How does tipping work

[suzyqn]

Our youngest (19 months old) will be in flounder's nursery for each of the evening meals. Do you think we will need to include her in our tipping for the meals or should we save that money and do something for the childcare workers?

Where would I find the newest DCL tipping guideline amounts? This thread was started so long ago I have to believe it has changed since then.

 

[jrabbit]

here is a link to the FAQ's regarding tipping.

 

[suzyqn]

jrabbit: thanks for the link. looks like tipping prices really haven't changed if I remember correctly.

I am still interested in opinions on tipping when a young child does not attend the meals.

 

[tinkmom2]

I was interested in paying my tips early. However, I heard of situations where the servers track you down if you don't give them the expected tip. I am one who always tips based on service. I plan on adjusting my tips accordingly. My question is if you never see the head server why are they tipped?

 

[tinkmom2]

Our youngest (19 months old) will be in flounder's nursery for each of the evening meals. Do you think we will need to include her in our tipping for the meals or should we save that money and do something for the childcare workers?

Where would I find the newest DCL tipping guideline amounts? This thread was started so long ago I have to believe it has changed since then.

I am curious about this too! We may miss one of our meals because we will be at Palo. We plan on tipping at Palo. Do we adjust our tips accordingly?

 

[patsal]

I was interested in paying my tips early. However, I heard of situations where the servers track you down if you don't give them the expected tip. I am one who always tips based on service. I plan on adjusting my tips accordingly. My question is if you never see the head server why are they tipped?

We saw the head server nightly. He always made it a point to come and check on things and "play " a bit with our children. He earned his tip from us!

 

[Kurby]

I was interested in paying my tips early. However, I heard of situations where the servers track you down if you don't give them the expected tip. I am one who always tips based on service. I plan on adjusting my tips accordingly. My question is if you never see the head server why are they tipped?

I'd be curious what you think they would do? do you think a server would start yelling at you in the hall if you didn't tip or give enough? even if they stopped you in the hall and asked why you didn't tip enough that would be extreamly rude and would make me file a complaint against them not to mention demand what i had given them as a tip back.

i would hardly think anyone would "track you down"

 

[lbgraves]

I am curious about this too! We may miss one of our meals because we will be at Palo. We plan on tipping at Palo. Do we adjust our tips accordingly?

The tips you give the servers at the end of the week do not just cover your dinners in the dining rooms. They also cover for all your other meals during the cruise...breakfast and lunch especially...since you are not expected to tip for those seperately. Your servers staff those stations, including the quick service areas on deck 9. So if you want to divide that $8 per person per day for all your meals with $4 for dinner, $1.50 for breakfast and $2.50 for lunch that isn't much because it equates to probably 10% of the value of the food if you were eating at WDW at a sit down meal.

 

[lbgraves]

I was interested in paying my tips early. However, I heard of situations where the servers track you down if you don't give them the expected tip. I am one who always tips based on service. I plan on adjusting my tips accordingly. My question is if you never see the head server why are they tipped?

The head server makes sure that things are running smoothly between the dining room and the kitchen. They are working behind the sceen to fix problems before you are aware of them. If you don't see them much, that probably means that they are very busy doing their job to make your servers look good for you. When a server or assistant is ill the head server will step in to make sure that the entire team functions smoothly. The serving team next to you having an off night can affect your serving team, and everyone else in their section.

 

[lbgraves]

jrabbit: thanks for the link. looks like tipping prices really haven't changed if I remember correctly.

I am still interested in opinions on tipping when a young child does not attend the meals.

That was actually a link to this thread and the rates you saw were from 2004. They have gone up around $2 per day per person, which is reflected in the tip calculator.

 

[kcashner]

Our youngest (19 months old) will be in flounder's nursery for each of the evening meals. Do you think we will need to include her in our tipping for the meals or should we save that money and do something for the childcare workers?

Where would I find the newest DCL tipping guideline amounts? This thread was started so long ago I have to believe it has changed since then.

