Tipping questions

[SuperPlanner]

On top of the 18% added to the overall cruise, refreshment package, and specialty dining, how and how much do you tip over and above that? 

Drinks - with the refreshment package, my understanding is you are not given a receipt to sign where we can add tip but we'd prefer to avoid having to carry cash everywhere unless necessary. How do you tip for (mostly non-alcoholic) drinks and how much?

Specialty dining - do we add tip over and above? again, does that have to be cash? How much to tip for family of 4 (two under 10)?

Coastal Kitchen - only going once, no receipt to sign, has to be cash?, how much for family of 4?

Room service - extra tip?

Stateroom - we will leave cash but wondering how much you leave on top of the 18% in a junior suite?

Do you tip at any of the quick service places?

Do you tip anyone at lunch and breakfast?

[smokeybandit]

You're really not obligated to tip anyone beyond the included stuff.

 

Though plenty do. And how much anyone else tips shouldn't be a factor in how much you decide to tip. It's purely a personal experience decision.

[DoomSlayer]

I usually tip when warranted for service above and beyond. I do carry small bills with me for that purpose, both onshore and on the boat. I usually tip the steward on the last full day and the MDR waiter and helper on the last day.  The tip I leave for the steward and wait staff varies based on the service, but most of the time, I give the steward 100 and each wait staff 50 each. This is my choice and my budget, some may tip more, others less. I also always pay the “optional” gratuities for the staff behind the scenes that make my trip enjoyable. 

[ChessE4]

I round up from 18 to 20 percent. In your case a few dollars for room service. We tip 20 to 35  extra to stateroom attendant and same for wait staff, provided we make a connection. Diamond drinks aren't directly compensated, so we add a tip. For specialty dining, we again round up.

[King of Wales]

I carry a few singles to tip for every drink. I generally tip specialty dining staff $20 or so. MDR is like $50 and $20 for assistant. I spend may be $250 max on 7 night cruise.

In my estimation these people don’t make a lot. If I can afford a week long cruise, I can afford a buck a drink and one meals worth of tipping for a week of service.  Everyone has their own opinion, and none are wrong. 

[Mazeylab]

Last cruise.  Voyager solo trip.  I gave room attendant an extra 70$. He was Beyond grateful and deserved it. 
Various bars with the drink package. I still left a five/few singles every couple drinks. Or sometimes I walked up and left a ten with the first drink. Alway great service. Always brought some small bills with me.  Even in hot tubs. 
Did unlimited dining. Sat alone.  Only ate at Giovanni’s and Izumi. 
left 15/20 each time.  Service was excellent.  By second night I was a regular.  
They remembered and appreciated it.  
They all work hard, some of the nicest people I ever met are Royal employees.  They deserve anything extra. 
After 1 week probably 70 to room. Another 150 to dining staff. Also another 200 to bar staff. 
 

[Mazeylab]

I did meet one guy.  Ran into each other few times through out week.  And he asked about the tipping.  He wasn’t sure it was “allowed” since it was already included in the drink package.  He was also unsure of when to tip. Since there’s no bill or receipt to sign.  I simply said hand it over/ just leave on the bar.  They’ll know what it is. 

 

[AndyPandy]

On 3/19/2023 at 8:02 PM, SuperPlanner said:

On top of the 18% added to the overall cruise, refreshment package, and specialty dining, how and how much do you tip over and above that? 

Drinks - with the refreshment package, my understanding is you are not given a receipt to sign where we can add tip but we'd prefer to avoid having to carry cash everywhere unless necessary. How do you tip for (mostly non-alcoholic) drinks and how much?

Specialty dining - do we add tip over and above? again, does that have to be cash? How much to tip for family of 4 (two under 10)?

Coastal Kitchen - only going once, no receipt to sign, has to be cash?, how much for family of 4?

Room service - extra tip?

Stateroom - we will leave cash but wondering how much you leave on top of the 18% in a junior suite?

Do you tip at any of the quick service places?

Do you tip anyone at lunch and breakfast?

I found this a really good question and seeking updated views on this, in particular, Drink package, speciality booked meals and coastal Kitchen.

so there isn’t a bill? You can’t add a few $ to a bill, it has to be cash? Does many add anything to the included tipping already?

[Xaa]

For specialty dining you are often presented with a $0 bill that you can add something to if that's your choice.  CK is like the MDR and cash only.

Even with the $0 bill, I tip in cash at specialty along with the other instances you list.  If you're inclined to tip above what you've already paid, it's good to have some cash.

[AndyPandy]

3 hours ago, Xaa said:

For specialty dining you are often presented with a $0 bill that you can add something to if that's your choice.  CK is like the MDR and cash only.

Even with the $0 bill, I tip in cash at specialty along with the other instances you list.  If you're inclined to tip above what you've already paid, it's good to have some cash.

Thank you 

[CrznTxn]

Some times on our cruises we are "gifted" lunches or dinners and we always have cash with us for a tip when it is above and beyond which is most of the time. That way is goes directly to the persons involved and not into the general fund.

[tonyfsu21]

Drinks - $1/drink if you get great service. 

Specialty dining - cash or seapass. 18% included but we normally tip extra ($10-$20) for excellent service. 

