pre paid tips

[jns]

was wondering if you can pre pay your tips and if so how do you go about doing this
last year on RCC we had the option of paying when we booked the cruise

 

[erionm]

You can call DCL or your TA before you sail to put them on a credit card or add them to your stateroom account on-board.

 

[jns]

You can call DCL or your TA before you sail to put them on a credit card or add them to your stateroom account on-board.

thanks for the quick reply

 

[omalley1118]

Just did this last week by calling DCL. That way I get more points before I go and have less to pay after the vacation.

 

[jeffann6]

I will be taking my first cruise in Nov of this year,so I'm a rookie at this but why would you want to pre pay you tips? If the service performed isn't that good I would think less would be given.

 

[AquaDame]

I will be taking my first cruise in Nov of this year,so I'm a rookie at this but why would you want to pre pay you tips? If the service performed isn't that good I would think less would be given.
[/url]

I've only been on one so far so I don't get it yet either... unless you are the sort of person who always tips X regardless and then add on if you are wowed. I was very glad we waited until the last night; our room steward was okay but then was rude to us on our last night on two different occasions and so we put more of his tip towards our waiters who worked their tushes off. I think I will always do it this way just in case!

 

[jns]

I will be taking my first cruise in Nov of this year,so I'm a rookie at this but why would you want to pre pay you tips? If the service performed isn't that good I would think less would be given.

Service is always good so we know that we will be tipping

 

[sjkeiffer]

We just completed our first cruise and to simplify things we prepaid our tips. I was a little nervous about what would happen if our service was poor. But I had decided that if there were any problems that I would speak up and deal with it immediately. In the end, no problems and was thankful for one less thing to deal with on our last night.

Jim

 

[tinkmom2]

You just call DCL directly and prepay your shipboard account with your Visa or credit card. The money on your shipboard account is yours to do with as you wish. It doesn't have to go for tips if you don't want to. We have never had a refund because we always spend every penny. On our 4 day we spent about $750.00 including tips/pictures/alcohol/souvies. On our three day we spent about $500.00 including tips/one excursion/bingo/souvies, etc.
You don't have to prepay but if you are a budgeter like me it comes in handy.
Others just go to guest services at the beginning of the cruise and pay cash toward their account. You can go throughout the cruise and get a printout of your shipboard account to see where you are at.

 

[kcashner]

What you are actually doing in advance is contributing the amount of the "suggested" tips to your onboard account. As above, the money in the account is yours to do with as you choose. You are totally free to increase or decrease the tips at any time during the cruise if you desire.

 

[lds0191]

We prepaid our tips last October (cruise #5) for the 1st time and I will never do it any other way. I called DCL a few weeks ahead of time and had the tips put directly on my CC, not on our shipboard account and I had to do nothing else. We received the receipts the night the tip envelopes were left in our cabin. Stuffed the envelopes with the receipts and voila', done.

I have read on the boards that the crew members do not even know you have prepaid until they get their envelopes. We had the same great service as always. I would have adjusted the amount if it had been necessary.
We are doing a B2B in October and not having to fool with prepaying onboard or carrying cash for tips is something I don't have to fool with 2 times.

Just remember to carry ones for room service tips. That is not included in your prepaid tips.

 

[jjgarv]

A coworker who recently cruised on the Dream said that she prepaid her tips and because she did so received an onbaord credit as a thank you....anyone experience this?

 

[wayneg]

Service is always good so we know that we will be tipping

Wish I agreed, although we have had excellent service majority of the time its not been a perfect record. In 5 Disney cruises I have had 2 assistant servers & a stateroom host not upto scratch.
I know you can alter amounts if you prepay but I like to keep my own money and do it at the end of the cruise.
Do whatever you are happy with.

 

[jeffann6]

Wish I agreed, although we have had excellent service majority of the time its not been a perfect record. In 5 Disney cruises I have had 2 assistant servers & a stateroom host not upto scratch.
I know you can alter amounts if you prepay but I like to keep my own money and do it at the end of the cruise.
Do whatever you are happy with.

Just do what you are happy with

 

[dfriia]

Forgive me, I have never cruised Disney yet. Are you all saying that Disney does not just charge tips to your onboard account? Am I understanding that at the end of the cruise, one has to go around and personally hand out their tips?
Debbie

 

[Kathymford]

So if I'm understanding some of the above responses correctly, you can begin "building" your on-board account at any time? In other words, to have spending money on the cruise, can I start sending cash to it now? Also, would my cruise have to paid in full to do this?

 

[mickeyfan1]

You can send payments in as often as you want, but they will go to the cruise balance first, I believe. But you can buy your own shipboard credits if you want, some people find it easier to pay up front so that they don't have the "Faint dead away" reaction to the statement that won't fit under the door at the end of the cruise.

 

[simbasmom2]

We like to buy gift cards to get fuel perks and this is our way of budgeting or saving. I like to give a little more if the service was magical.

 

[miztressuz]

Forgive me, I have never cruised Disney yet. Are you all saying that Disney does not just charge tips to your onboard account? Am I understanding that at the end of the cruise, one has to go around and personally hand out their tips?
Debbie

I haven't done DCL myself yet but from my research it is one of the last cruise lines to not charge a set gratuity fee to your account. They give you tip envelopes the last day of the cruise so you can give cash - or the receipt.

One point that would be nice to clarify for us newbies, I saw that you actually physically hand the envelopes to your server, room host, etc? What happens if you miss someone, just leave the envelope with guest services? I had assumed there would be somewhere to turn the envelopes in rather than handing them out. I always miss someone (I missed the photog assist at my wedding and wound up mailing it to him!) and would like to not run around the ship on the last day.

 

[mickeyfan1]

I haven't done DCL myself yet but from my research it is one of the last cruise lines to not charge a set gratuity fee to your account. They give you tip envelopes the last day of the cruise so you can give cash - or the receipt.

One point that would be nice to clarify for us newbies, I saw that you actually physically hand the envelopes to your server, room host, etc? What happens if you miss someone, just leave the envelope with guest services? I had assumed there would be somewhere to turn the envelopes in rather than handing them out. I always miss someone (I missed the photog assist at my wedding and wound up mailing it to him!) and would like to not run around the ship on the last day.

DCL does not auto add the tips. THere are several ways to do it:

1. Add them to your account before you cruise.
2. Pay them at guest services via a form after the first night and before the last night.
3. Pay cash in the envelopes provided.

If you prepay before sailing or at guest services, you will receive 2 part tickets, one for each person in the amount you specified, either standard or what ever you decided. One part of the ticket goes in the envelope, you keep the stub. it is customary to hand out the envelopes on the last night at dinner for the wait staff, however you can leave the envelopes on the table, they will get them. You can leave the envelope for the cabin steward on the dresser or bed, and it will be picked up. If you do pre pay, you do not have to hand out the envelopes, they will get the tip on their pay check. But I think it is nice for them to know ahead of time.

I love the pre pay before I sail option, it means one less thing to think about during the cruise. However, I do bring more cash in case I want to show my appreciation for great service.

If you are paying cash and you miss someone, well, you will see your dining room team at breakfast the last morning, so you can tip then. But if you have prepaid, they will see it on their check. I hate to not hand out the envelopes because I don't want to be thought badly of. I assume you could give the envelope to guest services, but I have not had the experience, I hope someone else can tell you for sure.