Does one tip in speciality restaurants?

[grak]

I wonder if you should leave a tip at the speciality restaurants. I would assume they get the added tip but do you leave extra?

[Bobbiegentry]

Some do. Some don’t. 
Do whatever is comfortable for you. 
No wrong or right answer 

[suzyed]

They don't automatically give you a bill at the end of the dinner so if you want to tip bring cash or ask for the check.

[mtnesterz]

You will likely also see the same servers at breakfast or lunch in the buffet. This is to say they are in the pool of those in the tronc scheme... unless you opt out. Is that what you meant by added tip?

If instead you are an envelope tipper, then if so inclined, tip then and there. Can't predict seeing them again on the last day.

[Mike45LC]

Many Americans (including me) tip at the specialty restaurants.  However, tip is already included somewhere.  

[cruzin4us]

As a general rule we don't, however that's not to say "always".   Sometimes we get superior service, I mean the above and beyond type service that you wouldn't expect......then we tip a bit.

 

When I have to continually ask for more water as an example, then no, we don't tip.   If our waiter anticipates our every desire and goes above and beyond, then for me it is worth a tip for outstanding service.

 

 

[Coral]

You are not expected to tip.

 

I have tipped for service that was exceptional. I don't remember why but I was informed cash works best.

[2 cruises a year]

2 minutes ago, Coral said:

You are not expected to tip.

 

I have tipped for service that was exceptional. I don't remember why but I was informed cash works best.

I believe that cash is best.  If you add the tip to the bill, it goes into the FLEET wide gratuity pool.  There are exceptions, but in general, if you tip in cash, I think that they get to keep a piece it.  I'm sure that it is shared, but with a much smaller pool.

[wowzz]

6 hours ago, 2 cruises a year said:

If you add the tip to the bill,

You do not get a bill, so how can you add a gratuity? 

In reality, the only way to tip is by cash. 

As others have said,  if the service is exceptional we tip, otherwise we don't. 

[Username0123]

If the service is great, we'll tip cash on top of what's automatically added.  If, OTOH, we get the bumpkin loud talker who laughs/cackles at her own jokes when we're trying to have a nice, quiet, romantic dinner, then no.  Almost always, the servers in the specialty restaurants have been top notch, but "almost."

[Coral]

My service has been exceptional in the speciality restaurants.

[JimmyVWine]

Here's my overly complex analysis.  Imagine that all auto-gratuities are pooled and at the end of the cruise, all of the crew members who are eligible to receive tips were gathered in the theater and the Captain then handed out the gratuity money to all who were gathered.  All cabin stewards get an equal share of the steward pool.  (Or perhaps all stewards within a certain sub-class of stewards get an equal share.  I don't know if there are "Senior Stewards" and "Junior Stewards"). All dining room servers within their class get an equal share of the pool.  ("Table Captains" getting more than "Second Servers", but still, within rank, everyone is equal), and on and on.  Now, I don't know if it actually works that way or not, but I live in the fantasy world that it does.  So when I dine in a Specialty Restaurant, I consider the service that I received.  If I believe that the people who served our table performed above and beyond such that when the tips are handed out, those people should get more than the equal share that all other servers receive, then the only way for them to get more is if I (and other diners) give it to them.  If I believe that the service was on par with what I receive elsewhere on the ship, then an equal share from the pool should be sufficient.  And this applies to all the crew with whom I interact.  If I think they are well above average such that an equal share from the big pool does not reflect their level of service, then I reward them.        

[cruzsnooze]

14 hours ago, grak said:

I wonder if you should leave a tip at the speciality restaurants. I would assume they get the added tip but do you leave extra?

No I don't. I've already tipped for the main dining room dinner that I didn't attend in the auto gratuity. I tipped a second time in the up charge for the specialty restaurant so a third tip is asking too much of me. 

[cruzsnooze]

6 minutes ago, JimmyVWine said:

.  If I believe that the people who served our table performed above and beyond such that when the tips are handed out, those people should get more than the equal share that all other servers receive, then the only way for them to get more is if I (and other diners) give it to them.  If I believe that the service was on par with what I receive elsewhere on the ship, then an equal share from the pool should be sufficient.  And this applies to all the crew with whom I interact.  If I think they are well above average such that an equal share from the big pool does not reflect their level of service, then I reward them.        

