How do you tip in Anytime dining?

[shofer]

This will be our first time trying this and we are hoping we can get a table for 6 at a specific time. We would like to reward our servers in a personal way. If we have automatic tips, who gets them and how?

[Pam in CA]

This will be our first time trying this and we are hoping we can get a table for 6 at a specific time. We would like to reward our servers in a personal way. If we have automatic tips, who gets them and how?

The auto-tip includes any and all waitstaff in the dining rooms and buffet, including the Maitre D and Table Captains, as well as your cabin steward. Many in the buffet work very hard and don't work in the dining room so they often get left out if someone removes the auto-tip. Leave the auto-tip on and if you have had outstanding service by another member of the staff, you can tip them directly. If you remive the auto-tip and tip them directly, then your tip goes directly into the tipping pool so you're not really tipping them directly or rewarding them.

 

FYI, you will not be able to request a specific time to eat in Anytime between 6PM and 8PM. If you eat before 6PM, you'll probably be seated directly. If you have a reservation for 8PM, you could very well have a wait, even with a reservation. (We had a reservation for 8PM and had waits every night for 5 - 45 minutes.) You might be better off in Traditional but at this point, the waitlist is probably very long.

[ldoc31]

FYI, you will not be able to request a specific time to eat in Anytime between 6PM and 8PM. If you eat before 6PM, you'll probably be seated directly. If you have a reservation for 8PM, you could very well have a wait, even with a reservation. (We had a reservation for 8PM and had waits every night for 5 - 45 minutes.) You might be better off in Traditional but at this point, the waitlist is probably very long.

 

Another negative on anytime dining--are you trying to scare everyone away from it? Don't worry OP you will more than likely enjoy anytime. We had it on our last cruise and never had to wait more than 5 minutes without a reservation.

[JSWalk]

Last year on the Dawn, we were a party of six and never waited more than 10 minutes for a table.

[Pam in CA]

Another negative on anytime dining--are you trying to scare everyone away from it? Don't worry OP you will more than likely enjoy anytime. We had it on our last cruise and never had to wait more than 5 minutes without a reservation.

ldoc, I am posting only from MY experiences so that people don't get the perspective that this is a perfect solution and that they'll never wait or have only a very short wait. It isn't perfect and there MAY be times when they do have to wait and they should take that into consideration. It's all about getting information. Not everyone has had the same experience as you. Your next experience might be completely different. There's no way to predict that.

[eh2zed]

You don't tip for Anytime Dining if you have auto tips

[Zoey1]

 

FYI, you will not be able to request a specific time to eat in Anytime between 6PM and 8PM. If you eat before 6PM, you'll probably be seated directly. If you have a reservation for 8PM, you could very well have a wait, even with a reservation. (We had a reservation for 8PM and had waits every night for 5 - 45 minutes.) You might be better off in Traditional but at this point, the waitlist is probably very long.

 

 

I am a little concerned about this, I was on the CB 7/04 and had anytime dining because that was all that was available at the time (we prefer late seating). We like getting to know other diners at our table and having the wait staff get to know us and our preferences so we prefer to eat at the same time each evening. Even with anytime dining we made a reservation every night (same everything) at 8pm..is it true we will no longer be able to do this?

[Lynda90]

I am a little concerned about this, I was on the CB 7/04 and had anytime dining because that was all that was available at the time (we prefer late seating). We like getting to know other diners at our table and having the wait staff get to know us and our preferences so we prefer to eat at the same time each evening. Even with anytime dining we made a reservation every night (same everything) at 8pm..is it true we will no longer be able to do this?

Yes, you still can do this. 8PM is a good time to go. It's before 8PM that you can't make a reservation.

[A Sixth?]

If an anytime wait staff preformed an exceptional service, we tip them after the meal in addition to the auto tip.

 

For example, a special occasion like a birthday when I met with the maitre'd before hand to arrange a few "extras" to surprise a friend. (a joke gift delivered by the staff from "Zee Captain" :D )

 

Otherwise, don't sweat it. The auto tip makes anytime a breeze.

 

We too have never had a significant wait in anytime or freestyle dining. It IS the reason we choose Princess for many of our cruises (4 this year and counting)

[spongerob]

ldoc, I am posting only from MY experiences so that people don't get the perspective that this is a perfect solution and that they'll never wait or have only a very short wait. It isn't perfect and there MAY be times when they do have to wait and they should take that into consideration. It's all about getting information. Not everyone has had the same experience as you. Your next experience might be completely different. There's no way to predict that.

