Rci auto tipping

[FLACRUISER99]

Some of you seem to be confusing the maître-d with the head waiter.

 

The maître-d oversees the entire dining room, arranges the sitting plan, assigns the wait teams, etc. He is not included in the tip.

 

A Head Waiter is assigned to a smaller section of the dining room, and is responsible for the tables and the wait teams in that area. He is very hands-on, although much of his work is behind the scenes facilitating the work of the wait teams in his area. He handles any issues or problems that arise. They do some of the set-up for your wait team. Etc. Some are more social than others, stopping by the tables nightly, and others just make a short appearance to ask if everything is to your satisfaction. They are also assigned to parts of the buffet for breakfast and lunch. If your dining service runs smoothly, then the Head Waiter did his job - even if it isn't totally visible to you. He is included in the suggested gratuities.

 

A ship may have 10-15 Head Waiters depending on its size. So, the person who did the math and determined that the Head Waiter gets 1/4 Million Dollars in tips a year did not take into account that there are many head waiters on a ship, and did not divide that total amongst them.

How does the Dinning Room Manager fit into this? I'm asking this because on one ship he acted like a Head Waiter but his name tag said Dinning Room Manager, maybe he was filling in for someone.

[vacation_junkie]

Some of you seem to be confusing the maître-d with the head waiter.

 

The maître-d oversees the entire dining room, arranges the sitting plan, assigns the wait teams, etc. He is not included in the tip.

 

A Head Waiter is assigned to a smaller section of the dining room, and is responsible for the tables and the wait teams in that area. He is very hands-on, although much of his work is behind the scenes facilitating the work of the wait teams in his area. He handles any issues or problems that arise. They do some of the set-up for your wait team. Etc. Some are more social than others, stopping by the tables nightly, and others just make a short appearance to ask if everything is to your satisfaction. They are also assigned to parts of the buffet for breakfast and lunch. If your dining service runs smoothly, then the Head Waiter did his job - even if it isn't totally visible to you. He is included in the suggested gratuities.

 

A ship may have 10-15 Head Waiters depending on its size. So, the person who did the math and determined that the Head Waiter gets 1/4 Million Dollars in tips a year did not take into account that there are many head waiters on a ship, and did not divide that total amongst them.

 

Prior to Dec 2011 you would tip the Maître D' on Carnival via the envelope in left in your stateroom.

 

At that time (Dec 2011) the Maître D' was from the gratuity system.

Edited July 17, 2014 by vacation_junkie

[alfaeric]

Prior to Dec 2011 you would tip the Maître D' on Carnival via the envelope in left in your stateroom.

 

At that time (Dec 2011) the Maître D' was from the gratuity system.

 

good to know, for people who sail on Carnival....

 

But that's not what happens on the RCI ships. Theres your stateroom attendant, assistant waiter, waiter, and head waiter that get tips automatically with this or even the pre-paid system.

 

Not sure why people bring up the Maitre D/dining room manager into this particular conversation- not part of the auto tip program.

[FLACRUISER99]

good to know, for people who sail on Carnival....

 

But that's not what happens on the RCI ships. Theres your stateroom attendant, assistant waiter, waiter, and head waiter that get tips automatically with this or even the pre-paid system.

 

Not sure why people bring up the Maitre D/dining room manager into this particular conversation- not part of the auto tip program.

So the Maître D' is the dining room manager? On Raphsody Rahj was the dining room manager, at least that what it said on his name tag. Was on the ship for 36 days and he came by our table every night. I never saw a Head Waiter in our section. We were very close to the Captains table and I'm just curious as he was the best, most accommodating head waiter I ever had. He did get a very generous tip.

[EmpressofPurple]

Cruising Pet Peeve #1

Maitre D' that only comes by once with a fake smile and makes small talk only because he has to... then stands with his hand out on the last night of the cruise!! :cool:

 

Maybe I'm old fashioned... I actually miss staff "expecting" to have their tips given to them in their hands on the last night!

