Gratuities and tipping

[startedwithamouse]

5 minutes ago, voljeep said:

eye contact and a nod is all you need if you want your 'regular order'

Yes, we would hold up either one or two fingers indicating how many drinks if we were together at the time. Similar to a packed bar not on a ship.

Edited March 23, 2023 by startedwithamouse

[Yehootu]

8 minutes ago, startedwithamouse said:

Because you've never done it, so you don't reap the benefit.

 

A nice tip to the restaurant manager on embarkation day works to find a window table for dinner at our desired time works. Every single time. We learned this from a fellow passenger years ago, how the game is played.

 

Bartenders see us and do a nod to acknowledge us if their hands are busy making drinks, and serve us quickly.  

Worked for us!!,Our friends were on the previous sailing and got to know the dining room manager. When we showed up for dinner the seating hostess asked if we would mind sharing a table until she opened her app and saw our reservation. Beautiful round table window side for us.

[david63]

Can I ask those who "bribe" crew members why they consider that they require this "special" treatment at the expense of other passengers?

 

And what would happen if all passengers "bribed" the crew?

[JimmyVWine]

5 minutes ago, david63 said:

And what would happen if all passengers "bribed" the crew?

 

What I find amusing is that some of the people who insist that they are achieving a higher level of service are some of the same people who insist that all tips must be turned in to the finance department:

• I tipped that poor soul who had to bring me my latte in the middle of the night.  (But he doesn't get to keep the tip.)
• That bartender was so harried that I thought she deserved something extra, so I gave her a couple of dollars. (But she wasn't allowed to keep the tip)
• The service at Crown Grill was superb so we left a $10 tip. (Which they have to turn in and can't keep.)
• I tip the bartender well on the first day and he treats me like royalty for the rest of the cruise. (Even though he does not get to keep the tip that supposedly caused him to move me to the top of his list.)

 

Seems to me that if you believe that a tip results in better service, then one is compelled to agree that the person being tipped is reaping the benefit of the largesse.  

[startedwithamouse]

1 minute ago, JimmyVWine said:

 

What I find amusing is that some of the people who insist that they are achieving a higher level of service are some of the same people who insist that all tips must be turned in to the finance department:

• I tipped that poor soul who had to bring me my latte in the middle of the night.  (But he doesn't get to keep the tip.)
• That bartender was so harried that I thought she deserved something extra, so I gave her a couple of dollars. (But she wasn't allowed to keep the tip)
• The service at Crown Grill was superb so we left a $10 tip. (Which they have to turn in and can't keep.)
• I tip the bartender well on the first day and he treats me like royalty for the rest of the cruise. (Even though he does not get to keep the tip that supposedly caused him to move me to the top of his list.)

 

Seems to me that if you believe that a tip results in better service, then one is compelled to agree that the person being tipped is reaping the benefit of the largesse.  

Who is saying they don't keep the extra tips?

[JimmyVWine]

1 minute ago, startedwithamouse said:

Who is saying they don't keep the extra tips?

Plenty of folks.  There have been numerous threads on the topic over the years.  Almost as many as those dealing with dress codes.  

[startedwithamouse]

1 minute ago, JimmyVWine said:

Plenty of folks.  There have been numerous threads on the topic over the years.  Almost as many as those dealing with dress codes.  

Crazy!  What are they doing, strip searching the cabin stewards on disembarkation day?

[JimmyVWine]

6 minutes ago, startedwithamouse said:

Crazy!  What are they doing, strip searching the cabin stewards on disembarkation day?

 

See the new thread on "What Does The Room Steward Do" and read post #9. 

[wowzz]

41 minutes ago, startedwithamouse said:

Because you've never done it, so you don't reap the benefit.

We rarely eat at the same time every night, so if you say bribery works, I'll take your word for it.

However,  I stand by my position that I have never seen anyone jump the queue at a bar, whilst I have been waiting to be served. 

[voljeep]

6 minutes ago, wowzz said:

We rarely eat at the same time every night, so if you say bribery works, I'll take your word for it.

However,  I stand by my position that I have never seen anyone jump the queue at a bar, whilst I have been waiting to be served. 

then you haven't been on a cruise with us😉🦄

[startedwithamouse]

10 minutes ago, voljeep said:

then you haven't been on a cruise with us😉🦄

Nor us! 😁🍸

[2 cruises a year]

1 hour ago, startedwithamouse said:

Because you've never done it, so you don't reap the benefit.

 

A nice tip to the restaurant manager on embarkation day works to find a window table for dinner at our desired time works. Every single time. We learned this from a fellow passenger years ago, how the game is played.

 

Bartenders see us and do a nod to acknowledge us if their hands are busy making drinks, and serve us quickly.  

If I may ask, what do you tip?  I worry about too little insulting her/him, or too much, wasting my hard earned retirement.  Financially, I'm  comfortable, and willing to share the wealth.  But the wealth is limited.

And which one is the Restaurant Manager?  There are always quite a few people involved in getting seated.

