Question about gratuities???

[disfanatiks]

Are you required to pay your gratuities at Guest Services? On the previous cruise that we took, HAL has a "no tipping required" policy, so you tip what you feel appropriate. We tipped very generously and about 3X what is suggested on the Disney websites for tipping. However, if I am required to go to Guest Services and pay there instead of giving out the envelopes on the last evening...I am not sure that I would appreciate this. I would probably only tip what was required.

Just wondering...Thanks

 

[ebaynut31]

Hi, we just got back yesterday from our 3 night wonder cruise. On Saturday, the tipping envelopes are left in your room when your beds are turned down for the evening. I put the cash in them and handed them to our server, assistant server and head server and left the other in the room for our room hostess. There is also a sheet you can fill out and bring it to guest services and you can charge the tips. I like to give the envelopes myself. It explains how much for each person is the minimum.

 

[prymsu]

The only reason I can think why you would go through guest services is that you could have 'tip vouchers' charged to your room in place of giving cash to the folks you are going to trip. This would be a one time visit to Guest Services to take care of this...

 

[Diamond_Girls]

We just came home. We also received the tip envelopes in our stateroom. We went to guest services to charge the tips to our account. They gave us vouchers that we inserted in the envelopes and delivered to the cast members ourselves.

 

[Katesdad]

"Are you required to pay your gratuities at Guest Services?"

I see it as two questions. First - Are you required to pay your gratuities? That's been discussed a lot and the answer is, no you are not required to pay but are encouraged to do so as it is the major source of revenue for the room stewards and host and hostess' in the restaurants. However tipping for poor performace only encourages poor performance and tipping more tells the CM to keep up the good work.

Do you have to go to Guest Services? If you carry enough cash on board to tip, then no. However, if you would like to put it on your room bill, guest services is the only way to go for that. I prefer not to carry that much cash, so charging to the room, just like adding it on a bill at a restaurant, is the way I prefer.

The envelopes are left in your room on the last day. How you wish to fill them is entirely up to you.

 

[RIDISNEYLOVERS]

Here is a different question about gratuities:

When you order a drink pool side and you charge it to your KTTWC do you also charge the tip to your KTTWC or do you give cash? Is the tip already included?

Is it something on the lines like at a restuarant where you charge your food amount and then they come back with two slips one for you to sign and write in the amount of the gratuity and the other for you to keep.



Lisa

 

[Dave_from_Marietta]

A 15% gratuity is automatically added to the slip you'll be asked to sign to charge your drink to your room. You will have the option of adding additional gratuity and totaling the slip should you choose to do so, similar to a credit card receipt in a restaurant.

 

[disfanatiks]

Thanks for all the replies. That clears up alot.

Tipping is something that we (DH and I) tend to go overboard on when someone does a good job. I just don't like the idea of being told what to tip. A guideline is just fine...just not automatically taking it....

We took extra cash and envelopes on our last cruise...envelopes because we knew there would not be any....

Thanks again....

 

[my3kids]

Do people typically add to the 15% for bar drinks?

 

[aseafish]

Like everything else, some do and some don't.
I don't plan to do that on a consistent basis, but may for especially good service.