 

We've become so automated, automatic, auto-tip, order food online (why talk to a human?), book your flight online, pre-reserve your dining, excursions, etc., etc.... this was something from "before my time" (and out of my class experience) and I remember feeling sort of nervous and excited and grown-up the first time I actually had to put an envelope with cash (based on the information provided to me in my pre-cruise paperwork) into someone's hand!

 

It was in the late 90s, on the Big Red Boat... I was a single mother of two young children, and this was certainly my first experience of this level of service... I read all of the pre-cruise information, and was prepared to provide the tips on the last night... it wasn't "phony smiles" it was the proper way to extend gratitude... we all had a role to play, it was spelled out clearly, and we followed the script without griping that it was "fake" or "we want to tip who we want to tip" or "tips are given not taken"...

 

They were definitely expected, and it would have been truly low-class to skip out on dinner the last night to avoid the tips (although back then there was no where else to eat, which made that harder unless you ordered room service!!) ... with the multitude of eating options in modern cruising, and the MTD schedule, I understand the reason for instituting auto-tipping -- although, like the OP, I see NO reason that you should have to pay for this BEFORE boarding the ship... or why you should pay in advance for dining or shore excursions, either! I believe Princess lets you book in advance and then pay once you're onboard, unless they've changed that practice...

 

Now, I rely on the auto-tip to be sufficient, tip extra if I feel like it (rarely) or for special services rendered... but I do kinda miss the old days, looking someone in the eye, saying thank you for your service, and shaking their hand while giving them an envelope expressing your thanks...

[Langley Cruisers]

Cruising Pet Peeve #1

Maitre D' that only comes by once with a fake smile and makes small talk only because he has to... then stands with his hand out on the last night of the cruise!! :cool:

 

That doesn't happen on Royal with the auto tips in place now. And as someone else mentioned, that has also never happened to us.

 

Carnival Glory, Carnival Dream were the worst for this.... The Head Waiter on our last Disney Magic sailing was the worse yet...

 

I see you are about to go on your first RCI cruise. I'm sure you will find the service and the product are wonderful, and that the issue you have in this thread on other cruise lines will not be an issue here.

.

[fishtaco]

Good day cruisers, I have a question with regard to the mandatory daily tipping added to your seapass card. I'm fine with that. Everyone who works so hard deserves their fair share....

 

Why then, if tips have now become "mandatory'', do people using My Time Dining, need to pay in advance of the cruise? :confused: I could understand it before the auto daily tipping, so no one gets cheated out of a tip. But now, no one will since it's automatically added to the seapass. Makes no sense whatsorever...

 

The Matre D' comes by once in a while except the last night. Why does HE need to be included in the tip pool? I'm sure he gets a good salary.

 

OK, I've vented. All feedback is appreciated.

 

 

 

Have a good day:)

 

Tips or gratuities are not mandatory on RCI as explained by others:) But-

 

My Time Dining was becoming very popular and with many USA cruisers preferring to pay cash tips over ships gratuities and with some US and non US customers paying nothing the MTD staff were not receiving there recommended or full gratuity because having different waiters each night with some didnt always warrant the full gratuity amount and by an ever growing number of cruisers due to no re pore being achieved with staff as is the case with Traditional Dinning.

 

Pre Paid grats for MTD,s was introduced so gratuity amounts could still be met for MTD even when those choosing MTD dont want to tip.

 

Those choosing Traditional Dinning can stop the daily gratuities or get it reversed but those pre paying gratuities cannont stop or get a refund whilst onboard because monies paid to RCI head office (as pre paid Grats are) must be claimed back through head office "in most instances" as the ship does not have access to head office accounts.

 

Cruisers are far less likely to dispute or ask for refund of gratuities from head office after a cruise has ended because genuine reasons for refund would need to be explained then addressed.

 

It also simply puts paid to cruisers who decide MTD is an easy way of not tipping;)

 

My next RCI cruise booked from Australia I had to pay "Pre Paid" Gratuities even though I chose Traditional dinning not My Time Dinning, MDR dinning is also my preference in C&A.This does not bother me as i will pay my grats one way or another.

