RC Bartender AMA from Reddit. Really interesting

[smokeybandit]

I wish someone would have asked about what they think about diamond vouchers, but otherwise, some interesting nuggets in there

 

 

[twangster]

Looks like they make good money.

[Zacharius]

2 minutes ago, twangster said:

Looks like they make good money.

I bartend at my friend's higher-end brewery a couple times a month when he needs me (and when I'm not actually traveling for work, which is rare). The hourly pay I get with tips is just insane for the amount of work I do (and the amount of fun I have). 

[SPS]

"On an average sea day, the former bartender estimated that he made anywhere from 80 to 250 drinks."

I was kind of surprised by this number. Did anyone else think this sounded like a low amount?

I was pleased with how well he was he did financially. Good luck to him in his educational endeavors!

[smokeybandit]

With a-la-carte purchases, guests automatically pay 18% for a service charge and the bartenders receive a portion of this. For Oasis of the Seas bartenders, he explains, “If you purchases a $14 cocktail, the bartenders receive $1.12 from your drink.”

 

So can we interpret this to mean they only get 8% of that 18% service charge per drink?

 

And reading further on, they get even less from a drink package drink, and even less than less if they work on an older ship.

No wonder they appreciate straight cash tips.

[smokeybandit]

30 minutes ago, SPS said:

"On an average sea day, the former bartender estimated that he made anywhere from 80 to 250 drinks."

I was kind of surprised by this number. Did anyone else think this sounded like a low amount?

I was pleased with how well he was he did financially. Good luck to him in his educational endeavors!

That does seem low.  Unless he meant mixed drinks vs. pouring wine or beer.

[GatorCruiser]

I always grease the bar tenders cash. And they reward my generosity in kind 

[WAYNO]

I treat my servers well.  Most of them treat me well.

That said, I appreciated the read here.  I have asked my servers, and most of them have responded that they do get something automatically from every drink served via the 18% added or with pre-paid gratuities.  But some folks on this forum have been adamant that the bar folks receive none of it. 

Either way, I continue to grease their palm, so to speak.

[Lovetocruise2002]

I always wonder if we tip on the printed receipt if the bartender gets that. 

[RockerDom31]

That was such an interesting read! I always wondered how gratuities worked when it is prepaid with a drink package. It does make sense that it depends on how many drink packages were sold for that cruise.

[Lovetocruise2002]

Never mind my previous post. I should have read the article first 

[Ampurp85]

What he said definitely makes sense about the casino. I notice because I tip in the casino, my service is very prompt. But if you don't it is hard pressed to find a server. I also think that is why bar service is often hesitant, with the bartenders in the casino not getting a share of the grats. 

[smokeybandit]

Just now, Ampurp85 said:

What he said definitely makes since about the casino. I notice because I tip in the casino, my service is very prompt. But if you don't it is hard pressed to find a server. I also think that is why bar service is often hesitant, with the bartenders in the casino not getting a share of the grats. 

I've been told the suite lounge servers are working on their own time, too, so all that is straight tips.

[Geezer Of The Seas]

2 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

That does seem low.  Unless he meant mixed drinks vs. pouring wine or beer.

Ummm, I wasn't on his ship?

Just kidding........

[jbrinkm]

4 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

With a-la-carte purchases, guests automatically pay 18% for a service charge and the bartenders receive a portion of this. For Oasis of the Seas bartenders, he explains, “If you purchases a $14 cocktail, the bartenders receive $1.12 from your drink.”

So can we interpret this to mean they only get 8% of that 18% service charge per drink?

And reading further on, they get even less from a drink package drink, and even less than less if they work on an older ship.

No wonder they appreciate straight cash tips.

So 18% of $14 is $2.52. Where is the rest going? I understand that the daily tips are split - but for a self-pay drink, shouldn't the bartender get the entire 18%? Who else would get part of that - is there a "head bartender"? Does some go to the back of the house staff i.e. dishwashers, the people restocking the shelves

[Jill]

That was a good read. I saved the article to share when I come across posts about how poorly crew is paid.  
 

He made a months salary in 2 days. 

[KevinJ]

The last time I got the DBP, before making Diamond, I noticed something strange. I got a mimosa at breakfast in the Windjammer, later I saw that there were 3 charges for this. They are 0 dollar charges but I noticed that this happened in a couple other venues. I wondered at the time if they were padding their drink counts for DBP customers. 

