Palo

[bksaffle]

What is the tipping guideline for Palo Brunch, Palo High Tea, Palo Dinner?

 

[Otimon]

For the three of us for dinner, we leave an extra $20 at the table.

We are not drinkers and don't ask for any special service from the waiter/waitress. The extra cash is for the pleasant and friendly manner in which our meal is served. We enjoy chatting with the server and have found it helps makes a meal at Palo a memorable experience.

Enjoy.

 

[Dreamsoftravel]

I try to estimate what I would pay for the meal not on a cruise ship and tip based on that. We did have wine and the service was OUTSTANDING! There was six of us, I am not sure how much we all paid, but I know we all put extra on the tab.

 

[lbgraves]

to the DIS boards!

You have asked a very hot topic that will probably be closed for content in a day or two.

A couple people think that the fee that you pay is enough because the DCL website says that the tip is included in the fee. The server gets a small portion of that fee, some say $5, which would be a tip of 10% on a $50.00 tab. Once you have experienced Palo you will be able to decide for yourself how much the meal would have cost you on land and decide if you would like to tip the addition to cover the remainer of your guestimated cost. With the wonderful service we have always had, a buffet of extra choices of each course for everyone in our group in the private dining room and to top it all off chocolate souffles for everyone and 2-3 of every other desert so that everyone can sample them too.

 

[brucechase]

I also thought that the $15 per person included the tip.

I know you can go above and beyond on any tip, but I did think that the tip was included with the meal.

 

[Dreamsoftravel]

to the DIS boards!

You have asked a very hot topic that will probably be closed for content in a day or two.

A couple people think that the fee that you pay is enough because the DCL website says that the tip is included in the fee. The server gets a small portion of that fee, some say $5, which would be a tip of 20% on a $50.00 tab. Once you have experienced Palo you will be able to decide for yourself how much the meal would have cost you on land and decide if you would like to tip the addition to cover the remainer of your guestimated cost. With the wonderful service we have always had, a buffet of extra choices of each course for everyone in our group in the private dining room and to top it all off chocolate souffles for everyone and 2-3 of every other desert so that everyone can sample them too.

Actually, $5 on $50 tab is 10%, which is why I like to add alittle extra. That being said, I would be interested to know, how many people they serve a night and I am guessing they work every night. Is it the same servers for brunch as well? I guess $5 would add up over the week and extra is not really necessary. hmmmm... As stated above - the above and beyond service - people need to decide for themselves.

By the way lbgraves...I always enjoy reading your posts. You always seem to have an answer, and your answers are always written so well. Especially with hot topics, your point gets across very well. thank you for your knowledge!

 

[MelissaE1]

I try to estimate what I would pay for the meal not on a cruise ship and tip based on that.

This is exactly what we do. It is personal choice, but we also have had outstanding food and service at Palo, and it's the only time we pay for a meal aboard, so this is what feels right for us. My advice would be to go to the meal and you will get a sense of what "feels right" for you -- go with that.

 

[MelissaE1]

Question for those "in the know": Where does it say the tip is included in the $15? I can't find it on the DCL site. (And I don't mean this facetiously, it's an honest question as I've looked for the info before and can't find it. I don't have an issue with how other people choose to tip. )

 

[lbgraves]

Actually, $5 on $50 tab is 10%, which is why I like to add alittle extra. That being said, I would be interested to know, how many people they serve a night and I am guessing they work every night. Is it the same servers for brunch as well? I guess $5 would add up over the week and extra is not really necessary. hmmmm... As stated above - the above and beyond service - people need to decide for themselves.

By the way lbgraves...I always enjoy reading your posts. You always seem to have an answer, and your answers are always written so well. Especially with hot topics, your point gets across very well. thank you for your knowledge!

Thank you. UGH! I should be asleep!!! Ended up working until 11:30 last night. The time change is going to be torture in another week. Yes, that is only 10%. Most of the servers do work every day. They usually have 3 tables from what I have seen [2 2 tops and a 4 top so 10 people] in order to give the individual attention. With a two hour turn around they may get a total of 6 tables a night for dinner so for arguments sake assuming that the servers DO in fact get the $5 of the fee which I myself have not been told by anyone at DCL on the ship who would have the authority to know - I do not qualify the 800# reps based on their past history - so a max of 20 x 5 so $100, that is if their tables are all seated twice a night and they are all full and not a party of 2 at a 4 top which would drop that to $80, which won't always happen with cancellations that occur before the cut off time. If the servers on the Magic work 3 brunches that is the same so 3 x 100 for a total of $1000 a week. I am not counting in tea because only a few servers work this and the total fee is $5 so they might get $1 of that and it is not a great amount to quibble over.

