Tipping with Freedom Dining.

THIS IS NOT ANOTHER TIPPING THREAD !! - just a quick question

We have decided that for our next cruise we are going back to envelopes and removing the autotip. We are currently booked for 2nd Sitting but are thinking of changing to Freedom. My question is - how does tipping work when we will have different waiters every night. We have never been Freedom before and have always used Autotips before.

The only realistic way is to leave an envelope for your cabin steward at the end of the cruise and tip your waiters a small amount every evening after dinner.

and tip your waiters a small amount every evening after dinner.

Surely you should also be tipping the waiters at breakfast, lunch, and afternoon tea as well?

And tip every person who serves you at breakfast and lunch, in the MDR and buffet, because otherwise they miss out when the service charge is removed (unless, of course, you think they deserve to be omitted).

Perhaps I should reword my question. What do other Freedom diners who have removed the Autotip do ?

I have never seen anyone tipping in freedom dining. We only ever do freedom. I am not saying it doesn't happen, just I haven't noticed it. We both pay the auto tip, as we believe it's the only possible fare way to do it, especially if freedom dining. I might feel uncomfortable if a diner on my table tipped the waiter and I seemed not to be tipping, when in fact I do pay. However we do tip over and above the auto tip at end of cruise to the cabin steward if they warrant it

I'm not sure why you would wish to revert to cash tips. Auto tips ensure those who's wages are lower as they are expected to be made up with tips are ensured of their share of the auto tips and you might not know who all of these people are. It's much easier to leave on the auto tips. If you want to cash tip extra on top of the auto tips then that's fine but I've never seen anyone cash tip in freedom Dining. The only reason to take off auto tips when on freedom Dining that I can see are to tip less overall or want the gratification of handing over a tip and getting a thank you. I'm sure neither are your reasons but could you enlighten us on why you want to do this?

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I have been known to remove auto gratuities when service has been poor, but we've just got back from a fabulous cruise on Aurora and the service (and food) in the Medina Restaurant (Freedom dining) was excellent, so much so that I spoke to the restaurant manager to congratulate him on the consistency of service provided by all of his team. I was delighted to leave the auto gratuity on my account in this case.

I'm not sure why you would wish to revert to cash tips. Auto tips ensure those who's wages are lower as they are expected to be made up with tips are ensured of their share of the auto tips and you might not know who all of these people are. It's much easier to leave on the auto tips. If you want to cash tip extra on top of the auto tips then that's fine but I've never seen anyone cash tip in freedom Dining. The only reason to take off auto tips when on freedom Dining that I can see are to tip less overall or want the gratification of handing over a tip and getting a thank you. I'm sure neither are your reasons but could you enlighten us on why you want to do this?

 

 

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I guess that leaving the autotip on will be the easiest way if we decide to change to Freedom.

We made a decision to remove autotips, after reading the many long threads on here regarding tipping, because we no longer feel confident that 100% of the autotip is reaching the staff, we want to tip personally to ensure that it does reach them.

THIS IS NOT ANOTHER TIPPING THREAD !! - just a quick question

 

We have decided that for our next cruise we are going back to envelopes and removing the autotip. We are currently booked for 2nd Sitting but are thinking of changing to Freedom. My question is - how does tipping work when we will have different waiters every night. We have never been Freedom before and have always used Autotips before.

I am afraid it already is

What you need to do is tip the waiters at dinner £5 per meal and say £2 each for breakfast, lunch or whenever you eat in the buffet, in fact anywhere where someone has to tidy up after you.

Cheaper and easier to leave the autotip on. see my signature ;)

I am afraid it already is

 

What you need to do is tip the waiters at dinner £5 per meal and say £2 each for breakfast, lunch or whenever you eat in the buffet, in fact anywhere where someone has to tidy up after you.

 

Cheaper and easier to leave the autotip on. see my signature ;)

That's exactly what we'll be doing. We're going on Britannia on Sunday and for the first time we'll be removing the auto-gratuities for reasons I won't go into on this thread. We've therefore been collecting £5 notes and £2 coins so we'll tip £5 at dinner and £2 at breakfast. We've also got extra in case we want to tip the wine water or bar staff and will tip our steward s significant sum at the end of the cruise. Overall we will be paying £6 each per day so we're not doing it to save money

That's exactly what we'll be doing. We're going on Britannia on Sunday and for the first time we'll be removing the auto-gratuities for reasons I won't go into on this thread. We've therefore been collecting £5 notes and £2 coins so we'll tip £5 at dinner and £2 at breakfast. We've also got extra in case we want to tip the wine water or bar staff and will tip our steward s significant sum at the end of the cruise. Overall we will be paying £6 each per day so we're not doing it to save money

And, presumably, going without lunch and tea every day!

