Palo tipping

[LoveMyBaby]

When/how do we tip our server? Since cash isn't used onboard, and we won't be returning to Palo after our brunch, is there a slip we sign or something before leaving the restaurant?

 

[PoohJen]

Yes, they present you with a slip to sign for the $10 surcharge.

Have a GREAT time!!!

 

[LoveMyBaby]

Thanks! Followup question:
Would a $20 tip be considered high, normal, or low? (assuming excellent service, 2 people dining)

 

[inkkognito]

I would consider $20 normal. We often leave that in addition to the service charge for dinner, since we figure that would be 20 percent of a $100 dinner on land. Of course, there is also the auto-gratuity on alcohol. We leave the $20 in addition to that.
Barb

 

[ll_california]

Please correct me if I'm wrong - I was under the impression that a portion of the $10pp charge was the tip to the waiter, so in our case we left $10 additional tip (for 2 people) for our waiter.

Ling

 

[bratray]

hi

what if you have the REAS package and the $10 surcharge is already taken care of- do you let the server know this up front ......so in this case where there is no $10 surcharge to sign for...would you then tip cash???

TIA

 

[ll_california]

Yes, you should let your server know about REAS package. You'll still need to sign the paper and there is a place for you to fill out the additional tip.

Also, in case you check on you shipboard account the next day, the $20 charge may still show up, but it will be automatically removed by the end of the day. Same thing with the spa charges.

Ling

 

[scrapperjill]

ll_california...I think your correct in that the $10 charge pp goes towards the tip for the waiter/staff.

If you have the REAS package...it is included in the fee you already pay..and they do (if i remember correctly) still give you a slip to sign...that showes the REAS portion deducted...and still give you a place to add additional tips.

But the fee pp does go towards tipping the staff.

 

[april riddle]

We had the REAS package and they know that you do when your ticket prints out. We tipped an additional $30 - Sasha is absolutely wonderful and anyone who is lucky enough to have him as your server will be very happy. By the way we also had Gemma for Brunch and she is also wonderful. We tipped $20 for Brunch.

 

[natsmom125]

I'm not sure how much of the $10 pp goes to the server...Barb will know.

We tip like we were paying for the meal in a regular restaurant. Since we had our favorite server, Kristian, (who has now left the ship for holiday) each time we were in Palo, we tended to tip him a little more this last cruise, because I'm not sure how much of that tip they get.

Barb, any ideas????

Phyllis

 

[inkkognito]

From what I've heard, the $10 is not an actual tip in that it does not all go to your server like in a traditional restaurant. I think it's pooled in some way.
Barb

 

[dzneprincess]

April we had Sasha for dinner as well! I loved him! I told him was famous on the DIS, then when we went to Brunch we requested to sit in his area. We tipped an additional $20 for 2 people for both brunch and dinner.

 

[scrapperjill]

In the restraunt business all tips are to be pooled somewhat and divided amoung the staff. It is normally up to the server himself who picks up the tip to decide how much should go the everyone else. If it wasn't for the great cooks...the food wouldn't be so wonderful...and if it wasn't for the dishwashers you wouldn't have those nice plates to eat off of...or if it wasn't for the bussers you wouldn't have a clean enviroment to enjoy that wonderful meal that your server walked out with...after the dishwasher cleaned the dishes for the chef to place the meal on. So even though the server is great...it's a WHOLE team effort to get there.

 

[cjsmom97]

When we dined in Palo, we addressed that very question to Sasha. He said that only 60 cents out of the 10.00 service fee goes to him. I thought that was a bit low but I doubt that Sasha would have lied about something like that. So, we felt that only leaving 20.00 (service fee for two) was not going to cut it. If it is included in your REAS package, you still get a slip to sign for where you can add a tip on top of what was already included in your package. You should NEVER leave any tip in cash at Palo. It will always be added to your stateroom account.