Tip question- Let the flaming begin :-)

[natish3000]

I'm not really one to stir up trouble if I can help it and you guys on this board ( and i mean guys collectively...ladies too) are the friendliest most helpful people on the net.

But i have a question...

If we do not eat in the dining room at all on a cruise , using only Windjammer and Chops, and we tip there, why should we tip the dining room staff?

Now i know one camp will say because it's how they make their living and they depend on the tips to be able to make it whether we eat in dining room or not.

Then again, I have waited tables at land based resorts and I sure as heck didn't expect those staying there but not eating in the resaurant to tip me.

And I was depending on tips to get by too.

It seems to me that if I don't tip the ones who didn't provide me service, I can tip more to those who did, like barteneders and room steward who deserve EVERY penny they get.

Flame if you'd like. I'd appreciate if those who agree with me DO NOT respond to flamers with more flames though. This is just an opinion and it is NOT worth stirring up ill will in this group.

I'm pretty tough and it won't bother me if someone disagrees, even vehemently.

Just wanted to get others opinions.

THANKS

[derekandkimberly]

Thank you

[FitzLA]

Do you tip seperatley in Windjammer? If not, they are the same servers as the ones in the dining room, and deserved to be tipped. If you tip them in Windjammer, they I guess you don't need to tip in the dining room if you don't eat there. But no flaming here. Like I said, it is a personal choice, and everyone should do what they are comfortable with.

[superjerryw]

I certainly understand your logic. However, there is a theory that says when you tip the dining room staff you are tipping them not only for the service they provide at dinner time, but at other meals as well. Since the full dining room staff is not needed in the dining room for breakfast and lunch they also work in the Windjammer. We frequently meet our waiter or assistant waiter in the Windjammer during the day where they are serving food, helping people with their trays, serving coffee. Most people associate the tips that they give to the dining room staff to be for the service provided at dinner time but this is not entirely the case. As I said, I can certainly understand you're not wanting to tip someone you have essentially had no dealings with at all. I guess it's your call.

[madisonms]

As Fitz stated, do you actually give the wait staff a tip in the Windjammer? If so, then that makes up for the opinion a lot of us have on those waiters not getting tipped for their services.

 

These waiters, as opposed to your example of the land based resort, are working in multiple eating venues as opposed to just the dining room. Not exactly the same situation.

[jwlane]

If we do not eat in the dining room at all on a cruise , using only Windjammer and Chops, and we tip there, why should we tip the dining room staff?

The Windjammer staff does not work exclusively in the Windjammer. They also rotate thru the dining room during the week. Tipping in the dining room is the means (a convenience, facilitation) to ensure the servers receive their gratuities without the passenger having to worry about which venue to tip in.

[albertiger]

so then to make the case for the other side of the argument, why should the particular waiter/busboy assigned to the table in the dining room you are NOT sitting at reap additional benefit for no additional work? i side with the OP on this one and will actually be doing so on upcoming Grandeur cruise. I am sailing solo and will take all meals in the Windjammer, if i receive exceptional service there i will tip accordingly.:confused:

[FitzLA]

so then to make the case for the other side of the argument, why should the particular waiter/busboy assigned to the table in the dining room you are NOT sitting at reap additional benefit for no additional work? i side with the OP on this one and will actually be doing so on upcoming Grandeur cruise. I am sailing solo and will take all meals in the Windjammer, if i receive exceptional service there i will tip accordingly.:confused:

 

All the tips get pooled anyway and divided among everyone.

[zotzer]

Here are my thoughts on it (especially if you read through ALL the threads about people trying to change seating assignments, dinner times, etc....)

 

If you show up on Day One and tell the Maitre'D "we will not be dining in here for even one night on the cruise, so please advise the waitstaff and reassign our table if need be....", it may set your mind at ease to tip who and how you please (although I personally would not take this approach...I like the dining room :))

 

However, if you are just a no-show, the waitstaff can't pick up another table, other passengers who may have benefitted from the freed up table cannot, etc.....or you even eat one single dinner in the dining room, I *personally* feel you should stick with the tip standards for the week.

