Gratuities for servers in open seating dining option

[Tillie43]

This is my first cruise on HAL and due to late booking, I have open seating dinner option. Per my understanding, i am able to choose any table and any time to have dinner so I assume I will not have the same server each nite. I will be handling my own distribution of gratuities rather than having the cruise line do for me. Is there any suggestions on this situation? Thanks. Looking forward to my first cruise on HAL this Saturday.

[realnurse2]

The service charge that you are charged per day is supposed to cover your gratuities for room stewards,dining staff etc. A lot of people give above and beyond that as they wish. It is not a good idea to remove the service charge however as that means that any money the staff get from you they don't get to keep. Have a nice cruise!

[Krazy Kruizers]

It is called the Hotel Service Charge on HAL.

HAL has a rule that if you sign the form to remove those charges, any cash tips you personally give to anyone on the ship must be turned in and will be divided by all crew members.

When you sign that form you will be asked why you are removing the charges. This also affects your cabin stewards when you do this. Once the form is signed, your names are passed onto the various supervisors who then contact the workers assigned to them.

Should a crew member keep that extra tip knowing that you have signed the form, they can be fired. How truthful are the crew members?? I don't know.

[1025cruise]

Open seating means that you can show when you want. You can't just walk in and find an empty seat, you will get seated.

[sapper1]

If you leave the service charge in place you can tip extra and the staff member can keep it. If you remove the service charge then anything you give has to be turned into the general pool. They can't keep it. A list is posted so the staff will know who has removed the service charge.

 

In the bars, a 15% gratuity is added to each purchase.

[KirkNC]

You could just leave a tip each night at the table you dine at.

[Krazy Kruizers]

This is my first cruise on HAL and due to late booking, I have open seating dinner option. Per my understanding, i am able to choose any table and any time to have dinner so I assume I will not have the same server each nite. I will be handling my own distribution of gratuities rather than having the cruise line do for me. Is there any suggestions on this situation? Thanks. Looking forward to my first cruise on HAL this Saturday.

 

For Open Seating you can only make reservations between 5:15 - 6:15 and 7:30 - 9:00 (some ships are now extending the cut off time to 9:30). You can request any size table. If you do make reservations between the times I mentioned and you like the table and waiters you have, you can request them each night. Reservations can be made for 3 nights at a time.

[kirin]

You could just leave a tip each night at the table you dine at.

 

This is what I did the one time I had open seating; right after it was first started. It felt a bit odd leaving cash tucked under the edge of the dessert plate on a cruise ship every night, but at least I was sure the waiters got it.

 

I hope you will leave the Hotel Service Charge in place. As others have explained, it works to the detriment of the crew if you remove it.

 

Hope you will have a wonderful cruise and really enjoy your first time on HAL.

 

Kate

[Tillie43]

Thank you all for enlightening me to how HAL works. I will indeed leave well enough alone. As long as the staff can keep any additional gratuity left for them personally, who am I to "rock the boat".

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

On our last cruise, we were seated in an area with two waiters and a wine person that we really liked on the first night. We made reservations mentioning we wanted to be in their specific area each night afterwards. At the end of the cruise, we handed them each an envelope with their additional gratuity, just as you would if you had early or late fixed dining. If you choose to have different waiters each night, and don't mind moving around throughout your cruise, then I would take a previous poster's advice and tip extra on the table each evening, if you enjoyed their service.

[Rusty Scupper]

How and when do you make the reservations for open seating?

 

We're on the Statendam sailing soon and couldn't get early seating. We'd like to have a regular table at a regular time. I thought we'd just show up early on the first night, but maybe there's some other method. We'd like to have the same table and waiter and then leave an appropriate tip once or twice above the shipboard charge.

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

How and when do you make the reservations for open seating?

 

We're on the Statendam sailing soon and couldn't get early seating. We'd like to have a regular table at a regular time. I thought we'd just show up early on the first night, but maybe there's some other method. We'd like to have the same table and waiter and then leave an appropriate tip once or twice above the shipboard charge.

