Tipping on the Dinning plan.

[nydvc]

Hello all.

 

My wife and I will be doing out first transatlantic this October on the Independence. since we have so many sea days and we love eating in the specialty restaurants and love Shushi we planning on doing the dinning plan. Now our plan would be to use the specialty restaurants frequently and not eat in the main dining room. What advice would you give in regards to Tipping. We have always giving more then the recommended amount providing additional $$$ to individuals that have served us. They always do a great job. But now we will be eating at the specialty restaurants MOSTLY so do we cancel the waiter portion of the  auto tip added to the cabin account and give that amount (in addition to the extra) to the individual waiters when we eat?  Do the waiters in the specialty restaurants share in the auto tip amount?

 

 

Hope this makes sense?

Thanks for everyones input!!!

 

Rich

[Adriana]

Excellent question and one I am curious to hear responses. I believe that everyone shares in the general gratuities, so you would only need to pay the extra (if you wish) in the specialty restaurants. 

[princevaliantus]

24 minutes ago, nydvc said:

Hello all.

 

My wife and I will be doing out first transatlantic this October on the Independence. since we have so many sea days and we love eating in the specialty restaurants and love Shushi we planning on doing the dinning plan. Now our plan would be to use the specialty restaurants frequently and not eat in the main dining room. What advice would you give in regards to Tipping. We have always giving more then the recommended amount providing additional $$$ to individuals that have served us. They always do a great job. But now we will be eating at the specialty restaurants MOSTLY so do we cancel the waiter portion of the  auto tip added to the cabin account and give that amount (in addition to the extra) to the individual waiters when we eat?  Do the waiters in the specialty restaurants share in the auto tip amount?

 

 

Hope this makes sense?

Thanks for everyones input!!!

 

Rich

I believe @Matt could answer this??

[nydvc]

Thanks Adriana and Princieval..  I also tend to thing the ship pool so to speak is shared amongst them all but am not sure of that. I have heard the fee you pay is also part tip so it would stand to reason that part of what I pay for the dinning plan goes to them also. Thanks for your input

 

and yes Princeval I bet Matt will have an answer. I am hoping he replys. I love his podcast. work out to it all the time. 

 

 

Thanks again. 

 

[nydvc]

1 hour ago, Adriana said:

Excellent question and one I am curious to hear responses. I believe that everyone shares in the general gratuities, so you would only need to pay the extra (if you wish) in the specialty restaurants. 

Thanks Adriana and Princieval..  I also tend to thing the ship pool so to speak is shared amongst them all but am not sure of that. I have heard the fee you pay is also part tip so it would stand to reason that part of what I pay for the dinning plan goes to them also. Thanks for your input

47 minutes ago, princevaliantus said:

I believe @Matt could answer this??

and yes Princeval I bet Matt will have an answer. I am hoping he replys. I love his podcast. work out to it all the time. 

[melski94]

Don't forget your tips to the dining staff also include breakfast and lunch staff in the MDR, Windjammer and elsewhere.  Are you eating every night and meal of the cruise in a specialty restaurant or do you plan on using Windjammer or other complimentary venues for meals?   Unless you plan on eating 3 meals a day in specialty then I would not cancel any gratuities as you are most likely eating somewhere that the waitstaff receive the shared tips. 

We really don't know how exactly the tips are pooled and split.  Do the specialty waiters get none of the pooled tips?  I honestly don't know.  

Personally, I would leave the normal gratuity as is and take whatever I would normally leave as "extra" tips and split it among the specialty restaurants.

[nydvc]

3 minutes ago, melski94 said:

Don't forget your tips to the dining staff also include breakfast and lunch staff in the MDR, Windjammer and elsewhere.  Are you eating every night and meal of the cruise in a specialty restaurant or do you plan on using Windjammer or other complimentary venues for meals?   Unless you plan on eating 3 meals a day in specialty then I would not cancel any gratuities as you are most likely eating somewhere that the waitstaff receive the shared tips. 

We really don't know how exactly the tips are pooled and split.  Do the specialty waiters get none of the pooled tips?  I honestly don't know.  

Personally, I would leave the normal gratuity as is and take whatever I would normally leave as "extra" tips and split it among the specialty restaurants.

Good Point,  during the day we will certainly be eating some meals not specialty dining and the windjammer ofcourse. I agree leaving on room is a good point, but I do hope the specialty dining staff does get a piece of that pie.  Where is Matt when you need him!!!!!  

[rjac]

1 minute ago, nydvc said:

Where is Matt when you need him!!!!!  

Probably at the Golden Corral or Out Back Steak House. He's a growing boy, you know. 

[Matt]

Looking at the fine print on the Cruise Planner, this line seems to indicate your dining package includes gratuity

Quote

Packages include service charge and food portion only for dinner and, when available, lunch service.

You certainly can tip on top, if you feel it is warranted.  But my understanding is the dining package does indeed include gratuity as part of the package price.

I think the exception is an a la carte priced restaurant, such as Izumi.

[Keeves]

It seems to me that there are two distinct gratuities here, and some people in this conversation might be confusing them.

