Tipping for low-occupancy rooms

[SuperDry]

What do people think about tipping for single-occupancy staterooms? I know what the official Disney guidance is (i.e. just the standard per-person tip amounts), but what do you think?

I figure that the three dining room people should be considered no differently by solo travelers: they have a certain number of seats in their area. If you're seated at a 4-top, there's no difference in tipping if it's a family of 4 or 4 separate solo travelers.

But the stateroom host is different. If a newer ship is at full passenger capacity, there is an average of 3.2 guests per stateroom. So, a single traveler generates less than 1/3 of the auto-tip that an "average" one does. Now, shipwide, it all balances out, but there's no guarantee that the offsetting rooms that are packed are handled by the same stateroom host. It's worse on a sailing that is not at full total occupancy, as there may be no offsetting high-occupancy room.

I figure that a room that has a single occupant is a bit less work to clean than one with 3 or 4, but not by much, and certainly not proportionally so. That being the case, is it reasonable to think that it might be nice to offer a substantial extra tip to the stateroom host, just to bring things back in line to their normal tip for cleaning the room? Such as perhaps double just as a start for standard service?

Taken to the extreme, what about the Royal on a classic ship that sleeps 7 being occupied by only two people?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

What do people think about tipping for single-occupancy staterooms? I know what the official Disney guidance is (i.e. just the standard per-person tip amounts), but what do you think?

I figure that the three dining room people should be considered no differently by solo travelers: they have a certain number of seats in their area. If you're seated at a 4-top, there's no difference in tipping if it's a family of 4 or 4 separate solo travelers.

But the stateroom host is different. If a newer ship is at full passenger capacity, there is an average of 3.2 guests per stateroom. So, a single traveler generates less than 1/3 of the auto-tip that an "average" one does. Now, shipwide, it all balances out, but there's no guarantee that the offsetting rooms that are packed are handled by the same stateroom host. It's worse on a sailing that is not at full total occupancy, as there may be no offsetting high-occupancy room.

I figure that a room that has a single occupant is a bit less work to clean than one with 3 or 4, but not by much, and certainly not proportionally so. That being the case, is it reasonable to think that it might be nice to offer a substantial extra tip to the stateroom host, just to bring things back in line to their normal tip for cleaning the room? Such as perhaps double just as a start for standard service?

Taken to the extreme, what about the Royal on a classic ship that sleeps 7 being occupied by only two people?

The tips are based on "per guest". I don't think it would be right to expect a single cruiser to tip for 2 people, just because there is only one person in the room.

That being said, we've always tipped additionally to the suggested gratuity. In the long run, I think it probably comes out pretty even.

On our Hawaii cruise our dining rotation had no late seating, due to the lesser numbers onboard. Do you think we should have tipped more because of it?

In the world of tipping, there are no guarantees, sometimes you get the big party (who may or may not tip - either at all or additionally) or you get the single cruiser (who may or may not tip - or tip extra generously).

 

[jimsubry]

I'm sure extra tips are always appreciated, but don't know how many people would want this to become an expected standard. To them, they're already paying 200% for traveling alone, most would cringe to pay double tips as well.

On the flip side, let's say a room has a couple parents and 3 kids. Are they really expected to pay their tips per person? Whew, that's a lot. "Per person per day" really adds up, we sure thought so for a 7 day cruise and only 3 of us in the room!

So anyway, perhaps those 5 people rooms balance out the 1 person rooms, tip wise.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I'm sure extra tips are always appreciated, but don't know how many people would want this to become an expected standard. To them, they're already paying 200% for traveling alone, most would cringe to pay double tips as well.

On the flip side, let's say a room has a couple parents and 3 kids. Are they really expected to pay their tips per person? Whew, that's a lot. "Per person per day" really adds up, we sure thought so for a 7 day cruise and only 3 of us in the room!

So anyway, perhaps those 5 people rooms balance out the 1 person rooms, tip wise.

Yes, the suggested gratuities are "per person". Regardless of age.

 

[lbgraves]

I'm sure extra tips are always appreciated, but don't know how many people would want this to become an expected standard. To them, they're already paying 200% for traveling alone, most would cringe to pay double tips as well.

On the flip side, let's say a room has a couple parents and 3 kids. Are they really expected to pay their tips per person? Whew, that's a lot. "Per person per day" really adds up, we sure thought so for a 7 day cruise and only 3 of us in the room!

