Pinnicle Grill tips

[Odd Ball]

I understand what 1st mate is trying to say.

 

This is like the bus people thread. Some understand what 1st mate is saying and others don't.

 

I see no reason to make fun of him with the ROTF and LOL or insinutate his view point is an excuse to stiff the staff.

[HeatherInFlorida]

Oh please!!! Someone comes out with a reason not to tip in the dining room saying it isn't a dining room, others question the rationale of that and the troops come out?

 

I thought it was nicer to just laugh, figure it was a joke and move on:D . The board has been a little quiet for some of you, I guess. Ziggy started up a perfectly innocent thread about whether or not tips are included to the Pinnacle staff and somehow it got turned into whether or not the Dining Room is a "dining room".

 

I guess it's just too slow for some of you so you try to twist the most innocent of threads. I'm not biting anymore. Sorry I did ... sometimes I just don't see it coming.

[PRINSENDAM]

I'd like to take advantage of the special pricing on the first night, is it possible to make a reservation on the ship, or do I have to do it in advance via ship services?

 

Also, what is the dress code?

 

 

 

Tobbe,

 

The Grill is usually very slow on first night, hence the reason for the low introductory price. You could try either going to the Restaurant and making a reservation as soon as you embark or get your travel agent to make the booking for you.

 

Dress is usually the dres code for the day, used to be Jacket and tie at all times when it was Odyssey! It isn't a restaurant that you would want to dine casually... not in teh evening anyway. No point in wearing casuals to a formal dinner! A bit out of place. So out of respect for fellow passenger and the staff who are trying to make the evening special.... jacket, with or without tie should be minimum.

 

Now, the best time to enjoy Pinnacle Grill is at lunch time! The charge is $10. The menu is completely different from the evening and IMO, much better! It is usuall quite empty so no problem getting a table, but believe me, if you want to have a special luncheon, dine in Pinnacle Grill. The wine flows just as easy as it does in the evening and the burgers are to die for! Well worth the $10.

 

My best suggestion... make friends with the Pinnacle Grill Maitr'd..... and don't forget that you can use that Pinnacle Grill Bar... on the Vista ships, before and after.

 

Stephen

[cruzincurt]

I think I recall 1stmate indicating that he/she was a lawyer. That explains the splitting of hairs. Depends on what the definition of "is" is?

 

I guess pigs can now fly since this is the second thread I've agreed with Heather. LOL

[HeatherInFlorida]

...............I guess pigs can now fly since this is the second thread I've agreed with Heather. LOL

 

Hi, cruzin:D ....... never say never;)

[Odd Ball]

Oh please!!! Someone comes out with a reason not to tip in the dining room saying it isn't a dining room, others question the rationale of that and the troops come out?

 

 

Oh Please!!! Just where did 1st mate come out with a reason not to tip in the dining room? No where did I see where he said this. He left the charge per day in place.

 

Troops? Now that is a joke. I understood what 1st mate meant, and now I am the troops? If anything it is your Troops that are out.

[Ziggy7]

I think I recall 1stmate indicating that he/she was a lawyer. That explains the splitting of hairs. Depends on what the definition of "is" is?

 

I guess pigs can now fly . LOL

Well of course they can silly hehehehe :)

[dakrewser]

I guess pigs can now fly since this is the second thread I've agreed with Heather. LOL

 

Newsflash! Snow falls in Hades! Film at 11!!! :rolleyes:

 

[Copper10-8]

 

I guess pigs can now fly . LOL

[Krazy Kruizers]

Of the $10 per day per person, your cabin steward gets $3 and your dining room waiter gets $3. The other $4 is divided among the dining room assistant, floor cleaners, dry cleaning personel, cooks, Pinnacle staff, etc., etc., - you get the picture.

So the Pinnacle staff get only pennies from the pooled tips.

Yes, we do tip them and we also tip the wine steward even though there is a 15% gratuity added on to that part of the bill.

[johnnycruise]

Of the $10 per day per person, your cabin steward gets $3 and your dining room waiter gets $3. The other $4 is divided among the dining room assistant, floor cleaners, dry cleaning personel, cooks, Pinnacle staff, etc., etc., - you get the picture.

 

So the Pinnacle staff get only pennies from the pooled tips.

 

 

 

You're suggesting that a portion of all passengers' auto-gratuities end up with the Pinnacle staff even if they never eat in that restaurant/dining hall/banquet room/country club/canteen. Pennies add up when multiplied by the 1,500 or so passengers on a ship.

