Tipping "The Haven"s Butler and Concierge

[gizfish]

1 hour ago, K_S said:

Thanks for the read everyone.  1st NCL cruise here in a few months and only second ever (Disney being first and very different).

 

We have prepaid gratuities.  Per the post above, can someone explain the Haven staff breakdown a little?

 

Butler ==> Person bringing specialized XYZ items whenever we call them?

Concierge ==> People helping book things?

Room Steward ==> Cleans room/turns down beds?

Porter ==> Self Explanatory

Wait Staff / Bartenders ==> Paid by prepaid gratuities, but always good to tip your waitstaff if they are good!!!

 

If we don't call for much or require too many specialize accommodations, have booked our own shore excursions and restaurants ahead of time, would we adjust this scale above to maybe reward the steward most? 

 

Obviously, porters/wait staff/bartenders are always on a per basis anywhere you go.

 

Thanks in advance.

The room steward is already included in the DSC.  

[cruiseny4life]

9 hours ago, K_S said:

Thanks for the read everyone.  1st NCL cruise here in a few months and only second ever (Disney being first and very different).

 

We have prepaid gratuities.  Per the post above, can someone explain the Haven staff breakdown a little?

 

Butler ==> Person bringing specialized XYZ items whenever we call them?

Concierge ==> People helping book things?

Room Steward ==> Cleans room/turns down beds?

Porter ==> Self Explanatory

Wait Staff / Bartenders ==> Paid by prepaid gratuities, but always good to tip your waitstaff if they are good!!!

 

If we don't call for much or require too many specialize accommodations, have booked our own shore excursions and restaurants ahead of time, would we adjust this scale above to maybe reward the steward most? 

 

Obviously, porters/wait staff/bartenders are always on a per basis anywhere you go.

 

Thanks in advance.

You're pretty darn close to explaining the Haven staff. The Tl:dr is the butler is responsible for anything in your room, including managing the room steward (this dynamic seemed new to us on Pr1ma, but worked really well). The concierge is responsible for the rest of the ship. 

 

I'd add the following to your butler/concierge descriptions:

 

Butler - unlike a traditional hotel where the housekeeper stocks your coffee and tea, the butler will be sure you have all the Tea Forte and Nespresso capsules you'll need. They will supply your snacks and drinks as requested, by drinks I mean a pitcher of water or iced tea for the fridge (that's all). You can request snacks to always be in the room like gummy bears, trail mix/chips, and M&M's. Each day your butler will bring afternoon snacks (canapes, chocolate covered strawberries, mini sandwiches). You reach out to your butler for any meals or you'd like to order to your room. 

 

Concierge - You're right - book things (entertainment, WiFi, excursions, go-karts, Galaxy Pavilion, etc.). Also, the concierge will provide priority disembarkation at ports and will escort you to shows (depending on which show, not all of them). In some ports, they will be there to help you get back on the ship through a special Haven line. This does not happen at all ports. If you have a special request, they can attempt to make it happen. I've had concierges really go the extra mile to do something that is outside a normal request (not naming what we asked for as I don't want to imply it's available to all). 

 

When we have issues inside the room, we typically go to the concierge, but a good butler can also assist with this. These issues include drains not draining, A/C not working, etc. 

 

We adjust our tips based on the service we receive, so the numbers I posted above are different than previous cruises we've taken. When we monopolize (not really) a team member's time, we appreciate them more, and thus provide a larger tip to them. 

[K_S]

Thanks for the update.  It certainly clarifies one of the smaller details I was unclear on.

 

As a side and unrelated note, meals in the room were mentioned.  We are staying in the Founders w/Large Balcony.  As I understand it, that is the one room where you can have any restaurant deliver a meal in the room.  If true, and if we have specialty dining available for the room meal, do we still have to pay for in-room dining?  Or is that just an added 20% gratuity?  (or am I just way off?)

[gizfish]

30 minutes ago, K_S said:

Thanks for the update.  It certainly clarifies one of the smaller details I was unclear on.

 

As a side and unrelated note, meals in the room were mentioned.  We are staying in the Founders w/Large Balcony.  As I understand it, that is the one room where you can have any restaurant deliver a meal in the room.  If true, and if we have specialty dining available for the room meal, do we still have to pay for in-room dining?  Or is that just an added 20% gratuity?  (or am I just way off?)

