Tipping for drinks and food

[SRF]

9 hours ago, brillohead said:

Whether tips are pooled at a bar or not is up to the waiters/bartenders at that particular bar.  Some of them agree to keep their own personal tips, some of them agree to pool them and split them at the end of the shift.  I would not be concerned about whether cash tips are pooled or not because it is something that the server agreed to do. If the server is okay with it, then my opinion doesn't really matter. 

 

Exactly.  And even of the tips are pooled at a given bar, the person you hand the tip to gets a certain portion of that tip.

 

 

[Ptroxx]

3 hours ago, SRF said:

 

If you mean with a $2 bill, that is not a good practice.

 

There are many reports of issues with changing them into another currency.  They are very rare outside the US (and pretty rare IN the US), that people think they are fake.

 

MUCH better to tip in $1s.

Been using them for years and they always love getting them.  
And if they don’t wanna save for good luck  like people do here in the US 

they cash just like any other bill at the ships bank.  
not very rare here in the US?  I get them in fresh stacks of 100 all the time at the bank and give as tips to a good server on top of my normal tip.  They always enjoy them.  
I also give them to local kids selling things.  Like the girl scouts and any lemon aid stand I see lol.   Always get a big smile.     
 

I hate 1.00 lol.  But thanks 

[topnole]

2 minutes ago, Ptroxx said:

Been using them for years and they always love getting them.  
And if they don’t wanna save for good luck  like people do here in the US 

they cash just like any other bill at the ships bank.  
not very rare here in the US?  I get them in fresh stacks of 100 all the time at the bank and give as tips to a good server on top of my normal tip.  They always enjoy them.  
I also give them to local kids selling things.  Like the girl scouts and any lemon aid stand I see lol.   Always get a big smile.     
 

I hate 1.00 lol.  But thanks 

They would be just as happy with 2

singles.  I can assure you of that.  But if you like novelty and enjoy that, why not.  

[topnole]

10 minutes ago, LynnForestgate said:

 

cash is king, tophole.

Absolutely.  I worked for tips many years ago.  If you tipped in $2 bills and I thought you like being told how cool it was that you tipped in those bills, I was certainly going to tell you how much I loved $2 bills and thought it was incredibly cool.  

[LGW59]

3 hours ago, SRF said:

 

Exactly.  And even of the tips are pooled at a given bar, the person you hand the tip to gets a certain portion of that tip.

 

 

Pooled tips mean just that, they are pooled and divided equally

[ReneeFLL]

 

22 hours ago, pcur said:

The problem is when you order a drink using your D, D+, or P vouchers, they frequently don't bring a receipt.  I wrap the tip around my card when I order the drink. 

I fold mine up and hand my sea pass with the bill folded up underneath it. They can feel it under there and if they want to stick it in their pocket they can or pool it.

[pcur]

4 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

I do the same. I find that avoids getting a receipt that I have no need for.

You are eco-friendly, too!

[pcur]

12 minutes ago, ReneeFLL said:

 

I fold mine up and hand my sea pass with the bill folded up underneath it. They can feel it under there and if they want to stick it in their pocket they can or pool it.

Right! 

 

I think RCCL needs to add wording "gratuity not included" to the benefit description to encourage passengers to add a tip.

[ampurp85]

1 hour ago, Ptroxx said:

Been using them for years and they always love getting them.  
And if they don’t wanna save for good luck  like people do here in the US 

they cash just like any other bill at the ships bank.  
not very rare here in the US?  I get them in fresh stacks of 100 all the time at the bank and give as tips to a good server on top of my normal tip.  They always enjoy them.  
I also give them to local kids selling things.  Like the girl scouts and any lemon aid stand I see lol.   Always get a big smile.     
 

I hate 1.00 lol.  But thanks 

I have been a waitress in the US, and I hate $2, even though they are "easy" to cash/exchange here...why bother?  I wouldn't be rude when someone hands them to me, so of course the crew will enjoy them. They won't show to your face when something isn't great. You state that you give them this on top of normal tip but people who think this is cute/fun and use them as a tip are IMHO not good people. It is an added step to their already long and possibly frustrating work term.

