Another gratuity thread

[oneor11]

We're (me, DW, DS 3, DD 4) going on our first cruise in November (7 day Western) I always freely tip everywhere I go. But as I calculate how much money to bring for tips, I'm feeling surprised by the overall total: $668 just in tips.

I planned on Disney Recommended + 15% more and then for the positions that are listed as discretionary (D) I applied the amount to the position that I felt was most like the work of the dining staff. (For Palo, I read the gratuity is included, but I would feel uncomfortable not leaving something after a nice long meal). Even without upping by 15%, the grand total still seems like a lot of dough. The tip is almost enough to fund a mini-vacation in itself.

Is this normal? 15% extra aside, any of the positions seem too high or too low? What "seems normal" for a 7 day cruise, party of 4?


Position (Disney recommended) Planned PPl Total
------------------------------------------------
Dining Room Server (28)..........$32.20 X 4 = $129
Dining Room Asst. Server (21)..$24.15 X 4 = $ 97
Dining Room Head Server (7)....$ 8.05 X 4 = $ 32
Stateroom Hostess (28)..........$32.20 X 4 = $129
Dining Manager (D).................$ 8.05 X 4 = $ 32
Room Service (D)...................$24.15 X 4 = $ 97
Palo Brunch (I)......................$ 5.00 X 2 = $ 10
Palo Dinner (I).......................$ 5.00 X 2 = $ 10
Vista Spa & Salon (D).............$18.00 X 1 = $ 18
Oceaneer's Club (D)................$32.20 X 2 = $ 64
Cayman Port Adventure (D)......$ 5.00 X 4 = $ 20
Costa Maya Port Adventure (D).$ 5.00 X 2 = $ 10
Cozumel Port Adventure (D)......$ 5.00 X 4 = $ 20
-------------------------------------------------
........................................GRAND TOTAL: $668

 

[DreamGirl90]

We don't have kids, but I was unaware that the youth staff was even allowed to accept tips. My ignorance I guess.

How do you come up with $97 for room service gratuities? That seems pretty steep unless you are going to order an awful lot of room service!

 

[sissy_ib]

We're (me, DW, DS 3, DD 4) going on our first cruise in November (7 day Western) I always freely tip everywhere I go. But as I calculate how much money to bring for tips, I'm feeling surprised by the overall total: $668 just in tips.

I planned on Disney Recommended + 15% more and then for the positions that are listed as discretionary (D) I applied the amount to the position that I felt was most like the work of the dining staff. (For Palo, I read the gratuity is included, but I would feel uncomfortable not leaving something after a nice long meal). Even without upping by 15%, the grand total still seems like a lot of dough. The tip is almost enough to fund a mini-vacation in itself.

Is this normal? 15% extra aside, any of the positions seem too high or too low? What "seems normal" for a 7 day cruise, party of 4?


Position (Disney recommended) Planned PPl Total
------------------------------------------------
Dining Room Server (28)..........$32.20 X 4 = $129
Dining Room Asst. Server (21)..$24.15 X 4 = $ 97
Dining Room Head Server (7)....$ 8.05 X 4 = $ 32
Stateroom Hostess (28)..........$32.20 X 4 = $129
Dining Manager (D).................$ 8.05 X 4 = $ 32
Room Service (D)...................$24.15 X 4 = $ 97
Palo Brunch (I)......................$ 5.00 X 2 = $ 10
Palo Dinner (I).......................$ 5.00 X 2 = $ 10
Vista Spa & Salon (D).............$18.00 X 1 = $ 18
Oceaneer's Club (D)................$32.20 X 2 = $ 64
Cayman Port Adventure (D)......$ 5.00 X 4 = $ 20
Costa Maya Port Adventure (D).$ 5.00 X 2 = $ 10
Cozumel Port Adventure (D)......$ 5.00 X 4 = $ 20
-------------------------------------------------
........................................GRAND TOTAL: $668

First, there is no dining manager to tip. Other lines have one but on DCL it is not a tipped position. You wont even see this person.
For room service, it depends on how much and if you order anything. We tip $2-5 for each order depending on how much we order. $97 for room service is a LOT of Mickey bars.
15% for the spa is good. I usually tip closer to 20% at home.
You do not tip for the club. Where did you even get the numbers on that one? The child care is a non-tipped position. You can give then cash but they must turn it in and it is pooled for something they can all participate in.

Palo tipping is very subjective. Some leave nothing, some leave $20 pp. We left about what you did.

 

[MASrules]

Tips for your dining staff, and room steward look about right, but these are all put on your onboard charge except for the extra 15% (and this can also if you go to guest services)

I have never heard of anyone tipping the dining manager or oceaneer club staff, so I would eliminate them.

Room service tip looks way too high unless you are going to order everyday and tip a lot each time. I would budget 20-40 for room service and this also can go on the onboard charge.

