Does Anyone Tip the Dining Manager?

[Horace Horsecollar]

In all the recent discussion about tipping the Head Server, I'd don't recall anyone mentioning the Dining Manager. Yet in DCL's tipping guidelines on the official DCL site, there's a mention of the Dining Manager being a tipped position:

Per Guest per cruise     3-Night 4-Night 7-Night
Dining Room Server        11.00   14.75   25.75
Dining Room Asst. Server   8.00   10.75   18.75
Dining Room Head Server    2.75    3.75    6.50
Stateroom Host/Hostess    10.75   14.50   25.25
Dining Manager          Your Discretion
Room Service            Your Discretion

Has anyone tipped the Dining Manager in addition to the Server, Asst. Server, and Head Server?

Has anyone met the Dining Manager? What does the Dining Manager do?

 

[webray]

The dining room manager introduced the dining room head server one of the nights...that was about it.

Didn't even think of tipping him, you don't tip a regular restaurant manager.

 

[AnnMorin]

I don't even have a clue who the dining room manager is. I kinda thought that was the head server?(and so far I have not been impressed in the least with our head servers-wait staff were great head server never showed up at our table-even on my birthday-except for the last night to collect his envelope)

 

[Favorite Auntie]

We had a fabulous head server (allen) on one of our cruises. When we went back this past January, he had been promoted to manager! Since he was so great and remained friendly (came to chat with my parents every night) we tipped him well. But that was the only time...I hope he is back in November when we cruise!

 

[trishy]

Double post....don't you hate it when that happens...

 

[trishy]

I had no idea this was a tipped position. Does he/she get mentioned in the docs where tipping is listed? Don't remember even seeing it there. I know there was no tipping envelope for this position left in the stateroom. I'm sure we would have noticed... Course there's not one for room service either - sounds like this might be a case of "tip if you use them" type of deal.

 

[Favorite Auntie]

I don't think it is a "tipped position", but Allen was so great! My parents have had him on numerous cruises as their head waiter before his promotion. They really like him and he went so far out of his way for him (getting my dad a pin, special deserts for them...and more!) So they wanted to give him a little extra....well worth it!

 

[CRB#33]

Oh wow! I don't remember seeing that!

I really don't remember having one. I guess that's truly one of those behind the scenes jobs!

Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Maleficent59]

The Dining Managers are responsible for the guests' dinner seating assignments and scheduling and managing the dining room wait staff.

We generally tip the Dining Manager after they switch our seating assignments in response to our requests for certain servers or when we receive outstanding service from the wait staff (we recognize that it is due in part to excellent management). For example, on one of our cruises, our dining manager brought one of our entrees to our table to not disrupt the flow of service (the entree was late and all the other ones for our server's stations were ready). There is a lot of coordination behind the scenes that is (and should be) invisible to the guests.

 

[inkkognito]

We have had some excellent dining managers, but I never realized that it was a tipped position!
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com

 

[trishy]

The Dining Managers are responsible for the guests' dinner seating assignments and scheduling and managing the dining room wait staff.

Okay, so the Dining Manager does the changes in seating arrangements/problems? I always thought it was the responsibility of the head server guy - guess we gave the extra tip to the wrong guy...Sorry...boy, now I feel bad...

 

[Maleficent59]

Maybe this will help... In general, the Dining Room manager is responsible for the entire dining room. The Head Servers are assistant dining room managers/supervisors for their designated stations. Things that require coordination of multiple stations will generally be done by the dining room manager (i.e., changing seating assignments).

Dining Managers are also Head Servers. They are assigned designated stations in the dining room. It could be that one's Head Server is also the Dining Room Manager. (So trishy, you could have tipped the right guy).

 

[Dean]

Unless you have a problem, seating change or the like; they should not be involved directly in your service and should not be routinely tipped. OTOH, if you they do provide some special service to you, it is appropriate to tip them.

 

[JLSE50]

It was my understanding that there was one Diningroom Manager for each rotation of servers--ie: one for the whole team in each restaurant and all rotate with you through the restaurants.

On our third cruise the Diningroom Manager, Christophe, was the fellow who had been our Head Waiter--in charge of our section the previous cruise. He remembered us--which impressed us a lot.

On the second cruise we had requested a dessert that would be OK on the Atkins Diet. He made arrangements to have it made according to our recipe and a serving for each of us at the last 6 dinners.

On the third cruise we asked the Head Waiter to arrange the same dessert. Each night we got an excuse--not the dessert. Finally I went to Christophe and complained. He got it taken care of the next night! We took a couple dollars out of the Head Waiter's tip recommendation and out of the Assistant Server's tip recommendation (as she spent most of each meal polishing glasses in the corner instead of filling our glasses) and gave that to the Christophe, Diningroom Manager. He tried to turn it down but I insisted.

The funny part was that the Head Waiter who had given excuses instead of the dessert each night did not come to our table to collect his tips the last night so when I gave our tip to Christopher I asked him to give the envelope to the other fellow. He called the other fellow over and I could see he did not want to face me. When he got there and I handed him an envelope, he had an AMAZED look on his face. I think he did not expect any tip at all.

I explained to Christophe what we were doing with the tip for the Head Waiter and the Assistant Server and he thought that was a good way for them to learn that their service makes a difference. They each got tipped, but the tip was a few dollars less than the suggested amount. It was obvious that we were not pleased, but we were not stiffing them.

Another funny thing is that one of my GOOD DIS BUDDIES thinks that same Head Waiter is the best of the lot!!

Jan