Tipping at specialty dining restaurants

I was always told that tips were included in the price but I still left a tip. Sometimes, I would leave a large tip; it all depended on the service that we received.

Well, for my next cruise, I pre-paid for our specialty dining and I noticed that it said "gratuity is excluded". Is this something new?

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Now, it's been awhile since we booked a specialty dining but we do have one booked for our next cruise in March '18. I hope this is new and that we didn't stiff someone as we have always had excellent food and service the previous times we did this:cool:

I had always thought our auto tips covered the servers in the Specialty Restaurants for the evenings we ate there. We have always given some extra for the outstanding service, but it would be nice to know where the auto tip is going if not to the waiter in the restaurant we eat at.

I always thought specialty restaurants were included in the daily auto-tip. In fact the Princess FAQ's mention the daily gratuity includes all waitstaff. To me all means all and does not exclude anyone. Here is the text:

To simplify the tipping process for our guests, a discretionary gratuity of $15.50 per guest for suites, $14.50 per guest for mini-suites and club class, and $13.50 per guest for interior, oceanview, and balcony staterooms. This gratuity will be shared amongst those staff who help provide and support your cruise experience, including all waitstaff, stateroom stewards, buffet stewards, and housekeeping staff across the fleet.

$58

10% = $ 6.00

15% = $ 9.00 , so $ 10.00 if giving cash = 17.2%

so do you tip in cash? - or just add it to or just write it in and adds to your shipboard account???

Maybe a new policy? Was inclusive in our last on CG.

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Here is a photo. Look below the pricing.

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guess they added that in when they started charging for the 2nd entrée, huh?

may I please have another, sir :evilsmile::evilsmile::(

$58

 

10% = $ 6.00

15% = $ 9.00 , so $ 10.00 if giving cash = 17.2%

 

so do you tip in cash? - or just add it to or just write it in and adds to your shipboard account???

I tip in cash.

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guess they added that in when they started charging for the 2nd entrée, huh?

 

 

 

may I please have another, sir :evilsmile::evilsmile::(

That is probably when it started

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$10 seems fair for us 2.

Several years ago, we went to CG. As we were finishing I realized I'd forgotten to bring a cash tip (usually leave ~$10). The waiter heard us discussing whether to add the tip to the line for tips (there used to be one, it was gone last month and several other times before that), he came to the table and said "an extra tip isn't necessary".

So, either they took the specialty restaurants out of the auto-tip or ???

Price EXCLUDED is new to us but we always tipped extra in cash anyway ... normally $20 for the two of us.

We rarely use room service & maybe I never noticed it but they now have a gratuity line at the bottom of the receipt.

They may have added it to the Specialty restaurant tab also to increase their salaries. :confused:

Your dining room waiter is getting about $3+ pp per day...so you can base your added "tip" in the specialty restaurants on that. You really can't do it based on the cost of food, since you aren't actually paying for the food...just the ambiance!

The cost of a meal in any of the specialty restaurants has never included a tip. Ask the Food and Beverage manager on your next cruise.

Waitstaff in specialty restaurants participate in the auto-tip scheme. You'll see some of them working in other dining venues during the day.

If you wish to leave a tip in addition to the auto-tip, leave cash. If you simply add the tip amount to the check, it will go into the tip pool. Cash will go to your server as long as you have left auto-tips in place.

Have never given a tip in Speciality Restaurant the daily tip is already enough to cover it.

We have always tipped in cash in specialty restaurants. As Lew said, gratuity was never included.

Tipping has been the custom on cruise ships for decades. I realize it isn't the norm in some countries. We factor the auto tip in the price of the cruise, and tip extra for good service from cabin steward and dining servers. Personal choice.

I'm guessing that the "Price excludes gratuity" that is shown in the Crown Grille ad, in this thread, is probably to let you know that the waitstaff IS included in the tip pool and that the $29.95 price you are paying is for the "specialty" food, just like the food in the dining room (which you already paid for in the price of the cruise) does not require an extra tip to have the waitstaff to serve it to you...unlike the staff who serves you at the bars where the gratuity is included in the total price of each drink since the bar staff IS NOT included in the tip pool.

It could have been worded better or just left out all together which would (might :confused:) avoid any confusion.

It seems that Princess wants to have it both ways. They claim the $29 is a "cover charge," but then charge for a second entree. That rather makes it seem like the $29 is a food charge. Now they want gratuity NOT included and yet the servers are part of the tip pool due to their work in other parts of the ship during the day. And then there are the automatic gratuities attached to any bar item or spa service. I'm usually a generous tipper, but this is getting a little old.

Just so I know--if someone wants a second dessert, are they going to charge for that?

Cruise critic just sent out this article in an email recently:

7 Times You Shouldn't Tip on a Cruise

https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=2077&et_cid=3048993&et_rid=16716670&et_referrer=NULL

I noticed that even though this was just sent out, it was originally written over 4 months ago.

Anyhow, one of these 7 times is listed as:

3. You're dining at the specialty restaurant.

If our service is good, we oftentimes will tip $10 to $20, either in cash or add it on the bill itself. I've been told that if you give it in cash, it goes into your server's pocket and on the bill, it goes to the staff in the restaurant. True?? Who knows.

If someone gets a definitive answer on whether or not the the waiters share in the tipping that is included in pool, I hope someone follows up with that here on this thread.

Have never tipped in crown grill. This must be new.

I wonder how they justify this when we see some of the same waitstaff in crown grilll as we see in the regular dining room???

Cruise critic just sent out this article in an email recently:

 

7 Times You Shouldn't Tip on a Cruise

 

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=2077&et_cid=3048993&et_rid=16716670&et_referrer=NULL

 

I noticed that even though this was just sent out, it was originally written over 4 months ago.

Anyhow, one of these 7 times is listed as:

3. You're dining at the specialty restaurant.

Saw the same article. We typically hit the CG on every cruise and on our last cruise it was the 1st time I remember getting a check with a tip line. Also, there were two new (to us) specialty restaurants. It is clear that Princess is moving in the direction of charging for meals (dinners) and expecting you to pay their service staff. It won't be long before you will be simply paying for a floating room.

I've considering writing a book titled PRINCESS CRUISES COMPLETE GUIDE TO TIPPING but alas, those who travel by air would have an issue with overweight luggage due to the size of such a book :cool:

I'm guessing that the "Price excludes gratuity" that is shown in the Crown Grille ad, in this thread, is probably to let you know that the waitstaff IS included in the tip pool and that the $29.95 price you are paying is for the "specialty" food, just like the food in the dining room (which you already paid for in the price of the cruise) does not require an extra tip to have the waitstaff to serve it to you...unlike the staff who serves you at the bars where the gratuity is included in the total price of each drink since the bar staff IS NOT included in the tip pool.

 

It could have been worded better or just left out all together which would (might :confused:) avoid any confusion.

Correct that to $29...I certainly wouldn't want anyone thinking the 95 cents is a tip ;)