Tipping on top of tipping

[sandrakit]

I was told by Cast Members that they like the extra cash as it is what they use for their free time in ports to spend on themselves !

[luv2sleep]

Originally Posted by sandrakit

I was told by Cast Members that they like the extra cash as it is what they use for their free time in ports to spend on themselves !

Oh good! Will bring lots of ones like last time.

[luv2sleep]

And larger bills for bigger tips, of course.

[sissy_ib]

Originally Posted by llqool

What about bartenders/servers who bring you drinks? I know a 15% gratuity is automatically added, but when do you add extra? On our last cruise, there were at least two separate occasions where they couldnt figure out how to make a drink I ordered (a sidecar, which I had actually first learned about in a martini tasting on the previous cruise!), and there was also a time at the sail away party when a server was gone an extremely long time and then LOST my KTTW card! I don't have a gripe w giving the pre included gratuity, but there are many times when giving extra doesn't seem necessary (the above circumstances, or just ordering a beer). Are there general guidelines? And if you tip extra, do the server and bartender split that?

Would you tip those people in a bar on land? Just because you are on the ship does not mean you should tip, and tip extra even, for sub-par service for some reason. And really, IMO 15% is usually fair for bar items. In a bar setting we tip about $1 a drink.

[thegales]

There are two different tipping discussions here, as there is a difference between them.

For the four tipped positions that is now automatically added to your room, you could add cash or visit GS to add some more, if you are so inclined. I think this is where the receiver would prefer if it was not cash, as it is in their account right away, and they can do everything electronically. But the amount you tip goes only to the named person.

For the autogratuity added to bar bills, as others have said, this is split among the bar staff (not sure if the bar staff working that bar, or all bar staff). However, if you tip extra, it may not necessarily just go to the server. From one of our tastings, I asked about an extra tip and who it would go to. The response was it was split among all the staff working the class. I would have preferred to give the lead bartender more of the tip. While I did not tip the full amount I wanted to give, I did put some extra on that slip. Later, I went back to the bar and ordered another drink. Again I asked how it was to be split, and he said it would go just to him. So I did the rest of what I wanted to tip for the tasting on that drink.

An interesting question, if you tip extra on a drink at dinner, I wonder where that extra goes; to your assistant server, the serving team, the bartender, or all of the above?

[luv2sleep]

Originally Posted by thegales

There are two different tipping discussions here, as there is a difference between them.

For the four tipped positions that is now automatically added to your room, you could add cash or visit GS to add some more, if you are so inclined. I think this is where the receiver would prefer if it was not cash, as it is in their account right away, and they can do everything electronically. But the amount you tip goes only to the named person.

For the autogratuity added to bar bills, as others have said, this is split among the bar staff (not sure if the bar staff working that bar, or all bar staff). However, if you tip extra, it may not necessarily just go to the server. From one of our tastings, I asked about an extra tip and who it would go to. The response was it was split among all the staff working the class. I would have preferred to give the lead bartender more of the tip. While I did not tip the full amount I wanted to give, I did put some extra on that slip. Later, I went back to the bar and ordered another drink. Again I asked how it was to be split, and he said it would go just to him. So I did the rest of what I wanted to tip for the tasting on that drink.

An interesting question, if you tip extra on a drink at dinner, I wonder where that extra goes; to your assistant server, the serving team, the bartender, or all of the above?

So I guess I don't see the point of tipping for drinks if a 15% gratuity is already added.

Do paid room service items also have this auto gratuity?

[Tinked]

It has always been suggested on the DISboards to keep some ones in a drawer to tip for room service. You don't always see a bill that you can add onto from room service.

I also like to bring large chocolate bars to add to my tips for host, server, etc. in addition to extra money. It's amazing how peoples eyes light up when you give them chocolate. I also tip non-tipping positions this way as a thank you when I've gotten to know them.

[soy1]

Originally Posted by Tinked

It has always been suggested on the DISboards to keep some ones in a drawer to tip for room service. You don't always see a bill that you can add onto from room service.

I also like to bring large chocolate bars to add to my tips for host, server, etc. in addition to extra money. It's amazing how peoples eyes light up when you give them chocolate. I also tip non-tipping positions this way as a thank you when I've gotten to know them.

Sorry - new cruiser and leaving soon, so this has been bothering me ... I've heard mention before about "non-tipping positions", but don't recall who they were .. can you elaborate? Are there some employees who must refuse cash tips?

Thx.

[sissy_ib]

Originally Posted by soy1

Sorry - new cruiser and leaving soon, so this has been bothering me ... I've heard mention before about "non-tipping positions", but don't recall who they were .. can you elaborate? Are there some employees who must refuse cash tips?

Thx.

The non-tipped positions would be people like guest services, child care workers, the cruise staff. I know if some one from child care receives a tip they must turn it over and all the tips are pooled so they do things as a group.

[SoCalSweetie]

Originally Posted by sissy_ib

The non-tipped positions would be people like guest services, child care workers, the cruise staff. I know if some one from child care receives a tip they must turn it over and all the tips are pooled so they do things as a group.

