Ultimate Dining Package Re: Tipping

[Manateemike]

We have purchased the UDP for upcoming cruise on the Dawn in April and have pre-paid our gratuities.

How does tipping go since we will not be using the main

dining room on our trip. Don't want to stiff our servers but does the gratuites that we paid cover the Specialty

dining staff? Curious how that works.

[triptolemus]

Speciality dining servers are covered in the Daily Service Charge you pre-paid. You should not feel obligated to tip your servers, but should feel free to do so if you feel you have received exceptional service. Tipping is a personal, heated subject here. Tip as YOU see fit.

 

Oh, and...

 

[rednose83]

I was curious about this as well.

[time2cruise1]

As posted the servers in the specialty venues are covered by the DSC just like the MDRs. That said many offer a small additional cash tip for outstanding service.

[Love my butler]

The discretionary service charge covers all servers in all venues. The only people not covered with the DSC are butlers, kids camp babysitters and the concierge. Feel free to tip above and beyond if you so choose, but not expected or necessary.

[sjbdtz]

The discretionary service charge covers all servers in all venues. The only people not covered with the DSC are butlers, kids camp babysitters and the concierge. Feel free to tip above and beyond if you so choose, but not expected or necessary.

 

 

Add the Spa & Bar staff...but the chits include an auto-tip, so no need to add anything extra.

 

.

[AweighToSea]

When on the UDP *IF* one wanted to tip in a specialty restaurant how would it be done? Even though it is no charge do they still present a bill to sign and a tip can be added to that or is cash carried just in case or ?

[buckeye82]

When on the UDP *IF* one wanted to tip in a specialty restaurant how would it be done? Even though it is no charge do they still present a bill to sign and a tip can be added to that or is cash carried just in case or ?

 

 

My husband and I were on the UDP recently and we each recieved a bill to sign where a tip could be added in Cagney's, Le Bistro and Teppanyaki. In Shoguns and La Trattortia we asked for the check and were told we were good to go without one.

[AweighToSea]

My husband and I were on the UDP recently and we each recieved a bill to sign where a tip could be added in Cagney's, Le Bistro and Teppanyaki. In Shoguns and La Trattortia we asked for the check and were told we were good to go without one.

Thanks for the helpful information; exactly what I needed

[js]

I tip $5 per person in the specialties. I was comfortable with that amount and we also had the UDP.

Edited March 17, 2014 by js

[martinchem]

We don't usually tip additional on our cruises, but on the Dawn last month they went up and beyond our expectations and so did our tips...I remember my wife telling me a couple years ago she was getting tired of cruising and then after getting off the Pearl she said she learned she wasn't tired of cruising at all, just needed a change... to NCL.

[sargemrs]

I just read where the Butlers don't share in the general tips. Could someone help us know how much and for what we should tip a butler?

[js]

We were on a 4 night Sky cruise. We tipped $100 butler and $50 concierge for 4 of us for the March 2 cruise.

 

Will set that as a base for our August Breakaway cruise and increase as we see fit. There will be six of us so the tips will be more.

Edited March 17, 2014 by js

[bliss_fully_happy]

Btw we also tip the kids club at the end of the cruise.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[js]

Btw we also tip the kids club at the end of the cruise.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

When my kids were younger, we did the same.

I don't for the life of me understand why they are not included in tips!?!?!

My kids LOVED the clubs and it is the councelors that make them want to be there.

[Love my butler]

Add the Spa & Bar staff...but the chits include an auto-tip, so no need to add anything extra.

 

.

 

And don't forget the captain also not in the DSC pool, he must be tipped seperately......

[KeithJenner]

When my kids were younger, we did the same.

I don't for the life of me understand why they are not included in tips!?!?!

My kids LOVED the clubs and it is the councelors that make them want to be there.

 

The kids club staff aren't included in the DSC as they are only used by a relatively small number of passengers, the same as the Spa staff.

 

The difference of course is that you don't pay anything for the Kids Club (other than port play which even fewer people use), so there is nothing for NCL to add a percentage onto.

 

It is often said that the kids club staff earn a better basic wage so aren't reliant on tips. I don't know whether that is true, but I certainly get the impression that very few people tip them, so I hope so.

[redgrave]

Lets not forget the original meaning of TIPS is, "To insure prompt service". So there is nothing wrong with handing a server a few dollars at the beginning of a meal to make your dinning experience that much better.

[KeithJenner]

Lets not forget the original meaning of TIPS is, "To insure prompt service". So there is nothing wrong with handing a server a few dollars at the beginning of a meal to make your dinning experience that much better.

 

Although perhaps we should forget that, as it's a myth.

Edited March 20, 2014 by KeithJenner

[garycarla]

I just read where the Butlers don't share in the general tips. Could someone help us know how much and for what we should tip a butler?

 

 

I have not given this answer in a long time. (I still have the scars from the last time I suggested a search)

 

But, this topic gets a wide range of answers, many of which are less than helpful. But, a search on "butler" or "butler tip" will get you a ton of answers.

 

Not any simple answers.

Edited March 20, 2014 by garycarla

[psac]

Lets not forget the original meaning of TIPS is, "To insure prompt service". So there is nothing wrong with handing a server a few dollars at the beginning of a meal to make your dinning experience that much better.

 

Although perhaps we should forget that, as it's a myth.

 

Yup, the origin has nothing to do with that made up acronym.

 

http://www.snopes.com/language/acronyms/tip.asp

[pex]

Simple rule of thumb: if a service is used by all passengers, it's included in the DSC. If the service is only used by some passengers (i.e. bars, kids club, butlers), you tip separately. It's only fair. Someone who doesn't drink shouldn't have to tip my bartender for a beer.

 

I don't for the life of me understand why they are not included in tips!?!?! My kids LOVED the clubs and it is the councelors that make them want to be there.

[sjbdtz]

And don't forget the captain also not in the DSC pool, he must be tipped seperately......

 

 

The captain is salaried. The bar staff are not.

 

They get a draw against their 'auto-tips' to stabilize their income, but otherwise are dependent upon it.

 

 

.

[Crusin6]

And don't forget the captain also not in the DSC pool, he must be tipped seperately......

 

Are you talking about the ships captain or some dining room captain? Like a maitre d?

 

No way on earth would I ever tip the ships captain. Insulting embarrassing uncalled for and ridiculous.

[gardiner41]

We were on a 4 night Sky cruise. We tipped $100 butler and $50 concierge for 4 of us for the March 2 cruise.

 

Will set that as a base for our August Breakaway cruise and increase as we see fit. There will be six of us so the tips will be more.

 

We are on the sky in 3 weeks...we have the UDP. Did you find the restaurants were overly busy? We chose to do UDP so we can have a "quieter" dining experience. We were on the Jewel in January and had such an amazing cruise I am a wee bit nervous about the sky. After we booked I found out she has a bit of a party reputation.