It has been the Company’s experience that passengers often wish to recognize and

reward shipboard staff for working successfully and as a cohesive team to make the cruise

experience enjoyable. Accordingly, during each voyage of each vessel a voluntary

contribution by each passenger will be suggested for that purpose. Passengers are not

obligated to make a contribution or to adhere to the Company’s suggested guidelines for

such a contribution. Nonetheless, to the extent passengers follow the suggested

contribution guidelines in whole or in part, or deliver their contribution to the Company or

directly to any crew member(s), each and every crew member agrees that any such

contribution is not his personal wage, but rather a contribution to the Discretionary Hotel

and Dining Charge Pool (the “Pool”). Each and every crew member also agrees to deliver

any such voluntary passenger contribution he or she receives from any passenger under

any circumstances to the Pool immediately upon receipt of the contribution from the

passenger. Other than as stated below, the Company is in no way liable to make up any

difference between the total of the suggested contributions to the Pool and the actual

contributions for any given vessel voyage. The solicitation of compensation of any kind by

crew members from passengers is strictly prohibited

[Doug R.]

.....And away we go!!!!! 

[JimmyVWine]

1 hour ago, cruzsnooze said:

Nonetheless, to the extent passengers follow the suggested

contribution guidelines in whole or in part, or deliver their contribution to the Company or

directly to any crew member(s),

The quoted statement applies to the suggested daily amount, not any overage.  The overage is kept by the crew member as long as the daily recommended amount is also paid by the passenger.  This is common knowledge.

[partybarbie]

If we receive excellent service, we tip five dollars each. It's not a big amount, just a little something to acknowledge our waiter. 

[suzyed]

15 minutes ago, JimmyVWine said:

The quoted statement applies to the suggested daily amount, not any overage.  The overage is kept by the crew member as long as the daily recommended amount is also paid by the passenger.  This is common knowledge.

Right. My understanding is that if you remove the auto gratuity and tip directly to each person, that is what they are referring to as it must be added to the pool.

Edited September 29, 2022 by suzyed

[JimmyVWine]

1 hour ago, cruzsnooze said:

I tipped a second time in the up charge for the specialty restaurant

Do you really think that a single penny of your $25/$29 upcharge goes to the servers?  😆

[sloopsailor]

8 minutes ago, suzyed said:

Right. My understanding is that if you remove the auto gratuity and tip directly to each person, that is what they are referring to as it must be added to the pool.

 

All tips must be turned in immediately. They are recorded and at the end of the cruise the purser will reconcile passenger accounts. If a passenger has removed the pre-paid tips, the tip amount goes into the pool. If pre-paid tips remain in place, the full tip amount is returned to the crew member. This can only be done after the cruise because some passengers will wait until the last day to remove the pre-paid tips and the reconciliation must wait until after that last day. If a crew member tries to hide the tip, they risk being terminated. 

 

This has all been described by two well respected CC members who have been, or still are, pursers on cruise ships. 

[sloopsailor]

8 minutes ago, JimmyVWine said:

Do you really think that a single penny of your $25/$29 upcharge goes to the servers?  😆

 

Yes, I actually do think so. Otherwise, we would have heard that it doesn't by now. We haven't.

Edited September 29, 2022 by sloopsailor

[JimmyVWine]

28 minutes ago, sloopsailor said:

 

Yes, I actually do think so. Otherwise, we would have heard that it doesn't by now. We haven't.

Actually, I don't think they do. Otherwise we would have heard that they do by now.  We haven't.

[sloopsailor]

3 minutes ago, JimmyVWine said:

Actually, I don't think they do. Otherwise we would have heard that they do by now.  We haven't.

 

The same respected CC members I referred to in post #20 have verified that a portion of the up charge is allocated for gratuities to those servers for the higher service level they perform. I choose to believe them rather than in random conspiracy theories.

[cruzsnooze]

6 hours ago, JimmyVWine said:

The quoted statement applies to the suggested daily amount, not any overage.  The overage is kept by the crew member as long as the daily recommended amount is also paid by the passenger.  This is common knowledge.

That's not what the contract states. But people want to believe their tip goes into the crews pocket when they give it but that's not what the contract calls for.  This will never be resolved by the members on this board so we all have to agree to disagree on this point. I personally believe what the written contract states, YMMV.

Edited September 29, 2022 by cruzsnooze

[dave_k58]

On 9/29/2022 at 10:27 AM, JimmyVWine said:

Do you really think that a single penny of your $25/$29 upcharge goes to the servers?  😆

Yes I do