Extra tipping in Blu

[warmwinds]

Sorry if this is covered someplace else, but another thread just reminded me about it.

 

Our last cruise was our first experience in Blu, and we always feel (no matter which dining room/cruise) that the great service warrants a little extra besides the auto-tips.

 

This has never been a problem in the MDR, where we just gave extra to our one waiter and one assistant.

 

However, in Blu we always had different servers, so we asked the M'd what to do, he said just give it to who is serving you that night and they will all share...however, we made the mistake of giving it one of the assistants (I think it might have been her first gig) and she said "oh, is all this for me???", and we had to explain, no, it's for all of you to share. A little awkward.

 

How should we handle this in Blu?

[Gracie115]

I think you either handle it the way you did if you had that many different wait staff teams, perhaps making sure you give it to the waiter, not the assistant, OR I believe you could increase the amount of gratuity charged to your stateroom account too.

 

We really like Blu, but the difference for us is we generally pick a table we like and eat there most, if not all, nights, which makes it easy for us to hand our waiter an additional tip. We like the continuity of the same table and wait staff.

[mickey89]

When I give extra it is always in Cash and given discreetly to the person intended. Pooling tips seldom raises standards !

[CHEZMARYLOU]

We had great service from all the wait staff on a 14 day cruise. At the end of the cruise we gave an extra tip to the Maître D to share with the staff.

[Wiltonian]

We had a great assistant, but his boss, although faultless, was a bit too obsequious for our tastes. We gave the assistant a modest tip on the last night, and weren't worried if it were shared or not. Had eaten early every time, in the same area, with same staff.

 

Stuart

Edited January 2, 2016 by Wiltonian

[kathynorth]

I thought I read somewhere on these boards that all tips in Blu and specialty restaurants were required to be pooled and there was some sort of penalty if a snyone was caught pocketing a tip. Has anyone heard of this?

[mickey89]

I thought I read somewhere on these boards that all tips in Blu and specialty restaurants were required to be pooled and there was some sort of penalty if a snyone was caught pocketing a tip. Has anyone heard of this?

Just a month ago one of the Specialty Waiters told me that tips are now POOLED

across the ship, and he said we get .001%, so he didn't give passengers a check to sign anymore just take their card number. He said that we used to pool within our restaurant but things have changed for the worse, our waiters are not happy but it is a policy change across the fleet.

[jabrown40]

I am at a loss about how much extra to tip. My husband and I are generous (usually above 20%) tippers in restaurants, but where do you begin when you don't have an amount to start with? I know it is a very personal thing, but I would love some guideline assistance. Do you base it on how many times you eat there? We are booked in three specialty restaurants for our upcoming cruise, and since its our first time on Celebrity, we did want to try the MDR one time. We plan to breakfast in Blu and have room service a couple of times on the balcony in the morning. We are trying to experience the different venues as much as possible.

[chamima]

Just a month ago one of the Specialty Waiters told me that tips are now POOLED

across the ship, and he said we get .001%, so he didn't give passengers a check to sign anymore just take their card number. He said that we used to pool within our restaurant but things have changed for the worse, our waiters are not happy but it is a policy change across the fleet.

 

 

I REALLY hope he was wrong! :(

 

It seems to me it would take away any incentive for good service. That would be a stupid thing for Celebrity to do.

Of course it wouldn't be the first............. :rolleyes:

 

 

 

warmwinds - We, too, usually end up with one main waiter / waitress and tip him/her. We tip according to the service we feel we've received and have, on a couple of occasions, tipped the assistant more than the waiter.

Edited January 2, 2016 by chamima

[warmwinds]

We just took the luck of the draw with whatever table was "next" when we arrived, so we always did have a different table with different servers (not that there were that many teams in Blu, so you did see the same ones, and they were all great). Our hope was to give it the M'd (we gave him a little extra, too), and he is the one who said give it to your server. I think our mistake was giving it to the naïve assistant.

 

But I also do not like that they are pooled across the entire ship! I can see within the Blu dining room, maybe, but across all dining venues is not fair, you should be able to give something to who you want!

 

That really does disincentivize people.

 

Knowing that I'd be more inclined to just do the auto-tips and leave it at that, since my extra money will not be going where it is intended.

