Do you tip in the specialty restaurants?

[AttilaTheFun]

I haven't seen this come up so far (not that it hasn't already), but what is the expectation for tipping in the specialty restaurants? When we went, we were a bit stumped, since we're already paying extra for the meal, but ended up leaving ~20% tip anyway because the service was always excellent. Is there a standard others follow?

[debnjoe1438]

Wow, I really don't remember if we did or didn't:confused: Unfortuately I don't remember if it was expected (such as in the bars). The closer I get to retirement the less I remember.

 

(I do remember excellent food and great service):D

[bjinouno]

Any time we go to a speciality rest, we always leave a tip, just as we would going out to dinner, Also If your VIP and have accesss to Cagney's for lunch and dinner, we always leave a tip, or tip the wait staff at the end of our trip,

[AZ_Roy]

I haven't seen this come up so far (not that it hasn't already), but what is the expectation for tipping in the specialty restaurants? When we went, we were a bit stumped, since we're already paying extra for the meal, but ended up leaving ~20% tip anyway because the service was always excellent. Is there a standard others follow?

Isn't that figured in automatically on the bill, just like the tips for bar service?

[veggie59]

We have always tipped at the specialty restaurants. Though it wasn't as good as before, we still left $5.00 when we dined at La Cucina last week. It cost $20.00 for both of us total and then the tip.

[chloemonkey]

Isn't that figured in automatically on the bill, just like the tips for bar service?

 

My question is this......Why doesn't NCL make this whole area more clear? My guess is that it is "working" having us all in this situation that makes it "unclear" and that whatever the bottom line is with regards to tipping, at least "some" of us must be at least over tipping? Or wouldn't the employees have enough clout to change the system?

 

I guess my thinking is that there are enough of us that tip the but.ers and concierge and Cagmey's staff possibly more than others that do NOT tip these people......that it manages to be enough to make these personnel happy or I would think that NCL would have some sort of issue on their hands?

 

And yes I know all about the fact that there is no union protection, etc......but think about it........if this particular group of service workers were NOT getting their fair share, wouldn't they just go back to being a waiter, cabin steward, etc. In the regular stateroom categories

 

I still think that those of us that DO tip $500 -$1000 per week for suites, etc. Are more than making up for those that do NOT tip extra for Cagney's staff, butler, etc.......

[rsinj]

Tip is included with the charge for specialty restaurants. I don't have the specific reference available, but if I find it will post.

 

However, obviously you're certainly free to leave an additional tip if you feel the service was deserving of it.

 

Howard

[rvsullivan]

The staff in the specialty restaurants are all part of the regular pool, that is the daily charge. If they do something "special" we leave a little extra. It is unlike the Butlers etc. who do not share in the pool. The wait staff in the specialties all work in the MDR and buffet also.

[Clay Clayton]

We only leave a tip in the specialty restaurants if something about the service is extraordinary. We got on really good terms with one of our servers on Jade and when we she saw us getting ready to add some money to the ticket, she said please don't. Anything added to the onboard credit receipt ends up in the tip pool so she would have only seen a few cents out of our 5 or 10 bux. So if you want to reward one server, make it cash.

[Pokeraddict]

We always tip in the speciality restaurants as the service is far more superior. For the two of us we add $5 to the bill.

[Pokeraddict]

The tip is not automatically added to the bill like is at one of the bars or pool side.. You must add it on.

[Ms belp]

I haven't seen this come up so far (not that it hasn't already), but what is the expectation for tipping in the specialty restaurants? When we went, we were a bit stumped, since we're already paying extra for the meal, but ended up leaving ~20% tip anyway because the service was always excellent. Is there a standard others follow?

 

Yes, you should always tip as you do at home. The price of the restaurant has nothing to do with tipping. Just like at home.

[Dr. Jack Daniels]

Yes, you should always tip as you do at home. The price of the restaurant has nothing to do with tipping. Just like at home.

