Tipping for In-Room Food Delivery

[Jordie's home alone]

In a "fixed" gratuity format, is this service assumed to be under the general umbrella of services, or should this service be tipped separately (akin to the bar bill add-on)?

[bubbie617]

I haven't been on Azamara yet, but my assumption is that you tip for room service the same way you would on any other trip or in a hotel. I believe that even on the cruise lines that automatically add tips, it does not include the tips for bar service or room service.

[harryw]

I agree -and Azamara stateroom delivery was always prompt on my 8/4 cruise. I was happy to tip. It was great that breakfast arrived at the early end of the 30 minute interval you can request.

Harry

[NINAVMD]

In a "fixed" gratuity format, is this service assumed to be under the general umbrella of services, or should this service be tipped separately (akin to the bar bill add-on)?


its really up to you.you're not "suppose" or should include anything that you dont like or want. If you are happy with the service, then you can tip as much or as little as you want. We always tipped extra but that is us, you dont have to tip

[bigmjh]

We always tipped extra but that is us, you dont have to tip

:rolleyes: Hmmmm ... in a previous post you were VERY unhappy with the service on the Journey ... to quote you - " The service..... Oh..boy... it was lets put it in a nice way.... SAD." And you say that you tipped for this???? :rolleyes: Strange way of showing your dis-satisfaction!

[bubbie617]

Hi Madeleline and Maurice:

Weren't you the people who told us about "The Five Rooms"? If so, it was a GREAT recommendation that I have passed along to other people.

[bigmjh]

Susan - We very well may have been. We stayed there for 5 days almost 2 years ago ... couldn't have asked for a more wonderful experience! I'm assuming that your's was similar? Was Jessica still there? She definitely made us feel like family.

[Jordie's home alone]

Your responses (and really, thank you all; I enjoy these boards and the wealth of your insights) only confirm that my original concern/question about in-room food service tipping is a legitimate question, at least for this inexperienced cruiser.

Good service, poor service. etc. notwithstanding, please note my OP and let me know your thoughts. Thanks!

[cujosmom]

I don't know if there is any real "rule" regarding tipping the person who brings your breakfast to your cabin. We have always tried to tip at least $1 p.p.

On one Celebrity cruise (Millennium Panama Canal) we did breakfast in the cabin about half of our 14 day cruise since we had a balcony. The guy that brought the trays was in and out so quick that if you didn't have your money right there to hand him, he was gone so maybe, on that cruise at least, they were not expecting a tip.:confused:

[bigmjh]

We have generally tipped a couple dollars for room service (breakfast) ... however, often the tip has been declined ... or like "cujosmom" said, they were in and out so fast I couldn't give them any tip.

[cruiseyguy]

I was under the impression that the "suggested" daily gratuities are pooled and are intended to cover all service. I think it is a little cheesy on an upscale line to have to fish out a few dollars for room service. I've never tipped for room service on any gratuity-inclusive line nor has it been expected.

[bigmjh]

I was under the impression that the "suggested" daily gratuities are pooled and are intended to cover all service. I think it is a little cheesy on an upscale line to have to fish out a few dollars for room service. I've never tipped for room service on any gratuity-inclusive line nor has it been expected.
The daily tip amounts are pooled and shared. No gratuity was ever asked for ... nor expected ... we just tipped a few dollars as a way of saying "Thanks" and like I said above, often the tips were declined. Perhaps you've seen in the past how a few dollars will often get you that little "extra" service. An extra $10 over the course of a week won't break my bank ... and probably means more to the person receiving it. Maybe in the next port they'll be able to spend some extra "telephone time" with families that they've been apart from for many months. :) And that would give me a LOT more satisfaction than having the $10 in my pocket.

[ocngypz]

I've always tipped for room service. .. no matter what line.. as long as it was not delivered by my butler. Try carrying those darn trays.. especially in heavy weather.

A couple of bucks isn't going to break the bank.

