Gratuities and extra costs

[323sarg]

Ok so me and the wife are thinking of ditching the kids this summer for a little cruise and we are thinking of taking a Disney cruise.

What are some extra costs and gratuities we should budget for? I am not looking to start a gratuity debate, just trying to plan as we have never cruised before.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Ok so me and the wife are thinking of ditching the kids this summer for a little cruise and we are thinking of taking a Disney cruise.

What are some extra costs and gratuities we should budget for? I am not looking to start a gratuity debate, just trying to plan as we have never cruised before.

http://cruisetip.tpkeller.com/

See the link above this is easy to complete and it will show the tips you require.

The other costs are alcohol, Dinner and Brunch at Palo and Remy, Porters tips, Spa, Shore trips.Shopping, Some costs on Room service, ( tea and coffee free).Premium coffee in Cove Cafe

 

[Feisty Fairy]

Ok so me and the wife are thinking of ditching the kids this summer for a little cruise and we are thinking of taking a Disney cruise. What are some extra costs and gratuities we should budget for? I am not looking to start a gratuity debate, just trying to plan as we have never cruised before.

In addition to tips which is 12 per day per person.

There is alcohol, speciality coffees, spa treatments, excursions, adult only dining such as Palo(brunch and dinner) same for Remy on Dream class ships.

 

[com_op_2000]

Do not forget Bingo and any gambling on-shore.

 

[Brisbanemum]

We are newbie cruisers too We've booked a 7 night Western Caribbean Itinerary 2a 2c on the Magic in December and here is our budget I'm still not 100% sure if I have over/under priced anything, but hopefully I'm close anyway


*Transport to and from port (maybe a Limo MCO-PC-ORL) $400
*Bingo $200
*Palo $60
*Onboard Photos $300
*Onboard Souvenirs $1000
*Alcohol $700 (I doubt we'll come close to spending this much, but have no idea of drink prices onboard)
*Pin Trading $200
*Port Adventures $1800 approx.
*Port of Call Souvenirs $800
*Extra Expenses (mixology, spa etc) $500


Tipping
-Server $112
-Asst Server $84
-Head Server $28
-Stateroom Host $112
-Concierge Hosts $200
-Palo $20
-Room Service $120
-Port of Calls including Drivers,Tour Guides and Food $250

 

[mdvlprof]

Wow. Even as a cruise newbie, don't think I ever spent that much.

But, I never have been one to do much shopping, etc. Cruising is how I splurge.

 

[Jessica Sloan]

We are newbie cruisers too We've booked a 7 night Western Caribbean Itinerary 2a 2c on the Magic in December and here is our budget I'm still not 100% sure if I have over/under priced anything, but hopefully I'm close anyway

*Transport to and from port (maybe a Limo MCO-PC-ORL) $400
*Bingo $200
*Palo $60
*Onboard Photos $300
*Onboard Souvenirs $1000
*Alcohol $700 (I doubt we'll come close to spending this much, but have no idea of drink prices onboard)
*Pin Trading $200
*Port Adventures $1800 approx.
*Port of Call Souvenirs $800
*Extra Expenses (mixology, spa etc) $500

Tipping
-Server $112
-Asst Server $84
-Head Server $28
-Stateroom Host $112
-Concierge Hosts $200
-Palo $20
-Room Service $120
-Port of Calls including Drivers,Tour Guides and Food $250

I would say this is way high!! For 4 people for 7 day cruise min tip is $336 total. We didn't stay concierge either. Unless you are ordering a lot of room service, most things are no charge, just a couple bucks in tips each time. I also can't imagine you will spend that much on souveniers. We had $1200 spending money, spent $400 on a pic CD and still had enough. We didnt drink a lot, but we did drink. Alcohol prices are not too bad, and they already have gratuity added. They also have times where drinks are 2 for 1...happy hour.

 

[mmouse37]

Here is a list of "extras" onboard. Other than the gratuities everything else you can do without. Of course if you had horrible service you could withdraw the gratuities but in 30 DCL cruises we never had to do that. In fact we always tipped a bit more than the suggested due to outstanding service.

" TIPS Sever, Assistant Server, head server, Stateroom host.
" Shore excursions (port adventures)
" Alcohol anywhere
" SPA Treatments
" Palo/Remy Meals
" SPECIAL Drinks in restaurants, example Smoothies
" Shop purchases
" Bingo
" Auctions
" Photos
" Soft Drinks through Room Service
" Pre-Packaged Snacks (candy, popcorn, etc.) at the theaters & through Room Service
" Cove Cafe Coffee/beverages
" Laundry -DCL Service & Self-Serve options
" transfers to and from the port
" bottled beverages like water, beer, or soda
" PC: gratuities for your porter
" gratuity for room service deliveries
" arcade games
" services for Flounder's Reef (daycare) at $6/hr for children that aren't old enough for the kids club
" internet connections

Soft drinks are included in all dining rooms at any meal and in Cabanas /Beach Blanket Buffet. Soft drinks are also included at the Deck 9 soda stations on Magic/Wonder and Deck 11 soda stations on the Dream/Fantasy.

