Palo Brinch - do you tip and if so how much?

[Clarkson U]

Do you tip for Palo Brunch and if so how much? We have it on our upcoming cruises and was wondering what the current standard is? Thanks

 

[Calantha]

Do you tip for Palo Brunch and if so how much? We have it on our upcoming cruises and was wondering what the current standard is? Thanks

When we did Palo last summer in Alaska, I’m pretty sure we tipped $20 for two people.

We’re going this time with my in-laws and have a platinum benefit, but I would imagine I would still tip about $10 a person for 4 people depending on how much we order. I don’t really know how my in-laws tip, so will need to find out. We’re not going until the last day of the cruise…we couldn’t get a slot on the earlier days.

 

[auntlynne]

Since this is our cruise, we’ll get in the same page.

I have tipped anywhere from $10-20 pp for brunch or supper - because it’s complimentary for Platinum. I typically do about 20% on land, so $10 would be similar (No alcohol add-on for me). I think drinks have the standard 18% auto gratuity in Palo.

But watch your bill - they added 18% to the total bill for my niece (no alcohol involved) and then said it was not for the server, but for the company. And stated she needed to tip the waiter, in addition. Disney did a hard backpedal when questioned, resulting in lots of apologies from officers and managers Tge rest of the cruise.

 

[Clarkson U]

Thanks to my fellow cruisers on our upcoming cruise for this insight. Sounds about right - where you can adjust from 20% up or down depending on service. This is our first sailing as Platinum so have never used that benefit before. Is it really complimentary at the restaurant or do you still get all the charges and then DCL just credits your onboard account $45 for each person who goes to Palo? How does that benefit piece work? Thanks @auntlynne and @Calantha

 

[auntlynne]

You will get the itemized bill at the end of dining - and it will have an item that says Palo benefit -$45 (or something similar). If you just go for the Prix Fixe menu, the balance should say $0. Then there’s the line for the tip. Total it and sign. It’s still paper.

I did the $45 credit against a la carte. My sister did Prix Fixe. The ticket was a mess. So I just Xed out their total, added my tip as what I owed and said “let the night auditor fix it. No button on the computer to account for the new option after it had been in place for months.

And, yes, the next day on my shipboard folio was the correct final total. Same cruise as my niece’s bill snafu. And - it was the Magic. I don’t expect problems this time, but I won‘t blindly sign the ticket. And will probably order a la carte again.

 

[Clarkson U]

You will get the itemized bill at the end of dining - and it will have an item that says Palo benefit -$45 (or something similar). If you just go for the Prix Fixe menu, the balance should say $0. Then there’s the line for the tip. Total it and sign. It’s still paper.

I did the $45 credit against a la carte. My sister did Prix Fixe. The ticket was a mess. So I just Xed out their total, added my tip as what I owed and said “let the night auditor fix it. No button on the computer to account for the new option after it had been in place for months.

And, yes, the next day on my shipboard folio was the correct final total. Same cruise as my niece’s bill snafu. And - it was the Magic. I don’t expect problems this time, but I won‘t blindly sign the ticket. And will probably order a la carte again.

Thanks. Very helpful. We are also thinking of doing a la carte since we are four vegetarians at Palo. We also debated doing a two and two split to sample more food and still enjoy all the things.

 

[auntlynne]

Vegetarians who eat fish? Or truly vegetarians? Ovo-lacto?

The Dover sole is nice, as are the ravioli with Butternut squash (agnolotti). I would think this menu offers more for a vegetarian than do many. I didn’t realize I liked arugula until I had it as a salad here. (I think of how spicy “Rocket“ was on sandwiches in England; it comes off differently in a salad.). Pretty large serving, in my memory.

 

[Clarkson U]

Vegetarians who eat fish? Or truly vegetarians? Ovo-lacto?

The Dover sole is nice, as are the ravioli with Butternut squash (agnolotti). I would think this menu offers more for a vegetarian than do many. I didn’t realize I liked arugula until I had it as a salad here. (I think of how spicy “Rocket“ was on sandwiches in England; it comes off differently in a salad.). Pretty large serving, in my memory.

True vegetarians - but we eat all dairy products. No fish.

 

[auntlynne]

If you see anything on the menu that could easily be modified, let them know. I mentioned how much I lived the lasagne (was off the menu) and the chef made it for my night on the following cruise (B2B). If you are fettuccine alfredo people, that should be easy to accommodate (Just ask ahead of time. You know how they really try to add the Magic).

Indian food in the MDR seems to be a hit when people mention that.

I am not always an outside the box thinker, but sometimes I find it pays to mention interests or preferences.

Now, are you waiting on a cabin, too?

 

[Clarkson U]

If you see anything on the menu that could easily be modified, let them know. I mentioned how much I lived the lasagne (was off the menu) and the chef made it for my night on the following cruise (B2B). If you are fettuccine alfredo people, that should be easy to accommodate (Just ask ahead of time. You know how they really try to add the Magic).

