Tipping in Sabatini & Crown Grill

[Calgon1]

I was informed by the Hotel Manager that all food on the ship is included with the cruise fare. The charges for specialty restaurants, coffees, etc., is the tip.

[Pam in CA]

$5 per person or $10 per couple is no more wrong than $20 is right. There's no correct amount.

 

Tipping is a personal decision. Waitstaff has agreed to accept their percentage of the daily auto-tip and expect nothing more. Any amount received in cash is a bonus.

I agree 100%. It's optional.

 

Usually, service in the specialty restaurants is better than in the dining room and they are more attentive. That can mean a better dining experience. Plus, often, they go above and beyond. If you want to tip extra for this, you are free to do so. Nothing is expected.

 

On the Sapphire in March, we went to the Sterling Steakhouse and my steak had to be sent back once to be cooked (I'd ordered medium rare and it was raw) and my sister's had to be sent back twice before it was even pink. We were told by the waiter that raw/dark purple was medium rare... There was hardly anyone in the Sterling Steakhouse (maybe three tables total) and they acted like we were making a big deal about not wanting to eat the meat raw. We did not leave an extra tip.

Edited May 30, 2014 by Pam in CA

[Mermen]

This is completely up to your discretion we have in the past left $10 cash on the table because we've had such a wonderful dinner and such fabulous service, again it is completely your choice. I will say we are currently booked on Celebrity for this coming December and their prices for their alternative dining rooms are twice the cost per person than Princess and I doubt we will leave an extra tip no matter how great the service! At $50 per person I think that should cover the tip

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Celebrity:

 

Murano: $45

QSine: $45

Tuscan Grille: $35

Bistro on 5: $5

 

We have dined in Sabatinis and Sterling and found the price tag of $25 to be about fair. Having dined in all of the Celebrity venues, consider $45 to be fair.

 

Food can be subjective but we enjoy the specialty restaurants on Celebrity and would leave a gratuity in any venue on either cruise line, regardless of the cost...if the service is excellent. Unfortunately the staff cannot control the cost. :( I think that the staff on either ship would be appreciative of the smallest additional gratuity, though it is optional.

Edited May 30, 2014 by Mermen

[lovevacadays]

So I pay for a cruise which includes in the price dinner in the MDR I then pay an extra supplement on top of the price already paid for dinner to eat in Crown Grill/Sabatini's and then on top of the already $11-50 per person per day gratuities I am then expected top leave another tip for serving me a meal with efficiency. You have got to be joking ever likely the staff are always smiling whenever they go back home they must be classified as millionaires compared to the pay local people in their countries are paid.

 

You are not expected to tip if you do not want to. Tipping is a very personal decision. For me, if I get good service in the specialty restaurants I live a tip. I feel like it is a special outing and I appreciate the above and beyond service I typically get there.

 

I was informed by the Hotel Manager that all food on the ship is included with the cruise fare. The charges for specialty restaurants, coffees, etc., is the tip.

 

I doubt very much that the price you pay for the specialty restaurants is in any way considered by the cruise line a tip. That money is not going in the tipping pool. It's going to Princess.

[Treven]

I too leave a $20 cash tip in any of the speciality restaurants. I certainly feel the overall dining experience to be well worth it.

[Renmar]

Only post # 2 gave the right answer to the specific question.

 

Theo

[BrandiGreg]

We consider the auto-tip as our tip. When we pay an additional service charge for the specialty restaurant, that is a charge for the extra service, so no more tip is expected. If it was not, then they would call it a "Food charge" or something other than service charge. I find the service in specialty restaurants as good as in main dining room.

Edited May 31, 2014 by BrandiGreg

[-Lew-]

 

Only post # 2 gave the right answer to the specific question.

The answer in post 2 is not correct. All of the specialty restaurant fee goes to Princess.

 

Lew

[bassmaster150]

Like the previous poster stated, you are not "expected" to do anything. My wife and I tip usually $20 in both Crown and Sabbatini's...it is our choice, and I have no issues with it. If you do, then don't tip....its that simple.

Edited May 31, 2014 by bassmaster150

[bhopal21]

Only post # 2 gave the right answer to the specific question.

 

Theo

 

Post #2 gave an incorrect answer as none of the fee goes to the server.

 

Mike:)

[Donder1]

We usually tip 20.00. Pam makes a good point, though. If we had the same experience as she and her sister, I know we would not have tipped. I would have also talked politely to the Maitre'D about the poor experience.

 

One aspect that no one has mentioned is that I have found that the service in some specialty restaurants can be annoying. I don't like all the interruptions and hovering that we sometimes experience.

