Important note about gratuities!

[ChrisnSteph]

While on our cruise this week, we got to really know our room steward. He was a really nice guy, and he did a fabulous job of keeping our rooms tidy and making the most amazing towel animals I've ever seen! Anyway, during a conversation with him, I asked lots of questions about his job with Disney. I learned that DCL doesn't pay him a salary or hourly wage - everything he makes is from gratuities. I asked him what happens if guests don't pay the gratuities, and he just shrugged and said that he doesn't get paid. He said it happens often, usually with newlyweds. I also learned that they work for up to 6 months at a time, without a day off, and get about 4 hours of sleep a day. He takes care of about 10 cabins, and has to share his gratuities with an assistant. Could you imagine if half of his cabin guests didn't pay gratuities? Pretty sad.

It's the same thing for the dining room servers too. I didn't realize that, and I don't think many guests are aware of that. So be sure to tip your room stewards and your dining servers, especially if they're doing a good job. It's their only income!

 

[Pansy]

The dining room servers are each paid, right. Who would they share with

 

[Mickeyhugger]

While on our cruise this week, we got to really know our room steward. He was a really nice guy, and he did a fabulous job of keeping our rooms tidy and making the most amazing towel animals I've ever seen! Anyway, during a conversation with him, I asked lots of questions about his job with Disney. I learned that DCL doesn't pay him a salary or hourly wage - everything he makes is from gratuities. I asked him what happens if guests don't pay the gratuities, and he just shrugged and said that he doesn't get paid. He said it happens often, usually with newlyweds. I also learned that they work for up to 6 months at a time, without a day off, and get about 4 hours of sleep a day. He takes care of about 10 cabins, and has to share his gratuities with an assistant. Could you imagine if half of his cabin guests didn't pay gratuities? Pretty sad.

It's the same thing for the dining room servers too. I didn't realize that, and I don't think many guests are aware of that. So be sure to tip your room stewards and your dining servers, especially if they're doing a good job. It's their only income!

Your room steward was not telling you the truth. He does receive a salary by DCL although it might not be the best to yours and mine standards. There are web sites dedicated to people looking for jobs on ships that lists the pay rates for the different cruise lines and are very interesting. I too have had this conversation with are stewards and can not remember what the pay rate is, BUT they do not work just for tips.

Rob

Rob

 

[SueEllen]

The salary is pretty low considering the hours they work, but they are paid a salary by DCL. They do make the majority of their wages through tips though.

Sounds like your room steward was less than honest with you.

 

[QJ411]

Your room steward was not telling you the truth. He does receive a salary by DCL although it might not be the best to yours and mine standards. There are web sites dedicated to people looking for jobs on ships that lists the pay rates for the different cruise lines and are very interesting. I too have had this conversation with are stewards and can not remember what the pay rate is, BUT they do not work just for tips.

Rob

Rob

That's what I thought also. I couldn't imagine DCL not paying someone. I spoke w/ a bartender (Joel) on the Wonder (we saw him again on the Magic a couple of years later) and he has told us they do sail for a few months (I forgot if he said 4 or 6) and has a couple of months off, then its back to sailing. He actually enjoys working for DCL a lot.

 

[Mickeyhugger]

That's what I thought also. I couldn't imagine DCL not paying someone. I spoke w/ a bartender (Joel) on the Wonder (we saw him again on the Magic a couple of years later) and he has told us they do sail for a few months (I forgot if he said 4 or 6) and has a couple of months off, then its back to sailing. He actually enjoys working for DCL a lot.

From what I have seen and read DCL has one of the highest employee retention of all cruise lines. So to only work for tips ... don't think so... but the pay is low no matter how you look at it.

 

[Toddymae]

Our drink server at the Quiet Cove said he was paid $1.50 per hour plus the 15% gratuity on every drink he served. His goal is to serve 100 drinks a day. They do get paid a low wage but if they hustle and give good serve they can make some money.

 

[Mickeyhugger]

Our drink server at the Quiet Cove said he was paid $1.50 per hour plus the 15% gratuity on every drink he served. His goal is to serve 100 drinks a day. They do get paid a low wage but if they hustle and give good serve they can make some money.

Also keep in mind that their room and meals are paid for. Still not the life style that I would want.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Your room steward was not telling you the truth. He does receive a salary by DCL although it might not be the best to yours and mine standards.

Wages of around $50 per month have been reported in various articles that I've read. That's for 7 days a week, with no days off for months on end.