 

A huge percentage of cruisers these days are first time cruisers with a focus on Family cruising couple this with non USA style tipping cultures many still simply opt out and choose to pay zero tips or gratuities. In Australia Australian based Cruiselines now include Gratuities in the initial price of the cruise fare but RCI is only a seasonal visitor with its ships so cannot do the same as all year round cruiselines do.

 

I can of course call RCI head office and request my Pre Paid Grats are removed because I have chosen Traditional Dinning so therefore need not pre pay,but what would be my reason given for removing my pre paid gratuities:confused:

Edited July 18, 2014 by fishtaco

[Coralc]

Good day cruisers, I have a question with regard to the mandatory daily tipping added to your seapass card. I'm fine with that. Everyone who works so hard deserves their fair share....

 

Why then, if tips have now become "mandatory'', do people using My Time Dining, need to pay in advance of the cruise? :confused: I could understand it before the auto daily tipping, so no one gets cheated out of a tip. But now, no one will since it's automatically added to the seapass. Makes no sense whatsorever...

 

The Matre D' comes by once in a while except the last night. Why does HE need to be included in the tip pool? I'm sure he gets a good salary.

 

OK, I've vented. All feedback is appreciated.

 

Have a good day:)

 

EDIT: Please disregard my post...I missed the "need" to pay in advance. I don't know why either.

Edited July 18, 2014 by Coralc

[DebJ14]

Prior to Dec 2011 you would tip the Maître D' on Carnival via the envelope in left in your stateroom.

 

At that time (Dec 2011) the Maître D' was from the gratuity system.

 

Carnival changed that. The Maitre D' is salaried now, not reliant on tips. We are friends with one Maitre D on Carnival and he said he makes so much less now that he does not get tips that he is looking for another job on land.

 

On RCCL we always pre-pay the gratuities as we consider them to be part of the cost of the cruise. We also pay a higher amount because we stay in a suite. The Concierge and bar waiters in the CL are not in the tip pool, so they have to be taken care of too.

 

On top of that we tip extra in cash to the room steward, MDR waiter and assistant, Head Waiter and we always tip extra to those who wait on us in the specialty restaurants at dinner as well as those who wait on us in Chops at breakfast and lunch. The extra four to five hundred dollars in tips pales in comparison to what we paid for the cruise.

 

They work so hard and such long hours on the ship that I would feel guilty if I cheaped out on the gratuities. On our upcoming cruise with the family the extra cash tips we will give will only be about 5% of the cruise fare.

 

Unfortunately, on all cruise lines we have watched the staff get stiffed by people who don't tip. Hopefully, few know they can remove the auto tipping. The worst was on an 11 day cruise on the Splendor of the Seas. We were at the table with a family from Israel who spoke very little English and had no idea they were supposed to tip and with another couple who routinely showed the waiter and busboy the expensive jewelry they bought in port. Then, the last night of the cruise they snuck out while the waiter was getting desserts for everyone. They never came back. We saw them later in the casino and they admitted they spent so much on jewelry and other stuff in the ports that they had no cash left and their credit cards were maxed out. I was furious and told them in no uncertain terms they were lowlifes for doing that to the waiters. We had superb service the entire cruise.

Edited July 18, 2014 by DebJ14

[Merion_Mom]

That is, on a six month contract, over $240,000 in tips alone on the smallest (based on number of berths) ships in the RCI fleet (Splendor and Legend)...and that is based on it sailing at only 100% capacity and RCI averages around 103% if I remember correctly.

 

I would be willing to bet there are millions of people who would gladly work 16 hour days, seven days a week for 6 months for that total on top of a small contract salary.

 

PLEASE share your arithmetic. I think that you are insane. And I mean that in the nicest way.

 

:)

[robandana]

So Freedom of the Seas holds 3600 PAX at $.75 day tip for 7 days is $18,900per cruise that's collected in tips plus any extras given.... (always assuming everyone tips) This is almost $500,000 every 6 months....:eek:

 

If there are 15 head waiters aboard that's $1260 each week for each head waiter....or $32,760 per 6 month contract plus the base wage they make and please note that all of this is tax free!