I personally don't have a lot of experience with Anytime, having only tried during one cruise so far, but many we have sailed with prefer Anytime. What seems to be the case is that some Maitre d's are more accommadating than others when it comes to set reservations. On Grand-class ships, where there are two Anytime dining rooms, friends have reported that they encountered resistance at one dining room, but were quickly taken care of at the other.

 

I think anyone using Anytime, and requesting a set dining time and reserved table, should be prepared for waits. We waited up to 20 minutes for a reserved table when we used Anytime.

 

With regards to tipping, another way you can reward servers who do a great job is to fill in comment cards for them. If they aren't on the table, the maitre d's have them handy. This little bit of recognition goes a long way towards earning shore privileges, promotions, etc.

[ArizonaRalphie]

You don't tip for Anytime Dining if you have auto tips

Or, to put it another way, "You don't tip for Traditional Dining if you have auto tips."

[shofer]

I just wondered if we declined auto tip that we would have envelopes to give to our waiters if we had the same ones in anytime dining. The reason we are vacillating on this is because DH is the only one who wants early seating. And the rest of us think 6:00 is too early but 8:30 is too late. We wanted a happy compromise of 7:00. We are waitlisted for early seating but are hoping we are declined.

 

Thanks all for your comments.

[Lynda90]

I just wondered if we declined auto tip that we would have envelopes to give to our waiters if we had the same ones in anytime dining. The reason we are vacillating on this is because DH is the only one who wants early seating. And the rest of us think 6:00 is too early but 8:30 is too late. We wanted a happy compromise of 7:00. We are waitlisted for early seating but are hoping we are declined.

 

Thanks all for your comments.

I don't understand what you would be accomplishing by doing this. The anytime wait staff are included in the auto tip. If you remove the auto tip, the money your give your wait staff will have to be turned in and put in a pool. IMHO, you are better off just leaving the auto tip in place.

[shofer]

We thought if we handed it to them directly, they would be able to keep it. Do they have to put all tips into the pool? Doesn't seem to be an incentive to give good service.

[dforeigner]

We thought if we handed it to them directly, they would be able to keep it. Do they have to put all tips into the pool? Doesn't seem to be an incentive to give good service.

 

 

If you leave the autotips in place, yes, the waitstaff gets to keep the tips (there is a list that shows who cancelled and who left the autotips in place). If you cancelled the autotips in place, they have to turn in the tips into a general pool. The incentive to give good service is that they will get people to write good write ups about their service and maybe receive a little extra tip (money).

[Tatka]

We thought if we handed it to them directly, they would be able to keep it. Do they have to put all tips into the pool? Doesn't seem to be an incentive to give good service.

 

We received great service on Princess from all but one server, whos service was good, not great, even with auto-tip. :)

 

Good server alway gives a good service auto tip or not. With anytime dining if you don't like server, next day you get another. ;)

[bjkTX]

I don't want to start an "Anytime versus Traditional" war - but I have a question since we have only done Anytime on our 4 cruises, and loved it. People have said you might have to wait 5-10 minutes for a table with Anytime dining (we did experience that 2 or 3 times in 4 cruises, but mostly we walked right in). With Traditional dining - everyone goes in and sits down at the same time - I would think that would be a very busy time - do those folks end up waiting 5-10 minutes once they get in - or is there extra staff to take care of the "all at one time" rush?

[BABYKIN]

I was told by the Purser's Desk that you can tip an individual at the end of the cruise by putting money in a "gratuity envelope" found at the Purser's desk the second to last day of the cruise. You can either hand the envelope to the crew member or leave it at the Purser's desk and the employee will get it. You have to put the crew member's full name and where he/she works.. I checked with a few employee's I got to know and they said they do get the tips left at the Purser's desk, envelopes un-opened. I tipped my anytime dining waiter because we requested him every night and he gave excellent service and was pleasant. His name is Leo, he is from Romania, works in the DaVinci dining room, left side middle back near window. Try him out, you will not be disappointed.:)

[Tatka]

I was told by the Purser's Desk that you can tip an individual at the end of the cruise by putting money in a "gratuity envelope" found at the Purser's desk the second to last day of the cruise. You can either hand the envelope to the crew member or leave it at the Purser's desk and the employee will get it. You have to put the crew member's full name and where he/she works.. I checked with a few employee's I got to know and they said they do get the tips left at the Purser's desk, envelopes un-opened. I tipped my anytime dining waiter because we requested him every night and he gave excellent service and was pleasant. His name is Leo, he is from Romania, works in the DaVinci dining room, left side middle back near window. Try him out, you will not be disappointed.:)

 

 

Yes, but I am under impression OP doesn't want to have autotip.. you are talking about additionl tip.

