Tipping advice

[E91]

I understand HAL's policy of a daily per person service charge. Still, I usually like to give a little extra. If you are getting above the norm service how much extra do you guys give to cabin steward, waiter, busboy, head waiter, etc. Also, we are getting a cabana w/ butler on the island. What about additional tipping there? Thanks in advance.

[jtl513]

You didn't say for how long a cruise, but for a 7-day we usually give the room steward $20 - $25, the d.r. waiter $20, and the assistant $15. Nothing extra for the wine steward because we think the 15% is enough. Head waiter: it depends. Last cruise he only spoke about 10 words to us, one time, so he got nothing. The cruise before that our head waiter paid a lot of attention to us, and helped out his waiters, so we gave him 15 Euros. The Maitre d' has done nothing special for us on our three HAL cruises, so got nothing from us. (This is all in addition to the auto-tip which we leave in place.)

[noblepa]

That sounds about like what we do.

 

I've never tipped the maitre'd, either, but I'm not so sure that I shouldn't. Even though we have seldom seen or required the services of the maitre'd, he IS in charge of the entire restaurant staff. If he doesn't do his job correctly, chances are, the wait staff won't do theirs. It is the maitre'd's responsibility to see that they do.

 

But then, I'm not 100 percent sure of what, exactly, the maitre'd's function really is.

 

Paul Noble

[jtl513]

But then, I'm not 100 percent sure of what, exactly, the maitre'd's function really is.

 

Me either! :) But think about this: if every passenger on a Vista gave him $1 per day, that's $54,000 per month in addition to his salary!!! :eek: IF he ever does something for me, like a table change, or resolving some problem, I might give him something ... but it hasn't happened yet!

[dakrewser]

Me either! :) But think about this: if every passenger on a Vista gave him $1 per day, that's $54,000 per month in addition to his salary!!! :eek: IF he ever does something for me, like a table change, or resolving some problem, I might give him something ... but it hasn't happened yet!

 

You're thinking of the Dining Room manager. On HAL ships the maite d's oversee a group of stewards (2 to 4, I believe). Some are very helpful, some seem to disappear. The helpful ones get a little extra from us.

[jtl513]

You're thinking of the Dining Room manager. On HAL ships the maite d's oversee a group of stewards (2 to 4, I believe). Some are very helpful, some seem to disappear. The helpful ones get a little extra from us.

 

Okay, I'm confused. I thought it was Head Waiters who oversee a few waiters/stewards, and that there's only one Maitre d'hotel over all the headwaiters. (I know in some places Maitre d' essentially means headwaiter.) So you're saying on the ships there's multiple maitre d's and one Dining Room Manager over all of them? Whatever you call him, he's the guy I have yet felt the need to tip!! :)

[sail7seas]

You're thinking of the Dining Room manager. On HAL ships the maite d's oversee a group of stewards (2 to 4, I believe). Some are very helpful, some seem to disappear. The helpful ones get a little extra from us.

 

HAL has changed some titles in recent months.

 

The formerly known as Maitre d' is now known as Dining Room Manager. He is in charge of the entire dining room operation. Under him are Dining Room Supervisors and they each have a grouping of tables/stewards they oversee.

 

The formerly known as Food and Beverage Manager is now Culinary Operations Manager.

[jtl513]

The formerly known as Maitre d' is now known as Dining Room Manager. He is in charge of the entire dining room operation. Under him are Dining Room Supervisors and they each have a grouping of tables/stewards they oversee.

 

So now there's NO MORE maitre d' at all? :confused: Great! At least that will simplify things for people who can't remember where the apostrophe belongs! :D :D