Tip your bar servers!!!!!!!

[GoSpurs]

I have a question for you since you are currently on the Explorer. I understand that vouchers are now on your seapass card and you can get a variety of drinks in any bar/lounge onboard. if you go the the Diamond Event can you get beer or mixed drinks or is it still just soda and wine?

I have similar questions. Are the mixed drinks free or 25% off in the DL or at the bar? What level or types of mixed drinks are available in the DL? Since Navigator has a DL, does that mean we won't have drinks on the seapass card?

 

I am a Diamond newbie, actually an Elite newbie from Celebrity whose next cruise just happens to be on RCCL.

Edited April 2, 2014 by GoSpurs

[Clarea]

I have similar questions. Are the mixed drinks free or 25% off in the DL or at the bar? What level or types of mixed drinks are available in the DL? Since Navigator has a DL, does that mean we won't have drinks on the seapass card?

 

I am a Diamond newbie, actually an Elite newbie from Celebrity whose next cruise just happens to be on RCCL.

Basic mixed drinks are free in the CL and DL. Here's a drink menu from Enchantment that is representative of the drinks in the CL and DL:

 

Edited April 2, 2014 by clarea

[GoSpurs]

Basic mixed drinks are free in the CL and DL. Here's a drink menu from Enchantment that is representative of the drinks in the CL and DL:

VERY cool! Thanks so much.:)

[yogimax]

Basic mixed drinks are free in the CL and DL. Here's a drink menu from Enchantment that is representative of the drinks in the CL and DL:

 

 

One basic difference with the coupons is that not all drinks available in the lounge are available at the bars. A Manhattan was one example. I believe martinis were another.

[EmpressofPurple]

Ooh, I was told canned soda was NOT included and paid for it at the aquarium bar! I guess the server got it wrong, and I hadn't seen that sheet... oh well, 2.59 down the drain...

 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Forums mobile app

[Folk Singer]

VERY cool! Thanks so much.:)

 

 

:):)

[CruisersfromMD]

The OP mentioned that there is NO DL on The Explorer and that they instituted the 3 drink voucher system for Diamond and above members.

 

Does anyone know if they have done the same thing on the Jewel which also does not yet have a DL? I know that they have an event, but that only includes wine and champagne and a 25% discount on other drinks. My husband is more of a rum and coke drinker.

[Ocean Boy]

One basic difference with the coupons is that not all drinks available in the lounge are available at the bars. A Manhattan was one example. I believe martinis were another.

 

I should have have known. <sigh>

[browneyedgirlnb]

MerionMom I'm a lowly Gold but I do tip the servers. When they have the Welcome Back Party I have tipped the server and they were so happy they asked what could they make for me. I asked what could they make. They said anything. So I asked for a Caprinha and they brought it to me with a smile.

 

I also tipped at the Captain's Party and the server remembered me and kept coming around with more glasses of champagne(not that I needed it).

 

We always add an additional tip at Chops or Portifino's even with the service charge included because we love the service. They remembered us the next week and when we brought in a bottle of Champagne that I had won they replaced it with a fresh bottle the first week. The second week I had a bottle of wine that Guest Services sent and the kind waiter from the last week replaced it with another fresh bottle and gave us something totally different and better that the one we had with a smile.

 

It doesn't matter if you expect something in return but I feel that if you tip you will get better service.

 

I'm only Gold too but thank you for this post. It hadn't occurred to me to tip at the welcome back party (I've only been to 2), but rest assured I will now. Every waiter I've ever had on Explorer has been wonderful. Dwayne (in Dizzy's & MDR ) & Amore at the pool bar are 2 of my favorites... and from what I've read on CC since my last cruise about how much they all depend on tips, I'll be bringing more to the table in October.

 

Again, thanks. And thanks Merion-mom, for bringing this up.... see you on board in 205 more days! Enjoy your current cruise!

 

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

[Deeliteful]

I for one don't like being told to "tip my servers". I have written several times over the years on CC about my feelings towards tipping and will repeat them here -

 

I believe in tipping for a job well done and when people go above and beyond, I tip very well. I do not believe in putting the tip on my bill i.e. "auto tipping" as I don't know where it goes or to whom it goes.

 

My frustration with tipping is that "we" the customers are making up the wages of the staff because they are not paid enough otherwise. I would cite myself as a capitalist - I have run my own businesses for the last 20 years - but I believe in paying a "fair" wage to my employees, which is well above any minimum wage.

 

In the UK we do tip for good service but we also know that the individuals are earning at least minimum wage - (having said that as a nation (yes I'm generalising!!) we are not great at service as an industry and I put that down to lack of training.)

