Diamond Drink Vouchers ... Tipping Guidelines?

[EmpressofPurple]

Some of this is learning curve, and some due to different policies... the first time I had this perk, I thought service was included, and only learned through a (rather rude) bartender that it was not. After that I made sure to tip, since I found out it was not included (though he could have informed me more politely).

 

As an example of changing policies: when I first had the free Disney dining plan, service was included at sit down restaurants... a couple years later, rather than raise the daily price, they cut back the package (no more appetizers)... and REMOVED tips... I'm sure servers were upset, since tipping was now up to the (international, bargain-seeking) guests, rather than included in their bill... and my guess is that many people either stint or skip out on tips, feeling they "paid enough" for their dining package...

 

...I wonder if rci will try a similar trick with their beverage packages and specialty dining reservations, which currently include tips. (In fact, it was because of that "service included" policy that I erroneously thought the diamond drinks, whether in a lounge or at a bar, had their tips included, too. As noted above, I learned that was not the case, and if you don't tip your server they ares literally getting nothing for serving that drink.)

 

So tip your servers, folks! Yes, we've put plenty into rci's coffers to"earn" that free drink... but none into the pockets of the servers who graciously bring it to us upon request... and usually with a smile.

 

 

 

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[TeeRick]

The servers in the DL or CL are assigned there all week and have little or no other source of tips. If they worked in the regular bars that week the automatic tip on beverages that RCI adds to every bill would be in effect for them even if they did not get extra tips from customers. When working in the DL and CL they absolutely depend on a nightly tip or the end of the week tip for a good part of their income.

[cello56]

Since you live in multiple countries, you should take the time and interest to understand the compensation structure for service employees in various countries or situations.

 

Oh that guy fully knows that he is stiffing the staff. He just chooses to rationalize it, and cheat them anyways.

[postmeome]

2 people at a bar,1 orders vodka &tonic,other one asks for a glass of water,same service but one is charged 15% "service charge" ?:)

[Marie51]

My upcoming cruise will be the first time I sailed since they added the drink vouchers. When you use the diamond vouchers that are loaded on your sea pass card, does the bartender present you with a slip to sign where you can add a gratuity? If not, do you recommend carrying some cash for a gratuity for that before-dinner drink? And what is the recommended amount of tip?

 

On my recent cruise I was not given a slip to sing when I used my vouchers. He just swiped my card and poured me my glass of wine. I tipped the bartender $1 per drink.

[LMaxwell]

$1 cash per drink ordered if the drink is being provided for free because of my tier level; 95% of the time. This includes DL, Top Tier event, and (in the future) using the vouchers. On one or two occasions I have had subpar service in which I did not tip with the order. Tips are earned, not guaranteed.

 

If someone does NOT want to tip for service, it is not compulsory and they don't have to. I am sure some people tip nothing, I am sure some people tip more than we do. The French guy isn't "wrong". The cruise line has told him he gets a free benefit and has said nothing about paying additional to enjoy it. His choice. Choosing a different option than you would choose doesn't make anyone "wrong" if it is indeed an option offered by the line.

[knittinggirl]

We feel that the drinks are a hard earned perk which have already cost a lot of $'s in cruise fares over the years.

 

The drinks are free and a perk so if we tipped and the experience therefore cost us money it takes this 'free' and 'perk' away. I know many will not agree with us but that's our view and reasoning.

We feel the same way, but we're starting to consider tipping anyway. Especially if they move to drink coupons.

 

I'm wondering why they'd give a GOOD drink for extra tip. Aren't they trained to make the drinks the same way for everybody. I'd think Royal would get upset if they mix special drinks for some. What if they served 10 customers, but the alcohol level shows they dispensed 12 customers worth? (I was watching Restaurant Stakeout, and the boss got really mad when he saw how much alcohol they overpoured.)

 

I'm also wondering if you can tip them what the standard 15% would be if they give you a receipt to sign. When we go out to dinner and split a meal, we usually tip the waiter what we would if we'd bought two plates.

 

Just wondering, is the service any faster the second night after you tip them the first?

Edited August 21, 2014 by knittinggirl

[dancinman66]

I tip each cruise although will tip each drink with vouchers

 

The bt in dl and cl earn nothing for their service to us

They are due recompense and as such always tip well

Like I tip other bt through the ship who are good

 

I think they have earned those tops the hard way as we have earnt the perk the hard way as was put

 

 

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[UCF_Knight]

Tipping amounts are up to the individual... but whatever you decide make sure you only tip them with $2 bills.

[alfaeric]

I always tip however on my August Enchantment cruise the bartender was not friendly at all. I asked to use the voucher (on sea pass) for a martini and he said it had to be on the rocks and he measure a one once pour.....I felt like a charity case....So I never tried again and went to the Cl dl where I was treated with respect.

