Gratuities in Specialty Restaurants?

[Ocean Dancer]

Our experience.........When specialty restaurants were a new concept, we tried the only one on Carnival Spirit. Not only did we have an amazing dinner, there was a three piece band playing so you could dance between courses. We lingered over a glass of wine and enjoyed a few more dances. When we were leaving, we called over our waiter to personally hand him a tip. He refused our tip saying it was part of what we paid for the meal.

 

Maybe times have changed?

[juiceman]

the daily gratuities covers meals in INCLUDED venues: Buffet, MDR, Park Cafe, etc. NOT any specialty dining. think about it: have you ever seen the waitstaff of Chops anywhere else during the day? nope. but you have seen your assistant waiter squirting hand sanitizer at you as you enter the buffet and your waiter pouring your OJ at breakfast in the MDR.

 

a few years ago someone posted a breakdown of where the fee in specialty goes, and IIRC about $5 or so went to the servers. we always tipped based on what we feel the cost of a similar meal on land would be and tip based on 15% of that cost.

 

I've seen specialty restaurant waitstaff in the MDR during breakfast sometimes. They might not be serving, but they are helping out with other tasks while they are still wearing the restaurant's uniform.

 

And yes, we have always tipped extra in specialty restaurants and Johnny Rockets.

Edited May 17, 2016 by juiceman

[Paul65]

Should gratuities be paid in the Specialty restaurants? I've been told by some that it's part of the fee for the meal, others have said it's not. What do you do? Will be eating in Sabors on my upcoming sailing.

 

Your on-board dining gratuities are completely covered by the automatic daily gratuities, fees for specialty restaurants, and gratuities that are added automatically to beverages. You do not need to worry about it. You will get a slip a the end of the meal that will include a spot where you can add an additional gratuity. If you want to do so, go for it. If you don't want to add any extra, that's okay, too.

[nbsjcruiser]

The fee to eat in a specialty restaurant has NEVER been the tip. Seriously? Even cb eventually figured that out. Why would anyone believe that the surcharge for all those upscale ingredients cooked to order would be a tip? Makes absolutely no sense at all. Now, there always has been a built in tip in that surcharge, but I'd venture to say it's no more than a few dollars. As long as service is good, which it almost always is, we tip extra.

 

May not make sense to you but that's the original intent. The first time we ate in one of those places was with two high ranking employees from RCI in England. We met up with them on the NOS back in 2006. They invited us to join them in Chops and explained to us the company's direction and intention on Chops as well as Portofinos. As it was explained to me, the waiters in both of those restaurants were considered the cream of the crop and only exceptional personnel was invited to be waiters in either one of those restaurants. Additionally, the fee was intended to be the tip to those waiters. Now, maybe things changed over the years once RCI realized the cash cow they had on their hands but initially the fee was the tip. In many respects we probably have nobody to blame but ourselves by tipping on top of the tip. RCI no doubt realized they might as well get in on the action.

[AwesomeO81]

My experiences in the specialty spots were amazing. Maybe it was luck, but it seemed like every table had someone going above and beyond. We didn't tip as if we were on land, but we did leave extra as they all definitely deserved it.

 

We also tipped a few bucks nightly in the my time dining area. We had the same wait staff each night and they deserved it.

 

We found that tipping extra went a LONG way. G/f had a drink package and I didn't. They never asked for her card in any of the dining rooms and they got me my drinks at no cost due to the tips. We tried to frequent certain bars and lucked out there as well. She passed me drinks here and there, but most of the time, they just asked her if I wanted one also.

 

Your miles may vary, but it worked out for us

 

 

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[marci22]

Your on-board dining gratuities are completely covered by the automatic daily gratuities, fees for specialty restaurants, and gratuities that are added automatically to beverages. You do not need to worry about it. You will get a slip a the end of the meal that will include a spot where you can add an additional gratuity. If you want to do so, go for it. If you don't want to add any extra, that's okay, too.

 

 

Good answer.

