Speciality Restaurants on HAL Ships

[mcrcruiser]

Does HAL  automatically add  a 18 % gratuity  which is now included  in  the  total   price  of the meal   ?  If that is the way it is now being done   , how would  3 ,4 &  5 star Mariners get their respective discounts   ?  Are the discounts calculated  on the  net price before the gratuity   is added  or    on the gross price after the gratuity is added  ? 

[Florida_gal_50]

The gratuity is calculated on the gross price.

[Crazy For Cats]

1 minute ago, mcrcruiser said:

Does HAL  automatically add  a 18 % gratuity  which is now included  in  the  total   price  of the meal   ?  If that is the way it is now being done   , how would  3 ,4 &  5 star Mariners get their respective discounts   ?  Are the discounts calculated  on the  net price before the gratuity   is added  or    on the gross price after the gratuity is added  ? 

Yes, HAL adds gratuity up front.  The discount applies to the base price of the dinner.

[mcrcruiser]

2 minutes ago, Crazy For Cats said:

Yes, HAL adds gratuity up front.  The discount applies to the base price of the dinner.

If the discount is applied to the base price & they first add the gratuity to the  gross  price then the tip would be much higher than 18 %  is what we see happening  

[Florida_gal_50]

Yes based on the discount.  It’s the same with wine packages.

[cruisemom42]

5 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

If the discount is applied to the base price & they first add the gratuity to the  gross  price then the tip would be much higher than 18 %  is what we see happening  

 

This is the same for land-based restaurants. Whenever I have used a discount or a coupon, the fine print generally reminds me that a gratuity should be based on the full amount, not on the discounted price. It's only fair to the servers.

[Crazy For Cats]

7 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

If the discount is applied to the base price & they first add the gratuity to the  gross  price then the tip would be much higher than 18 %  is what we see happening  

When we dine out we always tip on any pre discount rate.  So this seems fine with me.  I should note that when we use our free 5* dinners no tip is added to the meal by HAL.  It wouldn’t surprise me if that changes in the future.

[mcrcruiser]

1 minute ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

This is the same for land-based restaurants. Whenever I have used a discount or a coupon, the fine print generally reminds me that a gratuity should be based on the full amount, not on the discounted price. It's only fair to the servers.

I agree  totally  .  I just wanted  clarity  on the process . When we receive extra special attention  we even add to the servers gratuity 

[mcrcruiser]

1 minute ago, Crazy For Cats said:

When we dine out we always tip on any pre discount rate.  So this seems fine with me.  I should note that when we use our free 5* dinners no tip is added to the meal by HAL.  It wouldn’t surprise me if that changes in the future.

 Perhaps  but  most people will tip according to the  quality of the meal & the service rendered . It is not uncommon  that  we tip 20%  in a very good  land based restaurant   because the meal was delicious &  the service spotless    above & beyond  .The best restaurants already hire & train  their staffs  for quality   service  

[sandiego1]

A 20% tip in a land based restaurant is the norm now whether or not if the service was excellent.

[Florida_gal_50]

53 minutes ago, sandiego1 said:

A 20% tip in a land based restaurant is the norm now whether or not if the service was excellent.

Why would you reward subpar service?  This is coming from someone who tips well even when they shouldn't.  I'm definitely not giving 20 percent in that case.

Edited October 30, 2022 by Florida_gal_50