 

HAL started the auto-gratuity themselves and I doubt it was based on passenger feedback. They shouldn't expect passengers to make any further tips or encourage it by placing a gentle reminder at the bottom of a menu. If the Pinnacle staff is underpaid or "undertipped," then the cover charge should be raised to include an auto-gratuity or 15-20% should be automatically added to the present cover charge as it is for bar bills. This would maintain a consistent gratuity policy throughout the ship.

[cruzincurt]

I think some of the reason for the auto-tipping was customer generated. They didn't want to carry cash and wanted to put as much as possible on their credit cards to get "mile or cash back" points.

[trubey]

I'm gonna get flamed big time for this.

 

Why, why, WHY are Americans so hung up about tipping???

 

It doesn't get you any better service, anywhere, ever. It doesn't ingratiate the employees to you, especially when you're walking down the gangway on your way home. They couldn't give a DARN about you or where you come from and what your grandchildren are doing in kindergarten, despite the smiles and friendliness. It doesn't show these employees what a nice person you are or that you really care about the fact that they have to work hard to make a living, just like you do or did.

 

HAL specifies that $10 per person per day is a satisfactory tip for 'excellent service', and it is added to your bill. Combined with their wages this represents an unbelievable salary in their home countries -- where, by the way, they live; and a plate of Chop Suey doesn't cost $12 like it does in Boca Raton or Tucson, maybe more like 12 cents.

 

I always tip 15-20% in the US, but in most of Europe it's already in your bill. If it's in a restaurant or bar where I know the employees' names when they're NOT wearing name tags, it'll go up.

 

JMHO, LANE

[RuthC]

Why, why, WHY are Americans so hung up about tipping???

 

It doesn't get you any better service, anywhere, ever. It doesn't ingratiate the employees to you, especially when you're walking down the gangway on your way home. They couldn't give a DARN about you or where you come from and what your grandchildren are doing in kindergarten, despite the smiles and friendliness.

Lane, I honestly hope that you don't perceive this as a flame, but... I also hope I'm never that cynical.

I do believe that the employees want the tips. No doubt there. But I do not believe that how they treat me is based solely on the desire for tips. When I board a ship and a steward runs over and greets me as warmly as I've been greeted---I can't believe that's not genuine. I will not believe that they only remember I tipped well, and hope I will again.

There is a goodness to the people who work on board. Human? Sure. But also living by a value system that many Americans have (sadly) lost.

[doone]

Well said, Ruthc, I have always found the Philipino and Indonesian crew are the most gracious crew on the high seas. I agree, of course they want the tips, but I have to say I have always been treated more like a guest onboard my HAL cruises vs. a passenger as I was treated on my non-HAL cruises.

 

I was once told by a crew member on one of my HAL cruises after asking them if they ever tire of being nice to people day in and day out. His only response was "its an honor in my country to provide good service". I totally believe he was sincere.

 

AND I always tip separately in the Pinnacle.

[dakrewser]

Lane, I honestly hope that you don't perceive this as a flame, but... I also hope I'm never that cynical.

 

You're still young, Ruth, but you'll get more cynical as you get older :rolleyes: .

 

I simply find it hard to believe that the overworked crew (and I'm sure we can all agree that they have to work much harder today than they did a couple of years ago) decided spontaneously to make towel animals because they had some extra time. The crew on HAL are gratious, and do have a high standard of service but I'm will ing to wager that there's lots of things they do (and teach to other crew members) because they know it can boost their tips. That's not cynicism, that's realism.

[trubey]

I have a feeling, as well, that they are evaluated on a real-time basis by 'other staff members' vis-a-vis attitude on and off duty, friendliness, appearance, job performance, and probably five other things that haven't crossed my mind. Anybody who's been a boss knows that there are many ways to reward a good employee and an equal number of ways to discourage a poor one, even in the face of unions or contracts.

 

I bet the guy who thought up the towel animal got off latrine duty for a month!

 

Lane

[michmike]

Why are so many hung up on HAL TELLING us what to do?? It seems pretty clear that most of us feel that a tip of some kind is appropriate when dining in the Pinnacle. That being the case, simply do what feels right for you.

 

I, for one, am still trying to figure out how the "normal" gratuity in most restaurants here in the US has gone from 10% to 15% and now 20%.

