do most of you use standard tipping guidelines?

[imgoingtodisney]

If during a 7 day cruise my DH only eats with my DS and myself do I still need to tip the entire amount for him? Yes I know his server was reserved for him but lets say he never dined with us. I can see this happening as I cannot see my DH getting out of shorts! lol

 

[inkkognito]

I would still tip the recommended amount for him. Even when we go to Palo, we do not deduct anything from the standard tip amounts (although we have been known to add more when the service is exceptional). Since the staff relies to heavily on tips as a major part of their salary, and since the amount is relatively small in relation to the overall price of the cruise, we do not deduct for not showing at dinner.
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com

 

[Tluvs2talk]

I have always heard that you tip them for the entire trip whether you dine everynight or choose topsiders.

 

[Deb & Bill]

On the 4 day cruise, we gave our table servers and our cabin steward more than the recommended amount because they were so fantasic.

 

[DixieDreamer]

I have not cruised yet, but what I gather is that you should tip the standard amount - whether you use them or not. The reason being that they do not have the ability to acquire another customer to replace you when you choose not to use them. They have their assignments - and if you don't show up - they have no one else to serve to replace you. They are dependant on the tips for their income.

 

[my3kids]

Pay the recommended amount. Maybe if your husband knows he'll be paying regardless of whether he takes off his shorts, it will convince him to put on the suit! The servers work hard. don't take away part of their income because he didn't want to dress up. Imagine part of your husband's income being taken away someone didn't bother reading reports he had written. or a doctor's fee being reduced because you were not going to follow the advice. They can't make up the amount by filling in with the next person. What they are assigned is what they get for the week.

 

[wovenwonder]

I agree - I would tip the same amount regardless. The tip that you give your dining room servers actually covers the service that you are receiving at breakfast and lunch when you eat at topsiders or Parrot Cay, etc. (which you don't normally tip for throughout the day). The same servers work all of the dining shifts. (although you may have a different server during the day - SOMEONE some where along the way is tipping that server in the evening).

Does any one know if it is customary to leave an ADDITIONAL gratuity to your servers if you choose to dine the optional evening meal at topsiders? (I mean the actual people that are serving you at topsiders).

 

[Barnsquad]

My husband & I were just looking over the menus for the Magic 7 day coming up and he is a huge eater! Every time we have cruised in the past he has often order double meals or double appetizers.

We always tip more than the suggested because his waiter works twice as hard for him!!

I guess each case is unique!

 

[IrishCowboy]

I'm sure I'll get flamed for this stance, but here it goes anyway.

I believe that you tip for the service that you receive. Not because you are expected to supplement someone else's income. When you stay at a hotel that has a restaurant and you eat somewhere else, do you come back and tip the staff at the hotel restaurant where you are staying?

If I ate every meal at Topsider's Buffet or Room Service am I still expected to tip my assigned server at the end of the cruise? I don't think so.

I plan on eating all my meals in the restaurants and I'm sure we will tip well above the suggested amounts as we did last cruise, assuming we receive the great Disney service that I'm sure that we will get.

I believe that everyone should use their own judgement on who and how much to tip.

 

[Chattyaholic]

We had such great service from our server, assistant server, room steward and the head server that we tipped them all more than what was suggested. Some people don't tip the head server if he isn't visible to them all week. Ours was visible every night. We saw him stopping every night at tables to chat with people, he stopped at ours twice, and he chimed in to sing happy anniversary to hubby and myself when our server brought us a cake. He was also at the door every night greeting people as they came in, and he was there when people left so we felt he did a great job. On our next cruise a year from now we will at least tip the recommended amount because they do rely on their tips for their living. It isn't their fault if we choose to skip dinner a night or two and go to Topsiders.

 

[Viking]

We also tipped about 30% over the recommended amounts.
Additionally you can do your waiters and stateroomhost a big favour by recommending them in the questionnaire, which should be completed by you at the end of the cruise.
To our knowledge promotions or better contracts are often based on the evaluation of the questionnaire.
BTW, our headwaiter also showed up every night and took great care of us.

 

[tiggermania]

When we cruised on the Wonder in November, we had some rough seas the first evening. I became seasick the first evening and my husband went to dinner without me. Our room steward asked twice if he do anything for me throughout the evening. Also both our server and the head waiter asked my husband if they could bring dinner to me in our room. The next evening at dinner, they both asked how I was feeling. I think this is exceptional service and we tipped accordingly. Granted they rely on tips to supplement their income but they also go above and beyond to please you. We did not come across anyone that did'nt go out of their way to please you. Kathy

 

[slindamood]

When in a restaurant, we usually tip 15% for good service and 20% for exceptional srvice.

While on our recent Magic cruise, we received exceptional service from Tom our server, Darko the assistant, and Christope the head server.

We assume that the suggested amount is equivalent to a 15% tip. To raise the tip to 20%, we simply divided the suggested amount by 3 and added that amount to the suggested amount. This procedure turns a 15% tip into a 20% tip.

We did not deduct for the night we went to Palo. Our server even came up to see us to see how we enjoyed the meal and to see what we had ordered. He knew in advance that we would be there that night. We figured that on a cruise, unlike a restaurant, we had reserved the table in the regular dining rotation for the evening, and we chose not to use it. No one else could fill it. Just like theatre tickets - when you have a reserved seat, you pay whether or not you show up.

Suzanne

 

[IrishCowboy]

Consider this scenario:

You are assigned second seating but you really want the first dinner seating. Upon boarding the ship, you proceed to guest services and they are able to switch you from first seating to second seating. Now the servers that you originally had been assigned to will be short a few diners during the cruise because you are no longer assigned to them.

They (the originally assigned servers for your second seating) can not make up this shortfall. Do you tip them??