Note that all beverages sold onboard already include an auto gratuity so if you want to tip additional on top of the auto gratuity you can, but just be aware that one is already included in the drink price.

MJ

 

[DsMomma]

What does everyone tip for concierge?

 

[Brisbanemum]

We are newbie cruisers too We've booked a 7 night Western Caribbean Itinerary 2a 2c on the Magic in December and here is our budget I'm still not 100% sure if I have over/under priced anything, but hopefully I'm close anyway


*Transport to and from port (maybe a Limo MCO-PC-ORL) $400
*Bingo $200
*Palo $60
*Onboard Photos $300
*Onboard Souvenirs $1000
*Alcohol $700 (I doubt we'll come close to spending this much, but have no idea of drink prices onboard)
*Pin Trading $200
*Port Adventures $1800 approx.
*Port of Call Souvenirs $800
*Extra Expenses (mixology, spa etc) $500


Tipping
-Server $112
-Asst Server $84
-Head Server $28
-Stateroom Host $112
-Concierge Hosts $200
-Palo $20
-Room Service $120
-Port of Calls including Drivers,Tour Guides and Food $250

I know it all seems a little extreme lol so I'd better explain those prices a little
We are travelling from Australia and are planning on being over there for 5-6 weeks. The cruise part of our vacation will be our first thing on the itinerary. We want to make sure we are definitely going to have enough $$ for absolutely everything that might be an option. And any money we save from over-budgeting for the cruise, will go towards shopping or extra activities for the remainder of our holiday in the States

I had a feeling that I did over-budget for the alcohol, but cocktails here in Australia are on average $18 each so I wasn't sure what the prices would be on the ship?

And as for the souvenirs......I know that the $1000 sounds pretty over the top, but we are intending on buying the dressing gowns, jackets, plus some t-shirts, bags, ship statues and toys for the kids. All of that multiplied by 4 will easily come to $250 per person. And this maybe being our only Disney Cruise (Australia is so far away from you guys I wish Disney would bring the cruise line here!!), we want lots and lots of souvenirs lol

 

[323sarg]

Thanks to everyone so far for the input. What kind of excursions are offered?

 

[firepuppy]

We are newbie cruisers too We've booked a 7 night Western Caribbean Itinerary 2a 2c on the Magic in December and here is our budget I'm still not 100% sure if I have over/under priced anything, but hopefully I'm close anyway


*Transport to and from port (maybe a Limo MCO-PC-ORL) $400
*Bingo $200
*Palo $60
*Onboard Photos $300
*Onboard Souvenirs $1000
*Alcohol $700 (I doubt we'll come close to spending this much, but have no idea of drink prices onboard)
*Pin Trading $200
*Port Adventures $1800 approx.
*Port of Call Souvenirs $800
*Extra Expenses (mixology, spa etc) $500


Tipping
-Server $112
-Asst Server $84
-Head Server $28
-Stateroom Host $112
-Concierge Hosts $200
-Palo $20
-Room Service $120
-Port of Calls including Drivers,Tour Guides and Food $250

I have been on 4 cruises and getting ready for the 5th and we have not spent that much. I know you want to be ready and have money set aside. One way to save is take disney's transportation much cheeper. Another way to save is to by pins you will trade from Ebay.

 

[Seamama]

I know it all seems a little extreme lol so I'd better explain those prices a little
We are travelling from Australia and are planning on being over there for 5-6 weeks. The cruise part of our vacation will be our first thing on the itinerary. We want to make sure we are definitely going to have enough $$ for absolutely everything that might be an option. And any money we save from over-budgeting for the cruise, will go towards shopping or extra activities for the remainder of our holiday in the States

I had a feeling that I did over-budget for the alcohol, but cocktails here in Australia are on average $18 each so I wasn't sure what the prices would be on the ship?

And as for the souvenirs......I know that the $1000 sounds pretty over the top, but we are intending on buying the dressing gowns, jackets, plus some t-shirts, bags, ship statues and toys for the kids. All of that multiplied by 4 will easily come to $250 per person. And this maybe being our only Disney Cruise (Australia is so far away from you guys I wish Disney would bring the cruise line here!!), we want lots and lots of souvenirs lol

Ahhhh- your explanation makes your budget make more sense now Regardless, if the grand total is comfortable for you- great! If others are looking at this trying to decide if they can afford DCL, they should know that it's definitely possible to do it for less.

We spent the recommended on tips (plus a little more, but I can't remember how much more), got one "drink of the day" pretty much every day, got about one espresso a day, got 2-3 pics (I think they're $20 ea?), and got maybe $30 worth of souvenirs (ornaments). Didn't do excursions or spend money on anything else. Kids had to buy souvenirs (they probably spent $80 ea.) out of their allowance. Just throwing this out there so people know that DCL can be done "on the cheap" (so to speak) if that's what people are looking for

 

[Namsupak]

What does everyone tip for concierge?