You have 2 issues here. One is that the tips reflect all the service received at all meals, not just dinner. Your 19 month old ate real food from somewhere--whether you got it from Topsiders, Pluto's, etc. In addition, he/she took a spot at the server's station (it couldn't be filled by another guest). If you told me that your child EVER ate in the dining room, I'd suggest that they be included in the tip. Never eating there at all---probably still should be counted.

Secondly, the child care workers are not a tipped position. They are paid a reasonable salary and are not expecting "extras." While a small gift (especially an edible one) is lovely, something the equivalent of $8 per day (tipping suggested amount in the dining rooms) is excessive.

For those concerned about going to Palo on the last night--you have several options. We charged our tips thru Guest Services. Our servers were aware that we had Palo on the last night (dd's 18th birthday). We went down to the dining room during the early seating and delivered the tip envelopes. We were careful to not be in the way--just a quick run in and out. In fact, we gave them all to the head server who was standing at the door and asked him to deliver them to the others. We would have done this during OUR seating, but that was when we were at Palo. An alternative would be to deliver the tips the last morning...but that was one more thing I didn't need to think about on the last morning. You could also deliver them a night early.

To the person concerned about an unhappy server "running you down," I've never heard of such a thing.

On our most recent cruises, I tipped most people the suggested amount...a little more to the head server who went "above and beyond." We did B2B 4/3 day cruises on the Wonder, and had a Palo night on each. On the 4 day, they were good, not exceptional. On the 3 day, they were great. I was really amazed at the level of thanks I received from our serving team. It made me wonder if they weren't getting the standard tips many times (economy, whatever). I would have tipped more to the 3 day team, but frankly felt that since they only served us 2 of the 3 nights, the standard was appropriate.

 

[Disneydreamer5]

For the 3 night cruise, per person:
Restaurant Server: $11.00
Assistant Server: $8.00
Head Server: $2.75
Staterooom Host(ess): $10.75

This means that for 2 people:
your tip for the WHOLE CRUISE for your dining room server would be $22.00.

Your tip for the Assistant server would be $16 for the whole cruise.

Your tip for the Head Server would be $5.50 for the cruise

and your tip for your Stateroom host/ess would be $21.50.

So, for 2 people, the TOTAL tips for and ENTIRE 3-day cruise would be $65.00 if you follow the guidelines.

The tips for the Servers are usually handed out during dinner on the last night of your cruise. You have the same servers for dinner every night, so you only tip them once at the end of the cruise.

The tip for your stateroom host/ess is usually given to them or left in your room for them sometime during the last full day of the cruise.

ok so there are 7 in my family and if we take a 7 night cruise the amount we should give our server would be?
I am so lost on this.

 

[kcashner]

ok so there are 7 in my family and if we take a 7 night cruise the amount we should give our server would be?
I am so lost on this.

The amount you would give your server would be $4 per person per night of the cruise. Thus, $4 X 7 people X 7 nights = $196.

You will receive all of this in your stateroom on the second to last night--the form to charge tips if desired and the envelopes. The form includes the suggested amounts--to whom and how much.

For budgeting purposes....the suggested tips on a 7 day are $84 per guest (total). I round that up to $100 and think to myself that I'll need $100 per person sailing. Thus, with a family of 7, you'd think "$700." That way, you have a little extra for room service or bumping up tips if you choose. If you don't choose, you bring home a little money.

 

[Disneydreamer5]

The amount you would give your server would be $4 per person per night of the cruise. Thus, $4 X 7 people X 7 nights = $196.

You will receive all of this in your stateroom on the second to last night--the form to charge tips if desired and the envelopes. The form includes the suggested amounts--to whom and how much.

For budgeting purposes....the suggested tips on a 7 day are $84 per guest (total). I round that up to $100 and think to myself that I'll need $100 per person sailing. Thus, with a family of 7, you'd think "$700." That way, you have a little extra for room service or bumping up tips if you choose. If you don't choose, you bring home a little money.

