Not a fan of the automatic tip charging.

[DreamGirl90]

You do realize that the tip is mot paid to the CM until after you leave the ship? After the first night you can go to guest services and remove it from your stateroom account. It isn't charged to your CC one day one..

Yes, of course I realize that. However, it is placed on the room account immediately after boarding, as a charge. I see no logical reason for doing so at THAT time.

I would never have it removed because, as I said, provided service is not dreadful, I am an excellent tipper and go WAY above their recommended. In fact, I DO forge "relationships" of a sort with my servers and room host, requesting them repeatedly when they are available. What I object to is the "Step on the ship, now we add the auto-gratuities to your account" method. That is not something the service team itself is doing, so I have no ill feelings towards them about it. I simply think DCL should NOT charge auto-gratuities to one's account the moment you step aboard, and that if they are going to, stop calling it a "gratuity" and call it what it is. Webster's definition of gratuity: "Something given voluntarily or beyond obligation usually for some service." A gratuity is not something that is charged to your account in advance of services that can you can later adjust. If you ask DCL, they will tell you that auto-gratuities are charged to your account on the first day but can later be adjusted. I only know that when one's key card account charges reach a certain amount (Is it $200 or so?), the CC is charged. I am not nit-picking about on what day the gratuity is paid by my CC, but on what day the charge is placed on my room account. That is what makes it an "advanced service charge" in my mind.

 

[eleclips]

If I am not mistaken, Royal Caribbean is the only line that does not automatically charge gratuities. They are only prepaid if you have 'My Time Dining'.

 

[seo31]

Does anyone have the standard amount your onboard account was charged for tipping on the 7 day Eastern or Western Caribbean for 2 adults/2 children? I want to make my calculations are accurate for budgeting reasons. Thank you!

 

[chateau]

I just wonder if taxes are paid on these automatic tips. I don't put tips on my credit card at restaurants, rather tip in cash, allowing the server to decide what they wish to claim. There's a record when it's done on paper. I always appreciated a handshake with a big bill palmed to me when I was in the industry! "Palming" should've been my screen name... one of the best things that ever happened to me was due to palming (a note in this case)!

 

[lucky1]

I have not read through the whole thread, so sorry if this is a repeat. We recently sailed on the Alaska cruise and had an opportunity during the 6 night evening dessert tastings in front of Trition's to talk to a server at length about how the pay and tipping works. I was curious if serving team had to share tips with those working in the kitchen. No they are not. He mentioned that they only work on Tips. They get $50 monthly check and the rest of their salary is based on their tips. They have 36 guest per cruise that can tip them.

 

[mickeyfan1]

I just wonder if taxes are paid on these automatic tips. I don't put tips on my credit card at restaurants, rather tip in cash, allowing the server to decide what they wish to claim. There's a record when it's done on paper. I always appreciated a handshake with a big bill palmed to me when I was in the industry! "Palming" should've been my screen name... one of the best things that ever happened to me was due to palming (a note in this case)!

If you mean US taxes, no. THe ship is registered in the Bahaas, the CMs are almost all foreign residents, they are not taxed by the US.

At to the amount, I believe it is still $12.00 per person (including children and infants) per day. THe actual break down is in your final paperwork, and I believe it is also in the FAQ sticky on the top of the board.

 

[ratt1345]

Forgive me for not reading all 12 pages, but I am limited in my time right now. If I read it right on the first page, this automatic tipping thing is a result of people not tipping at all. I think that is wrong!!!! Unless you got just down right horrible service all around, then you should tip. I am with the crowd that tips based on service. The better the service, the better the tip.

With that all said, the ones you should be upset with are not the people at DCL, but the people who don't tip. I can see why DCL did this. If the people that work on the ship are like waiters and waitresses, tips are money they rely on. So, if there are people out there stiffing the staff for the work they did, DCL had to do something. Most, if not all, work very hard to make your ship experience a memorable one.

 

[jilljill]

Does anyone have the standard amount your onboard account was charged for tipping on the 7 day Eastern or Western Caribbean for 2 adults/2 children? I want to make my calculations are accurate for budgeting reasons. Thank you!

http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/faqs/onboard-services/gratuities/

 

[PrincessShmoo]

If you mean US taxes, no. THe ship is registered in the Bahaas, the CMs are almost all foreign residents, they are not taxed by the US.

At to the amount, I believe it is still $12.00 per person (including children and infants) per day. THe actual break down is in your final paperwork, and I believe it is also in the FAQ sticky on the top of the board.

Yes, $12 per guest per day (regardless of age). The breakdown is: $4 per day for your server; $3 per day for your assistant server; $1 per day for your head server; and $4 per day for your room host.

 

[LunaCup]

Not a fan and haven't since I first encountered it on another cruise line in 2000. Believe it diminishes the level of service if the tip is already a forgone conclusion.

I have never felt like the service I have received on any of the Disney ships has been diminished. If anything I am always pleasantly surprised at the level of quality service I receive considering that the staff works breakfast, lunch, and dinner 7 days a week for several weeks in a row.

The staff work harder than most people I know and even if they received a not so nice tip on the cruise before yours they are still smiling at you when you get on the boat for the first time. They are choosing to be away from their families only to send money back home. IMO I think $12 a day is nothing compared to the service you receive and I always leave extra. Just don't forget that they are people too. Imagine if you had an off day and your boss adjusted your paycheck for it. I'm sure I am going to get flamed for that but oh well. I know that some of you may think DCL should be paying them more but the reality is that they aren't and that is probably not going to change.

