Gratuities/tipping

[caryrae]

We have never been on any Cruise before and I am thinking of doing a Disney cruise next Oct 2011 for my wife's birthday. How does the gratuities/tipping work, how do you now how much and when to tip? Do you tip like the Servers and housekeeping at the end of trip and other services right away like room service?

 

[MarkRG]

We have never been on any Cruise before and I am thinking of doing a Disney cruise next Oct 2011 for my wife's birthday. How does the gratuities/tipping work, how do you now how much and when to tip? Do you tip like the Servers and housekeeping at the end of trip and other services right away like room service?

Good guess. For when, you got it right the first time, bravo.

As far as how much, when you book you'll be given recommended tip info in your paperwork, it's based on how long you're going for. I personally usually go over/under depending on how the service was. Keep aware they make most of their salary off the tips, not the pay they get from DCL.

 

[Alice3]

Hi,

I am a first-time cruiser as well...

On a related note, would I be tipping appropriately for room service if I tipped $5 per service? Is that too much/too little?

Thanks so much!

 

[Grandma4ever]

We have never been on any Cruise before and I am thinking of doing a Disney cruise next Oct 2011 for my wife's birthday. How does the gratuities/tipping work, how do you now how much and when to tip? Do you tip like the Servers and housekeeping at the end of trip and other services right away like room service?

You can start will planning about $12.00 dollars per day / per person for your tips. These are divided up between 4 persons. Your stateroom host and 3 persons in the dining room.

Like you said room services and Bar tabs are tipped at the time of the service.

Some folks bring gift cards or small treats to give to the cast members who work so tirelessly with the kids but that is not one of the tipped positions.

I have always got such great service I have felt trhat they deserved more than I could ever give. Enjoy your cruise.

 

[thomprod]

Hi,

I am a first-time cruiser as well...

On a related note, would I be tipping appropriately for room service if I tipped $5 per service? Is that too much/too little?

Thanks so much!

I think $5 would be more than enough for a room service tip, unless they were bringing a lot of food/drinks or provided a special service. I usually tip two or three dollars.

 

[Alice3]

I think $5 would be more than enough for a room service tip, unless they were bringing a lot of food/drinks or provided a special service. I usually tip two or three dollars.

Thanks so much! This is very helpful. I guess I should start collecting one dollar bills now.

 

[KSandbergFL]

Thanks so much! This is very helpful. I guess I should start collecting one dollar bills now.

Disney has a "prepaid" tips option, that you can charge to your VISA or room. It runs $12/day per person. If you have a reservation already, you could even call DCL now and have the tips added to your bill. Nice and easy.

For room service, just tip accordingly.

 

[tinkmom2]

The tip calculator is in the FAQ section at the top of the threads. You imput the number of people and it will give you the amount you should tip your staff. You can tip the standard amount or go above that if you see fit. The night before you debark you are given a sheet that gives the suggested amount. You drop that off in a box at guest services and they print our tickets and envelopes you give to the staff. As the pp poster said you can bring dollar bills and tip the room staff but the ship is a cashless society. Your tips will be deducted from your shipboard account. I prepay my shipboard account ahead of time by calling DCL directly. We are going in October 2011 maybe we will see you there?!

 

[funcinderella]

Can you use on board credit towards the tip?

 

[Tower]

This is what I use for tipping.
http://cruisetip.tpkeller.com/

 

[jilljill]

Can you use on board credit towards the tip?

Yes

 

[MarkRG]

Can you use on board credit towards the tip?

Yes

Also of note, there was a post recently that using gift cards to generate that onboard credit isn't a good idea, as they can't apply the entire balance of the cards.

 

[jilljill]

Also of note, there was a post recently that using gift cards to generate that onboard credit isn't a good idea, as they can't apply the entire balance of the cards.

But that's not an onboard credit, that is considered a pay't towards your stateroom account.
I took the other poster's question to be about OBC that is given by TA's, DCL or booking with the Disney Visa card.

 

[MarkRG]

But that's not an onboard credit, that is considered a pay't towards your stateroom account.
I took the other poster's question to be about OBC that is given by TA's, DCL or booking with the Disney Visa card.

Yes, I know in the exact wording it is, but a lot of people pay in advance and then consider it one. Just covering the bases.

 

[NJ.Ohana]

This is our first time also. I would have never known about tipping.

 

[FairyGrandmother]

Can you use on board credit towards the tip?

You can also pay your tips in cash. You will be given envelopes in wich to put your tips and then you give them out to your cabin host and your servers on the last night.

 

[FairyGrandmother]

On my first cruise (not DCL) several years ago I did not know anything about tips either. Thank goodness I had enough on my credit card to cover the tips.
This is one of the many reasons that this bord is so great. You are able to get all your questions answered even thoese that you didn't know you wanted to ask.
And for those of you going on your first cruise be sure to look up your cruise date in the cruise meets section and get to know some of your fellow cruisers you won't regreat it.

 

[jilljill]

This is our first time also. I would have never known about tipping.

Info about suggested tips will be in the paperwork that you receive from DCL about 2-4 weeks before sailing. In fact it's in the booklet in 2 different places.

 

[KSandbergFL]

Info about suggested tips will be in the paperwork that you receive from DCL about 2-4 weeks before sailing. In fact it's in the booklet in 2 different places.

What I recommend to first-timers is -- if you have a reservation, you could call DCL and prepay your tips NOW (for prepaid tips, DCL charges the standard $12/person per day rate). Then you don't have to worry about it at all, during your cruise. For a 3-nt cruise, it's only $108.

 

[lds0191]

I just used the pre-pay option for our upcoming cruise. It took about 2 minutes (minus the wait time) and all done. It will be nice not to have to go to guest services onboard to have tips added to our account, or to have to carry cash. Plus, I still have the option of adding or taking away depending on service as the tip envelopes are not distributed until the last night at dinner.