How do you handle tipping for your kids?

[3redheads]

Please forgive my ignorance

We're doing the land/sea and will be on the cruise 3 nights. I found what you tip for adults, but is it the same for your kids?

There are 4 of us. Kids are 7 and 11.

Thanks!

 

[HooKooDooKu]

Thankfully, tipping for children are considered to be the same for adults.

If they tried to be fair about it, we'd be tipping 1.5x to 2x the adult rate for children.

 

[mickeyboat]

ITA!

Denae

 

[jrabbit]

Gratuities: Everything you wanted to know about tipping!

I've read that you can charge your tips to your stateroom acct. Does that mean you could actually charges the tips to a credit card?

Yes. Everything on the ship gets charged to your room. You can pay off your room charge with cash, credit card, debit card, travelers check, first born, etc..

I saw someone saying there was a line to charge the tips - can anyone clarify how this works for me?

1)When you order room service there is a line on the receipt that you can add a tip to (it used to be that you had to tip in cash to the server - recently (in the last year or so) DCL has added this capability to their system. 2)When you order drinks where there is a charge ("adult" beverages, smoothies, soda not at dinner, virgin "adult" beverages, bottled water) DCL automatically adds a 15% gratuity charge that you cannot remove. There is a line where you can add more if you want to.

It was mentioned you get tipping envelopes (do they deliver them to your cabin or do you need to pick them up somewhere)?

Generally your room steward will place the gratuity envelopes on your bed the night before your last night of the cruise (i.e. 7 night cruise from Saturday to Saturday-last dinner Friday- you will get the envelopes delivered while you are at dinner on Thursday)

Also vouchers were mentioned (what does that mean)?

You can go to Guest Services and charge your gratuities (for the required tipped positions) to your room. They give you two slips of paper - one is a receipt for your records and the second is the voucher that you place in your tip envelope. You give Guest Services your room number and they KNOW who your server, asst. server, head server and room steward are. Their names/positions print out on the voucher so that you know which envelope to place each voucher in. Also, since tipping is not customary in Europe, sometimes the packages they purchase will include vouchers for the tips.

Who do you tip, how much?

Your Server (takes your food order and brings you your food), Assistant Server (takes your beverage order, brings the bread to the table and assists the server in delivering your food, head server (the person that makes sure that your server and assistant servers are doing their jobs. Also comes around on the last night and introduces them self and says "remember to tip me please” ) and Room Steward (Cleans up your room several times per day, brings you ice for your cooler, usually makes towel animals, turns down your bed and makes up the couch into a bed and sets up the pull down bed every evening. We've found these folks to be some of the nicest/friendliest people working for you.

Now for the how much (the following amounts are PER GUEST (including children) for THE ENTIRE cruise). This is from DCL's web site.
What about gratuities? (September 2004)
We'll make it easy. It is customary to give gratuities in recognition of service, which you will most likely be treated to in abundance aboard the ship. As a guideline, may we suggest the following:


Per Guest per cruise______3-Night____4-Night____7-Night
......Dining Room Server___11.00______14.75______25.75
Dining Room Asst. Server____8.00______10.75______18.75
.Dining Room Head Server____2.75_______3.75_______6.50
..Stateroom Host/Hostess___10.75______14.50______25.25
Dining Manager Your Discretion
Room Service Your Discretion

For your convenience, a 15% gratuity is automatically added to bar, beverage, wine, and deck service tabs. All gratuities can be charged to your room charge.
At the Walt Disney World® Resort, 15% is the customary gratuity at restaurants and bars.

------------
This is me again to give a real world example

So if there are 3 of you on a four night cruise your tips would be:

Server________3*14.75 = 44.25
Asst. Server__3*10.75 = 32.25
Head Server___3* 3.75 = 11.25
Stateroom_____3*14.50 = 43.50
________________Total: 131.25

So here is how the tips break down PER GUEST
3 Night Cruise - $10.83 per day or $32.50 for the cruise
4 Night Cruise - $10.94 per day or $43.75 for the cruise
7 Night Cruise - $10.89 per day or $76.25 for the cruise

How do I find the current tipping guide?

Go to the DCL web site and do a search. Be sure to search for "Gratuities" NOT tip. Then to FAQ and onto the topic "What about gratuities?"

Do I really have to tip?

