Hidden Costs and Tipping

[StephenKay]

First let me say we are not cruise people but have taken the plunge and booked a short 3 day cruise next July. One of our main questions is about tipping we don't mind paying for service but can you explain when do you tip, to whom and how much?, I have seen posts of guests queuing to pay for tips at guests services - is this right? Tipping in Britain is not like in the states we generally only tip for very good service or either a service charge.

Another question is are there any hidden costs? we only ask as we like to know what the cost of the holiday will be as those family transatlantic flights are not cheap.

 

[din]

Welcome StephenKay;

The tip amounts for the servers, asst server, host/hosted etc... are provided to you on the last night of the cruise. You can go to guest services to charge the tip and they will give you a voucher for it. If you like a sample of the amount you can get from serveral sites.

Hidden/other charges:
- tip included when you buy drinks, wine, beer
- tip for soft drinks (if it is not during meal or you do not have a mug)

The rest are addtional cost you may want to consider:
- cash for tip for room service if you use the room service.
- photos that you may want to buy
- spa treatment
- Palos
- shore excursions

Hope this helps and I am sure others will provide addtional input.

 

[MaddyMay]

Hello!

We are just off the 9/28 Magic, and I think I can answer some of your questions.

Tipping: You are basically asked to leave a "gratuity" for your head server, assistant server, maitre'd, and room host/hostess. This is one aspect of the cruise that I was a little disappointed about. We found, and I don't know if others would agree, that this is not as much a tip as an expectation. It was really quite flagrant on our cruise. Our waiter gave a long dissertation on the fact that he would appreciate high (excellent) marks for his service on the end of cruise questionnaire, which made us a little uncomfortable. He rubbed me the wrong way right from the start, but we did leave him the expected amount. The room host/hostesses work their tails off and deserve every penny they earn. We had Kenneth from Trinidad and he was spectacular.

Hidden costs: You have to tip for room service, you tip individually on anything you order from the menu that is not included with your trip price (for example, our kids had "smoothies" to drink with dinner on 3 or 4 nights which cost about $3.00 each, when we got the final bill, the tip for the smoothies was already added in. In other words, every thing is "auto-tipped" automatically). The pictures that the roaming photographers take our excellent and hard to pass up. We left with $200 worth of those!

We got the wine service ($269) with the auto-gratuity which we were not expecting, $325.

When all was said and done, we had approximately a $1600 bill at the end of the cruise (bear in mind, $500 was a stateroom upgrade, $200 pictures). You will be paying more, so I would go with that in mind.

All in all, it was a fabulous cruise, we had the time of our lives, and I can't wait to go back! I just wish that Disney would find a different way of doing the "gratuity" thing. Its not really a tip if it is expected.

Have fun!!

 

[LadyLt]

This is all my personal opinion, but I thought that the Disney recommended tips were very reasonable. If you think that you received really great service, then you can up the amount of the tips. I did up mine on all positions on my one DCL cruise.

I became quite friendly with our server during our cruise. One of traveling companions took an instant dislike to him and complained to the Head Server. The young man was extremely hurt and came to me to see what he could do to make it up to her. But she is a difficult personality and I advised him to just ignore it. Anyway, because of this, he and I talked a lot during the cruise. I would stay at the table after dinner and he would talk to me. He and his wife are both servers on the ship and work the same rotation. Very nice young couple from Hungary. During one of our conversations, he explained working on the ship to me. Disney hires the servers and assistant servers in their home countries. Disney pays to fly them to the U.S. for the ship. They are given a cabin to live in and meals to eat. At the end of their contract, or on a vacation schedule, Disney pays to fly them back to their home countries. But the only "cash pay" that they receive are their tips.

He definitely was NOT complaining out it. Or trying to get extra tips from me. He was explaining that he and his wife have college degrees, but the economy is so bad back in Hungary that they can make more working on the cruise ships. They are saving money for later in their lives.

Bianca

 

[jellymoon]

Our assistant server on the 9/28 cruise- - Gabor-- was also from Hungary. He didn't share with me the specifics of his salary, but he did say that he so much enjoys DCL better than when he worked for Royal Carribean. He described the difference in training, as well as general treatment. He feels cared for on DCL. He mentioned the other thing he likes is that he can bring anyone in his family on a cruise for next to nothing, and can take all of his family to any of the Disney parks for free. He said this is a huge benefit to him because of the economic situation in Hungary. He said that it is overwhelming to work on a cruise and see that even Americans with "ordinary" (meaning not just doctors, lawyers, stock brokers, etc.) jobs can save and afford to have this kind of vacation. He said even for those in the upper economic classes in Hungary, this type of vacation would be totally out of reach. He felt very pleased that his family would experience it.

