Drink tipping

[casofilia]

Simple answer NO.

[trivimp]

16 minutes ago, luckybecky said:

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. 

 

This is a good strategy for the roving servers on the pool deck, too.  

[RocketMan275]

15 minutes ago, Blueberry89 said:

The bill exchanger in the Casino works too!

Why  thank you. I wasn't aware there was such a thing there.  That will save me a lot of standing in line time at Guest Services.

[Blueberry89]

12 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

Why  thank you. I wasn't aware there was such a thing there.  That will save me a lot of standing in line time at Guest Services.

No need to ensure you have a ton of small bills before embarking either.  
 

it was a little tidbit I picked up reading these boards! We used it often on our last cruise and will utilize it again when we board theEpic next month 🛳🍹

[PATRLR]

 

 

 

4 hours ago, Oakman58 said:

Over tipping in my opinion just leads to employees expecting something over and above.

I agree with you, but, unfortunately, that ship sailed a long time ago.  I want good bar service, I don't want to have to wait, and I want my bartender to remember me, so, I tip. 

[NikiPinkston]

1 hour ago, RocketMan275 said:

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.

We always tip $1 per drink and $10 in the specialty restaurants, but are sometimes not sure about what to do in the MDR. I like your style, RocketMan, and think we'll adapt your "tipping schedule."

[RocketMan275]

26 minutes ago, NikiPinkston said:

We always tip $1 per drink and $10 in the specialty restaurants, but are sometimes not sure about what to do in the MDR. I like your style, RocketMan, and think we'll adapt your "tipping schedule."

Our motto is 'tip early, tip often, tip a lot'.  It's our way of saying thank you.

[RRSeeker]

I always tip at least $1 per drink and $10 in a specialty restaurant. I don’t know if I get special service but it just feels right to me.

[laudergayle]

4 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

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. 

Now here is a difference from being in mostly Haven venues to being in “The ship outside the ship”.  We have to compete with A LOT of other cruisers to get service.  DH generally sends me to get drinks…mainly because most bartenders are male and I’m cuter than he is😇 , therefore I tend to get noticed more quickly.  8 out of 10 times I tip $1-2 per visit.  You would be amazed how often, in a crowd, the bartender just points to the quiet girl with the smile…who quickly says a Coors Light and a Prosecco (we’re simple…lol). A smile, a tip and a thank you. Works like a charm.

Edited March 16, 2023 by laudergayle

[WexIrl]

6 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?  Asking because we have never done the beverage packages.

Yes, I always bring a bag of €2 and €1 euro coins with me to slide across the bar and then give the other service folks notes. 

My wife couldn't fathom this at first and soon came to realize the method to the my 'madness' through observed experience.

I have some good stories that have roots in the tips.

[RocketMan275]

3 hours ago, RocketMan275 said:

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.

 

1 hour ago, NikiPinkston said:

We always tip $1 per drink and $10 in the specialty restaurants, but are sometimes not sure about what to do in the MDR. I like your style, RocketMan, and think we'll adapt your "tipping schedule."

If I may suggest, a small $5 tip to the dining hostess will be appreciated.  We tipped the Haven hostess $5 on the first night (and a couple of times later) and we were very pleased with the tables she provided.  In fact, a couple of times we were having a cocktail in the bar when she approaced and told us she had a window table available if we wanted it.

[eileeshb]

15 minutes ago, WexIrl said:

Yes, I always bring a bag of €2 and €1 euro coins with me to slide across the bar and then give the other service folks notes. 

My wife couldn't fathom this at first and soon came to realize the method to the my 'madness' through observed experience.

I have some good stories that have roots in the tips.

I used the €2 coins on a European itinerary but I switch to dollars for cruises out of the states

[eileeshb]

5 hours ago, SunshineGal2022 said:

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.

I know how I feel after hauling a few boxes around and moving wetsuits all day at work so I always tip the porters, also if you tip them well at embarkation they’ll keep an eye out at disembarkation and get you to the fast lane at border control. 

[NikiPinkston]

45 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

Our motto is 'tip early, tip often, tip a lot'.  It's our way of saying thank you.

Totally agree! They all work so hard and I love to see their smiles!😊

[NikiPinkston]

10 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

 

If I may suggest, a small $5 tip to the dining hostess will be appreciated.  We tipped the Haven hostess $5 on the first night (and a couple of times later) and we were very pleased with the tables she provided.  In fact, a couple of times we were having a cocktail in the bar when she approaced and told us she had a window table available if we wanted it.

That's a great idea! I love me a good window seat.

[RocketMan275]

5 minutes ago, eileeshb said:

I know how I feel after hauling a few boxes around and moving wetsuits all day at work so I always tip the porters, also if you tip them well at embarkation they’ll keep an eye out at disembarkation and get you to the fast lane at border control. 

