Increased gratuities

[dreamer17555]

DCL could stop tying the rating you give the food to the servers and that would likely cut down on the speeches. The servers do not control the kitchen and making it so you cannot honestly rate the food without it impacting the servers is terrible.

I like the envelopes. It is a nice reminder to thank them once again in person for all they do.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

But can they get rid of those envelopes and the speeches?

I like the envelopes.

The speeches - I've found the best way to avoid them is the first time it happens I say "OK, you've done your duty, I don't want to hear it again. If I do, it WILL affect your rating (and possibly tips). Only had one time I had to go to the head server to turn off the speech at every meal.

 

[Lesverts]

I just wish we'd adopt a more realistic rating system. It shouldn't be 10/10 as the only acceptable score. Been in systems where anything other than a perfect is a failure and that is just not realistic. Accurate ratings and critiques are helpful. Making it all or nothing is useless.

 

[MamaMermaid]

That’s fine with us. Never met a CM that hasn’t deserved it.

 

[happycamper47]

DCL could stop tying the rating you give the food to the servers and that would likely cut down on the speeches. The servers do not control the kitchen and making it so you cannot honestly rate the food without it impacting the servers is terrible.

I like the envelopes. It is a nice reminder to thank them once again in person for all they do.

The new online survey I think does separate the two. At least that's what I remember from November.

 

[kiford]

Of note, I never prepay gratuities, I just prefer to do it onboard. And I'm not in any way advocating that the CM don't deserve better tips. I'm just pointing out the perspective/mindset. I think some people like to have control over the tipping amount and not make a decision until after they've received the service.

I also don't prepay gratuities. Not because I want to see the service before making the decision but because it's not charged until near the end of the cruise and I see no reason to give Disney my money ahead of when I incur the liability. Even if you prepay the gratuity, you still have the option of increasing or decreasing the amount before it's paid to the staff so you still have complete control over the amount. I've never quibbled about the amount.

A bunch of cruisers were wanting to still be allowed today to lock in the old 14.50 price if they prepay today (after the increase announced) because they do not want to be charged the $16. Some are very upset that they weren't warned of this change and are very unhappy

I realize not everyone knows that you still have control over the amounts, but prepaying so you can "lock" in $1.50 per person less per day is kind of a-word-I-can't-use-on-the-boards. I mean, for family of four for a 7-day cruise, you're talking about $42. If you (the impersonal "you") can't afford that, you shouldn't be taking a vacation. If you are torqued out because you didn't know about it in advance, you need to get a more balanced perspective on what's important in life. If you think the service isn't worth it, you should try serving tables for a day.

Basically just rolling my eyeballs here about some people's reactions. (eyeball roll added for effect)

 

[Liastaob]

I just wish I could go online and pay the difference now that I'm PIF for March. Now I have the worst of both worlds: having pre paid gratuities, and then still having to pay more on board to do the bare minimum (we always add extra, but I like the option of having a baseline).

I can see why you wouldn't want to prepay, but for me it's just one less thing to worry about on my vacation.

 

[Goofy1932]

What speeches?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

What speeches?

The "please give us all excellents on the post cruise survey" speech.

 

[cruisehopeful]

What speeches?

When you are eating dinner, the servers will tell you that they want to provide excellent service and to let them know if you aren't having excellent service. Sometimes, that's all they say. Other times, it can go overboard. I remember saying that everything was great to one of my servers and seeing panic come over his face. I realized my error and told him that he was excellent and everything was excellent. I feel for them. Their jobs depend on excellence and apparently "great" isn't excellent.

 

[Goofy1932]

When you are eating dinner, the servers will tell you that they want to provide excellent service and to let them know if you aren't having excellent service. Sometimes, that's all they say. Other times, it can go overboard. I remember saying that everything was great to one of my servers and seeing panic come over his face. I realized my error and told him that he was excellent and everything was excellent. I feel for them. Their jobs depend on excellence and apparently "great" isn't excellent.

Now I understand. I would prefer to not hear the speech but if they do it they do it.

 

[enzy65]

Now I understand. I would prefer to not hear the speech but if they do it they do it.

We have never had the speech.

 

[Dug720]

I've been fortunate that for a few of my Disney cruises my sister has gotten permission to eat with me, so our servers pretty much know that I've got it. The ones where she has not been on board, I've been lucky with a polite "I understand how it works. Please don't mention it again" (once my servers knew my sister and just hinted at it). The only time I've had to have it more often was the one time I was not able to get my own table.

 

[holula]

We have never had the speech.

Honestly I’ve found that once they see my platinum lanyard they chill with the speeches. I make it clear on night one if there is something wrong I’ll let them know.

 

[SL6827]

I feel bad for them having to do such.

 

[TexasJedi]

I feel bad for them having to do such.

I cringed so hard a the last question on the survey about whether to I felt "pressured" to rate everything as excellent. I wasn't sure what the "correct" answer was.

On the one hand, yes, I did feel pressured because I know how the ratings affect them directly and their compensation thanks to the "speech", and I don't think it's necessary for Disney to have so much pressure on them.

On the other hand, they all did their absolute best throughout the trip, were so kind and helpful, and I don't want to potentially harm the staff by saying that I felt pressured because I totally understand why they shared what they shared, and would likely do the same if the roles were reversed.

 

[SL6827]

I cringed so hard a the last question on the survey about whether to I felt "pressured" to rate everything as excellent. I wasn't sure what the "correct" answer was.

On the one hand, yes, I did feel pressured because I know how the ratings affect them directly and their compensation thanks to the "speech", and I don't think it's necessary for Disney to have so much pressure on them.

On the other hand, they all did their absolute best throughout the trip, were so kind and helpful, and I don't want to potentially harm the staff by saying that I felt pressured because I totally understand why they shared what they shared, and would likely do the same if the roles were reversed.

I wouldn't have admitted to being pressured either.