So anyway, perhaps those 5 people rooms balance out the 1 person rooms, tip wise.

I wouldn't expect a single cruiser to tip for two people either. However, a family of 5 should definitely tip for 5 people. The tip is part of the cost of the trip, and three kids would definitely create more work for both a room host and a serving team. We are a family of 4 and would never think of not tipping for all of us. If you break down the MDR tipping, you are paying a lot less than you would for three meals at WDW if you tip the standard 15-20%. It is a deal if you consider what the meal would cost there.

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

On the three cruises I've been on tipped the stated amount for one person. On the third cruise I did up the mount I tipped as did some other people at the tables i was at for dinner. I was in a group where a couple of people decided they didn't want to tip the full amount and cut the amount they prepaid. So everyone else in the group we all decided to tip more even someone who wasn't at every meal tipped more then the full amount.

 

[MND]

What do people think about tipping for single-occupancy staterooms? I know what the official Disney guidance is (i.e. just the standard per-person tip amounts), but what do you think?

I figure that the three dining room people should be considered no differently by solo travelers: they have a certain number of seats in their area. If you're seated at a 4-top, there's no difference in tipping if it's a family of 4 or 4 separate solo travelers.

But the stateroom host is different. If a newer ship is at full passenger capacity, there is an average of 3.2 guests per stateroom. So, a single traveler generates less than 1/3 of the auto-tip that an "average" one does. Now, shipwide, it all balances out, but there's no guarantee that the offsetting rooms that are packed are handled by the same stateroom host. It's worse on a sailing that is not at full total occupancy, as there may be no offsetting high-occupancy room.

I figure that a room that has a single occupant is a bit less work to clean than one with 3 or 4, but not by much, and certainly not proportionally so. That being the case, is it reasonable to think that it might be nice to offer a substantial extra tip to the stateroom host, just to bring things back in line to their normal tip for cleaning the room? Such as perhaps double just as a start for standard service?

Taken to the extreme, what about the Royal on a classic ship that sleeps 7 being occupied by only two people?

You raise a good point. I think people that have a single occupancy room should tip more than the minimum. To me its a matter of fairness. My should the stateroom host get gypped?

Mike

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

You raise a good point. I think people that have a single occupancy room should tip more than the minimum. To me its a matter of fairness. My should the stateroom host get gypped?

Mike

They aren't getting gypped they still get a per person amount. Asking a solo traveler to tip more just because you don't think it's fair is just rude.

 

[sayhello]

Tell me, OP, are you a solo cruiser? Over the years, the extra I have to pay to cruise solo has gone up from 150% of the per person rate to 200%. That's unfair enough. Now you want to penalize us for traveling solo by wanting us to pay double tips, too? How about charging us double for drinks because they're losing out on the alcohol income from the second person, too! I agree with the PP that that's just rude! Tips are *not* per cabin, it's per person. Period.

Sayhello

 

[jedijill]

Tell me, OP, are you a solo cruiser? Over the years, the extra I have to pay to cruise solo has gone up from 150% of the per person rate to 200%. That's unfair enough. Now you want to penalize us for traveling solo by wanting us to pay double tips, too? How about charging us double for drinks because they're losing out on the alcohol income from the second person, too! I agree with the PP that that's just rude! Tips are *not* per cabin, it's per person. Period.

Sayhello

Amen!

Jill in CO

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

Tell me, OP, are you a solo cruiser? Over the years, the extra I have to pay to cruise solo has gone up from 150% of the per person rate to 200%. That's unfair enough. Now you want to penalize us for traveling solo by wanting us to pay double tips, too? How about charging us double for drinks because they're losing out on the alcohol income from the second person, too! I agree with the PP that that's just rude! Tips are *not* per cabin, it's per person. Period.

Sayhello

I'll second that.

 

[lbgraves]

DCL isn't losing any money on the solo cruisers because they don't count that double occupancy as two people when filling the lifeboats. IMO if DCL is concerned about its CMs not getting that extra $12 or so per guest, they can pay it out of the inflated room rate solos have to pay. No I don't cruise solo, but I find the cost with extra tipping outrageous.

