Is it just me??? Tipping??

[JPAJ]

JPAJ,

On the ship you have an assigned table w/a captive waitstaff. If your table is empty, they can't just serve the next party to come in the door. There is no next customer, you were it. Plus your waiters also work the buffet area when they aren't working a dinner seating.

 

You might want to rethink your attitude?

 

Dan

Thanks Dan and yogi...since you two think you know everything about me this is for you...We informed our waiter that we would not be eating in the dinning room, in case someone needed/wanted our table... we also let him know our decision had nothing to do with him that he was wonderful..he also recieved a little something extra.I'm not a foofy foofy person and like the relaxed atmosphere.. Bistro tipping is also already added to your s&s card...we had our dinning tip adjusted so the bistro dinning would have extra since the majority of the time we ate pizza, burgers, fish, sushi, or buffet...how many people only eat in the dinning room for all of their meals. Thanks...but I'm not the one with an attitude...and you shouldnt be so quick to judge people...fortunately not everyone is so judgemental. Cant we all just get along..:) .

[michele67]

wow...people get hot under the collar on this issue...let me throw my 2 cents in...:D

 

The thing that keeps getting brought up over and over is how hard the wait staff works for this tip, etc...I'm not disputing that but...........what about the fact that I worked EQUALLY as hard for the money to PAY the tip...does that not factor in...:confused: ...some of us actually have to save money all year to afford to take our families on a cruise...and do I expect superior service?....yes, I do...

I have not personally had bad service on a cruise, but, I would adjust the tip if I did...just as if I went out to eat at home...I want someone to wait on me.

I bust my a$$ all year long at my job..and when I go on vacation I want to be pampered!!:p

[jcs56]

wow...people get hot under the collar on this issue...let me throw my 2 cents in...:D

 

The thing that keeps getting brought up over and over is how hard the wait staff works for this tip, etc...I'm not disputing that but...........what about the fact that I worked EQUALLY as hard for the money to PAY the tip...does that not factor in...:confused: ...some of us actually have to save money all year to afford to take our families on a cruise...and do I expect superior service?....yes, I do...

I have not personally had bad service on a cruise, but, I would adjust the tip if I did...just as if I went out to eat at home...I want someone to wait on me.

I bust my a$$ all year long at my job..and when I go on vacation I want to be pampered!!:p

 

Well said!!! I know alot of you have about a dozen or so cruises under your name....I know someone that goes on 3 or 4 a year, but for us money is hard to come by and hard earned. Not saying those of you that cruise 3 or more times a year don't work hard. BUT.... I expect superior service too and yes, I adjust the tip if I don't get it. But it goes both ways. I can give a lot more to some and less to others. I don't mind admitting I want to be pampered, IT'S WHAT I PAID FOR!!! And I still say a tip should not be a "fee"....it should be a tip for good service above the norm.

[GranysT]

The service has been excellent. What I have noticed (and I'm not referring to the OPer) is that more and more people are looking to avoid paying tips. "Oh, the service wasn't good, so I'm not going to tip." Of course, there are those few occasions when the service may be poor, but people also use this as an excuse to justify their cheapness. I liked one post which said they didn't eat in the dining room and used the amount they "saved" on tips to eat in Portofinos. Cheap... cheap... cheap!

 

Yogimax, I also read the thread where the poster stated that they used the "saved tips" to enjoy eating at Portofinos. Boy, I expected the flames to reach the ceiling on that one.:eek: But, NOBODY said a single word. I couldn't believe it. But, I agree with you 110%,talk about cheap. They should have choked on their meal at Portofinos. :)

[dan40]

JPAJ,

I did not attack you or judge you. I merely pointed out a fact that you might not have considered and asked the question about rethinking your attitude.

 

But your minor flame back to me has exposed your attitude for all to see.

 

Had I been judgemental I would have said, "All the rationalization and justification in the world won't change the FACT that you're a cheapskate.

 

Here's some more judgement [not just for you] Anybody that asks any question about tipping is looking for a way to avoid the tip, period.

There are NO honest tip questions!!!

 

Dan

[fireofficer5]

dan is right.