[twangster]

18 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

So can we interpret this to mean they only get 8% of that 18% service charge per drink?

And reading further on, they get even less from a drink package drink, and even less than less if they work on an older ship.
No wonder they appreciate straight cash tips.

I've been told this before. 

Some of the money goes into a crew fund that pays for crew parties off the ship on select port days.  Not everyone can go to all such events but over the course of a contract there is opportunity to participate in many such events.  Crew beyond bar staff are invited.  Some of the money goes into an employee assistance fund of some sort although that is an interpretation based on a concept I was told about.  Almost like a hardship fund is what it sounded like, administered by management.  

[Riley]

 

15 hours ago, jbrinkm said:

So 18% of $14 is $2.52. Where is the rest going? I understand that the daily tips are split - but for a self-pay drink, shouldn't the bartender get the entire 18%? Who else would get part of that - is there a "head bartender"? Does some go to the back of the house staff i.e. dishwashers, the people restocking the shelves

Bar backs (re stockers) should get something, or it could be a math error ($1.12 is 8% of a $14 drink). Or the other 10% might go into a general fund. In any event, good stuff here.

[Doug_Texas]

This was a fantastic read!  My #1 take away is ALWAYS cash tip as the receipt tipping method is costing them 1 minute per guest check.  It dissatisfies the bartender but also when you think about a busy night at the Schooner or Dueling Pianos your ability to get a drink from a server is severely hampered by the number of paper tips.

I'd also be interested in tip breakdown between the bartenders and the servers - I'm sure they are a major part of the picture.  I'd assume the cash tips are split between bartenders are servers but how would be interesting.

[ScottD]

Something a bartender told me a few months back is that they only get the gratuity if they serve something other than water to someone with a deluxe package... he told me when people come up and grab bottles of water, they aren't entered into the computer, they just hand those out when a card is flashed, therefore no record of the "sale". So he would constantly try to talk them into taking a soda or  can of beer to bring back to the room for later so he could enter an actual transaction, which then brings up his "sales" and adding to his daily tips.  I saw him practically begging a guy to take a red bull or coke with him and the guy kept declining, just wanted the water... I asked him why he was trying to push the cans so much, and he explained this all to me.  This and the fact that no one really tips cash on a water 

[Gilley]

Do they also get a base pay on top.of the tips?   

[smokeybandit]

2 hours ago, Gilley said:

Do they also get a base pay on top.of the tips?   

Yes, every crew member gets a base pay. 

[karl_nj]

On 3/1/2024 at 1:15 PM, smokeybandit said:

I wish someone would have asked about what they think about diamond vouchers, but otherwise, some interesting nuggets in there

 

Someone did ask about diamond vouchers; they claimed it worked similar to drink package customers:

 

 

[smokeybandit]

7 minutes ago, karl_nj said:

Someone did ask about diamond vouchers; they claimed it worked similar to drink package customers:

 

 

Thanks. Though it doesn't overly clear things up. Meaning, if the tip for drink package drinks is basically a ratio of drinks served revenue vs. drink package revenue, then what is that "cost basis" for voucher drinks?

[twangster]

6 hours ago, ScottD said:

Something a bartender told me a few months back is that they only get the gratuity if they serve something other than water to someone with a deluxe package... he told me when people come up and grab bottles of water, they aren't entered into the computer, they just hand those out when a card is flashed, therefore no record of the "sale". So he would constantly try to talk them into taking a soda or  can of beer to bring back to the room for later so he could enter an actual transaction, which then brings up his "sales" and adding to his daily tips.  I saw him practically begging a guy to take a red bull or coke with him and the guy kept declining, just wanted the water... I asked him why he was trying to push the cans so much, and he explained this all to me.  This and the fact that no one really tips cash on a water 

I cash tip water.  Not much different than a beer from a bartenders level of effort.  Since I cash tip a beer, I cash tip water.

[ScottD]

1 minute ago, twangster said:

I cash tip water.  Not much different than a beer from a bartenders level of effort.  Since I cash tip a beer, I cash tip water.

I'm just going off watching people- most of them seem to grab a water and walk away, almost in one motion.  I usually grab a bottle of water AND something else, usually a red bull or a glass of wine for the wife, so I throw a buck or two down for that anyway, I think the only time I've grabbed water on it's own is on the gangway.