Tipping - who ?

[debster818]

I need to know if you are required to tip the bartenders? Or do they just add that into the price of the drink? The others who take care of you are tipped at the end of the cruise, but do we need to carry money with us to tip bartenders.

[Cotton]

No need to tip the bartenders, as a 15% tip is automatically added to each drink you order. It will show up on your Sail & Sign account.

[jscott918]

they will add 15% to the price of any drink you get no need to tip them only time you might tip for a drink is at one of the exclusive partys like the captains party and or past guest party

[Cotton]

........only time you might tip for a drink is at one of the exclusive partys like the captains party and or past guest party

 

I've never seen a need to tip anyone at either party. They're just walking around w/trays of drinks and hors d'oeuvres - not doing special orders. I just take whatever I want off the tray. If I want something else, I go to the bar in that room and get it myself.

[Carolinamamasita]

I believe it says in the documents that the MaitreD' tipping is at your discretion as well as room service personnel . This is in your Welcome aboard booklet page 29, also provided online .

[Barkingowl]

only time you might tip for a drink is at one of the exclusive partys like the captains party and or past guest party

 

We had an excellent server at the past guest party on the Elation back in January. She brought each of us 10 drinks each. I think altogether we tipped her about $60.00...

 

[BND]

We had an excellent server at the past guest party on the Elation back in January. She brought each of us 10 drinks each. I think altogether we tipped her about $60.00...

 

 

10 drinks each? I had two drinks at ours on Glory. As the above poster said, you do not need to tip the waiter/bartender as 15% is automtically added to your bill. I never saw anyone tip any server at the past guest party.

[cuyahoga11]

We had an excellent server at the past guest party on the Elation back in January. She brought each of us 10 drinks each. I think altogether we tipped her about $60.00...

 

 

We were lucky to get 1 drink each after and hour wait on out last cruise. No tip there.

[Barkingowl]

10 drinks each? I had two drinks at ours on Glory. As the above poster said, you do not need to tip the waiter/bartender as 15% is automtically added to your bill. I never saw anyone tip any server at the past guest party.

 

Yup. There were 8 people in our party & we were absolutely blasted when we left the party. The drinks were free BTW. The server got tipped like she did because of the number of drinks that she brought to our table. I think most everyone else got a couple a piece. We were drinking rum runners & watermelon sours. We were very much over served. No one went over the balcony though...

[Water Baby 1983]

We had an excellent server at the past guest party on the Elation back in January. She brought each of us 10 drinks each. I think altogether we tipped her about $60.00...

 

 

Regarding Group cocktail partys and the like:

 

Do you think servers would be happier to bring special order drinks if they were tipped up front?

 

On the Holiday in Dec., our server approached us at the bar and told us to sit down because we already had a drink at the table. Also, this server told one of our friends that she was only allowed to have the premade drinks on trays. Our experiences at the group cocktail partys for other voyages on different ships were very different -- no problem ordering a miami vice or two. Should I be worried that we were being greedy?

[hstrybuf]

As said above, you do not need to tip the bartenders at the various bars around the ship. That being said, if you find a bartender or waiter/waitress that you like feel free to tip a little extra. It usually gets us good service and drinks the way we like them.

 

We have never tipped a waiter at the Past Guest Party or any other special event, but you can if you so choose.

[jscott918]

well i guess i went through the ringer on this one. i have only been to ONE past guest party. we sat at the bar and I was getting 20.00 drinks sat in front of me as fast as i could drink them. they were special drinks straight from the bartender. so yes after i drank 7 double hen and coke = $140.00 carnival price and the wife had a few of them foo foo drinks 25 - 30 more. i tiped him a 20.00 and said thank you very much. was just me i guess if we had just drank the standard drinks they allready had made probally no tip. but the sweet drinks give me hang overs BAD so i dont go for the foo foo"s

[PINEVIEW01]

I've never seen a need to tip anyone at either party. They're just walking around w/trays of drinks and hors d'oeuvres - not doing special orders. I just take whatever I want off the tray. If I want something else, I go to the bar in that room and get it myself.

Some of the past guest parties don't have a bar in them. When I get a special order I give them something to keep them coming with alcohol in them;)

[caribbean dreams]

Like veryone else.....the 15% is added for each drink you buy, although, i search the ship out, looking for the Bartender who can make that perfect drink and when i find him/her, that becomes my hangout bar and i will tip a little extra.

