sorry, here's another tip question

[bbcruiser67]

My group of travelers is very informal. We tend to eat at the buffet, pizzeria, or grill most of the time. We usually only eat at the dining room once or twice. So, my question is: How do we tip the dining staff? I don't mind paying them for work they do, but if I don't use their services what should I do? At the buffet we usually have different waiters every single time? How do these people get tipped? Sorry if these are stupid questions.

 

By the way, I really enjoy reading the boards. I have learned lots of good stuff without having to ask questions.

[GoinCruisin]

The same people that work in the dining room also work the lido (many of them)... I sometimes only eat a few times in the dining room and I don't adjust my tips... I want to make sure the staff gets my tips regardless of my choice of dining venue (Carnival also states that the tipping guidelines apply regardless of where you eat) The lido staff is included in the $10/day (because most of them work both places), as well as the bistro service...

[VentureMan_2000]

You just pay the gratuities charged to Sail & sign card $10 per person, per day)... and don't worry a bit more about tipping... you will be all set.

 

Have a great cruise! :)

[Frank12]

Pay close attention to the staff at the buffet and you will recognize a few of them from the dining room. They work both. Don't adjust your tips and all will get their share.;)

[Karysa]

One morning we asked our waiter in the dining room on the Valor if he had worked the midnight buffet the night before on the Lido deck. He explained to us that the "team head waiters" on that ship worked the dining room only and "team waiters" who are generally referred to as assistant waiters work up on the Lido deck during the day where the "major operation" is. I guess he meant the late evening events as well.

To me tipping is pretty easy, we just tip the normal amount and then tip more to the people who we feel we should. Also, we have been told that the comment cards are very important to the staff and their future assignments, so we take an extra few minutes and try to remember all of the people who helped make our cruise memorable.

Karysa

[Prairie_Gal]

After reading these boards I have come to realize that what we think of as tips are actually the bulk of these peoples' wages. The cruiseline pays them a small amount, and the rest comes from our tips. I guess it is like that in land-based service industries, but seems to be even more so on cruiselines. Someone posted an article the other day of the average employees earnings (including tips) and it still wasn't much, IMHO.

[Cotton]

I agree w/most of the above comments. Just leave your auto tips alone, and everybody's happy!:)

[*Mach*]

You might want to take a look at this thread and see how the tips appear to be divided up:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=690289

 

Looks like the pie is cut up into very small pieces.

 

You'll notice that the 'salaries' show a minimum so I imagine that's the base wage.

 

It's no wonder they appreciate it when someone tips them in cash at the end of the cruise.

[GoinCruisin]

You might want to take a look at this thread and see how the tips appear to be divided up:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=690289

 

Looks like the pie is cut up into very small pieces.

 

You'll notice that the 'salaries' show a minimum so I imagine that's the base wage.

 

It's no wonder they appreciate it when someone tips them in cash at the end of the cruise.

 

On Carnival, the base wage is about $40 per month :eek: .... I found this out on the Bob Dickinson Back to the Floor show... I was "floored" :p LOL I think they must base the minimum on the low end of the tips (or be basing that off another cruiseline)

[dan40]

Then dining room team gets $5.50 per day per person. So if you eat in the buffet 4 nights out of seven [and NO breakfasts or lunches in the dining room]

 

Your waitteam will be standing there with nothing to do, AND NO WAY TO FILL THE EMPTY SEATS, like a restaurant can. And they will receive an undeserved $ 22.00pp from your group.

Is that the money you're concerned about?????????????:(

 

Dan

[ParrotRob]

After reading these boards I have come to realize that what we think of as tips are actually the bulk of these peoples' wages. The cruiseline pays them a small amount, and the rest comes from our tips. I guess it is like that in land-based service industries, but seems to be even more so on cruiselines. Someone posted an article the other day of the average employees earnings (including tips) and it still wasn't much, IMHO.

 

I hate to break this to you, but that's how land-based wait staff are paid as well. Certain tipped employees are exempt from minimum wage laws and are often only paid a couple of dollars an hour, as they are "expected" to make their wage in the form of tips.

[Prairie_Gal]

I hate to break this to you, but that's how land-based wait staff are paid as well. Certain tipped employees are exempt from minimum wage laws and are often only paid a couple of dollars an hour, as they are "expected" to make their wage in the form of tips.

 

Actually, I did say that.

I guess it is like that in land-based service industries.

 

I worked in the bar industry for many years when I was young, and the tips far outweighed the wages. That being said, I did not realize there were places that only had a minimum wage of $2/hour. :eek: Here in Alberta the minimum wage is $8/hour (for everyone).

[GoinCruisin]

Actually, I did say that.

 

 

I worked in the bar industry for many years when I was young, and the tips far outweighed the wages. That being said, I did not realize there were places that only had a minimum wage of $2/hour. :eek: Here in Alberta the minimum wage is $8/hour (for everyone).

 

Yeah, I've learned the hard way that the employment laws are way different up there... I didn't realize there were places that required you to pay a person for a year if you fired them :eek: We have a customer that just acquired a new business up in Toronto and wow, what an awakening!!!!

I worked at a restaurant when I was first out of high school and I think my hourly wage was $2.32/hour, and minimum wage at that time was something like $5.00/hour... but the tips made up for that...