It really depends on how much you either use or appreciate their services. There are a few factors here. One thing is on the classic ships you could say that it is more personal and you are likely to interact with a single concierge for your side of the ship. On the newer ships the concierge visit your room at times but likely you will meet them more in the lounge, you also have 3 concierge cms on the newer ships versus the 2 on the classics. Additionally some people never utilize the concierge and sail purely for the room and amenities. We have had varying answers regarding the splitting of the tips versus tip sharing, also this has changed some over the years. Some posters who have been cruising before we started can probably confirm that the salary structure has changed somewhat to lean more towards guests tipping the concierge as it is even included on some of the forms now.

Okay now with all that in mind, for us personally we generally use the concierge services as we fill that it makes the vacation more relaxing for us. We have tipped anywhere from $10 to $30 dollars per day. Some approximates have been 4 night cruise ~ $100, 7 night ~ $200, 14 night $350.

Of course this can vary. This position has been so hard to figure out a tip for and beyond these boards there is no real guideline. And actually if you don't use the concierge much at all you I could see where it is reasonable to scale lower. For us we have just gone by feel, and luckily we have only had one concierge that was mediocre, every other time it has been great on each of the four ships.

 

[DLW8]

I know it all seems a little extreme lol so I'd better explain those prices a little
We are travelling from Australia and are planning on being over there for 5-6 weeks. The cruise part of our vacation will be our first thing on the itinerary. We want to make sure we are definitely going to have enough $$ for absolutely everything that might be an option. And any money we save from over-budgeting for the cruise, will go towards shopping or extra activities for the remainder of our holiday in the States

I had a feeling that I did over-budget for the alcohol, but cocktails here in Australia are on average $18 each so I wasn't sure what the prices would be on the ship?

And as for the souvenirs......I know that the $1000 sounds pretty over the top, but we are intending on buying the dressing gowns, jackets, plus some t-shirts, bags, ship statues and toys for the kids. All of that multiplied by 4 will easily come to $250 per person. And this maybe being our only Disney Cruise (Australia is so far away from you guys I wish Disney would bring the cruise line here!!), we want lots and lots of souvenirs lol

Gotcha - good idea to plan bigger and hopefully you will have extra for the rest of your holiday after the cruise!

According to the disney cruise blog, the drink of the day is $4.25 plus 15% gratuity, which comes to $4.89 per cocktail. They also often have specials, including 2 for 1 specials. If you or DH like beer, they also have a beer mug "program" where you buy a DCL 22 oz mug for about $15 and you can get refills for the price of a 16 oz beer. You can exchange the mug for a fresh mug or a token to be used at another bar if you don't want to carry around the mug. At the end of the cruise, you can keep the mug.

Here is a link to the blog, there are lots of drink prices at the bottom of the page, along with some drink menus.

http://disneycruiselineblog.com/2012/08/a-guide-to-drinking-on-a-disney-cruise/

In addition, Disney lets you carry on your own alcohol. Since you are doing a private car for transportation to the port, most of them will make a stop at a liquor store. Just note that all alcohol (or water, soda, etc) has to be in your carry on (not checked luggage) at the port. We make sure we have an empty rolling carry on that we use for beer/wine/liquor to bring on to the ship. This helps save on what we spend on alcohol on board.

Thanks to everyone so far for the input. What kind of excursions are offered?

There are different excursions at each port. If you go to the DCL website, under "Cruises and Destinations" at the top, there is a category of "port adventures". Choose your port(s) and you can see what excursions Disney offers. You can also book a private excursion on your own, many people do this as they are less expensive than Disney. I would recommend checking out reviews on Cruise Critic or Trip Advisor prior to booking.

 

[over50visits]

Ok so me and the wife are thinking of ditching the kids this summer for a little cruise and we are thinking of taking a Disney cruise.

What are some extra costs and gratuities we should budget for? I am not looking to start a gratuity debate, just trying to plan as we have never cruised before.

Here is a list from an earlier thread of things you can spend money on during your cruise:

1. Alcoholic drinks at the bars and from roving servers (welcome aboard)
2. Wine by the glass or wine packages at meals
3. Spa treatments
4. Shore excursions (including cabanas and rentals at CC)
5. Purchases from the stores: clothing, sundries, jewelry, souvenirs, etc.
6. Adult dining (Palo, Remy)
7. Bottled water
8. Photos (individual and packages)
9. Onboard booking for future cruises
10. DVC membership (you can purchase on board)
11. Art (thank goodness those "auctions" are gone, but you can still purchase art)
12. Candy and snacks outside theater
13. Tips for room service
14. Internet
15. Room upgrades (usually at port, sometimes GS)
16. Bingo
17. Parking/transportation
18. Port porters
19. Alcohol and cigarettes for delivery at end of voyage
20. Welcome aboard packages (flowers, candy, etc waiting in your cabin)
21. Adventures by Disney (you can purchase on board)
22. Cameras from photo shop
23. Cellular phone calls (although it will be billed later to your phone bill)
24. Medical care
25. Cigars (Meridian bar)
26. Arcade
27. Hair Braiding
28. Nursery
29. Tastings and Mixology
30. Excursion tips
31. Soft drinks from room service or bar
32. Specialty coffee
33. Meeting room rental
34. Onboard or Castaway Cay wedding (currently $3000/$4000)
35. Vow renewal ceremony
36. Sports simulator
37. Laundry