List of ways to tip on your cruise

[over50visits]

I'm active on another thread showing ALL the ways to spend money on the cruise. But here is a list of tipping opportunities. Again, any additions/corrections??


Tipping opportunities:
Room steward *
Dining room server *
Dining room assistant server *
Dining room head server *
Bar drinks from any bar **
Popcorn and snacks sold at theaters **
Drinks sold by roving crew at sail away party or at shows **
Coffee drinks at the coffee bar **
Roving beach drink servers **
Wine steward (sommelier) **
Spa treatments ***
Photographers at private shoots
Room service
Dinner servers at Cabanas
Concierge hosts
Concierge bartender
Concierge assistant room steward
Palo
Remy
Cabana Host on Castaway Cay
Luggage handlers at port
Taxi/bus/shuttle drivers to and from port
Shore excursion bus drivers, hosts, meal servers, guides
Hair braiding on deck

* Standard gratuities automatically added to your account, you can change at your discretion
** A tip is automatically added to your bill at each purchase, you can increase at your discretion
*** Mandatory 18% tip added to your bill



Other positions you DO NOT tip and likely will not accept them:
Children's club counselors
Ships officers
The Captain
Customs officials
Characters (meet and greet or photo ops)
Guest services personnel
Entertainers
Counter/buffet food servers
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique

 

[Jsoenning]

Do people typically tip more than the standard 18%? I always do for beverages but not for food for some strange reason (popcorn, movie snacks)...just curious what others do.

Also tipped quite a bit extra for Palo but the waiter was pretty good, even though he had a painful "standard stick" of sayings as he said the exact same things to the table behind us, even to the part where he spoke about his kids the same way at the same time in the meal... :O)

 

[skippybosco]

"Tipping Opportunities"

Can I not tip? I mean at all. Is that an option?

We pay a high price for the cruise and the included meals, the idea that we have a mandatory delivery fee seems odd.

I'd much rather they pay staff well, adjust the price (if necessary) to account for that and use reviews and customer feedback to reward / retrain / dismiss staff based on performance.

Given how long the list of "opportunities" to give people money for doing their jobs is growing, I'm worried this is heading in a bad direction.

At what point do we start tipping the captain for sailing the boat or slip Mickey a dollar as I high five him in a character meet?

I come from a country where there is no tipping, threads like this stress me out.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

"Tipping Opportunities"

Can I not tip? I mean at all. Is that an option?

We pay a high price for the cruise and the included meals, the idea that we have a mandatory delivery fee seems odd.

I'd much rather they pay staff well, adjust the price (if necessary) to account for that and use reviews and customer feedback to reward / retrain / dismiss staff based on performance.

Given how long the list of "opportunities" to give people money for doing their jobs is growing, I'm worried this is heading in a bad direction.

At what point do we start tipping the captain for sailing the boat or slip Mickey a dollar as I high five him in a character meet?

I come from a country where there is no tipping, threads like this stress me out.

Certainly you don't HAVE to tip. Do you not tip when you go out to eat (when in countries where tipping is the norm)? Do you not tip hotel maids for extended stays? The auto gratuity (which is removable) covers the dining service staff and your room host.

You don't HAVE to tip additionally to those amounts. Some people do. Some a lot, some just a little.

Tipping is entirely up to you.

Officers and staff are not tippable positions.

 

[Adventurelawyer]

"Tipping Opportunities"

Can I not tip? I mean at all. Is that an option?

We pay a high price for the cruise and the included meals, the idea that we have a mandatory delivery fee seems odd.

I'd much rather they pay staff well, adjust the price (if necessary) to account for that and use reviews and customer feedback to reward / retrain / dismiss staff based on performance.

Given how long the list of "opportunities" to give people money for doing their jobs is growing, I'm worried this is heading in a bad direction.

At what point do we start tipping the captain for sailing the boat or slip Mickey a dollar as I high five him in a character meet?

I come from a country where there is no tipping, threads like this stress me out.

