Recommended tipping

[DisneyBill]

It is possible that some of the "coldness" that folks fear they are getting on the morning of disembarkation is just a very business-like attitude of getting the ship turned over. Disney is all about getting present cruiser off the ship. Our servers stopped their morning duties to hug the kids goodbye on Saturday morning. Remember, DCL wants you to cruise again & again. IMHO, DCL would address any matters that aren't 100% guest-friendly.

 

[CheapMom]

Originally posted by DisneyBill
Our servers stopped their morning duties to hug the kids goodbye on Saturday morning.

Did you tip the recommended minimum or more?

 

[rae519]

Originally posted by CB4U
If we decide to have lunch in one of the restaurants instead of Topsiders, do we tip the servers. We have never eaten lunch in one of the restaurants. I understand you just sit anywhere and not at your assigned table.

I tip the servers at Topsiders. And I know that they are also rotation servers, but if they are waiting on me, then I tip them.
Just my two cents on the matter.

Rae

 

[rae519]

RE:Servers on morning of debarkation....having late breakfast, it was hard for us to leave our servers....there was a lot of hugging and last minute thank you's for things (THEY THANKED US!!!!) That is always a highly emotional time for us because we have known our servers for so many years now and feel they make our trips more special than just serving food and drinks!

It is always business underneath it all, especially when they have such a short turn around time, but if you have built a relationship with them (kind words, using the words "please" and "thankyou" often), you will never regret it. I treat them as "equals" not as "servants" and found that they can be the best friends a family can ever have!

Hugs to all the CM's!!!!!

Rae

 

[HLFDZN]

I was planning on giving at least the recommended amount....what about this scenario? If my children do not dine with us...if they dine with the clubs or have pizza or something else, am I still expected to tip for EVERY day even if the kids are never at dinner?Should I send cash with them to tip whoever waits on them where they are? ( I have 3 teens) I usually am a big tipper.... How much does everyone tip the kids club workers? I just need an idea so I can put this money away for them before we leave. I figure it is going to be a chunk of change for 8 people. Are there any other people we need to think about? I heard you should tip tour operators too..how much? Please don't flame me either..I am not trying to cheat anyone! What is the standard tip for the porters as well? $1 a bag or more? I had $50.00 singles for tips on my last trip when I went with friends and used it all up by the 3rd day. Room service for a snack? $2? Thanks in advance for the advice. Melissa

 

[Luv2Dream]

Oh, I never thought about the kids club workers.....yes, how do people show their appreciation to them?

 

[makaylee]

Originally posted by 62travelDisney
We haven't cruised yet but will in a couple of weeks, and I must say I am still confused about the tipping. If Disney is going to recommend amounts I feel that it goes without saying that those amounts should cover the excellent service that's expected from Disney when we pay for our cruise. For servers to be "disappointed" with that makes no sense to me. I have no problem giving more if the service goes well beyond what's expected or less if it's below Disney standards. However, I still find it disturbing that if I tip the recommended amount for excellent service for my family of six that somebody will be disappointed. Please advise!!!!

I whole heartedly agree with you. I think it is VERY wrong for a server to have an attitude with you because you ONLY tip the RECOMMENDED amount. Whatever! Like posted above, the recommended tip is what DCL "recommends" for good service, thats why it is listed. I wonder how rude they are to the people who tip nothing? Would they like it if we did that instead? Im sorry if I sound rude, but this REALLY upsets me. I recieved good service from all except my assistant server which only got 75% of his recommended tip (we had to ask for every refill, he never remembered what any of us liked to drink after 7 days, and he did not once bring my daughter ketsup with her fries, we had to remind him EVERY night. there were quite a few more grievences but i will stop now), all others got the recommended which I thought was fare. That is why those guidelines are there isn't it? Oh, our server did go a little beyond, so we did give him a tad more than recommende like $15 or so. We did not see our servers on the last morning, but if I did and they had an attitude you can bet I would have went right to the head server or guest services and complained!
I am also VERY curtious to any person who may serve me or my family, I ALWAYS say Please and Thank You and treat them as equals because that is what they are.

