Evening all!
I paid off our cruise today. It shows as paid in full on our
Dreams Unlimited page - can I check in a day or so that Disney has me down as all paid up so that I can make my reservations at the 90 day mark? Does it show online on the
DCL page or not?
Re the tipping. As a Brit we have a different tipping culture. When eating out for example there is a huge variation in what different people do for tipping rather than a standard expectation. I know loads of people who never tip, I usually tip 10-15% if the service has been good and less or nothing if it has been bad, but that is partly because the service industry works differently over here and the basic wage is intended to be the salary with tips as an additional bonus for exceptional service.
In principle I agree that a tip should be a discretionary bonus for good \ excellent service but in reality having a recommended amount is a good idea as a guideline - especially for us non US citizens where tipping cultures vary. Before I visited the US I read up on restaurant culture so I knew that tipping was a much bigger deal than over here. I was quite happy to tip because the service was great which is of course a by product of the server needing to impress to gain their tips!
I know some of my fellow Brits get us a bad name as non tippers but to be honest, without the Dis and a guidebook how would I know that you guys tip 15% generally as a base tip? We Brits are not all tight, just accustomed to different social norms. It has rubbed off on me and I would say I tip more frequently than many of my friends but still for example I would give the taxi driver a note and say keep the change rather than paying and then offering a separate additional tip.
Hmm this has turned into a tipping essay but I think it is quite interesting how different cultures operate and also what happens when they mix and you get differing views on what should be happening!
Mel
x
Re paying off the cruise, ask DU to confirm to you, that you are paid in full, they will do that, in addition to your client services area of their website that also should show paid in full.
Re tipping, it is discretionary, but also slightly different than restaurants say in USA and WDW, The tip covers your stateroom host, your server, assistant server and also the head server, its approx £250 for a family of four on our exchange rates.
Now the service is nearly always excellent, remember as posted before your food tip doesn't just cover the evening meal with your servers, but two breakfasts with your servers, the character and disembarkation ones, plus 'ALL' food served on ship from Topsiders at breakfast and lunch, Lumière's, breakfast and lunch, deck 9 outlets, it just excludes, Palo where you can tip separately, and room service again down to you.
In six cruises, I have only reduced one tip below the recommended amount, that was a head server on one cruise who I didn't see all cruise until the last night, with his hand out and a grin. His tip was added to my normal servers to I ended up charging the same amount, plus i add in $ cash as an extra.
I have pre paid my tips to allow me to calculate spending money for USA in the summer knowing its covered, this is the base amount, but for example i know I will plan to pay more in $ notes for the stateroom as its larger than average.
These people ( not covering rights and wrongs) get paid about $50 a week, for working 18 hour days, they do it for the tips, thats where they make money, and we are fully aware of that in advance.
If things do not go right, say my last cruise first night two meals came up 'cold' ( and not salads) we complained there and then, it was sorted out, and every meal after that was hot, and they checked, rechecked and checked again.
So imho, there isn't any excuse to put up with bad service, not say anything, and therefore tip less.
I know I will get good service, so as said pre charged to cut the $ I take, I have even have pre charged the wine package. And maybe soon add an OBC to cover my Palo and shore trips at expected levels.
We are not planning any excursions either but I also want Palo reservations. I think from what I have read you can make a booking for each of the different Palo events but not more than one booking for the same event.
I am hoping to try all three even though I have heard mixed reports on the tea - I think it would be fun to try. I was going to aim for Monday for tea but if the activities stay the same as the recent navigators then Monday tea would clash with Beer tasting which I want to book for DH so it will have to be Thursday for tea AND dinner!
Fingers crossed we all get the reservations we want but if not there is always the chance to do it when we board.
Mel
x
You can make one Brunch, one afternoon tea, and one PALO dinner on line, book Brunch first, 'select' and confirm, then afternoon tea, then dinner.
Drop afternoon tea, if you cannot do it, to be honest, it really isn't too much, the cakes and tea is nice, the sandwiches last time were poor,
Yes 50% are held back for when you board early so you can get one then.
Pity re flounders hours, worth an email to DU to check.
Good luck.
Good for you! I cannot wait to pay our cruise off...I am planning on doing so on Monday of next week. I cannot remember how long it took last time to show on the DCL page that it was paid in full but I do not think it was long. 
)
Well have been doing a spot of research while Olivia is napping and the Flounders Schedule here on the Dis shows NO afternoon opening on any sea days so we can't do Palo High Tea. Nevermind, if there is a different schedule shown when I can book my Flounders slots then we will do tea but if not it will be something to save for next time when Livvy is old enough for the clubs!
we lost everything ...
is doing fine !!!
..........mine doing 
essays ........... 
my heart is already set 
on Sunday : no more laundry/ housework............. ONLY 
and planning about 
if good service comes together with a smile ...
We do not complain here, we just explain our needs to a wonderful "friend" ie our server...Complaining would be considered rude ... and everyone would think that you are not in your right restaurant ...
you'll get an even worse service ...
