tipping

[Ptwolfman]

If you don't go to GS to make other arrangements (pre pay for example) you get a charge slip for each of the 4 tipped positions on the last night of your cruise. You put the charge slip in the envelope and give the envelope to each of the hosts. You can leave the one for your stateroom host on the bed since you may not actually be in your room when they come to do turn down service that night You can charge the amount to your on board account & pay your balance before disembarking. You can adjust the tip amount that's being charged or you can add cash to the tip envelope that accompanies your charge slip. You don't pay gratuity at each meal and you don't tip the room host daily as a general practice.

[believinthemagic]

Originally Posted by Trekker

If you are a Disney Visa card holder and pre-pay with that there is another advantage - Vacations paid on the Disney visa are 6 months interest free - anything you pay on your cruise before hand falls under this. For example last time I cruised I had $1200 charged to my card as an onboard credit about a week before the cruise - this was then interest free for 6 months.

Anything you pay after you board is considered a purchase and does not get the 6 months free financing.

That is great! I never thought of doing that. Do I just call DCL a week or so before and ask then to charge a certain amount on our card to use as onboard credit?

Can excursions done through DCL be paid for using this credit also? Would love to be able to make a few payments without interest to pay for everything!

[PrincessShmoo]

Originally Posted by FAIREST1OFALL

I'm a totally newbie and I'm taking my first cruise ever in December. I'm trying to wrap my brain around the tipping thing and whether or not to prepay. If I don't prepay do I pay cash at the time of service (drink/meal/room) or do I charge it to my onboard account? Do I leave my money for my stateroom attendant each day or give a lump sum for the cruise? I'm really confused. DH and I believe in tipping always and tipping very well for service that is outstanding. Please help me understand this or direct me to a thread that will describe it in detail.
Thanks!

Assuming that you're talking about taking a DCL cruise this is the way it works.

There are 4 tippable positions onboard: your stateroom host/your dining room server/your assistant server/and your head server. DCL suggests each guest in your room tip $12 per day (this mean everyone, regardless of age). This breaks out to $4 per day to your stateroom host; $4 per day to your server; $3 per day to your assistant server; and $1 per day to your head server. Those are the only tips that's suggested you do. When you purchase a drink in the lounges there is an automatic 15% tip added to your bill. This tip is pooled to be split by all bar/alcoholic servers and bartenders on your cruise. You may tip additionally (cash) on bar drinks. This tip would go directly to whomever you give the tip to.

You can call DCL and have pre-paid gratitities added to your reservation now. This way you can go ahead a pay them off.

Or, you can do nothing and DCL will add the gratuities to your onboard account at the beginning of the cruise. I will point out the person(s) getting the tips are not receiving them at this time, they won't get their tips until the end of the cruise.

Or, you can go to Guest Services onboard and remove the gratuties from your onboard account, so you may tip in cash. Likewise, you can lower or raise how much you have charged to your onboard account at Guest Services.

At the end of your cruise, you will receive in your stateroom with your nightly turndown service tip envelopes (each with the position title of the person being tipped) and a set of coupons. These coupons have the name of the person, their position title and the total amount of the tip for your entire cruise. You split the coupon in half, place 1/2 in the correct envelope and keep 1/2 for your records. If anyone has done an exceptional job, you can add additonal cash to the envelope at this time, if you wish. If you removed your tips and wish to tip entirely in cash, you will still receive the envelopes for your cash tips.

[FAIREST1OFALL]

Thank you SO much! This really helps spell it out for me. I appreciate you taking the time to create such a thorough answer.

[PrincessShmoo]

Originally Posted by FAIREST1OFALL

Thank you SO much! This really helps spell it out for me. I appreciate you taking the time to create such a thorough answer.

You're welcome

[loricdietzel]

I contacted my TA earlier today and waiting to hear back so we can prepay!

[goofygurlie]

Thanks PrincessSchmoo! Great explanation!

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

[kcashner]

Originally Posted by woody73

MY TIME dining offers great flexibility as to when to dine. Sometimes, after a long day in port, we want to eat early rather than being hungry and then snacking while waiting for assigned dining. Other times, such as on formal night, we may want more time to get ready and have photos taken before eating. Total flexibility.

