Confused about prepaid tips

Redbudlover

DIS Veteran
Joined
Jul 21, 2005
When I booked our cruise today the CM asked me if I wanted to prepay my tips. I thought that was a great idea and so paid $168 which was $12 per person for 7 days. Now I am reading on the boards about giving tips to everyone - how much, when, etc. What is up with that? Do most people NOT prepay tips on a cruise? this is my first cruise and I don't want to not tip someone who should have been tipped but sure don't want to tip twice!
 
From what I understand, you're going to be paying that tip anyway whether you pre-pay or do it while on the ship. The tips that people are talking about here is in addition to the pre-set tip that you've already paid, for exceptional job well done and also for things like room service.
 
When I booked our cruise today the CM asked me if I wanted to prepay my tips. I thought that was a great idea and so paid $168 which was $12 per person for 7 days. Now I am reading on the boards about giving tips to everyone - how much, when, etc. What is up with that? Do most people NOT prepay tips on a cruise? this is my first cruise and I don't want to not tip someone who should have been tipped but sure don't want to tip twice!

Don't panic!! Lots of people pre pay their tips and this is a perfectly acceptable option. On your last evening, you will be given receipt slips for your pre payment, you put these in the envelopes which will also be provided in your room. If you want to adjust the tips up or down for one person, or all, you can do this at Guest Services.

Your pre paid tips cover the 4 staff positions that 'require' tipping .. Stateroom host, Head Server, Server and Asst Server. For room service, we tip them $1 cash per plate normally when they deliver the food.

Enjoy your cruise
 
Above was a good explanation. In addition to the 4 main tipped positions that you just prepaid, you may want to have some cash on hand for porters, excursion vendors, room service, etc.

Also, all alcoholic beverages have an auto gratuity already added in....so, if you are by the pool and order a drink there is a tip already factored into the price. You can tip over and above if you want, of course.

MJ
 


I saw a table on the mousesaver website that indicates a total of $84per person tip for a 7 night cruise. Do they charge the same rate for children?

If this is the case, 2a+3kids = $420.00.

Can you guys confirm this please?
 
I saw a table on the mousesaver website that indicates a total of $84per person tip for a 7 night cruise. Do they charge the same rate for children?

If this is the case, 2a+3kids = $420.00.

Can you guys confirm this please?

Yes, the prices are per person (that includes children and babies).
 
Don't panic!! Lots of people pre pay their tips and this is a perfectly acceptable option. On your last evening, you will be given receipt slips for your pre payment, you put these in the envelopes which will also be provided in your room. If you want to adjust the tips up or down for one person, or all, you can do this at Guest Services.

Your pre paid tips cover the 4 staff positions that 'require' tipping .. Stateroom host, Head Server, Server and Asst Server. For room service, we tip them $1 cash per plate normally when they deliver the food.

Enjoy your cruise

Okay so it's been a looong time since I have traveled (and even that has not been much) so please forgive my naivety on the subject. This is our first cruise ever, we have 2 adults and 2 kids in our party, and it's a 7 night itinerary. So outside of the 4 positions/$12 pp per night what other cash tips should I plan for?

$1/plate - room service (thank you for that info)

What about DCL transfers...do you tip that driver? And how much?
Someone had mentioned porters...which porters? If we check our own baggage at the airport what other porters - the porters on the ship, I'm assuming? What is the average tip/bag? Anything else?

Thanks so much!!
 


I think the general rules is $1 per bag for anyone who touches your bags (with the exception of the inside airline agents at check-in). Red cap/sky cap at the airport, porters at the port, etc. Basically anyone who handles your bags so you don't have to do it yourself.
 
Okay so it's been a looong time since I have traveled (and even that has not been much) so please forgive my naivety on the subject. This is our first cruise ever, we have 2 adults and 2 kids in our party, and it's a 7 night itinerary. So outside of the 4 positions/$12 pp per night what other cash tips should I plan for?

$1/plate - room service (thank you for that info)

What about DCL transfers...do you tip that driver? And how much?
Someone had mentioned porters...which porters? If we check our own baggage at the airport what other porters - the porters on the ship, I'm assuming? What is the average tip/bag? Anything else?

Thanks so much!!

When you get to the port there are porters that take and check your bags - think of it like doing curbside checking of your luggage. You get your luggage delivered to your stateroom later that afternoon. When you get off the ship, you can pick up you own luggage to take through customs, or use a porter. What you tip is subjective. I travel without my husband but with 2 small kids and my elderly mother, so I need a lot of help with disembarkation and usually tip 4-5 per bag. Not so much just checking in.
 
Thanks for starting this thread and thanks to everyone who answered. First cruise coming up in November and I had no idea!
 
When you get to the port there are porters that take and check your bags - think of it like doing curbside checking of your luggage. You get your luggage delivered to your stateroom later that afternoon. When you get off the ship, you can pick up you own luggage to take through customs, or use a porter. What you tip is subjective. I travel without my husband but with 2 small kids and my elderly mother, so I need a lot of help with disembarkation and usually tip 4-5 per bag. Not so much just checking in.

Okay thank you that helps. So we have porters not on and off the ship. What about the DCL transfer drivers? Do they generally receive tips as well? Anyone else onboard the ship outside of room service and of course in the spa for any services. Do you tip at BBB?
 
Okay thank you that helps. So we have porters not on and off the ship. What about the DCL transfer drivers? Do they generally receive tips as well? Anyone else onboard the ship outside of room service and of course in the spa for any services. Do you tip at BBB?

