Tipping Question

[bnjrsmom]

Our first 2 cruises were on Princess where gratuity was automatically added to our account. So we didn't question it or even think much about it.

 

Our next cruise is Freedom of the Seas where I have seen from reading that gratuity is handled either in cash with envelopes or can be pre-paid.

 

My extended family NEVER use the dining for any meal whatsoever. On Princess, we either ate in our rooms, in the casual dining restaurants or in ports. There are several reasons for this - not liking being tied to a time, late seating is too late, early is too early. Some (teenagers) don't like long meals - would rather eat on the go. And others would rather eat in shorts and a t-shirt. (seniors). Personally I wouldn't have minded going to the dining room a few times - but I was out-voted and didn't want to dine alone.

 

Okay - my point is - we did find it odd that the waitstaff would get tips when we never saw them - but it was prepaid - so okay. Go with the flow.

 

If on FOS, we never eat in the dining room and tip our room steward. Is there still obligation to tip the waiters that we never met? So - you might point out - we had random waiters throughout in either Windjammer or the specialty restaurants - is it appropriate to tip them individually as you go along so that they aren't overlooked?

 

Just curious if there others out there....that do the same thing.

 

Lisa

[serene56]

If you are not going to the dining room at all and know this ahead of time- I suggest that you tell your agent that you do NOT want to be assigned a dining room seat. This wat your waiters can have some one else sit in the seats

 

The waiters etc also take care of you on the buffet. WHo do you think cleans the tables, keep the buffet area full and ready.. etc.

 

 

Last cruise we ate in the dining room once. the rest was at the buffet. We kept our tips on the cards. We had a reserved seat and it was not the waiters fault that he go without because we wanted to eat elsewhere.

[MDRealtor]

I have been on 6 cruises now and have used the dining room on all of them, but that is just me. You do not have to tip the waiters at the Windjammer because they are getting paid already but you should tip the waiters at the specialty restaurants. As far as the main dining room staff, they do work for tips and the waiters only get so many tables each and if you do not show up that is money they are not receiving. I for one if I never used the dining room I would still tip the waiter a little something, not much though, only because the waiters depend so much on tips. I hope this helps and have a great time on your cruise.

 

JUST MY OPINION !!!!!!

[bnjrsmom]

You can ask to not be assigned a seat? I didn't know that. I actually felt bad that there would be a table assigned to our large group when other were on waiting lists to get early/late seating. Princess has 'Anytime' seating which serves the same purpose but I didn't know that RCI did the same.

 

Yes, of course, I know that waiters deserve to be tipped. That was my question - should I carry cash throughout the cruise to tip individual waiters?

 

OR another thought was to just go ahead and pre-pay the gratuities to all - even knowing that the we never ate in the dining room - in the theory that it all evens out in the end and not worry about tipping individuals.

 

Thank you for the information - I will contact our travel agent about moving our group out of the dining room.

 

Lisa

[Sue L]

The waiters from the dining room work at multiples venues throughout the ship. You will have them waiting on you in the Windjammer, etc. Yes you should tip as they have been part of your service somewhere on the ship.

[bnjrsmom]

That makes sense. I will just do the 'pre-paid' gratuity as usual. It is simpler anyway.

 

Thank you all for such quick responses.

[BobBeaSea]

Our first 2 cruises were on Princess where gratuity was automatically added to our account. So we didn't question it or even think much about it.

 

Our next cruise is Freedom of the Seas where I have seen from reading that gratuity is handled either in cash with envelopes or can be pre-paid.

 

My extended family NEVER use the dining for any meal whatsoever. On Princess, we either ate in our rooms, in the casual dining restaurants or in ports. There are several reasons for this - not liking being tied to a time, late seating is too late, early is too early. Some (teenagers) don't like long meals - would rather eat on the go. And others would rather eat in shorts and a t-shirt. (seniors). Personally I wouldn't have minded going to the dining room a few times - but I was out-voted and didn't want to dine alone.

 

Okay - my point is - we did find it odd that the waitstaff would get tips when we never saw them - but it was prepaid - so okay. Go with the flow.

 

If on FOS, we never eat in the dining room and tip our room steward. Is there still obligation to tip the waiters that we never met? So - you might point out - we had random waiters throughout in either Windjammer or the specialty restaurants - is it appropriate to tip them individually as you go along so that they aren't overlooked?

 

Just curious if there others out there....that do the same thing.