[jean s]

We usually leave an extra cash tip when dining in a specialty restaurant. We recently ate in both the Crown Grill and Sabatini's on CB. The waiter in the Crown Grill was actually rude and made me feel uncomfortable. Anything I requested was a huge effort for him. For the first time ever I did not leave a tip. Two days later we ate in Sabatini's and the waiter was pleasant and provided excellent service. We really enjoyed our meal so we left at $20 tip.

[Renmar]

The answer in post 2 is not correct. All of the specialty restaurant fee goes to Princess.

 

Lew

 

Post #2 gave an incorrect answer as none of the fee goes to the server.

 

Mike:)

 

The OP asked if the fee "included" a tip and as far as we know it does. Not the whole amount goes to the servers but to our knowledge a part does.

 

How do you know that none of it goes to the servers? If the servers do not get anything extra out of it why would they be so eager to serve in those places.

 

 

 

Theo

Edited June 1, 2014 by Renmar

[IECalCruiser]

The OP asked if the fee "included" a tip and as far as we know it does. Not the whole amount goes to the servers but to our knowledge a part does.

 

How do you know that none of it goes to the servers? If the servers do not get anything extra out of it why would they be so eager to serve in those places.

 

Theo

There is no indication that the waiters in specialty restaurants get any portion of the cover charge but rather that they share in the tip pool from the daily "hotel charge" of $11.50 or $12.00 as all other restaurant waitstaff. Why are staff so eager to serve in those places? Well, if everyone who eats there tips $20, wouldn't servers want to work there?

 

BTW, thanks for all of your work on the obstructed view cabin thread :)

Edited June 1, 2014 by IECalCruiser

[majortom10]

We usually leave an extra cash tip when dining in a specialty restaurant. We recently ate in both the Crown Grill and Sabatini's on CB. The waiter in the Crown Grill was actually rude and made me feel uncomfortable. Anything I requested was a huge effort for him. For the first time ever I did not leave a tip. Two days later we ate in Sabatini's and the waiter was pleasant and provided excellent service. We really enjoyed our meal so we left at $20 tip.

 

We ate in Crown Grill last year on Caribbean Princess and had the worse service ever on a cruise ship the waiter got the meal order completely wrong and wife ate her main course, while my correct order was being cooked. She finished hers before my main course came and then by that time my side orders which had been left from initial course was stone cold so had to be taken away and redone while my steak was going cold. We complained and maitre'd came nowhere near the table we told the waiter we didnt want our dessert course and we wouldnt expect a bill and walked out. Wife was in tears because the idea of booking the Crown Grill was to celebrate a special birthday the waiter never apologised and the maitre'd stood at entrance to restuarant and never said anything at all on leaving.

[bhopal21]

The OP asked if the fee "included" a tip and as far as we know it does. Not the whole amount goes to the servers but to our knowledge a part does.

 

How do you know that none of it goes to the servers? If the servers do not get anything extra out of it why would they be so eager to serve in those places.

 

 

 

Theo

 

Specialty restaurant dining is a fee charged by Princess, it is not a "tip" for the servers as their are included in the pool. I know three servers who work in the specialty restaurants and no part of the fee goes to them.

 

The reason one would be so eager to work in one of these is the working conditions are quite a bit better than a lot of other assignments and positions in Crown Grill and Sabatini's are highly desired.

 

Now, where does "we know" get our information?

 

Mike:)

[pablo222]

? If the servers do not get anything extra out of it why would they be so eager to serve in those places.

 

I think this is personal choice, and depends a whole lot on

who the head waiter in charge of the venue is.

 

I knew one guy on Emerald who loved Sabatinis. He was

generally off after breakfast, until dinner, and could usually

go ashore on turn-around days.

 

A girl I know pretty well on Coral was in Sabatinis for two

months, and she couldn't wait to get back to the dining room.

 

When I was on Carribbean last week, I was super impressed

with the head waiter running sabatinis.

 

Most of the gents at the door seat people, and then spend hours

staring at the reservations.

 

This gent ran drinks, helped deliver food, and checked with guests

to make sure things were ok. I was impressed that he was making

an extra effort which helped the guests.

[Renmar]

Specialty restaurant dining is a fee charged by Princess, it is not a "tip" for the servers as their are included in the pool. I know three servers who work in the specialty restaurants and no part of the fee goes to them.

 

The reason one would be so eager to work in one of these is the working conditions are quite a bit better than a lot of other assignments and positions in Crown Grill and Sabatini's are highly desired.

 

Now, where does "we know" get our information?

 

Mike:)

 

From the same places your "I know" comes from. (Probably different ships)

 

Theo