All Haven rooms allow food delivery by your butler from any restaurant.  You will have to use a meal credit or pay for whatever you order if it is from a specialty restaurant or normally incurs a fee (e.g. an item from the MDR that has a surcharge or a catering type item).  If you use a dining credit, you have already paid the gratuity and will not be charged more.

[K_S]

Oh, spectacular news.  Thanks so much!

[RocketMan275]

15 hours ago, gizfish said:

All Haven rooms allow food delivery by your butler from any restaurant.  You will have to use a meal credit or pay for whatever you order if it is from a specialty restaurant or normally incurs a fee (e.g. an item from the MDR that has a surcharge or a catering type item).  If you use a dining credit, you have already paid the gratuity and will not be charged more.

True, the gratuity for the restaurant has been paid but the butler is not included in that gratuity.  You should consider the food deliveries made by the butler when you decide on your gratuities for the butler.

[BirdTravels]

19 hours ago, K_S said:

Thanks for the update.  It certainly clarifies one of the smaller details I was unclear on.

 

As a side and unrelated note, meals in the room were mentioned.  We are staying in the Founders w/Large Balcony.  As I understand it, that is the one room where you can have any restaurant deliver a meal in the room.  If true, and if we have specialty dining available for the room meal, do we still have to pay for in-room dining?  Or is that just an added 20% gratuity?  (or am I just way off?)

If you use a dining credit, you could use it to fully pay for the food delivered. 
 

If you order a paid a al carte item, you pay for the item and the 20% grats to the restaurant. You should also tip your butler for delivery and set up. Like if you order a specialty dessert, you would pay for it, 20% on it, and tip your butler. 
 

But most people order from the Haven Restaurant for free (plate of lobster tails -which would be an upcharge at any other restaurant). 

[erisajd]

Ok - now I'm confused - if you have FAS as a Haven guest, you've already tipped your cabin steward as part of the prepaid tip package - right? 

 

You have also pre-tipped your bartenders etc, 

\

Moving on to the concierge - if you have already prebooked excursions and specialty restaurants - and all the concierge does is escort you on and off the ship at embark and debark - what has s/he done to earn a tip?  I get the need for tipping but alot of the services have already been done and I'm 99% certain they are not sharing tips with the concierge desk pre-cruise. . . . 

[Two Wheels Only]

Just now, erisajd said:

Moving on to the concierge - if you have already prebooked excursions and specialty restaurants - and all the concierge does is escort you on and off the ship at embark and debark - what has s/he done to earn a tip? 

 

It's up to you to decide if/how much to tip. 

 

1 minute ago, erisajd said:

I get the need for tipping but alot of the services have already been done and I'm 99% certain they are not sharing tips with the concierge desk pre-cruise.

 

There's no "need" to tip anyone.

Some guests do it because they want to tip.

Some guests don't do it because they don't want to tip. 

[Two Wheels Only]

8 minutes ago, erisajd said:

Ok - now I'm confused - if you have FAS as a Haven guest, you've already tipped your cabin steward as part of the prepaid tip package - right? 

 

The steward isn't included in the FAS 20% gratuities and service charges for the beverage and dining packages. 

 

On rare occasions, the Free at Sea promo will include the daily service charge (which does include the room steward) but I haven't had that one in years. 

Edited March 5 by Two Wheels Only

[cruiseny4life]

17 minutes ago, erisajd said:

Ok - now I'm confused - if you have FAS as a Haven guest, you've already tipped your cabin steward as part of the prepaid tip package - right? 

 

You have also pre-tipped your bartenders etc, 

\

Moving on to the concierge - if you have already prebooked excursions and specialty restaurants - and all the concierge does is escort you on and off the ship at embark and debark - what has s/he done to earn a tip?  I get the need for tipping but alot of the services have already been done and I'm 99% certain they are not sharing tips with the concierge desk pre-cruise. . . . 

You can prepay the onboard service charge (different than the Free at Sea service charge) which supposedly covers your stateroom attendance and servers in the restaurants, plus other unnamed/undercover employees (I'd assume laundry, towel attendants, etc.). Or, you can have these charges applied each day to your stateroom account if you don't prepay. 

 

You can remove the charges. You can increase or decrease the charges. You can just say yes, I'll pay the charges. You cannot decrease or remove the service charges for Free at Sea Ultimate Beverage Package or specialty dining. If you select it, you pay it. You can cancel the package entirely.

