Opinion on tipping for specialty restaurants

I know you don't have to, but somehow I feel most people do. On other ships we occasionally paid to dine one night in a specialty restaurant and if service was good, definitely left a tip. On our forthcoming Epic cruise, we will dine every night in a specialty restaurant.

What do you think? Should we anticipate leaving extra gratuity each night? Not looking to save a few bucks, just want a logical response.

Good service deserves a good tip...so if I get it...we usually give $10 for 2 people.

If not...and thank you and a walk out.

On my November cruise, I ate 11 days in the specialty restaurants and left a tip each night.

I go $5, or another $5 if we also have a second server. Never not had good service. The service leaves me happy with a smile....and a fat tummy.

Thank you both. I will come prepared and leave cash.

Thank you both. I will come prepared and leave cash.

We also left tips in the specialties.

We figure anyone who is working hard, away from family for months, etc., and helps make trip even better, deserves an extra tip.

We feel fortunate to be in a position to offer that.

You can leave the tip as cash, or you can just add it on to the bill, and it will go on your onboard account.

Even if you have UDP, you'll get a "bill", but all the charges will be zero'd out.

(One possible exception is for an extra entree at Cagney's, although we don't have first hand experience with this.)

And so when you sign the bill for "zero" (an interesting experience ;)), you can add a tip then, too.

GeezerCouple

I know you don't have to, but somehow I feel most people do. On other ships we occasionally paid to dine one night in a specialty restaurant and if service was good, definitely left a tip. On our forthcoming Epic cruise, we will dine every night in a specialty restaurant.

 

What do you think? Should we anticipate leaving extra gratuity each night? Not looking to save a few bucks, just want a logical response.

I have eaten at Tep., Moderno, Le Bistro, Cagney's and Epic restaurants on (2) Epic cruises and did not tip extra to a server. I did tip a bus person $10 in Moderno because he was attentive and running continually.

It has nothing to do with spending money; I don't wish to encourage poor/slow service, cold food and/or indifferent attitudes. I left plenty of tips behind on both Epic cruises, but it was not in the specialty or Haven restaurants.

You can leave the tip as cash, or you can just add it on to the bill, and it will go on your onboard account.

GeezerCouple

That's good to know that we can charge it on our onboard account as we rarely carry cash with us.

Thanks! :)

My understanding of putting tips on checks is that it doesn't all go where you want it to go; it gets split among everyone. Cash goes right into the server's pocket.

I rationalize that the DSC covers the basic gratuities, I.e. The 15-18% that I would leave for good service. If the service would have warranted a higher tip in a land restaurant I leave extra, signing for it. (I have no desire to mess around with cash on a cruise ship)

And in a land restaurant, wait staff disburse a share of their tips to their support staff, so I would expect the cruise ship to do the same.

I have eaten at Tep., Moderno, Le Bistro, Cagney's and Epic restaurants on (2) Epic cruises and did not tip extra to a server. I did tip a bus person $10 in Moderno because he was attentive and running continually.

 

It has nothing to do with spending money; I don't wish to encourage poor/slow service, cold food and/or indifferent attitudes. I left plenty of tips behind on both Epic cruises, but it was not in the specialty or Haven restaurants.

I don't see any reason to treat the specialty restaurants any differently than the MDR. If the service is good, we leave a tip. If not, we don't.

Yes if the service is good, leave a tip. I know the cover charge and gratuities usually cover all restaurant tips. But many times the service is amazing and you tip again. My wife works in the service industry so its very unusual for us to leave a table and not leave a tip. We love awesome service and we love leaving awesome tips. But this should not apply to the specialty restaurants only. If you get amazing service in the MDR, tip well. I think its a promotion for NCL staff to work a specialty restaurant. Our experience the service is usually much better in the specialty restaurants but that does not have to be the case every time. There are crew all over the ship including the MDR that also love to give great service.

