Any previous / current DCL CM's - cash voucher vs cash?

[TiggerBouncy]

I am curious on this one. I can't ask my room host cause I am sure they won't tell me... So looking for someone on the board:

Does it matter to you if you get green cash vs the Disney Cash Vouchers? How do the cash vouchers work? I was told by guest relations that the cash vouchers are "as good as cash". So does that mean you go somewhere below deck and give them the voucher and they hand you the cash equivalent (like $100)?

I assume that tax declaration is the same regardless (although if you keep an accurate reporting I guess is another question).

Just wondering if for example the cash voucher is for $80, and I think you did a good job and decide to give you $100, does it matter if I gave you the voucher for $80 plus a green $20 or if I go to Guest Relations and make it $100 or if it really is the same / equivalent to you either way.

 

[Quellman]

I think you are talking about the tipping process. If so it works like this:
The night before the end of your cruise, a set of envelopes and sheets arrive at your stateroom. You tear off the sheets for each position and put it in an envelope. On each sheet it lists the position and how much you have applied to their tip via your on board account. This is something that you have paid directly to Disney and which Disney then has the responsibility to pay their crew members. I assume this is part of their regular pay check. So if there are tax implications then it is dealt with then.

If I choose to give them hard cash in excess of what is on the receipt (you said voucher), I view it as a their obligation to report it to Disney if it is received or not. I suspect if there are tax implications, many would not report it and use it whenever they have some shore leave to visit the shops to purchase sundries or anything else they want to use it for. At some point, they may want to tell Disney they have a ton of cash tips, this way they can easily wire it or deposit it back home to their families.

I personally would not go to guest services and and reduce the base amount being tipped. I leave it as is and tip extra in cash if warranted (for me it always has been). If I don't have enough cash at the end of the cruise, I will go to guest services and request they add more to certain positions.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

Yes, I know the process - and you are right about what I am talking about.

I am asking if the people who are getting the tip actually have a preference or if it's all the same to them either way? (I never reduce, but I add. My question is if they CARE if I add in cash or add via Guest Services / voucher).

And according to guest services, it's not a receipt. They told me it's as good as cash for the people. I.E. when I wanted to change it, they said I had to have the original because otherwise BOTH could be used whereas a receipt implied it's just added to their paycheck, a voucher implies they turn it in for cash.

 

[wilkeliza]

Yes, I know the process - and you are right about what I am talking about.

I am asking if the people who are getting the tip actually have a preference or if it's all the same to them either way? (I never reduce, but I add. My question is if they CARE if I add in cash or add via Guest Services / voucher).

And according to guest services, it's not a receipt. They told me it's as good as cash for the people. I.E. when I wanted to change it, they said I had to have the original because otherwise BOTH could be used whereas a receipt implied it's just added to their paycheck, a voucher implies they turn it in for cash.

That's weird. I hope it isn't just a voucher as we were told you didn't have to give them the paper it was up to you or not as the prepaid tips would be added to their check by Disney.

 

[KristiMc]

I have always heard that they like to have you pay tips through your account because that money is put directly into their accounts and easier to send home to family.

 

[jetskigrl]

That's weird. I hope it isn't just a voucher as we were told you didn't have to give them the paper it was up to you or not as the prepaid tips would be added to their check by Disney.

That was my understanding as well. Even if you don't give them the envelope/tip slip, they still receive the money charged to your on board account in their checks.

We have always left the standard tips in place on our account so that they would be added to the CM's check (since this is the money they are expecting to receive and be able to send to their families). The extra we add is usually in cash so that they can use that when shopping in port, etc.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

It may have been a misunderstanding on my side, but the Guest Relations person on the Dream Dec 11th made me go back to my room to get my "old voucher" and told me they couldn't change it without that one. Made me wait in line and waste about 30 minutes. They told me the tickets (they used the term voucher) was basically like cash so had to be included / given to the person and the old one destroyed.

Maybe they were wrong. that wouldn't be the first time a CM gave out inaccurate information!

 

[Hundredacre]

On the vouchers it says if you do not give them out the staff still gets the designated tips.
As far as I know there are no tax implications unless the staff person is from the usa. The usa is the only country that forces citizens to pay income tax when working abroad.