Coastal Kitchen - depending on how many times you eat there but maybe average $5-$10 per meal

Room service - $3-$5

Stateroom - my young kids make a mess. I tip $100-$200 in addition to the pre paid gratuities. 

Do you tip at any of the quick service places? No 

Do you tip anyone at lunch and breakfast? No

[GJ_123]

On 3/19/2023 at 8:02 PM, SuperPlanner said:

On top of the 18% added to the overall cruise, refreshment package, and specialty dining, how and how much do you tip over and above that? 

Drinks - with the refreshment package, my understanding is you are not given a receipt to sign where we can add tip but we'd prefer to avoid having to carry cash everywhere unless necessary. How do you tip for (mostly non-alcoholic) drinks and how much?

Specialty dining - do we add tip over and above? again, does that have to be cash? How much to tip for family of 4 (two under 10)?

Coastal Kitchen - only going once, no receipt to sign, has to be cash?, how much for family of 4?

Room service - extra tip?

Stateroom - we will leave cash but wondering how much you leave on top of the 18% in a junior suite?

Do you tip at any of the quick service places?

Do you tip anyone at lunch and breakfast?

You've mentioned that you want to avoid carrying cash... I will say that MANY staff members have told me they definitely appreciate tips in cash more. Adding to the receipt just goes into the overall tip pool and they'll barely see any of it. If you want to recognise anyone's individual efforts 100% give them cash! Every cruise I take plenty $1's and $5's.

To answer what you've asked (this is just what we normally do):

Drinks - always $1 a drink.

Speciality dining - will tip $10-$20 depending on how good we thought the service was.

Room service - $2-$3.

Stateroom - $5 a day.

Quick serve places - I have occasionally tipped at Sorrento's.

Lunch/breakfast - No.

I think the important thing is to tip what you can afford and how good you thought the service was. Overall on the ship we must tip in the region of $200-$300 for a week cruise. I even tip the Starbucks staff if I feel the service is particularly good.

 

[Momof4crazytocruise]

I take a stack of 1's, 5's, 10's and $20's plus a $100 bill to tip the room steward. We keep the stack in the safe and then a smaller stack in the drawer that we just draw from each time we go out of the room, so we have like $5-10 - 1's on us at a time when we go around. We tip $1-2 for drinks, $5 for breakfast or lunch or room service, and  $10 at dinner, with another $20 at the end of the cruise for both the head waiter and the assistant waiter. I will say this approach has given us an outstanding experience on board because the staff are very happy to see us coming. We are also polite, friendly and use good manners, which I also finds goes a long way with bartenders and wait staff. We also pay the mandatory gratuities, and while I think the extra tipping is nice, no one should feel obligated to do so. We prefer to having both worked our way through college in the service industry and we consider it part of the cost of cruising. 

[RCLblue10]

I do not have a drink package.  When I order a gin and tonic using my cabin card, is the tip included?  Do I get a paper receipt showing just the drink cost?  If no tip is showing on receipt do I then add a tip amount to it or just hand the waiter/bartender some cash?  thank you

 

[twangster]

15 minutes ago, RCLblue10 said:

I do not have a drink package.  When I order a gin and tonic using my cabin card, is the tip included?  Do I get a paper receipt showing just the drink cost?  If no tip is showing on receipt do I then add a tip amount to it or just hand the waiter/bartender some cash?  thank you

 

18% gratuity is added to drinks that are pay as you go.  
 

You will see it on the paper receipt that includes a line to add more if so inclined. 
 

[barjpoe]

On 8/29/2023 at 9:35 AM, Momof4crazytocruise said:

I take a stack of 1's, 5's, 10's and $20's plus a $100 bill to tip the room steward. We keep the stack in the safe and then a smaller stack in the drawer that we just draw . 

both the head waiter and the assistant waiter.

Are you getting the Head waiter mixed up with the Waiter that serves your table?  The Head waiter oversees the Waiters & Asst. waiters in a particular area of the MDR.

[Momof4crazytocruise]

44 minutes ago, barjpoe said:

both the head waiter and the assistant waiter.

Are you getting the Head waiter mixed up with the Waiter that serves your table?  The Head waiter oversees the Waiters & Asst. waiters in a particular area of the MDR.

No, I am not getting the mixed up, unless it is semantics - and honestly - what does it matter what I call them? There is a 'supervisor' waiter that takes care of several tables along with an assistant who manages the drinks and other items. They both get tipped. 

[Dan Curtis]

I try and tip the assistant waiter and waiter the same, both work hard, I go to the bank and get about 20 two dollar bills to tip the bar staff,  we tip most staff, the one I don't get aggressive tipping is the head waiter who walks around and ask how the food and service is, we tip him, but I give the two that serve our table more, but to each their own, the staff works hard.

[Maggie M]

We also take extra cash on board to tip the room steward, waiter, and assistant water. We rarely tip the head waiter/supervisory guy/gal unless he or she provides exceptional service. Our last few cruises we saw them only once or twice in a week-long cruise. We also tip on the diamond drinks; I try to bring enough $1 bills to tip a few dollars per drink served using our vouchers!   I use the spa/salon quite a bit during my cruises so I will tip over the 20% (automatically added to the bill) sometimes for exceptional service there as well.