Live from the Equinox--tipping question re: Blu

[clivey]

Just got off last month from a B2B and we tipped Lynda both weeks and Johanna (water/coffee girl) the 2nd week. Of course gave extra to our 2 room stewards Sim and Michelle. Had a favorite bartender at the Martini Bar and Pool Server that got extra too! We loved everyone and had a great time on our first 2 cruises!

[toodycat]

Thanks, everyone. I understand what the $28 for gratuities covers. I just wanted to know how to go above and beyond in a situation where not one or two servers, but an entire restaurant staff has provided great service. Sounds like giving the gratuity to Lynda to divide up to staff is the way to go. We found the food and service at Blu outstanding.

[hubofhockey]

Hi. We are on the Equinox currently and having an amazing time. It's our first trip on Celebrity and we are very impressed. However, we are a little confused about gratuities. We are in an Aquaclass suite and are being charged $28/day for tips. We will give our steward, Mario, something extra because he totally rocks. But what about the staff at Blu? They are all excellent, but we almost never have the same servers twice. Should I not tip them at all? Tip the people who wait on us the last night? Give the manager a lump sum and ask her to divide it up among her staff? Also, the Blu maitre d is great. Should we tip her? If yes, what is an appropriate amount? I'm guessing that we don't need to tip the sommelier because he's already getting a gratuity for every bottle we buy, right? TIA for any advice!

 

I tipped the staff in Blu extra cash. The service in Blu is amped up over normal service. We tipped a little extra to the Maitre D and the hostess who helped my wife a good deal with pre-ordering with allergies and our waiter Jerry (Constellation - training to be a head waiter). This was our first time in Aqua and believe these people went beyond the call. We only tip extra on ships for exceptional service and that is what you get in Blu. The food was good in Blu. There service is why we'd go back. It's just a nice experience.

[emmas gran]

Can someone tell me is Lynda Scottish? I think we met her on Eclipse T/A in 2015 and again last year on Solstice when Shane was F&BThanks Liz

[wrk2cruise]

I wonder why you get different answers to the pooling question. We sailed on Equinox in Luminae twice in a few months with the same waiter. I felt we had a very good and open relationship. We asked him discretely how the tips were handled and he also told us they were pooled. We still give envelopes to the individual staff members we wish to reward with extra amounts we would give them individually. We feel this along with a note lets them know how much we enjoyed the service. If they have to pool them that's ok and part of their understanding with the company and their compensation and really none of my business.

 

I also make use of the attention to detail cards for exceptional performance and know they have an impact on the crew member. I have also received letters from the HD thanking me for taking the time to call the crew member to their attention.

[A Sixth?]

Can someone tell me is Lynda Scottish? I think we met her on Eclipse T/A in 2015 and again last year on Solstice when Shane was F&BThanks Liz

 

Lol! No, the Lynda on the Equinox is Eastern European (one of the Slavic countries but it slipped my mind which)

[warmwinds]

I wonder why you get different answers to the pooling question. We sailed on Equinox in Luminae twice in a few months with the same waiter. I felt we had a very good and open relationship. We asked him discretely how the tips were handled and he also told us they were pooled. We still give envelopes to the individual staff members we wish to reward with extra amounts we would give them individually. We feel this along with a note lets them know how much we enjoyed the service. If they have to pool them that's ok and part of their understanding with the company and their compensation and really none of my business.

 

I also make use of the attention to detail cards for exceptional performance and know they have an impact on the crew member. I have also received letters from the HD thanking me for taking the time to call the crew member to their attention.

 

Now I wonder...we give the cash as EXTRA above and beyond the included gratuities. I wonder if when I was told that they go to the individual, and not pooled, was when I asked at GS when I picked up the envelopes (which are out on the counter the last day) - I wonder if she thought we had not pre-paid the gratuities, and that what we were giving was the entire tip and therefore, yes, the individual would keep them in that case?

[mafig]

We were in Aqua our last cruise and wondered what to do about extra tips, which we felt were deserved. We had different waiters, a different wine steward for a seven day cruise.

 

We did end up giving our envelopes to the matre'd because as we looked around that last night we didn't see any envelopes being given. Unless people were very discrete. We also didn't notice any anticipation on the part of the servers either, which was nice.

[helen haywood]

I wonder why you get different answers to the pooling question. We sailed on Equinox in Luminae twice in a few months with the same waiter. I felt we had a very good and open relationship. We asked him discretely how the tips were handled and he also told us they were pooled.

 

 

Are you sure he understood you were talking about additional tips? Not the automatic gratuities?

 

 

 

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[toodycat]

We gave Lynda an envelope with our Blu gratuities. She said the tips were pooled. They are well-deserved. Everyone in Blu went out of their way to make us happy. Also, major kudos to Charisma in Murano for the service he gave us.

[GordonJasmine]

If we give our Blu waiter an extra tip will he know he will also receive gratuities automatically taken from our onboard account?

[wrk2cruise]

Are you sure he understood you were talking about additional tips? Not the automatic gratuities?

 

 

 

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Yes conversation was very clear. Plus this was our second sailing with him. We get extra attention due to dietary restrictions, he knew we were trying to reward him well for his wonderful service.

[minidonuts85]

We loved the Blu service on the Equinox and had Vinod and Lino as our service team every night. He's off now but will be back on for our sailing in January. He made such an impression on us...one of the reasons we rebooked.

 

Sounds like the tipping question has been answered but since we had the same service team the entire cruise, we tipped extra cash at the end and to the sommelier.