Also, our head server was wonderful!!! She did not really talk about the specifics of life on the ship or conditions of working, but we did learn that she is a newlywed. She married another server (who works the same rotation) last June. They met on board.

There were six in our party. This included our four children who only joined us a couple of times during the seven days. We tipped the recommended amount and an additional amount. We were very pleased with the service and I was very impressed--- and overwhelmed--- by how hard the crew works on that ship. The servers work breakfast, lunch and dinner every day for six months. They never have a full day off. And I really felt the service was excellent--- so much more than what I would see anywhere else I might go.

As well, we were delighted with our fantastic stateroom host and were pleased to leave a well-earned tip. He, too, was ALWAYS working and did such a great job. He was always checking in on us, etc.

Just curious--- for the person who had the tabemate complain about the server. What caused it, do you know? I think DCL takes those kinds of complaints extremely seriously, and wonder what kind of an offense would cause a formal complaint?

 

[LadyLt]

Originally posted by jellymoon
[Just curious--- for the person who had the tabemate complain about the server. What caused it, do you know? I think DCL takes those kinds of complaints extremely seriously, and wonder what kind of an offense would cause a formal complaint? [/B]

Zoran was our server. He really gave us great service as far as I was concerned. He is more reserved that some of the servers. But once I got to know him, I felt that he was really warm-hearted. I became ill on Castaway Cay, last day of the cruise. I got back to my cabin running a 101 degree temperature. (I was later diagnosed back home with strep throat.) Anyway, I did not make the last dinner. Zoran was so upset that I wasn't there that he told my traveling companions that he was taking food to my cabin. They had to work to talk him out of it by saying that I really wasn't well enough to eat it. I made it to breakfast the next morning because it was time to disembark. But I was still obviously ill. He hugged me, told me that he had worried about me, and would pat me on the shoulder all through the meal.

The Reader's Digest version of events on our first night at dinner: One of my traveling companions was a 55 yr old divorced female. She is one that feels she must always be correct and that everyone needs to do what she wants to do. She is also
"a big kid". She had several plastic Disney toys that she carried with her and took photographs of at various locations. He walked up, saw the toys, and told her that they had crayons if she wanted them. I truly believe that he was trying to make a joke. But she became furious. She said that he had insulted her. And complained to the Head Server. She wanted the rest of our group to also complain on him and demand a new table and server. We refused to do it and she became angry with us.

The Head Server talked to him during dinner. Zoran was very upset about it. I was the last to leave our table and he caught me and asked to talk to me. We talked for over 30 minutes at the table as the room was cleaned. Our friendly relationship developed from that. She continued to cold shoulder him all week.

Bianca

 

[LadyLt]

I forgot to add in my long post above: I went to the Head Server and explained the situation. So Zoran was not in trouble. They were aware that three of us were happy with his service and that I didn't think anything could make the fourth person happy. They offered to move us and I said No.

Bianca

 

[tlens]

Ok. I'm confused. In my other cruises with a different line, we received envelopes in which to put our tips.(cash) We then handed them personally to our server, asst and cabin steward. We have to line up at guest services on Disney to do that??? That seems like a huge hassle and waste of time.

 

[FantasticDisFamily]

LadyLT - Oh my! I'm sitting in my office SURROUNDED by toys (most of them Disney related) that we use in many situations. Now I haven't taken any on the cruise but if I had some sitting on the table and my server had asked if I wanted crayons I would have been DELIGHTED! How observant of him. Instead of complaining she should have been pleased. Well like you said some folks can not be pleased no matter what.

tlens - on the second to last night of your cruise you will receive envelopes in your cabin for the tips. You certainly may insert cash. However, DCL has provided an option for those who either have spent their cash, didn't bring much in the first place, or just prefer to keep it all together. At some point in the cruise you may go to Guest services and charge your tip amount to your room account. They issue voucher slips which you insert in the envelopes. In either event you hand the envelopes with the tip to the person directly. One side benefit of getting the vouchers is that there is a half you keep and when I did my scrapbooking on the last cruise I had those to put with the pictures. Didn't have to rely on memory for names!

Deb

 

[GeorgiaVol]

We had Gabor as well, back in January on a 7 day eastern. He is a great kid and our kids loved him.

 

[RIDISNEYLOVERS]

Can you request certain servers?

 

[wildernessgirl]

You can request servers, BUT are not guaranteed that server. Once on board, oyu may try to change you table assignment to get the srever you want. On our last cruise, we tipped our assistant server more because she went above and beyond! Our camcorder broke the day before Castaway Cay and she gave us hers to use while out on the island! She told us that it was a must! She was fantastic! Our sever was good, but didn't have that "personal touch" and was alittle blah!