[habby]

Yup. There were 8 people in our party & we were absolutely blasted when we left the party. The drinks were free BTW. The server got tipped like she did because of the number of drinks that she brought to our table. I think most everyone else got a couple a piece. We were drinking rum runners & watermelon sours. We were very much over served. No one went over the balcony though...

 

Our group of four had a similar situation. The bar server pretty much just sat her whole tray of drinks in front of us - red and white wine, whiskey sours, Manhattans, whatever, and when one of us asked for something different, no problem. We made sure to look for her the rest of the week, and she looked for us. She took care of us and we took care of her. Kind of the way caribbeandreams sees things. If someone makes us happy and goes beyond just plopping drinks in front of us, we have no problem showing our appreciation with an extra buck or two (or 5 or 20).

[Cotton]

Yup. There were 8 people in our party & we were absolutely blasted when we left the party.

 

I bet you were!:eek: OMG, having 10 drinks each in a 45-minute period of time....I don't know how you got out of your chairs, much less walked outta the room!

[Cotton]

Regarding Group cocktail partys and the like:

 

On the Holiday in Dec., our server approached us at the bar and told us to sit down because we already had a drink at the table. Also, this server told one of our friends that she was only allowed to have the premade drinks on trays. Our experiences at the group cocktail partys for other voyages on different ships were very different -- no problem ordering a miami vice or two. Should I be worried that we were being greedy?

 

If you mean pre-arranged group parties like for your group only.....yes, I'm sure they have to abide by the certain, maybe standard, drinks that were paid for by your group.

 

However, it's different for the PastGuest parties. You can get pretty much whatever you want.

 

On the Holiday, there was always a bar set up in the room of the PG party.

[redlef]

I need to know if you are required to tip the bartenders? Or do they just add that into the price of the drink? The others who take care of you are tipped at the end of the cruise, but do we need to carry money with us to tip bartenders.

 

Required - No. I always tip a buck a drink additional. Usually cash when I can. I try to always use the same bar as well. After a day or two, the bartenders recognize me and I always get good service. Service like: when the bar is crowded, he or she will serve me a little quicker. My drink might be made a little stronger. Plus, these folks don't get paid a lot, the tips help. What they heck - you're already spending $3000 on a cruise. An extra $100 to the workers isn't going to break you.

 

I also tip the head waiter and room steward $20 on the first day. Lots of cruisers wait till the end of the trip but I like to let them know up front that I appreciate their service. I also give them a going away present. And the Assitant waiters too, but a little less.

 

Now, the maiter'd - I kind of resent the way they hand out empty envelopes as if there was an obligation to tip him. I understand that he manages the dining room, but the captain manages the ship and we don't tip him.

[gypsyrose]

Last year at the pg party, we requested special drinks and I tipped $5, not much but I thought ok. He must have really liked it because he brought us 2 each. Even if they are free, if I am gonna have a couple different drinks I think it is worth a little tip.

[petro772]

Some of the past guest parties don't have a bar in them. When I get a special order I give them something to keep them coming with alcohol in them;)

 

Good idea! ;)

[Wennfred]

NOT REQUIRED BUT

 

This is what I like to do, in the middle of the cruise usually around after the 3rd day out, I like to tip the Steward 20.00 and tell him to go have a drink when he gets off the ship at one of the ports. Its very much appreciated and no one has ever felt insulted, infact I asked them on the Pride and they ALL told me to keep insulting them because they loved the extra cash. :D

 

I also like tipping the Waiter and assistant waiter again during the middle of the cruise so they can have something to drink that night while on their off hours and off their feet or when they get off the ship. When I did this on the Valor. the assistant waitress about started to cry with joy and thankfulness because she was meeting her sister that was working on the Miracle in Costa Maya and wanted to have a great time with her.

 

And lastly I look for a Bartender that likes to be cheerful and don't mind chatting, this is the person I tip Cash when he or she serves me a drink. The Drinks I get from this guy are the usual Special Drinks so they don't cost much.... after day 4 of 5, the drinks get stronger and most of them are Free on the House :D

 

Once again Im tipping on Carnival's Money, if I win good at the Casino the more tips I hand out.

 

This is what I like to do, and Im not telling anyone to do this.

 

My motto is, if you do something to make my vacation happy, Im going to do something in return.

 

 

Fred