Dining Package tipping question

[MamaChach]

I called Celebrity yesterday and asked about the 20% promo email I received yesterday. I can book a 6 or 7 night dining package for 20% off. I asked her what happened to my prepaid gratuities that went toward the dining room staff and she replied that per our reservations, they divi up the tips where we actually dine.

 

Does this sound correct or should I expect to tip more each night in the specialty restaurant?

 

Thank you;)

[kenevenpar]

Tipping in the specialty restaurants is entirely up to you. In theory, the fee for the specialty restaurant covers your gratuity. We always tip additional if the service is very good, which it usually is.

[Gonzo70]

I called Celebrity yesterday and asked about the 20% promo email I received yesterday. I can book a 6 or 7 night dining package for 20% off. I asked her what happened to my prepaid gratuities that went toward the dining room staff and she replied that per our reservations, they divi up the tips where we actually dine.

 

Does this sound correct or should I expect to tip more each night in the specialty restaurant?

 

Thank you;)

 

Prepaid gratuities do not cover specialty restaurant staff. Specialty restaurant staff receive a portion of the cover charge you pay to dine there as a gratuity. If you receive excellent service it is nice (but not required) to leave some extra gratuity at the end of the meal; the amount (if any) is completely up to you.

[Marelaine]

For those who tip extra for extra for excellent service, do you tip 18 -20% based on the cost of the specialty restaurant? Or less, say 10%, since the tips are partially being paid by the fee?

[MamaChach]

Thank you for correcting Celebrity's employee;) Also, since this is my first cruise on Celebrity, could I ask if you think a 6 night dining package is worth the extra money or should we stick with the MDR?

Thanks!

[kenevenpar]

Thank you for correcting Celebrity's employee;) Also, since this is my first cruise on Celebrity, could I ask if you think a 6 night dining package is worth the extra money or should we stick with the MDR?

Thanks!

 

Food is subjective; only you can answer that. We find the MDR good to very good, depending on the menu. On a 10 day cruise, we would probably do 5 specialty and 5 MDR. Just my $.02

[jkgourmet]

Food is subjective; only you can answer that. We find the MDR good to very good, depending on the menu. On a 10 day cruise, we would probably do 5 specialty and 5 MDR. Just my $.02

 

We did 3 specialty and the rest in MDR on an 11 night cruise. We enjoyed the entrees in murano and the service , but thought the starters were somewhere between mediocre and bad (i actually sent one back, which a rarely, rarely have ever done.) But the entrees were high end, quality meat, cooked to perfection. DH is an ex butcher.

 

Ironically, we found the opposite in . Not that it was bad. Just nothing particularly outstanding or above the quality of the MDR? A great choice on those nights when nothing appeals on the MDR menu.

 

BTW on our full sailing, we NEVER had a problem getting reservations for 9pm. 2 of 3 times we were seated around 8:30?

[amusea]

I called Celebrity yesterday and asked about the 20% promo email I received yesterday. I can book a 6 or 7 night dining package for 20% off. I asked her what happened to my prepaid gratuities that went toward the dining room staff and she replied that per our reservations, they divi up the tips where we actually dine.

 

Does this sound correct or should I expect to tip more each night in the specialty restaurant?

 

Thank you;)

 

 

The wording about a discount on dining packages is very unclear and has been interpreted in different ways by different agents. I have booked a dining package and that price already includes a discount on the per dinner price. After much confusion the final word I received from a supervisor at Celebrity was that the 20% discount applies if you book a specialty restaurant on the first or second night and that night is in addition to the number of dinners in the package - not part of it. To me that makes no sense. If I wanted another night of dinner with discount I would just book a package with an extra night.

I would suggest you check with the Captain's Club to clarify this issue so that you are not disappointed when you get on the ship.

[Gonzo70]

For those who tip extra for extra for excellent service, do you tip 18 -20% based on the cost of the specialty restaurant? Or less, say 10%, since the tips are partially being paid by the fee?

 

In my opinion, tipping a percentage would not make sense - as a portion of the cover charge is a gratuity. There is no right-or-wrong amount. I have tipped extra on a majority of my specialty restaurant meals, but there have been a few times where I felt the service did not merit additional gratuity. Most frequently I have left a total of $5 to $10 extra (for a party of two) and the most I have left is $20 extra.

