Employees getting paid by DCL

[Girls Scout Leader]

I've been interested in this for a while now, but a thread answered by LadyLt made me think of asking you-all know-it-alls!!
LadyLt was telling how DCL pays for an employees air fare to and from their country but the only "real cahs" they get is in the form of our tips!! Does this mean they get no real paycheck? Just room and board? Is this lega lwhile in the US? I believe I am rather horrified by this practice! Can osme one who knows explain this further?

 

[peg2001]

Well, from what I've read here on the boards, they do receive a very small stipend, maybe $50 a month, plus room and board, plus tips. Don't be too horrified, it isn't slavery. They are making good money compared to what they could make at home. There is quite a bit of competition for the coveted jobs on DCL. No one is there against their will.

If you want to feel bad for someone, there are more pitiful choices.

Peggy

 

[AnnMorin]

Especially if people don't read the recommendations like us and way over tip. Think about it though, with all the people on the ship even if it is divided up for like six families to one employee ( I am sure the amounts are probably higher )and each family tips you even 50.00 for a week that is 300.00 a week pay with no rent or groceries to buy. Now if you were lucky enough to be my server last december I tipped you about a months salary but that is because I can't read

 

[tstobb]

Cruise ships not registered in the US do not have to adhere to US labor laws (minimum wage, etc.) BUT consider that your stateroom host, if they are responsible for 10 rooms (not sure if this is true but just using these numbers for an example), even with just 2 people in each room, tips for the "recommended" amount ($25.25/person for the 7 day cruise) equals $505 per week = over 26000/year. Hardly extravagant but when you throw in room & board and some of the other benefits, it's not a bad living.

DW just looked over my shoulder as I was typing & said she'll miss me!

 

[alexandrew]

I recently saw a PBS show where an executive from Carnival Cruise line tagged along with various crew members, trying out their various jobs. One of the crew members was a woman cabin steward. The woman confided in the executive that some months she makes as much as $4000.00. I was not sure what country she was from....

 

[imgoingtodisney]

lol

 

[alexandrew]

Tstob...

I think I remember the cabin steward on the PBS show tell the executive that she was responsible for upkeep on 18 staterooms...

 

[alexandrew]

Tstob...

I think I remember the cabin steward on the PBS show tell the executive that she was responsible for upkeep on 18 staterooms...

 

[jrabbit]

Remember that when you are tipping the wait staff, it appears to be just for dinner, but they are working at breakfast, lunch and midnight buffets too. I am always shocked at how much we tip each person (and there are only 3 of us). Then I remember all of the great service provided and that these people are here for us 16 hours a day and that I couldn't work that hard for that long, we usually end up tipping over the recomendations.

The only person that I really have a hard time tipping is the Head Server (not to be confused with your server who takes your order and brings you your meal). He/she usually shows up sometime to say who they are and that's it. I'm sorry, even $5 / person is to much for that "service". The one exception was on our last cruise and we had an office have dinner with us. Then the Head Server was there throughout the entire meal (and he seemed to be the only one who could de-shell the lobster!)

 

[Girls Scout Leader]

Ok, i understand now much better. Just want to make sure these people are getting fair treatment. Thansk for putting my mind at ease.

 

[tstobb]

WOW 18 rooms = 909/week or $47268/year & that's with 2 people per room. True, some people tip less then that but some tip more so it probably averages out.

The only person that I really have a hard time tipping is the Head Server

I would have to agree with this except for our last cruise as well. On our 1st DCL cruise, fresh raspberries were on the buffet for breakfast 1 morning so DS9 & I were all ready to fill our bowls on this cruise as well. When we didn't see them day after day, we figured that they weren't available but DW saw Zouhaier (our Head Server) in Topsiders one morning & asked him & he said he would take care of it. That night at dinner, he brought me the lid of one of the containers of the berries they had purchased for the trip where the tops were great but all of the berries underneath were spoiled & had to be discarded so he did go the extra for us and told us that that is what they are there for so any special requests could be handled thru them to take some of the pressure off of the waitstaff.

