Any changes with Concierge tipping?

[FJS961]

Dream and Fantasy have about 40 concierge cabins. There are 3 concierge hosts who split the tips. If each cabin left a $500 tip thats $6666 per host per week and $346K for the year
I don't think $500 is typical or average. A few years ago I saw a poll, forget what the average response was. You can play with the math.

 

[chik1987]

I guess i'm not versed with enough stuff like to this really make a good decision. I would assume that I paid x for a concierge cabin and having the hosts was an included amenity in that up charge. Now I get if they do an outstanding job or go above and beyond that a tip might be warranted.
Example: We are getting married on the Dream in October 2017. Part of the $3,000 wedding package is a wedding coordinator. I assume that part of that $3,000 that I am paying is paying for the use of that wedding coordinator. Now if that individual does what I believe is an above average job that a tip might be warranted but that's the exception rather than the rule.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I guess i'm not versed with enough stuff like to this really make a good decision. I would assume that I paid x for a concierge cabin and having the hosts was an included amenity in that up charge. Now I get if they do an outstanding job or go above and beyond that a tip might be warranted.
Example: We are getting married on the Dream in October 2017. Part of the $3,000 wedding package is a wedding coordinator. I assume that part of that $3,000 that I am paying is paying for the use of that wedding coordinator. Now if that individual does what I believe is an above average job that a tip might be warranted but that's the exception rather than the rule.

I think that's exactly how any tipping should work. Only if you feel that the service was "above and beyond" the value that you've already paid for it. Regardless if it's for Concierge service, or in a restaurant.

 

[cgolf]

Dream and Fantasy have about 40 concierge cabins. There are 3 concierge hosts who split the tips. If each cabin left a $500 tip thats $6666 per host per week and $346K for the year
I don't think $500 is typical or average. A few years ago I saw a poll, forget what the average response was. You can play with the math.

I believe the average was 50 bucks for a week. We wouldn't have done more, because overall our server did more for us than the concierge staff.

 

[P'colaBeachBum]

I believe the average was 50 bucks for a week. We wouldn't have done more, because overall our server did more for us than the concierge staff.

The 2of us do $50 apiece for the 4 night cruise. We are not high maintenance but the hosts go above and beyond to make our trip enjoyable. Booking tastings, etc. Whatever is right for you is fine.

 

[NZMUM]

So if there were some guideline or some general idea of what guests have left, compared to length of cruise and services, requests etc, it would be helpful.

Again, I know it is at Your Discretion, as all tips are. If you feel it was so-so service then the lower scale, exceptional at the higher scale but what the heck is the scale?

This ^. We upgraded at the port. Never sailed in a suite before. As I expected we really didn't use the concierge hosts at all - they got us some bottles of water, and we chatted to them a couple of times. Used the lounge some days but not every day. At the end of the week we had no idea what tip amount was "normal". And being from a country where we don't tip, general tipping (restaurants, taxis, hotels etc) is hard enough to work out & do. Having no scale, it was really hard to know if we were even in the ballpark.

I believe the average was 50 bucks for a week. We wouldn't have done more, because overall our server did more for us than the concierge staff.

Good to know this. We thought a something around that, but with no guidelines it was very confusing. Yes our server & stateroom host did a lot more for us.

 

[cgolf]

Here is a thread from 2 years ago with a poll.

http://www.disboards.com/threads/tipping-the-concierge-the-poll.2971416/

 

[Uncleromulus]

Still and all--DCL will NOT officially say Concierge hosts are a tipped position--or not.

Since nothing seems to have changed, when we go on the Fantasy in October I will be sure NOT to over tip Concierge as I did the last time.

 

[Disney_Princess83]

We do tip the concierge staff, the amount changes each cruise. One particularly cruise, I felt the concierge staff did two things for me that I would consider "above and beyond" so we tipped very well for that cruise. One another cruise, while we chatted with the staff, they didn't arrange anything for us and so we tipped less. We always give them something but that is a personal choice.

 

[TestingH2O]

In May, they gave a sheet that you could indicate $x per person for X days. It allowed you to think of it in terms that matched servers and room stewards. I liked this.

For reference, we don't use tons of services but do very much enjoy the lounge and the extra help when needed. I can't remember what our $/day was. Somewhere between 5 & 7.

I don't think extra room cost should mean an assumption that you tip less. I'll tip more at an upscale steak place than a pub because the ticket price is higher. The industry standard for restaurants is 20%, and 20% of $200 is clearly more than 20% of $50. (FYI, for people wondering if 15% is cheap, yes, it is.)

DCL should do a better job of indicating amounts though. People would clearly add more just like they do for the other tipped positions.

 

[wilkeliza]

In May, they gave a sheet that you could indicate $x per person for X days. It allowed you to think of it in terms that matched servers and room stewards. I liked this.