[shofer]

Thanks all who posted. Babykin actually answered my question best about wanting to reward someone above and beyond.

 

I certainly understand about autotips and DH likes not having to go to the casino to get the correct # of bills for each person. I was just wondering if you could tip someone in person.

 

On our last (first Princess) cruise we did the autotips and our servers were rather cool to us the last night. I was wondering if perhaps they were thinking we had stiffed them. On Celebrity, if you autotip, you were given a card to present to your server/cabin steward to acknowledge that you had done this. DH also slipped them a few extra $$ this way.

[Pam in CA]

We thought if we handed it to them directly, they would be able to keep it. Do they have to put all tips into the pool? Doesn't seem to be an incentive to give good service.

No, they do not get to keep it and yes, if you remove the auto-tip, all tips are put into the pool. Keep in mind that the auto-tip also includes your cabin steward and all of the waitstaff in the buffet and/or dining room for breakfast and lunch so that it goes a long way. It's recommended that you leave the auto-tip on and then if you have received very special service, tip individually. Then, they are able to keep that extra tip.

[dforeigner]

Thanks all who posted. Babykin actually answered my question best about wanting to reward someone above and beyond.

 

I certainly understand about autotips and DH likes not having to go to the casino to get the correct # of bills for each person. I was just wondering if you could tip someone in person.

 

On our last (first Princess) cruise we did the autotips and our servers were rather cool to us the last night. I was wondering if perhaps they were thinking we had stiffed them. On Celebrity, if you autotip, you were given a card to present to your server/cabin steward to acknowledge that you had done this. DH also slipped them a few extra $$ this way.

 

 

With Princess, the Maitre'D has a print out given to him on the last night of the cruise that shows who left the auto tips in place and who removed them. This way, they know who can keep the additional tips and who has to turn them in into the tip pool. I like the card idea that Celebrity uses though.

[marie61]

We loved Anytime. We found a team of waiters the first night that we loved--we found out what table numbers they served. Went down each night, asked for Table ..... and went to the bar and had a drink while waiting for our tables! worked great! We were not in a hurry and disliked being told what time dinner was.

 

we left the autotip in place and slipped both waiters $$ at the end of our crise. We hope they were allowed to keep it (since we left autotip in place).

 

Good luck.

[captainron]

Pam,

Don't know which ship you were on but we were on the Coral on our 21 day Trans Canal repo FLL-SFO-YVR in May '06. We arrived the first evening with friends to be seated at a table for 4 adjacent to the window, Our wait was maybe 20 minutes.

 

We enjoyed the service of our table team and the teams at the surrounding tables so much that we addressed our wishes to the Maitr'ed to be seated at that table nightly at 7:30pm for the rest of the cruise. Our wishes were granted.

 

The big thing about PC (Anytime) Dining is that many people who book a time don't have the courtesy to advise their table team or the Maitre'd if they are going to dine elsewhere or not on any specific evening. This throws a wrench in the system when the Maitre'd and his/her assistant are trying to sched others to dine.

 

WRT tips, we gave our tips to crew members we felt went above and beyond the call...not just dining room table teams but waiters/waitresses, barstaff, and most importantly your stateroom attendant. Tips were given in person in personalized envelopes with a note of thanks indicating that the amount therein was in addition to the autotip.

 

As many of the crew are from countries far afield, some folks I know have given pre-paid phone cards as a more personalized gift of appreciation.

 

Ciao for now!!!

[sayaguru]

With Traditional dining - everyone goes in and sits down at the same time - I would think that would be a very busy time - do those folks end up waiting 5-10 minutes once they get in - or is there extra staff to take care of the "all at one time" rush?

 

Good point. I had traditional dining (first time) on my last cruise and thought "how is it efficient to get 1,000 meals out t the same time".

We had late sitting and were always first in. We had great service but others I spoke to said they waited a long time to get their first course and subsequent courses. Everyone arrives in the first 15 minutes so it is a rush. There is not extra staff, just your waiter and assistant throughout the whole meal. I found it felt bit like a cafeteria.

 

I prefer anytime dining. I've never had to wait though. Lucky?