Concierge tip

[AirForce mom]

We have reserved a grand suite on the Mariner in November, and are wondering what to tip the concierge. I saw the tip suggestions for suite stewards, but no mention of the suggested tip for the concierge. We are not big drinkers, but may use him/her for tickets and an occasional drink.

[lori450]

I usually give them $20

[Host Kewlguy]

We have reserved a grand suite on the Mariner in November, and are wondering what to tip the concierge. I saw the tip suggestions for suite stewards, but no mention of the suggested tip for the concierge. We are not big drinkers, but may use him/her for tickets and an occasional drink.

 

There is no suggested amount to tip a concierge. If you use their services then tip what you feel they deserve. We tip based on length of cruise and how we are treated.

[BILL-WI]

We use the CL each night for at least an hour and will have one, or two drinks each night. We also partake of the continental breakfast each morning...I figure my tip at about $10.00 per day. There are no set rules, leave whatever you feel comfortable with!

 

BILL

[cb at sea]

If you have thm perform a service for you, tip them what you'll feel it's worth. If you don't need them to do anything special for you, no tip is needed. The concierge is a well-paid employee. No tip is suggested, as none is required.

[Host Kewlguy]

If you have thm perform a service for you, tip them what you'll feel it's worth. If you don't need them to do anything special for you, no tip is needed. The concierge is a well-paid employee. No tip is suggested, as none is required.

 

Apparently not as well paid as they use to be. I've heard they recently had a 50% pay cut. They have lost a lot of good employees because of this.

[jackdiamond]

I believe that $10.00, to $15.00, per day is reasonable; and, maybe a wee bit more if the service is very good. I usually tip at 15 per day unless the wife also utilizes the facility, in which case the gratuity is increased.

[gagirl7143]

If you have thm perform a service for you, tip them what you'll feel it's worth. If you don't need them to do anything special for you, no tip is needed. The concierge is a well-paid employee. No tip is suggested, as none is required.

 

The Concierge's have taken a large reduction in pay recently and many of the concierges depend on tips. This was told to me personally this past week. We always tip them ( more or less according to the service they give to us).

[BDL]

We have reserved a grand suite on the Mariner in November, and are wondering what to tip the concierge. I saw the tip suggestions for suite stewards, but no mention of the suggested tip for the concierge. We are not big drinkers, but may use him/her for tickets and an occasional drink.

 

We were in a GS on Radiance and had a wonderful Concierge. She even sent us chocolate covered strawberries on our anniversary. She was overall very pleasant and did pour us drinks in the club (sometimes we poured our own if she was busy).

 

Other than that, she made dinner reservations for us. I think we tipped her $40.

[PVDCruiser]

The Concierge's have taken a large reduction in pay recently and many of the concierges depend on tips. This was told to me personally this past week. We always tip them ( more or less according to the service they give to us).

 

With more and more cruisers reaching diamond, one would think that the concierges deserve an increase in pay.

 

I think the past couple of cruises my parents tipped $40. If we had used the concierge for dinner reservations and such, it would have been a bit more.

[tootsieh]

We always tip the Concierge at least $100 at the end of cruise and have yet to receive a "thank you" - you wonder why you tipped them because they don"t appreciate it---I don't understand!!! We always think the Concierge is wonderful-----------------------------but no "thank you"!!!

[Jeka]

So here's a question, if you use the CL lounge or the overflow lounge then who do you tip, the consierge or the bartender who has made your drinks?(Assuming you only use these lounges for a pre-dinner drink.) We've been tipping both with the majority going to the "bartender"

[Host Kewlguy]

So here's a question, if you use the CL lounge or the overflow lounge then who do you tip, the consierge or the bartender who has made your drinks?(Assuming you only use these lounges for a pre-dinner drink.) We've been tipping both with the majority going to the "bartender"

 

On our Brilliance cruise we used the alternate concierge lounge exclusively during the evening as the regular lounge was too full to find a seat. At the conclusion of the cruise we tipped the bartender in the alternate lounge and gave the concierge nothing which is what she deserved since she did nothing for us.

[Host Kewlguy]

We always tip the Concierge at least $100 at the end of cruise and have yet to receive a "thank you" - you wonder why you tipped them because they don"t appreciate it---I don't understand!!! We always think the Concierge is wonderful-----------------------------but no "thank you"!!!

 

Well if you run into the ungrateful concierges again in the future you can tip accordingly the next time. :)

[Jeka]

On our Brilliance cruise we used the alternate concierge lounge exclusively during the evening as the regular lounge was too full to find a seat. At the conclusion of the cruise we tipped the bartender in the alternate lounge and gave the concierge nothing which is what she deserved since she did nothing for us.

 

Yes, I agree that makes sense, but we've found the consierge does make an appearance and make the occasional drink. I guess it's something you have to play by ear. We recently did a b2b on the Explorer and I'd have to say the first leg the bartender made most of our drinks(9 days) and we tipped him accordingly.. The second leg he was no longer in the lounge and the consierge did the heavy lifting so we tipped him well considering we were with him for 14 days total, plus he was a real nice guy.