For reference, we don't use tons of services but do very much enjoy the lounge and the extra help when needed. I can't remember what our $/day was. Somewhere between 5 & 7.

I don't think extra room cost should mean an assumption that you tip less. I'll tip more at an upscale steak place than a pub because the ticket price is higher. The industry standard for restaurants is 20%, and 20% of $200 is clearly more than 20% of $50. (FYI, for people wondering if 15% is cheap, yes, it is.)

DCL should do a better job of indicating amounts though. People would clearly add more just like they do for the other tipped positions.

I think comparing restaurant wait staff to concierge staff is a little different. It is not a universal thing. At some hotels concierge staff are not allowed to accept tips as they are salaried individuals who are seen as just doing their job. As others pointed out until a few years ago concierge on the cruise weren't allowed to accept tips. It is really hard to know what to do when there isn't a "standard" especially when all other tips can be prepaid so one may get to their cruise and assume there are no further tips to figure out outside of room service. I've seen some people say they tip as high as 500 per a 7 night cruise and that seems so excessive to me. Even if you do 5 a day for a family of 4 that is 140.

 

[The Sasquatch]

on our 3 night in April I did $50 per Host so $150. We are a family of 3 who use the lounge for some basic things but dont ask much from them. I had a drink each night before dinner and I gave the Bartender $20 on the last night.

Not sure where that puts me on the cheap spectrum but I felt comfortable with that.

 

[cgolf]

In May, they gave a sheet that you could indicate $x per person for X days. It allowed you to think of it in terms that matched servers and room stewards. I liked this.

For reference, we don't use tons of services but do very much enjoy the lounge and the extra help when needed. I can't remember what our $/day was. Somewhere between 5 & 7.

I don't think extra room cost should mean an assumption that you tip less. I'll tip more at an upscale steak place than a pub because the ticket price is higher. The industry standard for restaurants is 20%, and 20% of $200 is clearly more than 20% of $50. (FYI, for people wondering if 15% is cheap, yes, it is.)

DCL should do a better job of indicating amounts though. People would clearly add more just like they do for the other tipped positions.

I have been given the impression that 15% is common and 20% or more is for better than average service. I have seen this from people that make a heck of a lot more money than we do.

 

[TestingH2O]

I gave the Bartender $20 on the last night.

Good point! Yes. We tip the the bartender and the food service person in addition to the hosts.

I have been given the impression that 15% is common and 20% or more is for better than average service. I have seen this from people that make a heck of a lot more money than we do.

Dunno what to tell you. Having worked in restaurants and being with people of lots of socioeconomic groups, 20% is standard.

Overall, we tipped more to the concierges before the $ per person per day slips. But, it felt like I was making apples to apples comparisons when doing it that way.

 

[TestingH2O]

I think comparing restaurant wait staff to concierge staff is a little different. It is not a universal thing. At some hotels concierge staff are not allowed to accept tips as they are salaried individuals who are seen as just doing their job. As others pointed out until a few years ago concierge on the cruise weren't allowed to accept tips. It is really hard to know what to do when there isn't a "standard" especially when all other tips can be prepaid so one may get to their cruise and assume there are no further tips to figure out outside of room service. I've seen some people say they tip as high as 500 per a 7 night cruise and that seems so excessive to me. Even if you do 5 a day for a family of 4 that is 140.

No, you can't compare exactly, but the point was that just because it costs more, you can't assume you therefore won't tip as much or at all. Just because I pay more for my meal, I can't suddenly assume I won't tip because that money must be included in the increased cost.

 

[cgolf]

Good point! Yes. We tip the the bartender and the food service person in addition to the hosts.



Dunno what to tell you. Having worked in restaurants and being with people of lots of socioeconomic groups, 20% is standard.

Overall, we tipped more to the concierges before the $ per person per day slips. But, it felt like I was making apples to apples comparisons when doing it that way.

I did a quick search after I posted and trip advisior went with 15 for average and 20 or higher for better service. I will say though that we are chain restaurant eaters, so sadly we usually get lack luster service, but there are a few that really do a great job, but it seems rare at those establishments.

 

[DCLDVC1]

Still and all--DCL will NOT officially say Concierge hosts are a tipped position--or not.

They get a small salary but rely mostly on tips.

 

[cgolf]

They get a small salary but rely mostly on tips.

Which is really strange in how they acted, they were very friendly, but don't seem to be in a position to provide a lot of services to make someone feel they need to tip them a lot. We booked all of our stuff the first day when they had the representatives from the different areas up there, we didn't need the hosts to do so. I would think that this really puts them at a disadvantage, I actually thought the bar tenders did more for us than the hosts did. In other tipped positions, it seems like many go out of their way to try and earn a bigger tip, the hosts didn't at least for us, or what I observed for others either.

It may be a case of us not being aware of what we could use them for, but we had great trips regardless.