The truthful answer (legal) is no. The real answer (ethical) is absolutely. Many of us here use this guide as the minimum tip. Many tip a little over these recommended amounts and many more tip a lot over these amounts. If you receive very poor service from any of these positions you should tip less than the recommended amount AND make an appropriate comment on the comment cards that DCL requests us to fill out at the end of our cruise. If you received a "way above and beyond the call of duty" service from ANY cast member - be sure to comment about them too!

Should I tip my waiters at breakfast and lunch?

No - it's not required nor expected. If (and it's a BIG if) everyone tips to the published gratuity guide then all of the wait staff gets tipped for all meals because in reality your wait staff is working breakfast, lunch, dinner and special events (late night deserts, desert buffet, other buffets). Your standard tip covers breakfast, lunch and dinner for the entire cruise - what a deal!!

Also, when is the best time to pay the tips? Do you hand each person their envelope on the last evening? Is it awkward doing that?

For the waitstaff when you are at the last dinner. No, it's not awkward - it's when they expect it. For me it's been an emotional time too because generally speaking your Server and Assistant Server are very good and you've had a chance to get to know them AND the end of your cruise is near. For your room steward, just find him/her sometime on the last evening and HAND them your tip.

When should I tip my Room Steward?

I like to hand my room steward their tip on the last evening of the cruise or the next morning. This is the best way to make sure that YOUR room steward receives the tip (especially if CASH is involved). It has been brought to our attention that if you leave the room stewards tip in your room they might not receive it. Why? Because extra help comes onboard to help clean up the rooms (remember Disney is doing a 4hr turnaround on the ship - wow!). This extra "help" will frequently pocket any cash left in the room for the steward, so that YOUR steward won't receive it - some stranger will.

What other reason are there for tipping?

Well, that’s how these folks get paid. DCL only pays these people about $50 per MONTH (yes month, not day, not week). Granted they also get room and board. But they usually work 16-17 hours per day 7 days a week

Anyone else we should tip?

Glad you asked. On embarkation and debarkation days porters are available to assist you with your luggage. Be sure to tip them $1 or $2 per bag. If you use their service when disembarking (and you should - they'll help you through customs) and if they take you out to the far parking lot or where the shuttles load, considering tipping them more because they will be taking longer helping you and won't be able to help as many guests.

What about gratuities for the Councilors in the kids clubs?

This info was provided by DonaldFan70 - a former Counselor and Club Manager on DCL. The Counselors are NO Longer considered a non-tipped position BUT they are NOT set up with a gratuity system like the servers / asst. servers, etc. Even though you can/should tip them, all cash tips are pooled and used for department functions and any non-cash gifts (phone cards, gift cards, and BTW they love candy - but not gum - the captian frowns upon gum) are pooled to use as prizes at department functions. If you want a non-cash gift to go to a specific counselor you must let the manager know so that it does not get pooled. BTW - CM's must report all gifts and gratuities to their department leader / manager (DCL Company Policy)

 

[Honu]

Great post jrabbit. How many Kid's Club Counselors are there? We will have a 10, 8 and 6 year old. Just wondering how many gift cards to get. TIA

 

[webray]

When you get the tip envelopes there will be suggested amounts, you multiply that number x's 4 and that is your tip amount. You can increase it if you feel you have had really outstanding service. You do not short the number, because you kids did not eat with in in the dining room one night. Your kids still get served food for the entire length of the cruise, and someone is serving that food to them.

 

[izzinmac]

I never tip my kids! They never do anything to deserve tips!

 

[lbgraves]

You may want to check out the myths about the kid's clubs thread. A former club manager has clarified the tipping guidelines in the club. It seems that EVERYTHING that is given to a counselor is pooled for the group.

 

[MrsMork]

Gratuities:

The truthful answer (legal) is no. The real answer (ethical) is absolutely. Many of us here use this guide as the minimum tip. Many tip a little over these recommended amounts and many more tip a lot over these amounts. If you receive very poor service from any of these positions you should tip less than the recommended amount AND make an appropriate comment on the comment cards that DCL requests us to fill out at the end of our cruise. If you received a "way above and beyond the call of duty" service from ANY cast member - be sure to comment about them too!
QUOTE]


Just would add to this that if you are receiving what you consider poor service, speak with the Head Server and I believe the level of service will improve.

 

[ElenitaB]

Don't forget the drivers on the Disney Cruise Line busses, if you've received great service and/or had some heavier than normal carry-on luggage.

 

[tbck1993]

Thank you so much, jrabbit, for this invaluable information!!!