Lort help me. Don’t tip if you don’t want, but don’t expect anything above and beyond the bare minimum. When you go to work, do you like hearing, thank you and well done from your boss or clients? Do you hope to or work towards achieving a year end bonus? None of those things are meant to compensate you for your job, your pay compensates you for your job. Bonuses and thank yous and free turkeys are meant to compensate you for a job well done and superior service or achievement. Thats what tipping is. Its a way to say thank you for doing more than carrying a tray and bringing food or drinks, its doing it with a smile, quickly, and beyond the bare minimum. In my case, its a way to say to the cocktail server, please come back very soon. I always tip well over and above the 18% because I know its a tough job and they honestly could move much slower than they do (and I have had a few cocktail servers act like I was invisible, clearly did not care about doing anything other than carrying the tray). As far as I know, they don’t have quotas on DCL, so taking me to hammer town, and doing it well, gets a nice fat tip and puts a smile on my RBF.

 

[Lilsia]

"Tipping Opportunities"

Can I not tip? I mean at all. Is that an option?

We pay a high price for the cruise and the included meals, the idea that we have a mandatory delivery fee seems odd.

I'd much rather they pay staff well, adjust the price (if necessary) to account for that and use reviews and customer feedback to reward / retrain / dismiss staff based on performance.

Given how long the list of "opportunities" to give people money for doing their jobs is growing, I'm worried this is heading in a bad direction.

At what point do we start tipping the captain for sailing the boat or slip Mickey a dollar as I high five him in a character meet?

I come from a country where there is no tipping, threads like this stress me out.

The standard is to tip. I find it strange that the non-tippers are more then happy to be charged more but don't want to tip. Just look at is as if the tip is your extra charge. The cruise line makes it easy for you since they just automatically deduct it, so there is your "being charged extra and not tipping".

 

[greensombrero]

"Tipping Opportunities"

Can I not tip? I mean at all. Is that an option?

We pay a high price for the cruise and the included meals, the idea that we have a mandatory delivery fee seems odd.

I'd much rather they pay staff well, adjust the price (if necessary) to account for that and use reviews and customer feedback to reward / retrain / dismiss staff based on performance.

Given how long the list of "opportunities" to give people money for doing their jobs is growing, I'm worried this is heading in a bad direction.

At what point do we start tipping the captain for sailing the boat or slip Mickey a dollar as I high five him in a character meet?

I come from a country where there is no tipping, threads like this stress me out.

Tipping is definitely a cultural thing IE varies by country etc. I will say the US is already and imho continues to be more and more a very tip heavy culture if that makes sense. I’m American so I feel entitled to complain about it . I will say it bugs me a bit some of the new places that now ask for tips. Many quick service restaurants now prompt you for a tip when you pay and make it pretty hard not to even though they are just handing you your food, no real service. I can’t help but think that culture rubs off on DCL being a US based company despite their international staff and clientele. So while you can say why don’t they raise the price and eliminate tips that just doesn’t seem to be the American way for better or worse. That being said everything I’ve read is cruise employees work really hard and aren’t always well paid considering their hours so I have no problems with the idea of tipping them but I totally see how for those from cultures that aren’t so tip centric it could be uncomfortable.

 

[Lilsia]

What I don't understand is that like it or not, tipping is the cultural norm here. None of us like it but we do it because we don't want to cheat the person that relies on that money. When I plan a trip to another Country, I educate myself on their cultural norms and act accordingly. I don't go somewhere else and say, "I don't like how you do things here so I am not going to do it". That would be considered rude and a bad tourist. I don't see why it should be any different for others that come to this Country.

 

[gotomu212]

"Tipping Opportunities"

Can I not tip? I mean at all. Is that an option?

We pay a high price for the cruise and the included meals, the idea that we have a mandatory delivery fee seems odd.

I'd much rather they pay staff well, adjust the price (if necessary) to account for that and use reviews and customer feedback to reward / retrain / dismiss staff based on performance.

Given how long the list of "opportunities" to give people money for doing their jobs is growing, I'm worried this is heading in a bad direction.

