Another Tipping Question

[kpros]

I heard that if you tip via the room charge method - ie, charge the tips to your room and then give each person the slip provided by guest services - these tips are pooled and shared by the entire serving staff. And if you tip in cash, the tips go directly to your serving staff.

I like to know if this is true, since I would want my serving staff to receive the full benefit of the tip I provide.

Can anyone confirm this?

Thanks
Ken

 

[rotary2808]

I don't think so. We always charge the tips to the room. You just go to Guest Services to do it. They give you these little tickets and there is one for each person (room steward, server, assistant server & head server). In your room there is an envelope for each one and you just slide the tickets in each one and personally present it to who it should go to. This way everyone gets what you think they deserve. Hope that helps.

 

[kmiles]

I was curious about how tips worked myself and so I spent a few minutes speaking with Guest Services about it on a previous cruise.

Here is how it was explained to me:

There is most certainly a "tip pool." Everytime you buy an alcoholic beverage (or other for-charge) items, you'll automatically be charged a 15% gratuity. You'll see this in your restaurant slips, bar slips, etc. ALL of this gratuity goes to the tip pool.

On those slips you'll also see a "Additional Gratuity" line. ALL additional gratuity that you place in this spot goes to the specific person who was serving you.

ALL of the money that you provide to your wait staff at the end of the cruise (Server, Assistant Server, Stateroom Hostess or Host) goes to them. None of that money goes into the pool regardless of the delivery method (cash or charge to the stateroom account).

 

[iluvallthingsdisney]

Thank you for clarifying that. I was curious to know the answer to this question as well

 

[Hygiene99]

If You charge your tips you get the Slip to present To Whomever.

It is like giving them a check , they turn that in and get the money...
Actually it is just reciept, the money is credited to there acount..

Peter This is what we think happens

 

[Magic_Fan_Bruce]

We’ve had dinner at Topsiders in the past because of scheduling conflicts (and enjoyed it very much). They didn’t get a tip directly from us, but they did take our stateroom number.

Does anyone know if the dinner wait staff at Topsiders gets tips?

 

[kmiles]

We’ve had dinner at Topsiders in the past because of scheduling conflicts (and enjoyed it very much). They didn’t get a tip directly from us, but they did take our stateroom number.

Does anyone know if the dinner wait staff at Topsiders gets tips?

Yes. They are tipped from the pool. Although, if you feel inclined to leave additional gratuity you certainly can.

 

[kpros]

Yes. They are tipped from the pool. Although, if you feel inclined to leave additional gratuity you certainly can.

OK - help me out here. You just said that the Topsider servers are tipped from the "Pool" - but previously you said that the "pool" is just from the 15% standard drink tip. So does that mean that the Topsider servers get a portion of the drink tips for their serving duties at Topsiders?

Ken

 

[kmiles]

The way it was explained to me is that they receive tips from the pool just like the other servers. If you leave any additional gratuity on your slip, or cash on the table, then that goes directly to the individuals that were helping you.

I'm guessing that the pool is probably divided among the entire serving staff in a "weighted" fashion. Some probably get more, some less. Although, I didn't ask about this nor was anything said about this so I'm just assuming on this last bit.