[Ocean Boy]

53 minutes ago, pcur said:

Right! 

 

I think RCCL needs to add wording "gratuity not included" to the benefit description to encourage passengers to add a tip.

I get your point. But sometimes it is nice to just do something for a server, or other crew, without it seeming like RCI is trying to twist your arm to make it happen.

[AustinCruise]

1 hour ago, pcur said:

Right! 

 

I think RCCL needs to add wording "gratuity not included" to the benefit description to encourage passengers to add a tip.

So you are saying RCL isn’t adding any gratuity to that bartenders pool for diamond drinks?

[matj2000]

I now bring full rolls of pennies and give them out.

 

2 rolls for every drink order.

 

The staff loves them, you should see their face.

 

I don't mind carrying them around.  

[topnole]

1 hour ago, matj2000 said:

I now bring full rolls of pennies and give them out.

 

2 rolls for every drink order.

 

The staff loves them, you should see their face.

 

I don't mind carrying them around.  

I don’t think workers will pretend to like this method.  I like it!!!   Definitely let’s you know who really appreciates the tip and who doesn’t.  And here I was starting to think pennies would soon be obsolete.  

[ChrisNY2]

On 12/7/2021 at 2:10 PM, Maitaivegas said:

So normally Pre Covid 19 I would basically hand cash to somebody who brought me a drink.

I know I’m not the only person that doesn’t like to handle cash.

What is the best way to tip cash to somebody on the cruise ship?

Does the server get to keep the cash I gave them or do they have to split it?

Its been 19 years since I cruised.

TIA as always 

 

 

Sounds like you're worried about COVID risk (which isn't really much...) If you'd like to, take out a couple hundred one dollar bills from your bank and ask them to put them in an envelope. Let the envelope just sit in your drawer for a week or so - there won't be any infectious viruses alive on them at that point. 

[Merion_Mom]

9 hours ago, AustinCruise said:

So you are saying RCL isn’t adding any gratuity to that bartenders pool for diamond drinks?

Correct

[SRF]

23 hours ago, Ptroxx said:

Been using them for years and they always love getting them.  
And if they don’t wanna save for good luck  like people do here in the US 

they cash just like any other bill at the ships bank.  
not very rare here in the US?  I get them in fresh stacks of 100 all the time at the bank and give as tips to a good server on top of my normal tip.  They always enjoy them.  
I also give them to local kids selling things.  Like the girl scouts and any lemon aid stand I see lol.   Always get a big smile.     
 

I hate 1.00 lol.  But thanks 

 

They love ANY tip.  And will smile and say THANK YOU.  While they are thinking "Not another one of these morons with 2 dollar bills"

 

You can get fresh stacks all the time because no one else wants them. 😄

 

[SRF]

12 hours ago, ChrisNY2 said:

 

Sounds like you're worried about COVID risk (which isn't really much...) If you'd like to, take out a couple hundred one dollar bills from your bank and ask them to put them in an envelope. Let the envelope just sit in your drawer for a week or so - there won't be any infectious viruses alive on them at that point. 

 

You can also wash them.  Bills can take soap and water.

[UNCFanatik]

I hate that they add gratuity when you buy a drink package on Cruise Planner. I shouldnt be charged gratuity on the front end. 

 

Tipping culture has gotten out of hand in the US and has some pretty unintended consequences that people who work for tips have to endure all in the name of a tip. I would rather be charged more upfront than be expected to tip.

 

As a consumer on a cruise, I shouldnt be expected to supplement someones income because the cruise line industry doesnt pay them a fair, living wage. Me going on a cruise and paying my fare contributes to the employment and wages of the workers. If I spend $1000 on a cabana for instance, why should i be expected to tip the attendant? The markup on Cabanas are ridiculous to begin with and Royal can certainly afford to give the cabana attendant a bonus. 

 

My advice to new cruisers, no matter how unpopular this opinion is, is to go to guest services and have the automatic gratuities removed and to tip only if they want to and not be pushed by an abusive and punitive policy

[Ocean Boy]

And now we have a full blown CC tipping thread as we know them. Great to be back to the good old days.