At what point do we start tipping the captain for sailing the boat or slip Mickey a dollar as I high five him in a character meet?

I come from a country where there is no tipping, threads like this stress me out.

I always cringe a little when I see these lists of all the people you can tip, and yes it’s accurate that you can tip all of these, however it’s overwhelming and the list is really divided into people that automatically get a tip and at your discretion tipping. Honestly by adding the tips for the 4 main tip categories to your bill and auto adding the drink tips that are in effect doing what you asked (just adjust the price), but they’ve done it in a way that shows you exactly what portion of the extra cost goes to your server versus into the pockets of the mouse‘s shareholders. The ones that are auto added to me should be paid because, as the system is set up, those are part of their wages. Basically that’s your 4 that are providing special services the length of the cruise, and any $ drinks you buy or spa services.

 

[Karin1984]

The standard is to tip. I find it strange that the non-tippers are more then happy to be charged more but don't want to tip. Just look at is as if the tip is your extra charge. The cruise line makes it easy for you since they just automatically deduct it, so there is your "being charged extra and not tipping".

I think because a tip has to be earned. You should get your salary for the job, and you should be able to get by without tips or bonuses.
In my opinion you are forcing people to smile when they don't want to, bend over backwards or bend rules to make sure they make enough money. Tips are creating an inequal world in a 'dance for me, boy'-way, the tipping culture gives power to the one with the money, and forces those without to do the bidding of the one in power. Because you have the option to remove the automated tip, they give the cruiser the power to penalize the staff.

I will tip, because that's the culture, but I'd rather have them to raise the price of a cruise with 100 dollar to raise the salaries of the crew members I will be interacting with.
That way you do not put extra stress on your staff.

 

[Bonnie1222]

Do people typically tip more than the standard 18%? I always do for beverages but not for food for some strange reason (popcorn, movie snacks)...just curious what others do.

Also tipped quite a bit extra for Palo but the waiter was pretty good, even though he had a painful "standard stick" of sayings as he said the exact same things to the table behind us, even to the part where he spoke about his kids the same way at the same time in the meal... :O)

Yes, I normally add extra when I purchase at Popcorn, usually just an extra $1. I think the only time I didn't is when I bought a cooler bag and all he had to do was hand it to me.

The included tip, at least for the bars, goes to all bartenders and is split across the board. The extra you add on goes directly to that bartender, which is why I reward them for good service by adding extra. I am not 100% positive for the popcorn/movie snack but I would think it works the same for that position as well.

 

[Travel60]

I also would rather not live in a tip culture. In an ideal world, people would earn a just wage and they would have a work ethic that caused them to do their best without reward. Too often, one or both of those won't happen. We know the workers wage is set anticipating tips. We also know that workers sometimes need that incentive to do their best (have you been in any retail store lately?).

But the fact is that the workers need the tips to make a living. Many of them live away from their families for months just to send money back home. We almost always add to the standard tip unless we have had substandard service.

 

[Lilsia]

I think because a tip has to be earned. You should get your salary for the job, and you should be able to get by without tips or bonuses.
In my opinion you are forcing people to smile when they don't want to, bend over backwards or bend rules to make sure they make enough money. Tips are creating an inequal world in a 'dance for me, boy'-way, the tipping culture gives power to the one with the money, and forces those without to do the bidding of the one in power. Because you have the option to remove the automated tip, they give the cruiser the power to penalize the staff.

I will tip, because that's the culture, but I'd rather have them to raise the price of a cruise with 100 dollar to raise the salaries of the crew members I will be interacting with.
That way you do not put extra stress on your staff.

Shouldn't a person be kind and polite to their customers? I don't know what you mean by forcing people to smile when they don't want to. You are in the customer service business and even those that don't make tips are expected to be polite and smile at their customers. I have never expected someone to "dance for me". I don't know your situation in life but I can tell you mine. I work in food service. I smile and am polite and friendly to my customers. I am also a person that goes on these cruises, so I am on BOTH sides of this. I have never felt that anyone has any power over me because they are the customer. I am doing my job. Yes, if you are nicer and go above and beyond, you will probably get a bigger tip. Just like those who work other jobs and go above and beyond get recognized and given raises. I don't agree that the cruise line should remove gratuities unless the customer can show that the servers did something egregious. I have also traveled to other countries where you don't tip and I can tell you that the service was sub par at a lot of places and the servers act as if you, the paying customer, should be grateful that they are even lowering themselves to help you. There will always be people that are jerks, on both sides of the issue.

