tipping? never went to dining room or luminae

So i'm about to go on my fourth celebrity cruise. We always do a suite. Royal a few times, and now celebrity suite twice.

I have never eaten in the main dining room, except for one time when I did the captains' table. By the way that was nice. I'm including breakfast/lunch and dinner.

Next luminae, we didn't really enjoy that. to each their own I guess the service was too slow for us and when we asked for faster service no luck. I just really didn't want to spend more time there so we just stopped going. So last two cruises, we have breakfast in the room, the butler brings it or we go up to the buffet or we get something on one of the tours.

So we tip very well when we do go places, I've been to murano probably 10 times now, and usually 20-30 dollar extra for waiter and 20 for the host, each time.

I have each and every time paid my prepaid tips for the main dining room and luminae staff but now i'm getting up close to 50 days I have traveled with these guys and what am i tipping for. I'm giving money to people I never see and I'm giving money to people I see

I don't probably plan on changing, but it would be nice if the tips followed me. so if I go to specialty they follow me and tip the guy there. I don't think that occurs but I wonder...

Should I go and say I don't want to pay those tips? I can afford it but if a tip is to get good service and I never ever see these guys, what is the point of that.?

Your tips do go to people who serve you though. Breakfast in the room is prepared by someone, as is the buffet lunch. Tips are spread to all people who provide you meals on board, so unless you bring all your own food, you should leave the automatic tips as they are, IMO.

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Your tips do go to people who serve you though. Breakfast in the room is prepared by someone, as is the buffet lunch. Tips are spread to all people who provide you meals on board, so unless you bring all your own food, you should leave the automatic tips as they are, IMO.

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ok i didn't know that the tips were spread from more than the person on the list. if they are being spread around that's good enough for me. so perhaps some of it does get to the guys in the speciality restaurants and the buffet then.

Absolutely -- the same people who work in the Main Dining Room at dinner are on duty in the buffet at breakfast and lunch -- They don't have special staff who only work in the buffet, or only work in the Main Dining Room. Even the evening staff of Murano or Tuscan work such places as the Elite breakfast. And keep in mind that even though you might not avail yourself of the dining room you are assigned to, the staff is still there every night for you. They don't go off duty just because you dine elsewhere for that meal.

I agree, leave the auto-tips in place, that way no one is overlooked.

Absolutely -- the same people who work in the Main Dining Room at dinner are on duty in the buffet at breakfast and lunch -- They don't have special staff who only work in the buffet, or only work in the Main Dining Room. Even the evening staff of Murano or Tuscan work such places as the Elite breakfast. And keep in mind that even though you might not avail yourself of the dining room you are assigned to, the staff is still there every night for you. They don't go off duty just because you dine elsewhere for that meal. I agree, leave the auto-tips in place, that way no one is overlooked.

We also leave the auto-tips in place.

Unless you didn't eat AT ALL on the ship, those tips go to EVERYONE who serves you.

If I'm not mistaken, the auto paid gratuities are also shared by other service staff, not just those who cook or serve food. In particular, your cabin steward or butler, but may also include other hotel staff.

Someone here on CC once posted a breakdown of how much of the daily gratuity charge went to each category of staff. It was very interesting and would be great to repost here if anyone can find it.

From Celebrity's web site:

"This gratuity is shared by your stateroom attendant, dining services staff, and housekeeping staff members who help enhance your vacation experience."

I read somewhere that a portion of the cost of a specialty restaurant goes to the staff working in that restaurant. It is also my understanding (although I could be wrong) that if you opt out of the auto-gratuities, then your cabin steward and waiters are informed that they are required to turn over any cash tips you give them - so that they can be pooled to everyone just as the auto-gratuities are pooled.

So i'm about to go on my fourth celebrity cruise. We always do a suite. Royal a few times, and now celebrity suite twice.

 

I have never eaten in the main dining room, except for one time when I did the captains' table. By the way that was nice. I'm including breakfast/lunch and dinner.

 

Next luminae, we didn't really enjoy that. to each their own I guess the service was too slow for us and when we asked for faster service no luck. I just really didn't want to spend more time there so we just stopped going. So last two cruises, we have breakfast in the room, the butler brings it or we go up to the buffet or we get something on one of the tours.

 

So we tip very well when we do go places, I've been to murano probably 10 times now, and usually 20-30 dollar extra for waiter and 20 for the host, each time.

 

I have each and every time paid my prepaid tips for the main dining room and luminae staff but now i'm getting up close to 50 days I have traveled with these guys and what am i tipping for. I'm giving money to people I never see and I'm giving money to people I see

 

I don't probably plan on changing, but it would be nice if the tips followed me. so if I go to specialty they follow me and tip the guy there. I don't think that occurs but I wonder...

 

Should I go and say I don't want to pay those tips? I can afford it but if a tip is to get good service and I never ever see these guys, what is the point of that.?

The specialty restaurants have the gratuity included in the cost of dining there. It's your choice to tip extra there. Service for us has always been superb, so we do tip extra.

If I'm not mistaken, the auto paid gratuities are also shared by other service staff, not just those who cook or serve food. In particular, your cabin steward or butler, but may also include other hotel staff.

 

Someone here on CC once posted a breakdown of how much of the daily gratuity charge went to each category of staff. It was very interesting and would be great to repost here if anyone can find it.

Usually there is a "breakdown" of the gratuities on a sheet of paper located where the daily "news" papers are kept.(in front of guest services)