Also, if you have any children in the clubs there is no money tipping. They are told they are not suppose to take money ( at least that's what a few club workers told me). But there is always ways of tipping without money. They LOVE phone cards!!
Pictures of your children, personal letters from your children, etc...

 

[SweetSpot]

I am having a difficult time getting a feel for how many phone cards I should bring with me. My children will be in the 5-7 and the 10-12 clubs. I've looked at the old navigators and they have anywhere from 10 - 15 employees each. Are all of the counselors assigned to your kids or are they broken into groups? Are there other people besides the counselor I would want to give phone cards to? How many phone cards do people who have used them generally bring and use?

Thank you for any help you can give me.

 

[wildernessgirl]

There are a lot of "workers" in the children's activity clubs, but there are usually only 2-3 people who stick out and bond with your children. I usually bring 6-10 phone cards with me. Sometimes I put them in with the tip envelopes along with the tip. If I don't pass them all out, I can use the cards as extra gifts for people back home, teachers, neighbors who help with animals, or keep them (depending on expiration dates) for the next visit or cruise.

 

[ruvidu]

If it was, I would agree with your table companion. He got the recommended tip while the assistant got less. We felt rushed and ignored (8 of us) most of the week.

 

[TnRobin]

tlens

You will have envelopes in your rooms. You may place your tip (cash, phone card, etc) in these envelopes and then you will deliver them yourself to the servers, stateroom host, etc.

If you wish you may charge your tips to the room account. You need to go to Guest Service to do this, you be given a card to place in the envelopes in lieu of cash. Then you give them personally to the people.

As for other things

Extra Cost

Cola/Soda (outside of a sitdown resturant) 15% tip added on bill automatically)
Alcoholic Beverages (15% added automatically)
Photos
Souveniers
Spa Treatment
Shore Excursions
Tips for Room Service (Food is free from room service, Drinks cost extra)

Included in price:

All food (including room service)
Entertainment on Board (Evening shows, movies, night clubs, on ship activities)


Have a wonderful holiday

 

[Tiiiigergirl]

Our server, Andrea, was wonderful. We just got back from the 9/28 mystery cruise. She did make a little pitch at the end for excellent marks but it was so tactfully done that I did not mind at all. This was mostly because at every meal she had been checking to make sure the food really was excellent. There was one night that I ordered something that didn't taste good to me. Everyone else at the table enjoyed it, but she noticed the expression on my face and insisted on bringing me something else. I would have been fine on eating it, but she was insistent that I find the food excellent at every meal. I learned to trust her recommendations as she really knew her food! She was also wonderful with the children and her face lit up with the little ones. She wants to come to the States and I told her I would do anything I could to help her. I'm not sure she took me seriously but anyone who has such an incredible work ethic would have a place in my home town!

We also found Erika in Palo's to be a kick. She was funny! She said the standard is excellent so don't waste your time or stomach room with anything that isn't. She was good at letting us know what to eat and what not to eat.

The servers really earn their tips!

 

[jellymoon]

I forgot to mention that at Palo, I was having a difficult time deciding between the veal and the fillet. OUr server (whose name I can't remember now) asked the woman at the next table how she was enjoying her veal. He was shocked when she said: "Well, actually, it isn't very good. It is a little on the dry side and I don't like the sauce." She quickly added that it wasn't "bad" and if he hadn't asked she would not complain. Well, immediately (after I ordered the filet) he left and the head server came over to speak with the couple and apologize. I few minutes later our regular server came back and said that the veal had been removed from the menu for the rest of the evening. I was impressed at the immediate responsiveness to an individual guest. I was also impressed that twice during the week our regular dining room server, Aleksandra from the Netherlands, told me what I was planning to order would be a bad idea. On one evening I changed and went with her recommendation. ON the other night (Small World night) I REALLY wanted the Indian Chicken. Her concern was that if I was accustomed to real Indian food (which I am) I would be disappointed as it was not particularly spicy. She said when they first started making it it was wonderful (her husband who works ont he ship is from India, so she was especially knowledgable about Indian food). However, guests complained it was too spicy so they pretty much Americanized it. I went ahead and ordered it anyway, and it was tasty, but definately was not at all spicey. The flavor was very mild. But I had been appropriately warned. IW as so impressed with her honesty.

 

[MBD1215]

MADDYMAY

If you don't mind me asking about the upgrade price? What cat were you in, and what did you upgrade to, I'm thinking of doing this 10/27, have cat 4, want to look into 3