How much do you tip at Chops or Portofinos?

[scubapuss]

I consider myself a big tipper. I just don't know what to base the tip off of. What is the norm?

[TonyRic]

I think that the tip is added automatically to the bill (same as the bar) but, we always look and tip appropriately. We typically tip 15-25% depending on the level of service (including what/if anything is already added to the bill as a gratuity).

[cruisePRN]

The gratuity is already in the service charge

[Bradiego]

When I ate in both Chops & Portofino, I gave the waiter/waitress some extra cash ($20) because the service was so wonderful. I was told the service charge doesn't go directly to the servers and they work hard.

[Dockman123]

When I ate in both Chops & Portofino, I gave the waiter/waitress some extra cash ($20) because the service was so wonderful. I was told the service charge doesn't go directly to the servers and they work hard.

I was wondering about the charges. I have read both $15 and $20 pp. Since the cost includes the gratuity I was wondering how much of the amount actually went to the waiter?

[MrPete]

You've tipped already in your service charge. If you feel like giving more, no one will turn you down.

[Host Kewlguy]

Since we've never felt the service in Chops was any better than what we receive in the main dining room we never tipped any extra. Besides, the tip is already included in the $20.00 pp charge.

[danyelle]

We usually tip the normal 15-20% at the specialty restaurants in cash directly to the people who gave us the great service.

[danyelle]

We usually tip the normal 15-20% at the specialty restaurants in cash directly to the people who gave us the great service.

[boaterette]

We usually tip the normal 15-20% at the specialty restaurants in cash directly to the people who gave us the great service.

 

So if the service charge is 20 would you tip 3 to 4 dollars? That would be 15 to 20%. Or do you bse the 15 to 20 % on some other figure and where do you get that figure from? I haven't eaten in the specialty restaurants yet so I'm not sure? Thanks for your help.

[Tasha999]

We eat at Chops and Portofinos three times on every cruise we take. My husband always left a twenty-five dollar tip. The concierge told him on our last cruise (Navigator, 2005) that the cover charge is the tip. if you order wine or beverage, you should give the customary twenty per cent as in any restaurant of that calibur.

 

Tasha

[Pitbull1130]

The Chops service is always better to me, I give extra due to this. In 3 weeks I'll eating at Chops...................

[Laid-back]

So if the service charge is 20 would you tip 3 to 4 dollars? That would be 15 to 20%. Or do you bse the 15 to 20 % on some other figure and where do you get that figure from? I haven't eaten in the specialty restaurants yet so I'm not sure? Thanks for your help.

 

On a very recent cruise on Brilliance I added an amount, based on nothing but my feel, to my SeaPass for excellent service in Chops. The amount I added was never included in the final SeaPass bill so I guess if you want to add something extra you do as some other posters have, give it in cash.

[Host Kewlguy]

Any extra money you leave for the servers goes into a tip pool which then gets divided among all the servers. It does not go directly to your particular server. They work as a team and divide all the tips as a team.

[cruisinfanatic]

We usually tip the normal 15-20% at the specialty restaurants in cash directly to the people who gave us the great service.

15-20% of what

[Tasha999]

15-20% of what

 

Of what the meal would cost in a restaurant. If you have drinks, You know what that cost is. Chops is comparable to a Ruth Chris or a Morton's Steakhouse. Portofinos is most likely in that price range or a little higher.

[Bonnie Voyager]

15-20% of what

 

We have always had exceptional service in the specialty restaurants and we tip $20 of the price we feel we would pay for this meal at a comparable restaurant at home. Assuming the same meal at home would run about $100 then we would tip $20 for the meal at Portofino (in addition to the $20 service charge).

[cb at sea]

If you feel you were served above and beyond what you expected, then leave a tip--$10-15 seems appropriate to me. The "tip" is part of the $20 per person you've paid to eat there. The rest of the bill is included in what you paid for the cruise.

If service is standard and not exceptional, there's no need to leave extra, but I bet you will find you were treated like royalty!

[scher]

If you feel you were served above and beyond what you expected, then leave a tip--$10-15 seems appropriate to me. The "tip" is part of the $20 per person you've paid to eat there. The rest of the bill is included in what you paid for the cruise.

If service is standard and not exceptional, there's no need to leave extra, but I bet you will find you were treated like royalty!