I really hope this clown was just having a bad day and this isn't the usual treatment we can expect when using the D+ vouchers

 

I've had that happen, too. As well as the flip side where they are super helpful and nice.

 

Seems like kind of a self fullfilling prophecy. If you are worried about the tips or lack there of- you can be upset- which will risk the tip for those who DO tip, or you can be nice- where you may get extra tips from those who do tip. I'd tip the former just once, but find a better place to go after- and find the latter. I tip, but more for someone who is nice to me.

 

FWIW, the champagne bar in the Oasis- they TOTALLY rock- didn't bring a slip, and kept asking me if I wanted more. Oh, so very nice. (not going to post the negative, just in case the bartenders change)

[knittinggirl]

Actually, I'm more worried about those drink packages. They charge 15% up front, and then we're expected to tip the server again. Makes me not want to buy them.

 

Tipping makes me so mad, I either feel like a pushover or a cheapskate, and I'd rather err on the side of feeling like a pushover.

 

We bring a stack of dollars and hand them out like candy, sometimes with candy.

 

On Celebrity, we handed our butler a nice tip at the end of our cruise, and he told us the money helped, but what he really appreciated each day was seeing our smiles at the start of his day.

Edited August 21, 2014 by knittinggirl

[cello56]

Actually, I'm more worried about those drink packages. They charge 15% up front, and then we're expected to tip the server again. Makes me not want to buy them.

 

Tipping makes me so mad, I either feel like a pushover or a cheapskate, and I'd rather err on the side of feeling like a pushover.

 

You are not expected to tip again - you are given a spot to select that option if you WANT to! I personally feel that the 15% already charged is sufficient, but others feel they want to tip more. It is up to the individual.

[Cigar King]

Like other's we always tip in cash for drinks. Matters not if they are the coupons, in the lounge, the bar, etc. I'm not really lush. I just like tipping. ;-)

[Grandma Dazzles]

Actually, I'm more worried about those drink packages. They charge 15% up front, and then we're expected to tip the server again. Makes me not want to buy them.

.

 

I don't think you are "expected to tip the server again." The original discussion was about tipping for free drinks, such as in the CL or DL, or the new three drinks loaded on your seapass card if you are diamond or above for use in the bars on board during cocktail hour.

 

These drinks are all free, and therefore I think a tip for the server is appropriate.

[rrrrall]

I wanted to chime in since I was a server for 6 years while going to college... Here (USA, GA) we make $2.13 an hour. Most places have gotten rid of gratuity even for large parties. There were days where I had to go to work knowing my mom was in the hospital or I just failed a huge paper, etc etc. Those days I may have been a little slack or forgetful during working. I had plenty of regulars and I was good at my job, but I did have off days where I'm sure I messed up.

 

The one thing I never did, EVER was be rude to my customer. So therefore when I consider others who may only make $2-4 an hour..... I give them the benefit of the doubt and tip anyway even for mediocre service, now if they're rude then that is what I do not forgive.

 

As far as the perk of free drinks.... We would have free appetizer and drink nights at our restaurant, even free fight nights for UFC.... Wow! Talk about BUSTING your bottom for a good 2-4 hours waiting on the SAME people and then them only leave $5 because they felt like since it was only 4 people that's ok. So I just made $2.13 an hour and then $2.50 an hour still not minimum wage. Just because the restaurant offered them that perk, I was not being paid more for it. I ended up coming out on the bottom 75% of the time in those cases. Same with RCI.... So consider the servers and bartenders as individuals who have families to care for, and who work long hours I assume. For me serving was frequently 13 hour shifts!

 

So yes, not tipping may be a personal choice that isn't "wrong" but in that case neither is burning that persons home down or stealing the food from their table if that is the way you see it..... They are living, breathing, working human beings who need that money to survive. $1 is much less than the $8 you pay for a drink still (: or if you don't wanna tip, I'd consider rallying for royal to pay their BT and servers a set amount on top of their hourly pay per free coupon they take in (; and good luck with that one...

 

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Edited August 21, 2014 by rrrrall

[CRUISEBOY305]

I wanted to chime in since I was a server for 6 years while going to college... Here (USA, GA) we make $2.13 an hour. Most places have gotten rid of gratuity even for large parties. There were days where I had to go to work knowing my mom was in the hospital or I just failed a huge paper, etc etc. Those days I may have been a little slack or forgetful during working. I had plenty of regulars and I was good at my job, but I did have off days where I'm sure I messed up.

 

The one thing I never did, EVER was be rude to my customer. So therefore when I consider others who may only make $2-4 an hour..... I give them the benefit of the doubt and tip anyway even for mediocre service, now if they're rude then that is what I do not forgive.