 

The concierge and butler, if in the Haven/suites, are not covered under any of the service charges. If you use them, tip them. If you don't, well tip or not. We choose to tip, but we also use the concierge more than we ever thought we would when we first starting sailing in 2022. Sometimes we use the butler more. Sometimes less. Regardless, what we tip at the end of the sailing is always personal to us and the service we feel we received, and how often we used the services of the concierge and butler.

 

In our sailings, we have found some folks tip a lot. Some folks tip nothing. Other folks tip different amounts. To me, none of those tips are wrong. I do personally feel the $25/per day/per person onboard service charge is too high, even in the Haven. I've never decreased it, but Norwegian has gone too high with it. 

[RocketMan275]

59 minutes ago, erisajd said:

Moving on to the concierge - if you have already prebooked excursions and specialty restaurants - and all the concierge does is escort you on and off the ship at embark and debark - what has s/he done to earn a tip?  I get the need for tipping but alot of the services have already been done and I'm 99% certain they are not sharing tips with the concierge desk pre-cruise. . . . 

We find the escort at embarkation and debarkation the most valuable service performed by the concierge and well deserving of a tip reflecting that value.

[detroitlions]

I think people ask this to get everyone all worked up. Killing me.

Lately the way service goes you will probably be lucky to see your butler once a day they always claim to have 17 rooms or something crazy.

Concierge I hardly ever use them so I never tip them much. 

[BirdTravels]

20 hours ago, erisajd said:

Ok - now I'm confused - if you have FAS as a Haven guest, you've already tipped your cabin steward as part of the prepaid tip package - right? 

 

You have also pre-tipped your bartenders etc, 

\

Moving on to the concierge - if you have already prebooked excursions and specialty restaurants - and all the concierge does is escort you on and off the ship at embark and debark - what has s/he done to earn a tip?  I get the need for tipping but alot of the services have already been done and I'm 99% certain they are not sharing tips with the concierge desk pre-cruise. . . . 

Bottom Line. Your Butler and Your Concierge are not included in any gratuities. If you use them. Tip them. 

 

If you are in the Haven and don't take full advantage of the Concierge and Butler, it is only your loss. Same for the room steward who you can tell them not to clean your room, change your towels and linens or empty your trash for the duration of the cruise.

 

We hate standing in lines. We hate waiting. On our week-long cruise, we used the concierge every day. He checked in with us multiple times a day when we were in the Haven. When he saw us leaving the Haven, he would take us to any deck using crew elevators versus waiting for the steerage elevators. If he saw us returning to the ship, he would personally help us bypass lines and get onboard (more than the butlers standing outside waving signs). He got a very very generous tip. 

 

Every day of the cruise, our butler would satisfy special requests. On several mornings, we requested a "gala breakfast" service with all of the fixing (including glacier bay day). He got a generous tip. 

 

On another cruise, we came to an "understanding" with the Haven Restaurant Maitre D so that every time we showed up, he would clear a window table for us, over riding the "back of the restaurant" table assignment made by the hostess. He got a generous tip. 

 

In addition to the two people outside the Daily Service Charges, we tip bar waiters, bar tenders, and our room steward. We get a favorite bar tender, tip them a few bucks and by Day 2, our drinks are either ready or in progress when we get to the front of the line a the bar. And since we hate waiting, we can get some priority service over everyone else standing/sitting at the bar waiting for service. 

[erisajd]

@BirdTravels never said I would not tip them - I intend to - my comment  relates to prepaid gratuities. . . . 

22 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

You can prepay the onboard service charge (different than the Free at Sea service charge) which supposedly covers your stateroom attendance and servers in the restaurants, plus other unnamed/undercover employees (I'd assume laundry, towel attendants, etc.). Or, you can have these charges applied each day to your stateroom account if you don't prepay. 

 

You can remove the charges. You can increase or decrease the charges. You can just say yes, I'll pay the charges. You cannot decrease or remove the service charges for Free at Sea Ultimate Beverage Package or specialty dining. If you select it, you pay it. You can cancel the package entirely.

 

The concierge and butler, if in the Haven/suites, are not covered under any of the service charges. If you use them, tip them. If you don't, well tip or not. We choose to tip, but we also use the concierge more than we ever thought we would when we first starting sailing in 2022. Sometimes we use the butler more. Sometimes less. Regardless, what we tip at the end of the sailing is always personal to us and the service we feel we received, and how often we used the services of the concierge and butler.