As someone else mentioned, a good rule of thumb is anyone who touches your bag(s) should be tipped -- generally $1-2 per bag. This might be bus drivers, shuttle drivers, skycaps at the airport, porters at the port (both pre-and post-cruise). If they simply drive the bus with no luggage assistance (because it went directly), I don't tip, but if they have to put a folded stroller or other carry-on items under the bus then I tip.

Spa services include a tip, you may add more if you so choose. Alcoholic beverages will include a tip, you may add more. Palo and Remy include a tip but most people add more. Room service does NOT include a tip so it's appropriate to tip for room service. I haven't done BBB but assume it should be tipped like a hair dresser, though look at your receipt to see if the gratuity has automatically been included like the spa and bars. Another tip to consider is for your excursion leader.

Enjoy your cruise!
 
As someone else mentioned, a good rule of thumb is anyone who touches your bag(s) should be tipped -- generally $1-2 per bag. This might be bus drivers, shuttle drivers, skycaps at the airport, porters at the port (both pre-and post-cruise). If they simply drive the bus with no luggage assistance (because it went directly), I don't tip, but if they have to put a folded stroller or other carry-on items under the bus then I tip.

Spa services include a tip, you may add more if you so choose. Alcoholic beverages will include a tip, you may add more. Palo and Remy include a tip but most people add more. Room service does NOT include a tip so it's appropriate to tip for room service. I haven't done BBB but assume it should be tipped like a hair dresser, though look at your receipt to see if the gratuity has automatically been included like the spa and bars. Another tip to consider is for your excursion leader.

Enjoy your cruise!

Great. Thanks!
 
If you are taking DCL transfers you will not ordinarily be handling your luggage so there would be no porters to tip (you never see these people).

Everyone else has covered pretty much everything else.

On excursions, if it is a tour type excursion, I will tip the bus driver and the tour guide (if there is a separate guide from the driver). If it's just a bus/transportation to take you from the ship to a place (with no stops or anything in between) then I don't tip (unless they help with added things like strollers/wheelchairs, etc).

And yes, note that the bill you receive when ordering alcoholic beverages already has a tip attached so unless you have an exceptional waiter/bartender then you don't need to tip extra. If I have frequented a certain bar with mostly the same bartender (a good measure is if I walk into that bar and the bartender already knows my favorite drink!!), then I often give that bartender a cash tip towards the end of the cruise. I had a friend who loved to lay out at the adult pool area and the waiter knew her likes and dislikes and always took care of her (beverage wise).
 
If you are taking DCL transfers you will not ordinarily be handling your luggage so there would be no porters to tip (you never see these people).

Everyone else has covered pretty much everything else.

On excursions, if it is a tour type excursion, I will tip the bus driver and the tour guide (if there is a separate guide from the driver). If it's just a bus/transportation to take you from the ship to a place (with no stops or anything in between) then I don't tip (unless they help with added things like strollers/wheelchairs, etc).

And yes, note that the bill you receive when ordering alcoholic beverages already has a tip attached so unless you have an exceptional waiter/bartender then you don't need to tip extra. If I have frequented a certain bar with mostly the same bartender (a good measure is if I walk into that bar and the bartender already knows my favorite drink!!), then I often give that bartender a cash tip towards the end of the cruise. I had a friend who loved to lay out at the adult pool area and the waiter knew her likes and dislikes and always took care of her (beverage wise).

Ohhhh, okay that makes sense about the DCL transfers. I didn't think about the porter thing for that - duh. One of the reasons to use the transfers is the luggage aspect. Thanks!
 
I read on the DCL website and confirmed when I called that gratuities will be automatically charged to your bill unless you go to guest services on board to tell them not to. I prefer to pay cash tips, and I don't pre-pay tips because I often find that I want to give more than suggested. Once you get to know your servers they feel like family.
Has anyone experienced the "automatic gratuity" charges on board?
 
I read on the DCL website and confirmed when I called that gratuities will be automatically charged to your bill unless you go to guest services on board to tell them not to. I prefer to pay cash tips, and I don't pre-pay tips because I often find that I want to give more than suggested. Once you get to know your servers they feel like family.
Has anyone experienced the "automatic gratuity" charges on board?

The auto-gratuity has been in place for a while now.

If you wish to tip totally in cash, you must go to Guest Services onboard and have the auto-gratuity removed. Or, you can leave the auto-gratuity in place and add additional cash at the end of the cruise.

The procedure for the tipping process is: at the end of your cruise you will receive in your room with your nightly turndown service tips envelopes and coupons. The coupons will have the name, position, and amount of tip printed on them. You tear the coupon in half (each half has the same info) and place 1/2 in the corresponding envelope (printed with the position name). At this time, if you wish to tip more, you can place additional cash in the envelope. Then hand out the envelopes to the proper person(s). Or you can go to Guest Services toward the end of your cruise and have a larger auto-gratuity added to your onboard account, and they will issued new coupons showing the new amount that you are tipping,.

With the auto-gratuity there are two options: you can pre-pay, that is pay ahead the suggested amount as part of the cruisefare. That way, the money has already been covered in your budget. Or the auto-gratuity will be charged at the end of your trip along with all other charges in your onboard account. That way, you actually pay for the tips at the end of the cruise.

We like having pre-paid gratuities. It's just so much easier not to have to worry whether we will have the proper amount of money to cover it at the end of the cruise. And we usually add more cash to the envelopes.
 
I give up. I cant find the table.
Prepay tip for 4ppl on 4 night Bahamas cruise?
 

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