 

[bumbershoot]

And according to guest services, it's not a receipt. They told me it's as good as cash for the people.

I think that CM was confused.

You don't have to give the CMs anything that last night; they will still get the money that was prepaid. They don't turn it in for cash.

 

[lanejudy]

It has been my understanding that the "vouchers" are simply notices that $X have been given in tips, and that amount is directly deposited to the CM's account. They do not need to physically receive the voucher, though most guests do give it to them, and the money will be received in their account. The voucher helps them balance or reconcile the amount deposited, and in the event something gets mixed up in the deposit, they have record of the amount they should receive.

The vouchers are not like a gift card or something that has any particular value associated with the piece of paper itself. CMs do not have to exchange it for cash. In fact, what I have been told is that when a CM gets a lot of cash they then have to spend time standing in line at the purser's office to deposit the cash to their account. The vouchers are automatically deposited.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[sdjen]

I've always just added cash to the envelopes with the vouchers (when service has been worth it which is almost always!).

Main reason for this is stated above. I'm not going to waste my time standing in line to get the form! I always plan to bring enough cash to add to my tips.

 

[tinkerone]

i have a close friend who worked on the magic and i drilled him on this subject a few years ago when it came up so i can tell you what he told me.
the cm's prefer the vouchers but they will never never say no to cash instead or if it is extra. money is money. the reason they prefer the voucher system is that they do not need to do anything, all the work is done for them. they are requested not to have large amounts of cash in their cabin (cabins are shared and missing money can cause a problem) so when they have extra money they need to take it to the pursers office and hand it in. since the cm's have so little off time they don't like to have to do this. the purser is only open certain hours and the cm has to try and get there during that time. the pursers office works like a bank. their money is tallied and it gets sent to where ever the cm has requested it be sent, think their home bank. dcl does this transfer for the cm so again, the cm needs to do nothing. they get a statement of what comes in and goes out. if they need more money than is in their cabin they can go to the pursers office and withdraw their funds. again, they will take what ever you give them. if you prefer cash they will gladly take it. vouchers are easier.
as to taxes, it is up to each employee to claim their income in their home country. my friend told me that while it is supposed to be claimed most of them don't as there is no paper work submitted to the governments as to what they made.

on our most recent trip i was at customer service on the last morning and there was a couple who wanted the tips removed from their bill. i had followed this couple from their room (a few doors down from ours) down to customer service. i overheard one say 'tell them it ruined our vacation'. i thought hmmm, wonder what that was about. when they got to customer service they did request the tips be removed but they said they had given cash instead. the cm requested the tip sheet back and they told her that they had thrown it out. she questioned as to where they threw it and they said their garbage in the cabin. the cm pushed this and said then the room host should have turned it in to them. the cm said they could not have it reversed unless she got the sheet back. the couple pushed it, i'm not sure how it turned out. the cm left the front desk and went to the back room and i left before she came back. just from listening to the conversation it sounded like the couple had passed out the vouchers and now wanted it removed. they couldn't get their answers straight. so maybe its not unusual that people want the tips removed on the last morning, maybe its something they see a lot so they are trying to stop it.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

the cm's prefer the vouchers but they will never never say no to cash instead or if it is extra. money is money. the reason they prefer the voucher system is that they do not need to do anything, all the work is done for them. they are requested not to have large amounts of cash in their cabin (cabins are shared and missing money can cause a problem) so when they have extra money they need to take it to the pursers office and hand it in.

That is EXACTLY what I wanted to know. Thank you very much!!!!

i overheard one say 'tell them it ruined our vacation'. i thought hmmm, wonder what that was about. when they got to customer service they did request the tips be removed

That is SO wrong. I may be lucky, but I have always had terrific experiences with all the CM's who I encounter. I typically look at the receipts / suggested amounts on the papers as minimum amounts and only go up from there. Although I haven't worked on a cruise ship, my father used to teach about it and I do know that they don't make much since their room and board are basically paid for. Tips are a large part of their pay. With the amount we pay for the cruise, a few extra dollars in that scope is really not a lot (I mean DCL is expensive and hard to afford, but when I have rounded up the cash, the difference $5410 for $5440 is pointless?). But it means everything to them.