Tipping for the Diamond Drinks loaded on your card

[bonsai3s]

8 minutes ago, Glock said:

 

Like...I have a 19 .

[nferr]

20 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

We have both diamond vouchers and a drinks package. We still tip waiters for every drink. And bartenders if we pick up at the bar. 

 

That's your decision. I find 18% to be adequate.

[Merion_Mom]

25 minutes ago, nferr said:

 

That's your decision. I find 18% to be adequate.

That is absolutely your right.

 

Just know, that if you are someone who slams down 10 drinks a day, you are shortchanging the servers by a lot.  😉 

[nferr]

33 minutes ago, Merion_Mom said:

That is absolutely your right.

 

Just know, that if you are someone who slams down 10 drinks a day, you are shortchanging the servers by a lot.  😉 

 How so? It's $20 a day for tips. Even if you drink ten that's $2 a drink.  Most people don't so they're actually coming out ahead.

[bmc alabama]

So glad to have just sailed Virgin Voyages where you don't have to worry about any of this stuff...

 

All tipping is included either in the cruise fare or the price of the drinks.  They actually pay their staff much better than other lines.  I talked with numerous crew members (they don't discourage crew interacting with guests) who all said they liked VV much better than whatever line they came from and all appreciated a guaranteed income over whether or not someone tipped...

[OCSC Mike]

1 hour ago, bmc alabama said:

So glad to have just sailed Virgin Voyages where you don't have to worry about any of this stuff...

 

Yes, it's such a hardship to carry some singles in your pocket and tip when handed a drink.

[Guest]

11 hours ago, bonsai3s said:

Like...I have a 19 .

Superb! Very popular amongst professionals, very reliable. 
34 is easier for me though.

[Merion_Mom]

8 hours ago, nferr said:

 How so? It's $20 a day for tips. Even if you drink ten that's $2 a drink.  Most people don't so they're actually coming out ahead.

 

You are only paying $20 a day for tips if you paid $111 per day for your drink package.

 

I don't believe that you paid anywhere near that.

[John&LaLa]

14 hours ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

You are only paying $20 a day for tips if you paid $111 per day for your drink package.

 

I don't believe that you paid anywhere near that.

 

How does Royal disperse the 18% on a pkg?

[taglovestocruise]

40 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

How does Royal disperse the 18% on a pkg?

I asked that question to the host in the DL. He said the servers get a dollar or so, the bulk of all gratuities go into the pool. I was told by a waiter in Jamies that they get a few dollars from each meal as well as being in the pool. Waiter also said they pool all cash tips between them each night. 

[John&LaLa]

24 minutes ago, taglovestocruise said:

I asked that question to the host in the DL. He said the servers get a dollar or so, the bulk of all gratuities go into the pool. I was told by a waiter in Jamies that they get a few dollars from each meal as well as being in the pool. Waiter also said they pool all cash tips between them each night. 

 

Pooling cash seems to be the norm

[rolloman]

Always great to see a "hey everyone look how much I tip compared to you thread". Anyway...I only drink beer and I always give a dollar...but you know what...occasionally I do not have or I ran out of dollar bills...that being said...If I don't have cash or a machine voucher...I say I will get you next time and they are always good with it. I literally have chased bar staff down after I am able to break a bill and some are usually shocked when I roll up and simply say... here...this is for the time I missed you. 

[bmc alabama]

On 8/12/2022 at 5:54 PM, OCSC Mike said:

 

Yes, it's such a hardship to carry some singles in your pocket and tip when handed a drink.

Yeah, it's also really just a hardship to have it all paid upfront so you don't have to worry about it...

[jcc1025]

On 7/28/2022 at 1:54 PM, emeraldcity said:

I've been giving the server a dollar for the drinks that are loaded on my card, but is that enough? 

 

Mainly, I'm confused about whether servers receive any compensation for those D and D+ drinks. If they don't and it's a $10 drink, then my dollar is only a 10% tip and I need to up my game.

 

And I'm sure this topic has been covered, but I tried several searches, and apparently my searching skills are deficient.

I do the same and at the end of the cruise if there is a specific bar and group I always tip extata. I do this in cash as ai understand the ticket tips are shared amound the shift as it should be, but the cash tips go into a jar at the bar and are shared amound the bartenders at that time. 

[nferr]

22 hours ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

You are only paying $20 a day for tips if you paid $111 per day for your drink package.

 

I don't believe that you paid anywhere near that.