[Gonzo70]

Thank you for correcting Celebrity's employee;) Also, since this is my first cruise on Celebrity, could I ask if you think a 6 night dining package is worth the extra money or should we stick with the MDR?

Thanks!

 

If it were up to me I'd probably do a package, but perhaps a 3 or 4 night rather than 6 night package. The ambiance, service and food quality are generally notably superior at the specialty venues (as compared to the main-dining-room), so I find them worth visiting over the main dining room. The main dining room is more like a large banquet hall than a restaurant. It is adequate-to-good for some, not so pleasant to others. The specialty venues do have more a restaurant feel rather than banquet hall feel; tables are more widely spaced, service more attentive (usually), food cooked-to-order versus pre-plated and of better quality. The only problem for me is Celebrity has made their specialty venues so expensive, that unless dining at a significant discount (which the packages do provide) I otherwise would find them over-priced.

 

 

Perhaps book a three venue package now so you can experience both the main dining room and a variety of specialty venues first-hand and see how much more you enjoy one versus the other. If you end up disliking the main dining room you can always inquire about adding more nights to your package once on board. If you enjoy the main dining room, you can save some $$$.

[blueboro]

Just returned from Reflection and had the 4 dinner package. This was the first time we had not been presented with a $.00 total bill to sign with a place for an extra tip.

[Gonzo70]

Just returned from Reflection and had the 4 dinner package. This was the first time we had not been presented with a $.00 total bill to sign with a place for an extra tip.

 

You can always request one be brought to you; that is what I have done if I wanted to leave extra gratuity and did not have cash on me.

[mattie123]

Just back from an Equinox cruise. One of the specialty restaurant staff explained how tips work for those employees. Indeed a portion of the upcharge covers gratuity for that wait staff. Should you want to do extra (we did $10 per two people) if you add it to your bill that amount goes into the whole ships pool, if you leave it in cash on the table it goes into the pool for that specific restaurant. We now leave cash on the table.

[kasowell2]

The wording about a discount on dining packages is very unclear and has been interpreted in different ways by different agents. I have booked a dining package and that price already includes a discount on the per dinner price. After much confusion the final word I received from a supervisor at Celebrity was that the 20% discount applies if you book a specialty restaurant on the first or second night and that night is in addition to the number of dinners in the package - not part of it. To me that makes no sense. If I wanted another night of dinner with discount I would just book a package with an extra night.

I would suggest you check with the Captain's Club to clarify this issue so that you are not disappointed when you get on the ship.

 

I think the OP is talking about a sale on the website for his/her cruise that states.a 6 night dinner deal for 154 which according to celebrity is a 20% discount.

 

My question is what is the regular cost for a 6 night dining package

[Marelaine]

In my opinion, tipping a percentage would not make sense - as a portion of the cover charge is a gratuity. There is no right-or-wrong amount. I have tipped extra on a majority of my specialty restaurant meals, but there have been a few times where I felt the service did not merit additional gratuity. Most frequently I have left a total of $5 to $10 extra (for a party of two) and the most I have left is $20 extra.

 

Thank you. We left $10 in cash in Tuscan, but wondered if it was enough. Now I feel I'm in good company.

[CaribbeanBound]

I think the 6 dinner package is normally around $192.

 

Note that at $154, its currently cheaper than the 5-dinner package (no discount) at $159.

 

Essentially the 6, 7, 8, and 9 meal packages are on sale for an average of about $24 - $26 pp per meal. This is close to 40%-50% off the stated cover charge for the venues.

[cruiseyj]

Thank you. We left $10 in cash in Tuscan, but wondered if it was enough. Now I feel I'm in good company.

 

Since technically the gratuity has been covered in the specialty dining fee, I'm sure anything left (especially in cash) is appreciated by the crew :).

 

We also remember the names of those who are fabulous and mention them by name and ship location in the mid cruise comment card or end of cruise survey. They appreciate this as well as positive feedback from customers goes toward promotions and pay increases for them.

[MamaChach]

Thank you all for your very informative replies!

