Do you ever remove the standard tips and add them later?

[squirk]

I have never stiffed a CM on a cruise. I have always tipped at least the recommended amount, and I usually give our server and assistant server something extra on top.

However, I always bristle at DCL adding the recommended tip amount to my folio "for my convenience". It feels presumptuous, and puts the onus on the guest to take away something from the CM for poor service vs. giving something to the CM for exceptional service. It makes the process a punitive one instead of a rewarding one.

I have a cruise coming up soon, and I have been contemplating going straight to GS as soon as I board and removing the auto-gratuity - not because I won't tip, but more of a "protest vote" on this policy - and then adding the tips back at the end of the cruise, after I've concluded that the service merits tipping.

Anyone ever do this? Just curious.

 

[BartmanLA]

It's not that their forcing you to do it, I think it's not just for your convenience but also as a way to help you budget your on board expenses for the duration of the cruise. There have been times when some passengers don't realize they have those expenses coming up on their end of cruise bill, and it is a shock to them. Also they will be added on your bill no matter if you have them taken off or not. Why make a statement about it like this? The people you will deal with at Guest Services have no power to change policy or make any kind of determination how the charges are assessed for you at all, so why rock the boat, so to speak?

 

[TrySomethingNew]

You are within your rights to not pre-pay. As yours sound like they are prepaid (past PIF), I would adjust before the end of your cruise, if needed. I've thought about the same issue (never stiffed anyone and have tipped recommended to greatly above that), and considered not having them prepaid. It is really convenient to have them pre-paid, however I see your point about having it be a bit of a penalty for you rather than reward (paid AFTER good service).

 

[Buzzsawelp]

I just don't see what the concern is. You have every right to change the tip amounts up or down as you see fit. It's not like the servers are getting the money ahead of time and then taking it away from them after payment. That would be a penalty. They still have to earn it so it simply does become a matter of convenience.

 

[JW9DVC]

It's not that their forcing you to do it, I think it's not just for your convenience but also as a way to help you budget your on board expenses for the duration of the cruise. There have been times when some passengers don't realize they have those expenses coming up on their end of cruise bill, and it is a shock to them. Also they will be added on your bill no matter if you have them taken off or not. Why make a statement about it like this? The people you will deal with at Guest Services have no power to change policy or make any kind of determination how the charges are assessed for you at all, so why rock the boat, so to speak?

You can and should be able to remove gratuity as needed or wanted. The customer has the power. If you remove them. They can't add them back! It's at the discretion of the customer.

It's not rocking the boat. Just an observation that the OP has listed. On these boards it has always been at the discretion of the guest.

JW

 

[Flossbolna]

I don't remember the tips showing up in the onboard account until when they give you the sheets. I always pick up a sheet at the beginning with my current standing to see if my OBC is there's as expected. But it usually has only the port adventures on it, no gratuities.

 

[MickeyEarrings]

It's making a lot of work for yourself just to make a statement... wasting time standing in line when you could be making memories... but if you want to do it, I'm sure you can.

Have a great cruise in that lucky shirt of yours!

 

[MUN]

I have a cruise coming up soon, and I have been contemplating going straight to GS as soon as I board and removing the auto-gratuity - not because I won't tip, but more of a "protest vote" on this policy - and then adding the tips back at the end of the cruise, after I've concluded that the service merits tipping.

If you feel that strongly about it, you should spend some of your cruise time doing exactly what you described. That will teach them!

MUN

 

[Pens Fan]

Personally I love the fact that they automatically add the tips. Otherwise I would have to either carry more cash than I normally do on vacation or make a special trip down to guest services to have them charged to my account. This way the basic tip is already there, and we just add some cash to the envelopes as we see fit.

You can certainly go to guest services and have them taken off (or change the amount up or down), but like a PP mentioned it's not something I would want to fool with on my vacation.

 

[squirk]

It's not that their forcing you to do it, I think it's not just for your convenience but also as a way to help you budget your on board expenses for the duration of the cruise. There have been times when some passengers don't realize they have those expenses coming up on their end of cruise bill, and it is a shock to them. Also they will be added on your bill no matter if you have them taken off or not. Why make a statement about it like this? The people you will deal with at Guest Services have no power to change policy or make any kind of determination how the charges are assessed for you at all, so why rock the boat, so to speak?

Well, I did not say they were forcing me to tip. And I wasn't planning on making a fuss or giving the person in GS any grief - just politely asking that the tips be removed.

As far as budgeting goes, as @Flossbolna said, if you don't do your homework or read Passporters before the cruise, you really never hear about the tips until after your PIF when you get your booklet, and then not again until your last full day when your stateroom attendant puts the paper in your fish/starfish/seahorse and leaves the gratuity slips in your room, right?

I know I am kind of making much ado about nothing. It just bugs me that something I successfully do all year round at my discretion is flipped on its ear because I can't be trusted to know or remember to tip properly on my own.

 

[squirk]

It's making a lot of work for yourself just to make a statement... wasting time standing in line when you could be making memories... but if you want to do it, I'm sure you can.

Have a great cruise in that lucky shirt of yours!

That shirt is in a packing cube and ready to go. Thank you again!

If you feel that strongly about it, you should spend some of your cruise time doing exactly what you described. That will teach them!

