Tipping for Room Service Customary on Oceania?

On our upcoming Insignia cruise, our first on Oceania, we anticipate having to order room service for lunch on a few occasions when we will not be returning to the ship in time for regular lunch service.

On other cruise lines we've generally tipped the crew member who delivered room service, except when we've had a butler, who would be tipped at the end of the cruise. We have a concierge veranda on Insignia, so we won't have a butler. Is it customary to tip the crew member who delivers the room service order?

I always do. No idea what others do.

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Personally, I tip the room service person if it's not the butler (who as you mentioned gets tipped at the end).

since we usually have same person doing room service. If we have PH, always give butler extra at end,along with reg.grat.added.

We have breakfast in room everyday,so would be a hassle.

We generally wait until the day before the end of the cruise and give individual tips then to the crew we believe has earned them. I don't generally walk around the ship with appropriate cash to properly tip someone at any given moment. On any cruise, I may only have a $50 or $100 in US currency, while having smaller Euros (if in cruising in Europe) in abundance. While tipping in Euros may be OK, do you think they may want pesos, if we are around Mexico, or some other foreign currency that the ship may only be hitting for a day or two?

I wait until the end of the cruise. Personal thing, do as you feel appropriate.

Thank you for the replies.

We generally wait until the day before the end of the cruise and give individual tips then to the crew we believe has earned them. I don't generally walk around the ship with appropriate cash to properly tip someone at any given moment. On any cruise, I may only have a $50 or $100 in US currency, while having smaller Euros (if in cruising in Europe) in abundance. While tipping in Euros may be OK, do you think they may want pesos, if we are around Mexico, or some other foreign currency that the ship may only be hitting for a day or two?

 

I wait until the end of the cruise. Personal thing, do as you feel appropriate.

OP is not in the PH and thus has no butler.

Waiting till the end of the cruise would not work for OP as it would be next to impossible to find the person who delivered their lunch.

In this case it's best to tip on the spot (if tipping is intended)

JMO

When we have ordered room service(not often) we tip when delivered

You may not get the same person each time

We are usually in peon class ;)

It is personal choice

Will it always be the butler who delivers room service to a PH ?

And if so will because of their other demands be slower than regular room service people ?

Will it always be the butler who delivers room service to a PH ?

 

And if so will because of their other demands be slower than regular room service people ?

Yes - because it is their responsibility. It's part of their job description.

Occasionally, when your butler is off - they do get time off :D - then it will be another butler who is covering for him.

Cabins below PH are covered by other staff to deliver room service items; this can be the same person or a different one each time.

Yes - because it is their responsibility. It's part of their job description.

Occasionally, when your butler is off - they do get time off :D - then it will be another butler who is covering for him.

Cabins below PH are covered by other staff to deliver room service items; this can be the same person or a different one each time.

Thanks.

Knowing what to expect makes the process easier for both.

Bottomline, if you don't have a Butler the answer is YES.

We always tip the room service deliver person.

This would be the same as any other cruise line that you travel with possibly the exception of a completely other inclusive cruise line, I would always tip somebody that is delivering room service. Those that are not included in the standard gratuities have an added 18% gratuity automatically added to their bill, such as the bartenders and massage therapist. It is up to you to decide how much to tip for room service as there is no set charge for this service. I do think it is personal choice, however I always think it is nice to tip them as they are the ones that are bringing you your desired food. We always have cash on hand for this very reason. I like to order coffee in the morning, why my husband will go eat breakfast in one of the dining areas.

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and do you also tip your waiter in the dining room at dinner every night? One of the advantages of included gratuities is that gratuities are included and are distributed fairly among all the people who serve you and make your trip so special. It also means that the staff have a strong incentive to treat everyone equally, not just those with their handful of dollar bills.

We sometimes add an amount and sometimes don't. We assume that included actually means included. When we do add something, we have it added through our ship account as a crew tip at the end of the cruise so it is shared by everyone, most recently on our Alaska cruise.

A while back, someone actually complained that what he didn't like about Oceania was the need to tip extra every time somebody did something for him!

If it makes you feel better to tip only a couple of people, do that. If you don't want to tip extra, that's fine. If you want to add to the tip pool, you can do that. But don't make it seem that "everyone" singles out a few people for extra tips.

Mary

The first few times we receive room service, we tipped our butler. Then he told us it wasn't necessary; we we wished, we could add something at the end of the cruise. That made life easier. So when we have a butler, that's what we do.

This will be our first time at Oceania, but I'm not sure that I see it any different from other lines. Most lines nowadays put your gratuities on your credit card automatically, or even possibly charge you prior to you even setting sail. On all of my cruises dating back to 1980, I have always given a cash tip to the people that have delivered room service, or, if available added it to the room charge. As I say it has always been completely up to the individual's discretion and not mandatory. I have never had the luxury of being in a cabin that included a butler, and don't foresee that in my future. However I would love to experience it!

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Mary

You do not HAVE to tip RS waiter(ess) but if YOU want to you can

They are part of the wait staff you see in the dining venues

I appreciate them bringing in the big tray so will tip them ...MY PERSONAL CHOICE

Some people will tip extra to the bartenders even though they are part of the tip pool for the bar workers

again it is their choice to tip

You do not NEED to tip any more than the daily charge

Lyn

and do you also tip your waiter in the dining room at dinner every night? One of the advantages of included gratuities is that gratuities are included and are distributed fairly among all the people who serve you and make your trip so special. It also means that the staff have a strong incentive to treat everyone equally, not just those with their handful of dollar bills.

 

We sometimes add an amount and sometimes don't. We assume that included actually means included. When we do add something, we have it added through our ship account as a crew tip at the end of the cruise so it is shared by everyone, most recently on our Alaska cruise.

 

A while back, someone actually complained that what he didn't like about Oceania was the need to tip extra every time somebody did something for him!

 

If it makes you feel better to tip only a couple of people, do that. If you don't want to tip extra, that's fine. If you want to add to the tip pool, you can do that. But don't make it seem that "everyone" singles out a few people for extra tips.

 

Mary

I agree that there is no need to tip every time someone serves you in a dining venue. However, adding extra tips to the general fund is not a good solution for me. I think that the included gratuity is fine for the staff at large as you don't have the same waiters for each meal - unlike on lines with fixed seating. If I am going to add extra - and I always do - it goes to the cabin stewards as they "serve" us all day every single day. Thus they deserve the extra tip rather than adding it to the general fund from which the cabin stewards would get a few "pennies" while some others that we never even saw would get extra tips.

I don't know the breakdown of gratuities to the staff but I am thinking that those who do room service may get a smaller portion than regular waitstaff; hence I believe in tipping them separately at the time of the service.

I admit that I could be wrong about this but as I very rarely have room service I would rather err on the generous side.

Bottom line - everybody should tip as much or as little as they are comfortable with (and can live with it afterwards :D)

JMO