Sorry but you are still confusing me. Yes I am alitte slow on the draw!
So lets say that when the trip time comes we are broker then broke.
We have some money put aside for spending but not a lot.
I could give them $200 and thats all I have. No flames I am just trying to understand the rules on board.
You said $196 @ $4 dollars per day, where did you get that total from and how did we jump back up to $84 a day which is what I was getting.
Sorry.,

 

[kcashner]

You specifically asked about tipping the server. The suggested amount for the server is $4 per guest per day. The $84 is not per day--it is per GUEST on a 7 day cruise--it covers all 4 tipped positions (server, assistant server, head server, room steward). Part of where you are getting confused is that people on this thread have quoted the OLD recommended guidelines of $11 per guest per day (total) as well as the NEW guidelines of $12 per person per day.

$12 per person per day on a 7 night cruise is $12 X 7 = $84. Of that, it is suggested that the server gets $4 per person per day--so on a 7 day cruise, the server gets $4 X 7 = $28 per guest. The suggested tip for your room steward is the same--$4 per guest per day.

The suggested tip for the assistant server is $3 per person per day...so on a 7 day it would be $3 X 7 = $21. The suggested tip for the head server is $1 per person per day, so $1 X 7 = $7.

Adding all the tipped positions (server = $4, assistant server = $3, head server = $1, room steward = $4) gives you the total of $12 per guest per day.

The amounts listed above are suggested amounts. Let's say that you get to the end of your 7 day cruise and you didn't budget as you might have wished...and you only have $200. You would take your $200 and divide it in whatever way you consider best.

 

[lbgraves]

Sorry but you are still confusing me. Yes I am alitte slow on the draw!
So lets say that when the trip time comes we are broker then broke.
We have some money put aside for spending but not a lot.
I could give them $200 and thats all I have. No flames I am just trying to understand the rules on board.
You said $196 @ $4 dollars per day, where did you get that total from and how did we jump back up to $84 a day which is what I was getting.
Sorry.,

The total tips per person on a 7 day cruise is $12 per day so 7 x 12 = $84.

For a family of 7 that means 7 people x $84 = $588.

That is the amount that you should budget as part of the cruise expense when you book the cruise and put that amount aside to not spend during the cruise. This is how the CMs make their pay above the $50 per month they get from DCL and room and board.

If you break each position down your server gets $4 per day.

$4 per day x 7 days x 7 people = $196

and so on.

 

[Disneydreamer5]

Oh ok, I get it now.
So I can tip whoever I want whatever I want, just like in any restarant we go too.
If the wait staff is top notch we tip above 15% if not then they only get %15 and so on.
I was under the impression that this was a required fee and you couldn't defer from it.
I will certainly include the tips into our budget as I am sure the folks on DDL are top notch cause they usually are but at least now I understand how it works. Thank you so much for the breakdown and sorry if I appeared to be a little slow!

 

[Kurby]

a tip by definition is optional - it has however become standard. tips what you feel is right for your family and don't let anyone convince you otherwise.

if you are comfortable tipping 15% of the value ok - if more ok if less ok.

some don't tip at all some tip more and some tip excessively.

if you take the figure of $588 for your family and average it out then times it by the number of tables they have for the 7 night cruise and divide by half (expecting that maybe half the people won't time) then the servers make pretty good money (way more then i do)

tip what you are comfortable with

 

[lbgraves]

a tip by definition is optional - it has however become standard. tips what you feel is right for your family and don't let anyone convince you otherwise.

if you are comfortable tipping 15% of the value ok - if more ok if less ok.

some don't tip at all some tip more and some tip excessively.

if you take the figure of $588 for your family and average it out then times it by the number of tables they have for the 7 night cruise and divide by half (expecting that maybe half the people won't time) then the servers make pretty good money (way more then i do)

tip what you are comfortable with

Don't forget to take into account the 16 hour days that they work 7 days a week when averaging that hourly rate.

 

[Kurby]

it's not a argument Lisa - just saying it's optional and up to the person.

those figures are just a guideline - people are free to tip more or less.

tipping has become salary and i think it's terrible that it has however that's life.

i won't feel bad if i tip less nor will i feel superior if i tip more - i tip based on service not on what "everyone else" does.