Tipping - First Time Cruiser

It’s our first time cruising and we are excited, but full of questions.

We have the ultimate dining package, the beverage package and have prepaid our gratuities. We are on the Independence of the Seas leaving on Monday.

In the specialty restaurants, are they expecting additional tips, or does the package actually provide them a normal tip? Same thing with ordering drinks, is extra gratuity normal?

We have been in the service industry and understand that sometimes the automatic gratuity is minimal.

Thanks!

Expected? No

Accepted and appreciated? Yes

It all up to you. If you feel like want to, you can. I don't think the crew expects a extra tip. But they are thankful when I do tip them extra. But I have never obligated to. Sometimes I tip extra and some time I don't.

If you have auto grants in place, it’s up to you.

We always tip on top of the prepaid gratuities.

Don’t overthink this. Gratuity is built in to / added to packages before you board so you don’t have to give it another thought

In the specialty restaurants, are they expecting additional tips, or does the package actually provide them a normal tip?

Concerning this in particular, did I not read here that specialty restaurants are now adding an automatic 18% "service charge" (gratuity)? Where did I see that? :confused: It was not about a beverage package - it was concerning food in a specialty restaurant.

The dining package has the tips included. The drink package also has the tips included. If you would like to add extra, it's entirely up to you.

Concerning this in particular, did I not read here that specialty restaurants are now adding an automatic 18% "service charge" (gratuity)? Where did I see that? :confused: It was not about a beverage package - it was concerning food in a specialty restaurant.

If you book single restaurant or book onboard yes they add 18%.

If you prepurchase a multiple restaurant dining package before boarding a gratuity is built into the price already

They add 18% to the price of the drink package, so tips are included already. However, if you find a favorite bartender, slipping a couple extra to him/her might speed up your future drink orders. I’d suggest taking $40 or $50 in ones and fives to grease some squeaky wheels.

If you book single restaurant or book onboard yes they add 18%.... If you prepurchase a multiple restaurant dining package before boarding a gratuity is built into the price already

Thank you.

You have paid for all your tips already it sounds like

Anything else you wish to add is totally at your discretion

I find that they add gratuity to almost all on board purchases including drinks and speciality dinning. So there is no need to worry about tipping extra as an obligation.

Auto gratuities takes care of cabin steward, waiters etc.

Like many others on CC we do tip extra in appreciation of outstanding service but only at our discretion.

Unlike some, we never pre-tip in expectation of superior service or preferential service.

Some people are high maintenance when it comes to making demands on waiters in dinning room or the cabin steward. They quite rightly pay extra tips in appreciation. We do the same if we find ourselves making a lot of special requests.

If you book single restaurant or book onboard yes they add 18%.

 

 

 

If you prepurchase a multiple restaurant dining package before boarding a gratuity is built into the price already

How is it built into the price? The dining packages can come out to $24/dinner which is well below the individual dining price.

Are they adding 18% to the price at check out?

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We purchase a 5 night dining package and we do tip an extra $10 per person per dinner. I don't know the amount of tip that is included in the package price as it is not published, but my guess is that it isn't much. The service is really great and it is worth it to us to tip the extra.

We also tip $1 a drink with the alcohol package. I know there is an 18% gratuity charged when the package is purchased, but even if purchased at a high amount of $60, the daily total is $10.80. If one has 10 drinks, that's only $1.08 per drink. Most of us pay considerably less for the package, so the tip would even be lower. I know if I ordered a Pina Colada, which is one of my drink favs, the actual tip if I were paying per drink, would be almost $2.

The only time I don't tip extra for a drink is if I ask for a bottle of water. Everything else I drink needs someone to mix the drink and I feel the extra buck isn't going to break me.

How is it built into the price? The dining packages can come out to $24/dinner which is well below the individual dining price.

 

Are they adding 18% to the price at check out?

So far they are not adding 18% to the dining packages purchased pre-cruise. Probably won't be long though.

We normally just pay the advance gratuities. However, on our last cruise, our room steward greatly aided my DW after the balcony door slammed on her fingers. He went and got ice, applied first aid, then I found out he was a medic in Haiti before coming on board. Because of his actions and care I tipped him $50 on top of the regular gratuities.

If they go out of the way and do something really special, it's extra tip time.

We normally just pay the advance gratuities. However, on our last cruise, our room steward greatly aided my DW after the balcony door slammed on her fingers. He went and got ice, applied first aid, then I found out he was a medic in Haiti before coming on board. Because of his actions and care I tipped him $50 on top of the regular gratuities.

 

If they go out of the way and do something really special, it's extra tip time.

I would have done exactly the same,the CS deserved every dollar for his help and medical knowledge.

We have been in the service industry and understand that sometimes the automatic gratuity is minimal.

All automatic gratuities are already paid by you.

Additional gratuities to staff is always appreciated (they will usually provide you envelopes to recognize outstanding service at the end of the cruise). We normally have a dollar bills to tip waiters and bar staff, and cash to give an additional gratuity to our room steward.