I would just tip the waiters in the evening if you are going back to the traditional way. It's your choice and not your responsibility to pay the staff. A tip is a tip. If you have decided this is best for you based on all that you have read then stay resolute in your choice. Everyone has an opinion, everyone is entitled to their opinion, and everyone has the right to tip accordingly.

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Thanks All for your help.

I THINK WE OUGHT TO CLOSE THIS ONE DOWN NOW - don't want another 20 pager !

Surely you should also be tipping the waiters at breakfast, lunch, and afternoon tea as well?

Do you honestly think that they have different waiters in the restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner I don't think so they perhaps don't need so many at breakfast/lunch so this is where they get the rota breaks as per contract or if not are sent and serve in the buffet.

THIS IS NOT ANOTHER TIPPING THREAD !! - just a quick question

 

We have decided that for our next cruise we are going back to envelopes and removing the autotip. We are currently booked for 2nd Sitting but are thinking of changing to Freedom. My question is - how does tipping work when we will have different waiters every night. We have never been Freedom before and have always used Autotips before.

Guess what bee-ess unfortunately this turned into another tipping argument :)

I guess that leaving the autotip on will be the easiest way if we decide to change to Freedom.

We made a decision to remove autotips, after reading the many long threads on here regarding tipping, because we no longer feel confident that 100% of the autotip is reaching the staff, we want to tip personally to ensure that it does reach them.

Thanks for the info. I don't know about P&O but on the US lines if you remove the auto gratuities and then cash tip they have to hand them into the pool. If you leave the auto tips and tip cash extra then they get to keep them.

You can be sure the auto tips reach the right people or they would never fill those posts.

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I would just tip the waiters in the evening if you are going back to the traditional way. It's your choice and not your responsibility to pay the staff. A tip is a tip. If you have decided this is best for you based on all that you have read then stay resolute in your choice. Everyone has an opinion, everyone is entitled to their opinion, and everyone has the right to tip accordingly.

 

 

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Hallelulah somebody with common sense given a sensible answer.

Do you honestly think that they have different waiters in the restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner I don't think so they perhaps don't need so many at breakfast/lunch so this is where they get the rota breaks as per contract or if not are sent and serve in the buffet.

But it's quite possible to eat in three different places for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

I would just tip the waiters in the evening if you are going back to the traditional way. It's your choice and not your responsibility to pay the staff. A tip is a tip. If you have decided this is best for you based on all that you have read then stay resolute in your choice. Everyone has an opinion, everyone is entitled to their opinion, and everyone has the right to tip accordingly.

 

 

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[emoji122]🏻[emoji122]🏻[emoji122]🏻 well said. My thoughts exactly.

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I would just tip the waiters in the evening if you are going back to the traditional way. It's your choice and not your responsibility to pay the staff. A tip is a tip. If you have decided this is best for you based on all that you have read then stay resolute in your choice. Everyone has an opinion, everyone is entitled to their opinion, and everyone has the right to tip accordingly.

 

 

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Thanks Florry you are exactly right - it is a tip not a Service charge. We felt on our last cruise on Britannia that both our Cabin steward and our waiters 'did their job' nothing more or less. There was zero interaction with the waiters despite all attempts to engage with them and honestly felt that their tips were not earned. Then we read many conflicting comments on here about tipping, some saying that all the money went to be shared, some saying that cash tips were pooled, some saying that the reciipients kept them etc. etc so we decided to revert to the traditional envelope method as frankly, we don't want P&O keeping our money.

The reason for the change of Dining is related to the other thread about Show Times - as 2nd sitting people I think we would miss out, because we would not want to go pre-dinner (thats our drinking time, bad as it sounds) and after dinner all the tables in the other entertainment lounges will be taken be the early and freedoms that have already seen the show.

If we change to Freedom I think we will just pay the autotip for simplicity.

I would just tip the waiters in the evening if you are going back to the traditional way. It's your choice and not your responsibility to pay the staff. A tip is a tip. If you have decided this is best for you based on all that you have read then stay resolute in your choice. Everyone has an opinion, everyone is entitled to their opinion, and everyone has the right to tip accordingly.

 

 

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However, the auto tips are designed to reward everybody that is in a service role, so by tipping only those you directly connect with means some lose out. Why make it complicated, let the auto tips do their jobs and everyone is happy,

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However, the auto tips are designed to reward everybody that is in a service role, so by tipping only those you directly connect with means some lose out. Why make it complicated, let the auto tips do their jobs and everyone is happy,

 

 

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I agree, P&O tips are reasonable in the cruising world so i always leave them on plus give extra if someone goes out of their way for us.

I cannot believe that yet again we have another "Tipping" thread.

Why don't people just read the many threads that have went before?

Why do so many people have such difficulty deciding what they should do with regard to tips?

I cannot believe that yet again we have another "Tipping" thread.

Why don't people just read the many threads that have went before?

Why do so many people have such difficulty deciding what they should do with regard to tips?

Everyone has their own opinions so why stop them posting.