 

[jrabbit]

I have ALWAYS treated the wait staff and room stewards with respect (please and thank you). In my earlier post stateing that the wait staff was cool towards us, I should mention that they were not towards the other family at the table (they may have tipped more). And this team was not poor, they were pretty good, but they didn't live up to expectations set by prior serving teams.

I have enjoyed our interaction with our room stewards. So do the kids. I prefer to have them "hanging around" and willing to visit as we go to and fro from our room. On the last cruise we were in a SPR. Our steward was split between the port and starboard hallways and we didn't get to see him as much as our prior stewards. The only expectations we have of the stewards are that the room is kept clean, we have clean towels. The towel animals are a nice touch and being friendly with us is very nice.

 

[shmoogrrrl]

We actually tipped our Asst. server more than our head server on our last cruise. They were both wonderful, and we tipped them both over the recommended amount, but we had a 10 month old who thought it great fun to throw food on the floor. Although we were good parents and picked up what we could, we saw our poor Asst Server having to sweep up a mess every night when we were done after dinner, so we tipped him a lot more.

Poor guy. There was our 10 month old and our friend's 15 month old. They loved making a mess!

 

[Zuzu03]

Although I agree with you that these people probably don't make much from Disney, I'd love to know what they pull down from the tips. I've known several waitstaff, bartenders, etc. who make more money than I do as a French professor - it floors me when I talk to these people who have university degrees, but do not use them because they make more money as waitstaff. I know it's hard work and I'm sure I couldn't/wouldn't do it (too clumsy!) but honestly, there is a part of me that is a little insulted that there is a recommended amount to tip. I'm sure some of you have been to parts of Europe where the tip is included in the bill, taking all of the guesswork/stress out of it. Of course these people aren't falling all over themselves to fawn all over you, which is actually more refreshing than someone who is annoyingly fake trying to wring out more of your money! One of my students went on DCL Wonder and said her father refused to tip at all, saying that the cruise was so #$%**@ expensive he didn't see the need to shell out more money as for tips! Oh dear, I wonder how THAT went over the last day.

 

[CheapMom]

Originally posted by Zuzu03
but honestly, there is a part of me that is a little insulted that there is a recommended amount to tip.

Not me- without the recommended guidelines I would be TOTALLY lost (as it is I am only semi-lost). It's not like you can add up your food bill and add 20% like you do in a restaurant.

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

Originally posted by CheapMom
Did you tip the recommended minimum or more?

I'm curious also how much they tipped.... well not exactly, just if they tipped more than the recommended amount (which btw is not stated as recommended "minimum" as you put it).

jrabbit,
We had the same thing happen to us on our 7 day last October. Our servers did okay but not anything above normal. On the last morning they were not happy with us. Almost to the point that we wanted to leave and had we known they would act like that after getting the recommeded amount I would have gave them less.
I think tipping should be done at the very beginging of the cruise the recommended amount and then people can add extra if they get better service.

Well, this definitely makes me want to wait to tip (whatever the amount will be based on the quality of service throughout the cruise) until the last breakfast. Nothing would sour a cruise for me more than tipping the recommended amount for "nothing special but adequate" service for 5 people in our family and then have them treat us poorly the last day making it obvious they were unhappy with that amount. It would make me wish I had tipped less! I'd definitely be annoyed.
*note to self -wait to tip at breakfast on last day....*

 

[rae519]

I have dined with people with were rude and just down right nasty to the servers. This was a shock to me since I am not that way. Their attitude was, "That's their job!" - it took a lot for us to sit the 3 nights with them as dining partners - in fact, this is the couple whose son (6) was taking food off my plate, spitting and kicking me in the shins. Yes, I complained to the parents, but they said, "Well, he's a boy! What do you expect!"

I didn't expect a child the same age as my son to have horrible manners!! And I felt they should put him between them, not near another adult. Let him spit and kick them!!!

The server and assistant server bend over backwards to please this family, to entertain the child and do whatever they could!!
I felt so sorry because they stiffed the wait staff and she bragged about it at the airport (yes, I saw them at the airport also). Two very nice, very attentive servers had the family from "...." and never saw a nickle from them.