MUN

Fair enough. It would seem I am in the minority on this, so I guess my little protest vote would not count for much.

 

[apathetic]

What bugs me about this post is the notion of tipping for "exceptional" (or whatever adjective you want) service. If you don't tip them, they don't get paid. So, you are actually tipping for service, good/bad/fair. They wait on you for 3,4,7, etc nights. How the heck can anyone think they should lower the tip because someone didn't meet an arbitrary standard? What if your boss came to you and said, "Well, you didn't quite meet my desires so I'm not paying you this week." How would that feel? Because if you lower or eliminate the tip, that's what you just did to that server.

If you delete the tip and add it later, who would even know? Unless you keep telling the server you gave them 0 tip and they have to earn it back, I'm not sure anyone would know or care. You could email Disney (and every other cruise line) to get your point across. But again, you are tipping for service. If you feel someone shouldn't get paid unless they meet your criteria, you should tell them to their face the first night.

 

[wombat_5606]

As far as budgeting goes, as @Flossbolna said, if you don't do your homework or read Passporters before the cruise, you really never hear about the tips until your last full day when your stateroom attendant puts the paper in your fish/starfish/seahorse and leaves the gratuity slips in your room, right? If so, then you have - what? - one day to "budget" for another few hundred dollars added to your folio.

I would hope that anyone that is spending the amount of money it takes on a Disney cruise would do their homework. If you aren't doing it yourself, then your travel agent should mention it.

Tipping is mentioned on the cruise website. https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/faq/onboard-services/gratuities/

If, you aren't reading the FAQ before going on a type of trip you've never taken before, I would say "Caveat Emptor"!

 

[squirk]

What bugs me about this post is the notion of tipping for "exceptional" (or whatever adjective you want) service. If you don't tip them, they don't get paid. So, you are actually tipping for service, good/bad/fair. They wait on you for 3,4,7, etc nights. How the heck can anyone think they should lower the tip because someone didn't meet an arbitrary standard? What if your boss came to you and said, "Well, you didn't quite meet my desires so I'm not paying you this week." How would that feel? Because if you lower or eliminate the tip, that's what you just did to that server.

If you delete the tip and add it later, who would even know? Unless you keep telling the server you gave them 0 tip and they have to earn it back, I'm not sure anyone would know or care. You could email Disney (and every other cruise line) to get your point across. But again, you are tipping for service. If you feel someone shouldn't get paid unless they meet your criteria, you should tell them to their face the first night.

That's an excellent point. I think we should just call it a "service charge". I mean, unlike a bartender or waiter on land, who has hundreds of customers and hundreds of tipping opportunities a week, these DCL servers really have all their tipping eggs in a small number of baskets. Piss off one family, and that's a huge percentage of your tips out the window. It'd be pretty heartless - or a server would have to REALLY screw up - for someone to not tip.

 

[squirk]

I would hope that anyone that is spending the amount of money it takes on a Disney cruise would do their homework. If you aren't doing it yourself, then your travel agent should mention it.

Tipping is mentioned on the cruise website. https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/faq/onboard-services/gratuities/

If, you aren't reading the FAQ before going on a type of trip you've never taken before, I would say "Caveat Emptor"!

I agree, but I think the number of people who *don't* do their homework is pretty high. It all seems like common sense and a no-brainer for us DCL super-fans around here, but we are a a very small sliver of DCL's overall cruising population.

 

[Flossbolna]

@squirk I think writing an email or letter where you state your concerns on this issue will make more of a statement than removing and then reinstating them. You can also just go to guest services and just tell them what you think about the tips. I think this has far more success to be noted as you are using the correct process. Also by what you are proposing nobody might understand why you are doing it, so your statement might only cost you time without having any chance of actually bringing change.

 

[Flossbolna]

I agree, but I think the number of people who *don't* do their homework is pretty high. It all seems like common sense and a no-brainer for us DCL super-fans around here, but we are a super-small sliver of DCL's overall cruising population.

I seem to remember that it was first introduced on the European sailings and a lot of Europeans are far less used to tipping than Americans.

 

[squirk]

@squirk I think writing an email or letter where you state your concerns on this issue will make more of a statement than removing and then reinstating them. You can also just go to guest services and just tell them what you think about the tips. I think this has far more success to be noted as you are using the correct process. Also by what you are proposing nobody might understand why you are doing it, so your statement might only cost you time without having any chance of actually bringing change.

You are absolutely right. Far more direct and less oblique. Thank you!

 

[NAB]

I think they started this with the Med. cruises because people over there were not tipping at all. Then they went across the board and do it for all cruises.

We go and take ours off because we prefer to give them cash. Budget for it and have it ready to go when we leave if we didn't it would be so easy to say leave it on the credit card...there will be enough on that one with out tips.

 

[wombat_5606]

I agree, but I think the number of people who *don't* do their homework is pretty high. It all seems like common sense and a no-brainer for us DCL super-fans around here, but we are a super-small sliver of DCL's overall cruising population.

It's not really being a Disney super-fan that is the issue.

If I was taking a cruise, an all-inclusive, or an international trip I purchased with a package, there is no way I'm going to send my money to anyone without understanding all of the nuances of the trip.