Extra fee restaurant question

[NLFlower]

When you dine in one of the extra fee restaurants, is the tip still covered by the service charge, or are you expected to tip extra?

[johnql]

You are not expected to tip extra. If you're not particularly impressed by the service, I wouldn't tip extra. But, in my experience, most of the time the service does deserve an extra tip. Bottom line: tip if you feel it's deserved.

[Cuizer2]

The tip is included, but I usually leave a little extra.

[Zeno]

When you dine in one of the extra fee restaurants, is the tip still covered by the service charge, or are you expected to tip extra?

Of the (approximately) 6 times I have eaten in the specialty restaurants I have only not left an extra tip once (for some reason on that night the service was not the greatest - not really awful but just not up to the usual standard). It really is up to you - if you find the service deserves it - leave an extra tip.

[popsec]

OK...what kind of tip would be appropriate for good service since some is already included in the cover charge you pay?

[erby2283]

I think we tipped $10 (for two people). And it was very slow service...took two hours to eat.

[Cuizer2]

OK...what kind of tip would be appropriate for good service since some is already included in the cover charge you pay?

 

Look at it this way. If the cover charge is $20 per person, and a normal tip is 15%, then the meal is $17.40 and the tip is $2.60. So, if two people leave an extra $5 total, you just doubled the tip ($10.20 for a $34.80 meal = 29.3%). Leave as much or as little as you believe the service deserves.

[popsec]

Thanks for explaining it so it made sense. We always err on the side of over-tipping, rather than under-tipping, these hard working people.

[cruisePRN]

The cover charge goes to the tip, none is going to food so the previous explaination isn't quite correct. A $20 cover charge would be 20% of a hundred dollar meal.

[denlyd]

If you tip in the specialty restaurants and charge it to your cabin, does the staff get that tip, or does it go into a shipwide pool

[popsec]

The cover charge goes to the tip, none is going to food so the previous explaination isn't quite correct. A $20 cover charge would be 20% of a hundred dollar meal.

 

So, you're saying that the $20 is for a tip only? What about if you do the early bird thing?....does that mean they only get half the tip? Do people normally tip extra or not?

[cathi007]

yeah I'm confused too. I was on RCL and we went to the specialty restaurant there and we did leave a tip. 20.00 for four of us. I think a tip is deserved. Thats just imo. I am going on the Spirit soon and we are going to the specialty restaurants a few nights and I will tip again. Have fun on your cruise, Cathi

[Cuizer2]

The cover charge goes to the tip, none is going to food so the previous explaination isn't quite correct. A $20 cover charge would be 20% of a hundred dollar meal.

 

This is not correct. You get a "credit" for the meal that is included in the cruise fare, but you are paying extra (above the "credit") for the extra cost meals, and the extra you pay includes the tip. The extra you pay is not a tip only. Otherwise, why are some of the prices different. One night my meal in Cagney's was $20. The other night it was $25. Some of the extra cost restaurants have "a la cart" pricing. This would not exist if the extra cost was for the tip only.

 

The question asked was, what is a fair tip. I provided a simple rule of thumb, however, I do not have any inside information. I don't know that NLC is allocating a $20 meal as $17.40 for food and $2.60 for tip.

 

Some people tip based on what they think that they would pay for the same meal on land. So if someone pays $20, and they normally tip 20%, and they think they would pay $35 for the same meal on land, then they leave an extra $7.

 

However, you should tip based on the quality of the service, not on the cost of the food. If two people go to the same restaurant and sit at the same table, and one orders a $10 hamberger and the other a $30 steak, and each leaves a 20% tip ($2 for the hamberger and $6 for the steak) did the person who ordered the steak get three times the service? The meal might be worth three times as much, but the tip should be based on the quality of the service, not the quality of the food that was served.

[Cosmopolitan]

This is not correct. You get a "credit" for the meal that is included in the cruise fare, but you are paying extra (above the "credit") for the extra cost meals, and the extra you pay includes the tip. The extra you pay is not a tip only. Otherwise, why are some of the prices different. One night my meal in Cagney's was $20. The other night it was $25. Some of the extra cost restaurants have "a la cart" pricing. This would not exist if the extra cost was for the tip only.

 

The question asked was, what is a fair tip. I provided a simple rule of thumb, however, I do not have any inside information. I don't know that NLC is allocating a $20 meal as $17.40 for food and $2.60 for tip.

 

Some people tip based on what they think that they would pay for the same meal on land. So if someone pays $20, and they normally tip 20%, and they think they would pay $35 for the same meal on land, then they leave an extra $7.

 

However, you should tip based on the quality of the service, not on the cost of the food. If two people go to the same restaurant and sit at the same table, and one orders a $10 hamberger and the other a $30 steak, and each leaves a 20% tip ($2 for the hamberger and $6 for the steak) did the person who ordered the steak get three times the service? The meal might be worth three times as much, but the tip should be based on the quality of the service, not the quality of the food that was served.

 

Well stated.

 

I agree:)

[dwrist]

When you dine in one of the extra fee restaurants, is the tip still covered by the service charge, or are you expected to tip extra?

 

The tip is not covered by the service charge. You are not expected to tip, but if you think the service you receive is outstanding it is only correct to tip. We have tipped some servers(on the Star in Cagneys and Le Bistro) anywhere from $20 to $50 for the outstanding service that was provided. Other times $10. So in a sense, we have tipped 50-100% of the service charge. :)