 

We had open seating and the first night we just showed up about %:45 and requested a table for two. We waited just a few minutes and were seated in an area with very fun/attentive waiters. After that, we called the dining room reservation line in the AM and made a reservation for that evening, and usually for the next evening as well (two day advance). Once we knew our waiters' names, we requested that we be seated in their area when we made the reservation and they made a note of it. It is not guaranteed but they do their best to comply with your wishes. Once we were to be seated in another area and when we said we would be happy to wait for our waiters' area, we were seated within 5-10 minutes or so. They really did a good job in satisfying our request. We requested a table for two also, and that request was always met.

 

A side note: I found that a smile and being pleasant/non-demanding goes a long way when submitting your requests.

[cruisinbulldog]

 

A side note: I found that a smile and being pleasant/non-demanding goes a long way when submitting your requests.

 

Great advice for life in general... :)

[Rusty Scupper]

We had open seating and the first night we just showed up about %:45 and requested a table for two. We waited just a few minutes and were seated in an area with very fun/attentive waiters. After that, we called the dining room reservation line in the AM and made a reservation for that evening, and usually for the next evening as well (two day advance). Once we knew our waiters' names, we requested that we be seated in their area when we made the reservation and they made a note of it. It is not guaranteed but they do their best to comply with your wishes. Once we were to be seated in another area and when we said we would be happy to wait for our waiters' area, we were seated within 5-10 minutes or so. They really did a good job in satisfying our request. We requested a table for two also, and that request was always met.

 

A side note: I found that a smile and being pleasant/non-demanding goes a long way when submitting your requests.

 

Thanks. I wasn't sure if we needed to make arrangements as soon as we boarded. We'll show up for dinner smiling.

[donaldsc]

This is my first cruise on HAL and due to late booking, I have open seating dinner option. Per my understanding, i am able to choose any table and any time to have dinner so I assume I will not have the same server each nite. I will be handling my own distribution of gratuities rather than having the cruise line do for me. Is there any suggestions on this situation? Thanks. Looking forward to my first cruise on HAL this Saturday.

 

Simple - leave the standard daily service charge on instead of handing out envelopes and all your problems disappear. I can never figure out why people need to have the feeling of power that they obtain from handing out tip envelopes to the staff on board.

 

DON

[Typhoon1]

Show up at the MDR whenever you wish. One of the Dining Room Managers will seat you. should you wish a specific table or waiter, you may have some wait.

 

If you encounter the same waiter regularly, you can give him an additional cash tip.

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

Simple - leave the standard daily service charge on instead of handing out envelopes and all your problems disappear. I can never figure out why people need to have the feeling of power that they obtain from handing out tip envelopes to the staff on board.

 

DON

 

It's not a power trip on our part. :rolleyes: We leave the onboard gratuities in place. We choose to tip above and beyond that for exceptional service. And the staff really appreciates the generosity.

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

Great advice for life in general... :)

 

Isn't that the truth? :) ;)

[NoWhiners]

How and when do you make the reservations for open seating?

 

We're on the Statendam sailing soon and couldn't get early seating. We'd like to have a regular table at a regular time. I thought we'd just show up early on the first night, but maybe there's some other method. We'd like to have the same table and waiter and then leave an appropriate tip once or twice above the shipboard charge.

 

We just came back from a cruise on the Prinsendam, and while this is what we did, I think it is the same for all HAL ships. We took a ships tour on the first day after boarding and ended up near the bar by the MDR. there were 3 staff sitting in the lounge there who were doing MDR reservations. We asked if that applied to us, since we had signed up for open dining. they said it did, so we asked for a 2 top at 5:30.We showed up at 5:30 and we had a table (we actually got a card left in our room mailbox confirming the res, before dinner. How do they get all that done so quickly??). On our way in, we asked for th table for the next 3 nights, they said fine. Every 3rd day, we would reserve 3 more nights. It finally got to the point we didn't have to ask, they just reserved the table for us. Willis was the assistant dining manager and he was great. We sort of ended up in "fixed" dining, even though we were "open". it was great--we got a table by a window so we could see the water. try it--I am sure they will have a MDR reservations table somewhere and it worked great!! btw, we always got a res card each day, not that we needed it. And, at the end, we gave the the 2 waiters we always had an envelope with extra for a tip. In addition to the HSC we paid.

