Gratuity Question

[gordosgone15]

Since the wine/beer is included with dinner and lunch on Viking, are gratuities "added" on those drinks?  For example, if you don't have the drink package and you buy a drink at the bar, it says that the gratuity is automatically added.  Is that also true with the meal drinks? And would those gratuities just show up on your account at the end of the cruise? (I hope I haven't worded this too confusingly.)

[Phillygirl3]

No, the wine/beer included with lunch/dinner does not have a gratuity component.  The waiters will just come around to your table and show you the wine that they are serving that day (red and white) and will ask you if you would like a glass and then pour it for you.  They will continue to come around and ask if you would like a refill throughout the meal.   We have never paid for a drinks package on Viking but on our last river cruise we had an Explorer suite and could order drinks at any time and each day there were two bottles of wine in our stateroom  that were pretty good.  All I remember is that they had a label on them with a big V (I'm assuming for Viking).  My husband ordered beer with some lunches when we ate outside and they, too, were pretty good.  I think that there were a few choices of beer.

[Cisterna]

Hi -  15% gratuity is automatically added to any beverage you purchase,( unless you have the drink package). The included beverages for lunch and dinner do not incur a gratuity  ~  that gratuity is incorporated in the daily $15.00 per person you are charged  during your cruise.    

[gordosgone15]

Thanks so much - that clears it up!

[terrydtx]

On 9/8/2019 at 12:49 PM, Phillygirl3 said:

No, the wine/beer included with lunch/dinner does not have a gratuity component.  The waiters will just come around to your table and show you the wine that they are serving that day (red and white) and will ask you if you would like a glass and then pour it for you.  They will continue to come around and ask if you would like a refill throughout the meal.   We have never paid for a drinks package on Viking but on our last river cruise we had an Explorer suite and could order drinks at any time and each day there were two bottles of wine in our stateroom  that were pretty good.  All I remember is that they had a label on them with a big V (I'm assuming for Viking).  My husband ordered beer with some lunches when we ate outside and they, too, were pretty good.  I think that there were a few choices of beer.

I am curious how was the quality of the included wines?

[mort&fran]

4 hours ago, terrydtx said:

I am curious how was the quality of the included wines?

 

I am certainly no wine connoisseur, however the "included" wines we had on both of our Viking cruises were quite good.

[austinetc]

I'll hijack this question ask this: Has anyone experimented with giving a portion of the tip to your room attendant in advance?  Did you get noticeably better service?  As I've never had cause to expect more from a Viking attendant, I don't know how an early tip would help, but I've wondered about it.  (I would not want more attention from a restaurant server.  That would put them on my lap!)

[Haworth]

1 hour ago, austinetc said:

I'll hijack this question ask this: Has anyone experimented with giving a portion of the tip to your room attendant in advance?  Did you get noticeably better service?  As I've never had cause to expect more from a Viking attendant, I don't know how an early tip would help, but I've wondered about it.  (I would not want more attention from a restaurant server.  That would put them on my lap!)

What noticeably better service are you expecting to get?

[aungrl]

4 hours ago, mort&fran said:

 

I am certainly no wine connoisseur, however the "included" wines we had on both of our Viking cruises were quite good.

 

We agree...we were always happy with the wines on offer, and had no problem getting a substitution on the rare occasions when we asked if they might have something different available.  (For example, one of the whites on offer was a particular chardonnay that I’m really not fond of, and they quickly offered a couple of other choices.).   My DH typically had beer, and was quite happy with the beer selections on draft.  

[mort&fran]

3 hours ago, austinetc said:

I'll hijack this question ask this: Has anyone experimented with giving a portion of the tip to your room attendant in advance?  Did you get noticeably better service?  As I've never had cause to expect more from a Viking attendant, I don't know how an early tip would help, but I've wondered about it.  (I would not want more attention from a restaurant server.  That would put them on my lap!)

 

We have not done that on our Viking cruises. Did it once* on a different cruise line (no longer remember which one) and did not notice any apparent difference in the service we received. (We make it a point to call the people by name and, because they most likely are very busy, to keep the conversations short.)

 

*It was not a portion of the tip; did not reduce the tip at the end of the cruise because it,

[CILCIANRQTS]

Early tips (actually extra tips) certainly improve bar service at your favorite bar on Viking. They remember early tippers. 🥃

[Heidi13]

19 hours ago, austinetc said:

I'll hijack this question ask this: Has anyone experimented with giving a portion of the tip to your room attendant in advance?  Did you get noticeably better service?  As I've never had cause to expect more from a Viking attendant, I don't know how an early tip would help, but I've wondered about it.  (I would not want more attention from a restaurant server.  That would put them on my lap!)

You will find multiple threads discussing this same topic.

 

In my opinion, money provided in advance of service is not a tip, it is a bribe. Gratuity/tips is normally defined as recognition of a service provided. While I would never bribe the hotel crew, I highly doubt it will result in noticeably better service and most likely zero improvement.

 

The crew will graciously accept the bribe, but it may also provide some discussion below decks.