Palo tips look good and again go on room charge.

Tipping for excursions looks about right, and this should be cash.

I don't know about the spa tip.

You are forgetting the autotip on any beverage ordered at a bar, but again this goes on the room charge.

I would budget about 400-450 for tips added to shipboard charge to be paid with credit card, and 50-60 in cash for tips on the excursions. This only applies to 7 night.

 

[mimmi]

Do the numbers in your list include the 15% extra?

The recommended tip is $12/person/day (4 main server/3 assistant server/ 1 head server/ 4 Stateroom host), so that would be $336 for 4 people and seven days.
There's no tip for the dining manager and the kids club staff.
$97 for room service seems very much, that would be an average of almost $15 per day, will you really order that much?

 

[oneor11]

Thanks for the responses. Yeah, numbers include the 15% extra against the recommended number in parenthesis.

I think I may have gotten confused on the "Room Service" piece. I wasn't thinking about folks delivering food to my room, but instead on the folks that clean the room (replace towels, clean the bathroom, etc.) Does the host/hostess do that?

For the Oceaneer's Club, the Disney website classifies this as "Babysitting: Not expected/optional". I figured that these people have the most important job on the ship- ensuring the safety and happiness of our kids. Figured it may be nice to toss them a few bucks. Or not.

This was very helpful info. If I remove the dining manager, reduce room service, and consider lowering the child care piece, it may make it more reasonable.

 

[miztressuz]

Thanks for the responses. Yeah, numbers include the 15% extra against the recommended number in parenthesis.

I think I may have gotten confused on the "Room Service" piece. I wasn't thinking about folks delivering food to my room, but instead on the folks that clean the room (replace towels, clean the bathroom, etc.) Does the host/hostess do that?

For the Oceaneer's Club, the Disney website classifies this as "Babysitting: Not expected/optional". I figured that these people have the most important job on the ship- ensuring the safety and happiness of our kids. Figured it may be nice to toss them a few bucks. Or not.

This was very helpful info. If I remove the dining manager, reduce room service, and consider lowering the child care piece, it may make it more reasonable.

yes, the stateroom host/hostess that's included in the $12 suggestion is the one that cleans the staterooms. so by your accounts you have that added in twice. that should help a bit

 

[mmouse37]

Thanks for the responses. Yeah, numbers include the 15% extra against the recommended number in parenthesis.

I think I may have gotten confused on the "Room Service" piece. I wasn't thinking about folks delivering food to my room, but instead on the folks that clean the room (replace towels, clean the bathroom, etc.) Does the host/hostess do that?

For the Oceaneer's Club, the Disney website classifies this as "Babysitting: Not expected/optional". I figured that these people have the most important job on the ship- ensuring the safety and happiness of our kids. Figured it may be nice to toss them a few bucks. Or not.

This was very helpful info. If I remove the dining manager, reduce room service, and consider lowering the child care piece, it may make it more reasonable.

Stateroom Host or Hostess usually takes out the room service trays but not always....we usually just put them in the hall when done and they are taken from the hall eventually. I could not tell you if they have someone on duty to look for room service trays or if the room hosts pick them up or what.

Your room host or hostess turns down your beds, straightens up the cabins, cleans, dusts, replaces toiletries, towels, brings ice if you request it, etc. Just like at a hotel.

MJ

 

[sissy_ib]

Thanks for the responses. Yeah, numbers include the 15% extra against the recommended number in parenthesis.

I think I may have gotten confused on the "Room Service" piece. I wasn't thinking about folks delivering food to my room, but instead on the folks that clean the room (replace towels, clean the bathroom, etc.) Does the host/hostess do that?
Yes, your room host does everything. It is housekeeping
For the Oceaneer's Club, the Disney website classifies this as "Babysitting: Not expected/optional". I figured that these people have the most important job on the ship- ensuring the safety and happiness of our kids. Figured it may be nice to toss them a few bucks. Or not.
It is up to you. They are not a tipped position because they make more than the tipped positions.
This was very helpful info. If I remove the dining manager, reduce room service, and consider lowering the child care piece, it may make it more reasonable.

 

[luv2cruisedisney]

The only thing I see other than what PP's have mentioned is that you may want to add a little something for your bag stewards at the pier.

My DW and I generally only have one bag so I usually give him /her a $5 but I think the "rule" is $2 / bag :

 

[kathi]

We generally tip more at Palo (about 20% of what we think the meal would cost in a regular restaurant). The service is always wonderful.

I'm sure they are grateful for any amount that you feel comfortable giving.

 

[Gina]

The greatest tip-calculating website ever!

http://cruisetip.tpkeller.com/

 

[Ptwolfman]

Since brunch is a buffet, is it ok just to tip $5 pp?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Thanks for the responses. Yeah, numbers include the 15% extra against the recommended number in parenthesis.