 

Good luck and have fun

ML

[vbmom87]

On our first HAL crusie we had open seating, but ended up having the same waiters and table each night. We did not always eat at the same time though. Each evening we discussed with our waiter what would be the best time based on our port times the next day. Somehow, the waiter took care of making the reservation for the following day. I am not sure if this was unique to the ship we were on, or unique to our waiters, but that is how it worked for us.

 

On our second HAL cruise we again had open dining, but did not try to get the same table each night. We did make reservations for some of our dinners, but often we just showed up when we were ready to eat. We found this ended up working best, because we didn't always know when we would be hungry. Open dining allows you lots of choices.

[Rusty Scupper]

We just came back from a cruise on the Prinsendam, and while this is what we did, I think it is the same for all HAL ships. We took a ships tour on the first day after boarding and ended up near the bar by the MDR. there were 3 staff sitting in the lounge there who were doing MDR reservations. We asked if that applied to us, since we had signed up for open dining. they said it did, so we asked for a 2 top at 5:30.We showed up at 5:30 and we had a table (we actually got a card left in our room mailbox confirming the res, before dinner. How do they get all that done so quickly??). On our way in, we asked for th table for the next 3 nights, they said fine. Every 3rd day, we would reserve 3 more nights. It finally got to the point we didn't have to ask, they just reserved the table for us. Willis was the assistant dining manager and he was great. We sort of ended up in "fixed" dining, even though we were "open". it was great--we got a table by a window so we could see the water. try it--I am sure they will have a MDR reservations table somewhere and it worked great!! btw, we always got a res card each day, not that we needed it. And, at the end, we gave the the 2 waiters we always had an envelope with extra for a tip. In addition to the HSC we paid.

 

Good luck and have fun

ML

Good report. This is exactly the information that will help us. Despite being in open seating, we look forward to having a regular server and then tipping directly in appreciation, above the standard deducted gratituity charge. Thanks.

[RuthC]

I can never figure out why people need to have the feeling of power that they obtain from handing out tip envelopes to the staff on board.

 

DON

No need to assume such a negative reason to give extra tips when there are many positive reasons to do so.

[nana51]

Simple - leave the standard daily service charge on instead of handing out envelopes and all your problems disappear. I can never figure out why people need to have the feeling of power that they obtain from handing out tip envelopes to the staff on board.

 

DON

 

I don't think it has anything to do with power. I want the staff to know we see and appreciate everything they did for us. It is gratitude not power.

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

No need to assume such a negative reason to give extra tips when there are many positive reasons to do so.

 

I don't think it has anything to do with power. I want the staff to know we see and appreciate everything they did for us. It is gratitude not power.

 

 

Amen to both statements........:)

[NoWhiners]

Good report. This is exactly the information that will help us. Despite being in open seating, we look forward to having a regular server and then tipping directly in appreciation, above the standard deducted gratituity charge. Thanks.

 

I am so happy we were finally able to help someone! We went back and looked at the deck plan for the Prinsendam. The table they had setup was in the Ocean bar, they were near the dance floor. I am sure there will be a similar table somewhere on whichever ship you are on. Probably easiest/fastest to ask the crew. But it seems to me this is usually up on the Lido deck. I'm sure others know and will post. BTW, I wasn't clear, but this was the first day, while boarding was still taking place.

 

you will get just what you want, just let them know. 5:30 was a tad early for us, but the cruise had so many early port days it worked out for us. Plus, we eat more than usual on a cruise, so this gave us a chance to walk around the promenade deck or the ship and work off dinner before we went to bed.

 

Have a great time

ML