room service tipping

[zimmerjulie]

I tip for room service whether there is an automatic tip pool, tips in envelopes at the end of the cruise, no tips required policy, or whatever. It is only a couple of bucks and I feel it is a respectful way to say "thank you" to someone who provided me special personal service.

[ninafromct]

Tomct,

As to the basic question, I've only ordered breakfast for 4 or dinner for 2 on other cruises, and each time I tipped $5.00. I never just ordered coffee.

No tagline, on the grounds that it may incriminate me.

[newmexicoNita]

The amount of the tip for us breaks down to :$1.00 for coffee or ice and $2-$4.00 for breakfast or late snacks in afternoon. We have never ordered room service for lunch as the buffets and sandwhich bars, which every single cruise ship offers, evern NCL has to be better than what room service has to offer selection wise. Take that back, we did order from Carnival cause believe it or not the dining room was not open that day.Celebrity was no better than NCL, Carnival about the same as the first 2 and RCL offered even less. Cecelia, normally I agree with everyting you say or nearly, but until a few years ago ever line we cruised closed the dining room at least one day if not 2 for lunch. These were in the days when breakfasts were also early or late seating, lunch would be open seating but closed on the days in port with very long shore excursions. This was just our experience. I can't vouch for Princess or HAL as we have never cruised either line and we didn't try to use the dining room for lunch all that often on Celebrity. They were open the days we tried.

NMNita

ps: I am always amazed at how we can hand or slip a little extra to someone who has given us outstanding service and they have to share with everyone else. Who is watching this transaction? The hidden camera in our room God forbid! or all the spys all over the ship. If you haven't gathered by now I am not the most gullible person in the world and do not believe for one second these tips are reported.

Commodore 1984, Costa 1985, RCL 1987, Chandris 1989, NCL 1989, Commodore, 1991, NCL 1997, Carnival 1997, Carnival 1998,NCL 1998, NCL 1999, RCL 2000, RCL 2000, NCL 2002,NCL 2003, Celebrity 2003, NCL 2004

[tamil121]

I am confused do the room service people get any of the automatic tip or are they excluded. If they do not I do not think that is right.........If the do.......then it is not right they get a share of the automatic tip and extra from room service.

[zimmerjulie]

There seem to be conflicting answers about whether they are included in the auto tip pool or not. Also, conflicting reports/opinions on whether or not extra tips given by hand must be pooled.

What I do is leave my auto tips in place as the minimum, tip extra in cash to those who have gone above-and-beyond, and trust that the great service will be rewarded by them either keeping the extra money or getting benefits from contributing more to the pool. I have read that those who pull in extra tips by giving great service get extra recognition (professional and personal) by their superiors and co-workers. This can result in a higher rating at review time and a higher percentage of the tips based on merit.

There was a post written by NCL clarifiying the policy that stated that if you leave your auto tips in place, any additional money distributed to crew members could be kept by them. I don't see how the room service worker would know whether you kept your auto tips in place or not. Too many questions to ponder, so I just do my part the way I personally think is right.

In addition, I always write a comment card with specific names and examples of the excellent service I received. This is much appreciated.

[Host CMLA]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by newmexicoNita:
...but until a few years ago ever line we cruised closed the dining room at least one day if not 2 for lunch. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Really? That seems so odd to me. I've done 11 cruises with NCL and never seen all the dining rooms closed for lunch or breakfast. Sailed on RCI in January and they never closed every dining room either. I guess I got lucky.

[eric-n-beth]

Host Cecilia: Have you been on the ship during port days to have lunch? This is when they were closed on Princess. NCL was closed as well during our 2001 cruise. I'm not sure about our Sun cruise this past March. We ate a few of our noon meals in port,so I wouldn't know if the dining rooms were closed or not.

Julie: I agree with your above posting. [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img] My DH and I feel 10/day for tipping is not a lot considering what we would pay for a land based vacation in tips. We tip all persons who do service for us in addition to the $10 auto tip. Then again both my husband and I were previously in the service industry. [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]

Eric and Beth

Seaward (Norwegian Sea) - Southern Caribbean - 1995
Norway - Eastern Caribbean - 2001
Sea Princess - Mexican Riviera - 2002
Norwegian Sun - Western Caribbean - 2004

Hoping our next cruise is in:

[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00FF00&prgb=FF0000&cdt=2005;05;21;06;00;00&timezone=EST-0300[/img]

[SecondMate]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by eric-n-beth:
My DH and I feel 10/day for tipping is not a lot considering what we would pay for a land based vacation in tips.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

That's absolutely right. All this quibbling over a dollar or two astounds me. If you can't afford to/are too cheap to take care of the room service staff, don't order room service.

[newmexicoNita]

I agree $10 per day is nothing when you consider the type of meals you are getting. If you even went to an Outback Steakhouse you would spend at least $30.00 not counting drinks and no appitizers. That's a $6.00 tip at least which would be $3.00 per person. Now you add the hotel house keeping, 2 more meals, plus anything extra and you are way over $10.00. Most of us can be assured the service and quality of dinner is a little better than Outback for certain:; even if you think not, add dessert and appitizers to that $30.00 dinner and you are up to $50.00 or more. I am not counting drinks as they are automatically charged a 15% tip. Long story, good service on in a restaurant similar to what you get on a ship would be close to $10 per person tip just for dinner. And yes, Cecelia, many ships do close for lunch during port days. We just don't realize it as we eat either on shore or upon getting back to the ship later which does mean the buffet. At least this has been our experience. I will check it out on the next cruise. NMNita

Commodore 1984, Costa 1985, RCL 1987, Chandris 1989, NCL 1989, Commodore, 1991, NCL 1997, Carnival 1997, Carnival 1998,NCL 1998, NCL 1999, RCL 2000, RCL 2000, NCL 2002,NCL 2003, Celebrity 2003, NCL 2004

[Host CMLA]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by eric-n-beth:
Host Cecilia: Have you been on the ship during port days to have lunch? This is when they were closed on Princess. NCL was closed as well during our 2001 cruise. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>The only time I've ever not eaten lunch on the ship was when I was on a European cruise or the South American cruise. There were usually tours that took all day. If the dining rooms were indeed closed during any of those cruises I never heard any rumblings from other passengers and I never noticed it on the Freestyle Daily. Hmmm...I've never seen it happen but I guess closing the dining room is a common thing.

[ron46936]

One of the things I find enjoyable and unusual about NCL is opening the dining room for lunch on embarkation day. Most other lines only offer a buffet at that time. We enjoy being able to enjoy a leisurely meal instead of bustling thru a line with all the "keyed up" people on boarding day.

[newmexicoNita]

Ron, you are right and sometimes you make your first new friends at that very lunch.

NMNIta

Commodore 1984, Costa 1985, RCL 1987, Chandris 1989, NCL 1989, Commodore, 1991, NCL 1997, Carnival 1997, Carnival 1998,NCL 1998, NCL 1999, RCL 2000, RCL 2000, NCL 2002,NCL 2003, Celebrity 2003, NCL 2004

[johnql]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by zimmerjulie:
I tip for room service whether there is an automatic tip pool, tips in envelopes at the end of the cruise, no tips required policy, or whatever. It is only a couple of bucks and I feel it is a respectful way to say "thank you" to someone who provided me special personal service.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
My sentiments exactly!