Complimentary Specialty Dining Tips

[trixie54]

Does anyone know whether the waiter is given a tip automatically when using a comp specialty restaurants:rolleyes: (for suites, etc.)? Or do we tip on the whole meal as if a "regular" customer?

Thanks!

[Alg63]

All tips are calculated from your onboard gratuities that you pay per day or in advance. In any speciality restaurant, "free" or paid, extra gratuities are at your discretion .

[Texed]

Does anyone know whether the waiter is given a tip automatically when using a comp specialty restaurants:rolleyes: (for suites, etc.)? Or do we tip on the whole meal as if a "regular" customer?

Thanks!

 

No, the tip is not included on the comped dinners. They do, however, have a recommended tip if the dinner is free.

[Gonzo70]

All tips are calculated from your onboard gratuities that you pay per day or in advance. In any speciality restaurant, "free" or paid, extra gratuities are at your discretion .

 

That is 100% inaccurate. When suite guests receive a complimentary dinner in a specialty venue you are requested to leave a gratuity. I received a card in my suite advising a gratuity of $5 per/person. I would suggest that $5 per/person should be the minimum one leaves when having a comped dinner at a specialty restaurant (aside from the unlikely scenario where you receive poor service). If service is really good, leaving a bit more is nice. If you do not tip when receiving a freebie, you are essentially turning the hardworking staff into your unpaid servants.

[judatt]

We were in a suite on the Summit in December and dined in Normandie. Since it was complimentary and we had a great experience we left a $20 tip. I figured it would have been an $80 tab and we normally leave at least 20%. Since we had a great experience we upped it to 25%. Rather be generous when I can.

[AlaskaGolden]

We were in a suite on the Summit in December and dined in Normandie. Since it was complimentary and we had a great experience we left a $20 tip. I figured it would have been an $80 tab and we normally leave at least 20%. Since we had a great experience we upped it to 25%. Rather be generous when I can.

 

This seems very appropriate. Did you leave cash or add it to your OBC?

[Wine-O]

This seems very appropriate. Did you leave cash or add it to your OBC?

 

If you are in a Suite, they give you a slip at the end of dinner showing $0 balance, unless you had wine charged at dinner. At that time you can add gratuity which will end up on your seapass account.

[Gonzo70]

If you are in a Suite, they give you a slip at the end of dinner showing $0 balance, unless you had wine charged at dinner. At that time you can add gratuity which will end up on your seapass account.

 

This is often but not always the case; on at least one occasion I was not brought a slip but requested that they bring me a slip with a $0 charge so I could add a gratuity. You can also leave cash if you prefer that.

[SoBe2010]

...

[kyriecat]

When I was on Silhouette in October, my husband and I stayed in a suite. We used our complimentary specialty dining to eat in Qsine and Lawn Club Grill. Prior to our cruise I had read a post, either from Gonzo or a similar one, that a card was in their cabin suggesting a $5 pp gratuity. We did not get a card in our cabin so I asked the maitre d' at Qsine (our first dinner) about the gratuity. The maitre d' told me that gratuity was not included with the complimentary dining and, in general, 15% of the specialty restaurant cover charge was given to the wait staff. Since the cover for Qsine was normally $40 pp, then $6 pp of that went to the wait staff. I didn't ask about how the gratuity worked for the dining packages and reduced cover charge nights.

 

When we finished our meal, we were given a bill showing the $0 charge for the meal and a line to add gratuity. Since the service was fabulous, we put more than $6 pp on the gratuity line. The gratuity for dining was added to our onboard account.

[judatt]

This seems very appropriate. Did you leave cash or add it to your OBC?

They gave us a slip at the end of the meal with a zero balance. We added the $20 tip there and it ended up on our seaboard account.

[Alg63]

That is 100% inaccurate. When suite guests receive a complimentary dinner in a specialty venue you are requested to leave a gratuity. I received a card in my suite advising a gratuity of $5 per/person. I would suggest that $5 per/person should be the minimum one leaves when having a comped dinner at a specialty restaurant (aside from the unlikely scenario where you receive poor service). If service is really good, leaving a bit more is nice. If you do not tip when receiving a freebie, you are essentially turning the hardworking staff into your unpaid servants.

 

I don't know why you are saying my posting is not correct. "You are requested" does not mean you are required. Secondly, there was no mention of suite but whether suite complimentary or promo omplimentary, i stated that there are no different / separate gratuities that would be given to the servers because they were "free" or "comped" and got no more than they would have out of the regular daily gratuities and suggested they leave extra for good service... The staff are on a regularly scheduled shift so they are not "unpaid servants" as you put it, but once again, good service would be well founded to receive extra but it is in no way required (ps i always leave extra in the specialty restaurants but that was not the question).