On our first cruise out of Cape Canaveral, we were facing long lines at immigration/border control.  A steward approached and said he could take our baggage and escort us to the front of the line.  Best $5 I ever spent.

[MagnoliaBlossom]

7 hours ago, RocketMan275 said:

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.

Our experience as well.   Even had one of our favorite guys slip us a bottle of wine for the room rather than each of us carrying two glasses.   A few dollars early on make a big difference.

[BirdTravels]

2 hours ago, RocketMan275 said:

Why  thank you. I wasn't aware there was such a thing there.  That will save me a lot of standing in line time at Guest Services.

Yeah... you can change from $100 to 5 $20s. Then a $20 to 4 $5s. Then $5 to 5 $1. Always waiting for the machine to reset between changes. So to get $20 in singles, it could take 5-10 minutes. No thank you, there is hardly ever a line at the casino cage. 

[Oakman58]

So of all these good folks that tip an extra dollar or two, I take it for granted that you also tip 30% or more at your local bar and grill.

[LatinaInTexas]

5 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

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. 

I agree with this. I don't want special service. In fact I prefer a light pour on my drinks so a heavy pour wont work for me. I also don't want my drink ready as I'm walking up because I don't have a certain drink I prefer, I try different drinks all cruise long.

In the past I don't tip extra but husband does for every drink and going forward I'm going to adopt your suggestion of tipping a few bartenders that stood out at the end of the cruise👍

[coscab]

1 hour ago, RocketMan275 said:

Our motto is 'tip early, tip often, tip a lot'.  It's our way of saying thank you.

Totally agree, we don't tip to get faster or better service, we also feel it is a thank you for being there for us to enjoy our vacation, we are very generous with all waitstaff and room attendant. 

We tip 25% usually when home and those servers are able to go home to their families after work, the cruise staff go back to an inside room and don't see their families for months. 

We had a wonderful server in Cagneys last week, his wife was also on the ship in the MDR, beautiful young couple, but most are away from all family members.

[coscab]

19 minutes ago, Oakman58 said:

So of all these good folks that tip an extra dollar or two, I take it for granted that you also tip 30% or more at your local bar and grill.

Copied from my own post above:

We tip 25% usually when home and those servers are able to go home to their families after work, the cruise staff go back to an inside room and don't see their families for months. 

[eileeshb]

17 minutes ago, Oakman58 said:

So of all these good folks that tip an extra dollar or two, I take it for granted that you also tip 30% or more at your local bar and grill.

No tipping in Ireland cos our bar staff are paid a decent wage. 
I still remember a friend who was working as a waitress at a local restaurant here running up the street looking for a group that had left a tip of £50, she thought they’d made a mistake until I asked what their total bill was and told her that sounded like a normal tip relative to the bill. I’d spent the previous summer in the USA so learned the standard tipping then. 

[Happycrafter123]

We don’t tip for each drink but pick favorite bar tenders and give them a $10 or $20 every couple or three days. 

[cruiseny4life]

2 hours ago, laudergayle said:

Now here is a difference from being in mostly Haven venues to being in “The ship outside the ship”.  We have to compete with A LOT of other cruisers to get service.  DH generally sends me to get drinks…mainly because most bartenders are male and I’m cuter than he is😇 , therefore I tend to get noticed more quickly.  8 out of 10 times I tip $1-2 per visit.  You would be amazed how often, in a crowd, the bartender just points to the quiet girl with the smile…who quickly says a Coors Light and a Prosecco (we’re simple…lol). A smile, a tip and a thank you. Works like a charm.

That probably is true at most of the bars. I do remember ordering a drink at the pool deck. It took a LOOOOONG time! Like 15 minutes to get the drink. Not the bartenders fault. The people ahead of me were drunk and stupid.

 

I do regularly visit (on Getaway) the Waterfront-side of Sugarcane. That's where I find my outside the Haven bartender. Mainly because the bar is outside and that's where I want to be, even on a rainy day. The bartender there always gets one of those $20's at the end.

 

But, if I had to compete at the pool deck or atrium all the time, I suppose you're right that a tip might be the way to get faster service. Thanks for the bougie check!

 

56 minutes ago, LatinaInTexas said:

I agree with this. I don't want special service. In fact I prefer a light pour on my drinks so a heavy pour wont work for me. I also don't want my drink ready as I'm walking up because I don't have a certain drink I prefer, I try different drinks all cruise long.

In the past I don't tip extra but husband does for every drink and going forward I'm going to adopt your suggestion of tipping a few bartenders that stood out at the end of the cruise👍

Oh! I want a pour that makes the drink taste good. Depends on what I'm having. I am much like you in that I rarely order the same drink twice in a row. Now, I will try out the same drink a few times on the cruise, but typically I'll go from one to another to another.

 

Have a great time on your next cruise!