We recently did a Celebrity cruise and opted for the assigned dining option. However, on one port day, for exactly the reasons above, we went to the flex dining area (sorry, I don't remember what it is called) and asked if it was possible to eat there. No problem.

While I read one recent report that implied that things had changed, you DO (or used to) have a similar option on DCL. Dining in the pool deck restaurant in the evening is a sit down affair with a menu and a salad bar. The menu is not quite as extensive as in the main dining rooms. The same servers are there nightly, so if you meet someone that you like, you can request him/her for any additional nights you choose to dine there.

If you are unhappy with your seating time and unable to move or if you just have a day with an unusual schedule this provides a great alternative.

[Grog]

Originally Posted by woody73

I really like the prepaid gratuities and MY TIME dining on RCI.

MY TIME dining offers great flexibility as to when to dine. Sometimes, after a long day in port, we want to eat early rather than being hungry and then snacking while waiting for assigned dining. Other times, such as on formal night, we may want more time to get ready and have photos taken before eating. Total flexibility.

When we find a serving team we like, we request them for the rest of the cruise. They remember our names, beverage preference, etc., just like in the main dining room. ("Sir, tonight we have the ice cream flavor you enjoyed the other night.")

We also like the flexibility of being able to choose our dining partners. I've occasionally assembled impromptu groups for dinner -- such as people we've met met on our roll call, or people who were on our excursion who also have MY TIME dining.

Woody

We tried MTD on Mariner and loved it. Due to work schedules and other things that might not quite be in our power to control, it seems like we seldom eat at the same time two nights in a row. One night it might be 5:00, the next it might be 8:00. If I was forced to pick a dining time I'd probably be eating at the buffet three out of four nights.

[elainyaeq]

Originally Posted by PrincessShmoo

Assuming that you're talking about taking a DCL cruise this is the way it works.

There are 4 tippable positions onboard: your stateroom host/your dining room server/your assistant server/and your head server. DCL suggests each guest in your room tip $12 per day (this mean everyone, regardless of age). This breaks out to $4 per day to your stateroom host; $4 per day to your server; $3 per day to your assistant server; and $1 per day to your head server. Those are the only tips that's suggested you do. When you purchase a drink in the lounges there is an automatic 15% tip added to your bill. This tip is pooled to be split by all bar/alcoholic servers and bartenders on your cruise. You may tip additionally (cash) on bar drinks. This tip would go directly to whomever you give the tip to.

You can call DCL and have pre-paid gratitities added to your reservation now. This way you can go ahead a pay them off.

Or, you can do nothing and DCL will add the gratuities to your onboard account at the beginning of the cruise. I will point out the person(s) getting the tips are not receiving them at this time, they won't get their tips until the end of the cruise.

Or, you can go to Guest Services onboard and remove the gratuties from your onboard account, so you may tip in cash. Likewise, you can lower or raise how much you have charged to your onboard account at Guest Services.

At the end of your cruise, you will receive in your stateroom with your nightly turndown service tip envelopes (each with the position title of the person being tipped) and a set of coupons. These coupons have the name of the person, their position title and the total amount of the tip for your entire cruise. You split the coupon in half, place 1/2 in the correct envelope and keep 1/2 for your records. If anyone has done an exceptional job, you can add additonal cash to the envelope at this time, if you wish. If you removed your tips and wish to tip entirely in cash, you will still receive the envelopes for your cash tips.

Thank you for this thorough explanation.
and just so i understand, I will be opting for my stateroom credit to pay for the initial tips. The envelopes provided on the last night, in my case will be for any additional tips I might want to give, is this right?

[PrincessShmoo]

Originally Posted by elainyaeq

Thank you for this thorough explanation.
and just so i understand, I will be opting for my stateroom credit to pay for the initial tips. The envelopes provided on the last night, in my case will be for any additional tips I might want to give, is this right?

On the second to last night of your cruise, with your nightly turndown service, you will receive tip envelopes and a set of coupons. You tear the coupons in half and place 1/2 of each coupon in the correct envelope for that person (the envelope will say "Room Host" and you put in the coupon that has the name and position title of your room host, for example). At this time you may place additional cash in the envelope, if you wish.

[RedxPanda]

I prepaid tips on our cruise this year a little after the PIF date. I wanted to get the tip money on my Disney Visa so we could get a couple more rewards dollars before I ordered my rewards card.