I know you don't have to, but somehow I feel most people do. On other ships we occasionally paid to dine one night in a specialty restaurant and if service was good, definitely left a tip. On our forthcoming Epic cruise, we will dine every night in a specialty restaurant.

 

What do you think? Should we anticipate leaving extra gratuity each night? Not looking to save a few bucks, just want a logical response.

For me it depends on ease of me obtaining the cash. Example cruise to Alaska it was easy to have extra cash on hand because we were in US ports and spending usd but for two week cruise in Europe and month long trip there it will be a burdon bringing all that cash for the sole purpose of handing someone a few extra bucks every night. Sure we could tip in euros but then I've got to get to cash machines in ports, pay conversion fees ... Just to hand someone some cash. I plan on adding extra tips onto my account vs physically handing people cash every day. If I have extra cash on me I'll tip as I go but for good service in any venue, not just the speciality dining venues.

At the end of Alaska cruise we gave our main server in cagneys a nice tip. It was for the whole week. We did the same with butler, concerige and room steward. All week they had given us excellent service despite not getting tips on a daily basis. It was just so much easier not to have to think about bringing cash to dinner every night.

I really like the DSC because your tips for everything except the butler, concerige and kids club are covered. If you feel like doing more you sure can but I really don't think it's expected every meal. The server who is giving you great service in the main dining room at lunch may very we'll be the same server giving you great dinner service in the speciality restaurant for dinner and serving you the scoop of ice cream the next day in the garden cafe.

Here's my take on it for what it's worth. I tipped the auto daily tip AND then I tipped for the specialty restaurant in the surcharge so I've already tipped twice for the same dinner. I do not tip again for a third time at the specialty restaurant, enough is enough.

The DSC is supposed to cover all tipping for all service employees, with the exception of drinks.

I feel that tipping extra in the specialties is double tipping, as I have already prepaid a tip for them.

With that said, if you have a particular server several times who you really like, there's no harm in throwing him a little cash directly.

I don't see any reason to treat the specialty restaurants any differently than the MDR. If the service is good, we leave a tip. If not, we don't.

Ha! I was coming to write exactly the same. :)

Right or wrong, I believe the DSC and/or the fee to go to the specialty restaurant covers any necessary tips and do not leave anything extra at a specialty restaurant.

The waitstaff in the specialty restaurants also work in the main dining areas so they are covered. If we have great service we leave extra. Our last trip we ate at the Italian restaurant and the waiter was great. He made jokes with the kids and was very personable. He did not charge us for our two kids so we left him what would be the cover charge for one $15. A few days later we saw him in the Main dinning room at lunch and he came over to say hello and joke around with the boys. I find it amazing how the staff can remember so many people...

On out last 12 night cruise on the Spirit we ate in a specialty 6 times.

The only additional tip I left was at LeBistro, because the service was so far and above anywhere else we ate on the ship.

It was so good we booked a 2nd night and requested the same server and tipped again,

But overall in theory the waitstaff is already included the DSC and the additional fee for the specialty is nothing to sneeze at as it is comparable to a land restaurant meal.

Sometimes Americans (I am one) get crazy with "Over tipping" when it is not really necessary or called for.

Also if you think about a standard tip as 15-18% and assume the staff are getting something close to what they deserve out of the DSC.

Giving an additional tip at Cagneys of $5 pp would be doubling the tip to like 34-36%

Giving an additional tip at Tepp/Le Bistro of $5 pp would be an "additional" 20%

Giving an additional tip of $5 pp would be an "additional" tip of 25% in Moderno and 33% in the Italian.

So in my opinion any extra tip over $5 per couple (not pp) is extremely excessive and I doubt anyone on a land restaurant leaves a $19 tip on a $50 meal.

No need to tip extra. They are tipped out of the DSC and the Service charge you pay to eat there. They have already asked for their tips in this form and there is no need to tip extra. Leaving nothing in this case is FAR different then not tipping in a land based restaurant. If someone goes far above and beyond for you then sure give them something, but even for good service the tips are already included twice for this person.

6&8