 

[Jey12]

Why? If you go out to eat by yourself do you tip double? The suggested amounts are calculated to be per person, based on the average occupancy in each room. Cruise lines have already figured it all out for us. Solo cruisers are already having to pay the price for an invisible 2nd person in their room, why in the world would they need to pay the tips for an invisible person too?

 

[mmouse37]

I absolutely would not tip double if I cruised solo. I may add extra if service warranted it (as we usually do) but to tip more "just because" someone cruises solo is ridiculous.

Tips are based per person and I am sure it all averages out over the course of their contract.

MJ

 

[SuperDry]

Wow, there sure are a lot of people with their panties in a wad.

Over the years, the extra I have to pay to cruise solo has gone up from 150% of the per person rate to 200%. That's unfair enough.

No doubt about it.

Now you want to penalize us for traveling solo by wanting us to pay double tips, too?

I'm not talking about penalizing the traveler. I'm trying to be considerate of the stateroom hosts. I'm fortunate to be able to go on a Disney cruise whenever I want. They on the other hand seem to almost universally come from poor parts of the world, work 7 days a week with no time off for 5 months straight, and are away from their families and probably send as much as they can back home to support them. Me booking a single room in their section may have a meaningful affect on their personal income that week, and it's not even being traded for much less work.

How about charging us double for drinks because they're losing out on the alcohol income from the second person, too!

The "they" you keep referring to, in the single supplement and alcohol income above, is Disney. I'm not at all concerned about what Disney is making from the solo traveler - as you point out, they're already charging double.

I agree with the PP that that's just rude!

I'm rude? What about the people such as yourself that apparently have no regard for the service staff?

Tips are *not* per cabin, it's per person. Period.

I fully understand how the suggested tip system works. There have been many reports here of people tipping more than the suggested amount for a wide variety of reasons, but I've not seen other people that suggest it being labeled as "rude." You might want to look in the mirror when it comes to that.

DCL isn't losing any money on the solo cruisers because they don't count that double occupancy as two people when filling the lifeboats.

To repeat what I said before, my concern isn't at all about DCL losing money. You do realize that I'm talking only about tips, right? And that the tips go 100% to the service people, right? And that almost all their pay is based on the tips, right?

As a point of order: whether DCL is out any money from solo travelers depends on if and how they fill the boat: if they fill the boat by selling all cabins but are under occupancy, then yes they would lose fare revenue unless they charged the 200% single supplement. In all other cases (full boat anyway due to occupancy, or unsold cabins and not at occupancy) then the single supplement is just extra revenue. But once again, I'm not concerned about DCL in my OP.

If you go out to eat by yourself do you tip double?

No, I don't. I made it very clear in the OP that I was NOT referring to dining, on the ship or elsewhere.

 

[paaczek]

can be nice but if price per person dont change so much

 

[slindamood]

DCL established the method for tipping as "per person." I tip according to that established method, increasing the amount for good service, not for what I think might be a more "fair" method.

On our WBTA, DD had a single cabin. For both dining and cabin, she tipped above the one person suggested amount because she received outstanding service.

This past year, DD was with her DH and their DD (3 months). They tipped for 3 plus extra for cabin attendant's excellent service but tipped suggested amount for 3 in dining for so-so service. They tipped for 3 because that is the system, even though their daughter was in nursery for every meal.

 

[lanejudy]

OP, if you wish to put an extra $4 per night on your stateroom hosts' tips, you are more than welcome to do so.

I don't tip hotel housekeeping extra when I travel solo, nor would I consider tipping a stateroom host more simply because I was solo (I cruise with the family).

DCL recommends "per person" tips and that covers infants all the way up to seniors. They also have a system that allows you to increase (or decrease) tip for any position as you see fit. You are welcome to do as you choose with regards to your stateroom host(ess).

 

[mmouse37]

Wow, there sure are a lot of people with their panties in a wad.

I'm rude? What about the people such as yourself that apparently have no regard for the service staff

Actually, no one seems to have their panties in a wad. We just stated our feelings on the subject. And to suggest that because people feel this way about not tipping double somehow equates to not caring at all about the service staff is pretty presumptuous and narrow minded. that is a pretty broad blanket to throw on people and makes you sound like your opinion is the only correct one.

MJ

 

[antmaril]

I was alone in my cabin on the Wonder in March. I tipped the recommended amount for one person and added cash to each envelope. I didn't give extra because I was alone in the cabin, but rather because the service was excellent.