 

Whenever I visit the US (and on a cruise) I get great service more often than not, but I know it is because the "servers" are working hard for a tip because they are not paid well and rely on tips to make up the difference.

 

With good training people should be able to earn a good living and enjoy their tips when they make that extra effort, which is always appreciated.

 

I don't like having to pay a 15% service charge on every single drink I have on board a US ship, I would much rather tip the bartender or server at the end of the day or evening as we would on a UK ship.

 

But all that said - I enjoy the US ships and my cruises with all nationalities - "Vive la difference".

 

Gets down from soapbox.....

[steveru621]

Basic mixed drinks are free in the CL and DL. Here's a drink menu from Enchantment that is representative of the drinks in the CL and DL:

 

 

Bob, there was a different list at the bars on the Explorer. Much of it is the same, but Baileys was included on the Explorer, and I don't remember seeing any martini ingredients.

 

As with most policies, things change quickly and are often different ship-to-ship. Last year we were on the Serenade and one passenger in the Diamond Club, pushed the issue after being told no, and got the drink of the day!

[PattyG12]

I don't like having to pay a 15% service charge on every single drink I have on board a US ship, I would much rather tip the bartender or server at the end of the day or evening as we would on a UK ship.

 

We do both ...

[marci22]

I for one don't like being told to "tip my servers". I have written several times over the years on CC about my feelings towards tipping and will repeat them here -

 

I believe in tipping for a job well done and when people go above and beyond, I tip very well. I do not believe in putting the tip on my bill i.e. "auto tipping" as I don't know where it goes or to whom it goes.

 

My frustration with tipping is that "we" the customers are making up the wages of the staff because they are not paid enough otherwise. I would cite myself as a capitalist - I have run my own businesses for the last 20 years - but I believe in paying a "fair" wage to my employees, which is well above any minimum wage.

 

In the UK we do tip for good service but we also know that the individuals are earning at least minimum wage - (having said that as a nation (yes I'm generalising!!) we are not great at service as an industry and I put that down to lack of training.)

 

Whenever I visit the US (and on a cruise) I get great service more often than not, but I know it is because the "servers" are working hard for a tip because they are not paid well and rely on tips to make up the difference.

 

With good training people should be able to earn a good living and enjoy their tips when they make that extra effort, which is always appreciated.

 

I don't like having to pay a 15% service charge on every single drink I have on board a US ship, I would much rather tip the bartender or server at the end of the day or evening as we would on a UK ship.

 

But all that said - I enjoy the US ships and my cruises with all nationalities - "Vive la difference".

 

Gets down from soapbox.....

 

If you raised the minimum wage for servers the price of your meal (or cruise) would go up. At least if you are tipping, the servers have an incentive because they know they are being tipped on service and it's not guaranteed.

 

If everyone tipped fairly at the end of the day Royal wouldn't have to assign a gratuity per drink.

 

You say that your service workers are 'not great' because of lack of training. You can't train someone to move faster, or be more pleasant, when they know they are getting a flat rate.

 

Believe me, servers here wouldn't stay at their job if they weren't making money.

[robtulipe]

I'm surprised to learn that servers are evidently NOT getting automatic 15% gratuity for each drink served - regardless of if they're working in the actual DL/CL or any other bar or lounge onboard.

 

It was my understanding from talking with servers on Radiance last summer that they still have to log each drink served in the DL/CL as if it was a purchased drink. Although we never actually saw a receipt for these free drinks, the paperwork was being done behind the scenes. So, like any other drink purchased onboard, our free drinks were still generating an auto-tip of 15% per drink. If I understood them correctly, they liked serving in the DL/CL and it didn't matter to them how many free drinks they served, because the more they served and logged, the more auto-tips they received.

 

I know the voucher system is new and probably therefore has some kinks to be worked out in venues other than the DL/CL, but I'd expect bartenders and servers in other lounges would be logging drinks "purchased" via vouchers in the same way and would therefore get the same 15% auto-tip. However, since it's been posted in this thread that receipts are (sometimes) being provided that show nothing but "0", that's obviously a problem. But that's a problem Royal Caribbean could fix on the back end with the way the drink vouchers are coded and charged internally.

 

Likewise, I'm completely with EmpressofPurple in thinking that Royal Caribbean and/or Crown & Anchor needs to take some responsibility in informing guests - especially those new to a certain C&A status level - of exactly how some of these perks work and what is expected of the guests. Granted, some guests would choose to not tip for "free" drinks regardless. But many - and I'd like to think most - would gladly provide a cash tip for free drinks if they knew that the servers were not receiving a 15% auto-tip like they do for every other drink purchased onboard.