 

[IrishCowboy]

I think each room steward is assigned about 10 cabins per cruise and each Server/Asst Server are assigned 18 diners per seating (total of 36 per cruise).

Of course this can change due to various circumstances or events but I think it the the DCL 'average'.

 

[KAMLEM]

Our cabin steward told us she had 10 rooms and they were category 3 and category 4. We tipped her well over the recommended amount because she was fantastic but even if we tipped her the minimum and everyone else did as well, she would make $1000 per week. That assumes that there are 4 people in each room but I would guess that most times there would be in a category 3 or 4. Not bad at all!

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Keep in mind that the servers work 7 days per week (for the duration of their contract) from before breakfast service starts until it's time to lock up the restaurants after dinner -- and even then they may be involved with late night dining, such as the weekly desert buffet on the Magic or the late night snack service in the nighclub area. While not continuous 16 hour shifts -- there are windows between meal service times -- the hours are very long, and there are no days off.

 

[LisaTxUsa]

One other thing .. I was talking to one of our servers on our last cruise and he said that they usually sign 6 to 8 month contracts. That's an awful long time to go without seeing your family, but he said that he earns good money, gets to see places and has alot of fun.

 

[tstobb]

Our servers on the 9/7 Magic told us that part of the reason that DCL went back to the orig. dining times was because of the added stress to the dining staff. Saturday, there was the early breakfasts for those getting off, quick clean up & the new guests started arriving and thru dinner that night. They lost their "afternoon sleep" that they needed to keep up the "magic"

 

[eshannon]

We just got off the Magic on 9/28 and got into a good consversation with our host. He was very nice and answered our questions. He was excited because he was going home on Oct. 26th. He has a wife and two small sons. He was from Thailand. He has been with Disney for four years! His plan is to retire in a few years time. He says he goes home every six months. For two months! He makes $58 a month. but...There were three of us in the room and we tipped 125 which was well worth it. I am sure many people tip above and beyond. We were also talking to our server one evening. He also had a wife at home in Hungary. She used to work for DCL but left to go back to school. He has also been with Disney for a couple of years. We also tipped him $50 above. Both said they work seven days a week. That is alot! Both also seemed happy with their wages.
The only thing that surprises me is that Disney doesn make it obvious that these people work mainly for gratuities. Many people do not know this. Both of these people worked for other cruise lines previously and much preferred Disney. So Disney must be doing something right!! Just my two cents worth! Elaine

 

[mcnuss]

Originally posted by tstobb
Cruise ships not registered in the US do not have to adhere to US labor laws (minimum wage, etc.) BUT consider that your stateroom host, if they are responsible for 10 rooms (not sure if this is true but just using these numbers for an example), even with just 2 people in each room, tips for the "recommended" amount ($25.25/person for the 7 day cruise) equals $505 per week = over 26000/year. Hardly extravagant but when you throw in room & board and some of the other benefits, it's not a bad living.

Not a bad living? Come on! After tax, that $26k is about $21k, and I am being generous and I am assuming that the home country does not tax them, too. True, the employee does not pay room & board, but don't you think their families need shelter and food? I am sure most of them send 100% of their earnings home. If they get health insurance and benefits, that will come out, too. How many of us could live comfortably on that?

 

[CarolAnnC]

Since they sign contracts with two month breaks off, they will not earn $26,000 per year. That was based on working 12 months of the year.

I think if you broke it down to how much they make per hour, considering their round the clock hours, seven days per week, it would be an extremely low hourly wage.

I have always felt the Disney Cruise CM's do an absolutely fantastic job and I would not want their job at any price. They certainly earn every penny they receive in tips, and I have never been displeased with any of them on my four Disney Cruises.

 

[padisneyfan]

I was told by a US crewmember, the only ones to pay taxes are the US citzens, all others are completely tax free. That is part of the reason they are few US crewmembers. I know on my 9/28 cruise, I only saw 2 that were from the US.

Nancy