[SleevesEnd]

Personally I'm not a fan of the impersonal tipping. We used to love handing out the envelopes on the last day in the "olden days". We always give more than the suggested amount, double for excellent service down to nothing additional for okay service and handing them out to our new friends was all part of it, along with a thank you, a smile and a handshake. Thankfully we never had an experience where we felt we should reduce the tip. On our last cruise we only ate in the dining room one night (for us, on this trip, eating in the dining room was not "big part of the whole Cruise Experience" ... visiting Alaska was! :)) but we still gave the automatic tip. I assume the cruiselines started doing this because some people weren't tipping at all and that's a shame.

 

Next year will be our first on Carnival since the change, I assume we'll give the required $10 and hand out the rest in person as we go or at the end. I've read lots of opinions on this but does anyone really know exactly where the $10/day pp goes? I'm not saying that in a bad way, just asking. :confused:

[newmexicoNita]

We do have our tips adjusted if we dont eat in the dinning room. Our last cruise we ate in the dinning room twice, and we tipped for those two nights. But for the next 5 days we ate in the lido we didnt tip for dinning room service. Just like I wouldnt walk past a restaurant and walk in the door, leave a tip on the table, turn around and walk out. JMHO

And why not? Those who work the dining room also work the buffets from time to time. Do you not tip when you eat at a buffet on land? Some people just amaze me!!!!!!

[newmexicoNita]

Is is just me or does it seem like Carnival's service has gone down since they require tips be charged to your sail and sign??? My wait staff was excellent, but I had many many complaints from people in my group, who refused to go to the dining room after two days of bad service.

I don't really think the service has suffered. Our Carnival cruise, a few years back had the standard tipping policy or what used to be standard: our dining room service was the worst ever but our cabin steward was the best. We wish we could have hired him and taken him on all our cruises. NMnita

[newmexicoNita]

Since many people don't even leave the $1.00 when at a buffet restaurant, then yeah, 33 1/3 cents per meal sounds about right. After all that is the suggested gratuity.

 

Cheers,

Peter

Anyone who does not leave a $1.00 min tip at a buffet on land is either: really ignorant or super cheap!!!! They clean your plates and clean up after you, often set the table, sometimes get you extra plates, depending on what kind of buffet it is, fill your water glass, etc. The only thing that is different is the standing in line, NMNita

[JPAJ]

And why not? Those who work the dining room also work the buffets from time to time. Do you not tip when you eat at a buffet on land? Some people just amaze me!!!!!!

You didnt read all of the posts.

[JPAJ]

And why not? Those who work the dining room also work the buffets from time to time. Do you not tip when you eat at a buffet on land? Some people just amaze me!!!!!!

You didnt read all of the posts. Yes I tip at least $5 at a buffet.

sorry about the double post..my internet is acting up...sorry

[winewanderer]

DH and I cruise mostly with Carnival and for us the service has always been very good.

 

This past cruise on the Spirit to Hawaii the service was exemplary from the waiter, asst. waiter and room steward as well as everyone else we encountered.

[JPAJ]

I agree with you dls, I have been on two cruises, both with Carnival and we had a wonderful time on both. I have thought about trying out other cruiselines just for the experience. Hopefully my family and I can go another one soon.

[JPAJ]

dls,

 

I noticed you've been on many cruises, and we're having a hard time picking. which cruise was your favorite? I've only been on the western itinerary(sp) and was wondering which you prefer? Thanks for any help.

[yogimax]

Yogimax, I also read the thread where the poster stated that they used the "saved tips" to enjoy eating at Portofinos. Boy, I expected the flames to reach the ceiling on that one.:eek: But, NOBODY said a single word. I couldn't believe it. But, I agree with you 110%,talk about cheap. They should have choked on their meal at Portofinos. :)

 

Yeah, I couldn't believe it either. It's amazing the amount of rationalization people will employ to avoid a tip... they didn't fill my water glass every five minutes... the waiter had B.O.... the service wasn't EXCEPTIONAL... it was a buffet... blah... blah...blah. In the end, it's simply a matter of people's cheapness and the losers are the terrific (by and large) folks from all over the world who deserve what they should get!

[JeffHatfield]

I don't think it's so much a factor of the prepaid tips, but rather the additional ships being brought on line. In the past the cruise lines could be selective with their hiring and get the "Cream of the Crop" so to speak. But with each additional ship coming online, there are so many additional stewards/waiters/etc that they can't be as selective.