We have been cruising mostly on X for the last four years although we were on Voyager for 18 nights for our Oz/NZ cruise just over a year ago. We did 23 nights on X Century two months apart his past winter and got quite friendly with the bar manager in the Elite Lounge and were told his waiters were paid a hourly rate when working the nightly social event. Also it has been report on the X board that when drink vouchers were used when there' were too many Elite and higher members onboard to accommodate in any of the ship's lounges that the waiters were asking for any unused drink coupons so they would be credited for the gratuities that these would get them. I doubt RCI would be different and not compensate the waiters doing this service in some way. Likely if they're not getting gratuities for each drink they serve, they are probably getting some type of wage.

We tipped for our complimentary drinks as it did " To Insure Prompt Service" for us. Most times the one waiter who typically served us went and got our normal drinks when he saw that we had arrived.;)

Edited April 2, 2014 by robtulipe

[robtulipe]

Ooh, I was told canned soda was NOT included and paid for it at the aquarium bar! I guess the server got it wrong, and I hadn't seen that sheet... oh well, 2.59 down the drain...

Typically it's only the less expensive fountain sodas that are included in the complimentary menu and not the cans of soda if that's what you requested specifically. IMO, the waiter could have mentioned that to you but likely would have receive a lesser amount of gratuity if he did so.;)

[Clarea]

Typically it's only the less expensive fountain sodas that are included in the complimentary menu and not the cans of soda if that's what you requested specifically. IMO, the waiter could have mentioned that to you but likely would have receive a lesser amount of gratuity if he did so.;)

This is an interesting question because the dedicated DL/CL venues have not typically had a soft drink fountain, so cans of soda were the norm. With the advent of the drink coupons, the soft drinks will be more likely to come from a bar fountain.

[robtulipe]

Bob, the last time I was on a RCI ship with a dedicated DL was four years ago on Radiance. Voyager last year didn't so it was wine only being served complimentary in the Cloud Nine lounge. I thought the Radiance DL did have a soda fountain and I drink rum and coke and don't recall receiving cans of soda. Of course that was four years and too many rum and cokes ago. :p

The X ships we've been on recently did have a full bar in where the Elite Social Hour was held, either the top forward lounge or the Crystal Room so it was fountain soda one received either alone or as mix..

Edited April 2, 2014 by robtulipe

[KuffMUp]

Your assumption is correct, but the title of the thread did not express that it was only for the elite, so I clicked on it. And as I read through the posts, looked like there was some comments about tipping at regular bars that I thought was relevant to steerage like me. Yes your reply did help, even though it did not answer the question asked.

 

Is your question about the new drinks package? If so, 15% is automatically added to the price and I think the tip is pooled so those that work harder get the same as those that don't. When we did the package on Brilliance, we always tipped extra and found that we got great service from those we did tip. I guess because they knew we would throw in some extra, they paid more attention to our needs.

 

And yes I know the thread is about D up and suites, but thought this might answer the question? Didn't mean to hijack the thread.

[Zou Bisou Bisou]

I for one don't like being told to "tip my servers". I have written several times over the years on CC about my feelings towards tipping and will repeat them here -

 

I believe in tipping for a job well done and when people go above and beyond, I tip very well. I do not believe in putting the tip on my bill i.e. "auto tipping" as I don't know where it goes or to whom it goes.

 

My frustration with tipping is that "we" the customers are making up the wages of the staff because they are not paid enough otherwise. I would cite myself as a capitalist - I have run my own businesses for the last 20 years - but I believe in paying a "fair" wage to my employees, which is well above any minimum wage.

 

In the UK we do tip for good service but we also know that the individuals are earning at least minimum wage - (having said that as a nation (yes I'm

generalising!!) we are not great at service as an industry and I put that down to lack of training.)

 

Whenever I visit the US (and on a cruise) I get great service more often than not, but I know it is because the "servers" are working hard for a tip because they are not paid well and rely on tips to make up the difference.

 

With good training people should be able to earn a good living and enjoy their tips when they make that extra effort, which is always appreciated.

 

I don't like having to pay a 15% service charge on every single drink I have on board a US ship, I would much rather tip the bartender or server at the end of the day or evening as we would on a UK ship.

 

But all that said - I enjoy the US ships and my cruises with all nationalities - "Vive la difference".

 

Gets down from soapbox.....

 

Obviously, you have the right to your opinion. But if they took the 15% tip off the drink bill they would have to raise the price of the drink by 15% to compensate the bar servers. So what's the difference? You can always tip more than 15%, no one is stopping you.

 

You say you are a Capitalist and pay your employees more than minimum so why would you think the bar servers on the ships should get paid 15% less because you don't like auto tipping?

