Cruise secrets that DCL doesn't tell you

[vmzach]

3. maybe a silly? but do they sell scrap book supplies on board?

Also, they just started selling Cruise Line merchandise on the Disney Store website. Look under "Theme Park Products", and then under "Collections", you'll see Disney Cruise Line. I'm hoping they add even more Cruise merchandise!

 

[mickeyfan1]

3. maybe a silly? but do they sell scrap book supplies on board?

Also, they just started selling Cruise Line merchandise on the Disney Store website. Look under "Theme Park Products", and then under "Collections", you'll see Disney Cruise Line. I'm hoping they add even more Cruise merchandise!

Yes, they have some paper and books, it's not a lot, but it is DCL themed. There are some new embellishments out at Michaels, Disney Cruise, Fireworks, and Character Dining. Very cute!

 

[rescuetink]

Order an extra appetizer, have it boxed to take it back to your state room & then give it to your favorite CMs! Seriously, that would make any CM's day.

Great TIP!! I would have never thought to do this!! But I will in November!!!

Our 1st impression of the CM's made an everlasting impression on us. They are the reason we Love Disney!! Thank You!!

They definately are one of the best parts of the cruise!!! We have never had bad service, but I will say our first cruise was the best as far as service!!

On our last cruise, we specifically asked our Room Steward if there was anything extra we could do for her, or anything extra we could get for her at one of the port of calls. She said her father really liked Tequilla, so when in Cozumel, we purchased a small bottle for her.

I will definately try this too!! What a great idea!!!

I LOVE THE DIS!!!

 

[Clochette nordique]

Fresh fruit is available at nearly any time in the crew dining area. Bananas, apples & oranges were never hard to get if we wanted them. We just couldn't have them in our cabins. <-- Huge trouble.

As far as pooling tips for non tipping cast members (kids staff etc), the tips go to nice parties they'd have for us. Nice food that we never see in crew dining is made specifically for us, we play games & have drawings for nice items.. All of this is done with money that we pool together from parents & other guests that tip us.

When tipping for tipable CMs, there are things that they can't accept: (mostly) really expensive gifts. When this happens, we're trained to politely decline the gift a few times. After that we turn it into management & it's a lot of paperwork.


Again, phone cards are amazing tips, cash works great too! Candies & baked goods are awesome! Order an extra appetizer, have it boxed to take it back to your state room & then give it to your favorite CMs! Seriously, that would make any CM's day.

Thank you so much! It helps a lot and yes, we can box an appetizer, of course! What I like is that when it come from one of you guys, we know, it makes more "personalized" gifts. The only thing for Canadians is that I tried a lot to find cards that can be used outside of the country and last spring, I couldn't, no more than I could have Wallmart cards working in the US!

1000 thanks!

Poussière de fée!

 

[Disney Dreams]

Went hunting for this thread. Found it on page 12. Thought others might be looking for it too so giving it a simple bump.

 

[jpabst17216]

I do CM gifts in addition to FE gifts. I actually found CM gifts much more rewarding than FE gifts because I got to see how much they enjoyed them! Being from New Orleans, my CMs got bags of pralines, Mardi Gras beads, voodoo dolls and bounce music cds. I also gave out bags of candy...some CMs had never had Hersheys before! I went a little overboard, and I don't know how I am going to top those gifts next year!
I love the appetizer idea for CMs!!! One CM on the Wonder told me they couldn't get popcorn on the boat, so next year I will bring popcorn for CM gifts too. If you have any other ideas for CM gifts, please post them.

 

[tomspixie]

Totally agree on the appetizer idea!!! LOVE IT! It is hard to know quite what to do, to go the extra mile.

 

[tomspixie]

Have posted this somewhere along the way, but seems appropriate for here.

For groups that have to pool their "tips," we have taken microwave popcorn and some candy bars with local packaging, so they know where it came from. Not that that matters, but just trying to personalize it a bit. We also picked up a bunch of DVDs, because they were temporarily unable to get even the stateroom channels. That way they could have a "movie" night as a group.
We also were able to give a couple of gift certificates for the Vista Spa to a couple of seriously outstanding CMs. We did get permission that the gift would go to the individuals receiving said gifts!

I really like the idea of leaving little candies for the room stewards daily! Nice touch!

 

[kamgen]

Has anyone given gifts instead of monetary gratuities? I have never done that, but some people seem to give a lot of gifts.
Any other gift ideas?? Would love to give something to the people in the Oceaneers Club! Thanks!

 

[Susiesark]

Has anyone given gifts instead of monetary gratuities? I have never done that, but some people seem to give a lot of gifts.
Any other gift ideas?? Would love to give something to the people in the Oceaneers Club! Thanks!

It's been discussed earlier in this thread, but I have given goody bags with chocolates to crew and large bags of Oreos to Lab and Oceaneers Club. That is in addition to, not instead of, tips. They have to live off of their tips.

 

[mdurette]

I think the idea of a gift instead of money is not right.