Do I feel I should make up for those who stiff the servers? No. It's part of life and their job to have to deal with ignorant and rude people - we all have that burden. But I do think that they deserve their fair share.

If your child is not to be present at any meals with the servers, then I don't think you should tip. But if they are, then please tip accordingly. Explain this to the servers beforehand, that "Johnny or Jane" will not be there.

Michael likes being with his own age group. Rotation dining is formal and although we have every meal at home as a family - on vacation, I let him enjoy his friends! But he does attend some of the rotation dining, so I do tip for him.

Rae

 

[CheapMom]

I will tip for all the people in my party even if my kids aren't at most of the meals. I think they probably split up the guests so that each server has a similar number of guests. (And therefore can make a certain amount in gratuities) I don't feel they should be penalized if my child chooses to eat elsewhere.

 

[jrabbit]

I will tip for all the people in my party even if my kids aren't at most of the meals. ... I don't feel they should be penalized if my child chooses to eat elsewhere.

The reality of tipping is that you are tipping for breafast, lunch, dinner snacks, etc, so EVERYONE except the under 1yo crowd is using the services of the waitstaff every day. Therefor you should leave a tip for everyone in your party.

I bit off topic:
As to how much these people earn in tips a week, I did the math some time ago in a thread, based on guessing how many people they served, and on the recommended amount. The only number I remember is the head waiter (not your serving team). Since there are two per dining room and 450 (475 max) people per seating, they have 450 people tipping them $6.50 = 2,925 per WEEK!!!!! My guess is that the head waiter is the person to get stiffed the most so he/she makes significanly less than this.

 

[CheapMom]

Originally posted by jrabbit
Since there are two per dining room and 450 (475 max) people per seating, they have 450 people tipping them $6.50 = 2,925 per WEEK!!!!! My guess is that the head waiter is the person to get stiffed the most so he/she makes significanly less than this.

That is really hard to believe but what do I know.
PS- eveyone is so nice on this board- I thought it might turn into a flame-fest but you guys are great- giving info and opinions without judging.

 

[QueenTrident]

For what it's worth, here's how we tipped and our rationale...

Our servers (all 3) were great. We are really laid-back people and I think that frustrated them because they kept wanting to do more for us and we didn't need it. The head server was fabulous - she took care of DH very well since he has a food allergy. DD didn't come with us at all to dinner, but our servers would see us at lunch and breakfast and be very attentive to her. So, we added about $30 to each of the recommended tips and rounded up to the nearest ten (just to make it easy). We also had phone cards with us and gave them each $20 in phone cards. I do feel that I was making up a bit for the people around us. One family got sick and didn't come to dinner for the rest of the week. Another family was the family from heck and they had told us they were going stiff the servers and our table was set for 8, but was only the two of us. But, I didn't mind giving them the money or the cards - they deserved it.

Our stateroom host was a different story. Towel animals weren't there every night. He forgot the ice. He left dirty towels in the bathroom. He didn't clean up the garbage properly. I just felt no magic from him. I gave him only the recommendation. DH left it in the room before turndown on the last night. After we came back to the room, we saw that he had taken the tip, but did not turn down the beds! Needless to say, he got very bad review from us.

I tipped room service $1 - $2 depending on what we got. DD didn't connect with any one camp counselor, so I didn't tip them. I wanted to, but they were so disorganized (it seemed) and no one really stuck out to me or her.

 

[plano4]

What's the standard practice for tipping at Palo? Is there a way to put the tip on a credit card or KTTW card?

 

[The4OfUs]

Originally posted by plano4
What's the standard practice for tipping at Palo? Is there a way to put the tip on a credit card or KTTW card?

You put it on your KTTW card, like any other charge on the ship. They make it far too easy to spend money painlessly (until you get the final bill! *grin*)

 

[makaylee]

I have a new plan for our next sailing. Im going to tip the recommended on the last night (unless I receive poor service from someone) but, I am going to bring plenty of phone cards with us. Any server who is still friendly to us on the last morning will get phone cards when we say goodbye, if they are even slightly rude they can forget it. Sounds like a good plan to me.