I Wish Rccl Would Post NEW Tipping Guidelines

[fifty]

With more and more pax choosing the specialty restaurants for dining and opting not to go to the DR at all, it would seem that RCCL would post a revised "suggested" tipping procedure, updating the one that they have online now.

 

If I sail RCCL again, as I probably will, I will opt to use only the specialty restaurants as we found them to be far superior to the DR. I know that most suggest that one should tip the DR staff as well but if you are paying 20 fee plus another 10 tip to the Speciality restaurant, that adds up to $210 for a 7 day cruise for one person.

 

Should we tip additionally to the DR staff as well? I know this has been asked before but I don't think we have arrived at any definitive method or amount for equitable distributions.

 

If anyone, or anyone from RCCL, could advise, I think that would be great. Any suggestions?

[alicam]

I thought the $20 for the specialty restaurants WAS the tip....and you are adding 50% more on top???

[cb at sea]

I know this goes against the grain, but if you are eating in the specialty restaurants every evening (and paying tips of $20 pp), then IMO, that is MORE than sufficient! If your other meals are taken in the self-service buffet, then I think you're good to go.

Tipping for service rendered is fine and expected. Tipping "just because" isn't!

I would, however, let the DR know that you will NOT be utilizing their services!

[cb at sea]

Oh---and the $20 fee pp IS the tip--there really is no need to tip additionally!

[fifty]

I think most people tip in addition to the 20 fee. I know I felt compelled to tip extra for the fine food and service at Portofinos. Even if you only pay the 20 "fee/tip" should you tip in DR as well? :confused:

[Merion_Mom]

The $20 is NOT "a tip". A portion of it goes to the numerous servers in Chops or Portofino, but most of it is for the upgraded food.

 

IT IS NOT TWENTY DOLLARS FOR THE WAITER IN THE RESTAURANT.

 

Please tip the standard tip in the dining room. It covers all of your meals for your entire cruise.

[Woe is me]

Put your tips on your sign and sail account, you've satisfied what is expected, and anything additional is appreciated. Pretty simple.:)

[TPKeller]

With more and more pax choosing the specialty restaurants for dining and opting not to go to the DR at all, it would seem that RCCL would post a revised "suggested" tipping procedure, updating the one that they have online now.

 

If I sail RCCL again, as I probably will, I will opt to use only the specialty restaurants as we found them to be far superior to the DR. I know that most suggest that one should tip the DR staff as well but if you are paying 20 fee plus another 10 tip to the Speciality restaurant, that adds up to $210 for a 7 day cruise for one person.

 

Should we tip additionally to the DR staff as well? I know this has been asked before but I don't think we have arrived at any definitive method or amount for equitable distributions.

 

If anyone, or anyone from RCCL, could advise, I think that would be great. Any suggestions?

The problem with your request is that the ship's dining services are not designed, nor do they have the capacity for any significant number of people to do what you plan to do. Obviously there is not room in the specialty dining rooms for even a small percentage of passengers to eat there every night, in lieu of the main dining room.

 

I don't think there will be any changes coming to the line's tip suggestions any time soon, at least not for this reason. To issue additional recommendations for such a very small number of specific cases would make the system even harder to understand than it is now.

 

IMHO, the general consensus seems to be that one should go ahead and tip the dining room waiters even if you do skip a night for the specialty restaurant. If you take the time to "turn in" your dinner slot with the Maitre'd, most folks seem to think it's acceptable to not tip the dining room staff, but then most would want to tip the staff in the Windjammer or where ever they do end up eating dinner.

 

Just my thoughts.

 

Theron

[Mydnite]

The dip for the DR staff is not just for dinner, it is for lunch and breakfast as well, and staff in the DR rotate with the WJ, so if you eat anywhere else apart from the specialty restaurants and room service (which I assume you will tip separately) then you do need to tip.

