Tipping at Crown Grill

[pablo222]

They did tell me if they tipped, if it was cash, they kept it, if it was on the slip, it was put into a pool.

 

I ate in crown grill with three passengers, and a waiter.

She (the waiter) said the same -- on the slip --> pool.

 

Previously, I only tipped in the speciality resturants, for something

exceptional.

 

Last year, I was in Bayou cafe with two waitresses and two passengers.

I didn't have any cash, so the waitresses tipped in cash.

That made me re-think it.

Edited December 3, 2014 by pablo222

[socialworker]

We have no issue or question regarding how much to tip at any of the specialty restaurants for dinner. However our question is how much should we tip when we are blessed with daily breakfast in Sabatinis because we took an upsell to a suite. Everyday there is a team of five servers working breakfast (we referred to them as the "Dream Team") so even at a minimum of $5 per person, per day, we'd be looking at $350 for a 14 night cruise.

 

Any thoughts?

[SwissDave]

We have no issue or question regarding how much to tip at any of the specialty restaurants for dinner. However our question is how much should we tip when we are blessed with daily breakfast in Sabatinis because we took an upsell to a suite. Everyday there is a team of five servers working breakfast (we referred to them as the "Dream Team") so even at a minimum of $5 per person, per day, we'd be looking at $350 for a 14 night cruise.

 

Any thoughts?

 

Not sure why you would consider $5 per waiter per day. I have only ever had 2 servers serving me at Sabatinis breakfast, one for the pastries and drinks, one for ordering and delivering the food.

 

They are already part of the tip pool, and at the end of a 7 day or 12 day cruise the most additional I have given was $20 per person who served me, and that seemed to be the normal judging by those around me who gave something extra on the last day.

 

In any case, it is not a requirement to tip any extra, and any thing you give them is a bonus. My last cruise I did not tip anything extra at the end as I did not feel that the service warranted anything extra as it was just adequate and nothing special.

[CruisingJs]

We have no issue or question regarding how much to tip at any of the specialty restaurants for dinner. However our question is how much should we tip when we are blessed with daily breakfast in Sabatinis because we took an upsell to a suite. Everyday there is a team of five servers working breakfast (we referred to them as the "Dream Team") so even at a minimum of $5 per person, per day, we'd be looking at $350 for a 14 night cruise.

 

Any thoughts?

 

We've had suites a few times and we give the waiter $20 on the last day. If the assistant waiter is particularly good, we will give him a lesser amount. They make you feel so pampered in Sabatini's for breakfast. Our specialty coffee order was already on the way when we walked in the door.

[Happy2cruise]

Flat wrong. Call Princess yourself and ask if you do not believe me.

 

Call three times, get four different answers.

 

Sorry to say, this is typical when calling Princess for information:confused:

[jennybenny]

Sorry to say, this is typical when calling Princess for information:confused:

 

I notice the same thing recently.... I wonder why the inconsistencies.

[-Lew-]

 

The "fee" for the specialty restaurant does not include any tip according to a person in charge of ship's payroll on a recent cruise.

 

 

Flat wrong. Call Princess yourself and ask if you do not believe me.

No need for anyone to call Princess because caribill is correct. The entire cost of dining in a specialty restaurant goes to Princess and is not shared with servers.

 

Ask the maître d' next time you're onboard...

 

Lew

[Colo Cruiser]

I notice the same thing recently.... I wonder why the inconsistencies.

 

 

 

Lots of newbies, high turnover, and most have never sampled the product.

This has been an issue for as long as I can remember.

[jennybenny]

No need for anyone to call Princess because caribill is correct. The entire cost of dining in a specialty restaurant goes to Princess and is not shared with servers.

 

Ask the maître d' next time you're onboard...

 

Lew

 

I understood the same thing, the price of specialty dining goes to Princess,

 

However, I had understood that the waiters/servers were part of the "pool" and got compensated that way. That's what we were told on a previous cruise. Since there appears to be an inconsistency on that understanding, I will be sure to tip cash.

[-Lew-]

 

I understood the same thing, the price of specialty dining goes to Princess,

 

However, I had understood that the waiters/servers were part of the "pool" and got compensated that way. That's what we were told on a previous cruise. Since there appears to be an inconsistency on that understanding, I will be sure to tip cash.

You're correct, jennybenny...

 

All waitstaff participate in the tip pool; servers in the specialty restaurants are waitstaff; waitstaff in the specialty restaurants share in the tip pool. Tipping an additional amount is your personal decision.

 

Lew

[majortom10]

Already paying $11-50 pppd in gratuities $12 if you are in a suite which covers the night when you are in Crown Grill/Sabatinis and you are already paying $25pp surcharge on top of the price you have paid for the meal in MDR which you havent had so why would you want to pay or tip any more.

[dandonna]

Already paying $11-50 pppd in gratuities $12 if you are in a suite which covers the night when you are in Crown Grill/Sabatinis and you are already paying $25pp surcharge on top of the price you have paid for the meal in MDR which you havent had so why would you want to pay or tip any more.

 

....maybe because since we are all lucky enough to be able to afford a cruise vacation that any type of a tip is a "Gesture of Kindness" that I am sure is appreciated by the staff.

Edited December 4, 2014 by dandonna

[Happy2cruise]

Already paying $11-50 pppd in gratuities $12 if you are in a suite which covers the night when you are in Crown Grill/Sabatinis and you are already paying $25pp surcharge on top of the price you have paid for the meal in MDR which you havent had so why would you want to pay or tip any more.