 

[jrabbit]

Great post jrabbit. How many Kid's Club Counselors are there? We will have a 10, 8 and 6 year old. Just wondering how many gift cards to get. TIA

Here's my updated information regarding Tipping for the Counselors... This info was provided by DonaldFan70 - a former Counselor and Club Manager on DCL. The Counselors are NO Longer considered a non-tipped position BUT they are NOT set up with a gratuity system like the servers / asst. servers, etc. Even though you can/should tip them, all cash tips are pooled and used for department functions and any non-cash gifts (phone cards, gift cards, and BTW they love candy - but not gum - the captian frowns upon gum) are pooled to use as prizes at department functions. If you want a non-cash gift to go to a specific counselor you must let the manager know so that it does not get pooled. BTW - CM's must report all gifts and gratuities to their department leader / manager (DCL Company Policy)

Now for the "quantity" portion of you question. There are a LOT of councelors onboard (I don't remember how many). But your kids will probably only have a couple that have really enjoyed interacting with. If you decide on using gift or phone cards, you can get them in "smaller" amounts and give multiple cards to those deserving councelors. THat way you can "spread the wealth" around, or if you choose, bring home any unused cards and use them yourself. Gives you some flexibility.

 

[Honu]

I really dislike the pooling the tips concept. When I give someone a tip it is for the excellent service THEY provide. If they then choose to share it, that's fine by me. I really do not want to be put in the uncomfortable position of telling a manager that the gift cards I had planned to leave are not to be used for their general fun fund. I don't see a way to accomplish giving my tips without making the other managers/counselors feel slighted and putting my counselors in the position of defending what they've rightfully earned.

 

[Grumbo]

I never tip my kids! They never do anything to deserve tips!

I thought it was funny Izzi

Cheers,
Grumbo

 

[mark & sandra]

yes you can tip the kids club in cash or gift checks they do like it .They really like gift cards to walmart the most .I gave a large lump sum of cash & told them to enjoy drinks on the kids. We must take care of the counselors who do so much with our children so we can enjoy the adult time . Alot of people look at them as free babysitting but dont forget to tip them they are doing the most important job next to the capitin taking care of our children most important have fun sandra

 

[Susie51]

Thank you for the helpful information on tipping. I like to charge the tips.

Let's see if I have this straight.

Correct me if I have this wrong.

First, I go to guest services and I ask to charge the tips. They will give me a voucher for EACH person I tip. 3 for the dining room and one for the room steward. Then I put the vouchers in the envelopes and personally hand them to the appropriate people. Also, I should bring several phone cards/Wal. cards for the people in Flounders and OC.

 

[crisi]

I actually kind of like the pooled tip info for the kids clubs. Since I'm not in there with the kids, I don't know who is working with them. And, at least on a short cruise, my kids really didn't have names. Giving everyone a small gift card seems cheap. Giving a few decent sized cards, and knowing that the randomization of having a staff drawing for everyone's cards will even things out, seems fair. I hadn't tipped in the kids club last time because 20 $5 cards was expensive and yet seemed cheap. But two $20 gift cards to be used in a staff drawing, or candy to share seems reasonable.

And since they will let you reward someone specifically, as long as you make sure you indicate that is what you want, no loss to those who really want to reward a great job.

 

[jrabbit]

Thank you for the helpful information on tipping. I like to charge the tips.

Let's see if I have this straight.

Correct me if I have this wrong.

First, I go to guest services and I ask to charge the tips. They will give me a voucher for EACH person I tip. 3 for the dining room and one for the room steward. Then I put the vouchers in the envelopes and personally hand them to the appropriate people. Also, I should bring several phone cards/Wal. cards for the people in Flounders and OC.

Yes thats correct. But let me add a step in here for you. You will recieve a form that has the 4 tipped positions on it and the standard gratuity guide. You fill out the form with the amount (Standard, more, less) that you want to give to each person. Then you go to guest services and they will charge the gratuities to your room and give you the vouchers for the envelopes (that arrived in your room along with the form). If you want to add in gift / phone cards for the "tipped positions" you should plan ahead and bring you own envelopes because if memory serves me correctly, the cards won't fit in the envlopes DCL gives you. You really should try to hand the tips to your folks. It's a nice personal touch.

And yes, you can give cards to the folks in Flounders and the Oceaneers Club / Lab.

 

[3redheads]

Thank you for all of your responses! I didn't even think about the kid's club counselors.

Kim