Paying tips in advance and gift cards

[Jillywilly143]

I read somewhere that someone paid their recommended tips in advance. How can I do this? Also, can I do this using Disney gift cards?

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

You can contact DCL direct or via your TA if used.

I always prepay my tips, the service is great on the ship. I use a TA and ask them on my final payment to add pre paid tips. If you are past paying in full you can ask DCL direct to add them. If you booked direct again contact DCL. Just tell them your credit card details.

In your cruise documents sent out circa 45 days, if you prepaid tips before that, it will mention it.

On the ship, you will get tickets for the standard tips prepaid and envelopes, and you hand these over last night at dinner. And to your stateroom host.

If you wanted to adjust up or down you can still do that at guest services. You can also add cash to the envelopes

I prepay as I know the service is good, to help me budget, and also cover if my currency suddenly falls by 15% just before the cruise.

I use my credit card and not used gift cards. As its taken by DCL inland , I assume that's possible.

This is a great link to calculate tips:- http://cruisetip.tpkeller.com/

 

[RedSox68]

This is a great link to calculate tips:- http://cruisetip.tpkeller.com/

I love using this calculator -- but keep in mind it is an estimate. His site is not always up to date. It lists NCL at $12/pp per day when they are actually now charging $12.50/pp per day. It will help get your budget started, but then call the cruise line you are sailing on and double-check the actual guests tip amounts.

QUESTION: when you add cash to the envelopes on a Europe cruise, do you add USD or Euro?

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

I love using this calculator -- but keep in mind it is an estimate. His site is not always up to date. It lists NCL at $12/pp per day when they are actually now charging $12.50/pp per day. It will help get your budget started, but then call the cruise line you are sailing on and double-check the actual guests tip amounts.

QUESTION: when you add cash to the envelopes on a Europe cruise, do you add USD or Euro?

Yes, I use it for DCL, where it is accurate, ( at this moment in time). I added USA $ to my pre paid tips, I order notes in advance, for extra tips, room service etc. Nice new Euro notes not too large not to small are also welcome. The employees on the ship, use -$ the majority of the time, and only sale in Europe a limited time. Some do come from Europe, some get time off in port, so Euros can help.

I have been seeing CMs enjoying Iceland and Norway time off this week, so local currency helps, some have gone out for a meal.

But we have to consider many will change it up on the ship, or want to send to thier family, so as default $. On top of that currently, not just the £, but I think the Euro and other currencies will be in for a rough time soon. Europe will loose 15% of its income from the UK leaving it, the markets haven't picked up on it as yet. As long as the USA doesn't do something silly in elections soon, the $ is a safe haven.

 

[cheermom2four]

If you are past paying in full you can ask DCL direct to add them.

This is good to know as I want to prepay mine and I'm now past PIF date and I really like dealing directly with DCL instead of having to go yet again through my TA

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

It's the same, as buying gifts direct,or putting stateroom credit on direct, TAs do not get anything on it. But before PIF, go through your TA if used.

 

[Sytrace]

This is good to know as I want to prepay mine and I'm now past PIF date and I really like dealing directly with DCL instead of having to go yet again through my TA

Why don't you want to go thru your TA? Just curious.

 

[cheermom2four]

Why don't you want to go thru your TA? Just curious.

Well, kind of bugged the crud out of my TA with my incessant room upgrades and well... I feel like I did more research and could've booked my two cruises by myself. There wasnt an incentive either

 

[Sytrace]

Well, kind of bugged the crud out of my TA with my incessant room upgrades and well... I feel like I did more research and could've booked my two cruises by myself. There wasnt an incentive either

I would hope she would not have felt bugged by your requests and especially upgrades as this helps her commission. I do give some type of OBC to my clients but I cannot compete with Costco or even the larger travel agencies in that respect.
On the plus side you have learned a lot from doing your research and made some good friends on here.
Thank you for answering my question, I appreciate it.

 

[LoverDisney]

I don't mean to hi-jack your thread op but: How many envelopes do we receive and is it a standard rule to add extra money and how much is recommended? My kids and I are newbies so I want to make sure that I don't get weird looks when disembarking if I don't add enough. I did prepay our tips. TIA.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I don't mean to hi-jack your thread op but: How many envelopes do we receive and is it a standard rule to add extra money and how much is recommended? My kids and I are newbies so I want to make sure that I don't get weird looks when disembarking if I don't add enough. I did prepay our tips. TIA.

You get 4 envelopes and a sheet that separates out into 4 coupons you place in the correct envelope.



The suggested gratuities you have pre-paid are $12.00 per guest (each of you in your room is a guest) per night. That $12.00 breaks out to $4.00 per guest per night to your room host; $4.00 per guest per night to your dining room server; $3.00 per guest per night to your assistant server; and $1.00 per guest per night to your head server.

These gratuities are all that's really necessary. Unless you feel anyone did an "above and beyond" service for you. If so, you can add additional cash to the envelope (whatever amount you feel is appropriate) before handing out the envelopes.

You won't get "weird looks" at any time due to whatever you tip. It's entirely up to you how much you tip.

 

[mommy2allyandaveri]

I don't mean to hi-jack your thread op but: How many envelopes do we receive and is it a standard rule to add extra money and how much is recommended? My kids and I are newbies so I want to make sure that I don't get weird looks when disembarking if I don't add enough. I did prepay our tips. TIA.

You will get 4 envelopes; server, assistant server, head server, and state room host. It is completely up to you if you decide to tip more. If you feel like they went above and beyond, throw a little extra in.

 

[Bettyscruise]

You will get 4 envelopes; server, assistant server, head server, and state room host. It is completely up to you if you decide to tip more. If you feel like they went above and beyond, throw a little extra in.

On our last cruise we received 5 envelopes, (a surprise to us), to include the concierge host team. Disney doesn't include them in the prepaid calculation. Lesson learned; be prepared to handle this extra envelope if you're in a concierge cabin. There are no suggested tip amounts that I've seen for this gratuity.

 

[RedSox68]

You will get 4 envelopes; server, assistant server, head server, and state room host. It is completely up to you if you decide to tip more. If you feel like they went above and beyond, throw a little extra in.

What I didn't like about this is that the room steward puts the sheet and envelopes on your bed at turndown, meaning he can see everything you are paying to everyone. Ours was never in a privacy envelope or anything!

 

[Sytrace]

What I didn't like about this is that the room steward puts the sheet and envelopes on your bed at turndown, meaning he can see everything you are paying to everyone. Ours was never in a privacy envelope or anything!

I would think that the servers and host/hostesses know how much they are going to make in tips anyway from the start being a standard rate. They host/hostess wouldn't know, however, if extra was added into the envelope.

 

[RedSox68]

I would think that the servers and host/hostesses know how much they are going to make in tips anyway from the start being a standard rate. They host/hostess wouldn't know, however, if extra was added into the envelope.

Yes, they know the standard tips suggested; but if you have added extra monies to their tips it would show in the printout and should not be public knowledge for other cast members to see. JMO