Edited March 23, 2023 by 2 cruises a year

[startedwithamouse]

7 minutes ago, 2 cruises a year said:

If I may ask, what do you tip?  I worry about too little insulting her/him, or too much, wasting my hard earned retirement.  Financially, I'm  comfortable, and willing to share the wealth.  But the wealth is limited.

And which one is the Restaurant Manager?  There are always quite a few people involved in getting seated.

We currently do $40.  Prior to 2020 pause, we did $20.   At embarkation day lunch, we ask who will be the dining room manager for our dining room, it may take a few minutes, but they'll let us know (most times after we're seated), they'll come over and we'll inquire about a window table. 

[MissP22]

1 hour ago, startedwithamouse said:

 

A nice tip to the restaurant manager on embarkation day works to find a window table for dinner at our desired time works. Every single time. We learned this from a fellow passenger years ago, how the game is played.

 

It is strange that we always get the seat we want & don't have to tip anything to the head waiter. 

If it works for you then keep up the tipping. It must do something to improve you meal. 

[So_Tweetie]

I have always tipped above the standard gratuities but lately with the ships adding 18% to the price of everything I have started to question whether the crew are actually receiving those tips.

 

I made a video discussing this while on a Royal Caribbean ship (Grandeur of the Seas) a couple months back, and did some math on the topic:

The standard daily gratuity on RCI is 16.00 per person per day.

The ship has a 2440 passenger capacity.

With each customer paying the standard non-suite gratuity, it would be $39,040 per day before any purchases.

That amount, divided equally among all 760 crew members would be $51.37 per crew member per day.

Multiplied by 30 days, each crew member would receive $1,541.05 per month on tips alone. And keep in mind - this is with zero additional purchases or cash tips given by customers during the sailing. 

 

Hate to sound dramatic but, I think there's a snowball's chance in hell that this amount of money is actually being passed on to crew. 

 

 

 

[startedwithamouse]

1 minute ago, MissP22 said:

It is strange that we always get the seat we want & don't have to tip anything to the head waiter. 

If it works for you then keep up the tipping. It must do something to improve you meal. 

Watching the sunset from a window table ALWAYS improves our dining experience. 

[MissP22]

Just now, startedwithamouse said:

Watching the sunset from a window table ALWAYS improves our dining experience. 

Actually a table at the buffet provides a much better view. 

[startedwithamouse]

19 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

It is strange that we always get the seat we want & don't have to tip anything to the head waiter. 

If it works for you then keep up the tipping. It must do something to improve you meal. 

 

16 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

Actually a table at the buffet provides a much better view. 

 

Didn't realize you were talking about the buffet.  I'm talking about the MDR. 

[david63]

If bribing (sorry tipping) in advance get you preferential treatment then do you tip the cashier in the supermarket on your way in so that you can go to the front of the queue at checkout?

[wowzz]

27 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

Actually a table at the buffet provides a much better view. 

Or at an outdoor bar !

[1965]

On our upcoming 26 day cruise my DH & I will pay a total of $832 in daily gratuities. Some of you are saying that in addition to that I need to pay bribes to wait staff, bar tenders, cabin steward, maitre d, etc., in order to be treated fairly, for our place in line to be honored, for our ice bucket to be kept filled, to get an available requested table, etc. If this is true those employees who accept bribes in return for preferential treatment should be reported. 

[2 cruises a year]

51 minutes ago, startedwithamouse said:

We currently do $40.  Prior to 2020 pause, we did $20.   At embarkation day lunch, we ask who will be the dining room manager for our dining room, it may take a few minutes, but they'll let us know (most times after we're seated), they'll come over and we'll inquire about a window table. 

Thank you.  Is that standard, or does the "palm greasing" 😉 vary, depending on the length of the cruise?

[MissP22]

55 minutes ago, startedwithamouse said:

 

 

Didn't realize you were talking about the buffet.  I'm talking about the MDR. 

That also. 

[Bobbiegentry]

2 hours ago, startedwithamouse said:

Who is saying they don't keep the extra tips?

The clearly uninformed say so. 
And they are really passionate about their unfortunate misdirection. 🤷🏼‍♂️

[antsp]

2 hours ago, So_Tweetie said:

I have always tipped above the standard gratuities but lately with the ships adding 18% to the price of everything I have started to question whether the crew are actually receiving those tips.

 

I made a video discussing this while on a Royal Caribbean ship (Grandeur of the Seas) a couple months back, and did some math on the topic:

The standard daily gratuity on RCI is 16.00 per person per day.

The ship has a 2440 passenger capacity.

With each customer paying the standard non-suite gratuity, it would be $39,040 per day before any purchases.

That amount, divided equally among all 760 crew members would be $51.37 per crew member per day.

Multiplied by 30 days, each crew member would receive $1,541.05 per month on tips alone. And keep in mind - this is with zero additional purchases or cash tips given by customers during the sailing. 

 

Hate to sound dramatic but, I think there's a snowball's chance in hell that this amount of money is actually being passed on to crew. 

 

 

 

I haven't seen your video, you quote 760 crew on the Grandeur, probably only half of them will be in the top pool.