 

If there are 10 head waiters aboard that's $1890 each week for each head waiter....or $49,140 per 6 month contract plus the base wage they make and please note that all of this is tax free!

 

I think....:D

[momof3cruisers]

On what ship and sailing date did this happen on??I have been on 82 cruises and this never has happened to me!

 

Seriously? You have lucked out IMO. Back when you got the little envelopes in your room, didn't you generally get one for the Maitre'D? We always did. The worst by far was the MD on my first NCL cruise. He was very obviously there the last night looking for his tip.

[Clarea]

Seriously? You have lucked out IMO. Back when you got the little envelopes in your room, didn't you generally get one for the Maitre'D? We always did. The worst by far was the MD on my first NCL cruise. He was very obviously there the last night looking for his tip.

We never got an envelope for the Maitre D'. We did get an envelope for the Head Waiter.

[FLACRUISER99]

Seriously? You have lucked out IMO. Back when you got the little envelopes in your room, didn't you generally get one for the Maitre'D? We always did. The worst by far was the MD on my first NCL cruise. He was very obviously there the last night looking for his tip.

Did he have his hand out?:rolleyes: In my defense I only have 5 cruises on NCL and if I had an envelope I would of just handed to the Maitre'D without waiting for him to put his hand out.

[fishtaco]

EDIT: Please disregard my post...I missed the "need" to pay in advance. I don't know why either.

 

 

I think its just because they can:confused: And mainly to stop gratuity removal which I believe would become rife with MTD if not pre paid.

 

If Gratuities were tips though then why would you still need to pre pay the stewards part of the gratuity for MTD? Dinning options have nothing to do with house keeping?

 

I still think the Australian way is much better! include all Grats in the total price at booking and staff will be very happy if you tip some extra but still happy if you dont:) I am sure this will eventually become a cruise standard and we are just the "Testing Grounds";) I am also sure that the many who choose pre paid anyway would not mind this system either:)

[HopingForFun333]

Hi,

We were on our first cruise recently, but did not use our MTD until late in the 12 day cruise. We had not made reservations so were happy elsewhere to begin with, getting our bearings so to speak.:)

 

We were suprised when during the later part of the cruise we received a telephone call in our cabin saying we hadn't visited the main dining room and they hoped all was ok. This may be usual practice of course but to us as new cruisers we were quite impressed. That encouraged us to try the main dining room and we were impressed with the welcome we received and the excellent waiter and assistant waiter ( Rohul and Berkay ).

 

We tipped them both on the last evening of course but having read these posts feel we may have missed others we should have recognised.

 

The lady who welcomed us to the dining room always remembered our cabin number and gave us a great table for two near the window ( as we requested ) appeared to be in charge, allocating tables etc, also someone who may have been a head waiter welcomed us but never came to the table etc....we assumed they would be in a salaried role who would not expect any further tip. But...were we wrong?.....

 

We would appreciate input on this...we realise we are new to this and as such the heirarchy in the dining room is new to us as well:confused:. We are on the Independence later in the year so would like to understand this rather complicated area.

Thanks for any advice

[LMaxwell]

Even RCI can't tell you WHY they charge MTD tips ahead of time instead of onboard like others. If you have traditional dining and have OBC, you can use OBC to tip. If you have MTD and have OBC you can not use the OBC for a tip. You must part with your money 2.5 months + ahead of time.

 

It is unfair and inequitable; especially when they push MTD on you when you book.

 

Go ahead, ring up RCI and ask WHY it is this way and you'll get a canned speech worthy of a politician. :rolleyes:

[Adayatatime]

Hi,

We were on our first cruise recently, but did not use our MTD until late in the 12 day cruise. We had not made reservations so were happy elsewhere to begin with, getting our bearings so to speak.:)

 

We were suprised when during the later part of the cruise we received a telephone call in our cabin saying we hadn't visited the main dining room and they hoped all was ok. This may be usual practice of course but to us as new cruisers we were quite impressed. That encouraged us to try the main dining room and we were impressed with the welcome we received and the excellent waiter and assistant waiter ( Rohul and Berkay ).

 

We tipped them both on the last evening of course but having read these posts feel we may have missed others we should have recognised.