[cruiseyguy]

My point wasn't the amount of money involved but where to draw the line. If tips are pooled and each employee has a specific duty which entitles him/her to a part of the pool, what is the justification for giving one employee extra money and not another? In other words, what does a room service waiter do that a restaurant waiter doesn't do? I, too, tip for something extra but not for routine service on an all-inclusive line (and room service is a routine service).

[bigmjh]

cruiseyguy - Apparently YOU draw the purse strings just a little tighter than others ... to each their own. Personally, I will continue to tip (or not tip) for my own reasons. If you order a bottle of wine or a drink with dinner in the restaurant they will add 15% tip to the bill. Following your reasoning, do you cross off the 15% or argue about it? Because, after all, these waiters are sharing in the "tip pool" and bringing you wine is part of routine service for them.

BTW - Azamara is not an "all-inclusive" line. Seabourn and Silversea are truly all-inclusive and, yes, on board these lines everyone will refuse any kind of tip ... for ANY service routine or otherwise.

[Jordie's home alone]

If I'm picking up the tab at a local restaurant for a group of eight, leaving an extra $10 is a nice little thank you for a job well done if the bill includes a pre-set tip amount, and a reason to get a ten thrown back at you in the parking lot if it doesn't.

I'm surprised that among all of the experience represented on this board, we can't determine whether " the tip is in the bill", to use my analogy. For me, this isn't an insignificant thing that I want to leave to the whimsy of the moment or how quickly the transaction goes down :)

[lovetoleave]

Azamara does not require tipping for room service. Of course, what you do is up to you. Most cruise lines will give you "individual" tipping guidelines in the services book in the cabin. Some say tips are expected for room service, some do not mention room service tipping.
I guess an argument can be made either way, but here's a thought. If you don't eat at the table, your waiter is not working as hard. What is the difference between a room service waiter carrying one tray and a waiter carrying 6 trays.
I am a good tipper in restaurants, etc. but hate to see "tipping" getting to be the expected by room service attendants who do share in the overall largess. On some ships it is your cabin steward who brings the goodies.
So tip away and enjoy the day, but don't feel intimidated if the ship itself does not require room service tipping.

[bigmjh]

So tip away and enjoy the day, but don't feel intimidated if the ship itself does not require room service tipping.
Well said! :) I might add that I've never seen ANY ship that requires room service tipping.

[owl61]

Yes, do tip room service a buck or 2. Anticipate this and have small bills available. You need not worry that you are committing a faux pas. On the contrary, while this tip is not as universally customary as other tips, it is the ethical and kind thing to do. It's also savvy as it will serve to maximize chances of good service from an area that isn't always at the top of the list when it comes to service, human nature being what it is.

The folks that bring you that tray may share in the tip pool, but their share is small. This level of employee's earnings would shock the conscience of most right thinking people. They are the ones with the fewest options who are willing to work absurdly long hours under difficult conditions for what most of us would consider peanuts.
Of course, I expect the usual gang of naysayers to attack me and/or raise holy hell for encouraging you to tip by vehemently defending their right to be stingy. Despite a lack of real intelligence, much less compassion, they will invoke capitalist market economics or the law of supply and demand or 15th century Calvinist doctrine or any damn thing they can think of...all to justify not tipping.
You want to do the kind and ethical thing? Or do you want to invoke neanderthal reasoning to justify saving a few bucks over the course of the cruise?

[bigmjh]

owl -

I'll stand with you to fight off the neanderthal naysayers! Most cruisers will have paid upwards of $2,500 per couple for a week of cruising + air fare + shore excursions, etc., etc. So how can a couple dollars more be a significant amount??? But to the employee it really can be. So tip away if you wish and if you don't ... well, may YOU never be on the receiving end of anyone's kindness.

[CrabbyHarper]

For many years we were among the folks who had to count costs very closely. Tipping was always a bare minimum. Now that we have a bit more discretionary income it pleases us to be able to tip someone who does a special service. This is a buck or two to the person who delivers room service, or to a bartender, and maybe a bit extra to cabin steward over and above the fee put on the final bill. We like to do it, and don't feel pressured. It's just nice to be able to spread a little money around - like manure - it makes things grow.