[Host Kewlguy]

Yes, I agree that makes sense, but we've found the consierge does make an appearance and make the occasional drink. I guess it's something you have to play by ear. We recently did a b2b on the Explorer and I'd have to say the first leg the bartender made most of our drinks(9 days) and we tipped him accordingly.. The second leg he was no longer in the lounge and the consierge did the heavy lifting so we tipped him well considering we were with him for 14 days total, plus he was a real nice guy.

 

The overwhelming majority of concierges we've met have been wonderful. Our favorites being Carlos on the Navigator, Kenneth of the Splendor and Julian on the Enchantment. Only have run into one dud so far.

[Jeka]

Apparently not as well paid as they use to be. I've heard they recently had a 50% pay cut. They have lost a lot of good employees because of this.

 

This is very important to point out. Unfortunately, I've read on here and seen in person, people who do not tip or tip very little. If we all want to keep the level of service we get in these lounges, it's in our best interest to tip those who serve us.

[cruisePRN]

The salary of the concierge is none of my business and what you tip should be based on service not his salary. I don't use the service enough to warent a tip.

[critterchick]

The salary of the concierge is none of my business and what you tip should be based on service not his salary. I don't use the service enough to warent a tip.

 

I respectfully disagree, at least as to knowing the nature of how he or she is compensated. I know that my waiter is tip-dependent for his wages. I know that my headwaiter is not (hence the 75 cents daily recommendation vs. $3.50 for the waiter). I think that people should know that the Concierge is also now dependent on tips for his or her basic salary. I consider this change to be essentially a change in my cruise fare.

 

I don't believe that a good Concierge ever does "nothing" for a passenger. Even if you only use the overflow lounge, he or she is responsible for arranging that setup and probably takes the heat if something goes wrong. So I would include at least a token amount, the same way I do for the headwaiter even if I only see him once or twice during the cruise.

 

If, on the other hand, you have an experience where the Concierge actually refuses to do something for you (and although I believe you, Kewlguy, I'm still shaking my head that she would do that to you;) ) then you should reduce or eliminate your tip accordingly.

 

We always use the CL, at least for coffee and perhaps to have a drink or 2 in the evening if it's not too crowded. And there's always something that isn't necessarily in the usual job description that we'll ask for the Concierge's help with - emergency laundry services, the wrong wines delivered, etc. So we'll give the Concierge $10/day. If we use the overflow we'll compensate the bartenders/servers there, too.

[negc]

If you have thm perform a service for you, tip them what you'll feel it's worth. If you don't need them to do anything special for you, no tip is needed. The concierge is a well-paid employee. No tip is suggested, as none is required.

Actually this is no longer true. The concierge's salary was recently reduced by one half and as a result many good, experienced concierges are no longer working for RCI. Guests in suites and Diamond Plus members should get a form midway through the cruise with which they can authorize RCI to place their tips on their seapass accounts. There are suggested amounts for the various attendants, and a space where you can authorize an amount of your choosing as your tip for the concierge (no amount is suggested and it is left totally to your discretion). As others have said, you should tip the concierge according to how well you were served and whether or not, he or she performed any special services for you. On our cruise, there were over 700 diamond, diamond plus, and suite guests so the concierge (Nedere Reid) definitely earned whatever tips she received. :)

[negc]

We always tip the Concierge at least $100 at the end of cruise and have yet to receive a "thank you" - you wonder why you tipped them because they don"t appreciate it---I don't understand!!! We always think the Concierge is wonderful-----------------------------but no "thank you"!!!

 

I don't know what concierges you have encountered, but we have never had one who didn't express their appreciation for the tip we extended to them. In fact we have never tipped an employee on RCI or other cruiselines who did not say thank you.:rolleyes:

[katiel53]

The salary of the concierge is none of my business and what you tip should be based on service not his salary. I don't use the service enough to warent a tip.

 

What do you feel a Concierge needs to do for you to tip? I might have you confused with someone else, but in the past I thought you felt the lounge was a "perk" that deserved no tip. If I have you confused, I apologize.

[dutchess43]

I feel it was a disgrace that RCI cut the CL's salary. We always tip the CL's no matter how much or how little they do for us. We do not put the tip on the automatic tipping form because we do want RCI to know what they are receiving hopefully preventing further cuts. It is nice to know that if there is a problem or if you need something someone is there to assist you. DH & myself love the CL lounge.

Does anyone know if Carlos will be the CL on the NOS next April?

[land lover]

I don't know what concierges you have encountered, but we have never had one who didn't express their appreciation for the tip we extended to them. In fact we have never tipped an employee on RCI or other cruiselines who did not say thank you.:rolleyes:

 

Well, we have had a few, infact on our first cruise back on RCI after a 10 year break, I was appalled at our room attendant...besides finding human hair all over our balcony and a dirty telephone at embarkcation...on the last night I had put his tip envelope inside a closed cupboard and he actually took it out...

 

WE have taken 6 RCI cruises since then most have been gracious, but others have been????????????

[4everafter]

I;ve been tipping $ 50 on my pre pay, there was an added line on my last form delivered to our GS on Mariner ( is this on Diamond member forms too now? I get the perks confused) first week this last September. I just put it on there. based on these comments, maybe it should have been more since we used it 4 or 5 nights for drinks! I was under the impression that the Conceirge tips out his staff - the extra drink servers , does anyone know about this as well??