Cruise critic says about Tipping at Specialty restaurants

[cruzsnooze]

Welcome to Tipping Week at Cruise Critic. After reaching out to our readers, we received dozens of questions in the past few days regarding gratuities, and we’ll be answering a number of them in this space through Friday. Not surprisingly, one of the most common queries regarded alternative restaurants. Lileesa asked the question first on the Lido Deck blog: “How much is appropriate to tip at the pay specialty restaurant?” We’re glad you asked. So if you’re spending $30 for a porterhouse and some buttery asparagus at the alternative steakhouse, should you tip the customary 15 to 20 percent on top?

The answer is almost always no … unless you really want to.

According to spokespeople from Holland America and Norwegian Cruise Line, tips for the alternative restaurant wait staff are drawn from the auto-gratuity pool (HAL charges $11 per person, per day; Norwegian charges $12.).

The surcharges for Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean specialty restaurants already include gratuities; a slight variation, but the same result: There’s no need to pay on top.

Of course, no one’s going to stop you from filling the outstretched hand, if, as Royal Caribbean spokesman Harrison Liu says, you “feel that the staff delivered exemplary service.”

[bellclip]

I agree that tipping at specialty restaurants should not be necessary unless the service provided was extraordinary. In addition, you only have the waiter for a single meal (unless you come back); I would much rather tip a waiter I knew throughout the cruise rather than for a single meal.

[Pam in CA]

Interesting how CC never includes Princess when researching articles. However, the bottom line is the same: you don't have to tip extra. It's just like your cabin steward and dining waitstaff where if you've received service beyond the ordinary and want to, tip extra.

[Ethel5]

Interesting how CC never includes Princess when researching articles. However, the bottom line is the same: you don't have to tip extra. It's just like your cabin steward and dining waitstaff where if you've received service beyond the ordinary and want to, tip extra.

 

I agree! CC treats Princess like the "red headed step kid!"

[truckmaker]

We generally tip $10 or $20 depending on how pleased we were with the service and in the recent past this has paid dividends in spades. The occasiion was on the Ocean Princess and we tipped the head waiter $10, I think. On the little ships the steak house and Sabitini's are open on alternate nights. A couple of nights later we were in Sabitini's and the same guy practically carried us to our table on a litter. We had execellent service and he followed up with a thnak you card and greeted us all over the ship every time we saw him later. Made us think we had tipped too much but we certainly made his day and he made our cruise much more special. We would do that agin.

[DrivesLikeMario]

I'm glad they've covered this topic, but wish they had included Princess as well. I'm also glad they've removed some of the pressure some people feel that they should tip heavily in these venues. It's totally up to you - we like to tip but others don't - to each his own.

[gertz]

We have always tip. We pay little attention to what others do.

[Iamcruzin]

I did tip in the past but now with the cut backs and quality of food you get in the MDR on some lines you almost have to eat in the Specialty restaurant. Princess is the exception to the rule as the MDR still serves a good meal. If the cruise lines are going to cheap out so will I.

[hughdm]

We always tip $20 or so. We always have enjoyed excellent service and this is a drop in our cruise expense bucket.

[Treven]

I always leave a $20 cash tip whenever I eat in one of the speciality restaurants. I'm well aware that I don't have to.

[fishywood]

Interesting how CC never includes Princess when researching articles. However, the bottom line is the same: you don't have to tip extra. It's just like your cabin steward and dining waitstaff where if you've received service beyond the ordinary and want to, tip extra.

 

I would definitely say that Princess regulars are wise enough to know that it is optional and to decide for themselves if or not it is deserved. The warning in that article is very necessary for those sailing RC and X; on my first-and-last cruises on them there was very aggressive promotion of the 'additional tip' line from everyone from pool boys to sommeliers and the entire staff of the specialty restaurants.

 

I always leave a $20 cash tip whenever I eat in one of the speciality restaurants. I'm well aware that I don't have to.

 

I don't claim to have inside information on this, but I believe it is a much greater reward for your server to charge the tip to your onboard account along with the cover charge. One of the metrics food & beverage servers are graded on when being considered for their next contract is the percentage of chits that have additional tips added. Cash tips score no recognition with the bosses, which can be more valuable than money.

[pris993]

We something tip an extra $5 for a speciality restaurant meal... feeling that the surcharge is covering it already.

 

We also tip a couple of dollars when we ask for ice water or coffee in bars or something special at the buffet.

 

We tip our MDR staff and room steward extra if service is outstanding if not we just leave the auto tip on.

[Treven]

...

I don't claim to have inside information on this, but I believe it is a much greater reward for your server to charge the tip to your onboard account along with the cover charge. One of the metrics food & beverage servers are graded on when being considered for their next contract is the percentage of chits that have additional tips added. Cash tips score no recognition with the bosses, which can be more valuable than money.

Neither do I. However my rational for leaving a cash tip is if I simply add a tip to the restaurant's "bill", that amount just goes into the pool and my waiter will see a small portion of it. By leaving him/her cash, that amount goes into their pocket.