[20pluscruises]

Just a month ago one of the Specialty Waiters told me that tips are now POOLED

across the ship, and he said we get .001%, so he didn't give passengers a check to sign anymore just take their card number. He said that we used to pool within our restaurant but things have changed for the worse, our waiters are not happy but it is a policy change across the fleet.

Is there a way to get around the pooling of tips? I ask as we did tip our fav waiter, asst waiter and somm., but spaced out with our maitre d and would like to insure a double tip on our upcoming cruise.

Edited January 2, 2016 by 20pluscruises

[mickey89]

Is there a way to get around the pooling of tips? I ask as we did tip our fav waiter, asst waiter and somm., but spaced out with our maitre d and would like to insure a double tip on our upcoming cruise.

Do it discreetly and no one other than the recipient will know. Then it their decision whether they declare or not. Never add it to the 'Additional Gratuity" box on the check, if you are ever given a check to sign these days.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

I am at a loss about how much extra to tip. My husband and I are generous (usually above 20%) tippers in restaurants, but where do you begin when you don't have an amount to start with? I know it is a very personal thing, but I would love some guideline assistance. Do you base it on how many times you eat there? We are booked in three specialty restaurants for our upcoming cruise, and since its our first time on Celebrity, we did want to try the MDR one time. We plan to breakfast in Blu and have room service a couple of times on the balcony in the morning. We are trying to experience the different venues as much as possible.

 

You're right, tipping is a personal decision and I'm sure others will disagree with my $.

 

You will be paying a fee to eat in the specialty restaurants which includes the tip. If you book on board or order a drink not included in a beverage package you will be given a receipt to sign that has a line for a tip. If you only eat in the MDR once the only way to tip the server is in cash at the end of the meal, maybe $5.00. Same with room service, tip in cash when the food is delivered, $5.00 for a full breakfast, $2 if just coffee. You can tip the Blu server/s on the last night of the cruise if you eat there that night, we usually figure $5.00 per day.

[warmwinds]

Chezmarylou, are you talking about opting out of auto-tips, or is what you are saying you do as additional tips?

[Beanb41]

You're right, tipping is a personal decision and I'm sure others will disagree with my $.

 

You will be paying a fee to eat in the specialty restaurants which includes the tip. If you book on board or order a drink not included in a beverage package you will be given a receipt to sign that has a line for a tip. If you only eat in the MDR once the only way to tip the server is in cash at the end of the meal, maybe $5.00. Same with room service, tip in cash when the food is delivered, $5.00 for a full breakfast, $2 if just coffee. You can tip the Blu server/s on the last night of the cruise if you eat there that night, we usually figure $5.00 per day.

 

Personally coming from a non tipping culture I find the above comments as to how much one should tip to be obnoxious and offensive. The breakdown of how the automatic gratuities is spelt out in the FAQ on the website. When one is paying upwards of $50 extra to dine in a specialty restaurant then as far as I am concerned payment of staff in that restaurant should be more than compensated by the increased charge.

What part of complimentary do some people not get. Complimentary does not mean one has to add a service charge. It is part of the deal.

I leave the auto gratuities in place as I consider that to be part of cruising costs so don't think that I am avoiding something.

If at the end of the cruise or at any other time I think someone is worthy of something extra then I will discreetly palm something in their direction.

I must admit however that after several cruises on Celebrity I have never felt pressure to financially compensate the staff, I have however been requested to write favourable comments about individual staff on the end of cruise report. I am advised it is this report that goes a long way to ongoing employment. So rather than cross a palm with silver write a glowing report it will pay off for the crew member far more

 

What is also interesting in speaking with many Americans on board who again are used to the Tipping culture, most I have spoken with consider the auto gratuities to be satisfactory despite comments made here on CC

Edited January 2, 2016 by Beanb41

[Lsimon]

Just a month ago one of the Specialty Waiters told me that tips are now POOLED

across the ship, and he said we get .001%, so he didn't give passengers a check to sign anymore just take their card number. He said that we used to pool within our restaurant but things have changed for the worse, our waiters are not happy but it is a policy change across the fleet.

 

Wow! I sure hope you have the figures wrong. .001% is one one-hundred-thousandth (1/100,000) of the tips. This means that if there were 3,000 passengers on board and each one tipped $300 the total tips would be $900,000 for the cruise and your waiter would only get $9 of that. Not much for a week or two of work. Did you meant to say that he gets a thousandth of the tips which would be 0.1% ? If not then I wonder who the other 99,999/100,000 of the tips go to?

