Gratuities question

[MakiraMarlena]

Dining rooms servers work all over the ship, when they are not serving in the dining room. So yes, they get the recommended amount even if I never set foot in the dining room. Even if I go to Palo or Remy every night and never get the fast food.

I feel like a ship is not the same as land. The servers are still working behind the scenes to keep the cruise running smoothly, even if one does not utilize the dining areas, and they work hard. Not setting foot in a restaurant aboard ship isn't the same thing as not setting foot in one on land.

But, there's always the option to completely remove those tips if one does not wish to pay them.

 

[MUN]

Read "Cruise Confidential" by David Bruns. It will open your eyes about what these people go through to serve the passengers -- usually on only 4 hours of sleep a night (by the time they do the midnight buffet after setting up their tables for the next day's service, etc.).

DCL doesn't have a midnight buffet.

 

[ASchwa]

DCL doesn't have a midnight buffet.

Room service is 24 hours, except the last night. The ice cream station is open until about midnight. Beverage station is open 24 hours. Pirate night, buffet is open until 10:30 PM. Cove Cafe usually opens early. The servers work hard and in my opinion, they earn their tips.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Room service is 24 hours, except the last night. The ice cream station is open until about midnight. Beverage station is open 24 hours. Pirate night, buffet is open until 10:30 PM. Cove Cafe usually opens early. The servers work hard and in my opinion, they earn their tips.

Yep. And not just "serving dinner".

 

[RedSox68]

DCL doesn't have a midnight buffet.

I wasn't referring to DCL in that reference -- I was referring to what they talk about in the book.

 

[bumbershoot]

I wasn't referring to DCL in that reference -- I was referring to what they talk about in the book.

Does any cruiseline have a midnight buffet anymore? (irritating when authors use possibly outdated info because it waters down their points)

 

[RedSox68]

Does any cruiseline have a midnight buffet anymore? (irritating when authors use possibly outdated info because it waters down their points)

This book was written many years ago and is about his time as a server on a couple of ships. It's interesting reading about his experience, that's all. I don't think the living conditions, circumstances and wages on the ships have changed all that much.

I used to really like the Disney Dessert buffet! Only got to see it twice.

 

[bumbershoot]

The OP is staying Conceirge. She is dining at Palo one night (tipped) Remy one night (tipped) And possibly Palo or Remy another night. They will be utilizing the dining accomodations at Concierge level (tips that she pays to that team will cover such snacks etc) She will tip the bartenders accordingly at Concierge level or anywhere else on the ship.
She will be dining via Room Service (tipped) and will not be using MDR, Cabanas, Flos, Maters, etc. as her dining will be happening at Concierge level (tipped in one form or another)

Concierge has NO automatic tips, FYI. I'm quite sure there are many who do not tip anything to them, and at the same time there are drastic OVERtippers (and then the middleground like us).

Snacks in concierge level are hardly meals unless you eat anything AND you're a light eater. And tipping in concierge doesn't cover the *food* there.

She thinks she won't be using any of those other places. If she's truly planning on using room service and the lounge for everything else, she's not doing much on her cruise other than sitting in her room! I think she's going to be surprising herself by stopping at the various locations on the ship with food.

Do you tip concierge staff if you do not stay in a concierge room?

Tipping in concierge isn't required, FWIW.

Tipping people whom I will not even meet or with whom I will have no interaction at all did not make sense

Ah, but that's very unlikely.

I mean, you won't know that they were slated to be your servers, but you WILL see the people slated to be your servers. You'll see people all over the ship doing all sorts of things. And as you recognize faces you'll perhaps start to think that the employees do a ton, and that perhaps tipping the MDR people is a paltry sum to you but might be everything to those employees.

And FWIW, the one time we stayed in concierge (and said NEVER AGAIN...we are too low maintenance for that) we did not use THEIR services (save the happy hour and we tipped the bar tender) BUT we tipped all of the concierge hosts. WHOSE SERVICES WE NEVER USED.