[worktocruise08]

I have never failed to tip the DR staff but I do find myself not eating in there as much as when I first started to cruise. For this reason I find it harder and harder to leave that DR tip on my account. I am one that thinks you need to tip for service rendered and if Im not eating in there then Im not receiving a service. I fix my own plate in the WJ and seat myself, get my own drinks so even thou they pick up my plate they really aren't rendering a service to me. if anyone should get the tip is the culinary staff for maintaining the buffets.

 

I also feel that this is expected and therefore the service has really declined in recent years even with the room steward, getting ice in my cooler is like pulling teeth or even ice in my ice bucket, many requests while leaving in the morning have gone undone so again I find it hard to leave the full tip but I do...

 

I really believe that we should tip as we feel fit not what is expected and then these folks will start to realize there service is slipping and do alot better. While there are ones that are fantastic the majority I feel just dont care anymore what type of service they give as they know they are going to get the tip.

[silentbob007]

I have never failed to tip the DR staff but I do find myself not eating in there as much as when I first started to cruise. For this reason I find it harder and harder to leave that DR tip on my account. I am one that thinks you need to tip for service rendered and if Im not eating in there then Im not receiving a service. I fix my own plate in the WJ and seat myself, get my own drinks so even thou they pick up my plate they really aren't rendering a service to me. if anyone should get the tip is the culinary staff for maintaining the buffets.

 

However, if you are using the Windjammer, there are people there to clean up after you. My dinner experiences in the Windjammer have included waiters who were always asking if they could get me more to drink, pour me coffee, etc. What it comes down to is, if you eat in the WJ, you are still using a dining service unless you happen to serve, bus, and then clean your own table.

[Trainman-2]

We were on the Radiance two weeks ago and for the first time ever, I noticed a tip box near the Wind Jammer entrance.

 

We (two of us) ate breakfast and lunch in the Wind Jammer every day so the next time we were in the Wind Jammer I dropped in $60 which seemed about right to me for a 6 night cruise.

[packercruising]

Put your tips on your sign and sail account, you've satisfied what is expected, and anything additional is appreciated. Pretty simple.:)

 

It just doesn't get any easier than that.:cool:

[Rancher Dave]

What would be nice is for RCL or someone with firsthand experience from their Food Service Staff to give factual info on how the tipping pool works. If our SeaPass Voucher Based tips are pooled among all DR and WJ et al dining staff it would be good to know...do they have to toss cash they get into a pool as well, or is the cash they get theirs to keep 100%?

 

I want some to cover the folks who help in WJ, but at the same time if I get really great service in DR and want to make sure most of the total tip if not all goes to the corrrect server not into a pool, I want to know that by giving cash etc... it is paid out to who I want to get it.

 

Tipping is about rewarding good service. I am sure to the extent that pooling takes place depening on how much pooling goes on, there is some self policing among the staff...those who do a poor job and don't help bring in any tips probably get the wrath of those who do a stellar job and bring in a high yield of tips to the pool...

[whogo]

Put your tips on your sign and sail account, you've satisfied what is expected, and anything additional is appreciated. Pretty simple.:)

Perfect; my method exactly. I feel no pressure to tip extra.

[RetireeWannabee]

What would be nice is for RCL or someone with firsthand experience from their Food Service Staff to give factual info on how the tipping pool works. If our SeaPass Voucher Based tips are pooled among all DR and WJ et al dining staff it would be good to know...do they have to toss cash they get into a pool as well, or is the cash they get theirs to keep 100%?

 

I want some to cover the folks who help in WJ, but at the same time if I get really great service in DR and want to make sure most of the total tip if not all goes to the corrrect server not into a pool, I want to know that by giving cash etc... it is paid out to who I want to get it.

 

Tipping is about rewarding good service. I am sure to the extent that pooling takes place depening on how much pooling goes on, there is some self policing among the staff...those who do a poor job and don't help bring in any tips probably get the wrath of those who do a stellar job and bring in a high yield of tips to the pool...

I agree - I would like to know how the money gets distributed in order that it goes to those who deserve it.

