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Tipping for Ultimate Balcony Dinner

crusinpeg

By crusinpeg,
in Princess Cruises

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jerseygirl3

jerseygirl3

Posted
Posted

There are two waiters; one is more visible and actually places the food on your table and the other does the schlepping back and forth to the galley. Both make appearances, though.

 

I almost had a heart attack when my husband told me he tipped them $50 each! Although they were wonderful, if it had been left up to me, I'd have given them $20 each.

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West Coast

West Coast

Posted
Posted
What about the ultimate Breakfast? How much to tip? Are there more than one waiter, or is the food just delivered and then they leave you alone?

 

With the Balcony Champagne Breakfast, you do not receive any sort of set-up or table side service. Your food will be delivered by one person, on a cart, and is unloaded in your cabin. It's up to you to set up, change dishes after each course, pour coffee, etc. After the food is delivered, the attendant leaves. When you're finished *ALL* that food, leave your dishes there and the room steward will have them removed when he attends to your cabin that morning.

 

The breakfast is a great experience. We enjoyed it in the Caribbean last year and it was a 'birthday surprise' to me. And as it's only offered on select mornings (and to those who have balconies) it was just cooincidental that my b-day was the same day they were offering it on that cruise.

 

For the $25 for two, it's a great deal.

 

1/2 bottle of champagne

huge basket of assorted pastries

crab leg appetizer (2-3 big legs each) (X2)

quiche and some other stuff [fancy potatoes, greens] for main (X2)

huge assorted/sliced fruits plate (X2)

 

:)

 

ps - this topic is discussed in more detail here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=231335

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=222962

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=215730

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=143172

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=36186

 

Enjoy!

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Cruisin4eva

Cruisin4eva

Posted
Posted

West Coast-

You mentioned that the Champagne Balcony Breakfast is for people with balconies... in a past thread someone said it really didn't matter if you had a balcony or not, they would just deliver to your room. Do you know for sure it's just for Balcony passengers? I feel if you pay your $25 and if they are not serving you... then it really doesn't matter what type of room they are laying the tray down in... what do you think??

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ourlol

ourlol

Posted
Posted

When we treated my in-laws to the Ultimate Balcony Dinner we gave $20 to each of the two waiters.

 

Laura

 

PS: I think my father-in-law tipped them as well (not knowing we had already done it). Even so, you couldn't begrudge the waiters a penny... they made it an evening to remember.

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MaryPoppinz

MaryPoppinz

Posted
Posted

Cruise4eva, we did have a balcony cabin, and I had pre-paid for the Ultimate Balcony Breakfast. On the morning that it was to be delivered, I wasn't quite ready for primetime and didn't want to sit out on the balcony, so I asked them to set it up in the cabin, and they did it without a problem.

 

So...I can't see why, if you're happy to have it set up in your cabin, and if your cabin can accomodate it somehow, they would care where you eat it. I don't know this for sure, but it wouldn't hurt to ask, and my experience is that the onboard staff is not at all rigid about this sort of thing. There is a little common sense involved here, and I believe they are up to the task. :)

 

I highly recommend it, but share it if you are able. Lots of food!

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Iamthesea

Iamthesea

Posted
Posted
With the Balcony Champagne Breakfast, you do not receive any sort of set-up or table side service. Your food will be delivered by one person, on a cart, and is unloaded in your cabin. It's up to you to set up, change dishes after each course, pour coffee, etc. After the food is delivered, the attendant leaves. When you're finished *ALL* that food, leave your dishes there and the room steward will have them removed when he attends to your cabin that morning.

Which brings me to a question. If we decide to stay on our balcony for the entire crossing through the Gatun Locks (and enjoy our breakfast :D ), will the steward come back after we leave for our excursion and clean the room, or will we miss out on the clean-up that morning? Or, will he come in and clean while we are on the balcony? :o
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Cruisin4eva

Cruisin4eva

Posted
Posted

Thanks Mary Poppinz.. I thought it was you that gave me that advice last time. Like you said if it's ok with us... it should be ok with them. Now I can totally undersatnd them not wanting to do the Ult. Balcony Dinner in a room with no Balc.... that would be very crowded and all... but this I feel is a no brainer:)

Thanks again!:D

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Another Cruise

Another Cruise

Posted
Posted

The Ultimate Balcony Breakfast will have a 15% gratuity already added on to it when you get your bill, so anything you tip will be in addition to that. The Coral didn't offer the Dinner so I don't know if that has a tip added also or not. Our cabin steward cleaned our room one day while we were on the balcony. It wasn't a problem for him or for us. When he was finished he came to the door and told us.

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suziehmkr

suziehmkr

Posted
Posted

Is there any way ahead of time to find out if they will be offereing the Ultimate Balcony Breakfast on Christmas Day for our cruise? I mean, if I call Princess will they actually know? Or should I call 3 different times and see what they say?

 

I would love to do this for DH & DD's for Christmas morning. As it is, they don't even know that we got the balcony (sneaky mom!!) they think we are still in the Oceanview on Plaza Deck! So this will be an added treat!

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MaryPoppinz

MaryPoppinz

Posted
Posted

I really doubt that the people in Customer Service are going to know which date the Room Service on any particular ship has chosen to use for the Ultimate Balcony Breakfast. You can try calling, but it may be an exercise in frustration.

 

Suzie, is Christmas a sea day for you? It's generally offered on a sea day (or during the canal transit.)

 

There was no gratuity on our bill for these, as there is no gratuity in the speciality restaurants. We tipped in cash.

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Linda the Book Lover

Linda the Book Lover

Posted
Posted

I pre-ordered the Ultimate Breakfast for Christmas morning on the Sapphire by calling Princess direct. Pam, I, and our cabin mates will have a great holiday jump-start. I am thinking all of the ships that have the Ultimate breakfast will offer it on Christmas. I am sad I cannot have the Ultimate dinner on the Coral but another Ultimate Breakfast on the “lock day” sounds grand.

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Iamthesea

Iamthesea

Posted
Posted
Our cabin steward cleaned our room one day while we were on the balcony. It wasn't a problem for him or for us. When he was finished he came to the door and told us.
Another cruise...welcome back! Did your steward let you know he was there in the first place?

Did you have a mini-suite and were the new perks in place on the Coral?

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Another Cruise

Another Cruise

Posted
Posted

We just had the UBB a week ago and there WAS a 15% gratuity added on. The waiter handed me a piece of paper and I thought that was odd because room service hadn't done that any time we had them. I gave him a tip and he left. Then I looked at the paper and there was a charge for $25 and a 15% gratuity charge of $3.75. Total was $28.75. This may be something new, but that is what was on the room service slip and that is what is on my bill. We saw the room steward as we were coming back from breakfast and we told him we would be on the balcony and he could come on in and clean the room.

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suziehmkr

suziehmkr

Posted
Posted
Suzie, is Christmas a sea day for you? It's generally offered on a sea day (or during the canal transit.)

Yes, Christmas Day is a sea day for us. Smack dab in the middle of our first sea block.

 

I am going to give it a try and see what happens. I just think it would be a great way to start the day. Hadn't even considered it until I saw a post about Christmas Day. Great idea!

 

Will report back when I do find out... Thanks!!!

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jerseygirl3

jerseygirl3

Posted
Posted

Another, that certainly is baffling. We were on the 9/17 sailing of the Caribbean Princess and had both the Champagne Balcony Breakfast ($25/couple) and the Ultimate Balcony Dinner ($100/couple) and there was no gratutity fee added to either. They must have instituted that the week after we cruised.

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