Beth! If you didn't use them, why tip them? We barely use them and we go for the middleground (though compared to some here we're practically throwing pennies at them LOL), but since there are no guidelines it's not like you *had to*.

How do you know that you would have no interaction with MDR servers? If you order room service even once, you may have an MDR server. I have seen on all three times I cruised with Disney, my servers in different locations. Even on embarkation day the last time I cruised, a server in the MDR that is open when embarkation is going on, the second server who got my drink, was in the area I was in for the muster drill.

Exactly.

Our assistant server recognized us one morning and offered to make us poached eggs, then brought them out to us so we didn't have to wait for them. Our server was at Cookies Too and got us our veggie burgers. etc. They work everywhere! On Royal one of the head servers was our muster drill guy!

 

[bumbershoot]

This book was written many years ago and is about his time as a server on a couple of ships. It's interesting reading about his experience, that's all. I don't think the living conditions, circumstances and wages on the ships have changed all that much.

I used to really like the Disney Dessert buffet! Only got to see it twice.

Aha. Didn't realize it was an older book.

I missed out entirely on Royal's chocolate buffet. Was brand newly pregnant and was passing out by 8pm, so DH went to it. And then we didn't cruise for 10 years, and by that time it was gone the way of the dodo.

 

[RedSox68]

Aha. Didn't realize it was an older book.

I missed out entirely on Royal's chocolate buffet. Was brand newly pregnant and was passing out by 8pm, so DH went to it. And then we didn't cruise for 10 years, and by that time it was gone the way of the dodo.

Yummmmm.....chocolate........

He has a series of books -- 4 in total (2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014. One is about the auctions onboard which is hilarious. He is an excellent writer and his adventures are well worth reading. He was the only American ever to complete a full 8 month contract on a cruise line with a foreign crew.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

Given that these are the people who will help keep you safe if there is an emergency, I would tip them. If for no other reason then good karma-although there are many other better reasons that many have already highlighted. Just tip them.

 

[Axelskater]

After eating the MDR food on my last voyage - twice - I did eat the rest of my meals in the concierge lounge, adult restaurants and breakfast room service. All 3 options were wonderful. This time I'm skipping MDR & buffet / QS options altogether. So yes, it's possible. I don't "think" I'm not using the other choices. I know I'm not using them. Thanks for your opinions, especially the persons who had experience with dining this way. And Below The Water Line by Stephen Barber is much better.

 

[RedSox68]

Read "Cruise Confidential" by David Bruns. It will open your eyes about what these people go through to serve the passengers -- usually on only 4 hours of sleep a night (by the time they do the midnight buffet after setting up their tables for the next day's service, etc.).

Sorry, the author's name is Brian David Bruns. Thanks to the PM who let me know.

 

[FigmentSpark]

OP, at the end of the day, you have every right to tip or not tip as you please. That's why it's voluntary. If Disney required you to tip, they'd make it mandatory. They don't, so you get to choose.

That said, I assume it's clear from all the responses, that the staff live on their tips. If you feel that you are served by some of these people, I assume you'll choose to tip them in some way. If not, then maybe they'll have had more time to make someone else's experience more magical and have their tip upped.

Disney's staffing and payroll isn't your problem, but at least you now understand why people feel strongly about tipping. For many cruisers, because the staff live off their tips, they see tipping as a service charge and an obligation. For others, it's a way to make sure they get the best service possible. Only you can decide how or if you want to tip. And it's your right, until Disney changes its policy.