Forgive my naiveté, but I am a first time Disney cruiser (only been in one Royal Caribbean cruise many years ago). I am traveling by myself with my 3-year-old son. We'll be joining a large family group. I called ahead to pay gratuities as suggested in my cruise docs and was told it was $84 a person. I've only paid for myself for now, but I am really struggling with the idea of shelling out another $84 for a 3 year old. I figure I'll add cash for him at the end of the cruise based on how it goes. What would be recommended? Maybe half that? It just seems so absurd to pay another $84 for him.

[NancyIL]

Originally Posted by SoCalSweetie

Forgive my naiveté, but I am a first time Disney cruiser (only been in one Royal Caribbean cruise many years ago). I am traveling by myself with my 3-year-old son. We'll be joining a large family group. I called ahead to pay gratuities as suggested in my cruise docs and was told it was $84 a person. I've only paid for myself for now, but I am really struggling with the idea of shelling out another $84 for a 3 year old. I figure I'll add cash for him at the end of the cruise based on how it goes. What would be recommended? Maybe half that? It just seems so absurd to pay another $84 for him.

I would tip $84 for your child, too. Cleaning up after kid messes can be more work for your room steward than cleaning up after another adult. I'm sure your dining room servers will also pay special attention to your child.

[PrincessShmoo]

Originally Posted by NancyIL

I would tip $84 for your child, too. Cleaning up after kid messes can be more work for your room steward than cleaning up after another adult. I'm sure your dining room servers will also pay special attention to your child.

This.

[Ptwolfman]

Originally Posted by luv2sleep

So I guess I don't see the point of tipping for drinks if a 15% gratuity is already added.

Do paid room service items also have this auto gratuity?

Paid room service items don't have an auto gratuity.
As for bar items, I might tip extra if I was getting superb service but normally 15% auto gratuity is plenty for me.

[itzkelly]

Originally Posted by SoCalSweetie

Forgive my naiveté, but I am a first time Disney cruiser (only been in one Royal Caribbean cruise many years ago). I am traveling by myself with my 3-year-old son. We'll be joining a large family group. I called ahead to pay gratuities as suggested in my cruise docs and was told it was $84 a person. I've only paid for myself for now, but I am really struggling with the idea of shelling out another $84 for a 3 year old. I figure I'll add cash for him at the end of the cruise based on how it goes. What would be recommended? Maybe half that? It just seems so absurd to pay another $84 for him.

I'm travelling with my 3 kids, ages 7, 5, and 2 years old, and have already pre-paid the full recommended amount for ALL of us who are in our cabin (5 people, including DH). There is no way I will make a bigger mess than my kids, either in the cabin or at dinner, and therefore would never consider paying LESS gratuities for them. In our cabin, I know their beds will be made just like mine, their towels and toiletries replenished just like mine, and their "things" organized just like mine (actually more, I'd guess, since I'm not bringing a backpack of small toys). I would never insult the CM's by stiffing them on the tips of my children, especially since I know how much effort it is to clean up after them at home is!

[kcashner]

Originally Posted by Ptwolfman

Paid room service items don't have an auto gratuity.
As for bar items, I might tip extra if I was getting superb service but normally 15% auto gratuity is plenty for me.

Paid room service items absolutely DO have the 15% gratuity added if they are "bar" items (which all that I know of are.) Bar items include boxed candy, sodas, specialty coffees, bottled water, etc. as well as alcoholic beverages.

All "bar items" have the 15% added, regardless of where they are ordered. The pooled 15% bar tips are divided among all the bar staff workers. Each time you sign a ticket, it is coded as to who served you; if you add any additional to the ticket, the additional amount goes to the person who actually served you. The "bar staff" workers who divide the 15% include the bar servers and the bar tenders.

Tipped positions on the ship are servers, assistant servers, head servers, concierge, stateroom hosts, and bar workers. All other positions are non-tipped. This includes youth activities counselors, cruise staff, theater performers, characters, tech workers, guest services, etc. These people have different rules as to what they need to do about cash tips, but they don't get to keep them. For youth activities counselors, tips are turned in and used for a department party. For DJs, theater techs, etc. the tips must be turned over to their manager and are donated to a charity.

As to tipping for children--absolutely yes, regardless of age. I can maybe see people who say a nursing infant doesn't use any dining services, but even there they do take a space at the table. And they certainly generate MORE work for the stateroom host. Little ones eating at the table generate a lot more mess and work for servers than most adults. Unless you have them removed from your account, the standard tips will be added for all persons regardless of age.

Whether CMs prefer cash or charged tips depends on the CM. They have an onboard banking system where they can easily convert money in their "account" into cash. I've talked to my favorite servers; they uniformly preferred charged tips. However, they were sending most of their money home. One commented that he gets plenty of cash for his limited needs. he also joked that there are 2 kinds of CM--the "young ones" who party and spend money while in port and the "old ones" (which included him) who sleep on their off time. His words, not mine.