Tipping Proceedure

I know there is another thread on tipping, but one look at it and I decided not to get involved in that 'dog's breakfast'! Besides my question isn't about how much, but rather, how.

We always leave "thank you" cards in envelopes with additional tip money for those crew that we believe have given us good service. This is easily accomplished if there is only one or two people consistently providing the service.

I am not sure where I got this idea, but, I thought it was inapproriate to leave a cash tip on the table in the dining room or specialty restaurant. This in turn left me with a confusion as to how one would tip waiters if one had a different waiter each evening!

Therefore...is it proper to leave a cash tip on the table in the dining room/specialty restaurant if one receives better than average service from staff??

Thanks for answering.

That is a good question - thanks for asking. Since we have not had open dining, I do not know the answer but the last time we dined in the Pinnacle Grill, we just left the tip on the table. I think that would be fine for open seating as well.

I see no reason why not. That's what DH and I did when we ate breakfast in the PG (as suite guests). I'm pretty sure that I've read that others do this in the PG at dinner. I think it would be perfectly appropriate in the main dining room if you have open seating and therefore will not necessarily have the same servers each evening.

We had anytime dining but chose to make a reservation each day for the same time and table. We had the same waitstaff and wine steward nightly, except for one night when they were all seasick. :p It was very easy to tip those we felt deserved additional.

I have always tipped extra in the Pinnacle even when sailing solo.

We had anytime dining but chose to make a reservation each day for the same time and table. We had the same waitstaff and wine steward nightly, except for one night when they were all seasick. :p It was very easy to tip those we felt deserved additional.

I have always tipped extra in the Pinnacle even when sailing solo.

Our recent Rotterdam cruise was similar. The wait staff realized quickly that we ate at the same time each night and made reservations for us on their own. Consequently, we had no problem tipping the As You Wish wait staff.

Thanks all! Really appreciate the responses.

Tipping is not done for the open dining. I have done open dining on two HAL cruises (total of 24 days) and have never seen anyone give money or leave money.

We always leave cash (no envelope) on the table in the PG. I assume the d.r. waiters would be very happy to find cash left for them. :)

Tipping is not done for the open dining. I have done open dining on two HAL cruises (total of 24 days) and have never seen anyone give money or leave money.

Even though we had anytime, we chose to adapt that to our version of Traditional. Same time, same table, same staff. The couple who had the 2 top next to us, tipped as well. Their smiles lit up our end of the Dining Room. We also made sure to mention the great service we received when filling out the survey.

Additional tipping is a personal matter, and I do not think there are any rules regarding this. We will each do what we think is appropriate. :)

But that isn't the way open dining is supposed to work. If you want the same table and same waiter, then choose traditional dining. There was one waiter in the open dining area on the Veendam who tried to get people at the same table every night. Sort of an indirect way of soliciting a tip? That's my interpretation.

I disagree with the last poster. I usually do anytime dining whenever it is offered. I enjoy having the same waiter and being catered to by someone who knows me and cares to take care of me. I can come to eat whenever I want as the waiter is usually working then. Sometimes, I even ran into my waiters during the day in the buffet and they always gave me special service. I don't like traditional dining as I travel alone and usually get stuck with people I don't relate to, and with anytime dining, I don't have to be at the same table - just as long as I am in my waiter's area. Of course, he/she deserves a nice tip at the end of the cruise. They work hard for not much money and I know how I would feel if I was in their position. You like to be shown appreciation for hard work.

I have done open dining on two HAL cruises (total of 24 days) and have never seen anyone give money or leave money.

But if others were doing it well you wouldn't be seeing them tip.

Even though we had anytime, we chose to adapt that to our version of Traditional. Same time, same table, same staff. The couple who had the 2 top next to us, tipped as well. Their smiles lit up our end of the Dining Room. We also made sure to mention the great service we received when filling out the survey.

 

Additional tipping is a personal matter, and I do not think there are any rules regarding this. We will each do what we think is appropriate. :)

My, you are very generous! In fact, you are tipping twice; once with the auto-tip & again, in cash!

WHY would you not think that your auto-tip covers BOTH the traditional dining as well as AsYou(Hal)Wish(es) dining?