 

Is there a way to get around the pooling of tips? I ask as we did tip our fav waiter, asst waiter and somm., but spaced out with our maitre d and would like to insure a double tip on our upcoming cruise.

 

If pooling is in fact mandatory then you can not get around it. When there is mandatory pooling the employees are subject to severe punishment, or even termination, for not putting tips into the pool. And of course they would earn a lot of disrespect and hatred from their fellow employees for cheating them. So it all depends on whether all the tips are in fact now pooled, or just those in excess of the prepaid, or basic daily, tips.

Edited January 2, 2016 by Lsimon

[chamima]

Just a month ago one of the Specialty Waiters told me that tips are now POOLED

across the ship, and he said we get .001%, so he didn't give passengers a check to sign anymore just take their card number. He said that we used to pool within our restaurant but things have changed for the worse, our waiters are not happy but it is a policy change across the fleet.

 

 

Is it possible that the automatic gratuities are the ones that are pooled?

That would make a lot more sense than pooling the extra cash that some of us give to individuals who have provided exemplary service.

[cb at sea]

Look...as long as you do the "suggested" tips, everyone is covered. The staff AGREES to the arrangement by working for this company. They get their due....you've done your duty, and all is fine.

 

Many places "pool" tips on land....casinos do...most bars do...and most restaurants require the waitstaff tips to be "shared" with the bus staff and host/hostess....

 

Just do the suggested tips, and you've done what you need to!

 

 

(I guarantee if you hand someone cash, it AIN'T going into any pool....it's going in their pocket!)

Edited January 2, 2016 by cb at sea

[jody75]

Error

Edited January 2, 2016 by jody75

[20pluscruises]

Chezmarylou, are you talking about opting out of auto-tips, or is what you are saying you do as additional tips?

 

Oooh,, maybe they were talking about the auto tips! I'm okay with that. Extra tip...I hope that is not pooled.

[mickey89]

Wow! I sure hope you have the figures wrong. .001% is one one-hundred-thousandth (1/100,000) of the tips...............

If pooling is in fact mandatory then you can not get around it.

The figure of .001% quoted by the waiter was his way of saying he would get next to Nothing -you are being too literal, also a little naive if you believe cash tips are always declared.

Edited January 2, 2016 by mickey89

[CHEZMARYLOU]

Chezmarylou, are you talking about opting out of auto-tips, or is what you are saying you do as additional tips?

 

That is what we do as additional tips, as obnoxious and offensive as some find my reply.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

Bean41, my reply was directed to a specific poster looking for some guidance. Please feel free to ignore my posts in the future.

[Iamcruzin]

I am at a loss about how much extra to tip. My husband and I are generous (usually above 20%) tippers in restaurants, but where do you begin when you don't have an amount to start with? I know it is a very personal thing, but I would love some guideline assistance. Do you base it on how many times you eat there? We are booked in three specialty restaurants for our upcoming cruise, and since its our first time on Celebrity, we did want to try the MDR one time. We plan to breakfast in Blu and have room service a couple of times on the balcony in the morning. We are trying to experience the different venues as much as possible.

 

We eat in select dining so I don't tip at the end but as I go along. I carry a few dollars in my pocket and tip if service is above or beyond for the that evening. I may tip the sommelier and not the waiter or vice versa or both. usually around $5 each for that night. Room service depending on what I order is between $2 and $5. I never tip in the specialty restaurants because the price they charge should cover the tip. We eat breakfast in the buffet so I only tip a $1 or $2 if someone offers to get me a drink. That didn't happen on Celebrity but it does on Princess. We pay the auto tip at final payment so this is in addition.

[Iamcruzin]

Is it possible that the automatic gratuities are the ones that are pooled?

That would make a lot more sense than pooling the extra cash that some of us give to individuals who have provided exemplary service.

 

Karen

I have only been on Celebrity once but assumed that they followed the same tipping procedure as on Princess. As long as the auto tip was paid they each got to keep any extra. If this isn't the case on Celebrity I probably wouldn't tip extra. It's just not fair that those who work hard have to subsidize the slacker.