 

[disney1990]

I have never felt like the service I have received on any of the Disney ships has been diminished. If anything I am always pleasantly surprised at the level of quality service I receive considering that the staff works breakfast, lunch, and dinner 7 days a week for several weeks in a row.

The staff work harder than most people I know and even if they received a not so nice tip on the cruise before yours they are still smiling at you when you get on the boat for the first time. They are choosing to be away from their families only to send money back home. IMO I think $12 a day is nothing compared to the service you receive and I always leave extra. Just don't forget that they are people too. Imagine if you had an off day and your boss adjusted your paycheck for it. I'm sure I am going to get flamed for that but oh well. I know that some of you may think DCL should be paying them more but the reality is that they aren't and that is probably not going to change.

No flames here. I absolutely agree!

 

[mom+3girls]

I would like to ask for those that have cruised on any of the Disney ships if you feel the automatic tipping has caused the level of service to go down?

I like to tip on the level of service, I don't mind it being automically charged but would have a problem if the level of service has gone down because now they know they will be getting a tip regardless.

How does one increase the tip for someone that goes above and beyond now?

 

[davmill]

This is my biggest complaint against tipping period. These people, or any in the service industry, do not work for me. They work for whomever hired them and those people should pay them a decent enough salary so that they don't have to depend on tips to make a decent wage. I don't think prices would go up on very much if they actually paid their workers a decent wage. I don't tip unless the service is very good, not just because society thinks they are supposed to.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I would like to ask for those that have cruised on any of the Disney ships if you feel the automatic tipping has caused the level of service to go down?

I like to tip on the level of service, I don't mind it being automically charged but would have a problem if the level of service has gone down because now they know they will be getting a tip regardless.

How does one increase the tip for someone that goes above and beyond now?

They are not getting the tip regardless.

DCL is adding the tips to your onboard account as a convience. If you don't wish to tip, just to to Guest Services and remove the tip. It's still your choice to tip on DCL.

Other cruiselines have a charge (Hotel Sevice Charge, or something like that). That is obligatory. You can still remove those charges from those accounts, but it requires an explanation as to why you are removing them. Not on DCL. But even there, the gratuties that are part of the service charge are not given to the people receiving them until the end of the cruise. So, even then, they do not know for sure they are getting them.

As to service going down, I've not noticed that the service on DCL has suffered in any way.

 

[bridget]

We were with a group with 4 rooms and it was our 5th Disney cruise. We thought the service on the Dream was great, and it was very convenient to have the tip added!! We added extra cash to the envelopes There were no complaints in our group; in fact we felt like it saved us quite a bit of time!

We are also a family with major allergy issues, and I know how hard the head waiter and our wait staff work to keep our family safe when we travel.

 

[over50visits]

I would like to ask for those that have cruised on any of the Disney ships if you feel the automatic tipping has caused the level of service to go down?

I'm a big believer that your experience is usually what you expect it to be. We expect to have a wonderful cruise, with great service, and we ALWAYS get that. We treat the CMs with respect, don't expect them to be our servants, and are genuinely interested in their well being. They return that in spades. It's easy. I've seen some pretty inconsiderate guests with strange requests (really demands), and feel so sorry for the servers.

No, the level of service has not gone down. The Golden Rule works like a charm on the cruises...what goes around comes around.

 

[disney1990]

The servers do not know if the tip has automatically been added or not. So no, service has not gone down.

If Disney paid everybody an appropriate wage, lots of people could not afford to cruise at all. I would be more than happy to have it changed to a service charge and added to everybody. We have never cruised and not added additional money.

 

[mmouse37]

This is my biggest complaint against tipping period. These people, or any in the service industry, do not work for me. They work for whomever hired them and those people should pay them a decent enough salary so that they don't have to depend on tips to make a decent wage. I don't think prices would go up on very much if they actually paid their workers a decent wage. I don't tip unless the service is very good, not just because society thinks they are supposed to.

This is the way it has always been the in the cruise industry and the food service industry (waiters, waitresses, etc.).

I do think the prices would go up substantially if the wage structure was changed. While I fully appreciate and respect how hard the crew works, they were not forced into this job...they knew what they are getting into and they are not working on a slave ship.

The system works.

MJ

 

[LunaCup]

I'm a big believer that your experience is usually what you expect it to be. We expect to have a wonderful cruise, with great service, and we ALWAYS get that. We treat the CMs with respect, don't expect them to be our servants, and are genuinely interested in their well being. They return that in spades. It's easy. I've seen some pretty inconsiderate guests with strange requests (really demands), and feel so sorry for the servers.

No, the level of service has not gone down. The Golden Rule works like a charm on the cruises...what goes around comes around.

I agree 100% with everything you said here.

 

[navywifetill2002]

I have not talked DH into a Disney crusie yet but our first cruise was CCL in 2002 and the "tips" were automatic then. We've since made 2 trips on NCL and a 2nd on CCL and both lines as well as all 4 different ships had automatic tipping. Since we knew this we actually pre-paid them once so we'd have less of a charge on our sail and sign card. Our last cruise we had a wonderful head waiter and room steward and we tipped both extra on our last day (cash so we didn't have to mess with the front desk).