 

The lady who welcomed us to the dining room always remembered our cabin number and gave us a great table for two near the window ( as we requested ) appeared to be in charge, allocating tables etc, also someone who may have been a head waiter welcomed us but never came to the table etc....we assumed they would be in a salaried role who would not expect any further tip. But...were we wrong?.....

 

We would appreciate input on this...we realise we are new to this and as such the heirarchy in the dining room is new to us as well:confused:. We are on the Independence later in the year so would like to understand this rather complicated area.

Thanks for any advice

 

You had already paid your tips in advance as you have to with MTD.

[MOSusan]

We have always had very attentive Head Waiters who helped our servers each night. Our daughter missed dinner one night due to a pretty bad sunburn and ordered room service instead. She had cheesecake from the room service menu that she loved. The next night when she looked at the dessert menu, she was disappointed to find no cheesecake offered. Our Head waiter told her if that is what you want, that is what you will have. He made a special trip to bring her the cheesecake that she wanted and did so on more than one night.

 

They also seem to be around on lobster night to help cut remove the lobster meat from the shell (not sure it is a shell but I couldn't think of what to call it.)

 

Anyway - we are thankful for the wonderful service we have received from most all Head Waiters on Royal.

[awhcruiser]

Why is this an issue? We will be prepaying. Not going to the trouble to deny the Maitre'D his $1.25 a day tip or anyone else for that matter. Prepaying assures tips are paid.

Good day cruisers, I have a question with regard to the mandatory daily tipping added to your seapass card. I'm fine with that. Everyone who works so hard deserves their fair share....

 

Why then, if tips have now become "mandatory'', do people using My Time Dining, need to pay in advance of the cruise? :confused: I could understand it before the auto daily tipping, so no one gets cheated out of a tip. But now, no one will since it's automatically added to the seapass. Makes no sense whatsorever...

 

The Matre D' comes by once in a while except the last night. Why does HE need to be included in the tip pool? I'm sure he gets a good salary.

 

OK, I've vented. All feedback is appreciated.

 

Have a good day:)

Edited July 25, 2014 by awhcruiser

[HopingForFun333]

Thanks Adayatatime,

Yes I realise we had paid automatically with MTD but many seem to tip on top so to speak, and anyway we were happy to give our waiter team a little extra. It's just this ' headwaiter, dining room manager ' etc thing makes it complicated. We are happy with the auto gratuities just feeling our feet so to speak.

[LMaxwell]

Don't be so stressed. Tip extra if you want. Don't if you don't.

[Guest maddycat]

I've done that on several cruises because I had a huge amount of OBC. I figured as a solo cruiser it would be easy to just add one more person to MTD. It worked fine the first two times (even though I had to stand in those awful dining room lines the first afternoon) but the third time I could not get into MTD even though I had the concierge trying to get it for me.

 

So I've decided that I am going to book and pay for MTD and take the 5% hit on my OBC and withdraw the money in cash. For a seven day cruise that will cost $4.20/pp. IMO well worth the money for getting rid of the anxiety, being able to pre-reserve tables, and not wasting time the first day waiting in dining lines.

 

That's what we do.

[momof3cruisers]

Did he have his hand out?:rolleyes: In my defense I only have 5 cruises on NCL and if I had an envelope I would of just handed to the Maitre'D without waiting for him to put his hand out.

 

Well, not literally, but it was pretty clear why he was there. ;) At the time...probably 15 years ago, we really didn't know what his job actually was, but they gave us the envelope (which for clarea, DID say Maitre'D not Head Water) so, we tipped him.:)

[DonnaK]

Thanks Adayatatime,

Yes I realise we had paid automatically with MTD but many seem to tip on top so to speak, and anyway we were happy to give our waiter team a little extra. It's just this ' headwaiter, dining room manager ' etc thing makes it complicated. We are happy with the auto gratuities just feeling our feet so to speak.

 

 

No worries. If you auto-tipped, then everyone is covered and you didn't leave anyone out.

 

It may seem that many people tip on top, however the reality is that most people on the ship pay the auto-tips and consider it "done".