 

[ginny65]

If we want to tip more than the automatic 18% prepaid, say for room steward, do we do it pay every night or at the end of the cruise?

 

[BruinEd03]

If we want to tip more than the automatic 18% prepaid, say for room steward, do we do it pay every night or at the end of the cruise?

The Room Steward (e.g., Host/Hostess) does not get an 18% tip. The standard amount is $4.50 per person/per day. E.g., 2 people = $9/day. You get tip envelopes at the end of the cruise. You can put additional cash in the envelope. Essentially once at the end of the cruise.

 

[tinkerone]

In my opinion you are forcing people to smile when they don't want to, bend over backwards or bend rules to make sure they make enough money. Tips are creating an inequal world in a 'dance for me, boy'-way, the tipping culture gives power to the one with the money, and forces those without to do the bidding of the one in power. Because you have the option to remove the automated tip, they give the cruiser the power to penalize the staff.

I will tip, because that's the culture, but I'd rather have them to raise the price of a cruise with 100 dollar to raise the salaries of the crew members I will be interacting with.
That way you do not put extra stress on your staff.

First of all, your comments made me cringe especially the 'dance for me, boy' comment. Secondly, if someone is forced to smile when they serve a client they are in the wrong business. If they don't want to? Isn't that their job? To smile at clients and make them wish to come back? Can you just imagine having unhappy servers and thinking that is where you want to put your money again?
As for the bend over backwards and bend rules, well, that's what DCL hopes for. They want things to appear magical and special. They want you to think that the CM is doing things just for you. If the server, room attendant, any CM for that matter doesn't want to then he/she will not be asked back for a second contract.
Tip, don't tip, your going to get the same service because thats what DCL demands of it's workers. I'm certainly not suggesting anyone not tip, for me that would be wrong, but I am saying that the service you receive either way will not be affected.......this cruise anyways.

 

[Karin1984]

First of all, your comments made me cringe especially the 'dance for me, boy' comment. Secondly, if someone is forced to smile when they serve a client they are in the wrong business. If they don't want to? Isn't that their job? To smile at clients and make them wish to come back? Can you just imagine having unhappy servers and thinking that is where you want to put your money again?
As for the bend over backwards and bend rules, well, that's what DCL hopes for. They want things to appear magical and special. They want you to think that the CM is doing things just for you. If the server, room attendant, any CM for that matter doesn't want to then he/she will not be asked back for a second contract.
Tip, don't tip, your going to get the same service because thats what DCL demands of it's workers. I'm certainly not suggesting anyone not tip, for me that would be wrong, but I am saying that the service you receive either way will not be affected.......this cruise anyways.

The US tipping culture is cringe worthy to me.
It's scientifically proven that smiling a lot, will increase the amount of tips. Regardless if you feel like it, that's what I meant by 'forced', you do it all the time because you have to make money. And of course there are jerks who like to remind you to 'isn't a smile in your contract?'
The thing about working in a service industry is that it usually requires no to little education. If for whatever reason you weren't able to go to school and have to start from the bottom, there are not a lot of jobs that are not about dealing directly with a customer. I'm quite sure there are servers who are unhappy because of what they have to put up with, with the amount of entitled customers nowaday. Even more because there is nothing you can say about it. You can complain to your family or co-workers, but you cannot tell a guestt, all you can say is 'certainly sir, right to it!' with a smile.

