What is a reasonable amount to tip the attendant who brings the free breakfast room service in the mornings?

[cruisenewb1]

I’m from a non-tipping country so always find the issue of tipping vexing.

 

If I order a couple of pastries and a juice, what would seem a reasonable tip?

[doghog]

7 minutes ago, cruisenewb1 said:

I’m from a non-tipping country so always find the issue of tipping vexing.

 

If I order a couple of pastries and a juice, what would seem a reasonable tip?

The RS person will appreciate whatever amount you decide. 

[neverbeenhere]

2 dollars a head

[Coralc]

We usually give them $5, independent of the size of the order for 2 people. We save our $1's for bar service. 

[teddie]

Three or four dollars would be fine.

 

Teddie

[smokeybandit]

You're under no obligation to tip room service. If you do decide to, a couple dollars is fine.

[JamesEM]

If you are going to use this service several times during the cruise I would go with $5.00, the guys in the kitchen will remember you. 

[BirdTravels]

We tip $5. 

[Scottdalfonso]

I think everyone seems to agree $3-5 seems to be the average. If we order a bunch of stuff and it comes up in 7-8 trays, then we give them 5 bucks. If it's just 3-4 trays or a small order, 3 dollars is usually the tip 

[Biker19]

8 hours ago, cruisenewb1 said:

If I order a couple of pastries and a juice, what would seem a reasonable tip?

Your order already includes an 18% gratuity.

[Sunshine3601]

1 hour ago, Biker19 said:

Your order already includes an 18% gratuity.

Even if ordering the free continental breakfast??

[Biker19]

31 minutes ago, Sunshine3601 said:

Even if ordering the free continental breakfast??

Sure, though 0 x18% is usually 0.

[Mum2Mercury]

As I understand it, room service delivery exists outside the standard tipping system.  As I understand it, food staff crew signs up for "extra work hours" to deliver room service orders -- optional for them, but they get nothing for those extra hours except the tips.  

Don't ask me for a source.  It's something I have read here before, and it doesn't affect me, as we never order room service.  

[gmerick]

2 hours ago, ah33919 said:

I've already been charged and paid for $346.47 in gratuities alone for Unlimited Dining, soda packages, and a 7 day Thermal Suite

All of the prepaid grats, cruise planner purchase grats, and grats added to sea pass card purchases all end up in one big wonderful shipwide tip pool.  The crew Collective Bargaining Agreement has contract clauses as to how that combined pool is distributed.  

The only tip that goes to a specific individual is what you give as cash.  The crew sign up for "extra hours" because that fractionally increases their share of the tip pool.  

My view - the combined gratuities pool is a RCI accounting gimic to avoid taxes on revenue that would normally be used as wage expense.  I no longer play that game.  I bring $1s, 5s, and 10s for at least what my daily $18/day would have been plus extra for on board purchases (I can't avoid the 18% tax on Cruise Planner).  I hand out the cash to those that make my time enjoyable.

 

My morning coffee on my balcony is VERY important.  That room service delivery crew member gets well appreciated.

[printingchick]

We recently had them deliver just coffee each morning. It was nicer than a wake-up call. We tipped $2 per day. 

[Kelley17]

I ALWAYS tip room service $5 no matter what I order. You need to put yourself in their position. How would you feel carrying someone their order and they give you NOTHING for it? 

[spelican]

We tip $5 on morning room service. (Coffee and muffins/fruit). 

[HopefulCruiser123]

$5 

[little britain]

3 hours ago, SquishTheWhale said:

Why don't they just put it on as a mandatory service charge then? It's not their pay, its an optional tip. If it's not optional, it's not a tip. If it is optional, it's not their pay. When I order Uber eats here there is a service charge.

 

Yours, a confused Brit, who came here to find the actual answer to the room service question.

This Brit tips $2 for room service continental breakfast delivery. 
 

[KroozNut]

19 hours ago, neverbeenhere said:

2 dollars a head

Disagree... At least US $2 every time, regardless of anything else.

[KroozNut]

5 hours ago, Mum2Mercury said:

As I understand it, room service delivery exists outside the standard tipping system.  As I understand it, food staff crew signs up for "extra work hours" to deliver room service orders -- optional for them, but they get nothing for those extra hours except the tips.  

Don't ask me for a source.  It's something I have read here before, and it doesn't affect me, as we never order room service.  

All conjecture... source please.

[Engineroom Snipe]

On the cruises that I have a balcony, I pick a location that makes it an easy run to the Windjammer and back.

 

I provide custom room service to my fabulous wife.

 

I work hard each morning and I am tipped VERY well.

 

I can appreciate how hard the crew works to provide room service, I am one of them.

 

🤣

[Mum2Mercury]

3 hours ago, KroozNut said:

All conjecture... source please.

Read again, and you'll see that I don't remember where I heard this -- but I have heard it multiple times.  

[luvcruzing]

15 hours ago, Scottdalfonso said:

If we order a bunch of stuff and it comes up in 7-8 trays, then we give them 5 bucks.

What? That’s crazy.