[cruisenfever]

From what we have been told and have seen, when putting your tips on your SeaPass account, you will receive vouchers for your DR Staff and your Stateroom Attendant. If you have experienced exceptional service you may, with the vouchers, place additional money in the envelope for those individuals that you feel deserve a little extra.

 

The vouchers do not cover those wait staff members that only work in the WJ/SeaView Cafe/Johnny Rockets/Specialty Restaurants.

 

Radiance does, indeed, set up a table two days prior to debarkation with a box and envelopes so that if you feel you have received outstanding service you can add whatever you feel is appropriate. A good majority of the staff that works in the WJ, especially in the evenings, are in training and this is where they start before they are assigned to the main DR.

[worktocruise08]

Thats my point in a way. Tipping is a reward for good service given but these days it seems almost expected no matter what. But what about our expectation of the service. if we dont use it should we tip seems to be the big ?.. I dont mine tipping but shouldn't we expect good service on every cruise too. It seems we belittle those that dont tip.. I work hard for every dollar I make and in my head if Im going to use that hard earned dollar I want satisfactory service and because i want to not because I am expected to.

 

Also I spoke to a few of our wait staff in the DR and then told me that they are pulled together at the end of the cruise to go over the tips, its equally given out and those that do not bring in the expected are questioned as to why which means there contract is on the line.

I also was told that the paper vouchers is not money that is given right away to the wait staff if you dont go in the final night and literrally hand it to them.. Has to go thru some sort of accounting process.

 

On a cruise I took a few years ago. I advised my waiter that the service was to slow and was taking a little longer then we wanted she told me that she will try but really didn't care about it as it was her last cruise and she was going home... well she did get the required amount but money I truly hated to give out. I wont give less but I will give more....

 

I do like like the tip idea that the Radiance had... to me that would make me feel like I did give my expected tip in the food service area.However just another step to receive that once again expected buc

 

Sorry I know I sound like broken record...

[sea-cruise]

From what we have been told and have seen, when putting your tips on your SeaPass account, you will receive vouchers for your DR Staff and your Stateroom Attendant. If you have experienced exceptional service you may, with the vouchers, place additional money in the envelope for those individuals that you feel deserve a little extra.

EXACTLY! :)

[cruisenfever]

Another point that some might not know and what I learned on our Radiance cruise last September............your Waiter is responsible for selling wine at each dinner seating, if you have not purchased a wine package. They have a certain quota that they are expected to meet for each cruise and this weighs very heavily on their performance.

[whogo]

I agree - I would like to know how the money gets distributed in order that it goes to those who deserve it.

I am the exact opposite. I follow Royal Carb's recommendation. I don't care how it gets distributed. I assume it is satisfactory to the majority of employees or they would leave.

[critterchick]

Another point that some might not know and what I learned on our Radiance cruise last September............your Waiter is responsible for selling wine at each dinner seating, if you have not purchased a wine package. They have a certain quota that they are expected to meet for each cruise and this weighs very heavily on their performance.

 

Fortunately we haven't had much pushiness from the waitstaff to buy wine, but I do notice that they do their best to pour the entire bottle at each seating.

 

Also I spoke to a few of our wait staff in the DR and then told me that they are pulled together at the end of the cruise to go over the tips, its equally given out and those that do not bring in the expected are questioned as to why which means there contract is on the line.

I also was told that the paper vouchers is not money that is given right away to the wait staff if you dont go in the final night and literrally hand it to them.. Has to go thru some sort of accounting process.

 

If by "given out equally" you mean the tips are pooled, that's not what our servers have told us. Each person keeps his or her own tips, whether cash or voucher. The vouchers take a couple of weeks to show up in the payroll, so I would imagine most would prefer to receive cash.