[Magic City Cruiser]

Here's some more judgement [not just for you] Anybody that asks any question about tipping is looking for a way to avoid the tip, period.

There are NO honest tip questions!!!

 

I respectfully disagree with this statement. I have asked a few questions about tipping and I don't consider myself "cheap" nor am I looking for someone to validate my avoidance of "tipping". I agree with the way Carnival handles tipping. I think it is fair and if they are comfortable with it, I'm not going to question it. What I have difficulty understanding is the "extra" tips. General consensus is to tip freely and often because a.) "they" work hard and make very little b.)what's a few bucks when you have paid thousands for a cruise. I have yet to see anyone say, "they make x dollars an hour". I can understand waiters and delivery people because they are paid less than minimum wage and it is understood that their wages will be supplimented by tips.

But, just because someone has a "low paying" job and "works" hard, I don't feel like I should have to compensate for their choice of jobs. I have an average paying job. Not minimum wage but not making the bigs bucks. I made some mistakes and/or decisions early in life and didn't get the education I need to make the big bucks. I have job duties and at the end of my duties it says: "and any other duties as assigned". I assure you, I work hard but no one would consider giving me a tip! Why dosn't Carnival include room service in the S&S tipping but they include everyone else? Is it because room service delivers make more? No, a few bucks here or there isn't a big deal but, hey, by the time I tip the porters, the parking attendents, the taxi drivers, the room service, the excursion people and those "extra" tips to either insure a good job or give appreciation for a job well done....sheesh! It's a chunk of change!

Perhaps the question should be: How much should one make before they are entitled to "tips"? Is it a question of service? Are we embarrassed to receive services so we show appreciation to compensate for that embarrassment? I cleaned houses, on my own, for 6 years. I didn't receive "tips", nor did I expect then, nor was I embarrassed at making a living giving a "service" to people.

So, I beleive my tipping confusion is valid, I'm not looking for a way to get out of tipping but I do like to hear what other people think since it is, quite often, a very gray area.

I'm going out on a snorkel excursion and I have posted a question on the Carnival board about how much to tip the 2-3 deck crew, the captain and the excursion host. I have heard from 2 bucks each to 20.00 per family member!

Donna

[Magic City Cruiser]

And, another thing! :D If we're all up in arms about not tipping at buffets, let me ask a question. Has anyone ever tipped a dancer, singer or comedian on a cruise? Having worked as an actor in a dinner theatre, the wait staff made about THREE times what the actors did and we never got a single, solitary tip. The ASSUMPTION was that we made more than the wait staff. So, THAT'S my question! Is it just our "perception" that certain people make less, therefore, we should tip them? Just really playing devil's advocate here!:D

[yogimax]

I don't think it's so much a factor of the prepaid tips, but rather the additional ships being brought on line. In the past the cruise lines could be selective with their hiring and get the "Cream of the Crop" so to speak. But with each additional ship coming online, there are so many additional stewards/waiters/etc that they can't be as selective.

 

Jeff,

Yes, there have been a few new ships brought on line in the last year, but compared to the total amount out there, it's minor. Mrs. Yogimax and I have been on 8 cruises and on seven of them the wait staff has been wonderful! The only minor problem was with one waiter who had just been promoted and was somewhat overwhelmed. I reiterate the main point - people are looking for excuses, any excuses, to avoid paying tips.

Yogi

[sotadragon]

On the ship you have an assigned table w/a captive waitstaff. If your table is empty, they can't just serve the next party to come in the door. There is no next customer, you were it. Plus your waiters also work the buffet area when they aren't working a dinner seating.

 

Dan

I just have to say that this is not entirely correct. I have never seen a wait team in the dining room that only had ONE table to cover, usually they have at least two or three tables. But you are right that they work the buffet when not working in the dining room, I have seen my waiters/waitresses working there personally.

[dan40]

Ester, If you'll reread my post, I didn't make any claim they had only one table to serve. I know they have a section to handle. But if they had 10 tables and one is empty[and pulls their tip] the waitstaff lost 10% of their income and they have no way to make it up. 5 tables=20% lost etc.