[Gonzo70]

I don't know why you are saying my posting is not correct. "You are requested" does not mean you are required. Secondly, there was no mention of suite but whether suite complimentary or promo omplimentary, i stated that there are no different / separate gratuities that would be given to the servers because they were "free" or "comped" and got no more than they would have out of the regular daily gratuities and suggested they leave extra for good service... The staff are on a regularly scheduled shift so they are not "unpaid servants" as you put it, but once again, good service would be well founded to receive extra but it is in no way required (ps i always leave extra in the specialty restaurants but that was not the question).

 

I am saying it is not correct because you are providing, false, misleading and damaging information. The staff at the specialty restaurants has nothing to do with the daily service charged billed to your room. They are compensated via a portion of the cover charge people pay when they dine at specialty venues as well as any extra gratuity a diner chooses to leave. If one is receiving a comped meal, they do not receive any pay unless the customer leaves a gratuity. Celebrity asks guests to leave a gratuity when receiving a comped meal; if you do not you are forcing the hard working staff to serve you without compensation, hence rendering them your unpaid servants. When receive a comp, a minimum gratuity of $5 per/person should be left for basic, expected service; if one receive very good service (or better), tipping higher than $5 per/person is nice.

[SusieV]

I wonder how the tipping is handled with the Ultimate Specialty package. Will the servers be receiving less?

 

We usually tip extra anyway but I am wondering how this is handled if we did not. I guess we'll ask next month on Reflection.

[Alg63]

I am saying it is not correct because you are providing, false, misleading and damaging information. The staff at the specialty restaurants has nothing to do with the daily service charged billed to your room. They are compensated via a portion of the cover charge people pay when they dine at specialty venues as well as any extra gratuity a diner chooses to leave. If one is receiving a comped meal, they do not receive any pay unless the customer leaves a gratuity. Celebrity asks guests to leave a gratuity when receiving a comped meal; if you do not you are forcing the hard working staff to serve you without compensation, hence rendering them your unpaid servants. When receive a comp, a minimum gratuity of $5 per/person should be left for basic, expected service; if one receive very good service (or better), tipping higher than $5 per/person is nice.

Incorrect. They are still part of the general tip pool. And 2. They are salaried .. So they are not unpaid servants. Please stop overdramatizing. Again, i always leave extra.

[cruisestitch]

What about if you are a guest of the line, top cruiser or contest winner or the like, where the specialty dine is Not a perk of the stateroom category? Finding it hard to believe that the servers receive nothing for taking care of pax in cases like that but does anyone know for sure whether that sort of thing constitutes a different tipping protocol?

[Gonzo70]

Incorrect. They are still part of the general tip pool. And 2. They are salaried .. So they are not unpaid servants. Please stop overdramatizing. Again, i always leave extra.

 

Man, you really go to no end to try and stiff the hard working staff; sadly your blatant misinformation only serves as fodder for those who are not inclined to tip to justify leaving no tip when a tip is clearly warranted. The specialty restaurant staff do NOT receive compensation from the general tip pool and their salary is minuscule. If you receive a comped meal at a specialty venue and do not tip, you have made the hard working staff your unpaid servants; these are the facts. I know you are dead set on stiffing them, but hopefully others will realize that you are proffering false and misleading information at the expense of the staff that works so hard to provide you a wonderful dinner.

[Gonzo70]

What about if you are a guest of the line, top cruiser or contest winner or the like, where the specialty dine is Not a perk of the stateroom category? Finding it hard to believe that the servers receive nothing for taking care of pax in cases like that but does anyone know for sure whether that sort of thing constitutes a different tipping protocol?

 

While I am not certain, I would assume there is an expectation that the person winning or being gifted a free dinner would still tip. Unless informed that one's gift/prize includes gratuity, it should never be assumed that the service staff is being compensated.

[boston_scientist]

Usually comped cruises still require payment of gratuity.

I won the Launch to Luxury competition -- gratuity was not included, which I gladly paid.

[kyriecat]

The maitre d' at Qsine told me that the specialty restaurant waiters are not part of the tipping pool. Their tips come from a portion of the cover charge paid in the specialty restaurants. I specifically asked whether they received any tips if someone uses their complimentary dinner and doesn't leave anything. He told me no. The waiters only get a tip from the paid meals unless the guest adds a tip to their onboard account or leaves cash. In other words, if someone leaves no tip for their free meal, the waiter gets nothing for their service. I have to assume the maitre d' was not lying to me to get a better tip for the wait staff.

 

In my mind, it is the same as using a buy-one-get-one-free or discounted dinner coupon at land-based restaurant. I tip based on what would have been the total amount of the food without the coupon not the amount I actually paid. It's not fair to the waiter to leave them less money because you are getting a free or reduced price meal.