 

We could start another thread of what a "fair" wage for a waiter or waitress is. If one assumes that a given station in a restaurant is anywhere from 4-6 tables and assuming those tables are only filled 75% of the time (with a minimum of 2 customers), and if one assumes that 15% of folks routinely don't tip, at an average check of $20 per person, with the assumption that tables turn every 90 minutes, and the assumption that those who DO tip, average 15%, then the server makes a wage of $12.75 an hour on tips alone (trust me on the math here) PLUS the paltry $2-3 an hour that the restaurant pays him/her. So we're talking roughly $15 an hour. Given the amount of training required and the physical demands of the job that doesn't seem inadequate. What do you think? (waiting for the slings and arrows from former waitstaff)

[dakrewser]

then the server makes a wage of $12.75 an hour on tips alone (trust me on the math here) PLUS the paltry $2-3 an hour that the restaurant pays him/her. So we're talking roughly $15 an hour.

 

While your math is correct as far as you go, you fail to take into account that this diesn't hold over an 8 hour shift. Rather, the meal time is at most 2 to 3 hours. THe rest of the time it's only the "paltry $2-3 an hour" - which averages out to around $6/hr over all.

[RuthC]

You're still young, Ruth

Bless you, Dave. Bless you.

[serendipity1499]

Originally posted by mitchmike...So we're talking roughly $15 an hour. Given the amount of training required and the physical demands of the job that doesn't seem inadequate. What do you think? (waiting for the slings and arrows from former waitstaff)..

 

Ok lets take your figures a few steps further...$15.00 per hr X 8 Hr day (that's working both lunch & dinner) @ 5days a week (2 days off per week) x 50 weeks(2 weeks vacation) is $30,000 per year..Can you support a family on $30,000 a year in this day & age?

 

During my high school years many many years ago;) I waited tables....My feet were burning by the end of the day.:(..My feet are still in awful shape from that experience!.. Thank goodness I was able to get a different job later on....:)

[michmike]

Serendipity - certainly not my aim to disparage waitstaff. For comparison sake, a starting teacher here in Michigan in all but the largest metropolitan districts starts at less than $30K. Perhaps not a fair comparison as the tacher at least has benefits and a path offering upward mobility.

 

Then again, a number of years ago, our local school supt asked if, in a global economy, your skills and productivity didn't exceed that of a worker in China, could you fairly expect to make more than a worker in China?

 

So what is a fair rate of pay, for any of us? All I'm CERTAIN of is that I'M not paid enough.. *L*

[stanford's girl]

Given the amount of training required and the physical demands of the job that doesn't seem inadequate. What do you think? (waiting for the slings and arrows from former waitstaff)

Have you ever waited tables??:mad: Try being on your feet non-stop for an 8 hour shift. Or putting up with people who are demanding and rude and you still have to smile through it all. Or the people who think that they are the only ones in the whole restaurant. Or trying to keep guests happy while the kitchen is taking forever to get the food out. We train our servers for 2 weeks before they are allowed to have a section of their own. If you think servers have it so easy, give it a try. I'd love to be your trainer!!

[trubey]

Have you ever waited tables??:mad: Try being on your feet non-stop for an 8 hour shift. Or putting up with people who are demanding and rude and you still have to smile through it all. Or the people who think that they are the only ones in the whole restaurant. Or trying to keep guests happy while the kitchen is taking forever to get the food out. We train our servers for 2 weeks before they are allowed to have a section of their own. If you think servers have it so easy' date=' give it a try. I'd love to be your trainer!![/quote']

My dear deceased FIL said a few things about that.

1. That's why they call it work

2. That's why you are paid

3. It's OK to hate your boss

 

For sheer physical demand, try being an independant farmer

For sheer intellectual demand, try being a scientist, mathematician, lawyer

For sheer stress, try being a jeweler (like me) and be given a diamond worth more that your lifetime's earnings to set. Who says they don't break?

Etc.

Etc.

 

We all get crap at work. Some cut it, some don't. Big deal.

 

LKT

[frbob]

On my recent Prinsendam cruise, I asked the Pinnacle Grill Maitre d' if he could arrange to get our table of 7 servings of escargot which was being served in the main dining room that evening. He said "No"...not, "I'll see" or "let me see what I can do". The Pinnacle and La Fontaine kitchens occupy the exact same enclosure on the ship. I couldn't understand why he couldn't do it for us...he didn't explain. He only said they serve only what's on their menu.

 

Guess what kind of a tip he got.