 

As far as the perk of free drinks.... We would have free appetizer and drink nights at our restaurant, even free fight nights for UFC.... Wow! Talk about BUSTING your bottom for a good 2-4 hours waiting on the SAME people and then them only leave $5 because they felt like since it was only 4 people that's ok. So I just made $2.13 an hour and then $2.50 an hour still not minimum wage. Just because the restaurant offered them that perk, I was not being paid more for it. I ended up coming out on the bottom 75% of the time in those cases. Same with RCI.... So consider the servers and bartenders as individuals who have families to care for, and who work long hours I assume. For me serving was frequently 13 hour shifts!

 

So yes, not tipping may be a personal choice that isn't "wrong" but in that case neither is burning that persons home down or stealing the food from their table if that is the way you see it..... They are living, breathing, working human beings who need that money to survive. $1 is much less than the $8 you pay for a drink still (: or if you don't wanna tip, I'd consider rallying for royal to pay their BT and servers a set amount on top of their hourly pay per free coupon they take in (; and good luck with that one...

 

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thank you for sharing your story with us.

[orville99]

The slip you are given is a standard drink charge slip with a charge of Zero. The extra gratuity and total lines are still there on the slip, so just use them. Or, cash is always appreciated.

 

On our last cruise, we did that, and added a tip to the tab. Unfortunately, none of those tips ever showed up on our statement, so somewhere between the bar and the statement, those tips went poof. From now on we'll tip in cash.

[pcur]

Since the OP specifically asked about the pre-loaded drink vouchers that started a few months ago, and will be fleetwide by mid-September:

 

I was on a b2b on the Vision until 8/4/14 and I would hand the bar staff my card with a $1 bill, asking to use my voucher loaded on the card.

 

There have been posts that C&A members who used the vouchers early on in the trial did not tip, and were being avoided by the bar staff. So, I made sure they got the tip up front, and they truly appreciated it.

 

The female bar attendant who served us told me on the last night that she had been rudely treated by a number of D+ members in the previous weeks since the Vision started with the pre-loaded drink vouchers.

[John&LaLa]

If we go to top tier event we hand the waiter $5 and ask for lemon drops, Allways works and so tasty

 

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[PSCruiser]

On our last cruise, we did that, and added a tip to the tab. Unfortunately, none of those tips ever showed up on our statement, so somewhere between the bar and the statement, those tips went poof. From now on we'll tip in cash.

 

Evidently a problem with accounting on that ship - too bad for the servers.

On our last cruise (Freedom), the written tips showed up as expected.

[PSCruiser]

2 people at a bar,1 orders vodka &tonic,other one asks for a glass of water,same service but one is charged 15% "service charge" ?:)

 

A peeve of mine that I see all the time.

If I don't have a dollar or two in my pocket to tip a server that goes to get me ice water, then I go get my own.

[marci22]

We feel that the drinks are a hard earned perk which have already cost a lot of $'s in cruise fares over the years.

 

The drinks are free and a perk so if we tipped and the experience therefore cost us money it takes this 'free' and 'perk' away. I know many will not agree with us but that's our view and reasoning.

 

It's a perk that someone is serving you. If they are gracious about doing it, they really deserve a tip. $1 per drink is perfectly adequate.

 

Do you feel like you got a better deal by withholding this trivial amount of money? I feel like I am getting a nice perk, the person serving me is nice, I give him $1 for my drink...done! and everyone's happy!

 

It's just mean not to tip the server because your drink is a 'perk'.

 

If the server is rude, none of this applies of course. And some of the auxiliary bartenders are still getting used to the new voucher system, so I can see a rocky phase. Listen to yourself talking though. You sound like a big cheapskate.

[marci22]

A peeve of mine that I see all the time.

If I don't have a dollar or two in my pocket to tip a server that goes to get me ice water, then I go get my own.

 

Same here. A service is a service.

[mommabean]

2 people at a bar,1 orders vodka &tonic,other one asks for a glass of water,same service but one is charged 15% "service charge" ?:)

 

I have definitely seen people tip for a glass of water on a ship, too. More than once.

 

In fact, while sitting at the bar of a long time bartender friend, when I saw this, I asked him about it. He said often people DO tip him for giving them water.

 

Gina

Edited August 21, 2014 by mommabean

[postmeome]

I have definitely seen people tip for a glass of water on a ship, too. More than once.

 

In fact, while sitting at the bar of a long time bartender friend, when I saw this, I asked him about it. He said often people DO tip him for giving them water.

 

Gina

 

Wow ,i asked this question a while back and got flamed,most of the answers was ,HOW CAN WE PAY 15% OF NOTHING,:confused: