Can someone clarify "tipping" for me?

[PrincessTrisha]

Funny, we just got off a cruise on Friday and I thought about this thread numerous times. We had no issues at our table, in fact we loved it! Yet we saw him I think every night, just saying hello and being involved with making sure his dining room ran like a top. I thought, now this guy gets it! He, I would tip! (So I tipped he and our servers a little more).

We've had head servers like that as well - just checking to make certain that everything is going well and we're enjoying the dining rooms. Usually with a big smile and a hearty hello.

And then we've had a cruise where the only time we saw the head server, he asked if everything was okay and when my dad told him that all of the meat (even rare beef) seemed dry, he told us, "Yes sir, it is served dry for your protection."

One we tipped extra, one we removed the tips.

 

[DIS_MIKE]

Was his last name Montoya? I would have been quoting Princess Bride all night.

 

[mab2012]

Does no one else see the illogic in a tipped position where the employee to be tipped often has little to no direct customer interaction? How am I supposed to know whether I've received "exceptional service" when I don't even know what the individual has supposedly done for me? And if the reason I don't see him (or her) is because he is on the other side of the room dealing with some situation that has nothing to do with me and has no impact on me, why should I be expected to tip for that?

For the record, I don't begrudge the head servers their tips. I assume the total of their standard tips, combined with their base wages (however small), amounts to the fair and reasonable wage that the cruise line would otherwise pay if the position was not tipped. I've never removed or decreased them, and probably never will. I consider the standard tips to be a surcharge; I'd prefer them to be baked into my cruise fare, but an automatic fixed amount is the next best thing. If the cruise line prefers to show me that individual's wages as a separate line item rather than just rolling it into one big number, it's not really any difference to me. But I still think it's somewhat absurd that what is essentially a management position is funded by tips.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

If you don’t think the head waiter does anything- you’ve obviously never met Witt on the Fantasy. Dude was everywhere. He spent time with us every night, knew the kids names, helped us figure out things with my sons allergies. He was the best head waiter I have ever had (15 cruises on various lines).

Totally agree. We had Witt on one of our Mexican Riviera cruises. And, 2 years later (different ship, different itinerary), when walking through Shutters, someone called out to us - it was him. And he remembered us from the earlier cruise.

 

[FigmentSpark]

Does no one else see the illogic in a tipped position where the employee to be tipped often has little to no direct customer interaction? How am I supposed to know whether I've received "exceptional service" when I don't even know what the individual has supposedly done for me? And if the reason I don't see him (or her) is because he is on the other side of the room dealing with some situation that has nothing to do with me and has no impact on me, why should I be expected to tip for that?

For the record, I don't begrudge the head servers their tips. I assume the total of their standard tips, combined with their base wages (however small), amounts to the fair and reasonable wage that the cruise line would otherwise pay if the position was not tipped. I've never removed or decreased them, and probably never will. I consider the standard tips to be a surcharge; I'd prefer them to be baked into my cruise fare, but an automatic fixed amount is the next best thing. If the cruise line prefers to show me that individual's wages as a separate line item rather than just rolling it into one big number, it's not really any difference to me. But I still think it's somewhat absurd that what is essentially a management position is funded by tips.

I have to agree. His job should be a paid, not tippable position. He just doesn't have the face time with everyone that warrants it, particularly since they don't do automatic tips for positions that do get that face time, like Concierge hosts.

 

[Ravenne]

Does no one else see the illogic in a tipped position where the employee to be tipped often has little to no direct customer interaction? How am I supposed to know whether I've received "exceptional service" when I don't even know what the individual has supposedly done for me? And if the reason I don't see him (or her) is because he is on the other side of the room dealing with some situation that has nothing to do with me and has no impact on me, why should I be expected to tip for that?

For the record, I don't begrudge the head servers their tips. I assume the total of their standard tips, combined with their base wages (however small), amounts to the fair and reasonable wage that the cruise line would otherwise pay if the position was not tipped. I've never removed or decreased them, and probably never will. I consider the standard tips to be a surcharge; I'd prefer them to be baked into my cruise fare, but an automatic fixed amount is the next best thing. If the cruise line prefers to show me that individual's wages as a separate line item rather than just rolling it into one big number, it's not really any difference to me. But I still think it's somewhat absurd that what is essentially a management position is funded by tips.

Exactly my thought. At this point, I liken the Head Server to a restaurant manager. A restaurant manager will sometimes pop over to a table to see how they're doing, but not often, and I don't tip them. I tip the servers, who then will split with bussers. I still do the standard tip to the Head Server since it's a pretty small amount in comparison anyway, but it is a bit of an unusual thing, at least to me.

 

[hnthomps]

Off topic from the original post, but still on the general subject of tips -- we were on the fantasy last week, and had MANY interactions with an outstanding CM who was one of the character handlers (and, I think, performer in some of the shows). He really got to know my children, especially my 4 year old, was funny and kind, and really awesome to us all week. We mentioned him on the comment card, of course. We also got invited to the last evening small group meeting with 8 characters, which was amazing, presumably because he put "our" (my daughter's) name down. My husband tried to tip him when we saw him at the Mickey & Friends goodbye gathering in the atrium, and he refused. Is there are rule prohibiting them from accepting tips? He was getting off the boat for a few months that same day, which made it seem extra weird.

 

[MomOTwins]

I know they say tipping is always "in your discretion" but someone has to be really affirmatively bad at their job for me to deny them a tip that I know makes up the bulk of their wages. I always worry about the free rider problem -- if enough people opt out of tipping, the cruise ship isn't going to start paying servers out of pocket, they are just going to increase the tipping amount for everyone in the long term to make up the shortfall from the people who opt out.

 

[bakerworld]

When we first cruised we couldn't figure out the tipping. We do short cruises so those 3 servers at dinner and the room host split $120 ?? - that didn't seem right so we doubled it (yea, that 'hi' guy doesn't get much even then). The bar staff we up tip so they get the full 20% because we see them the most and they provide us the most info. We tip RS a $5 each trip because we're all the way in the back of the boat and they still manage to get the tray in without spilling nothing - just for that acrobatic feat they should get paid probably more than $5. I figure we're not the biggest tippers but we do 2 dinners and then I'm done so hopefully less work for them. They are all very nice and always make a point to thank us for the tip. Cute bit of Disney-ism.

 

[Geomom]

Off topic from the original post, but still on the general subject of tips -- we were on the fantasy last week, and had MANY interactions with an outstanding CM who was one of the character handlers (and, I think, performer in some of the shows). He really got to know my children, especially my 4 year old, was funny and kind, and really awesome to us all week. We mentioned him on the comment card, of course. We also got invited to the last evening small group meeting with 8 characters, which was amazing, presumably because he put "our" (my daughter's) name down. My husband tried to tip him when we saw him at the Mickey & Friends goodbye gathering in the atrium, and he refused. Is there are rule prohibiting them from accepting tips? He was getting off the boat for a few months that same day, which made it seem extra weird.

Different type of position--I believe the character handlers are part of the 'entertainment' staff which is not a tipped position and they 'should' be higher paid/better benefits. The kids clubs cast members are also not supposed to accept tips--I think I've read that if they take any $ it goes towards a group party. If anyone gives them anything, it tends to be individually wrapped candies and used recent magazines.