 

And yes, you are correct, we the customers are making up the wages of the staff because they are not paid enough anyway. So as long as you know that, what exactly is your problem with the way it is done? It is done the same way in U.S. restaurants. Everyone knows that so everyone tips 15% or more. Well not everyone, there are certainly cheapskates who undertip or don't tip at all, but Karma will take care of them..haha!

[LMaxwell]

It is done the same way in U.S. restaurants. Everyone knows that so everyone tips 15% or more. Well not everyone, there are certainly cheapskates who undertip or don't tip at all, but Karma will take care of them..haha!

 

More and more frequently I walk into restaurants who flatly state they want 18% - 25%. Those are often the places I get the worst service. Go figure. 15%, IMO, is adequate for good service. Prompt but nothing spectacular. A good baseline.

 

If you get lousy service in a restaurant deducting from that doesn't mean you are cheap or undertip. It wasn't so long ago that 10% was considered adequate and 15% generous. Now they demand 20% and don't want to work for it. It's an issue and it's very dismissive to blame the customer.

 

By the way, not all wait staff in the U.S. are compensated poorly to start with. Federal law will guarantee a minimum take home wage; more often than not workers uninformed of their rights or working for owners that are not fair to them are more to blame for not earning their fair share than are the tipping habits of the clientele. If service were up to par it would never be an issue, would it?

 

I have tipped everywhere from 0% to 100%. And if it's not fair, so be it, I pay money for services rendered.

[Zou Bisou Bisou]

More and more frequently I walk into restaurants who flatly state they want 18% - 25%. Those are often the places I get the worst service. Go figure. 15%, IMO, is adequate for good service. Prompt but nothing spectacular. A good baseline.

 

If you get lousy service in a restaurant deducting from that doesn't mean you are cheap or undertip. It wasn't so long ago that 10% was considered adequate and 15% generous. Now they demand 20% and don't want to work for it. It's an issue and it's very dismissive to blame the customer.

 

By the way, not all wait staff in the U.S. are compensated poorly to start with. Federal law will guarantee a minimum take home wage; more often than not workers uninformed of their rights or working for owners that are not fair to them are more to blame for not earning their fair share than are the tipping habits of the clientele. If service were up to par it would never be an issue, would it?

 

I have tipped everywhere from 0% to 100%. And if it's not fair, so be it, I pay money for services rendered.

 

But it is not dismissive to blame the server as you are?

 

Most of the time my servers in restaurants are good to very good. Sometimes they are not so good. But I have to say, I have never deducted anything from the customary tip. But hey, that's just me. You do what you want.

[Deeliteful]

Precisely people should tip what they want! You want to tip the 15% and then add more, no problem. Go ahead, you don't want to tip because the service is appalling? No issue , you have the right.

 

I prefer to tip an appropriate amount dependent upon the service received, I don't think that should be a problem.

 

I just don't think anyone has the right to tell me to tip and how much that should be.

[Zou Bisou Bisou]

Precisely people should tip what they want! You want to tip the 15% and then add more, no problem. Go ahead, you don't want to tip because the service is appalling? No issue , you have the right.

 

I prefer to tip an appropriate amount dependent upon the service received, I don't think that should be a problem.

 

I just don't think anyone has the right to tell me to tip and how much that should be.

 

Sorry to burst your bubble, but if you order a drink from a bar server on a Royal Caribbean Ship you have to tip the 15% because it is immediately put on your sea pass card and it cannot be removed.

 

You do not have to order the drink, but if you do, they can and do tell you exactly what you have to tip.

 

Also, tipping for Cabin Attendants, Dining Room Waiters, Asst. Waiters and Head Waiters is now mandatory as well and is charged daily to your sea pass account.

 

So not only does Royal Caribbean have the right to tell you to tip and how much to tip, they actually force you to tip.

[Deeliteful]

I am not talking about those tips. You will see I cruise regularly with RCL. I am talking about other people telling me I HAVE to tip.

If I wasn't clear, I apologise

[critterchick]

 

If those people don't work in that area, how would they know if the staff are working the events for free?

 

Though it does feel related (on the back end of things) to the concern at hand from the OP.

 

They work on the ships in managerial positions and are familiar with the policies.

 

Actually, the bar staff are receiving tips from the beverage packages, BUT the tips are now pooled among all the bar staff (both out front and behind the scenes). They are making a lot less money since the introduction of the beverage packages than they did when drinks were charges individually.

 

The difference in their pay is significant enough that quite a few old time crew are looking to leave or change companies where they can make more money.

 

So I was right to be skeptical, but I'm not surprised that they are making less money. Pity.