 

In our sailings, we have found some folks tip a lot. Some folks tip nothing. Other folks tip different amounts. To me, none of those tips are wrong. I do personally feel the $25/per day/per person onboard service charge is too high, even in the Haven. I've never decreased it, but Norwegian has gone too high with it. 

Those are already included in my FAS - I actually read the detailed information provided.  

 

Butlers - not included.

Concierge not included. 

 

Don't know why I have to PAY [as in a tip] for the concierge to escort me on and off at the beginning and end of the cruise when I am PAYING through the nose for the Haven privilege of doing that. . . . If I use the concierge for anything I will happily tip them.  

 

The specialty restaurant tips are included in my package - as is the cabin attendant - and the Haven restaurant waiters and staff. 

 

Who else am I tipping now?  The bartenders - are ALSO included in the drink package tips [though they will get a tip at the beginning in the Haven bar to maintain service. 

 

Again - WHO ELSE do I need to tip?

Edited March 6 by erisajd

[cruiseny4life]

22 minutes ago, erisajd said:

@BirdTravels never said I would not tip them - I intend to - my comment  relates to prepaid gratuities. . . . 

Those are already included in my FAS - I actually read the detailed information provided.  

 

Butlers - not included.

Concierge not included. 

 

Don't know why I have to PAY [as in a tip] for the concierge to escort me on and off at the beginning and end of the cruise when I am PAYING through the nose for the Haven privilege of doing that. . . . If I use the concierge for anything I will happily tip them.  

 

The specialty restaurant tips are included in my package - as is the cabin attendant - and the Haven restaurant waiters and staff. 

 

Who else am I tipping now?  The bartenders - are ALSO included in the drink package tips [though they will get a tip at the beginning in the Haven bar to maintain service. 

 

Again - WHO ELSE do I need to tip?

The onboard service charge is different than the FAS (Free at Sea). Free at Sea gratuities only covers specialty dining servers and bartenders if you select both the specialty dining package and unlimited open bar beverage package.

 

Prepaid onboard service charge at $25/per day/per person covers serves in the Haven Restaurant, Main Dining Room, buffet, O'Sheehan's/Local, American Diner, and any other included in your fare dining that I didn't mention. The onboard service charge is either prepaid, ahead of your cruise or is added to your bill each day when onboard. It is not a part of the Free at Sea service charges. 

 

When sailing in the Haven you already have stated who else needs to be tipped, if you want to. You do not have to tip anyone. You can even remove the onboard service charge if you want. 

You cannot remove the Free at Sea (FAS) gratuities for specialty dining and unlimited open bar package, unless you remove those packages. 

[9tee2Sea]

On 3/5/2024 at 8:25 AM, erisajd said:

Ok - now I'm confused - if you have FAS as a Haven guest, you've already tipped your cabin steward as part of the prepaid tip package - right? 

 

You have also pre-tipped your bartenders etc, 

\

Moving on to the concierge - if you have already prebooked excursions and specialty restaurants - and all the concierge does is escort you on and off the ship at embark and debark - what has s/he done to earn a tip?  I get the need for tipping but alot of the services have already been done and I'm 99% certain they are not sharing tips with the concierge desk pre-cruise. . . . 

the amount you tip the concierge should be dependent on what services they provided to you,  besides being escorted on/off ship, or to the theatre.  I tried to change FAS dining to an earlier time on a same day request.  The specialty dining said there was no time available for that day, I had to stick with what i had.  I inquired with the Concierge, he said no problem, consider done.  And it was done.  I had to do that twice.  I gave the concierge $100 at the end of the cruise ( it was a 15 night cruise) for the services he provided.  If I was needing the butler to fill the juices in the fridge, I would ask the concierge to contact him.  If I need a wake up call, I would call the concierge and let him deal with it.

[MoCruiseFan]

On 3/5/2024 at 11:25 AM, erisajd said:

Ok - now I'm confused - if you have FAS as a Haven guest, you've already tipped your cabin steward as part of the prepaid tip package - right? 

 

You have also pre-tipped your bartenders etc, 

\

Moving on to the concierge - if you have already prebooked excursions and specialty restaurants - and all the concierge does is escort you on and off the ship at embark and debark - what has s/he done to earn a tip?  I get the need for tipping but alot of the services have already been done and I'm 99% certain they are not sharing tips with the concierge desk pre-cruise. . . . 

