Drink tipping

[JimP1903]

If you are on the free at sea package, and already prepaying beverage tips, does anyone still tip the wait staff and/or bar staff?  Asking because we have never done the beverage packages.

[All-ready2cruise]

There will always be some who will tip on top of the pre paid tipping.  Does that mean you need to, no but the Bartenders will appreciate it. 

[RocketMan275]

1 minute ago, JimP1903 said:

If you are on the free at sea package, and already prepaying beverage tips, does anyone still tip the wait staff and/or bar staff?  Asking because we have never done the beverage packages.

Absolutely.  At least $1 or $2 for every drink order.  Amazing how that improves service and reduces wait times.  And there was no issue getting a couple of bourbon doubles to take back to my balcony to enjoy while watching the wake before bed time.  The only issue I've had is keeping the bartender from pouring half the bottle.

[complawyer]

buck or 2 wont hurt, and if youre consistent, using the same bartender, he/she will get to know you and your drinks might come faster and a little stronger.

[RocketMan275]

6 minutes ago, complawyer said:

buck or 2 wont hurt, and if youre consistent, using the same bartender, he/she will get to know you and your drinks might come faster and a little stronger.

And, if they don't come quicker and stronger, find a different bartender.

[tstahl]

i normally do a dollar.  i fold it up and hand it to them discreetly when I hand over my card.  My husband is on the other camp and says we already tipped...  Either way is fine.  I do tend to get better service than he does though.

[ColeThornton]

I rarely give extra and have no problem with good service.

[JimP1903]

Thanks for the info.  We are usually pretty generous with the cruise staff and appreciate their hustle. 

[BirdTravels]

49 minutes ago, JimP1903 said:

If you are on the free at sea package, and already prepaying beverage tips, does anyone still tip the wait staff and/or bar staff?  Asking because we have never done the beverage packages.

We always tip our bartender or bar waiter $1 per drink. We're creatures of habit (both bar and drink) and by night 2 of the cruise, even if there is a crowd, the bartenders are working on our drinks before we get up to the bar. One quick swipe of our card and we're on our way.... after leaving another couple of bucks. 

[pete_coach]

26 minutes ago, ColeThornton said:

I rarely give extra and have no problem with good service.

In my experience, all drinks already have a 18 to 20% tip added to the drink charge if paying for drinks.

On a drink package the tip is also paid when you pay for the cruise.

On our Panama Canal cruise we had "Fee at Sea" package but had to pay the service charges (tips) for the beverages and specialty resturaunts up front.

So, I do not tip extra for a drink.

[SimplyAlbert]

We tip extra. We've found that for us it speeds up service at busy times.

[destar]

Tip is already included, but if you get good service, additional tip doesn't hurt. Also if I'm on a lounger by the pool and they bring me a drink, I definitely tip at least $1 per drink.

[mjkacmom]

Almost always tip $1 or 2, I’m actually uncomfortable not tipping. However, although it felt weird getting up from the dining table without paying, I loved not having to wait for a check, and rarely tipped (but we have one with a food allergy so tipped the dining manager at the end). We always make sure to have small bills on hand when we will encounter an open bar, like at a wedding, for the bartenders.

[Oakman58]

I consider the 20% tip on drinks to be more than generous.  Tipping just $1 on a $12 dollar drink increases the tip another 8%.  I'm not that generous at my local bar and grill so I'm not going to overtip on a cruise.  Over tipping in my opinion just leads to employees expecting something over and above.

 

Just look how luggage porters (longshoremen making a union wage) at the ports expect that tip for simply tossing luggage onto a cart.  

[destar]

1 minute ago, Oakman58 said:

Just look how luggage porters (longshoremen making a union wage) at the ports expect that tip for simply tossing luggage onto a cart.  

Very important to tip luggage porters, you definitely want your luggage onboard.

[cheer25mom]

We have never done the beverage package before. Do they hand you a receipt to sign when you get your drink, so you can tip extra and have it added to your folio or do we need to bring ones? 

[SunshineGal2022]

25 minutes ago, Oakman58 said:

I consider the 20% tip on drinks to be more than generous.  Tipping just $1 on a $12 dollar drink increases the tip another 8%.  I'm not that generous at my local bar and grill so I'm not going to overtip on a cruise.  Over tipping in my opinion just leads to employees expecting something over and above.

 

Just look how luggage porters (longshoremen making a union wage) at the ports expect that tip for simply tossing luggage onto a cart.  

Lifting 50 lb bags for hours is hard work.  It’s a very physical job and puts strain on your knees, back, shoulders, and hands. I gladly tip luggage porters.

[cruiseny4life]

I never tip any bartenders on the cruise (kind of). I already paid the daily service charge, so there's no actual need to tip. 

 

What I actually do though is, at the end of the cruise, I find the 3 - 4 bartenders I had a good rapport with and give them a $20. I don't want extra special service, I just want to reward hard working people that made my vacation better. That's how I believe tips should be given out. 

Feel free to disagree. It's a thread on tipping. We're all not going to agree. 

[PTC DAWG]

18 minutes ago, cheer25mom said:

We have never done the beverage package before. Do they hand you a receipt to sign when you get your drink, so you can tip extra and have it added to your folio or do we need to bring ones? 

Nothing to sign unless you go over the included limit. 

[RocketMan275]

46 minutes ago, cheer25mom said:

We have never done the beverage package before. Do they hand you a receipt to sign when you get your drink, so you can tip extra and have it added to your folio or do we need to bring ones? 

Bring ones or get change at Guest Services.

Edited March 16, 2023 by RocketMan275

[JGmf]

2 hours ago, JimP1903 said:

If you are on the free at sea package, and already prepaying beverage tips, does anyone still tip the wait staff and/or bar staff? 

 

Hell yes to tipping bartenders. For wait staff, I sometimes provide, say, a $5-$10 tip or so if the service was very good.

[RocketMan275]

1 hour ago, JGmf said:

 

Hell yes to tipping bartenders. For wait staff, I sometimes provide, say, a $5-$10 tip or so if the service was very good.

We leave $2 for breakfast, $3 for lunch, and $5 for dinner.  

I even tip the servers who bring us drinks in the buffet.  Their smile is worth the dollar bill.

[wcook]

Call me a cheap bastard, but if I’m paying over $20/day in mandatory tips on drinks, I’m not tipping on top of that. And I’ve never had anything less than great service. 
 

But I think it’s awesome that many of you are generous 

Edited March 16, 2023 by wcook

[luckybecky]

We don't tip per drink, and always got excellent service. By the end of the cruise we had 3 favorite bartenders and we gave them a generous tip on the last night. The only time I think it may be helpful is if you like to play slots. The roving waiters may happen to find you more quickly if you tip a dollar a drink, so you won't have to leave your machine to go get a drink. But at the bars we could see no difference at all in service received by tippers and non tippers. 

[Blueberry89]

2 hours ago, RocketMan275 said:

Bring ones or get change at Guest Services.

The bill exchanger in the Casino works too!