Now someone is saying that's enough money, more than I make BUT remember they do not just work those few hours a night and afternoon in Palo. They also staff Topsider's for breakfast and lunch on non brunch days so 70 - 80 hour weeks like the other servers. This is also considered an elite position on the ship that is earned through excellent reviews and experience in the main dining rooms.

That said, I worked my way through college waiting tables 40 hours a week at Pizza Hut while taking 21 credit hours. I then waitressed after graduation and bartended for six months to pay off my student loans before going into the work force so that I could be debt free on a starting "real world" salary. When we moved to a small town due to DH's job transfer I again waited tables at a resort beach restaurant nearby until I could find a job in my field. I know how difficult waiting tables is and could never leave just $5 for the service that we have always received from our favorite servers who have become family friends over the past five years. We end up leaving more than that when my family goes to Pizza Hut if the service is good for a 20% tip. That is just MY personal feeling. DH and I and our friends have talked about this in the past and for the food quality that we have had at Palo and the amount of food that has been provided to us during a meal it easily would top $100.00 for two people in a nice restaurant, definitely in a WDW table service location.

 

[lbgraves]

Question for those "in the know": Where does it say the tip is included in the $15? I can't find it on the DCL site. (And I don't mean this facetiously, it's an honest question as I've looked for the info before and can't find it. I don't have an issue with how other people choose to tip. )

OH MY!!! Is it too good to be true?!?!? It used to be at the bottom of the Palo listing on their site but that has been changed. Now it just says...

Price: $15 dining option charge per person

NOWHERE does it say that the tip is included and I am searching through the FAQ information. Is this debate finally over?

 

[lbgraves]

http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/dcl/en_US/help/overview?name=OnboardServicesFAQLandingPage#10

Under the question about gratuities it says...

Palo Gratuity included

 

[orlandothebeagle]

I did not leave a tip for high tea, I thought the service was poor, I understodd that the tip was included but I would have tipped if I thought it was deserved.

 

[chrisann]

Is our server at Palo the same server we have for the rest of the cruise?

 

[MelissaE1]

http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/dcl/en_US/help/overview?name=OnboardServicesFAQLandingPage#10

Under the question about gratuities it says..."Palo gratuity included"

Yes, it certainly does. Thanks for finding that. It won't change the way I tip at Palo, I just feel my server deserves more (assuming we continue to get the quality of service I've come to expect), but I couldn't even figure out where that info was coming from.

 

[lbgraves]

Is our server at Palo the same server we have for the rest of the cruise?

No, the servers in Palo only work there.

 

[sbell111]

Is our server at Palo the same server we have for the rest of the cruise?

No. Your regular server would be down in your regular restaurants with your regular tablemates.

 

[lbgraves]

I finally found the email that I got from Palo confirming our group room reservation last cruise. It states...

I removed the individual reservations booked online. Please reconfirm this reservation with the PALO Team at the dining session (Rockin' Bar D-deck 3 forward) on embarkation day from 12:30pm to 3:30pm.

A Palo Dining Option of $15.00 per person is automatically added to the guests' shipboard account. Gratuity is not included.

I emailed her back saying that it was nice to see them finally saying that it was not included and she called me. I asked her why it was not noted as such on the DCL site. I cannot post what she told me as some may take it the wrong way but she agreed the wording should be changed on the site.

 

[jrabbit]

So we still have our "little" dilemma - Does the Palo service fee include a gratuity or not. One place - the DCL FAQ's say yes, but the info on Palo says no.

can you tell us WHERE the wording should be changed on the DCL Site

BTW - for me, I paid more in the Palo Service Fee and Gratuity for our Palo Server per person than I have ever paid for just a meal out!

 

[MelissaE1]

can you tell us WHERE the wording should be changed on the DCL Site

Seems to me like they should put "your discretion" instead of "included" in the FAQs.

 

[bksaffle]

I really appreciate everyone's response. If anyone is sailing on the Magic, ask for Cecilia to be your server in Palo. She is by far the best. I hear Marco is now on the Wonder who is also very good.

What we have done is basically look at what we feel the cost of the meal would be in the "real" world and tip based on that. I just wanted to make sure we were not "jipping" our server, and not tipping enough. Per couple we have given $30 for Brunch and up to $100 for Dinner. But then again our server is phenominal, and makes the Palo experience all the more enjoyable.