Most of the tipping that I have seen mention of is for people who work in the dining rooms. If I am planning on just eating in the Windjammer, how does that work for me? I am not going to tip people that I have no contact with. Do I tip the people in the Windjammer?
Patty
Originally posted by PattyPsch:
Most of the tipping that I have seen mention of is for people who work in the dining rooms. If I am planning on just eating in the Windjammer, how does that work for me? I am not going to tip people that I have no contact with. Do I tip the people in the Windjammer?
Patty
Tipping is a personal thing - you should never feel COMPELLED to tip. If you would like to "do something" for someone on the staff that has given you a little extra attention, then proceed the way you would at home. The fact that you are on a ship should not make a difference in the way you (personally) handle tipping.
When you eat in the Windjammer for the evening meal you will get special attention. If so, and if by the same people, then why not tip them something? If you are serving yourself, that's a different story. I don't usually eat in the Windjammer for the main dinner but I have done it. I just left $5 on the table because I was treated so well.
We've done 2 cruises where we ate exclusively in the Windjammer and never set foot in the dining room. On both occasions, we tipped the staff in the Windjammer. My only regret was Royal Caribbean had no means by which we could tell them in advance that we weren't going into the dining room (which we knew in advance), so that they wouldn't keep 2 places open for us at a table, and the waiter at that table wouldn't be 2 fewer tips that cruise.
We assumed the other folks at our table thought we must be honeymooners...
If I am planning on just eating in the Windjammer,
and Sandy said
Quote:
We've done 2 cruises where we ate exclusively in the Windjammer and never set foot in the dining room.
Just curious why would/did you avoid the dining room? I suppose I can understand some people not wanting to do the formal nights but all the other nights...?
Chuck, the cruises where we ate only in the Windjammer were short cruises, just 3 nights. We wanted to play our mealtimes totally by ear. We signed up for early dining, yet 6pm often found us relaxing in the solarium and not wanting to get up and dress for dinner. Yet 8:30pm was too late as we usually got hungry around 7 or 7:30pm. We liked the flexibility of "open seating" in the Windjammer. We often wanted to take advantage of a late snack at the "tea" which was really like another lunch, and didn't want to feel we couldn't snack because dinner was coming too soon.
It was quiet yet elegant, with great food and service. Tablecloths, flowers on the tables, waiters to bring tea or lemonade or whatever. We could dine just the two of us (most of the time), or with others we met during the day. We were able to "graze" much of the same food as was in the dining room, putting together a little of this and a little of that, to our liking.
We much prefer to fly with just a rollaboard and additional carry-on each. Without having to pack dressy clothing, we could do this for our cruises, although we did wear nicer things at dinner on the formal nights, even in the Windjammer. We've never gone up there for dinner in shorts and t-shirts.
We have been on many cruises and have eaten in the dining room on all but 2 or 3. We know the advantages and disadvantages of both, and play it by ear.
Thanks for the reply - what I'm hearing between the lines (so to speak) is your preference for open seating. Couldn't agree more! That's why I've started leaning toward cruise lines that have eliminated fixed seating/hours for dinner. That way, I choose when and with whom I dine and I can dine ANYWHERE on the ship!
I still remember traveling with friends on the Regal Princess (inaugural) - their twenty-something daughter was always "fashionably late" to dinner because of her last minute primping - it didn't bother us as it gave us a chance to enjoy another cocktail before dinner at the table. Well, one night we waited and waited only to find she had been locked out of the dining room! They did eventually let her in.
what I'm hearing between the lines (so to speak) is your preference for open seating.
It wasn't even between the lines, but referred to in line 4 of my message!
Anyway, we've sailed a couple of lines with open seating (Seabourn and Windstar), and I like it, too, as long as they have enough tables for 2 that we can sit by ourselves when the spirit moves us, instead of being put at a larger table.
We're sailing NCL in December for the first time in almost 20 years, so it'll be interesting to experience their "freestyle dining" concept.
I have to say that I had planned on eating in the windjammer a few times on our cruise on the Navigator of the Seas last year. It only took one night of eating in the dining room that changed my mind. I would never skip a meal from the main dining room ever. The service and food are top notch. I would feel like I missed out on something if I skipped it. We also felt like dinner time was one of our favorite times of the day because we were all together and had so much fun with our wait staff. You should rethink not eating in the main dining room.
When we travel with other people, we eat in the dining room. In fact, it has just been on 2 or 3 short (3-night) cruises that we've eaten all our meals in the Windjammer. We know what the dining room experience has to offer, but sometimes we prefer the flexibility of the buffet.
why would/did you avoid the dining room? I suppose I can understand some people not wanting to do the formal nights but all the other nights...?
Linear Mode
