Not eating in MDR at all, fair to remove part of gratuities?

[The Sunset Glow]

It is not "unkind".

 

The system forces you to chose a dining time and if mtd is the only one available then that's what they had to pick. Regardless of which dining option they chose, I'm sure there will always be someone that would have liked that time but didn't get it. What the cruise lines should do is add an option that allows you to select no mdr dining so those that have no intention of ever eating in the mdr dont have to select any dining time.

 

I just posted about this before I read yours:o. Obviously i agree with you.:)

[cruisebabe50]

I wonder what happened to the OP

[abridalmaven]

Not unless you plan to tip at everyplace you eat.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[tserface]

I do! :D

 

And I think you are 100% correct.

 

You probably read the label on food, too. I mean the back and not just the front. ;)

 

Gina

[sn2792]

We have been on OASIS twice and Allure once. All three times we ate in specialty restaurants every night. We have always booked MTD for these cruises and prepaid the tips. We leave the tips on because you will see these folks in other venues. It isn't that much money in relationship to the overall cost of the cruise.

 

We also add some additional tip in the specialty restaurants.

[cruisenfever]

As I recall when last I signed up for MTD, people on MTD agree to leave all tips intact; no adjustments. That is what make MTD appealing to waitstaff and the reason MTD gets good waiters.

 

If the OP has signed up for MTD, and does not eat at least one meal there during the cruise, then his gratuities will be allocated to those that work in the WJ/Specialty Restaurant.

[jamscckmc]

We never have or never will remove tips and before RC followed other lines with auto tipping we always at least tipped the reccomended amount. We have almost always given extra to the waitstaff and stateroom attendant. RC tries to keep you in the same waitstaff's section in MTD. That may be to encourage extra tips. When we were on ALLure we ate in specialty restaurants 4 nights out of seven and did have different waiters the others nights in MTD. We didn't leave extra in the MTD dining room due to different waiters each night but gave $20 extra instead at each specialty restaurant.

 

I will never understand why anyone would line up on the last night to stiff the people who took care of them the whole week to save themselves a few bucks.

It's funny how you will see the same people blowing money all week in the casino and then line up to take the tips off.

[LovesCruising]

I was waiting to see where OP would say they were eating Breakfast and Lunch

[Zigggypup]

What happened prior to the pre-paid & auto grat program? I always tipped the dining room staff and stateroom attendant in cash on the last night of the cruise. Their was never an envelope for any of the "behind the scenes" people that are now being mentioned.

[wowprincess]

If the OP has signed up for MTD, and does not eat at least one meal there during the cruise, then his gratuities will be allocated to those that work in the WJ/Specialty Restaurant.

 

Is that true of ANY seating?

 

We never eat in the MDR, MTD or otherwise. We choose to eat in the WJ. So, if we leave our tips on our account, those tips will allocate to the WJ staff??

 

How do you know this?

 

Thanks for the info.

[Eriksgarden]

Our Assistant Waiter in the MDR also bussed tables in the Windjammer. Is it fair to try and cheap out on people? No, it isn't.

[Archaegeo]

Still here.

 

We aren't cheap, thanks for calling us that thou, really helpful reply.

 

We have always tipped at least the minimum recommend and often extra.

 

We really prefer the old ways of cash envelops though, where you handed the GRATUITY to the person by hand with a thank you, and aded extra if the service warranted it.

 

We didn't even know that you can't adjust tips if you are on MTD. We really prefer early dining normally, but its just not available this time, plus we are taking our 9 mo (at the time) daughter and aren't sure when she might like to eat, so when we aren't doing a specialty (and grandparents watch her) we will probably eat suite service since you can order off the MDR menu ( but will tip RS that delivers it)

 

It is 100% not a matter of the 14.25*7 dollars, it's a matter of tipping being a thank you for good service.

 

Thanks to all who gave considered feedback.

[Archaegeo]

One other point here, this is not longer a tip if MTD cannot remove it, it is a fee and should be labeled as such.

 

My wife was a waitress, we tip well with good service, we don't mind or begrudge it, but as soon as something becomes mandatory, it's a fee, no longer a tip.

[Debde]

OP-not reading this entire thread because I know where it probably went.:rolleyes:

 

I will tell you I remove my mandatory tips and tip in cash. Makes life easy for me and I grasp that option way more then I grasp letting someone else tip for me!!

Do as you feel comfortable. If the folks that take care of you are tipped-then it's all good.

 

BTW:

I loved this site;

http://cruisetip.tpkeller.com/

[spookwife]

TBF the tips are based on 3 meals a day in the MDR.

 

 

So it's justified to remove "some" of the gratuity IMO.

 

 

no. the gratuity covers meals no matter WHERE they are eaten..

 

esp since the MDR is not even open for lunch at all on some days.

[Snookum]

Once cruise lines started getting the specialty dining my family only ate between 3 and 4 times in main dining room on a weekly cruise. However, we always left the full tips for the whole cruise, there or not. For me I always felt it was not our waiter's fault that we were not there so why should he be punished by not getting tips for that table we were assigned to and didn't show each night. That's not fair to him and that's where they really make their money....tips.

