Tipping at Alternative Restaurants

[itslin561]

Can anyone tell me if you have to tip at the alternative restaurants or is it all inclusive in the "cover charge" ?

[k9sar]

If I recall correctly (and someone please post if I have this wrong), the tip or service charge was included in the bill. The only specialty restaurant we were at was the "meat place" as the kids called it with a party of 11. Perhaps it was due to the size or was standard but I don't recall ever thinking "hmmm... how much should I tip".

[oLEEander]

Do you have to to ? No Can you? Yes There have been times when the service at the pay venues have been above average and I've tipped accordingly. There was a time or two when I didn't feel any need to tip at

all. At all times its been my choice and not mandated.

[k9sar]

From NCL:

 

What about Tipping?

Guests should not feel obliged to offer a gratuity for good service. However, all of our staff are encouraged to "go the extra mile," and so they are permitted to accept cash gratuities entirely at the discretion of our guests who wish to acknowledge particular staff members for exceptional or outstanding service. In other words, there is genuinely no need to tip but you should feel free to do so if you have a desire to acknowledge particular individuals.

 

Also, certain staff positions provide service on an individual basis to only some guests. We encourage those guests to acknowledge good service from these staff members with appropriate gratuities. For example, for guests purchasing bar drinks the recommended gratuity is 15 percent. For guests purchasing spa treatments the recommended gratuity is 18 percent. Similarly, for guests using concierge and butler services, we recommend they consider offering a gratuity commensurate with services rendered.

[ColinIllinois]

From NCL:

 

What about Tipping?

Guests should not feel obliged to offer a gratuity for good service. However, all of our staff are encouraged to "go the extra mile," and so they are permitted to accept cash gratuities entirely at the discretion of our guests who wish to acknowledge particular staff members for exceptional or outstanding service. In other words, there is genuinely no need to tip but you should feel free to do so if you have a desire to acknowledge particular individuals.

 

Also, certain staff positions provide service on an individual basis to only some guests. We encourage those guests to acknowledge good service from these staff members with appropriate gratuities. For example, for guests purchasing bar drinks the recommended gratuity is 15 percent. For guests purchasing spa treatments the recommended gratuity is 18 percent. Similarly, for guests using concierge and butler services, we recommend they consider offering a gratuity commensurate with services rendered.

 

Recommended? Perhaps I'm reading this wrong but it was added on automatically as I recall. Hmmmm.

[Mjfc]

A 15% gratuity was automatically added to all drinks and specialty restaurants.

[itslin561]

Thanks for the info.

[orangegrove]

I recall that all drinks had auto-gratuity, but I remember adding a tip to the specialty ones. It was strange, they had the drinks on the bill with auto gratuity but not the meal itself. Just look at the bill carefully. I could be wrong because they normally handed my husband the bill and he added the tip.

[brfan]

Doesn't a portion of the DSC go to the waitstaff in the specialty restaurants, at least for those passengers who went to those restaurants?

[orangegrove]

I don't really know. I do know that many of the staff that work the specialty also work in the MDR or even the buffet. They switch around. I know my favorite waitress in Cagney's worked in Manhatten for breakfast and was doing Taste for lunch.

[2inTul]

A 15% gratuity was automatically added to all drinks and specialty restaurants.

 

A gratuity is NOT added to the specialty restaurant surcharge only on the bar portion of the check. If you don't order something from the bar there will not be a gratuity on the check. There will be a place where you can add an optional tip for the servers if you feel it is warranted.

 

And yes the servers in the specialty restaurants are covered by the DSC.

[Mjfc]

My apologies. There were beverages on the bill for our specialty restaurants. I didn't look at the % charged when I answered the post. I just saw the line item.