etiquette.

Can you sit in a bar on the ship without drinking, taking up space that some drinkers might occupy looking for a bar to chat with other typical bar patrons?

Of course you can. People will never say anything to you.

But a bar is a bar, and people who go to bars want to meet and chat with other bar type people, and that’s just the way it is. It could be called “bar etiquette” and if you are not a drinker, you probably don’t understand because you never go to bars.

[Texmike]

We don't have bar etiquette down here in Texas.

 

[wwcruisers]

We don't have bar etiquette down here in Texas.

 

 

LOL -- a heavily armed populace makes for good public manners! ;) :D

[frito58]

Interesting thread , we tend to make friends with at least a couple of waiters throughout the cruise , and as my wife always has a soda card they always seem to find us and keep her in sodas and most nights I will have an adult beverage or 2 or 3 or so :p, but some nights I don't feel like and they are cool with that as well. But like others have said I always find them as the week goes on and give them a cash tip for services rendered. This is always a big plus at the farewell party as well , never have gone thirsty at that party , those free drinks seem to be plentiful when you know a few waiters. :D

[gizfish]

If it weren't meant for all (drinkers and non-drinkers) to enjoy the entertainment at whatever bar, lounge, club etc., featuring it, there would be an additional charge like a cover charge to be in that area. See, it's not meant for all to be in Chops, so they charge an additional fee to use that area. There is no reason to not enjoy whatever activity or entertainment is taking place in a public area and feel that you need to order a drink to do so. You are also not required to throw some money into the dollar slots as you walk through the casino to get to another part of the ship.

[gadaboutgal]

To the OP: you are not obligated to order a drink or tip for non-service anywhere on the ship.

I frequently visit the bars on my cruises to listen to the entertainment and rarely order a drink. I have never felt or been made to feel obligated to order anything or tip for any non-service. One has already paid a “cover charge” to be there when the cruise fare was paid.

One could say that it is not proper etiquette to sit in the theater and not order a drink as drinks of all kinds are hawked at all the evening shows.

(Where is it written and by whom that there is any special“bar etiquette”?)

[Madison Madhouse]

Some remarkable statements being made here. We've been on 17 cruises and NEVER felt an obligation to purchase any kind of beverage sitting in one of the PUBLIC lounges, available for all. As someone mentioned, there are no cover charges here. As someone else mentioned, entertainment is part of the cruise fare. And, I never felt a negative "vibe" if we declined a drink from a waiter; he or she just left the napkin. The bottom line for cruising is total relaxation and not worrying about some false sense of bar etiquette or whatever similar nonsense is being tossed around here. If my wife or I order a hard or soft drink, the tip is added. Sometimes, I add an extra $1 based on the service. However, if we're there to listen to the piano player, play trivia, or just people watch, we are comfortable whether we drink or not. These lounges are beautiful places to sit; many times we're there to read or in the case of my wife, to knit. The OP should not be worried about drinking or not. I dare say it -- just enjoy and soak it all in...without the liquid.

[BND]

Some remarkable statements being made here. We've been on 17 cruises and NEVER felt an obligation to purchase any kind of beverage sitting in one of the PUBLIC lounges, available for all. As someone mentioned, there are no cover charges here. As someone else mentioned, entertainment is part of the cruise fare. And, I never felt a negative "vibe" if we declined a drink from a waiter; he or she just left the napkin. The bottom line for cruising is total relaxation and not worrying about some false sense of bar etiquette or whatever similar nonsense is being tossed around here. If my wife or I order a hard or soft drink, the tip is added. Sometimes, I add an extra $1 based on the service. However, if we're there to listen to the piano player, play trivia, or just people watch, we are comfortable whether we drink or not. These lounges are beautiful places to sit; many times we're there to read or in the case of my wife, to knit. The OP should not be worried about drinking or not. I dare say it -- just enjoy and soak it all in...without the liquid.

 

Don't let it bother you. A couple of posters are just pot stirrers and trying to get reactions.