 

[Axelskater]

I returned from a 9 day Disney trip - and our cruise on the Dream. My main dining table was indeed given to someone on the waiting list. I was told there were some empty tables at Later seating if we ever felt like coming, they would find us one which was unoccupied, and I told him no thanks. I did not set foot in the dining rooms or at any of the QS restaurants, so yes, it can be done. You can skip "dining", if the MDR / QS food ad atmosphere is not to your liking, as I asked the maître d' who are servers were and he said we gave up the table so we didn't have servers. He did look at me like that was a dumb question. We were an adults-only party and the MDR did not appeal to us. The voyage was very enjoyable and Palo and Remy were superb. We had the same server twice in Palo, and he was a delight. My cabin attendant received all the tips which would have gone to our dining room server - if we had one. He was pretty darn happy. I realize some people may want to argue the point, but simply put - we had no table, no servers, and the maître d' mentioned the family was very happy to be moved to such a nice table at Early Dining, as it was too late for their children and they were going to be stuck eating QS restaurants in order to get their children fed before bedtime. I told him I was happy someone could take advantage of it.

 

[FigmentSpark]

When you got your tipping envelopes, who were they for? Did they just skip giving you the serving team and only give you the stewards/concierge teams? Or did they give you a generic MDR tipping envelope, which you had to change?

 

[Flossbolna]

I returned from a 9 day Disney trip - and our cruise on the Dream. My main dining table was indeed given to someone on the waiting list. I was told there were some empty tables at Later seating if we ever felt like coming, they would find us one which was unoccupied, and I told him no thanks. I did not set foot in the dining rooms or at any of the QS restaurants, so yes, it can be done. You can skip "dining", if the MDR / QS food ad atmosphere is not to your liking, as I asked the maître d' who are servers were and he said we gave up the table so we didn't have servers. He did look at me like that was a dumb question. We were an adults-only party and the MDR did not appeal to us. The voyage was very enjoyable and Palo and Remy were superb. We had the same server twice in Palo, and he was a delight. My cabin attendant received all the tips which would have gone to our dining room server - if we had one. He was pretty darn happy. I realize some people may want to argue the point, but simply put - we had no table, no servers, and the maître d' mentioned the family was very happy to be moved to such a nice table at Early Dining, as it was too late for their children and they were going to be stuck eating QS restaurants in order to get their children fed before bedtime. I told him I was happy someone could take advantage of it.

Thanks for reporting back! I guess avoiding the MDR, buffet and QS really is only an option for concierge, but it is interesting that it can be done in this way.

 

[wilma-bride]

I returned from a 9 day Disney trip - and our cruise on the Dream. My main dining table was indeed given to someone on the waiting list. I was told there were some empty tables at Later seating if we ever felt like coming, they would find us one which was unoccupied, and I told him no thanks. I did not set foot in the dining rooms or at any of the QS restaurants, so yes, it can be done. You can skip "dining", if the MDR / QS food ad atmosphere is not to your liking, as I asked the maître d' who are servers were and he said we gave up the table so we didn't have servers. He did look at me like that was a dumb question. We were an adults-only party and the MDR did not appeal to us. The voyage was very enjoyable and Palo and Remy were superb. We had the same server twice in Palo, and he was a delight. My cabin attendant received all the tips which would have gone to our dining room server - if we had one. He was pretty darn happy. I realize some people may want to argue the point, but simply put - we had no table, no servers, and the maître d' mentioned the family was very happy to be moved to such a nice table at Early Dining, as it was too late for their children and they were going to be stuck eating QS restaurants in order to get their children fed before bedtime. I told him I was happy someone could take advantage of it.

Presumably then, you did not get the auto gratuity for head server, server and assistant server charged to your stateroom account then, since you didn't have dining room staff assigned to you?

 

[ma2kna]

Interesting discussions!

 

[steves100]

I plan on room service for breakfast, and have made plans for Remy/Palo for dinner each night. I don't do buffets or quick service. I found the MDR food mediocre on my last trip & plan on any extra snacks, light meals, in the concierge lounge, which is separate from any other tips. I understand gratuity is added to bar service and usually add something extra each time I get a drink. I was just wondering what other persons have done in that situation.

How did you get Remy/Palo every nights? How long is the cruise?