There is a gratuity that is added to the cabin rate, which is shared among lots of people, including the MDR staff, Windjammer staff, housekeeping staff, etc etc. There is also a gratuity that is added to whatever packages you also buy, and those gratuities are shared among the relevant staff. My understanding is that you are allowed to pick and choose, and opt out of whichever gratuities you want to opt out of.

For example: Suppose you buy the all-alcohol-included package. There is an automatic gratuity added to that package, and that means that you don't really have to tip the bartender. If you got great service (or want great service in the future) then it is nice to give an additional tip, but this is acknowledged as going "above and beyond". You also have the option, technically, to opt out of this automatic gratuity, but if you choose this option, you really ought to give something to the bartender at time of service. (If I am mistaken about any of that, I hope someone will correct me.)

Now, let's apply that to the dining situation: If someone never eats in the MDR, then he might consider opting out of the gratuity on the cabin, while happily paying the gratuity on the dining package. Such a person should keep in mind that while it is okay to stiff the MDR staff (because he is not using their services), it is NOT okay to stiff everyone else in the process, and he should consider making an extra effort to give tips to those other people personally.

[JLMoran]

1 hour ago, Keeves said:

Now, let's apply that to the dining situation: If someone never eats in the MDR, then he might consider opting out of the gratuity on the cabin, while happily paying the gratuity on the dining package. Such a person should keep in mind that while it is okay to stiff the MDR staff (because he is not using their services), it is NOT okay to stiff everyone else in the process, and he should consider making an extra effort to give tips to those other people personally.

I'd still argue this point, since the cabin gratuity, as noted, also goes to the staff in the Windjammer, Cafe Promenade, and other eateries on board that are complimentary. You'll almost certainly be eating at one or more of these establishments for breakfast and lunch, even if you never set foot in the MDR, so refusing the cabin gratuity for dining is stiffing all of those folks, not just the MDR staff (unless you plan to pass a few singles and fives across the food stations to the chefs / servers working back there, or hand some off to the staff clearing the tables...)

[Keeves]

Yes, I agree with JLMoran. That's who I meant by "everyone else".

[ellcee]

I don't think you can opt out of gratuities for packages but I could be wrong.

[henrysea13]

lets also remember that on almost every cruise I have been on the MDR waitstaff is also the staff in the windjammer 

[nydvc]

4 hours ago, JLMoran said:

I'd still argue this point, since the cabin gratuity, as noted, also goes to the staff in the Windjammer, Cafe Promenade, and other eateries on board that are complimentary. You'll almost certainly be eating at one or more of these establishments for breakfast and lunch, even if you never set foot in the MDR, so refusing the cabin gratuity for dining is stiffing all of those folks, not just the MDR staff (unless you plan to pass a few singles and fives across the food stations to the chefs / servers working back there, or hand some off to the staff clearing the tables...)

My intent was to remove the dining portion of the auto gratuity since I do not plan on using the MDR. That is only a portion of the 14.50 auto amount. I would still leave the cabin gratuity which based on what you say the Windjammer is part of the cabin gratuity. I am not sure if the Windjammer is completely run by cabin crew since Henrysea has normally seen waitstaff working windjammer also. All and All I think we just dont know and its seems like the best thing to do to MAKE SURE no crew is left out is to pay the entire auto amount and provide additional amount to the individual waitstaff. 

 

Thanks Matt, since the dining plan already includes an added tip, that means their covered in my book and I can add extra as deemed appropriate. 

 

Thanks guys. 

Rich

[JLMoran]

19 hours ago, nydvc said:

My intent was to remove the dining portion of the auto gratuity since I do not plan on using the MDR. That is only a portion of the 14.50 auto amount. I would still leave the cabin gratuity which based on what you say the Windjammer is part of the cabin gratuity.

I worded that badly. When I said "Cabin gratuity", I meant the entire thing -- the gratuities for both cabin and dining staff.

As others here noted, Windjammer is staffed by the MDR crew, not cabin crew or others. You also have the other dining venues on board (Cafe Promenade, Sorrentos, Cafe270, etc.), all of which split the dining portion of the gratuity added to your cabin. So my recommendation was that, unless you plan to eat only in a specialty restaurant or off the ship while in port for every meal, or you plan to give cash to specific servers in the Windjammer and whatever other dining venues you visit, leave the auto-gratuity for the dining staff in place.

[nydvc]

4 hours ago, JLMoran said:

I worded that badly. When I said "Cabin gratuity", I meant the entire thing -- the gratuities for both cabin and dining staff.

As others here noted, Windjammer is staffed by the MDR crew, not cabin crew or others. You also have the other dining venues on board (Cafe Promenade, Sorrentos, Cafe270, etc.), all of which split the dining portion of the gratuity added to your cabin. So my recommendation was that, unless you plan to eat only in a specialty restaurant or off the ship while in port for every meal, or you plan to give cash to specific servers in the Windjammer and whatever other dining venues you visit, leave the auto-gratuity for the dining staff in place.

Thanks JL.  

That All makes sense.   Appreciate the input.