Tipping in Bayou Cafe or Sabatinis

Can anyone provide guidance on cash tipping in Bayou or Sabatinis? Dining in Bayou on Island Princess to night! Thank you!

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Can anyone provide guidance on cash tipping in Bayou or Sabatinis? Dining in Bayou on Island Princess to night! Thank you!

I've read conflicting posts from passengers who were told by waitstaff that a tip is included in the fee & others who were told no but a tip was never solicited by waitstaff.

Many times we'll give an additional tip for good service however it's not required. When tipping extra at specialty restaurants or room service, we give a cash tip which the server gets to keep instead of writing an amount on the bill which goes into the tip pool which is shared with other eligible crewmembers.

Tipping is a personal decision so there's no standard amount to tip like at a land based restaurant.

Much as above....I've read and been told different things and don't know what is accurate.

I hope that you post a review of your dining experiences. I am planning to eat at these restaurants on my upcoming Island Princess cruise. I am also wondering if the tip is included.

Can anyone provide guidance on cash tipping in Bayou or Sabatinis? Dining in Bayou on Island Princess to night! Thank you!

 

 

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We leave $10 to $20.

We leave $10.00 for the two of us. Give cash otherwise it is pooled and not going to individual servers.We usually go with a group of 8 to 10 people so those servers do well.

One time there were four of us and service was awful. Server was also serving a large party. Instead of getting help or even apologizing for being ignored, he waited till we were done with our meal to say something to us. Well, no extra tip. We had sat for very long period of time between courses staring at dirty dishes. Now the rest of the dining room was pretty empty so it wasn't the kitchen, just the waiter.

We leave $10 to $20.

We do the same especially when we're eating for free..

Your tip is included in the price. No need to leave an additional tip unless you wish to do so.

Still, we normally leave $20 in cash for the two of us. :)

I'm another one who leaves a cash tip when dining in one of the speciality restaurants. I always leave $20 as a tip.

They are a part of the tip pool that your cabin gratuities goes to pay. So they are tippd in a way. But we usually will tip 10 and give them cash for the reason listed above.

They are a part of the tip pool that your cabin gratuities goes to pay.

Correct.

And no part of the upcharge is an additional tip.

It is much like your regular dining room staff. They are in the tip pool but many passengers will tip extra for great service.

We eat at sabitini usually once and do not tip AGAIN. We have already tipped in our daily account and again in the up charge to Sabitini which includes a tip. Three times is a excessive IMHO.

We eat at sabitini usually once and do not tip AGAIN. We have already tipped in our daily account and again in the up charge to Sabitini which includes a tip. Three times is a excessive IMHO.

Not forgetting that you already have paid for a very nice dinner in the MDR which you will not eat!

I found out that if you write an additional tip on the slip, it doesn't always get processed. When we ate at the Crown Grill on the CB, I wrote down an additional tip for our waiter. When it had not appeared on my statement a few days later (after the price of the meals appeared), I checked with passenger services. They said it probably would be processed later. It never showed up.

Any "for fee" restaurant, the tip is included in that fee you pay. You are under no obligation to tip additionally. If you do want to, that's fine...I'd think $10 is MORE than ample additional tip.

Not forgetting that you already have paid for a very nice dinner in the MDR which you will not eat!

On most lines, the upcharge already takes into account the fact that you are not eating in the MDR.

For example, on DCL the upcharge at Remy is $85. The fixed price dinner at V&A (Disney's land restaurant with the same chef who originated Remy, very similar dishes, etc) is $150. These two are the most accurate comparison I can make.

On other lines, the meal I get for an upcharge of $20-30 is FAR better than what I could purchase for that amount in any land based restaurant--typically is is more of a $50-75 meal on land.

Your tip is included in the price. No need to leave an additional tip unless you wish to do so.

Still, we normally leave $20 in cash for the two of us. :)

If the tip is included could someone point to where they say that. I have never read that on Princesses site.

From what I have read and learned, any crew member participating in the pool must turn in any tips given to them in cash. If they get caught pocketing the tip, it can mean getting off at the next port.

To me tipping is an archaic practice and much prefer how other parts of the world handle it. Either include it in the price or add a service charge and pay the employees a decent wage. We love the automatic gratuity and have never even considered altering the amount.

It has been our understanding that the fee for specialty dining venues includes the tip.

It has been our understanding that the fee for specialty dining venues includes the tip.

No part of the upcharge for specialty dining is a tip. This information is from officers in charge of crew payrolls.

However, the waitstaff is part of the tipping pool.

I found out that if you write an additional tip on the slip, it doesn't always get processed. When we ate at the Crown Grill on the CB, I wrote down an additional tip for our waiter. When it had not appeared on my statement a few days later (after the price of the meals appeared), I checked with passenger services. They said it probably would be processed later. It never showed up.

We found the same thing on previous cruises. When we were in Crown Grill on our May 15 Alaskan cruise our waiter was insistent on no tipping. DH had forgotten to take cash with him, but we returned later in the evening with a cash tip. Even then our waiter fought it, but he finally accepted gratefully. He gave us such excellent service that we felt that he definitely deserved a tip.

However, you have to do what your conscience tells you to do in terms of tipping. We tip.

From what I have read and learned, any crew member participating in the pool must turn in any tips given to them in cash. If they get caught pocketing the tip, it can mean getting off at the next port.

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It's also to my understanding that when the waiter turns his cash tips in to whomever is the responsible person, that person checks to see if the guest has the auto-tip in place. If so, the waiter gets to keep the tip. If Auto-tip has been removed then the cash tip gets tossed into the tip pool.

It's also to my understanding that when the waiter turns his cash tips in to whomever is the responsible person, that person checks to see if the guest has the auto-tip in place. If so, the waiter gets to keep the tip. If Auto-tip has been removed then the cash tip gets tossed into the tip pool.

Waitstaff & cabin attendants always ask for our cabin # and name because of this reason so we add this information on the envelope whenever we give an additional cash tip.

The misinformation about cash tipping has gone around a long time. Even when you leave your auto tip intact all cash must still be turned into for the pool. People want to believe their money is going to the person they give it to but that's just not true. recently it was posted in the contract the crew signs that cash must be turned in for the pool.

Just go ask at guest services about the tipping and if the specialty restaurants are included and you will be told YES it is included.

The misinformation about cash tipping has gone around a long time. Even when you leave your auto tip intact all cash must still be turned into for the pool. People want to believe their money is going to the person they give it to but that's just not true. recently it was posted in the contract the crew signs that cash must be turned in for the pool.

Just go ask at guest services about the tipping and if the specialty restaurants are included and you will be told YES it is included.

If this is true, why do they (waitstaff & cabin steward) ask our cabin #'s ????????? :confused:

Can anyone provide guidance on cash tipping in Bayou or Sabatinis? Dining in Bayou on Island Princess to night! Thank you!

 

Just give what you think is OK for you. If you think the service is good then give a good tip. If you don't think it was don't give anything or give less. Stop listening to everyone. I don't care if they have to turn the tip in or they can keep it all. I normally leave 20% for good service.

Tony