Tipping Bartenders

Do you tip Bartenders, if so why and how much

if no... for what reason , not good service or do you think the pre paid gratuities are enough.

our upcoming cruise being our first my DW and myself have agreed that if

we get service above expectations then that should deserve a little extra.

I have always left the 15% in place and have not worried about it.

We don't tip the bartenders above the 15% but we normally tip the server an extra dollar or two.

We just leave it to the 15% added gratuity generally.

We do spend a lot of time (and money!) at the Martini bar and do the Martini tastings so we get to know the staff there quite well. We usually leave a small token on the last night for each of them ($5 to $10 each).

We always leave the DSC in place BTW.

I usually leave an extra dollar or two since if I generally tip 20% for good service on dry land.

We tip a buck or two depending on service and friendliness of the bartender/server.

We have done both, it never seemed to make a difference, always got great service!

I've done both - that is, always leaving the 15% auto-gratuity in place and sometimes tipping the server a little extra if they've been extra-attentive.

We always leave a little extra $2-$5 depending upon service and staff. I have left more if the service was really outstandiing or if I know that they have just dealt with some rude passengers. The staff works very hard to make our vacation special.

Generally I leave the 15% beverage gratuity alone.

I'll tip extra if the service was extra friendly, quick, or if there is a special request involved.

There is 15% added to your bar bill. I leave that and no more unless the server went above and beyond.

Tip an extra buck on every drink. Don't feel 15% is enough.

there is 15% added to your bar bill. I leave that and no more unless the server went above and beyond.

ditto.

Like others, we only go above the 15% if they go above and beyond, like creating an especially enjoyable experience, giving us things to taste (happens sometimes), etc.

15 percent and if somebody really goes out of their way, will slip some cash.

Usually leave a dollar or two extra. We had a great server on the gem at the bali haii bar every night when he was working at the spinnaker hed see us and find us a good seat and take our orders even if we werd not where he was making his rounds i even got him to give us a show of him doing tricks with the glasses ...i can't think of what thats called where they throw them around lol it was great we tipped him extra at thethe end ofto the cruisethe for treating us great we saw him on another cruise and he remembered us...same great service. I hope to see him again on our next sailing!

When we sit at the bar, we give an extra $1 / drink in cash. At the martini bar, we have found that at times they will not clean the "shaker" immediately and when there is extra left over, fill our glasses with the remainder.

Of course, it depends on the bartender, but we have seen this happen several times once we know the bartender.

Don

I usually leave it alone. Except when I order a bucket of beer by the pool. With the server having to carry 6 beers and ice, and only getting charged for 5 instead of 6 beers. I usually will give them a couple of bucks, except for one time when they seemed to have gotten lost on the way back and it took over 20 minutes.

If I tip extra it's always with my first round.

Don, you started our roll call for November but I don't see it listed in your upcoming cruises. Did you switch for the Breakaway?

I have found that a small tip in advance $10 made a world of difference if you are going to a regular watering hole.

The server then seeks you out and ensures that (assuming you are on the package) you have a freshly topped up drink.

I have found that a small tip in advance $10 made a world of difference if you are going to a regular watering hole.

 

The server then seeks you out and ensures that (assuming you are on the package) you have a freshly topped up drink.

I agree, I always travel solo so I usually just park myself at the bar, and I will tip the bartender the first night and they usually take good care of you the rest of the cruise. The service is always good whether you tip extra or not, but they do go above and beyond if you treat them to a tip once and awhile above the 15% charge.

I usually only add more when the server or bartender do something exceptional . However, I always add additional tip when at the 2 for 1 happy hour.

I was wondering about this because the message (see bold below) on myncl.com seems to indicate that bartenders are not incldued in the 15% pre-pay. Of course, I could just be reading it wrong.

What about Tipping?

Guests should not feel obliged to offer a gratuity for good service. However, all of our staff are encouraged to "go the extra mile," and so they are permitted to accept cash gratuities entirely at the discretion of our guests who wish to acknowledge particular staff members for exceptional or outstanding service. In other words, there is genuinely no need to tip but you should feel free to do so if you have a desire to acknowledge particular individuals.

Also, certain staff positions provide service on an individual basis to only some guests. We encourage those guests to acknowledge good service from these staff members with appropriate gratuities. For example, for guests purchasing bar drinks the recommended gratuity is 15 percent. For guests purchasing spa treatments the recommended gratuity is 18 percent. Similarly, for guests using concierge and butler services, we recommend they consider offering a gratuity commensurate with services rendered.

It's no secret cruisers are a bunch of cheapos. I say that having worked in bars for 20 years.

Advice from a pro - Tip extra and see how good the service remains. If they are busy and don't get right to you on the first drink, no worries. But if they see your (monetary) appreciation, the service should get better right away. If not, don't worry about extra tips.

When you find a bartender or server who will continue to take care of you, keep tipping. You get what you pay for.

Generally we leave another $1.00 per order, whether it's one or two drinks on the slip. I know that extra means a lot to them. Have actually had them say that, and frankly I don't really miss the extra ~$40 that generates on the cost of our cruise. We tend to keep the servers and bartenders busy, and in some cases, up late.

If it's bad service with no clear reason, we don't leave any extra. If I stop at a bar and my drink is made and delivered without a word spoken or smile, I generally won't tip extra.