room service...

Sorry, I tried to search for a thread that gave the answer. Please tell me about room service on HAL and Tipping in regards to room service. I did read that tipping was automatic, unless you choose to give more. Thanks!

Sorry, I tried to search for a thread that gave the answer. Please tell me about room service on HAL and Tipping in regards to room service. I did read that tipping was automatic, unless you choose to give more. Thanks!

my suggestion if room service shows up in 5 minutes. with the beer you ordered. It just might be worth something. If it takes an hour, Then think hard and long about it.

the room service should be covered with the autotip. but if you want it fast? you know what to do.

The speed of the response is going to deppend on the time of day. When you place a telephone order they will give you estimated delivery time.

Tipping is automatic and you do not have to tip the delivery person unless you want to

You can fill out breakfast menu and attach it to door know, and note times you want breakfast in the am. We have found this to be very reliable and the eggs are still hot. If you want something that is not on the menu write it in and they will try to bring it. Can get more than one cup of coffee.

We generally give stewart $2.00 per trip. You will find that in the morning the same steward covers a certain area of the ship and you may get the same one every day.

If they deliver and set up dinner on the balcony and stay to serve it we generally tip a lot more. We generally stay in a suite.

Hope this answers your questions.

Ruth & Jim

I always give the Room Service Steward $1.00 per person for delivery unless it is a large order. Then, I think a larger gratuity is appropriate. I have to have the money ready when I open the door. If I don't, the steward will be gone before I can get the money. Usually, the steward seems surprised, and grateful, for the tip.

I also always tip the server for room service.

I also always tip the server for room service.

if it takes the same amount of time, with or without tip Then no point in the tip, because it is covered, in your last day of tips.

Just my point of view.

suites are a little different.

You tip for good service

We usually have room service breakfast on early port days and tip $2 per delivery.

We typically get a "starter" breakfast delivered each morning by room service. croisants, coffe maybe some danish. We always tip the room service Steward $2.00. We would tip more if we had lunch or dinner delivered.

When we ordered room service we always specified the half-hour time frame that we wanted the food. They always got it to us with the first 10 minutes of the time frame. I always tipped them $2 for breakfast, and $4 for an evening meal(it always had more courses on it and was a lot heavier for them.)

I agree with the others above. I'm about to leave on a 7 day cruise to Alaska. I went and got 50 one dollar bills. I keep them in an envelope in a drawer to give the room service waiter. I usually order breakfast (eggs benedict) and an appetizer and cocktail before dinner.

We had full breakfast served via room service every morning, and tipped the steward $2 ea. for the 2 of us = $4 total.

I was under the impression that the auto tips do not cover the servers that bring room service.

I was under the impression that the auto tips do not cover the servers that bring room service.

That's what I understood as well. It doesn't matter to us, we always tip for room service, usually $2 per trip unless it's a major meal, and then we give more.

Smooth Sailing! :):):)

In our cruise experience it has rarely been the room steward who brings the room trays. Room Service isn't mentioned on the gratuity division so we always tip the server, anywhere from $1 to $5 depending on how much we have ordered.

We always have coffee and croissants first thing in the morning and we check the 24 hour menu to see what else can be added. We've had apple pie for breakfast, we've sometime added salmon to our egg order. Just depends what is on the menu. We write it in on the hanging tag for the door.

I always have a stack of $1 bills squirreled away in a secret place. Each night I take out what I'll need for a tip the next morning. The person bringing the tray is always delighted to get the tip -- especially since they don't seem to be included in the automatic gratuity.

I've booked a balcony stateroom for my Alaska cruise on the Zuiderdam. Can anyone tell me what is on the room service menu for breakfast? Can i get hot items, like bacon and eggs or an omelet?

thanks

I've booked a balcony stateroom for my Alaska cruise on the Zuiderdam. Can anyone tell me what is on the room service menu for breakfast? Can i get hot items, like bacon and eggs or an omelet?

 

thanks

Yes, you can get bacon and eggs or an omelet or eggs benedict or almost anything your heart desires. If you plan on using the menu you hang on the door, simply write your special request on it. I love HAL's breakfast room service!!

Diane

So what is on the room service menu. Is it the same as the dining room menu? HAL newbie.

I've booked a balcony stateroom for my Alaska cruise on the Zuiderdam.

Everyone, regardless of cabin category, uses the same room service menu.

There is a 24-hour menu, one limited to certain hours, and you can order from the dining room menu during dinner hours.

Krazy Kruisers has posted the entire room service menu several times. If you do a search of this forum you will probably find it.

I really enjoy having coffee/breakfast on the Balcony. We tip $4.00 for Breakfast Delivery. I always try to have the money ready, too-or they will be gone in a jiffy. Most of the time, I'm still in bed, and DH wakes me up when breakfast is delivered. Ah...the Suite Life for a Week!!;)

Room service distunguishes HAL from the others. When I think of the effort that goes into preparing and delivering a room serivce order....versus say, the LIDO... well I think it's good karma to tip for room service.

We do tip $2-$4. Unless it's an early morning port and we've got an excursion we always have "first breakfast" in our cabin. That means coffee, juice, and a couple of croissants. My DW is not a morning person so it's just much nicer for everybody if she gets up at her own pace and gets her morning "injection" of coffee. :) The croissants hold me over until we're ready for a full breakfast.

Breakfast Menu

Cabin Breakfast Menu

Preferred Time Frame

6 AM - 6:30 AM 7 AM - 7:30 AM 8 AM - 8:30 AM 9 AM - 9:30 AM

6:30 AM - 7 AM 7:30 AM - 8 AM 8:30 AM - 9 AM 9:30 AM - 10 AM

Juices

Grapefruit; Orange:; Cranberry; V-8; Prune, Tomato

Fresh Fruit

Half Grapefruit; Sliced Bananas; Diced Oranges; Mixed Fruit; Seasonal Melons; Stewed Prunes

Low Fat Yogurt

Plain; Fruit

Breads

English Muffin; White Toast; Wheat Toast; Rye Toast; Danish; Croissant; Blueberry Muffin; Bran Muffin; Bagel

Preserves

Assorted Jams; Marmalade; Honey; Butter; Margarine; Cream Cheese

Cereals

Corn Flakes; Special K; Mueslix; Raisin Bran; Granola; Fruit Loops; Frosted Flakes; Rice Krispies; Shredded Wheat

With: Milk; 2% Milk; Skim Milk

Eggs & Meats

Two Eggs: Scrambled or sunnyside up or over easy

Omelet: With Cheese or With Ham and Cheese

Eggbeaters: Scrambled or Omelet with Cheese or Omelet with Ham and Cheese

Meat: Ham or Sausage or Bacon

Beverages

Regular Coffee; Decaf Coffee; Tea; Hot Chocolate; Milk; 2% Milk; Skim Milk; Half & Half

If you can wait until the main dining room opens -- usually 7:30 on port days and 8 on sea days, you can write in anything you want like Eggs Benedict. Waffles, Chocolate croisonts, etc.

In the real world, I'm up every morning, greeting our guests for breakfast, answering their questions, etc., so when we cruise, I like to start my day slowly with room service breakfast, especially on port days. DH, on the other hand, is up with the birds, and goes to the Lido before I'm even up.

I always order at least coffee to have while I'm getting ready...if we're heading to the MDR or the Lido for breakfast.

I have my trusty shoe organizer over the bathroom door and keep a stash of $1's in one of the pockets, quickly available for tipping the room service steward who, on our last cruise, was often our dining room steward!