But that isn't the way open dining is supposed to work. If you want the same table and same waiter, then choose traditional dining. There was one waiter in the open dining area on the Veendam who tried to get people at the same table every night. Sort of an indirect way of soliciting a tip? That's my interpretation.

Well stated! I agree with you 100%!

But that isn't the way open dining is supposed to work. If you want the same table and same waiter, then choose traditional dining.

Sometimes, fixed seating at the desired time is not available. With open seating, it is possible to create the "effect" of fixed seating by making reservations at the desired time. It works, and also affords the flexibility advantages of open seating should one's plans require it. Even with open seating without reservations, it is possible to ask for a specific table or server section so that the advantages of fixed seating are realized. The disadvantage is that you might have to wait.

But if others were doing it well you wouldn't be seeing them tip.

Exactly. I doubt anyone saw DH give our servers their tips at the end of our cruise.

We had open dining but asked for the same wait staff every night. Best of both worlds, we ate at different times depending on the day, but had the same wonderful waiters.

My, you are very generous! In fact, you are tipping twice; once with the auto-tip & again, in cash!

WHY would you not think that your auto-tip covers BOTH the traditional dining as well as AsYou(Hal)Wish(es) dining?

As has been stated many times before, on many tipping threads, many of us enjoy rewarding good service with something over and above the auto-tip. Given that the auto-tip is shared among a lot of staff, many of us feel that the staff who serve us in person should receive something extra, directly from us, if they have done a really good job. Do I understand you to be criticizing this practice? No one is asking you to participate if you do not wish to, but why on earth would you want to reproach those who do wish to be generous to the very hard-working people on HAL's service staff?

In traditional dining, any extra tip is usually given in a lump sum at the end of the cruise. The question addressed in this particular thread was how do you deliver a tip in the specialty restaurant, or with open seating where you may not get the same waiter every evening. I think the consensus is that if you wish to do so, it is totally appropriate to discreetly leave a cash tip on the table in those circumstances. Yes, the auto-tip is "supposed" to cover this, but since so many people choose to tip extra in traditional seating, I think it is only fair for those who choose to do so to tip extra in open seating as well. I just cannot imagine why anyone would have a problem with that.

Many of us enjoy tipping more than the minimal automatic tip. We don't consider that enough for the hard work and wonderful service these stewards perform. We have never left a ship without tipping additionally.

If you don't wish to fine. It is also fine for those of us who descreetly tip additionally. Because you may not see it, doesn't mean it wasn't given. No flash or show necessary. ;)

A folded envelope in the palm of a hand and a hearty handshake. YOU didn't see a thing and didn't need to. :)

But that isn't the way open dining is supposed to work. If you want the same table and same waiter, then choose traditional dining. There was one waiter in the open dining area on the Veendam who tried to get people at the same table every night. Sort of an indirect way of soliciting a tip? That's my interpretation.

We booked our cruise about 3-4 months before we sailed, and I have read of others who booked more than a year out and could not get Traditional. As it was it was all that was available to us, and I had already decided to give it a try anyway. Booking the same time and table is definitely an option, and only takes a minute to call and reserve. As for the waiter it may be that it makes their job a bit easier if they get to know their passengers and preferences.

My, you are very generous! In fact, you are tipping twice; once with the auto-tip & again, in cash!

 

WHY would you not think that your auto-tip covers BOTH the traditional dining as well as AsYou(Hal)Wish(es) dining?

Thankyou, I will take that as a compliment:cool:

I am fully aware of what my autotip covers but thanks for

your concern.

I have a potentially fatal allergy to almost ALL nuts. The waiters are aware of it, and even though I am vigilant there is in my opinion an extra responsibility there for them. I rely on them to know that what I order is safe. Many times they have had to check with the Chefs, and the peace of mind is worth the extra $$ to me.

Tipping is not done for the open dining. I have done open dining on two HAL cruises (total of 24 days) and have never seen anyone give money or leave money.

I guess I screwed up.

There is, of course, nothing wrong with tipping in open dining. I just haven't observed that and didn't want people to get the idea it was common or usual. It isn't. As for tipping in the PG, I have never eaten there and, based on responses in this thread, it seems that some people do tip there.