[Holomoku]

If the service was superior, we try to find the server the next day and personally hand them the tip for the previous evening. This just seems so much nicer to us, rather than just cold cash on the table.;)

 

 

Also, we were informed on the last cruise by several employees that yes we can fill out the "Appreciation Cards" at the end of the cruise for each person that made a difference, but they said, the better way to do it is online. The cards seem to stay with the ship and not move to Corporate, but the online surveys go to Corporate where their (the employee's) future is determined. We did fill out some of the cards, but made sure to go and do it online also!:D

[Belle]

That when these "Speciality Restaurants"

started on the different cruuse lines they said...

..the meals are free, the fee is for your servers tips.

 

So just up to you what you want to do at

the moment...how you feel about everything.

I have and have not given a tip.

 

Always tip extra in MDR and to Room Steward.

Never had bad service in the mdr or with rs

on princess.

[Mara4166]

I agree that tipping at specialty restaurants should not be necessary unless the service provided was extraordinary. In addition, you only have the waiter for a single meal (unless you come back); I would much rather tip a waiter I knew throughout the cruise rather than for a single meal.

 

Do you tip when you go to a restaurant on land and only have a waiter for a single meal? I do not see any difference between going to a land based restaurant and a ship based speciality restaurant. I tip in both situations if I receive good service.

 

I was not aware they were part of the tipping pool. I assumed the fee covered a basic tip. We always tip a bit on top of the fee assuming the service is good.

[Iamcruzin]

Do you tip when you go to a restaurant on land and only have a waiter for a single meal? I do not see any difference between going to a land based restaurant and a ship based speciality restaurant. I tip in both situations if I receive good service.

The difference is the land based restaurant is not charging you and automated tip up front and the wait staff often don't even make minimum wage so they basically work for tips.

 

I was not aware they were part of the tipping pool. I assumed the fee covered a basic tip. We always tip a bit on top of the fee assuming the service is good.

I have never received bad service even in AT dining. This question is to everyone on this thread who tip because they received extra special service.What special service have you received in the specialty restaurant that you haven't received in the MDR?

[Coral]

That when these "Speciality Restaurants"

started on the different cruuse lines they said...

..the meals are free, the fee is for your servers tips.

 

 

Yes! The Speciality Restaurants were like $6.00 or so which paid the tip......

[joybook]

I have covered this before on other threads where tipping is raised - just be aware. I have been told by Princess staff themselves that cash tips given to them are not able to be kept by them. The cash tips they receive must go into the pool. If they don't and they are found to be keeping the cash tips they face instant dismissal. On that rationale why give cash tips at all?:)

[notentirelynormal]

I have covered this before on other threads where tipping is raised - just be aware. I have been told by Princess staff themselves that cash tips given to them are not able to be kept by them. The cash tips they receive must go into the pool. If they don't and they are found to be keeping the cash tips they face instant dismissal. On that rationale why give cash tips at all?:)

 

This is only true if you remove the auto tipping. Otherwise they get to keep it.

[nhcruiser]

 

ALL wait staff are part of the same tipping pool that each passenger pays into each day of the cruise. The staff in the Main Dining Room, the Horizon Buffett, Steak House or the Hot Dog Stand get the same “passenger paid percentage” added to their base salary.

If you believe the cruise lines, the extra fee in the specialty venues goes directly to those waiters selected to work there because they offer superior service so they get a plumb assignment.

Those passengers that tip extra in the specialty restaurant are being played by the specialty wait staff for extra cash. Sort of like being charged a “tip included charge” for groups of eight or more in a land restaurant and then adding a tip on top of the tip the waiter has figured into the bill. Go ahead and tip 40% or more if you have the money to burn! You can bet you will make the waiter's day!

[Coral]

I have covered this before on other threads where tipping is raised - just be aware. I have been told by Princess staff themselves that cash tips given to them are not able to be kept by them. The cash tips they receive must go into the pool. If they don't and they are found to be keeping the cash tips they face instant dismissal. On that rationale why give cash tips at all?:)

 

They informed me on my last cruise, if we left auto-tipping on and gave the speciality restaurants a cash tip, they could keep it. If we added the tip to the receipt, it would be shared.

[Treven]

This is only true if you remove the auto tipping. Otherwise they get to keep it.

Exactly.

[OCruisers]

We almost always tip $20 ca$h in specialty restaurants!

 

Certainly, we know we don't have to ... we want to! :D

 

LuLu

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[Mom33]

They informed me on my last cruise, if we left auto-tipping on and gave the speciality restaurants a cash tip, they could keep it. If we added the tip to the receipt, it would be shared.

 

This is what we have been told also. We leave a cash tip, personally handed to the waiter or waitress in the specialty restaurants, if service was special.

Even when we are out to dinner on land and are in a group of 6 or more and the restaurant automatically puts an 18% tip on the bill, if we had super service, we add more.