room service tipping

[KalenaD]

I know that if you order food from room service that it is customary to tip them when they deliver, what about if you are ordering wine or liquor? Are you still charged the 15% auto tip as you are in a bar?

[Krazy Kruizers]

Yes, you will be charged 15% gratuity for any drinks, wine, or bottles of alcohol that you have delivered to your cabin.

[boards]

So if you order a bottle of liquor you are charged 15% gratuity plus tax.

[RuthC]

So if you order a bottle of liquor you are charged 15% gratuity plus tax.

Plus tax? What tax?

Far as I know the only time a "tax" is charged is when the liquor is sold to a passenger within Florida waters. It's not a standard charge. Is it?

[boards]

I don't know, just enquiring, if I order a bottle to be in our cabin when we arrive on ship, will there be an additional charge for tax, since it will be delivered before we leave the port in Florida?

[stanford's girl]

I ordered a bottle from Ship Services ahead of time to be waiting for us when we got to our room. It was one set price and there wasn't any tax but that was in San Diego. It was Absolut Vodka and it was $29.:)

From what I read on this board, if you order it from room service before you get out to sea, you will pay a Florida tax on it. If you order it from Ship Service ahead of time, it is considered sold in Seattle and there isn't any tax.

[boards]

Ok the reason I was questioning the 15% is I have a list of the beverages you can order and the price. It says at the bottom that quote "All items have a 15% service charge included". Which says to me that a bottle of Crown Royal will cost $40 and that is with the service charge included. I guess my next question is, am I reading that correctly?

[stanford's girl]

Ok the reason I was questioning the 15% is I have a list of the beverages you can order and the price. It says at the bottom that quote "All items have a 15% service charge included". Which says to me that a bottle of Crown Royal will cost $40 and that is with the service charge included. I guess my next question is, am I reading that correctly?

Is that price list from Ships Services or from the ship?:confused: My vodka would have been $25 and a 15% gratuity added on through room service or the bar and it was $29 total from Ships Services.

[KalenaD]

I ordered a bottle from Ship Services ahead of time to be waiting for us when we got to our room. It was one set price and there wasn't any tax but that was in San Diego. It was Absolut Vodka and it was $29.:)

 

From what I read on this board' date=' if you order it from room service before you get out to sea, you will pay a Florida tax on it. If you order it from Ship Service ahead of time, it is considered sold in Seattle and there isn't any tax.[/size']

 

Which I find REALLY funny as we huge liquor taxes in Washington State, I was looking at the vodka tonic package at 27.50$ that's only about 5$ more than a bottle of stoli or absolute costs here, without the tonic. I'll wait until we are at sea then order it, I just wanted to make sure the person who delivered it would get the tip. Thanks

[stanford's girl]

Which I find REALLY funny as we huge liquor taxes in Washington State, I was looking at the vodka tonic package at 27.50$ that's only about 5$ more than a bottle of stoli or absolute costs here, without the tonic. I'll wait until we are at sea then order it, I just wanted to make sure the person who delivered it would get the tip. Thanks

The 15% gets added to your bill and doesn't go directly to the person who delivers it. It is divided between all the bar staff. If you want to make sure the person who delivers it gets a tip, you would have to hand him some cash also.:)

[JimVrhovac]

New Florida Law

 

Any taxable items sold in the Florida territorial waters will be taxed the standard state sales tax rate. Once outside the state waters there is no tax. Think the state rate is 6.00%.

 

Thank you jeb Bush.

 

Thank all you cruisers for subsidizing our state. I live in Orlando......

 

Jim & Ruth

[boards]

that price list from Ships Services or from the ship? My vodka would have been $25 and a 15% gratuity added on through room service or the bar and it was $29 total from Ships Services. "A quote" I thought it was because I copied from here on CC. The price for the vodka was $29. I would assume if we are in the cabin when it is brought we will then for it. I guess I should just wait for another 26 days and find out for myself, that will make it feel better accepting the delivery personally. The price then probably won't matter, because were cruising.