 

Any other method is way too complicated.

[Paul65]

May not make sense to you but that's the original intent. The first time we ate in one of those places was with two high ranking employees from RCI in England. We met up with them on the NOS back in 2006. They invited us to join them in Chops and explained to us the company's direction and intention on Chops as well as Portofinos. As it was explained to me, the waiters in both of those restaurants were considered the cream of the crop and only exceptional personnel was invited to be waiters in either one of those restaurants. Additionally, the fee was intended to be the tip to those waiters. Now, maybe things changed over the years once RCI realized the cash cow they had on their hands but initially the fee was the tip. In many respects we probably have nobody to blame but ourselves by tipping on top of the tip. RCI no doubt realized they might as well get in on the action.

 

Either you mis-heard, or they didn't explain it clearly. The fee is not, and never was, the gratuity, but it does, and always has, include the gratuity.

[critterchick]

This question comes up in a variety of fashions. People wonder how the tips are pooled, shared, etc... And I always have the same answer. Frankly, it's none of your business.

 

I own a business and employ a number of people. If someone doing business with me was about to pay for services and stopped to ask "How much of this goes to that nice receptionist who helped me?", I'd think they were an idiot.

 

These people have all chosen to do this job. Tipping is YOUR opportunity to offer a token of appreciation for the service provided. What you DO NOT get to do is dictate the policy the establishment uses to determine how that expression is distributed.

 

I don't think that anybody is trying to dictate policy, but you aren't running a company where the minimum wage is different from the norm and tips are part of the compensation package (are you?). In the US restaurant servers aren't entitled to the same minimum wage as other workers, and it's assumed that the patrons will make up the difference. Once I'm responsible for somebody's pay I tend to be nosier about where it's actually going.

 

I assume that the relatively new addition of the extra tip line (some time in the last decade) is the line's attempt to get us to pay more of the crew's salary. I wish they would just include it in the fare and not allow people to remove it.

 

So, when you go out to eat, do you inquire how they handle the tips? Do you ask if they are pooled? What percentage do they give the runners, the kitchen staff, the host or hostess, the bartenders?

 

My point isn't an antagonizing "none of your business". If the business was truly handling this in an unjust way, it is less probable the workers would put up with it. If I don't make it worthwhile for that lovely receptionist to do her job, she'll bolt. Perhaps I do it through an excellent wage. Maybe I have outstanding benefits available. Or maybe there is an attractive and incentivizing bonus structure.

 

How staff members on cruise ships are paid is more or less a mystery. There are a lot of people around here who claim to "know", yet they all tell different stories. So it's unlikely any answer you get will have a high degree of confidence. So rather than try and figure it out, just look at the experience and give whatever amount seems appropriate.

 

Oh, and I drive a GMC, not a BMW!:p

 

I have no idea how much anybody is paid on a ship. Over the years I've had waiters volunteer different scenarios (perhaps changing over time or perhaps manipulating me to tip more). So just to make my vacation less complicated, in the specialties, we leave $5pp extra if the service is all that we expect, less if it isn't and more if it exceeds our expectations. But I don't stress about it.

 

RCI does give us a breakdown of the daily gratuity, so we already are privy to that information. Although I usually think it's none of my business how tips are handled, I would want to know if removing the daily charge would penalize somebody that I subsequently gave cash to. On Princess it would - our first cabin steward was devastated when we gave him an extra $20, not realizing that it was extra. First because it was below the stated amount and second because he would have to turn it in to a pool instead of keeping it all to himself (which he could do since it was over and able). I think that things like that are good to know - now we always let them know that it's extra.

[Paul65]

I assume that the relatively new addition of the extra tip line (some time in the last decade) is the line's attempt to get us to pay more of the crew's salary.

 

I'm pretty sure that the additional tip line, at least in the specialty restaurants, was added about the same time that the specialty restaurants were added.