I already have a roll of ones tucked into my suitcase for the Sept 8 voyage.

Additionally, courtesy and kindness to the staff is a given for us.

And nope, I won't begin to judge what anyone else chooses to do.;)

[NorthernLite]

Last Fall on a much anticipated Galaxy sailing to the Black Sea round trip from Rome I was still recovering my strength after a high fever/infection the previous month. I followed doctor's orders and saved my strength for the things I most wanted to do. Since we had several friends along I knew my husband wouldn't be dining alone so I finally helped myself to room service several nights. We tipped the cabin steward seperately at the end of the cruise much more than our usual because it turned out he was the only one to deliver and check on my dinner. He asked about my health in a polite way and I told him about just needing to get my white count back up and the high protein and tea helped so much. He made sure I had huge servings of all the meats and seafoods whenever I stayed in the room. He also checked that the TV worked as it should as I was ordering a movie with my meals.

His higher than normal tip did not effect the tip we gave to our main waiter in the diningoom or his assistant. I was just so, I guess, surprised by how caring but slightly aloof (I was normally wrapped in my robe and with blankets wrapped around me) he was as he brought my dinners and asked about desserts or tea flavor changes after dinner.

And we get a roll of $2 bills for taxis, porters, etc., here in the US also as I use a wheelchair and many people go out of their way to help me. I waited tables and bartended when I was younger so I have an idea of how hard they work and for so much less than I made. I also make sure we write up such extras. I would hate to have his boss think he wasn't making up our room promptly due to laziness. Those were my sea sleep late days.

I hade the cruise of a lifetime due to the kindness of so many onboard and off board ship.

I do NOT plan on being ill between now and our first sailing on the Journey October 27th. :-)

[digby]

In a "fixed" gratuity format, is this service assumed to be under the general umbrella of services, or should this service be tipped separately (akin to the bar bill add-on)?

We have always had butler service when we sailed and have NEVER tipped when food or drink was dilivered to the cabin. However, we do give him extra money at the end of the trip.

[Spender Nui]

We always tip extra for cabin service regardless of the tipping program.

If tips are assessed, as they usually are today we still give a little extra to those who have helped us specifically.

Just an asside ... when we have breakfast delivered to our balcony when in Concierge Class on Celebrity they bring the tray, spread the tablecloth, set the table and leave flowers on the table. On the upscale Azamara Journey we had the tray dumped on the table. No table setting ,cloth or flowers. Not a complaint but it makes you wonder where the upscale is. Before somebody asks, we did it 5 times on our recent Journey cruise, and yes, we still tipped the server.

[capegranny]

Unless I'm mistaken, it seems to me that a 15% 'service charge' is included in all drinka served at bars. Even so, most people leave a a dollar or two.

[bigmjh]

Unless I'm mistaken, it seems to me that a 15% 'service charge' is included in all drinka served at bars. Even so, most people leave a a dollar or two.

An extra buck or two and the bartender will "take care of you" :D

[Mr. Martini]

We always tip extra for cabin service regardless of the tipping program.

If tips are assessed, as they usually are today we still give a little extra to those who have helped us specifically.

Just an asside ... when we have breakfast delivered to our balcony when in Concierge Class on Celebrity they bring the tray, spread the tablecloth, set the table and leave flowers on the table. On the upscale Azamara Journey we had the tray dumped on the table. No table setting ,cloth or flowers. Not a complaint but it makes you wonder where the upscale is. Before somebody asks, we did it 5 times on our recent Journey cruise, and yes, we still tipped the server.


Did you ask after the first time to set up your table properly? We have found at least with Celebrity that if you ask they will go out of their way to make it right. I usually talk to a supervisor for this, as sometimes the service person may not understand because of language. I agree that this should be done without asking, but different people have different expectations. I do not know how many times I have heard someone complain about something and when asked did you tell them about it? They say no. If they don’t know they can’t fix it. I am not saying that you are one of those people. We usually tip extra at the end of our cruise even if we had to ask for the service that we expected in the first place, as long as they make the corrections.