 

Lisa

 

Yes. tips are suggested and they are for the sailing, regardless of whether you use the main dining room or not. The tips are pooled so all service providers can participate. This also relieves you of having to tip waiters in the Windjammer as you go. The specialty restaurants have a gratuity built into the price, which is $20.00 per person total. Some will leave an extra tip in these restaurants. There are 3 ways to pay your tips on RCI; prepay before you go, put them on your Seapass during your sailing (you can do this up to the 2nd last day of your sailing I believe) or just give cash on the last night to your wait staff and cabin steward. Since you won't be eating in the dining room a suggestion would be prepay them or put them on your Seapass, they will know the tips are paid and you won't have to pass out the envelopes on the last night if you don't want to.

[TWELVEOHONE]

I have been on 6 cruises now and have used the dining room on all of them, but that is just me. You do not have to tip the waiters at the Windjammer because they are getting paid already but you should tip the waiters at the specialty restaurants. As far as the main dining room staff, they do work for tips and the waiters only get so many tables each and if you do not show up that is money they are not receiving. I for one if I never used the dining room I would still tip the waiter a little something, not much though, only because the waiters depend so much on tips. I hope this helps and have a great time on your cruise.JUST MY OPINION !!!!!!

 

The waiters in the WIndjammer are not paid any different then the waiters in the dining room. In fact they are the same waiter. On my last cruise the waiter told us that they alternate every week. One week in the Windjammer and the next in the dining room.

 

The additional cost of eating in the specialty restaurants includes tips to the waiter asst. waiter and others. With your check they will ask for an additional tip, which most people give

 

 

.

[MacThespian]

I have been on 6 cruises now and have used the dining room on all of them, but that is just me. You do not have to tip the waiters at the Windjammer because they are getting paid already but you should tip the waiters at the specialty restaurants. As far as the main dining room staff, they do work for tips and the waiters only get so many tables each and if you do not show up that is money they are not receiving. I for one if I never used the dining room I would still tip the waiter a little something, not much though, only because the waiters depend so much on tips. I hope this helps and have a great time on your cruise.

 

JUST MY OPINION !!!!!!

 

You say it's just your opinion, but please get the facts straight before you make up your mind. The waiters at the Windjammer are the SAME people who wait in the regular dining room. They do not get paid extra for their work at the Windjammer. We (most posters, I believe) don't tip directly at the Windjammer because we tip in the dining room. The tips sort of even out for those serving you at the Windjammer.

It's a little more difficult if you only eat at the Windjammer or other casual stations. How do you choose who gets the tip? The people behind the buffet? The person who clears your table? The waiter who brings you coffee? Would you tip the same ($5.50 per person per day) if you ate only at the Windjammer, compared to having dinner in the dining room? How would you divide this among those serving you at each of the three meals?

Yes, it's your choice, and I don't want to dictate what you do (I'm trying to be non-judgmental here), but I wish people (not necessarily MDRealtor) would consider things before making a quick judgment.

By the way--the last time I asked, waiters were paid $200 a month and assistant waiters were paid $50 a month. They really depend on their tips, and I think they deserve them.

[katiel53]

I am not sure you can tell RCCL that you don't want to be assigned a seat in the dining room until you actually board. I asked C&A that question as we thought our last trip on Mariner would be on we didn't want to have dinner in the dining room.

 

I was told a table would be assigned to us, but when we got onboard we could go to the Maitre D' and tell him/her that we weren't going to be having dinner in the dining room so if someone else want our seats, they are free to have them.

 

As it turned out, we did decide before boarding that we would eat dinner in the dining room two nights. We still tipped for the other nights as well as telling our waitress that we wouldn't be there except for the two nights.

 

I think perhaps they might not allow no table assignment in advance is that there are people, like us, who change their minds prior to sailing. So, if your TA can't do it in advance, just do it when you get onboard.

 

Enjoy.

[yogimax]

That makes sense. I will just do the 'pre-paid' gratuity as usual. It is simpler anyway.

 

Thank you all for such quick responses.

 

A wise and correct decision, IMHO!

[serene56]

You say it's just your opinion, but please get the facts straight before you make up your mind. The waiters at the Windjammer are the SAME people who wait in the regular dining room. They do not get paid extra for their work at the Windjammer. We (most posters, I believe) don't tip directly at the Windjammer because we tip in the dining room. The tips sort of even out for those serving you at the Windjammer..

 

i thought the poster meant the waiters at the windjammer get paid using the tips that were for the waiters.. not they got paid a check from the cruiselines.