I really cannot understand that you tip someone handing you a drink or a bag of of popcorn, for a thirty second interaction. Raise the prices, and give the people who work for you stability.
Pushing the bar for the tips going from 10% to 15% to 18% in a few years from now you will feel that 20% is the norm, 25% in ten years from now. If the majority tips like that, I fear that the employers in these kind of industries will take the liberty to lower the salaries (or keep them at the level they are now), because the guests make up for it. Putting the servers in a more vulnerable position.

 

[Lilsia]

The US tipping culture is cringe worthy to me.
It's scientifically proven that smiling a lot, will increase the amount of tips. Regardless if you feel like it, that's what I meant by 'forced', you do it all the time because you have to make money. And of course there are jerks who like to remind you to 'isn't a smile in your contract?'
The thing about working in a service industry is that it usually requires no to little education. If for whatever reason you weren't able to go to school and have to start from the bottom, there are not a lot of jobs that are not about dealing directly with a customer. I'm quite sure there are servers who are unhappy because of what they have to put up with, with the amount of entitled customers nowaday. Even more because there is nothing you can say about it. You can complain to your family or co-workers, but you cannot tell a guestt, all you can say is 'certainly sir, right to it!' with a smile.

I really cannot understand that you tip someone handing you a drink or a bag of of popcorn, for a thirty second interaction. Raise the prices, and give the people who work for you stability.
Pushing the bar for the tips going from 10% to 15% to 18% in a few years from now you will feel that 20% is the norm, 25% in ten years from now. If the majority tips like that, I fear that the employers in these kind of industries will take the liberty to lower the salaries (or keep them at the level they are now), because the guests make up for it. Putting the servers in a more vulnerable position.

What are you talking about? ANY profession that works with customers/clients, the person that deals with them has to have a good disposition. My educated husband who works for a tech firm has to deal with clients and he smiles at them and bends over backwards to make them happy. As does every single other person that works with other people. I don't know where you are from or where you work but your way of thinking on this is skewed. I can't imagine that you think it is normal to be a customer somewhere and have the person helping you frown and be rude. And yes, people are rude and are jerks and we don't get paid enough to put up with that. But they are rude to those who don't get tips also. Maybe instead of being mad at tipping, you should go to social media and tell people that they should treat those in the service industry better. Because that is where the problem is. NO ONE gets paid enough to be treated poorly.

 

[Karin1984]

What are you talking about? ANY profession that works with customers/clients, the person that deals with them has to have a good disposition. My educated husband who works for a tech firm has to deal with clients and he smiles at them and bends over backwards to make them happy. As does every single other person that works with other people. I don't know where you are from or where you work but your way of thinking on this is skewed. I can't imagine that you think it is normal to be a customer somewhere and have the person helping you frown and be rude. And yes, people are rude and are jerks and we don't get paid enough to put up with that. But they are rude to those who don't get tips also. Maybe instead of being mad at tipping, you should go to social media and tell people that they should treat those in the service industry better. Because that is where the problem is. NO ONE gets paid enough to be treated poorly.

There is a difference between being rude and not smiling. I can be rude with a smile, and I can give great customer service without one. If I do not smile at you, doesn't mean I am rude.

And I agree with you that the US tipping culture can also work the other way. Once a server (not DCL) tried to stop me from leaving the restaurant because I hadn't tipped enough. They can be entitled as well.

 

[Lilsia]

There is a difference between being rude and not smiling. I can be rude with a smile, and I can give great customer service without one. If I do not smile at you, doesn't mean I am rude.

And I agree with you that the US tipping culture can also work the other way. Once a server (not DCL) tried to stop me from leaving the restaurant because I hadn't tipped enough. They can be entitled as well.

I think then what you are talking about it societal norms. Here, it is common to smile when dealing with someone. I know in Europe that is not the case. So I think that you equate smiling with some kind of forced niceness. Customer service is a bit over the top here, not because of the tips, but because that is what society expects. Japan has an amazing customer service culture that, to me, feels very much above and beyond. But that is how they do it there. I would never consider calling them out for it and telling them that they need to change to do it how I feel it should be done. When we travel, we try to be be good tourists and do what is the cultural norm there. If coming here and tipping offends you so much, then I suggest going somewhere else.