[KalenaD]

Thanks Janice, that was really what I wanted to know, we've never gotten anything from room service, and I didn't want to stiff anyone. I have always had such great service on a cruise!!!

[stanford's girl]

Either way you do it, I hope you have a fabulous cruise.:D

[KalenaD]

New Florida Law

 

Any taxable items sold in the Florida territorial waters will be taxed the standard state sales tax rate. Once outside the state waters there is no tax. Think the state rate is 6.00%.

 

Thank you jeb Bush.

 

Thank all you cruisers for subsidizing our state. I live in Orlando......

 

Jim & Ruth

 

Jim, be glad you don't get taxed for it being sold "from Seattle" our sales taxes range anywhere from 8.5% to 8.9%!!!!

and THAT doesn't inclue the STATE LIQUOR TAXES

[Cruiseoften]

Ok the reason I was questioning the 15% is I have a list of the beverages you can order and the price. It says at the bottom that quote "All items have a 15% service charge included". Which says to me that a bottle of Crown Royal will cost $40 and that is with the service charge included. I guess my next question is, am I reading that correctly?[/QUOThttp://boards.cruisecritic.com/images/editor/menupop.gifE]

 

I'd say you're reading it correctly - 15% service charge is included - I think what skews things is the gratuity bit. In my mind if I order anything delivered to my cabin and a steward appears with it, it's time for a tip (gratuity) - that said, if I order something to be in by cabin when I embark, a gratuity is not in order - I won't see who delivers it!

 

We've ordered the Mixer packages several times and never tipped anyone for them.

:)

[FlorenceItaly]

We are cruising on the Zuiderdam, Dec 3, and I ordered the gin and tonic package for our room and it came to $32. The package includes 1 litre of gin and 3 cans of tonic. The prices seem to be RISING.

 

 

Marie

[JimVrhovac]

Ruth and I always get a stack of new $2.00 bills for each cruise. We tip the delivery person $2.00 each visit.

 

There is no requirement but these people work hard and they get very little thanks so we feel that they deserve it.

 

After the first couple days of tipping you will notice that delivery times tend to get very short and when we call down at 11 pm and ask for strawberries and whipped cream they deliver it to us.

 

We are not rich but we appreciate excellent service and are willing to put a little extra out for it.....

 

Also get couple rolls of gold $1.00 coins to tip barpeople and waiters with. Yes, on top of the 15% gratuity.

 

Ruth and I also pack several extra pairs of new slippers to give out to people we feel have really gone out of their way for us.

 

The look on the Pastry Chef's face the night of the Desert Extravaganza when we gave him red Cookie Monster slippers was priceless. The captain and the hotel manager showed up when we presented them to him so it made his night. And his deserts made our cruise.

 

Check out our pictures on webshots....

 

Jim & Ruth

[Kabana]

Funny story, on our '04 cruise auto tipping was not in place so we became accustomed to tipping room service for every visit whether was for breakfast or alcohol (my DH enjoys a few beers on the verandah). on our '05 cruise my DH did not realize that 15% was being added to the room account so he still tipped, needless to say every order was delivered to our cabin within 15 min for the whole cruise :)

[Cruiseoften]

Funny story, on our '04 cruise auto tipping was not in place so we became accustomed to tipping room service for every visit where it be for breakfast or alcohol (my DH enjoys a few beers on the verandah). My DH did not realize that 15% was beeing added to the room account so he still tipped, needless to say every order was delivered to our cabin within 15 min for the whole cruise :)

 

You're adding a tip was the right thing to do.

Prior to so called 'auto tipping' 15% was not, at least on HAL, added to bar bills or to cabin delivery of drinks.

 

We've always tipped, and will continue to do so, for cabin delivery of anything we've ordered - like breakfast, late night snack, drinks etc.