[LuckiStac13*Majesty*]

OP-not reading this entire thread because I know where it probably went.:rolleyes:

 

I will tell you I remove my mandatory tips and tip in cash. Makes life easy for me and I grasp that option way more then I grasp letting someone else tip for me!!

Do as you feel comfortable. If the folks that take care of you are tipped-then it's all good.

 

BTW:

I loved this site;

http://cruisetip.tpkeller.com/

 

Couldn't have said it better myself. And I'm also a "Windjammer for dinner" kind of girl ;)

[boaterette]

So how many of you tip at fast food restaurants where you bring your own food and drinks to the table and eat? I do not eat in the MDR and while I do eat in the windjammer I get my own food and drinks. Why should I have to tip them to wipe off the table and clear my plates? I receive no personal service from anyone in the windjammer. Why should I have to leave the tips on when I am not receiving any service? That makes no sense to me. I do tip room service people though because they are bringing me the food and drinks.

[shipshape sam]

Opinion poll....

 

On our upcoming Allure cruise, due to eating at 4 specialties and in suite the other nights most likely, we do not forsee us eating in the MDR at all.

 

We are on MTD (because early/late normal was not available), so our gratuities were prepaid when we booked the cruise. (that's a separate issue, we always pay gratuities gratefully, but do not like it being pre-applied).

 

Are we justified/ok with removing part of the gratuities from our bill? The webpage doesn't even break it down anymore, just 14.25/day/pp for our suite.

 

Again, we always tip, and often give extra for service above and beyond. And we do appreciate that the MDR service folks depend on their tips to flush out their wages.

 

We just do not see it as appropriate in tipping someone that we will never use and that will perform no service for us.

 

Your thoughts?

 

In a word 'No'

 

The same people you tip in MDR are the wait staff for breakfast and lunch at all the other ship venues during the day including the MDR for breakfast and lunch.

 

I hope they get to fix gratuities soon, which then will be a service charge and may create some other issues.

[z44212]

It doesn't mean OP is cheap (as some have insinuated). It just means the whole thing is confusing.

 

You got that right, Tom.

 

Unlike some others, I'd prefer it if tipping went away entirely. I don't want the staff to feel beholden to me for their pay. I didn't hire them. I'm not their boss.

 

At this point, I see the recommended "tip" as a service charge to cover what the cruise line should be paying their employees.

[cruzsnooze]

Opinion poll....

 

On our upcoming Allure cruise, due to eating at 4 specialties and in suite the other nights most likely, we do not forsee us eating in the MDR at all.

 

We are on MTD (because early/late normal was not available), so our gratuities were prepaid when we booked the cruise. (that's a separate issue, we always pay gratuities gratefully, but do not like it being pre-applied).

 

Are we justified/ok with removing part of the gratuities from our bill? The webpage doesn't even break it down anymore, just 14.25/day/pp for our suite.

 

Again, we always tip, and often give extra for service above and beyond. And we do appreciate that the MDR service folks depend on their tips to flush out their wages.

 

We just do not see it as appropriate in tipping someone that we will never use and that will perform no service for us.

 

Your thoughts?

You will be tipping at the specialty restaurants. Buffet service doesn't require a tip. The cabin steward would be the same, so judge what you think is fair and do what's right for your circumstances.

[SPacificbound]

Why would anyone ask a question, which implies they are asking for opinions, when obviously they do not want an opinion, but instead a debate?

 

Not eating in MDR at all, fair to remove part of gratuities?

 

 

IMHO no.

[jwm51]

Why would anyone ask a question, which implies they are asking for opinions, when obviously they do not want an opinion, but instead a debate?

 

 

EXACTLY!!!:p

 

Since you were planning on doing this from the start, why ask us?:mad:

 

Some people will go to extreme lengths to justify what they think they can get away with!!!

 

I KNOW you don't want to hear this OP, but LEAVE IT ON!!!:D

 

I know you won't, but hey I tried!!!

[UNV-IT!!!]

Why not, it's been 20 minutes or so since the last one.:rolleyes:

 

That's been my thought for last few ones. Lol

[Langley Cruisers]

 

 

Since you were planning on doing this from the start, why ask us?:mad: Some people will go to extreme lengths to justify what they think they can get away with!!! I KNOW you don't want to hear this OP, but LEAVE IT ON!!!:D I know you won't, but hey I tried!!!

 

 

 

UNBELIEVABLE. OP replied, and very graciously, in post #62 on their intention, which as it turns out, was never to cheat anyone. It is my belief s/he was asking a sincere question out of ignorance, which means they do not know - not that they are rude, in case anyone argues that point.

 

I see I'm alone here but I want to find the best in OP and so many replies here were really nasty, yours included. Wow.

 

EDITED to add this from OP's first post:

 

We just do not see it as appropriate in tipping someone that we will never use and that will perform no service for us. Your thoughts?

 

Clearly OP did not understand how tipping works if you do not dine in the MDR; our answers helped him/her to realize that all MDR staff work elsewhere onboard and just because one does not take dinner in the MDR does not mean the tips should be removed. It was a question to which many of us provided an answer, and now they can make an informed decision.

 

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