Does no one hand out tips anymore?

[MouseinMelbourne]

We just got off the Fantasy on Saturday. We were given tip envelopes like usual. (Our last cruise with DCL was in 2013, so there was no change there.) But no one was handing out tip envelopes at dinner. What’s up with that? We brought them, but my husband felt weird whipping it out when no one else was.

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

We just got off the Fantasy on Saturday. We were given tip envelopes like usual. (Our last cruise with DCL was in 2013, so there was no change there.) But no one was handing out tip envelopes at dinner. What’s up with that? We brought them, but my husband felt weird whipping it out when no one else was.

We still do, but couldn’t tell you if others do or not. I don’t look to see. We’ve also given them at breakfast before.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We just got off the Fantasy on Saturday. We were given tip envelopes like usual. (Our last cruise with DCL was in 2013, so there was no change there.) But no one was handing out tip envelopes at dinner. What’s up with that? We brought them, but my husband felt weird whipping it out when no one else was.

Typically, people don't make a big show of handing out the envelopes. We still hand them out the last night.

 

[angelinaxox]

Just got off the Fantasy on Saturday as well and we handed them out on the last night.

 

[lilsonicfan]

We hand ours out at a private moment, usually when we are leaving the table. I believe we have also done it at breakfast the next day (yes I know there's no guarantee the server will be at breakfast yada yada yada) - the point is that we actually try to hand it to the person at a time when no one else is watching.

 

[FigmentSpark]

Right or wrong, we do ours on the morning of the last day. It's not a big deal as everything we want to give them is through our on-board account, not cash, anyway.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

I either give them out the last night or the last morning, but I tend to give it discretely without making a big fuss over it.

 

[smmco]

The tips are automatically charged to your account. I don't think it matters if you do or don't.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

The tips are automatically charged to your account. I don't think it matters if you do or don't.

It doesn't really matter. Unless, of course, you have a tip coupon that has the wrong name on it. It's happened.

 

[MomOTwins]

We do it because we add cash along with coupon in the envelope to tip above the standard. I have read on here that you can add tip at guest service so maybe we will do that next time, but I would still give them their coupon so they can be sure of getting the tip if there was any kind of computer mixup.

 

[lahobbs4]

I'm glad this is being asked because I'm not sure what to do! Do you automatically get a 'coupon' when you use your onboard acct to pay for tips? Or do I go to guest services to pay the tips and get a coupon there? Plus also give an envelope to each person? I just don't want to miss anything!

 

[Karin1984]

I have only cruised once, but I thought the envelopes were only if you wanted to give on top of the standard tip.

I didn't understand what use it had for those who you do not tip extra.

 

[ahain]

We always use the envelopes and hand them out discreetly during or after the last dinner on the ship. We usually add extra cash to the envelopes (server, asst server & stateroom host), but not if service was meh (often the case with the head server, but rarely the case with other service & stateroom host).

 

[Bonnie1222]

There is another thread going on now about almost the exact same topic you might find interesting

https://www.disboards.com/threads/i...pty-tip-envelope.3763775/page-2#post-60938522

 

[mmouse37]

It is just cruising "tradition" to hand out envelopes the last night to show your appreciation of their service. We always hand out the last night at dinner as we do Cabanas for breakfast the last morning. We always add extra cash but even if you didn't add anything extra the envelopes are used for the vouchers. Yes, some of it is just symbolic but I like tradition and will continue to use the envelopes and hand them out. Yes, they will still get their tips if you don't "hand over the envelope" but I like the friendly gesture of it. We also just hand them out discreetly. It does not have to be a big thing or showy or awkward. Just hand them out near the end with a handshake and/or a heartfelt thank you for taking care of us. If we get them together we will hand out to the server and assistant server at the same time. If not then separately. We usually see the head server earlier in the meal when they stop by the table and will hand them theirs at that point. We leave the room host's envelope on the pillow before we leave for the show (we always do early show/late dinner).

MJ

 

[88golf88]

I'm glad this is being asked because I'm not sure what to do! Do you automatically get a 'coupon' when you use your onboard acct to pay for tips? Or do I go to guest services to pay the tips and get a coupon there? Plus also give an envelope to each person? I just don't want to miss anything!

Yes, all of the coupons will be in your stateroom on your last full day as well as the envelopes.

 

[smmco]

It is just cruising "tradition" to hand out envelopes the last night to show your appreciation of their service. We always hand out the last night at dinner as we do Cabanas for breakfast the last morning. We always add extra cash but even if you didn't add anything extra the envelopes are used for the vouchers. Yes, some of it is just symbolic but I like tradition and will continue to use the envelopes and hand them out. Yes, they will still get their tips if you don't "hand over the envelope" but I like the friendly gesture of it. We also just hand them out discreetly. It does not have to be a big thing or showy or awkward. Just hand them out near the end with a handshake and/or a heartfelt thank you for taking care of us. If we get them together we will hand out to the server and assistant server at the same time. If not then separately. We usually see the head server earlier in the meal when they stop by the table and will hand them theirs at that point. We leave the room host's envelope on the pillow before we leave for the show (we always do early show/late dinner).

MJ

They don't do it on other cruise lines. How is it cruising tradition?

 

[Dug720]

They don't do it on other cruise lines. How is it cruising tradition?

Tradition in this sense means as things USED to be, not necessarily as they are.

Back before they started auto-applying gratuities because too many people were stiffing the crew by giving them nothing, there were tipping guidelines that laid out what was expected in cash per person and that would be given on the last night in envelopes.

 

[MomOTwins]

Tradition in this sense means as things USED to be, not necessarily as they are.

Back before they started auto-applying gratuities because too many people were stiffing the crew by giving them nothing, there were tipping guidelines that laid out what was expected in cash per person and that would be given on the last night in envelopes.

It is so sad to me that it always comes back to this. We had a person on our social media cruise group today who was asking how to avoid paying the auto gratuity. I wanted to tell him the way you avoid paying for service is don’t go on vacation! Stay at home and make your own bed and clean your own bathroom and prepare and clean up your own meals—then you don’t have to pay.

 

[freshmanjs]

It is so sad to me that it always comes back to this. We had a person on our social media cruise group today who was asking how to avoid paying the auto gratuity. I wanted to tell him the way you avoid paying for service is don’t go on vacation! Stay at home and make your own bed and clean your own bathroom and prepare and clean up your own meals—then you don’t have to pay.

I agree with you, mostly. It would be better to make it a mandatory service charge. But, as long as it is an optional tip, then it must indeed be optional. There is nothing wrong with wanting to know how that optionality works.