[MDRealtor]

Thank You Serene that is what I meant about the waiters in the Windjammer and I did forget to mention that the specialty restaurants already include tip at the end of the meal

[MakinGold]

You do not have to tip the waiters at the Windjammer because they are getting paid already but you should tip the waiters at the specialty restaurants.

 

You've got that just about backward. The waiters at the WindJammer are not getting paid already. Well . . . They are in a sense; they're being paid by the people the serve in the dining room. If the OP is not using the dining room and not tipping dining room staff, then she should at least tip those who serve her in the WindJammer. The waiters at the specialty restaurants are already paid out of the surcharge for dining there, so you do not have to tip them extra (but you can if you so desire).

[Babo02]

My husband and I were on Celebrity Xpedition last June where everything---and I do mean everything was included. That means most liquor and all other beverages. I think the only extras were shopping, specialty wines and massages. Aside from last year, we haven't cruised since 1998, and so have no idea what the standard tip might be. Would love to have an idea of the expectations.

 

Thanks.

[pamelacourson]

Our first 2 cruises were on Princess where gratuity was automatically added to our account. So we didn't question it or even think much about it.

 

Our next cruise is Freedom of the Seas where I have seen from reading that gratuity is handled either in cash with envelopes or can be pre-paid.

 

My extended family NEVER use the dining for any meal whatsoever. On Princess, we either ate in our rooms, in the casual dining restaurants or in ports. There are several reasons for this - not liking being tied to a time, late seating is too late, early is too early. Some (teenagers) don't like long meals - would rather eat on the go. And others would rather eat in shorts and a t-shirt. (seniors). Personally I wouldn't have minded going to the dining room a few times - but I was out-voted and didn't want to dine alone.

 

Okay - my point is - we did find it odd that the waitstaff would get tips when we never saw them - but it was prepaid - so okay. Go with the flow.

 

If on FOS, we never eat in the dining room and tip our room steward. Is there still obligation to tip the waiters that we never met? So - you might point out - we had random waiters throughout in either Windjammer or the specialty restaurants - is it appropriate to tip them individually as you go along so that they aren't overlooked?

 

Just curious if there others out there....that do the same thing.

 

Lisa

The solution is easy you just go to the maitre d or headwaiter the first day of the cruise and tell them you are not going to use Dinning room because a personal option and you prefer WJ, so you don t have the seats blocked for the waiter , because is his only weekly income as you know in RCCL they only pay 50Us a month the wait staff the rest they get is for each people they serve.

[pamelacourson]

My husband and I were on Celebrity Xpedition last June where everything---and I do mean everything was included. That means most liquor and all other beverages. I think the only extras were shopping, specialty wines and massages. Aside from last year, we haven't cruised since 1998, and so have no idea what the standard tip might be. Would love to have an idea of the expectations.

 

Thanks.

the best is that you buy the prepaids for the wait staff and cabin attendants because is the fair for them is usually 50us per couple for the waiter and 30 us for asst. waiter....

[pamelacourson]

The waiters in the WIndjammer are not paid any different then the waiters in the dining room. In fact they are the same waiter. On my last cruise the waiter told us that they alternate every week. One week in the Windjammer and the next in the dining room.

 

The additional cost of eating in the specialty restaurants includes tips to the waiter asst. waiter and others. With your check they will ask for an additional tip, which most people give

 

 

.

in RCCL works like this.....the Main waiters do work breakfast and lunch beetween Dinning room,room service and WJ and in the night in their assigned table. The assistant waiters the work or breakfast or lunch only 1 shift and then in the dinning room at night with the assigned waiter, the TIPS that you give at the end of the cruise cover that 3 meal service because is the same people.....there is also the Windjammer TEAM, which is only a rotation of 10 or 12 asst. waiters in a rotationn base of 4 weeks in DR 1 week in WJ for the whole contract these small group go into a pool of a tip box that is placed by the door usually the last day of the cruise.

[Merion_Mom]

My husband and I were on Celebrity Xpedition last June where everything---and I do mean everything was included. That means most liquor and all other beverages. I think the only extras were shopping, specialty wines and massages. Aside from last year, we haven't cruised since 1998, and so have no idea what the standard tip might be. Would love to have an idea of the expectations.

 

Thanks.

 

cabin steward - $3.50 per person per day

waiter - $3.50 per person per day

assistant waiter - $2.00 per person per day

head waiter - $.75 per person per day

 

If you are fortunate enough to be staying in a GS, OS, RFS or RS, the suggested amount for your cabin steward is $5.75 a day, instead of $3.50 a day.

 

In other words, plan on about $10 per passenger per day.