Bait and Switch DU?????

[makaylee]

I am also not a fan of the fact that you have to read the fine print of the brochure or wait till you get your docs to find out about the tipping. Most people have already booked their cruise, worked out their budgets and went past the 60 day mark before they find this info out. I didnt find out about tipping until after I booked the cruise. My TA was out of brochures and did not inform me of tipping when she was going over the extra costs with me. I found out from this board. I am very thankful I did, If I would have got on the ship and found out on the last night I was supposed to pay another $250 I would NOT have been very happy. Not that I would EVER do this nor do I condone it (so please do not yell at me but I can see how some people might stiff their stewards and waitstaff, some just flat out might not have the money. They could have maxed out their credit cards paying for the cruise. I do agree that it is in your documents but, DCL should expect there are going to be people out there who do not read all of the fine print. They need to inform people of this huge exta expense when they are booking and give them the price of their cruise because after all tipping is part of the price.

 

[SueEllen]

That's precisely my point. The gratuity expectations should be clearly spelled out up front -- before someone books a cruise -- not as a rude surprise 3 to 6 weeks before departure.

Just as an FYI the quotes that go out from Dreams Unlimited do say that Gratuities are not included so it is not a surprise for Dreams clients about the gratuities.

Sue Ellen

 

[Trekker]

From the official DCL website! Just a little research gets this answer!


Excluded from Vacation Fare
The Resort portion of the fare does not include meals, beverages, or any other item of a personal nature. The cruise portion of the fare does not include shore excursions (including excursions to St. John), sightseeing or meals ashore in the ports of call, gratuities, alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, bottled water, laundry or valet services, or any other items not specifically included. The fare also does not include airfare, ground or baggage transfers or Government Taxes and Fees, which consist of all taxes and fees imposed by U.S. and foreign governmental and quasi-governmental authorities, including without limitation U.S. Customs and Immigration fees, ship passengers international departure tax, airport passenger facility charge, flight segment fees, international arrival and departure taxes, and sales, use and excise taxes.

 

[webray]

That is not bait and switch.

Remember a sales add is an invitation for you to look...no prices are ever guaranteed.

 

[crisi]

I hate to drag this into a thread about tipping, but - although I think Disney is relatively up front about gratutities not being included, they are not up front about this being the way your servers and room stewards get paid.

Personally, I'd rather see Disney pay these folks and then have tipping be for "above and beyond." Since the staff is so good, I'm sure they'd end up coming out ahead in the end. Fairer to the staff, fairer to the guests. The staff doesn't get "stiffed" because they get paid regardless - and guests aren't obligated to tip (especially irksome when you are tipping for a kid who never saw the inside of a dining room to get served because they moved into the kids club). And I don't worry about paying something that the guy at the table next to me didn't pay or having to tip more because not everyone tips well. (tipping - Libertaranism in action! If everyone tipped, would it still be $300 for a family of four, or would the recommended amount go down because the mean would go up?) But that isn't the way it works. So tipping - instead of being something done for good service - becomes about as "mandatory" as it gets without actually being charged to your credit card.

 

[abitjaded]

Not only is there fine print in the DCL brochure and web site about tips, but in normal sized print, in the Questions and Answers section there is a full chart about server's gratuities. Look on page 69, guys. I'm talking about the big glossy brochure you get from your travel agent when you first even consider a cruise. DCL gives you plenty of advance notice.

Even the Disney ads always show the cheapest price for the cruise at $399 with all the normal disclaimers. I'll bet if they showed the price for the Walt Suite during Christmas week no person would ever call for a quote.

Carla

 

[makaylee]

Not only is there fine print in the DCL brochure and website about tips, but in normal sized print, in the Questions ans Answers section there is a full chart about servers gratuities. Look on page 69, guys. I'm talking about the big glossy brochure you get from your travel agent when you first even consider a cruise. DCL gives you plenty of advance notice.

Like I said earlier my TA I had originaly booked with did not have any brochures. I had to cancel that sailing because my DH got orders to Saudi Arabia and when I booked again I did it directly with DCL over the phone. I guess some do not agree with me but I still think when DCL gives you the price over the phone they should tell you about tips! I remember asking the CM if sodas were included in the price and she told me only with meals and that alcohol was not included nor were spa treatments. I think she could have told me about the tips too.

 

[CRSNDSNY]

Originally posted by WDWLVR
Just want to add my 2 cents. I was always taught and still believe that it is the buyers responsibility to know and understand what they are buying. That means researching what is and isn't included in any purchase.

I totally agree.

 

[DMS_cruisers04]

Thanks for the research Trekker! Now, how to get DCL CM's to read that entire paragraph each and every time someone calls for a quote.

Crisi, that would make it easier on us cruisers, but I think overall servers, and especially room stewards, would end up getting even less tips. Too many don't tip now, I think if it was even less enforced, that number would increase. It surprises me that people think cruise servers are treated any different than land based servers.

Carla, even if DCL showed the price for the Walt Suite @ Christmas, we call for a quote. We'd just expect to be told what wasn't included.

 

[makaylee]

I just ordered the new DCL dvd and it does not talk about tipping anywhere, Not in the mini brochure and nowhere in the video. On that ask the fish feature one of the questions is what's included in the price, it says basicaly everything is included except, excursions, drinks by the pool ect. It doesn't say anything about tips not being incuded, the What should you know about buying things while inport question does remind us to bring money to tip taxi drivers and such though. I know if you look hard enough on the website you can find it and maybe in the full size brochure, but I still think that it should be a little more advertised. I fully agree that the servers work very hard and that they deserve probably more that what is given to them, thats why I think DCL should advertise this better so people are more prepared. Unfortunaly there are some people who do not read all the fine print and search the website for evey bit of info. If it was more pronounced maybe there wouldn't be so much "stiffing" the poor well deserving staff. Im sure there are those horrible people out there who know about tipping way before hand and still stiff their unfortunate wait staff, but if DCL was sure EVERYONE knew about this before hand maybe it would happen less often. I am a HUGE DCL fan( so PLEASE do not be angry at me for my opinion) and although I have never been on another cruiseline before (and dont plan on it) I would say they are the best out there I was just giving MY opinion of how I think they could have fewer of their CMs gilted of a well deserving tip.