But, I have given big bags of candy to the CMs when I drop off an item at Guest Relations for autographs.

 

[EPCOTatNight]

I do CM gifts in addition to FE gifts. I actually found CM gifts much more rewarding than FE gifts because I got to see how much they enjoyed them! Being from New Orleans, my CMs got bags of pralines, Mardi Gras beads, voodoo dolls and bounce music cds. I also gave out bags of candy...some CMs had never had Hersheys before! I went a little overboard, and I don't know how I am going to top those gifts next year!
I love the appetizer idea for CMs!!! One CM on the Wonder told me they couldn't get popcorn on the boat, so next year I will bring popcorn for CM gifts too. If you have any other ideas for CM gifts, please post them.

Bounce music? Yes in deed! I would've never thought to give that. Maybe I should bring some beads with us on our cruise in Feb. Ironically, we'll be cruising on Mardi GRAS day.

 

[jpabst17216]

You should bring cds of mardi gras music too! And I would bring those really big beads! You can wear them and explain what they are really for!

 

[stefanie.cadell]

It's been discussed earlier in this thread, but I have given goody bags with chocolates to crew and large bags of Oreos to Lab and Oceaneers Club. That is in addition to, not instead of, tips. They have to live off of their tips.

Kid area staff, entertainment staff & guest relations do not live off of tips. We're not allowed to keep monetary gifts/tips at all. Wait staff at the bars/lounges, dining rooms, stateroom stewards etc are the tippable staff. THEY are the ones that live off of their tips. Basically if you would normally tip someone off the ship, do the same on the ship. At a restaurant, servers get tips as well as hotel maids. Unless the service is phenomenal, most babysitters still only get their agreed upon pay. (Please don't get mad when I compare the club/lab/a loft/stack/quest etc staff to babysitters because I know they are so much more (I was one myself)- it was just the only example I could come up with.)

One more time:

Food/treats tips only:
Kids staff, cruise staff & entertainment staff (and Guest Services too I think, but I'm not 100% sure)

Food/treats & monetary tips:
Stateroom host, dining room servers, bar staff, lounge staff, pool staff, eatery staff, spa staff etc.

 

[sssteele]

Kid area staff, entertainment staff & guest relations do not live off of tips. We're not allowed to keep monetary gifts/tips at all. Wait staff at the bars/lounges, dining rooms, stateroom stewards etc are the tippable staff. THEY are the ones that live off of their tips. Basically if you would normally tip someone off the ship, do the same on the ship. At a restaurant, servers get tips as well as hotel maids. Unless the service is phenomenal, most babysitters still only get their agreed upon pay. (Please don't get mad when I compare the club/lab/a loft/stack/quest etc staff to babysitters because I know they are so much more (I was one myself)- it was just the only example I could come up with.)

One more time:

Food/treats tips only:
Kids staff, cruise staff & entertainment staff (and Guest Services too I think, but I'm not 100% sure)

Food/treats & monetary tips:
Stateroom host, dining room servers, bar staff, lounge staff, pool staff, eatery staff, spa staff etc.

GETTING MARRIED!!! Hope it's all smooth sailing!

 

[stefanie.cadell]

GETTING MARRIED!!! Hope it's all smooth sailing!

Thanks!!!!!! 18 days till the wedding & 19 till we board the Wonder for our honeymoon!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Clochette nordique]

Kid area staff, entertainment staff & guest relations do not live off of tips. We're not allowed to keep monetary gifts/tips at all. Wait staff at the bars/lounges, dining rooms, stateroom stewards etc are the tippable staff. THEY are the ones that live off of their tips. Basically if you would normally tip someone off the ship, do the same on the ship. At a restaurant, servers get tips as well as hotel maids. Unless the service is phenomenal, most babysitters still only get their agreed upon pay. (Please don't get mad when I compare the club/lab/a loft/stack/quest etc staff to babysitters because I know they are so much more (I was one myself)- it was just the only example I could come up with.)

One more time:

Food/treats tips only:
Kids staff, cruise staff & entertainment staff (and Guest Services too I think, but I'm not 100% sure)

Food/treats & monetary tips:
Stateroom host, dining room servers, bar staff, lounge staff, pool staff, eatery staff, spa staff etc.

Thank you so very much for this answer. It makes it more clear for me.

Poussière de fée!

 

[Ssamara28]

Thank you all very much.

 

[MammaC]

Still getting caught up on this thread, but do they do anything special for birthdays? My Daughter will be turning 5 while we are on the ship and I'm wondering how I can make her day even more special!

 

[Wests4Disney]

My daughter had a birthday on the cruise and she received a cute card from the kids counselors and a certificate from our room steward. She also got the cake at dinner, but it is my understanding that the cake has been stopped. I have seen that you can still get a cupcake type of a dessert, which I think I would like better, since we are stuffed at every meal.

I had decorated the room with a happy birthday banner and she wore a birthday princess sash all day. She heard happy birthday quite a bit. They also have the pin at guest services that she was given later in the day at the kids club.