Charging Tips

[Kenmi's Mom]

Hi there-
I can't decide whether to provide cash tips or charge tips to my credit card. How does it work if I charge tips to my credit card? Do I get a credit card "receipt" to put in each envelope? meaning i would tell guest services how much tip for each person?

I was hoping to charge standard tips the first night or two and add cash, if needed. Has anyone done this? Do I just hand these tip envelopes directly to the staff the last night? How do they know which family it is from?

Thanks!

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Hi there-
I can't decide whether to provide cash tips or charge tips to my credit card. How does it work if I charge tips to my credit card? Do I get a credit card "receipt" to put in each envelope? meaning i would tell guest services how much tip for each person?

I was hoping to charge standard tips the first night or two and add cash, if needed. Has anyone done this? Do I just hand these tip envelopes directly to the staff the last night? How do they know which family it is from?

Thanks!

If you 'charge' you charge to your room account then in turn that gos to your credit card. They give you tickets to put in the envelopes for the amount you decide and you give that to them on the last night of the cruise, you can add cash if you wish or change the amount up/down.

It will have your table and name on it, so they know where it came from.

You can now pre pay tips in advance via TA or call DCL direct.

 

[Kenmi's Mom]

Thanks... if I pre-pay, will I still get those tickets and where? How do I adjust the amount up/down?

 

[lbgraves]

GS will give you a form to fill out that indicates each of the tipped positions and has a spot for you to put the amount you wish to tip. Once you pay your tips you might be able to have it adjusted but not sure about that one. I would wait and not do that the second night of the cruise if on a 7 night. If you do take the form to GS they will process it while you are standing there and give you the tickets with the amounts. The servers/host will receive the amount even if you do not give them the ticket and their printout of their account will also show which guest tipped which amount if charged.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Thanks... if I pre-pay, will I still get those tickets and where? How do I adjust the amount up/down?

The tickets will come on the Thursday night of a 7 night cruise with the envelopes, before that you can walk to guest services and adjust up/down as you feel, if down you can swap to someone else or get a refund.

You can also add cash if you wish.

 

[kcashner]

I honestly don't know about adjusting the amount down. If you wish to adjust it up you can make another trip to Guest Services and charge the additional or just add some cash to the envelope.

As above, you will get a form in your room to charge tips to your onboard account if you wish. You don't have to stand in line at guest services--just complete the form and place it in the "drop box." Within a few hours you will receive your tip coupons in your room.

If you wish to charge the tips before the form appears, this can be done any time during the cruise at guest services.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

I honestly don't know about adjusting the amount down. If you wish to adjust it up you can make another trip to Guest Services and charge the additional or just add some cash to the envelope.

As above, you will get a form in your room to charge tips to your onboard account if you wish. You don't have to stand in line at guest services--just complete the form and place it in the "drop box." Within a few hours you will receive your tip coupons in your room.

If you wish to charge the tips before the form appears, this can be done any time during the cruise at guest services.

Can be done! People have posted they have done this.

 

[linco711]

I pre-paid the tips when I booked my cruise...so I'm assuming I will get the tickets sometime during my cruise and I can add cash to increase id I want.

Not sure how it will work, since I forgot to ask when I gave my card information. I just thought ir would be one less item to pay for at the end of our cruise...

 

[cwby22]

We went on our first cruise 2 weeks ago and I had this same question. It was very simple. On board, Disney gives you a form. You fill out the amouts you want to tip for each person. Bring that form to guest services. We did this on the day of our last night. Charge those amounts to your onboard account. Within an hour, Disney delivers the receipts and envelopes for each person your tipping. Then you just hand them out on the last night. We charged the recommended amounts and then also added cash on top of that for exceptional service.

 

[Narnia_girl]

So how does it work if you want to tip in cash? I hate coming home from vacation to a bulging credit card bill so if I can pay cash for something, I like to do that.

 

[cwby22]

Narnia_Girl

Just ask at guest services for the envelopes. Put cash in instead of prepaid receipt.

 

[jilljill]

Narnia_Girl

Just ask at guest services for the envelopes. Put cash in instead of prepaid receipt.

The envelopes will be delivered to your cabin the 2nd to the last night, you do not need to visit guest services to ask for the envelopes.

 

[kcashner]

Correct--one set of envelopes will be delivered to your stateroom. You just write your name on the front, insert cash (or ticket stub from charge), and hand to the appropriate person.

If you need additional sets of envelopes, they will be on a table near guest services--no need to stand in line. Just help yourself to whatever you need.

Why you might need additional envelopes? You messed up/lost the first set (hopefully before you put the money in), you have more than one family in your cabin and each is taking care of their own tips, etc.

 

[Narnia_girl]

thank you

 

[dotty dot]

will they give us some guidance to the the recomended amount to tip and who to tip when we are on the cruise - i would like to pre pay them as soon as we can onboard and then just add cash but i want to make sure it is the right amount to start with - or do i need to check that out before we go

 

[jilljill]

will they give us some guidance to the the recomended amount to tip and who to tip when we are on the cruise - i would like to pre pay them as soon as we can onboard and then just add cash but i want to make sure it is the right amount to start with - or do i need to check that out before we go

A sheet will be delivered to your cabin 2 nights before the end of your cruise that you can fill out and your tips will be charged to your cabin. You can look on DCL's site to get their recommended amount chart, but it adds up to $12/person per day.

Last week I asked at Guest Services for the form ahead of time to fill out and they told me it would be delivered to my cabin and they wouldn't give me one. When I received it in the cabin I filled it out and took it down to GS and they processed the form for me and handed me the stubs to put in each of the 4 envelopes. I also added cash to some before handing them out.

You can also have your TA or DCL, whichever you booked thru, add them to your reservation so they are prepaid before you even board so there is no need to fill out the form onboard and the vouchers will be delivered to your cabin.

 

[kileybeth]

so if I ask my TA to prepay my tips on a c.card before our cruise (we are now paid in full) when do my servers get that information? Right away?

I know this sounds awful but having never cruised, I find it odd to pay before service? I know I will pay the recommended amount no matter what, but I wouldn't want my servers to think "well, that's all I'm getting so average service is all I'm giving" kwim? or am I being silly?

Excellent service is one of the things that means a lot to us and we are willing to pay for it.

 

[jilljill]

I don't know when the servers actually find out they have tips in their account when they are prepaid. If you want I can find out next week when we go back on the Wonder?

 

[ibouncetoo]

I doubt that the servers know in advance....and besides, most people who pre-pay just do the suggested amount in advance, then supplement or adjust during the cruise.

I don't know of many people who would pre-pay 'extra' in advance, though many of us repeat cruisers know the DCL cast memebers strive for excellence!

.

 

[kileybeth]

aaww Thanks jilljill, that is sweet of you. I just keep thinking I read on here a while back that they do know before that last night (when you will still see them one more time for dinner) what you have tipped?

I know I am overthinking this whole thing!

so in that vein of overthinking the whole tip thing and how to pay it, how does it work if we have two seperate staterooms? linked, one immediate family (2 parents, 4 kids)? so much to think about!

I am not fond of doing anything last minute as I know with my crew we will have to put forth a massive effort just to round us all up and not leave one of the kids behind , let alone a peice of luggage or a piece of paper we need to prepare or what have you. . .