breakfast in crown grill, tips?

[misspuss]

We have not cruised Princess for about 20 years. We are in a suite on the Ruby princess next month. We are looking forward to breakfast in the Crown grill, since we have read all the great reviews of the venue.

It seems that with all the attention you get there, we probably will want to tip the service staff extra.

How much do people tip? Should it be at each meal or at the end of the cruise?

Yes,of course, tipping is an individual choice, but help me out here and please give me some guidelines.

Thank you!

[ggprincess2004]

We usually tip at the end of the cruise - the last breakfast we have in there is the day before disembarkation. If you are on a b2b, the staff may rotate on each cruise, so it would be a good idea to check on that.

 

Unlike fixed dining, it seems like everyone on the waitstaff takes care of all the passengers enjoying the suite breakfast. Hence, while we would normally tip a couple of servers, we basically divide that amount between the entire waitstaff. I cannot offer you any guidelines on amount. I have a feeling there is a great deal of variance, from those who do not tip beyond the automatic gratuities and those who might drop a C note on each server. We might average anywhere from an extra 8 to 15 a day, based on two servers and divide that among the staff, depending upon just how spoiled rotten we have been made to feel on that particular cruise. To some we would be stingy, to some generous.

[RocketMan275]

Suggest you make a discrete inquiry of the matre'd as to what he would suggest. We did on our last Holland cruise and he told us, on our Holland cruise, that it didn't matter. Tips were "pooled" for those serving breakfast in their Pinnacle Grill. We just left an envelope on our last day.

 

FWIW, we tend to leave about $50 for a seven day cruise and we usually eat there every breakfast.

[Pam in CA]

The full suite breakfast perk is nothing like going to a specialty restaurant. You can order off the menu or literally anything else you might want that's not on the menu. All of the waitstaff will serve you during the cruise rather than just one or two. And it's extraordinary service. On my Pacific Princess 14-day cruise last December, I tipped each of the three $15. That was for just me.

[NavyVeteran]

Since the waiters are part of the gratuity pool, it is not necessary to tip them extra as long as you don't cancel or reduce your hotel charges (and I'm assuming you wouldn't do that).

 

However, I believe in extra tips for extra service - not automatic extra tips for ordinary expected service. I don't think a fixed amount suggested by others makes sense - it depends on the service.

 

The best service I have ever received was breakfast at Sabatini's on a trans-Atlantic on the Ocean Princess in December 2014. The lead waiter there was fantastic. I tipped him extra and I also tipped the others who worked there - but not as much. I don't know (or really care) whether or not they pooled them. Although we had traditional seating for dinner on that cruise, I tipped the waiter at breakfast more than then ones at dinner - because the service was so much better. On that cruise, he made breakfast the high point of the day. That was an 18-night trans-Atlantic (with lots of sea days) on the Ocean Princess (with only ten suites), so we definitely got to know each other. Also on the sea days, I probably spent more time at the breakfast table (mimosas and fantastic hot chocolate) than I did at the dinner table.

[brianlojeck]

For what it's worth, the Sabatini's waiters I got into a discussion on the topic with said they would rather get those "consumate host" cards than an additional tip.

 

The tip is pooled, so they only get a small amount of it, but the host cards are the path to additional time off-ship (according to the discussion, anyway.)

[cb at sea]

On a cruise, tipping is done on the LAST NIGHT....

[NavyVeteran]

On a cruise, tipping is done on the LAST NIGHT....

 

No. In this case it is done on the morning of the last full day.

[TracieABD]

On a cruise, tipping is done on the LAST NIGHT....

 

As a general rule of thumb, that might be correct. Although, I am pretty sure the crew will accept a tip anytime.

[misspuss]

Thank you all for the information.This is much what I expected was the case.

I will keep in mind the special cards for above and beyond service.

[Pam in CA]

On a cruise, tipping is done on the LAST NIGHT....

Not for full suite passengers who get breakfast in Sabatini's or the Crown Grill as a perk. They probably won't see their waitstaff after breakfast on the last full day.

[IECalCruiser]

I have asked the supervisor in Sabatini's several times and was always told that the tips are pooled for the waitstaff in Sabatini's so on the last morning we give the supervisor an envelope for all the staff. We tipped the same amount that we typically tip our dinner waitstaff.

Edited April 30, 2016 by IECalCruiser

[cruzsnooze]

We have not cruised Princess for about 20 years. We are in a suite on the Ruby princess next month. We are looking forward to breakfast in the Crown grill, since we have read all the great reviews of the venue.

It seems that with all the attention you get there, we probably will want to tip the service staff extra.

How much do people tip? Should it be at each meal or at the end of the cruise?

Yes,of course, tipping is an individual choice, but help me out here and please give me some guidelines.

Thank you!

 

They are all in the tipping pool which you pay automatically daily. Princess has already figured out what works and how much to put on your account daily so no more is expected or required. I personally leave my daily gratuity intact and do not tip extra. The service in Sabitini's where the breakfast was held on my voyage was excellent service and a nice quiet atmosphere.

[ggprincess2004]

On a cruise, tipping is done on the LAST NIGHT....

 

While it may be traditional to tip the dining room staff on the last night, that is not set in stone anywhere, and tipping may be done throughout the cruise if one wishes. In fact, if one is planning to tip the suite breakfast staff, the last breakfast one is having with them is the time to do it.

 

In addition, we might choose to tip bar staff beyond the gratuity that is automatically added to the bar tab, especially if it is a discounted beverage, and do so at the time of service.

 

We normally tip our cabin steward on the last night of the cruise, as the morning of departure is very hectic for them...but some cruisers advocate tipping at the start of the cruise.

 

It is very much a matter of personal preference and style, blended with some practicality.