[Fouremco]

May not make sense to you but that's the original intent. The first time we ate in one of those places was with two high ranking employees from RCI in England. We met up with them on the NOS back in 2006. They invited us to join them in Chops and explained to us the company's direction and intention on Chops as well as Portofinos. As it was explained to me, the waiters in both of those restaurants were considered the cream of the crop and only exceptional personnel was invited to be waiters in either one of those restaurants. Additionally, the fee was intended to be the tip to those waiters. Now, maybe things changed over the years once RCI realized the cash cow they had on their hands but initially the fee was the tip. In many respects we probably have nobody to blame but ourselves by tipping on top of the tip. RCI no doubt realized they might as well get in on the action.

 

Either you mis-heard, or they didn't explain it clearly. The fee is not, and never was, the gratuity, but it does, and always has, include the gratuity.

Nbsjcruiser has provided a credible explanation based on information provided by people in the know. While you cavalierly suggest that Nbsjcruiser "mis-heard" or that the RCI employees were unclear, you have provided no information to substantiate your opposing viewpoint. It might be helpful for you to do so.

[Paul65]

Nbsjcruiser has provided a credible explanation based on information provided by people in the know. While you cavalierly suggest that Nbsjcruiser "mis-heard" or that the RCI employees were unclear, you have provided no information to substantiate your opposing viewpoint. It might be helpful for you to do so.

 

Okay. I had dinner with a high ranking officer, and was told this was the case.

 

 

Plus, that's how it was described on their website, when they started adding specialty restaurants to their ships. Sorry if you think I was too cavalier, but I can't count how many times I've read about people "knowing" how things work, because they heard it from a captain or officer or room steward or best friend who works for the cruise line, etc., etc., etc., and many times these first-hand reports from different people conflict with each other. I don't consider such reports nearly as credible as you apparently do.

Edited May 17, 2016 by Paul65

[Ourusualbeach]

May not make sense to you but that's the original intent. The first time we ate in one of those places was with two high ranking employees from RCI in England. We met up with them on the NOS back in 2006. They invited us to join them in Chops and explained to us the company's direction and intention on Chops as well as Portofinos. As it was explained to me, the waiters in both of those restaurants were considered the cream of the crop and only exceptional personnel was invited to be waiters in either one of those restaurants. Additionally, the fee was intended to be the tip to those waiters. Now, maybe things changed over the years once RCI realized the cash cow they had on their hands but initially the fee was the tip. In many respects we probably have nobody to blame but ourselves by tipping on top of the tip. RCI no doubt realized they might as well get in on the action.

 

I'm sorry but I have a hard time believing this and maybe you misunderstood. I seriously doubt that Royal would provide premium food without receiving any extra money to cover their costs.

 

Also, at lets say $20pp and maybe 4 people per table for a waiter with 4 tables and 2 seating per night would mean that waiter would be making $640 per night....sign me up for that job.

 

Like others have posted they get and always have received a portion of the fee for their gratuity not the entire amount.

[Fouremco]

Okay. I had dinner with a high ranking officer, and was told this was the case.

Perhaps you miss-heard him or he didn't explain himself very clearly. :D

[Paul65]

Perhaps you miss-heard him or he didn't explain himself very clearly. :D

 

[Psst: I didn't really have dinner with an officer. I just said that, because it's the kind of evidence that you seem to put faith in.]

[Fouremco]

[psst: I didn't really have dinner with an officer. I just said that, because it's the kind of evidence that you seem to put faith in.]

lol. :)

[caribbean sailor]

Gratuities are included in the cost of the specialty restaurant, however many do tip over and above that included amount.

 

And many don't tip over above the included gratuities.:D

[AwesomeO81]

A few bucks here and there if anything. To those that really deserve it. It's too petty to be 100% against it.

 

 

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[riclop]

Should gratuities be paid in the Specialty restaurants? I've been told by some that it's part of the fee for the meal, others have said it's not. What do you do? Will be eating in Sabors on my upcoming sailing.

 

It is included but you can tip extra.