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tipping question- speciality restaurant

lightsleeper

By lightsleeper,
in Oceania Cruises

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1985rz1 Holiday Sharing Rare

1985rz1

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, lightsleeper said:

This is our first time on Oceania.

When dining in a specialty restaurant do you tip the server or is it included somewhere.

Servers share in the base daily gratuities that are added to your account automatically.

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LGW59

LGW59

Posted
Posted
36 minutes ago, 1985rz1 said:

Servers share in the base daily gratuities that are added to your account automatically.

and at $46/day for 2 ppl, it's a fairly generous tipping policy, though I still tip additional to various crew

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LHT28 Holiday Sharing Rare

LHT28

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, lightsleeper said:

This is our first time on Oceania.

When dining in a specialty restaurant do you tip the server or is it included somewhere.

We do not tip extra in the specialties  though I have read some do

 

The staff work in other venues as well so are covered by the daily Gratuities

It is a personal choice

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LGW59

LGW59

Posted
Posted
15 minutes ago, shepherd really said:

Of course, I'm not cheap.

 

Related, do you know the difference between a Canadian and a canoe? 

You add 20% to a bill that already includes a 20% tip...I'm not cheap either but there is a limit to my generosity 🙂

 

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espmass

espmass

Posted
Posted

On our first Oceania cruise last year we realized as dinner ended that there was no bill.  We have cruised many times on other lines where the restaurants were not included so we always received a check and could use our ship card and add a tip.  It seemed odd to simply stand up and leave but that's what we did.  At the time we wondered how to leave a tip if we wanted.  So our next Oceania cruise is coming up.  How do people tip on Oceania if they wish to?  Cash?

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LGW59

LGW59

Posted
Posted
46 minutes ago, shepherd really said:

It's really just math.  Specialty restaurants are free.  20% of that is really reasonable. 

"FREE"...may I please borrow your calculator, I like your math better than mine

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shepherd really

shepherd really

Posted
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8 hours ago, LHT28 said:

Well if you remove the airfare  & the OLife perks from your booking the price goes down

 

If you remove the Specialty restaurants from  your booking  the price stay the same

 

It's part of your total fare, so you are paying for it whether you use them or not.  Either way, it comes out of your pocket.  Free does not mean "included in your total price".  Money is fungible.  

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PelicanLvr

PelicanLvr

Posted
Posted
18 hours ago, espmass said:

On our first Oceania cruise last year we realized as dinner ended that there was no bill.  We have cruised many times on other lines where the restaurants were not included so we always received a check and could use our ship card and add a tip.  It seemed odd to simply stand up and leave but that's what we did.  At the time we wondered how to leave a tip if we wanted.  So our next Oceania cruise is coming up.  How do people tip on Oceania if they wish to?  Cash?

Yes cash.  As a contractor once said to me:  "cash is always in good taste"!

 

Before cruises, especially to a ports where USD is accepted (ie Caribbean etc.), I go to the bank and break up $350 like this:

 

20 x $10 bills

20 x $5 bills

50 x $1 bills

 

It's a manageable "wad" of small cash to put in your room safe and gradually use for on-board tipping (like in a specialty restaurant for great service), port taxis, souvenirs and other small costs.  In ports I keep a small assortment of these smaller bills in a separate pouch and usually never take out my real wallet ashore. 

 

It's nice to have "small bills" available both on and off the ship.

 

 

 

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Robjame

Robjame

Posted
Posted

I will never get my head around the tipping practices of my American friends. I always feel that I am always too little or too much - never just right.

15% was always my go-to in restaurants but lately some of the Visa machines in Toronto have the suggested tip as 20, 23, or 25%

 

If tipping were really merit based, we would tip the pilot and the ambulance driver. (Relax - meant to be a joke)

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LGW59

LGW59

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, Robjame said:

I will never get my head around the tipping practices of my American friends. I always feel that I am always too little or too much - never just right.

15% was always my go-to in restaurants but lately some of the Visa machines in Toronto have the suggested tip as 20, 23, or 25%

 

If tipping were really merit based, we would tip the pilot and the ambulance driver. (Relax - meant to be a joke)

My husband is Chinese and he too cannot wrap his head around the tipping philosophy in the US, it just drives him crazy.  We have reached an agreement when we go out to eat at a restaurant at least...if we eat in Chinatown, which we do frequently, we do not leave a tip and he says noone does (it still bothers me not to)  but when we go during the Chinese New Year we do bring the infamous red envelopes and give them to our servers, which apparently is customary.  When we go to a typical Boston restaurant, we do 20% (wink wink) or at least he thinks it's just 20%.  

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pinotlover Great Review Rare

pinotlover

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, Robjame said:

I will never get my head around the tipping practices of my American friends. I always feel that I am always too little or too much - never just right.

15% was always my go-to in restaurants but lately some of the Visa machines in Toronto have the suggested tip as 20, 23, or 25%

 

If tipping were really merit based, we would tip the pilot and the ambulance driver. (Relax - meant to be a joke)

Tipping in the US is serious business. I work with restaurants where it’s a big deal. Some restaurants require pooled tips where not only the wait staff shares in the tips but the kitchen staff may also. 
 

Some waitstaff refuse to work at those restaurants. They want what their hard work brings in and refuses to subsidize those that don’t push and sale As they do.Others only want to work at tip sharing shops. Makes hiring interesting and complicated. 🥴

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LHT28 Holiday Sharing Rare

LHT28

Posted
Posted
2 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

  When we go to a typical Boston restaurant, we do 20% (wink wink) or at least he thinks it's just 20%.  

Is the tipping  rate  more in Boston ?

I know in some States the  minimum wage is much higher than it used to be  but  15-20%   seems fair to  me

More  seems  OTT

 

I am with RobJame  we are around 15%   I do not tip at Timmies or McD's  even if they have the cup at the counter

Tipping is like food  Subjective

JMO

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