I think I may have gotten confused on the "Room Service" piece. I wasn't thinking about folks delivering food to my room, but instead on the folks that clean the room (replace towels, clean the bathroom, etc.) Does the host/hostess do that?

For the Oceaneer's Club, the Disney website classifies this as "Babysitting: Not expected/optional". I figured that these people have the most important job on the ship- ensuring the safety and happiness of our kids. Figured it may be nice to toss them a few bucks. Or not.

This was very helpful info. If I remove the dining manager, reduce room service, and consider lowering the child care piece, it may make it more reasonable.

This was mentioned, but I'll mention it again. The kids club CMs are not a tippable position. Any cash or gifts given to them must be pooled for a kids club CM party.

 

[bumbershoot]

For the Oceaneer's Club, the Disney website classifies this as "Babysitting: Not expected/optional".

I'm not 100% sure they do say that. It looks like this.

Babysitting Gratuity not expected
Port Adventures Optional;
not included in port
adventure price.

Actually it doesn't look like that, LOL, but that's how it copies and pastes.


On the website, they have a big space for Babysitting and a big space for Port Adventures. "Optional;" looks like it is in the Babysitting spot, but having it capitalized and with a seemingly random semicolon doesn't make sense if it's in the Babysitting spot.

But if you call it part of Port Adventures' information, it makes sense. They have capitalized the first letter of the first word of other bits of info for each category. If you don't include "Optional;" in Port Adventures, then PA is starting with "not included", when it should be "Not included" according to the list above it.

So I think it's
"Babysitting: Gratuity not expected" and then
"Port Adventures: Optional; not included in port adventure price"

And that goes along with it being a non-tipped position much better.

 

[tahoe9813]

The tipping is out of control...even at the "recommended" rate. Seriously, if you're going to pay several thousand dollars (assume a 7 day), where would you get off paying almost $30 a day just in tips for a family of four.

I travel for a living, and I tip well at restaurants (typically 20%). However, I've never tipped hotel staff (save a bellman).

While I may tip on a cruise, there's no way I'm shelling out $500 or more for a weeks worth of meals.

I'm certain I'm in the minority (and I will probably get some hate mail), but I also know I'm not the only one thinking it either.

 

[sissy_ib]

The tipping is out of control...even at the "recommended" rate. Seriously, if you're going to pay several thousand dollars (assume a 7 day), where would you get off paying almost $30 a day just in tips for a family of four.

I travel for a living, and I tip well at restaurants (typically 20%). However, I've never tipped hotel staff (save a bellman).

While I may tip on a cruise, there's no way I'm shelling out $500 or more for a weeks worth of meals.

I'm certain I'm in the minority (and I will probably get some hate mail), but I also know I'm not the only one thinking it either.

Then don't cruise. The tipped positions are not like hotel staff on land. A housekeeper in a hotel is paid a regular wage. The tipped positions on the ship are not. They depend on tips as their income, just as servers on land so. The recommend tips work out to $84 a person on a 7 night cruise. Unless you have a family of 6 it does not work out to more than $500. The OP added way to much and was corrected. They also added in tips for excursion operators.

 

[disney1990]

The tipping is out of control...even at the "recommended" rate. Seriously, if you're going to pay several thousand dollars (assume a 7 day), where would you get off paying almost $30 a day just in tips for a family of four.

I travel for a living, and I tip well at restaurants (typically 20%). However, I've never tipped hotel staff (save a bellman).

While I may tip on a cruise, there's no way I'm shelling out $500 or more for a weeks worth of meals.

I'm certain I'm in the minority (and I will probably get some hate mail), but I also know I'm not the only one thinking it either.

The recommended tips on a 7 day cruise for 4 people is NOT $500 or more -- it is $12 per person, per day or a total of $336.

 

[dclcruiser88]

The tipping is out of control...even at the "recommended" rate. Seriously, if you're going to pay several thousand dollars (assume a 7 day), where would you get off paying almost $30 a day just in tips for a family of four.

I travel for a living, and I tip well at restaurants (typically 20%). However, I've never tipped hotel staff (save a bellman).

While I may tip on a cruise, there's no way I'm shelling out $500 or more for a weeks worth of meals.

I'm certain I'm in the minority (and I will probably get some hate mail), but I also know I'm not the only one thinking it either.

I'm new here, and I forget my password whenever I log in!
But you registered here in 2002 and this is your first post! lol!
How did you remember your password after a decade! Please let me know your secret!
But seriously even if you didn't post, you must have read about the tipping before and $12/person per day before? There are so so many threads I read about tipping and they can get a bit heated! lol!
And the must tip positions are only $336 for a family of four.
Four people x 12 = 48
48 x 7 = 336

Hope that you have a great cruise, and dont not tip! Cruise line workers work there behinds off of us!

 

[Ptwolfman]

If tips are a concern, I would skip anything that was optional and forgo the additional 15%. That's just a suggestion