[Spender Nui]

No I didn't ask them to do anything differently. I took it as the way each line performed this task. The tray was delivered and set on the table. Even though this was our first Azamara cruise we had 5 breakfasts delivered by 3 different people and they all did it the same way.

On many Celebrity cruises in Concierge Class we've had breakfast delivered by many different servers on many different ships. The table has always been set up with cloth and flowers. The tray has always been emptied and table has been set with utensils, plates, cups, etc. being placed on the table.

My comment was not a complaint and I stated that. It was meant to question just how upscale actaully was.

The thread was specifically about tipping for cabin service and we always do.

[Mr. Martini]

I did not take your comments as a complaint, I just saw an opportunity to comment on your statement. Many people have similar situations that bother them and never speak up, thought this might help if they know that they can speak up. I was also interested as to Azamara’s willingness to correct problems, as this does reflect on their tips.

[Ms. J.]

Owl and Madeleine & Maurice....

Well said - I'm with you guys! At the bars on most ships, the bill adds a 15% gratuity. If I'm being waited on at the bar, by the bartender, when I sign the bill, I write in +$1. tip. That $1. goes directly to that bartender (their name is on the bill). The 15% the cruise line adds goes into the pool for not just bartenders, but waiters, pool guys, the buffet waiters, etc. Since I like strong drinks, that $1 extra tip to the bartender works for me. Overall, I think the crew knows everyone is different, and don't know what to expect from we cruisers. Cheers, everyone! Jini

[qe2]

On the Quest, the automatic gratuity was up to 18%.
We didn't need to worry about tipping for in room food delivery, although we requested breakfast ( by way of the form left on our bed) and afternoon canapes, nothing ever arrived!

[GRBlizz]

On a related note, we ordered room service through the TV interactive screens. We did this because our phone wasn't working, so I couldn't call room service or our butler, but it worked just fine.

Food showed up as ordered in about 25 minutes and was very good. We did tip, as we appreciated the extra service (DH was not hungry at dinner time so he ate very little, but wanted something later).

[DougK]

I know there's a wide variance of opinion on this, but I'm personally in the group that sees room service as fitting into the pooled tips for other waiters. I honestly don't think this is a matter of being cheap; instead, it's a convenience factor. I do not like the hassle of having to keep bills around (on a so-called cash-free ship). And that's especially true when gratuities are now automatically put on the account, rather than being directed to individuals. What I do is to consider the overall level of service at the end of the trip. If I'm happy, which I almost always am, I will increase the amount of the automatic gratuities--and more so if I think I've occasioned an unusual amount of work, such as frequent room service. So I don't tip each time, but I do take it into consideration when adjusting tips at the end of the cruise.

Doug

[swigso]

Hi,
I think I read somewhere that a Tip of a dollar or two would be welcome for room service, that was in X in cabin litterature,


on a different note why do these boards sometimes get personal,
anyway my Dad was better than yours so there!!

[HotRoot]

We never received a breakfast room service menu or order form in our Sky Suite. We requested it several times but had no success. The first 3 days our TV did not work so we could not use the room service interactive system. We would just call and tell them to bring us something they thought we would like. Finally the TV started working and then we used the interactive system. It was always successful. The last night we forgot to place our order. They just delivered us breakfast the next morning. No complaints on room service. We always tipped a dollar or two. One night we requested a dinner menu and ordered dinner in our suite from the dining room menu. We rearranged the room putting the couch and coffee table in front of the balcony doors and watched the sunset while we ate. That was the night we forgot to order breakfast.

We kept asking for canapes as advertised. In 7 nights, we received them once. We never saw an order form. We did receive afternoon tea 5 times.

[houstontx]

Hi,
on a different note why do these boards sometimes get personal,
anyway, my Dad was better than yours.... so there!!