 

We aren't talking huge sums of money here, although everyone's budget is indeed different. Let your conscience be your guide.

 

Tracy

[Barefoot_Pirate]

Hold on, tipping is a personal service decision. Trying to do a bankshot to rationalize why a tip is appropriate is a reach. Of course I can't imagine not taking advantage of the Dinners in the main dinning room, but if I ate only at the windjammer for the cruise I doubt if I would do the "sea pass" auto tip, but would rather just tip my room steward (who always gets a front end tip as well as a seapass tip).

 

Do what you feel good about, that is why there are options. I guess if we still gave cash you would have to make a speacial trip to the main dinning room to meet the waitstaff just to give them a tip??

 

Be happy, don't worry!!

[albertiger]

seriously, you're telling me someone handed an envelope with $25-30 CASH in it is going to dump it into the POOL?:rolleyes:

[Laoghaire]

Here are my thoughts on it (especially if you read through ALL the threads about people trying to change seating assignments, dinner times, etc....)

 

If you show up on Day One and tell the Maitre'D "we will not be dining in here for even one night on the cruise, so please advise the waitstaff and reassign our table if need be....", it may set your mind at ease to tip who and how you please (although I personally would not take this approach...I like the dining room :))

 

However, if you are just a no-show, the waitstaff can't pick up another table, other passengers who may have benefitted from the freed up table cannot, etc.....or you even eat one single dinner in the dining room, I *personally* feel you should stick with the tip standards for the week.

 

We aren't talking huge sums of money here, although everyone's budget is indeed different. Let your conscience be your guide.

 

Tracy

I think zotzer has a good idea..Explain the situation to the Maitre 'de, and let him give you advice....Helen

[suzeyQ]

I think that some people who have gotten into the arguments on other thread have missed the whole point of "tipping." The purpose of tipping, at least in my opinion, is to reward good service. It's not an obligation; it's a personal choice to show appreciation for good service.

 

That being said, you should tip who you feel is deserving of it.

 

If you're planning to tip the waitstaff in the Windjammer at the same rate as you would otherwise be tipping the dining room staff, I think you're justified in not then tipping the dining room staff separately. If you're not, I think that's unfair. As someone said, if your table sits empty in the dining room the whole cruise, the waitstaff is missing out on the opportunity to earn tips from you and that isn't fair to them. But if they're getting tips from you elsewhere, I don't see a problem.

[ChoosinCruisin]

seriously, you're telling me someone handed an envelope with $25-30 CASH in it is going to dump it into the POOL?:rolleyes:

 

The money from tips that are paid on the SeaPass cards goes into a pool to be divided. Not the cash you give individually.

[Lewdog]

The option to give extra is how you reward special service.

 

Tipping is NOT always "just an option". Every decent restraunt I know of (and I know a lot as I have worked as a chef in a resort town) adds a standard gratuity to certain size parties of say 6 or more.

 

Waitstaff is ALWAYS paid less than the other kitchen/restaurant employess because of tipping.

 

A resort and a cruise ship are 2 different situations. Using the OP's example, lodgers at a resort not tipping if they don't eat in the restaurant is perfectly acceptable, they did not use any of the kitchen/waitstaff services.

 

On a ship as has been pointed out several times the staff is shared (as are their tips) between the dining facilites therefore you should expect to tip even if you don't eat in the dining room. Any tipping you do in the buffet or other areas is an extra reward for special service and is done with cash and is not shared.

 

If you don't want to tip then do so in the area where it is appropraite.

