Question on bartender tips

[lele100]

I usually tip the bartender 1 dollar everytime I order a drink, last time I purchased the cheers program I kept adding one dollar to the receipt. Made the sail and sign statement soooo long. Making it a chore to look through it at the end of the cruise. I was wondering if there is a better way of doing this maybe give our usual bartenders a lump sum either in the beginning or end of cruise in cash? I am going on the 8, day breeze in a few weeks and am trying to find an easier way, any suggestions?

 

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[cruisetobeaches]

When I tip a bartender or waiter, it is lump sum on the last day of the cruise, in cash. Makes "my accounting" much simpler!

[CJinFLA00]

I usually tip the bartender 1 dollar everytime I order a drink, last time I purchased the cheers program I kept adding one dollar to the receipt. Made the sail and sign statement soooo long. Making it a chore to look through it at the end of the cruise. I was wondering if there is a better way of doing this maybe give our usual bartenders a lump sum either in the beginning or end of cruise in cash? I am going on the 8, day breeze in a few weeks and am trying to find an easier way, any suggestions?

 

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I always bring lots of dollar bills. I don't add anything on the S&S slip. I have to admit, I don't always tip extra for drinks since 15% is added on.

[Lace]

I was told the bartenders all share their tips if you tip extra on the S&S.

 

Don't know what they do with cash.

 

That's why we just leave it alone. They've done it for our convenience, ya know.

[golfadj]

I would think a buck for getting me a drink is a nice tip. Dont see why I need to add another one to it.

Edited December 24, 2013 by golfadj

[AZmike480]

Sounds like a lump sum at the end of the cruise, or carry around a stack of 1 dollar bills all cruise is the best bet.

 

AZmike480

[Sfdtiller]

Tips are pooled and split amongst all the bartenders or waiters. That 15% when doing cheers is actually a pay cut for the workers. If you give cash that specific employee keeps the money. I usually end up hanging out in a specific bar for most of a cruise. On the last day I cash tip those staff members I used the most. During the week I will give a dollar every few drinks to the staff in the random bars I visit.

[lele100]

Yeah I think I will do the 1 dollar cash idea. Instead of leaving a dollar on the receipt each time. Thanks

 

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[golfadj]

Tips are pooled and split amongst all the bartenders or waiters. That 15% when doing cheers is actually a pay cut for the workers. If you give cash that specific employee keeps the money. I usually end up hanging out in a specific bar for most of a cruise. On the last day I cash tip those staff members I used the most. During the week I will give a dollar every few drinks to the staff in the random bars I visit.

 

If they get 15% of value of drink how is that a pay cut?

[Sfdtiller]

If they get 15% of value of drink how is that a pay cut?

 

They don't get 15% for each drink under the cheers program. They just get a lump sum placed in a pot and shared among them all.

If you don't buy cheers then no need to tip extra.

15% of 49.00 (cost of cheers per day) = 7.35

15% of 6 drinks costing 8.95 ( break even point for the drinks I enjoy) = 8.05

[AmandaEnzo]

I'd tip $10 or $20 at the beginning of each day if I'm using the same waiter. Then they will know they are getting tipped each day as long as there is good service. Gives them incentive, I think.

 

Other random bars I'd give a dollar here and there.

[aj3u]

A couple of things:

 

If you are on the cheers program, your drinks appear on your S&S regardless if you tip extra or not, so tipping extra will not make your S&S statement longer...

 

On our last cruise (this month) we tipped $1 extra each and every time we bought a drink. Judging by the thanks we received, I tend to believe that they get credit individually for that extra tip, but even if it is pooled they still greatly appreciate it.

 

If you consider 10 drinks a day, an extra $1 tip is $10 a day or $70 for a 7 day cruise. I budget for it ahead of time. This is affordable for me and well appreciated by the very hard workers that deserve it.

[dabear99211]

I usually tip the bartender 1 dollar everytime I order a drink, last time I purchased the cheers program I kept adding one dollar to the receipt. Made the sail and sign statement soooo long. Making it a chore to look through it at the end of the cruise. I was wondering if there is a better way of doing this maybe give our usual bartenders a lump sum either in the beginning or end of cruise in cash? I am going on the 8, day breeze in a few weeks and am trying to find an easier way, any suggestions?

 

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I tip the bartender with gifts or cash, remember that the 15% that is added on to your check and anything you add to that check will be pooled and split between all the bartenders, minus 3% that Carnival keeps, in the case of the bar servers they get to keep all of the 15% tip, minus 3% that Carnival keeps. Cash is the King.

[Colorado Kat]

I bring a lot of $1 bills. ($100) Porters, piano bar guy, room service and drink waiters. Back in college, I was a drink waiter at a bar. Mostly other college students, with no money, so tips were very minimal. I try to tip well.

[Cruisecrzy3]

We carry $1 bills with us as well. Everytime we order a drink, the bartender/server receives $1 for each drink. They work way harder than DH & I do and we think they deserve a little extra to keep for themselves. ;)

[Jimmy Geegitz]

I just occasionally tip extra dollar here and there not every time. Always in cash.

[irishnyc]

I tip the bartender with gifts or cash, remember that the 15% that is added on to your check and anything you add to that check will be pooled and split between all the bartenders, minus 3% that Carnival keeps, in the case of the bar servers they get to keep all of the 15% tip, minus 3% that Carnival keeps. Cash is the King.

 

Who says Carnival keeps 3%? Source?

 

Employers are allowed to keep 3% of the tipped amount of a tip paid on a credit card. (If a bill is $10, and the patron tips on a credit card 15%, or $1.50, an employer can keep 3% or $0.045 of that tip, not 1/5 of that $1.50, which would be $0.50.). This is per the Fair Labor Standards Act and applies only to credit card payments.

[Sfdtiller]

I seriously doubt FLSA applies to cruise ship employees, very few US labor laws do....Not sure where the 3% comes from though.

[PrincessVIP]

I usually tip the bartender 1 dollar everytime I order a drink, last time I purchased the cheers program I kept adding one dollar to the receipt. Made the sail and sign statement soooo long. Making it a chore to look through it at the end of the cruise. I was wondering if there is a better way of doing this maybe give our usual bartenders a lump sum either in the beginning or end of cruise in cash? I am going on the 8, day breeze in a few weeks and am trying to find an easier way, any suggestions?

 

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I pay all my tips before the cruise, why bother?

[irishnyc]

I seriously doubt FLSA applies to cruise ship employees, very few US labor laws do....Not sure where the 3% comes from though.

 

 

I doubt it as well, but I thought it possible to be the thought behind the 3% mentioned.

[LandlockedCruiser01]

I seriously doubt FLSA applies to cruise ship employees, very few US labor laws do....Not sure where the 3% comes from though.

The FLSA (a part of the US legal code) is pretty much irrelevant on most cruise ships, excluding Pride of America. Since the ships are flagged (registered) in the Bahamas or another Third World country, the cruise line only has to follow that country's laws, not US laws. To find out which labor laws apply to crew members, you have to look where their ship is flagged, then research that country's labor laws. And in most countries, the employer has a lot more leverage over employees than in the US, let alone Europe.

Edited December 25, 2013 by LandlockedCruiser01

[Samm116]

We have always brought along singles (100) and tipped on each drink in cash if on the cheers program. Last cruise we did not get cheers and tipped in cash 20% of each round. The bartenders took the cash and put it into their own pockets.

 

We did receive excellent service, but I'm also in the service industry and believe they deserve way more then they receive. Just sit at a bar and watch how others treat them, waving, snapping and yelling for service. These bartenders maintain a smile the whole time.