[kathynorth]

The wording about a discount on dining packages is very unclear and has been interpreted in different ways by different agents. I have booked a dining package and that price already includes a discount on the per dinner price. After much confusion the final word I received from a supervisor at Celebrity was that the 20% discount applies if you book a specialty restaurant on the first or second night and that night is in addition to the number of dinners in the package - not part of it. To me that makes no sense. If I wanted another night of dinner with discount I would just book a package with an extra night.

I would suggest you check with the Captain's Club to clarify this issue so that you are not disappointed when you get on the ship.

 

 

This is how this 20% sale worked for us. The 9 night specialty dining package was posted as an online prebooking price of $261pp. We purchased this package. Then Celebrity advertised a 20% off special. We went back into our planner and saw the 9 night package was now $209pp. We cancelled and rebooked the package saving $104 with this sale. The agent you spoke with may have been referring to the first night onboard discount that is often available when there are open tables in the specialty restaurants. You cannot get this first night discount on top of the package discount.

[amusea]

This is how this 20% sale worked for us. The 9 night specialty dining package was posted as an online prebooking price of $261pp. We purchased this package. Then Celebrity advertised a 20% off special. We went back into our planner and saw the 9 night package was now $209pp. We cancelled and rebooked the package saving $104 with this sale. The agent you spoke with may have been referring to the first night onboard discount that is often available when there are open tables in the specialty restaurants. You cannot get this first night discount on top of the package discount.

 

This was the part of the email from Celebrity advertising the dining packages which was confusing to us and to which I referred with my post.

 

First Night Dining Reservation*

Save 20% on your specialty dining reservations when you reserve for the first night of your vacation. Remember, reservations can be made up to two days before your sail date—so plan your dining schedule ahead of time and save. That way, when you step aboard, all you have to do is relax andenjoy your vacation.

[keithm]

I called Celebrity yesterday and asked about the 20% promo email I received yesterday. I can book a 6 or 7 night dining package for 20% off. I asked her what happened to my prepaid gratuities that went toward the dining room staff and she replied that per our reservations, they divi up the tips where we actually dine.

 

Does this sound correct or should I expect to tip more each night in the specialty restaurant?

 

Thank you;)

Part of the extra fee you pay, actually is gratuity. You may wish to tip extra, but that's up to you.

[keithm]

Thank you for correcting Celebrity's employee;) Also, since this is my first cruise on Celebrity, could I ask if you think a 6 night dining package is worth the extra money or should we stick with the MDR?

Thanks!

Depends.. We're foodies & in the food industry, so it's worth it to us. If you're more standard "meat & potatoes" then the MDR will probably be fine. I do recommend either Murano or Tuscan. Qsine is really more for those who are adventuresome. The decline in food quality on the Eclipse from Jan. 2017 is the reason we tried Oceania Jan. 2018. After the 10 days this past Jan. We cancelled our 14 day trip on the Reflection next year to do 14 days on the Riviera. The food made it worth it for us. That & the fact there's several islands we've not been to on our past trips.(Caribbean)Here's Oceania's perks: NO photographers!/NO chair hogs!/Free soft drinks & bottled water!/ MUCH better food!! Overall about $1500PP more. Much nicer room with abundant storage. Large bathroom with tub/shower & enclosed separate shower. Entertainment is NOT Oceania's strong point, but then again Celebrity's has gone down hill as well.

[kathynorth]

This was the part of the email from Celebrity advertising the dining packages which was confusing to us and to which I referred with my post.

 

First Night Dining Reservation*

Save 20% on your specialty dining reservations when you reserve for the first night of your vacation. Remember, reservations can be made up to two days before your sail date—so plan your dining schedule ahead of time and save. That way, when you step aboard, all you have to do is relax andenjoy your vacation.

 

Ah, this is different from what I was referring to. On almost all our cruises we've seen the first night at specialty restaurants discounted onboard. According to your email they are now allowing guests to book the first night at a 20% discount. Celebrity is also running a different 20% off promotion on the multi night package. The agent was probably trying to say that you can't get an additional 20% off if you eat in a specialty restaurant on the first night since there is already an existing discount on the package.