There's a lot of these I'd like to respond to but.........This one is just toooo funny!! :D :D :D
Thx,

PS: Some of these responses do sound like a bunch of kids :confused:

[Napi's Mom]

Hi,
I think I read somewhere that a Tip of a dollar or two would be welcome for room service, that was in X in cabin litterature,


on a different note why do these boards sometimes get personal,
anyway my Dad was better than yours so there!!
I don't know your Dad but "my Grandchildren are smarter and better looking than yours!!"
Anyway that tipping is for your reg. cruises that have set amounts to tip waiters etc. and Room service isn't included. On the Azamara added to your bill a flat $12.25 is shared by all crew people!:)

[GRBlizz]

I don't know your Dad but "my Grandchildren are smarter and better looking than yours!!"
Anyway that tipping is for your reg. cruises that have set amounts to tip waiters etc. and Room service isn't included. On the Azamara added to your bill a flat $12.25 is shared by all crew people!:)

How are we supposed to know that? Is it explained on their website? The only reference to tipping that I have ever seen (other than on here) was a short blurb on the credit card sheet in the cruise documents, and I don't remember what it said (they took it). Can you point out where Azamara officially states what is included in its tipping policy?

I have an upcoming cruise with X booked, and I just looked through the page for the trip on MyCelebrity and didn't see anything about the tipping policy. Thanks.

[Napi's Mom]

How are we supposed to know that? Is it explained on their website? The only reference to tipping that I have ever seen (other than on here) was a short blurb on the credit card sheet in the cruise documents, and I don't remember what it said (they took it). Can you point out where Azamara officially states what is included in its tipping policy?

I have an upcoming cruise with X booked, and I just looked through the page for the trip on MyCelebrity and didn't see anything about the tipping policy. Thanks.
If you go on the FAQ's page I believe they have a place to write in what you are looking for, and ask for AZAMARAS tipping policy. Here it is..... http://media.celebritycruises.com/celebrity/content/images/before_cruise/faq_answers_hdr.gif
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/images/spacer.gif
What will Azamara Cruises' gratuity guidelines be?
Subject: Azamara Cruises (http://www.celebritycruises.com/beforeyourcruise/faq/home.do;jsessionid=00003L0sZLMMD9idzTpfZ4UCfD4:12h debcnj?faqSubjectName=Azamara+Cruises&pagename=faq_questions)
For the convenience of our guests, we will automatically charge gratuities to their SeaPassSM account at the end of their cruise; based on the industry norm, we recommend a daily rate of $12.25 per person. This covers all service personnel , including the waiters and head waiters who look after guests in the dining rooms; housekeeping staff; and butlers and stateroom attendants. Please note that bar/wine personnel are acknowledged with the standard 15% of the beverages and wines billed for the service rendered. We understand, however, that tipping is a personal option, so if you wish to adjust the amount, please contact Guest Relations who will be happy to assist
you.






This is the only guideline for the Open Dining system possible, that makes any sense. AND as I've said before...you'll note that the people reviewing almost universally speak about the happy crew that try SO hard to please, just as we observed on the Nautica last fall!:)

[GRBlizz]

Thanks for posting this, I missed it when I looked at the FAQs. That said, I don't interpret this the same way you do with regard to room service being covered.

This language is essentially the same as that used by all the cruise lines who use a per-day tipping system, and I think most of us still tip room service. For example, here's the language from Princess' website:

"During your cruise, you will meet many members of our staff in a variety of locations as they provide you with excellent service. Additionally, many more crew behind the scenes support those who serve you directly. For your convenience a Hotel and Dining charge of $10 per passenger per day (including children) will be automatically added to your shipboard account on a daily basis. The Hotel and Dining charge will be shared amongst those staff who help provide and support your cruise experience, including the wait staff, stateroom stewards and accommodations staff, buffet stewards, galley staff, laundry staff and others."

Since neither Azamara's nor Princess' policies specifically mentions room service but does say that the flat rate covers "all service personnel", I think it remains open to individual decision. Personally, I think it's customary to add a couple bucks for room service, just as I do in a hotel (even though they tack on a standard delivery charge). YMMV.