[Maitaivegas]

1 hour ago, Ocean Boy said:

And now we have a full blown CC tipping thread as we know them. Great to be back to the good old days.

I just wanted to know Where to place the tip. Didn’t mean to open up the tipping convo.

[crazyank]

2 hours ago, UNCFanatik said:

I hate that they add gratuity when you buy a drink package on Cruise Planner. I shouldnt be charged gratuity on the front end. 

 

Tipping culture has gotten out of hand in the US and has some pretty unintended consequences that people who work for tips have to endure all in the name of a tip. I would rather be charged more upfront than be expected to tip.

 

As a consumer on a cruise, I shouldnt be expected to supplement someones income because the cruise line industry doesnt pay them a fair, living wage. Me going on a cruise and paying my fare contributes to the employment and wages of the workers. If I spend $1000 on a cabana for instance, why should i be expected to tip the attendant? The markup on Cabanas are ridiculous to begin with and Royal can certainly afford to give the cabana attendant a bonus. 

 

My advice to new cruisers, no matter how unpopular this opinion is, is to go to guest services and have the automatic gratuities removed and to tip only if they want to and not be pushed by an abusive and punitive policy

Totally agree!

[topnole]

2 hours ago, SRF said:

 

You can also wash them.  Bills can take soap and water.

This is true.  You could put them in a delicates bag and run it through the washing machine.  Nice and clean after that.  Honestly, for anyone that has any real concerns about it, this is a reasonable way to sanitize small bills for tipping.  
 

A side benefit is that when you get

drunk at the bar, you can tell the bartender stories about how you launder money.  

[PhillyFan33579]

On 12/8/2021 at 12:04 AM, brillohead said:

Whether tips are pooled at a bar or not is up to the waiters/bartenders at that particular bar.  Some of them agree to keep their own personal tips, some of them agree to pool them and split them at the end of the shift.  I would not be concerned about whether cash tips are pooled or not because it is something that the server agreed to do. If the server is okay with it, then my opinion doesn't really matter. 

Since COVID, I have RARELY seen a receipt get signed -- they don't want everyone handling a communal pen, I would assume. (I'm currently on my fourth cruise in a row on three ships -- Freedom, Symphony, and Allure -- and I have seen exactly two people sign bar receipts in four weeks on board.) 

I just hand over a dollar with every drink, and I have seen a lot of gratitude from most servers -- I often get thanked, get words of appreciation, and yesterday I was even told "thank you for the blessing".  These people went a LONG time with no income, and they are happy to be back to earning a decent paycheck and very grateful for anything extra they receive.  

We have been on 5 cruises this year and have literally seen dozens of receipts signed every day of every cruise. Of course this may be a sign we are spending way too much time at bars on the ship. 

[LGW59]

2 hours ago, UNCFanatik said:

I hate that they add gratuity when you buy a drink package on Cruise Planner. I shouldnt be charged gratuity on the front end. 

 

Tipping culture has gotten out of hand in the US and has some pretty unintended consequences that people who work for tips have to endure all in the name of a tip. I would rather be charged more upfront than be expected to tip.

 

As a consumer on a cruise, I shouldnt be expected to supplement someones income because the cruise line industry doesnt pay them a fair, living wage. Me going on a cruise and paying my fare contributes to the employment and wages of the workers. If I spend $1000 on a cabana for instance, why should i be expected to tip the attendant? The markup on Cabanas are ridiculous to begin with and Royal can certainly afford to give the cabana attendant a bonus. 

 

My advice to new cruisers, no matter how unpopular this opinion is, is to go to guest services and have the automatic gratuities removed and to tip only if they want to and not be pushed by an abusive and punitive policy

Please DO NOT take this advice!

 

[Auntiemomo]

4 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

We have been on 5 cruises this year and have literally seen dozens of receipts signed every day of every cruise. Of course this may be a sign we are spending way too much time at bars on the ship. 

No, it's just folks who are not D and above and/or do not have the beverage package and pay as they go.