So I think it's correct to say that Disney Cruise Line and the other mainstream cruise lines essentially don't pay those in tipped positions -- dining service staff and stateroom hosts -- on their "all inclusive" cruises. They expect the passengers to do so.

It's also important to realize that the tips to your dinner servers (asst. server, main server, head server) are for the work they do from early in the morning until late at night, with a few hours off here and there, at times when not all servers are needed for food service. That's why you don't tip for breakfast, lunch, buffets, and snacks.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Also keep in mind that their room and meals are paid for. Still not the life style that I would want.

Sure, they get room and board, but we're talking about tiny, shared rooms below the water line. And that's because they can't go to their homes at night.

Many are still paying for housing in their home countries so that their spouse, children, and/or parents have a place to live and food on the table -- even though they don't see those family members for a half year at a time.

It's a tough way to make a living, but by the standards of the developing countries from which most of the tipped crew members come, the money is good -- but only if passengers tip.

 

[Mickeyhugger]

Wages of around $50 per month have been reported in various articles that I've read. That's for 7 days a week, with no days off for months on end.

So I think it's correct to say that Disney Cruise Line and the other mainstream cruise lines essentially don't pay those in tipped positions -- dining service staff and stateroom hosts -- on their "all inclusive" cruises. They expect the passengers to do so.

It's also important to realize that the tips to your dinner servers (asst. server, main server, head server) are for the work they do from early in the morning until late at night, with a few hours off here and there, at times when not all servers are needed for food service. That's why you don't tip for breakfast, lunch, buffets, and snacks.

A quick search of the net gave me this info
Assistant Cabin Steward Stewardess - Salary $1600-2000/month.

Cleaning of assigned public areas and passenger cabins, passenger laundry requests as directed by cabin stewards. No experience required.
Not exactly 50 dollars a month

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

A quick search of the net gave me this info
Assistant Cabin Steward Stewardess - Salary $1600-2000/month.

Cleaning of assigned public areas and passenger cabins, passenger laundry requests as directed by cabin stewards. No experience required.
Not exactly 50 dollars a month

That's the typical salary from tips, not directly from the cruise line.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

From http://www.cruiselinesjobs.com/eng/wages/

Tipping personnel have a small base salary. Most of their earnings are tips. Approximate sample earnings in this group are (in U.S. Dollars per month):

Waiter from -- $2500 to $4000
Busboy / Assistant Waiter -- from $1500 to $3000
Bar Waiter / Waitress -- from $1000 to $2500
Bartender -- from $1500 to $3000
​

Again, those are the sample earning including tips, not the base salary.

 

[Mickeyhugger]

That's the typical salary from tips, not directly from the cruise line.

READ it again ..it SAYS salary starting ...nothing about tips I just pulled this off the net.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

READ it again ..it SAYS salary starting ...nothing about tips I just pulled this off the net.

Please provide the URL of the website that claims that tipped cruise crew members get a base salary of $1600-2000/month before tips.

 

[Mickeyhugger]

Waiter from $2500 to $4000
Busboy / Assistant Waiter from $1500 to $3000
Bar Waiter / Waitress from $1000 to $2500
Bartender from $1500 to $3000

Do not see room service personal listed here. They may be tipped but they are .not in the same category.

 

[Mickeyhugger]

Please provide the URL of the website that claims that tipped cruise crew members get a base salary of $1600-2000/month before tips.

I am not looking for an argument. Good night

Rob

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

I am not looking for an argument. Good night

I assure you I have no interest in arguing.

In fairness to the hardworking cruise crew members in tipped positions, I just wanted to clear up misinformation or misunderstandings about their base salaries.

 

[Dead-metal]

While searching for this information I have noticed that that it is quite difficult to get a definitive answer as a lot of the websites you have to register. But I did get this.

http://www.cruiselinejob.net/jobs.php?dep7=on&op=jobs&submit=Search

 

[Grandma4ever]

This has always been a top topic. I believe they get base pay but also believe it is much like the service industry here in the US. The base pay is low and they are expected to make up the difference with tips. Since DCL give us a base expectation of tips I believe that any wages posted would include that amount. However, we know that not everyone tips. I will tip the base amount and add extra if I get really good service. To add to the topic I always tip over the fee expected at Palo. Now that a topic that almost always threatens to close a thread down.

In closing, DCL tells us to tip. They even tell us how much to pay these people. So I will tip. The service has always been the best and I will tip accordingly.