Indian food in the MDR seems to be a hit when people mention that.

I am not always an outside the box thinker, but sometimes I find it pays to mention interests or preferences.

Now, are you waiting on a cabin, too?

Great advice and many thanks.

Yes ma’am we are waiting on an assignment for our VGT (GTY) room for this sailing. But I did get blank luggage tags with a spot for me to write in stateroom number!

 

[CamColt]

We usually only do Brunch, and it is complimentary. If I remember right we tip 50.00 for 2.

 

[RedHead0186]

We usually tip 20% (just like we'd do at any other restaurant), or slightly higher for exceptional service.

 

[SnowWhite2]

I'm so intrigued by the question on tipping at Palo. Those that tip a % based off of a land based meal, do you do that for your dining room wait staff also? If not, why not? I've found that my Palo waiter can be hit or miss along with my dining room staff.

 

[Chipmunkmaniac]

Since this is our cruise, we’ll get in the same page.

I have tipped anywhere from $10-20 pp for brunch or supper - because it’s complimentary for Platinum. I typically do about 20% on land, so $10 would be similar (No alcohol add-on for me). I think drinks have the standard 18% auto gratuity in Palo.

But watch your bill - they added 18% to the total bill for my niece (no alcohol involved) and then said it was not for the server, but for the company. And stated she needed to tip the waiter, in addition. Disney did a hard backpedal when questioned, resulting in lots of apologies from officers and managers Tge rest of the cruise.

Was this on the Dream? My server did it there last January. I was shocked (some oyher stuff too that he did) went to guest relations to share my experience and even got called by a mgr explaining they are not supposed to say anything like that and that the info the server gave was not accurate

 

[Calantha]

I'm so intrigued by the question on tipping at Palo. Those that tip a % based off of a land based meal, do you do that for your dining room wait staff also? If not, why not? I've found that my Palo waiter can be hit or miss along with my dining room staff.

We do the regular "tips" for the dining room staff, and then depending on the number of nights and level of service, we tip more but I don't do a strict %.

For example, when DS and I were on the Dream last year, we ended up having breakfast with our servers several times and they were amazing, so I gave quite a bit extra on the last day.

I feel the same way about Palo. I know they are getting some sort of default "tip" from the bill, but depending on the level of service, I will tip more. I do the same with alcohol. I don't have to tip more, but especially on Castaway, if the same server has "re-provisioned" me several times on the beach, I will leave a larger tip.

My larger opinion on tipping culture is that I wish it weren't that way, but I'm not prepared to fight that battle with anyone, so I pay the tip.

 

[cedricandsophie]

We have never done brunch( but are platinum and do palo, usually the prefix, for dinner every cruise. And get a bottle of wine, We usually tip $40 to $50 for the two of us which is what we would typically tip at home based on the value of the dinner, plus a bottle of wine

 

[Pixie Dust Believer]

I don’t love the new tipping method in Palo of 18% that goes to multiple people in the restaurant rather than just your server. In the past without the 18% included, everything we left went to the server. Now Disney is spreading that tip around to subsidize the wages for everyone in the restaurant, but they are doing so at the servers expense. I would have rather had Disney add a second tipping line for back of the house staff than start taking part of the tips away from the servers.

Prior to the change we would tip 20-30%. Since the change we tip higher to try to make sure the server is taken care of. We tend to do long cruises or b2b2b, so we have our Palo server at least 4-5 times and enjoy their service. By the second time they already know our preferences and they help elevate the meal. As a result we want to make sure they tipped accordingly.

 

[Bound4DisneyWorld]

I don’t love the new tipping method in Palo of 18% that goes to multiple people in the restaurant rather than just your server. In the past without the 18% included, everything we left went to the server. Now Disney is spreading that tip around to subsidize the wages for everyone in the restaurant, but they are doing so at the servers expense. I would have rather had Disney add a second tipping line for back of the house staff than start taking part of the tips away from the servers.

Prior to the change we would tip 20-30%. Since the change we tip higher to try to make sure the server is taken care of. We tend to do long cruises or b2b2b, so we have our Palo server at least 4-5 times and enjoy their service. By the second time they already know our preferences and they help elevate the meal. As a result we want to make sure they tipped accordingly.

Are they permitted to take cash tips? Could you pass the server cash to Ensure they’re taken care of with the billed gratuity being a-lit between kitchen and support staff?

 

[mmouse37]

We also tip $10-$20 pp at Palo Brunch. I usually leave cash for the tip but sometimes add it to the bill.

MJ

 

[Pixie Dust Believer]

Are they permitted to take cash tips? Could you pass the server cash to Ensure they’re taken care of with the billed gratuity being a-lit between kitchen and support staff?

Yup, we sometimes leave cash and sometimes leave it on the additional gratuity line. Any time you add an additional gratuity on to check onboard (drinks, Palo, etc), it goes directly to the person who served you.