Maybe they can use the xtra time to impress the people that did show up and get additional tips from them. Altho I doubt that as I have been crusing for over 30 years and have seen how bad tipping [or lack thereof] can be. Even when there was only a snack grill [no real buffet] and the dining room, the last eves dinner was often less than half full because people were too cheap to tip and skipped a free meal just to avoid facing the waiters. Once ships all had full buffets available, the last nites dinner was like a ghost town.

Something had to be done, thus auto tipping came to be.

 

Donna,

I know my blanket statement will not always be the case but for every time its wrong, I bet its right 1000 times and more. [see the final dinner vanishings above :rolleyes:]

Also I don't care what any human on the planet makes, That has nothing to do with tipping. The service that people provide for us is what tipping is all about. The porters that threaten to deep six your bags unless they're tipped well are members of the longshoremans union [or stevedore's union, not sure, don't care] and are probably making 30 bucks an hour on weekends. But they take my bags, which I very much want to be rid of, and so I tip them about $2. a bag. The waiters aboard make very little in wages, but if they provided me with bad service, they'd make very little in tips too. Only once in 44 cruises did I stiff a waiter because he did nothing but complain about tipping while his asst. did everything and did it well. The assistant got all the tips from the whole table.

Entertainers, I tip in a piano bar and anywhere if I request a song.

Dancers? I've slipped a few bills in some g-strings but that's probably not what you meant :D.

By the way, their are cruielines where no tipping is required. Guess what! Tipping still happens on those lines too. What a rip:eek::D.

 

Dan

[sotadragon]

Esther, If you'll reread my post, I didn't make any claim they had only one table to serve. I know they have a section to handle. But if they had 10 tables and one is empty[and pulls their tip] the waitstaff lost 10% of their income and they have no way to make it up. 5 tables=20% lost etc.

Maybe they can use the xtra time to impress the people that did show up and get additional tips from them. Altho I doubt that as I have been crusing for over 30 years and have seen how bad tipping [or lack thereof] can be. Even when there was only a snack grill [no real buffet] and the dining room, the last eves dinner was often less than half full because people were too cheap to tip and skipped a free meal just to avoid facing the waiters. Once ships all had full buffets available, the last nites dinner was like a ghost town.

Something had to be done, thus auto tipping came to be.

 

Dan

Dan,

 

I'm sorry if I misinterpreted what you were saying, but admit it, when you say "There is no next customer, you were it", that certainly sounds like there aren't any other customers.

[KruznKel]

Why can't people just tip or tip NOT what they want... What is it anyone else's business what somone does on their own vacation.... Unless you are the specific person paying for their waiter/waitress/steward/bartenders salary.. if not then do as you will... JM 2cents... Flame away I am waiting:D

[Magic City Cruiser]

But, Dan, I've yet to have anyone tell me how you determine WHO to tip and WHY. I work for a wonderful non-profit organization that serves people all day long. That's what we do. Nobody I know gets tipped. I understand, though I don't agree with, the situation that some employers are allowed to pay employees less than minimum wage because they will be "rewarded" or "compensated" for good service. I'd just as soon all employers pay their employees a living wage and leave me the heck out of it! However, I do understand and I always tip those people. Well, unless I have received abominable service which has only happened a handful of times in my life. I don't tip the girl at Burger King who cooks my hamburger or who handles the sale. I don't tip the lady at Walmart who gives me my cart. I'm just confused! And, I think if people better understood WHY we tip, it'd sure help! Do we tip because the employers depend on us to suppliment their employees wages, do we reward for good service, do we punish for bad service? Do we tip because that longshoreman "made us an offer we couldn't refuse"? Again, when I cleaned houses, I didn't make "tips". I did the job I was paid for and was happy with a smile and a thank you. I didn't sweep under the rug when I wasn't "tipped". Again, I just wanna know who thinks they should be given "tips" for doing their job. All these years, has the Burger King girl been spitting on my burger because I didn't tip her?? Inquiring minds want to know! How do you figure you should tip everyone who provides you a service? I didn't tip the nice policeman who came after my house was burglarized, nor the finger print guy though I sure appreciated their "service".

Again, just playing devil's advocate here!

In the end, I think all employers should pay their employees a competitive wage and if and when the mood strikes you, you can spread love wherever you see fit, including the man who cleans your septic tank, the kids who cuts your grass and the librarian who checks out your books!

Donna