 

My two cents: I would rather RCI just add the tips to the cost of the cruise and call it good. We always tip the recommended amount or more, but it often doesn't always go to the people RCI recommends. If we eat in the Windjammer, we will tip there (we give money directly to the person who helps us, and if they have to turn it in for pooling, so be it. I suspect that they do not). If we eat in the specialty restaurants and the service is excellent, we will leave a little extra there, too. If we eat in the dining room we will usually tip proportionally to the amount of time we spend there (more or less; I leave the calculator at home).

 

I know it's not the waitstaff's fault that RCI is serving increasingly inedible food and has short-staffed many dining rooms to the point where dinner is now stretched to 2-1/2 hours. But I don't feel obligated to tip for service not rendered.

[sea-cruise]

For what it's worth, here's an interesting excerpt from the X boards, written by an assistant food manager who just quit (Celebrity Summit) when his son was born 7 weeks ago::)

January 26th, 2008, 08:46 PM

RDelpapa vbmenu_register("postmenu_13147361", true);

Cool Cruiser

Join Date: May 2000

Location: Miami, FL USA

Posts: 69

 

Wages...

Here is a little insight from another thread...

 

OK... here goes...

 

On average, a Waiter on X can make upwards towards $3300+ (give or take) per month. This is strictly based on 16 guests per seating, two seating's, $3.50pp/pd, 30 days per month. During my time on board, most servers had an average of 12 to 16 guests per section per voyage. Some evening all guests would come in, and other evenings just a handful. My best guess from working with them and having personal conversations with them during off time is that they make about $3000/month.

 

Waiter's have a monthly stipend of approximately $50. They get paid bi-monthly in USD (cash), and then can have the cash direct deposited into their bank accounts, or wired to specific persons.

 

Celebrity pays for all hotel/travel arrangements to and from the ship (some cruise lines do not). Prior to be hired, the individual must pay for their Pre-Employment Physical, which ran me about $200 (in my home city of Miami).

 

Food and accommodation is included. I am not too sure about their uniforms. As a member of the Management Team, I did not have to pay for my uniforms.

 

As far as expenditures once on board, it was virtually nil. Internet Cards were $30, pre-paid, and gave us a lot of time - something to the effect of $0.08/minute... the $20 card gave you $0.12/minute... Calling Cards were $10... not sure how much time would be on it as I had my Blackberry Pearl (AT&T) with me on board...

 

A drink at the crew bar would run $1/beer and $2/mixed drink. Bottled water ran $1, as well as Red Bulls, Gatorade, and snacks.

 

Un-tipped Management made more or less wages that would be comparable to land based hotels... My salary as an Assistant Food Manager was a little less than what I was making on land. The bonus on my end (As an American) was that I had NO living costs whatsoever, no gas to pay (we know how expensive it is right now), food, laundry, the list goes on... that was great when I was single... but now with a family, it does not benefit me to be onboard...

 

As far as hours are concerned, Celebrity has a ZERO TOLERANCE Policy on overtime hours - this included line staff and Management. I was confused when I board about this... even though we ALL had a monthly Salary, we ALL (Captain on down to Dishwasher) had to keep Time Cards. Time Cards would be checked daily to ensure we were not working more than 12 hours/day... if by chance we did work a little over, we would get compensated for it (there was some kind of formula for how much one would get). It actually did boost my salary just a tad, but not by much.

 

The other form of compensation was additional time off. I had one full day off per cruise... Waiters would have breakfast and lunches off... Additionally, being that X does not open Dining Rooms in Port, Waiters would rotate weekly working in the Buffet during breakfast and lunch.

 

I don't know if this sums it up... if you have any other questions, let me know! ;>)

__________________

Regards,

 

 

[DonnaK]

I agree with the OP. Cruiselines should clarify their guidelines to include how those who choose not to dine in the dining room should handle tipping.

[fifty]

Exactly.

 

RCCL - what is the protocol for tipping when not using the DR at all on a cruise? Tipping of course for Specialty Restaurant (or not). Using WJ perhaps several times for cruise.

 

I am writing RCCL now and will post response, if any. :o