[Inshape]

That is why I go to the pursers desk early into the cruise and have ALL tips taken off the pass. I like to give out CASH and this way it goes to the right person. And to the op who said this is not a lot of money...maybe for one or 2 people it is not, but when traveling with a family of 5, this year 4, it does add up to a huge chunk! I heard tipping for kids are ok at 50% but I have never done this since they have their own cabin. The steward works harder in their room, for sure!

[dirtgirl]

I think zotzer has a good idea..Explain the situation to the Maitre 'de, and let him give you advice....Helen

 

Did you get your cruise critic name from the Outlander books?

[Nancyquilts]

I'm not a big fan of "mandatory" tips, and wish the ships would pay their staff properly, rather than relying on the passengers to make up the difference. Having said that, I consider these stewards' tips as part of the expense of the cruise. Nancy

[MGoBlue2]

I think that some people who have gotten into the arguments on other thread have missed the whole point of "tipping." The purpose of tipping, at least in my opinion, is to reward good service. It's not an obligation; it's a personal choice to show appreciation for good service.

How would you feel about tipping if you worked 80-100 hrs/week and your salary without receiving any tips were $50/month?

[katiel53]

Natish,

Are you talking about the $2 tip to dine for dinner in the Windjammer? If so, then I think you need to talk to the maitre 'd so that someone else could use your table. As mentioned previously, the restaurant waiters work in the Windjammer during the day. How do you plan to take care of them?

 

Inshape,

I thought RCI gave you the OPTION to put tips on your sea pass, that they weren't automatically billed. That's how it was the last time we were on and unless that's changed, it's an option you have to OPT INTO, not out of. I understand how people traveling with children feel that they have to pay a lot for tips, but that's your choice to take children with you. I look at it as part of the price of the cruise. You are correct when you say the stewards work hard in rooms with kids, but the waiters also do.

[suzeyQ]

How would you feel about tipping if you worked 80-100 hrs/week and your salary without receiving any tips were $50/month?

 

I'd make darn sure that I did a good enough job and gave people good enough service to earn lots of tips.

[FitzLA]

seriously, you're telling me someone handed an envelope with $25-30 CASH in it is going to dump it into the POOL?:rolleyes:

 

I don't know about that, but I sure have been known to lose money in a pool, or the ocean. Somehow I forget its in there. :D (just kidding, I know what you meant)

[Alexis]

Here are my thoughts on it (especially if you read through ALL the threads about people trying to change seating assignments, dinner times, etc....)

 

If you show up on Day One and tell the Maitre'D "we will not be dining in here for even one night on the cruise, so please advise the waitstaff and reassign our table if need be....", it may set your mind at ease to tip who and how you please (although I personally would not take this approach...I like the dining room :))

 

However, if you are just a no-show, the waitstaff can't pick up another table, other passengers who may have benefitted from the freed up table cannot, etc.....or you even eat one single dinner in the dining room, I *personally* feel you should stick with the tip standards for the week.

 

We aren't talking huge sums of money here, although everyone's budget is indeed different. Let your conscience be your guide.

 

Tracy

 

That is very well written and could not be clearer. I agree with you 100%.

[Ocean Boy]

The Windjammer staff does not work exclusively in the Windjammer. They also rotate thru the dining room during the week. Tipping in the dining room is the means (a convenience, facilitation) to ensure the servers receive their gratuities without the passenger having to worry about which venue to tip in.

Not exactly true. During any particular week certain waiters are assigned to the windjammer for the entire week. Those waiters will be in there for dinner every night. There is a daily rotation for breakfast and lunch.

 

On Serenade we ate in the Windjammer all week and had the same waiter each evening. At the end of the week we tipped him as we would have tipped the waiter in the dining room. We even tipped the greeter at the door because she made our arrival each evening seem so special.

 

When it comes to tipping I take care of the people who took care of me. That is the meaning of gratuity.... show gratitude for service received.

[HurricaneSally]

Personally, I wish RCCL would call it a service charge and not allow you to take it off your bill, so that the cheapskates wouldn't have a choice. Just my opinion.