Gift ideas for DCL CMs.....

[ivanova]

I'm thinking primarily for the non-tipping positions (like kid and teen counselors, guest services CMs, etc.) ... besides Target or WalMart gift cards or phone cards, what are some other ideas out there of small gifts that Cast Members would appreciate/need?

Thanks!!

 

[GenieDana]

Washington$, Hamiltons$, Lincoln$, Jack$on$, Grant$, Franklin$, ...

 

[jgalecpa]

Washington$, Hamiltons$, Lincoln$, Jack$on$, Grant$, Franklin$, ...

Exactly.


These people are working their butts off for one thing: Money.

Gift cards, phone cards, etc are very nice, since they save them....Money.

Not to be crass, but Money.

Jim

 

[CM_Mom]

FYI, I don't know about the rest but the counselors in the kids programs aren't allowed to keep CASH. If you give cash, even in a card addressed to a specific counselor, it must be turned in to the manager and put in a pool for some special activity for the group. So unless you want to give something to the GROUP, then cash for the Youth Activity workers isn't a good idea.

A box of chocolates that can be shared with the team or a candy bar just for a special counselor is also appreciated. If the candy isn't individually wrapped be sure the box is small enough that the team can eat all of it in a day. Individually wrapped candy could be something like a bag of Hershey's miniatures.

The other thing that they REALLY appreciate is mention BY NAME on the evaluation at the end of the trip. If one of the CMs does something to make your trip especially meaningful, please tell DCL and give their name and country. This goes in their permanent record and does make a difference.

 

[heart]

Thanks CM Mom,

That helps to hear from someone who should know!

 

[CM_Mom]

The CMs enjoy the WalMart and Target gift cards also since they go to these stores for personal items but the OP asked for ideas other than giftcards ore phone cards.

I honestly think the main thing the folks in NON-TIPPED positions want is the recognition that they have helped to make your trip special. Our DisFriend Tagrel has created some really neat Crew Member Appreciation Cards that any crew member would love to receive. If you click the link, you can print them out before you leave and make someone's day with a card.

 

[bridegirl]

If you add up everyone that works at the nursery and/or kids club for:

a six month old
a 3 year old, and
a 6 year old

How many people is that?

Thanks!

Susy

 

[CM_Mom]

Can't say for certain about Flounder's but there should be 9-10 CMs for the 3-4s and 9-10 CMs for the 5-7s and two managers that are in charge of the Oceaneer's Club. If you wanted to print up a CM appreciation card for everyone than that would be 22 or 23 plus some extras for Flounders. You will see the pictures of the CMs on the front page of the 3-4 and 5-7 Navigators with their Names and Countries.

 

[bridegirl]

Meaning, could I get a recent navigator and address the envelopes by name?

We are sailing august 13th

Thanks!

Susy

 

[CM_Mom]

Great plan but it isn't that easy. You won't know who's working on your cruise until you get on the ship because the CMs rotate working and vacation. The Youth Activities Counselors usually work 18 weeks and then are on vacation for 6 weeks but the contracts are staggered so only a few are changing at one time. They have people signing on and off the ship every week. You could however, address the envelopes anytime after you get on the ship and get the Navigators for the groups your kids are in.

Also, it's possible that your kids might not meet or interact with some of the counselors since they work different shifts and the children are assigned to a counselor each time they are in the club so they might get to know three or four really well and hardly recognize two or three more.

 

[txaggie94gigem]

they love candy and gum...i gave a BIG tote bag of wrapped candy to the CMs at the club and lab and they went crazy for it! I also made appreciation labels and put them on candy/gum packages to give out whenever to CMs that helped us with anything....

 

[kcashner]

When you get on the ship, your current Navigator (kid's program) will name everyone assigned to that age group on that cruise. Since this is typically a lot of people, I ask DD if there is anyone who worked with her more than the others, anyone who made her time special, etc. My DD talks so much that I've probably heard the names of the special counsellors a zillion times by the end of the cruise. I/we then write a thank you note to this person (when younger, she would do a drawing), along with whatever treats we brought along for this purpose.

THen(the big thing), make sure that you list this person on your cruise evaluation as someone who made the cruise "Magical." In addition, when we have encountered someone really special, I write to the cruise line when we return and specifically praise any really extraordinary cast members. Obviously, a letter where you name each person you had contact with is meaningless, but if there are one or two who are truly special....something in the employment file never hurts!

I follow up on this.....my DD had a "counsellor one year. We encountered this person a year later. When she looked at my name, she got very excited and said, "You wrote my boss a letter?!" I said yes, and she commented that she couldn't remember whether the letter had been read to her or she had been given a copy, but it was "the nicest thing anyone ever did since I've been doing this job." Realize, this wasn't the standard CM, although they are all wonderful. This was the person that DD woke up in the morning asking if she could go see "Miss Jody" (not real name.) If her person wasn't there that shift, she'd be a little unhappy. I have no reason to believe that DD was treated any differently than any other kid, but I sure felt good leaving her with that same person a year later.

 

[ivanova]

Exactly.


These people are working their butts off for one thing: Money.

Gift cards, phone cards, etc are very nice, since they save them....Money.

Not to be crass, but Money.

Jim

For the tippable positions (room host, servers) I understand that.

That's not what I'm asking about. I'm looking for ideas for non-tippable positions, like the kid/teen counselors, the Guest Services CMs, etc. The ones where if you give them cash, they have to hand it over to DCL and they don't get to keep it (hence it's useless to give them cash). So I'm looking for ways to brighten their days.

I can (and will) recognize a couple of CMs that do make the cruise magical ... but like someone said, if I write a letter naming every CM I come into contact with, it'll make the letter meaningless ... and I'm sure I'll want to "thank" more than 1 or 2 CMs in the course of a 14 night cruise.

Thanks for the ideas of candy/gum ... any other great ideas out there?

Thanks!!!

 

[Jsme]

I always take hand picked (not made because I am not that creative) Thank you cards for each person that may help us. I guess at the amount to take by doing logical math. I have never been short cards yet, left overs yes, shor no! On the last night I hand write a special thank you and try to enlose a line about something only they did to make our cruise magical. If the person receiving this is a person I am leaving a tip for I enclose the tip card in the envelope. Our assistant server thanked us over and over debarkment Saturday for the card.

I really like the idea about candy and gum. Normally the CM's that work the lab and club are young and what your adult would not appreciate gum or candy?

 

[krdisneybound]

The CMs enjoy the WalMart and Target gift cards also since they go to these stores for personal items but the OP asked for ideas other than giftcards ore phone cards.
I honestly think the main thing the folks in NON-TIPPED positions want is the recognition that they have helped to make your trip special. Our DisFriend Tagrel has created some really neat Crew Member Appreciation Cards that any crew member would love to receive. If you click the link, you can print them out before you leave and make someone's day with a card.

I used the cards on my last two cruises since May and they were so very much appreciated. I enjoyed making them up also with special sayings on them along with different dollar demoninations each time.

Tagrel did a good job listing them. Love that site

 

[KaitlinsMom]

Just a quick note about the appreciation cards - One CM told us what made the difference with ours is that we wrote something on the back of these cards - They said that while the card is very nice and appreciated, what really touched them was ther personal message on the back -