 

1) Theer are no pre-paid tips to the cabin steward.

2) The ONLY 'rule' about tipping in all cases is to tip who you want when you want whatever amount you want..

The FAQ on ncl.com states that no tiping is required, however most non-cheap people do tip something.  That5 aside, what otehrs choose to do is no one else's business and is totally irrelevant.

[cruiseny4life]

5 minutes ago, MoCruiseFan said:

 

1) Theer are no pre-paid tips to the cabin steward.

2) The ONLY 'rule' about tipping in all cases is to tip who you want when you want whatever amount you want..

The FAQ on ncl.com states that no tiping is required, however most non-cheap people do tip something.  That5 aside, what otehrs choose to do is no one else's business and is totally irrelevant.

1) Unless you prepay the onboard service charge.

[UKstages]

this may be semantics.

 

the guest "prepays," if he or she so chooses, the onboard service charge or the guest pays at the completion of the cruise. either way, cabin stewards do not see the proportional benefit of that reflected in their pay until a month or two later, assuming that they get any of it at all as a cash payment. NCL is very loosey goosey about what actually is done with the money it collects from guests on behalf of its employees.,

 

"tips" are not prepaid to cabin stewards, but if in stating that the OP means that you've prepaid or intend to pay the OSC (onboard service charge), then, yes, a portion of the OSC is theoretically set aside for distribution to cabin stewards.

[MoCruiseFan]

11 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

1) Unless you prepay the onboard service charge.

 

Which according the FAQ is NOT a tip.  It is an incentive program to encourage employees to work together (not sure iof I have that wording 100% correct), which means any given employee may or may not see any part of the DSC even if they are 'eligible' to be part of the program.

[K_S]

8 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

Bottom Line. Your Butler and Your Concierge are not included in any gratuities. If you use them. Tip them. 

 

...

 

Ok.  I thought I had this worked through, but with our cruise leaving in a couple of days, I wanted to be sure.

 

Background:

Haven; 7-Day cruise; FAS+; PP Gratuities; 6 people in our cabin (4 adults - 2 teens).

 

• Not really high maintenance.  My parents go on 2-3 cruises per year.  This is my personal family's second ever.  We won't call for help often, but plan to take advantage of the amenities that are offered on occasion. 
• We will use the concierge, although excursions are booked.  Plan to use for entertainment, the service elevator, and incidental needs or adjustments to our trip as needed (like @9tee2Sea suggested above -- pretty much as a central coordination point).
• We will probably have the room stewards tidy up the room a couple of times, although we won't need new amenities such as towels...but they might take a couple away after scuba diving.
• I will totally tip a little additional to the bar tenders.  At the bar, you *always* get what you pay for.
• Maybe tip the maître de $50 at the start of the cruise for choice seating when we go to the Haven Resturant.

 

Questions: 

• Do you generally keep the same waitstaff when eating there?
• Are the bartenders generally the same/same shifts each day in the Haven?

 

Tips (cash $):

• Butler - $50 q/day x 7 = $350 - half up front.
• Concierge - $25 q/day x 7 = $175 - all up front.
• Room Steward - $100 at the end - half up front.
• Bartender - $50 up front (if same tender) or $10 upfront on a day we are drinking at the bar more than 1 drink a person. If drinking individually, probably $1 per drink.  I'm only good for about three drinks per day...same with my fam.
• Maître De - $50 - up front
• Waitstaff - Included in FAS+ but certainly willing to drop some extra $$ if waitstaff is amazing.

 

Analysis:

• Is this excessive?  Are the amounts correct/too high/too low?

 

 

Edited March 6 by K_S

[cruiseny4life]

2 minutes ago, K_S said:

Question: 

• Do you generally keep the same waitstaff when eating there?
• Are the bartenders generally the same/same shifts each day in the Haven?

 

Tips (cash $):

• Butler - $50 q/day x 7 = $350 - half up front.
• Concierge - $25 q/day x 7 = $175 - all up front.
• Room Steward - $100 at the end - half up front.
• Bartender - $50 up front (if same tender) or $10 upfront on a day we are drinking at the bar more than 1 drink a person. If drinking individually, probably $1 per drink.  I'm only good for about three drinks per day...same with my fam.
• Maître De - $50 - up front
• Waitstaff - Included in FAS+ but certainly willing to drop some extra $$ if waitstaff is amazing.

