18% service charge

[tazman572]

Not sure if I'm doing this correctly as I couldn't find out what to do in order to post a question.

I would like to know if the 18% service charge in the specialty restaurants on HAL ships is something new. We haven't cruised since before Covid and don't remember that charge when we ate in any of the restaurants.

[ColeThornton]

59 minutes ago, tazman572 said:

Not sure if I'm doing this correctly as I couldn't find out what to do in order to post a question.

I would like to know if the 18% service charge in the specialty restaurants on HAL ships is something new. We haven't cruised since before Covid and don't remember that charge when we ate in any of the restaurants.

 

 

Welcome to CC.  You're in the wrong forum.  🙂

 

Click on "Forums" at the top of the page.    Scroll down and you'll find the HAL forum and many others you can familiarize yourself with.

[kazu]

7 hours ago, tazman572 said:

Not sure if I'm doing this correctly as I couldn't find out what to do in order to post a question.

I would like to know if the 18% service charge in the specialty restaurants on HAL ships is something new. We haven't cruised since before Covid and don't remember that charge when we ate in any of the restaurants.

 

You’re in the right forum now.

 

Yes, the service charge was a new when they changed the HSC name to Crew Incentive (and increased the rate).

 

Can’t remember the exact date it started but it was after re-starts after covid shut down.

 

Applies to surcharge items as well, I believe.

 

See the screen shot below from the HAL site:

 

 

[oakridger]

Yes, the automatic 18% service charge for specialty dining is new since the restart.   Have a great cruise!           Oops!  Posted at same time as kazu. 

Edited October 1, 2022 by oakridger

[crystalspin]

Huh that's funny, not that I have eaten in many specialty restaurants, but I swear service charge was automatic. GOSH I hope I never stiffed the servers!

[Florida_gal_50]

16 minutes ago, crystalspin said:

Huh that's funny, not that I have eaten in many specialty restaurants, but I swear service charge was automatic. GOSH I hope I never stiffed the servers!

It was never there before.  I did always tip but I saw very , very few people do it.  I know everyone says they are very discrete and I don’t wave my tip around either but I don’t see people shaking hands to pass it either.  Of course I don’t have a birds eye view of everyone. The only person I’d ever seen tip was a cruise director in the tamarind the same time I was. If people were tipping as heavily as you hear on here I doubt there would be the 18 percent charge.

[deepwater]

Price for dinner in Pinnacle grill is listed at $46.  Does this include the 18% gratuity?  

And wine from the HIA package (not wine listed on Pinnacle Grill menu) has 18% added, or is gratuity already included in those glasses of wine at dinner?

I realize that we can add additional gratuity, but I'm wondering if the 18% is included. 

 

[kazu]

On 10/1/2022 at 8:35 PM, oakridger said:

Yes, the automatic 18% service charge for specialty dining is new since the restart.   Have a great cruise!           Oops!  Posted at same time as kazu. 

no worries.  We always tipped as we knew they were not included (depending on service of course)

 

And I highly doubt if Florida gal was on a cruise with us at specialty dining - she could have seen any of us tip or she might not have.  We are discreet as I think a lot are - if the waiter or PG manager is not available, then just leave it under your plate.

 

Tipping is not about fanfare - it’’s a genuine thank you.  Every person’s choice.  Honestly for usthe 18% will save me money.  

 

[RuthC]

1 hour ago, deepwater said:

Price for dinner in Pinnacle grill is listed at $46.  Does this include the 18% gratuity?  

And wine from the HIA package (not wine listed on Pinnacle Grill menu) has 18% added, or is gratuity already included in those glasses of wine at dinner?

I realize that we can add additional gratuity, but I'm wondering if the 18% is included. 

 

Yes, the 18% service charge is included in the price of the Pinnacle meal. 
Also, your drink under the Signature Beverage Package (or the Elite Package), whether under Have It All or purchased separately, includes the service charge. 

[KroozNut]

On 10/1/2022 at 9:47 AM, ColeThornton said:

 

 

Welcome to CC.  You're in the wrong forum.  🙂

 

Click on "Forums" at the top of the page.    Scroll down and you'll find the HAL forum and many others you can familiarize yourself with.

 

This is the HAL forum..  🤔

[deepwater]

 

RuthC,  thank you for your answer regarding gratuities.  You always have a concise and correct answer.  I appreciate your posts.  

[Josie201]

As per the above, is there a charge for Room Service?   Both the food and a service charge ?  

[oakridger]

There is a pretty good included room service menu and there is no delivery charge. I do tip the delivery person a few $ in cash though.   There are some for fee items that can be had from room service such as Dive Inn food and orders from Pinnacle Grill and Tamarind. Roger Jett’s website and many bloggers have posted the menu. Food at no extra charge (except special up charge foods such as lobster or steak) from the Main dining room can be ordered for room service during its opening hours. I just had a good chicken quesadilla and cheesecake for lunch in my cabin here on the Nieuw Amsterdam!  

Edited October 17, 2022 by oakridger

[crystalspin]

25 minutes ago, Josie201 said:

As per the above, is there a charge for Room Service?   Both the food and a service charge ?  

Here is our @Crew Newsphoto reviews of RS menus. (This is the Roger Jett of whom oakridger spoke!)

 

https://rogerjett-photography.com/specialty-2/hal-regular-and-specialty-restaurants/room-service-and-breakfast/

 

ETA: The room service delivery person is a volunteer with other job duties! I once opened the door to see my MDR waiter delivering breakfast. They take on the room service job in hopes of the tips. Have the tip ready as they do not daly by the door with hand out!

Edited October 17, 2022 by crystalspin

[The-Inside-Cabin]

My experience with Room Service personnel is that this is one of their primary jobs and they may other jobs as well.    We would order room service breakfast every day on our world cruises and would have the same waiter 90% of the time.   We got to know them well and he mentioned toward the end of our cruise that he was going to be promoted to Asst MDR Waiter on his next contract.  

 

Occasionally we would see our MDR waiter or other non traditional people deliver room service.  These people did "volunteer" to pick up an extra shift to fill in for some vacancy by the regulars and they probably did so for the possibility of extra tips as stated by @crystalspin.   

 

Re Tips for room service:  I  have asked several Hotel GM's and they all confirm that room service waiters are part of the Tip Pool "Crew Incentive" so any additional tips - are in fact additional tips as they do participate  in the tip pool.  

[Crew News]

A few years ago, the person who delivered our Neptune Suite appetizers each day was also our MDR waiter and would always ask if we would be there for dinner or had a Specialty Restaurant reservation.  He was giving up his afternoon time off to earn some extra money for his family back home.  We made sure he did.

[ColeThornton]

11 hours ago, KroozNut said:

 

This is the HAL forum..  🤔

 

That post was in a different forum and a mod moved it to the HAL forum because it was in the wrong place.

Edited October 17, 2022 by ColeThornton

[mcrcruiser]

14 hours ago, RuthC said:

Yes, the 18% service charge is included in the price of the Pinnacle meal. 
Also, your drink under the Signature Beverage Package (or the Elite Package), whether under Have It All or purchased separately, includes the service charge. 

So we can then anticipate that   this  18%  is also included in both Tamarind  & Canaletto   specialty  restaurants  meals 

[Langoustine]

15 hours ago, KroozNut said:

 

This is the HAL forum..  🤔

The post was moved to this forum from where it was first posted.

[oakridger]

15 hours ago, mcrcruiser said:

So we can then anticipate that   this  18%  is also included in both Tamarind  & Canaletto   specialty  restaurants  meals 

Yes.