Tips for the Specialty Restaurants

[Riba]

If we want to go to one of these restaurants, how do we pay? Is it put on our room card and what about tipping. Do we tip separate in cash or is this also put on the card? Thanks for any information!

[See_again]

If we want to go to one of these restaurants, how do we pay? Is it put on our room card and what about tipping. Do we tip separate in cash or is this also put on the card? Thanks for any information!

 

Your room card will be charged incl additional tips, if you like. You have to sign the bill and there you can give an additional tip.

[NMLady]

The meal charge is put on your shipboard account.

We didn't always tip -- depended on the quality of the service.

When we did tip we folded the cash and gave it directly to the server.

[Clay Clayton]

As usual Mary Kay is the smart one...if you want to tip a specific server, you need to give it to them in cash...if it goes on your on board account, it gets folded into the ship wide program and the server will end up seeing 1/878ths or ever how many workers are in the program. We have always gotten a big smile and thank you for a five or ten.

[roger001]

As others have said, additional tips are optional. Those servers are part of the daily service charge program. However, I usually give a five, because it's usually well deserved. Many persons don't tip extra at all which is certainly ok too.

[rvsullivan]

As usual Mary Kay is the smart one...if you want to tip a specific server, you need to give it to them in cash...if it goes on your on board account, it gets folded into the ship wide program and the server will end up seeing 1/878ths or ever how many workers are in the program. We have always gotten a big smile and thank you for a five or ten.

 

When did this start? Our last 4-5 cruises, both the staff and HD told us that if you were paying DSC while on board, the tip went to the server whose number was on your check. We always added on to our check at specialty dining and were assured it went to the servers. The staff in specialty dining are the same ones that work in MDR and other venues and take turns serving in specialty restaurants. Maybe this is something new???

[KeithJenner]

When did this start? Our last 4-5 cruises, both the staff and HD told us that if you were paying DSC while on board, the tip went to the server whose number was on your check. We always added on to our check at specialty dining and were assured it went to the servers. The staff in specialty dining are the same ones that work in MDR and other venues and take turns serving in specialty restaurants. Maybe this is something new???

 

That's my understanding as well. If anyone has any evidence that I is wrong then I'd be interested to hear it.

 

I'd be disappointed to know that any extra tips I've ever added to bar or restaurant bills hasn't been given to the server. On every occasion I was tipping them specifically.

[Clay Clayton]

Just reporting what our server on Jade told us in 2008 when we went to add a tip to the slip because she had been so wonderful....she told us not to bother. We didn't have any cash then....but we did stop by the next day and slip her some.

[Azure Moon]

I'd go along with what James (ohioNCLcruiser) wrote in post #36 of the following thread - http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1640969.

 

When we tip in the specialty restaurants, we give cash if we have some on us, otherwise we add it to our payment slip. Either way, the personnel seemed happy to receive the additional tip. In addition to the extra tip, we also fill out STYLE cards for the terrific service they gave us.

[Us2inFL]

As usual Mary Kay is the smart one...if you want to tip a specific server, you need to give it to them in cash...if it goes on your on board account, it gets folded into the ship wide program and the server will end up seeing 1/878ths or ever how many workers are in the program. We have always gotten a big smile and thank you for a five or ten.

 

The real information is:

 

Specialty restaurants

-The cover charge does not go towards the staff, not even a small % of it.

-When you tip on your bill, that gets divided between your waiter and their assistant waiter. It does not go into the general pool.

If you tip the server in cash, it would be their responsibiity to provide a portion to their assistant.

 

In the US, servers prefer cash because a lot of it can remain "unreported income" but when it's tagged onto a credit card it is added to their earned income for tips.... don't know what protocol is for off-shore cruise line payroll departments.

[Clay Clayton]

Like I said, just reporting on what the server told us.

[bob brown]

. The staff in specialty dining are the same ones that work in MDR and other venues and take turns serving in specialty restaurants.

 

I am surprised to hear this. I don't dispute what you are saying, as I do not know, but I would assume that server's in the top restaurants would be carefully selected and highly trained or experienced, or have 'seniority', if that counts for anything for the staff....:confused:

[Us2inFL]

I believe the selected staff in the specialty restaurants also work in other venues.

 

I don't think "everyone gets a turn" doing it.

[KeithJenner]

The person serving me at Modernos recently was working in the Buffet the next day, so it seems that they do move around a bit.