 

Analysis:

Is this excessive?  Are the amounts correct/too high/too low?

Most will likely tell you it's a personal decision as to how much to tip. They are correct. Please don't take anything any one of us says as the right thing to do regarding the tip. 

 

For your questions: you can request the same wait staff. This may not be possible, depending on breaks and schedules. We had about 60% luck on our most recent cruise in getting the same server. 

 

The bartenders are the same and work the same shifts. They do often pull double duty elsewhere, so they may run out for a few hours, but I'd say 80 - 90% of the time they are the same and work the same schedule.

 

Here's my general thought regarding tips. It's higher than I've tipped, but I sail with just my husband. I'll provide the ranges we have tipped, based on previous service. We always tip at the end. It's just how we do. My tips shouldn't be what you measure against, but are merely provided as a source of information on what another Haven cruiser tips (as a couple, not six). 

 

Butler - $55 - $60 for the entire voyage

Concierge - $ 40 - $60 for the entire voyage

Room Steward - $0 (once) - $50 for the entire voyage

Bartender - $40 each on the last night

Restaurant Manager - $0

Hostess - $25

Servers - $25 - $50

 

I hope that is helpful. Be prepared to be told by a lot of folks that it doesn't matter what others tip. And it doesn't. I'm sure plenty of people will judge me for tipping on the low end. I'm ok with that. 

 

[K_S]

50 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

...

 

I hope that is helpful. Be prepared to be told by a lot of folks that it doesn't matter what others tip. And it doesn't. I'm sure plenty of people will judge me for tipping on the low end. I'm ok with that. 

 

 

Thanks for your reply.  Very helpful. 

 

Tipping is very personal.  I get that.  It should be what someone feels is appropriate for the assistance they are getting. 

 

For the folks saying it doesn't matter, it absolutely matters.  If I left a $1 tip for the butler after a week, then that would be considered offensive.  Worse yet, it wouldn't be taken as bonus, but rather a likely symbol that I wasn't happy.

 

Move the money sliders wherever anyone wants, but the message remains the same.  If someone wants to leave a tip, it's a good practice to know what an average tip might be.  Since many of us don't do this (cruise) often, to say "it doesn't matter" is quite unhelpful. 

 

A post like yours is excellent.  I have read a couple like it.  I only posted here, because it's the thread I had open and the topic was at-hand right before leaving.  Honestly, there should be a pinned topic to the board since it seems to pop up regularly.  I simply wanted to make sure I took enough cash to cover tips since I don't know how easy it is to get cash on the boat.

 

In the end, we newbies want to know we can make our tip decisions based upon what everyone else is generally doing, and adjust the numbers according to our budget *and* the level of service which pleased us enough to do so.  :)

 

 

[complawyer]

ok,here's my breakdown

 

butler$100-150

concierge $50-100

room steward $20 first day, $20 2-3 days later, $20-50 on last  day of cruise

bartender $1-2 per drink

maitre' d $20 on 1st day, additional 10-20 throughout the cruise ,depending on what i want done

yes you can call it a bribe, but if i want dinner at a specialty restaurant at a certain time and it's  

not available, i have 0 qualms about giving  him an additinal $10 to get us in. Called Vega Handshake,

servers, $5-10 daily depending on the meal and time of day Usually $5 if im having breakfast in moderno and lunch in cagney's, $10  if dinner anywhere (to include mdr)

 

finally, $1 per drink to any server that brings me a drink any where on board, by the pool, in the buffet, etc.

 

my theory ( and strictly my theory) is if you tip the appropriate people on 1st day of cruise, they remember you, and take care of you accordingly.

On the bliss we were in the MDR for breakfast on morning gave him a $5.00 tip and after that he couldnt do enough for us. whenever he saw us on the ship, he insisted we come to his table.

 

on another cruise, when we were taken to cagney's for lunch, i gave the maitre'd a $20, and for the duration, he also couldnt do enough for us. of course during the rest of the cruise, i would give him another $10-20 as needed.

 

before posters start yelling at me that there is no need to tip as it's included in the DSC,

as the saying goes, "you get what  you pay for" i personally am more than willing to spend some extra $$$ to up my degree of service.

my wife and I even prior to sailing, work out how much money we anticipate we will need for the additional tips, and to who. if your're flying, dont  you tip the  skycap when he takes your

dont you tip the porter on the pier when he takes your luggage,