 

....maybe because since we are all lucky enough to be able to afford a cruise vacation that any type of a tip is a "Gesture of Kindness" that I am sure is appreciated by the staff.

Very well said dandonna!

[lovevacadays]

I tip as I would in a land restaurant for a nice dinner. With good service 20% of the bill. With excellent service I add more according to how excellent the service was.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[lovevacadays]

I understood the same thing, the price of specialty dining goes to Princess,

 

 

 

However, I had understood that the waiters/servers were part of the "pool" and got compensated that way. That's what we were told on a previous cruise. Since there appears to be an inconsistency on that understanding, I will be sure to tip cash.

 

 

They are a part of the pool. For me, because the experience is typically better than the MDR I tip addition if the service warrants it.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[kenexx]

We don't tip any extra in the restaurants where there is an extra cost to dine there.

[LMaxwell]

No need for anyone to call Princess because caribill is correct. The entire cost of dining in a specialty restaurant goes to Princess and is not shared with servers.

 

Ask the maître d' next time you're onboard...

 

Lew

Perhaps you should call Princess and inform them they are giving out misinformation to people over the phone?

[Dcshener]

Hello. We were lucky enough to enjoy the breakfast team at Sabatinis on the Sapphire recently. We come from a non tipping culture. We did give a tip to each of the team and there was four of them working room. For a couple of reasons. They did their jobs really well.While that is not enough on its own usually we recognize that they are not at the high end of the pay scales. They went out of their way to have a chat to my partner who is not well when they ran into in other parts of the ship and she enjoyed that. Me, they just nodded at, cos I'm not the chatty type and they knew that! And, anything I gave them us just a fraction of what the holiday cost and it does no harm to share the happiness. Ps. We tipped at the specialty restaurants as well, about the amounts being talked about here. Ps. I'm happy to stare down an expectant tippee who didn't do their job.

[Colo Cruiser]

Perhaps you should call Princess and inform them they are giving out misinformation to people over the phone?

 

 

 

Then one would be on the phone for days reporting all the misinformation that reps regularly give out in all aspects of the cruise experience. :rolleyes:

[jak378]

We are just off the Regal and we dined once in each specialty restaurant. In Sabbatini's the service was terrible, therefore no tip. In Crown the service was good, but no better than in the MDR and we put a 15 dollar tip on the bill. It has always been my understanding that when a service employee is tipped in cash, they are required to turn that into the pool, and that if they do not, they are placing themselves in jeopardy. Anyone know if that is true or not?

[Colo Cruiser]

We are just off the Regal and we dined once in each specialty restaurant. In Sabbatini's the service was terrible, therefore no tip. In Crown the service was good, but no better than in the MDR and we put a 15 dollar tip on the bill. It has always been my understanding that when a service employee is tipped in cash, they are required to turn that into the pool, and that if they do not, they are placing themselves in jeopardy. Anyone know if that is true or not?

 

 

Only.......

If the tipping passanger has removed their auto tip then the crew member would be required to turn the cash in to be pooled.

[-Lew-]

 

It has always been my understanding that when a service employee is tipped in cash, they are required to turn that into the pool, and that if they do not, they are placing themselves in jeopardy. Anyone know if that is true or not?

It has been my understanding that if the cruiser who gave the cash tip kept the auto-tip in place, the server would keep the cash tip. If the auto-tip had been removed, the cash tip would go to the pool.

 

Having said the above, it has been reported the above scenario has changed, but I can't personally confirm that.

 

The $15 tip you added to the bill, which went into the pool, resulted in just a few cents to each pool participant.

 

Lew

[hllwdcruiser]

I can never resist clicking on any thread with "Tipping" in the title! Hold on because it's sure to be a rocky ride!!!:D

 

We always tip $10 when we eat at specialty dining, which we usually do twice per 7 day cruise.

 

The extra cash we bring onboard for tipping is just a drop in the bucket compared to the overall cost of the cruise but means so much to the crew.

 

We don't tip because we "have to", we don't tip because "others do", we don't tip to get a pat on the back or better service. We tip because it makes us feel good, knowing that even our little contribution just might make a big difference in another's life.

[Treven]

It has been my understanding that if the cruiser who gave the cash tip kept the auto-tip in place, the server would keep the cash tip. If the auto-tip had been removed, the cash tip would go to the pool.

 

The $15 tip you added to the bill, which went into the pool, resulted in just a few cents to each pool participant.

 

Lew

 

 

This is my understanding as well. Probably why I always leave a cash tip; in addition to keeping my auto-tip in place.

Edited December 8, 2014 by Treven

[mmckm]

We have no issue or question regarding how much to tip at any of the specialty restaurants for dinner. However our question is how much should we tip when we are blessed with daily breakfast in Sabatinis because we took an upsell to a suite. Everyday there is a team of five servers working breakfast (we referred to them as the "Dream Team") so even at a minimum of $5 per person, per day, we'd be looking at $350 for a 14 night cruise.

 

Any thoughts?

 

We leave a $3.00 tip every morning we dine in Sabatinis. Also tip $15 to $20 for dinner in a specialty restaurant. I was told the cover charge does not include tip a few years ago. Whatever it would be a pool tip and shared if it was included. So the waiter wouldn't get much, Like writing it on the bill. I will still leave a tip in cash.