I will most likely leave $10.00 more dollars for me my husband and 2 kids

[PhoenixCruiser]

We have always had exceptional service in the specialty restaurants and we tip $20 of the price we feel we would pay for this meal at a comparable restaurant at home. Assuming the same meal at home would run about $100 then we would tip $20 for the meal at Portofino (in addition to the $20 service charge).

 

 

We do the same. Our meal and service in Chops on the Navigator compared to Mortons and that was reflected in our tip.

 

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[Bonnie Voyager]

We have always had exceptional service in the specialty restaurants and we tip $20 of the price we feel we would pay for this meal at a comparable restaurant at home. Assuming the same meal at home would run about $100 then we would tip $20 for the meal at Portofino (in addition to the $20 service charge).

 

Oops, just noticed my own typo! I meant to say we would tip 20% of the price we would expect to pay for the same meal at a comparable restaurant at home.

[PhoenixCruiser]

Oops, just noticed my own typo! I meant to say we would tip 20% of the price we would expect to pay for the same meal at a comparable restaurant at home.

 

That's exactly how I read it, I didn't even notice the $ sign until this post :D

 

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[somewhere beyond the sea]

We sailed on board Radiance for the 8 night Christmas cruise. With the exception of the first night, we alternated eating dinner every evening in Chops and Portofino. The food and service were wonderful, and they each have their own wine list, which offered a much greater selection of fine wines not offered on the ships regular list. The Matre 'd in Portofino, "Barish," and the waitress we requested for all of our dinners, "Maria," were both excellent. In Chops, Matre 'd "Todor," and waitress "Beni", were equally excellent. It is for this reason that we left, what we felt, were very generous tips. I left the waitresses and additional $20 each evening over and above the $20 per person surcharge. On the last night of the cruise, I gave one of the Matre d's $70, and the other $50. I also gave two busboys, one from each restaurant, $25. A few points I would like to make. We ate in one restaurant 4 nights and the other 3 nights, thus, the reason one Matre d got $70 and the other $50, and quite frankly, the one that got the higher amount truly deserved a bit more. We also drank fine wines every evening (price range $75 to $120), and had our concierge Joanne arrange to have the Matre 'd decant the wines so that it was ready to drink when we arrived every evening. The food and service were excellent in both restaurants, and there were always many empty tables, which was upsetting to the staff, because they hold the tables and turn people away, only to have the last minute cancellation BS happen every evening. We are sailing onboard Radiance again soon, Mar 31, and plan to eat all 8 dinners in Chops and Portofino for that cruise. Oh, by the way, there were usually 3 of us, (except two nights), as our 16 year old son ate dinner with us most evenings.

[kingsgirl]

needless to say I would never tip as much as a lot of people are posting.

[scher]

We sailed on board Radiance for the 8 night Christmas cruise. With the exception of the first night, we alternated eating dinner every evening in Chops and Portofino. The food and service were wonderful, and they each have their own wine list, which offered a much greater selection of fine wines not offered on the ships regular list. The Matre 'd in Portofino, "Barish," and the waitress we requested for all of our dinners, "Maria," were both excellent. In Chops, Matre 'd "Todor," and waitress "Beni", were equally excellent. It is for this reason that we left, what we felt, were very generous tips. I left the waitresses and additional $20 each evening over and above the $20 per person surcharge. On the last night of the cruise, I gave one of the Matre d's $70, and the other $50. I also gave two busboys, one from each restaurant, $25. A few points I would like to make. We ate in one restaurant 4 nights and the other 3 nights, thus, the reason one Matre d got $70 and the other $50, and quite frankly, the one that got the higher amount truly deserved a bit more. We also drank fine wines every evening (price range $75 to $120), and had our concierge Joanne arrange to have the Matre 'd decant the wines so that it was ready to drink when we arrived every evening. The food and service were excellent in both restaurants, and there were always many empty tables, which was upsetting to the staff, because they hold the tables and turn people away, only to have the last minute cancellation BS happen every evening. We are sailing onboard Radiance again soon, Mar 31, and plan to eat all 8 dinners in Chops and Portofino for that cruise. Oh, by the way, there were usually 3 of us, (except two nights), as our 16 year old son ate dinner with us most evenings.

your very generous, thanks for sharing.