 

My mistake. I was thinking of NCL. It's $20 gratuity a day on the NCL drink package. Although RCL package is anywhere from about $67 to $90 now which is $12 to $16 a day in tips. Which is 6 to 8 drinks at $2 tip. I really doubt the servers are getting ripped off at that level. Heck a lot of people tip zero if they don't have the package as we all know. With the package there's an automatic tip. 

[rjrpar]

On 8/12/2022 at 5:10 PM, bmc alabama said:

So glad to have just sailed Virgin Voyages where you don't have to worry about any of this stuff...

 

All tipping is included either in the cruise fare or the price of the drinks.  They actually pay their staff much better than other lines.  I talked with numerous crew members (they don't discourage crew interacting with guests) who all said they liked VV much better than whatever line they came from and all appreciated a guaranteed income over whether or not someone tipped...

Very few Royal Caribbean cruisers worry about  any of “this stuff”, just a few folks on these boards

[LinRon3]

so what is the 18% gratuities added to fare for?  I thought all that was automatic on the charge at the bar or part of prepaid grat's.    

[OCSC Mike]

13 hours ago, bmc alabama said:

Yeah, it's also really just a hardship to have it all paid upfront so you don't have to worry about it...

 

Can't tip for D drinks up front.

[brillohead]

1 hour ago, LinRon3 said:

so what is the 18% gratuities added to fare for?  I thought all that was automatic on the charge at the bar or part of prepaid grat's.    

The 18% isn't added onto the cruise fare. 

It's added on to any beverage packages, spa services, and drinks purchased on board.  

[ReneeFLL]

 

On 7/29/2022 at 8:03 AM, OCSC Mike said:

 

One other tip... when you use a voucher, the drink should show up on your account in the app almost instantly with the name of the bar you used and $0.00. This is another way to both keep track of how many you have used as well as make sure you weren't charged.

Often when I get drinks in the MDR the drinks don’t show up for a couple of hours. 
 

On 7/29/2022 at 9:12 AM, yogimax said:

I've seen the same thing in the DL.  It seems like the majority don't tip at all.  Of course, that's interesting because it seems like everyone on this Board tips, or at least they say they do.

Some people tip at the end of the cruise. I have seen plenty of people hand envelopes on the last evening of a cruise.

[bmc alabama]

3 hours ago, LinRon3 said:

so what is the 18% gratuities added to fare for?  I thought all that was automatic on the charge at the bar or part of prepaid grat's.    

On the extreme end of this... If you order that crazy $5,000 drink on the Disney Wish, they add an 18% gratuity to it.  Yep, a $900 gratuity for pouring one drink...

[not-enough-cruising]

10 minutes ago, bmc alabama said:

On the extreme end of this... If you order that crazy $5,000 drink on the Disney Wish, they add an 18% gratuity to it.  Yep, a $900 gratuity for pouring one drink...

DANG

 

[Guest]

3 hours ago, bmc alabama said:

On the extreme end of this... If you order that crazy $5,000 drink on the Disney Wish, they add an 18% gratuity to it.  Yep, a $900 gratuity for pouring one drink...

Is it a Jeroboam of Champagne?

[Merion_Mom]

7 hours ago, LinRon3 said:

so what is the 18% gratuities added to fare for?  I thought all that was automatic on the charge at the bar or part of prepaid grat's.    

 

Pre-paid gratuities are for the restaurant servers and for housekeeping.

 

When you buy a drink, 18% is added.

 

When you buy a drink package, 18% is added.

 

But, with the actual topic of this thread, when you get a drink FOR FREE with D/D+/PC vouchers, there is no 18%.  Nice people believe that you should tip in that circumstance.

[ReneeFLL]

On 7/29/2022 at 11:33 AM, Big_G said:

 

Very difficult to change a $20 for ones at guest relations so you might be out of luck with $100.

I have never had a problem. I usually take 40.00 to GS and ask for singles. I do this several times per cruise. I will also start collecting singles before I get on the ship. When I go grocery shopping I’ll charge everything except for 1 inexpensive item. I’ll pay for that separately using a 20.00 and ask for singles. Our bank is in another state so we use the ATM and always end up with 20.00 dollar bills that’s why I do the shopping thing.

 

On 8/11/2022 at 2:38 PM, nferr said:

 I agree. Exactly what I was saying. Who wants to lug around a big wad of singles when cruising? Put the tip on the receipt is much easier. That's how it's done if you don't have vouchers.

You only lug them around one time when getting on the ship. After that just take what you will tip daily. Very easy. This is what I use to carry around my daily tips for drinks.