 

Wrong! Tipping is not required at specialty restaurants as the wait staff is ALREADY included in the tipping pool.

 

Why pay for the same service twice?:eek:

[SuperTrooper00]

Auto-tipping was really a genius move by the cruise lines because it increases revenue for the staff without costing the cruise line anything. They know that there is a certain pressure (whether it be habit, guilt, etc) that makes many want to tip whether they are already "tipping" automatically or not.

[rsinj]

...

[SASA13]

If we find a wait staff that we like in the MDR, we normally will request them everytime we eat in the MDR. The last day, is when we tip all in the wait staff ( normally 2 or 3 individuals). Depending on how many times we eat in the MDR is how much tip we leave.

[david_sobe]

Some interpret the daily $12 gratuity to justify why you are not leaving a tip. In a specialty restaurant there is an actual fee that can be high if you get a bottle of wine, etc. You should add 15%-20%.

The free restaurants have no tab so it is easy to walk away and forget about a tip. But remember those workers work very hard. Just throwing down a few dollars makes a big deal.

[laxlove6]

The staff in the specialty restaurants are all part of the regular pool, that is the daily charge. If they do something "special" we leave a little extra. It is unlike the Butlers etc. who do not share in the pool. The wait staff in the specialties all work in the MDR and buffet also.

 

I'm not so sure that the wait staff is the same in specialties as in the mdr. The speciality restaurants have wait staff that seems to be made of the upper level staff that have earned their positions.

[rsinj]

Some interpret the daily $12 gratuity to justify why you are not leaving a tip. In a specialty restaurant there is an actual fee that can be high if you get a bottle of wine, etc. You should add 15%-20%.

The free restaurants have no tab so it is easy to walk away and forget about a tip. But remember those workers work very hard. Just throwing down a few dollars makes a big deal.

 

Every statement you've made here is nothing more than your personal opinion. Most of it is incorrect.

 

Howard

[umpy10]

Every statement you've made here is nothing more than your personal opinion. Most of it is incorrect.

 

Howard

 

Opinions are formed by an individual's personal exposure to fact(s) and how they interpret them translates into a "personal opinion" of which they are intitled to. :p :p

 

 

cheers...the Ump...:D

[Oviedo32765]

From Norwegian's Frequently Asked Questions:

 

"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."

[ocnlvr3]

Yes we tip Andrea

[MMMD]

I haven't seen this come up so far (not that it hasn't already), but what is the expectation for tipping in the specialty restaurants? When we went, we were a bit stumped, since we're already paying extra for the meal, but ended up leaving ~20% tip anyway because the service was always excellent. Is there a standard others follow?

 

We actually treat every venue where we eat like going out to eat at a land based restaurant.

 

We tipped in the MDR's, Blue Lagoon, Specialty and Cagney's for breakfast & lunch.

The Cagney's perk was for Suite Guests.

 

None of the tips are required,but we felt it was a nice gesture because of the great service we received.

 

Some feel that the daily service charge they pay is enough.

 

Do what you feel comfortable with.

[stephenandrew]

I always have wondered what is the appropriate amount to tip. When you dine in a Specialty Restaurant you are only paying a fraction of what you would likely pay in a similar restaurant on land--e.g. Cagney's might cost $50 for 2 people, but I suspect that same meal would cost $100 to $120 in a land based restaurant. Normally, I leave 15-20% of the bill as a gratuity when we eat out. Should I tip on the price I actually paid ($50), the value of the meal (e.g. the price you would have paid on land---$100), or some other factor--just leave $10.

[che5904]

We actually treat every venue where we eat like going out to eat at a land based restaurant.

 

We tipped in the MDR's, Blue Lagoon, Specialty and Cagney's for breakfast & lunch.

The Cagney's perk was for Suite Guests.

 

None of the tips are required,but we felt it was a nice gesture because of the great service we received.

 

Some feel that the daily service charge they pay is enough.

 

Do what you feel comfortable with.

 

Very good reply.