Sateroom attendant

[DVCSunDevil]

Wow. That makes me want to double my tips next time. Nothing like spending 6 grand on a vacation and then begrudging somebody 15 bucks for their hard work.

We just got off the treasure yesterday and I added another $30 in cash to the tip for the room attendant. They are always so nice and go over the top with any requests. We brought a couple bottles of wine for the room and our attendant saw that and brought two wine glasses and an opener for us, unprompted. Then we had room service bring breakfast on a couple mornings...don't forget that the room attendant is responsible for cleaning that stuff up. We always throw in some more money for the room attendants...they work their TAILS off!

 

[Djm_in_buffalo]

A mandatory tip is not a tip.

So, just skip the whole thing. Disney can pay their employees better and the rest of us can stop worrying about it. Everyone wins.

This exactly.

 

[DVCSunDevil]

This exactly.

I think DCL includes “mandatory” tips to let people who may not be aware (like people from European countries) know that they are supposed to tip these people. The tip DCL mandates is a starting point, and then you can tip more for exceptional service. I’m sure all the employees who are filling these roles are appreciative of this.

For someone to go out of their way to remove these tips is ridiculous. If someone can’t or doesn’t want to tip, then don’t go on the cruise. It’s pretty simple.

 

[Kwami]

I think DCL includes “mandatory” tips to let people who may not be aware (like people from European countries) know that they are supposed to tip these people. The tip DCL mandates is a starting point, and then you can tip more for exceptional service. I’m sure all the employees who are filling these roles are appreciative of this.

For someone to go out of their way to remove these tips is ridiculous. If someone can’t or doesn’t want to tip, then don’t go on the cruise. It’s pretty simple.

Yes, we know how it currently works.

The point is that the current system is stupid. Disney should just remove the pre-set gratuities entirely and increase the cost of the cruise and the salaries of those employees by the same amount. Save us all from the pointless "tip" game.

 

[happycamper47]

Yes, we know how it currently works.

The point is that the current system is stupid. Disney should just remove the pre-set gratuities entirely and increase the cost of the cruise and the salaries of those employees by the same amount. Save us all from the pointless "tip" game.

But it's not just DCL..most play the game.

 

[Djm_in_buffalo]

I think DCL includes “mandatory” tips to let people who may not be aware (like people from European countries) know that they are supposed to tip these people. The tip DCL mandates is a starting point, and then you can tip more for exceptional service. I’m sure all the employees who are filling these roles are appreciative of this.

For someone to go out of their way to remove these tips is ridiculous. If someone can’t or doesn’t want to tip, then don’t go on the cruise. It’s pretty simple.

Not sure why I’m being quoted here. I understand suggested gratuities. But, I don’t advocate for either mandatory ‘gratuities’ or opting out of said ‘gratuities’. I didn’t even comment on it.

Regardless of service industry setting, I tip when I receive a service competently performed. I tip in line with better American tippers, which is to say, I think percentage wise, I tip a good bit more than the average Canadian and most every European.

However, I continue to believe that a gratuity should only apply if a true service was competently performed. For a ‘gratuity’ to be akin to an expected, baked-in amount to be added on to the bill as an ‘option’, regardless of the quality of services performed, if they were even performed at all… in that situation, just pay the workers a fair wage and get rid of the charade of it being optional.

I suspect that on most cruises, the staff, predominantly from developing nations, make more pre-tip base money than they would be able to make at home (https://www.businessinsider.com/cruise-ship-workers-reveal-how-much-money-they-make-2019-5) . Then add in the perk of room and board.

So while $x might seem low for NYC, Miami, or somewhere in rural America, that exact same amount of money can go a lot farther in many other places. Likely places where tipping everybody/anybody at minimum 15, 18, 20%, regardless of if they even did anything, is unheard of.

If the cruise line expects its staff to earn $___ regardless of quality of service provided, then adjust the sticker price so that the staff make that.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

For someone to go out of their way to remove these tips is ridiculous. If someone can’t or doesn’t want to tip, then don’t go on the cruise. It’s pretty simple.

I agree with you on actually requesting tips to be removed when a cruise line charges them to your stateroom that's not fair to do that, people should look for a cruise line better suited to them in this case (as again there are lines that tips are already factored into the cruise fare).

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I'm assuming the OP is talking about additional tipping and not what is auto charged, when stating they didn't tip.

We've been on 10 DCL cruises. On all of them we left the 'auto' tip in place, so everyone received something. However, on 2 cruises we did not give the MDR servers any additional tip because we didn't use the MDR for those cruises so they received the auto tip for, I guess, services they provided on CC. Our first cruise we didn't leave any additional tip for the room attendant because in the 3 days we cruised it was a different person every day - sometimes twice a day - so we figured the person assigned to our cabin was sick. We found this confusing and didn't tip extra. One guy was in a white officer uni.

On two cruises we were all over the place with our schedule and a few times attendants missed our evening service but that was our fault. The service provided otherwise was wonderful so that additional tip was reflective on service that would've been provided if we'd've let them. One room attendant we tipped less extra because I constantly had to remake the bed along with having to put up with DH telling me to stop and call the attendant back. Apparently, some people don't mind sleeping on wrinkles but I'm not one of those. LOL

My last comment on tipping relates to the land portion of our vacations. We leave a tip even if staying for 1 night because we use everything - bathroom, kitchen, bed - we touch it all and the room definitely needs to be put back in order. So yes, IMO, a 1N stay needs a tip.

My comment on the Room Occupied tag is that when we hang that on the door we REALLY want to be UNDISTURBED. So all of those who hang that tag on the door all day are a PITA.

On our last cruise (not with DCL though) our room host just mentioned to us that if we wanted our room to be serviced to make sure to leave by 1:30pm. I plan on asking on our upcoming cruise what those room hosts say for the cut off time for them. It wasn't really an issue with us as we were always on an excursion or in port or at least away from our room but this time we have sea days when our last cruise we did not.

No need to presume something about passengers who leave it up all day so long as they know it means the room won't be serviced; there are a variety of reasons why someone would be in their room all day for example including sea sickness for one, needing to rest for another or maybe they plan on being in and out of their room too frequently for cleaning. In the case of the OP it was multiple days at a time for no-health related reason and that can much more easily be an issue and overly burden the employees once the passenger disembarks.

 

[DVCSunDevil]

Not sure why I’m being quoted here.

If the cruise line expects its staff to earn $___ regardless of quality of service provided, then adjust the sticker price so that the staff make that.

I quoted you because your comment of “This exactly” was a reply about how DCL could just get rid of tips altogether. I get what you are saying, but that isn't how the service industry works. Take servers and bartenders in your local city, for example. Those people earn an hourly wage, but a large portion of what they make is based on tips. In your (and others) suggestion, if the restaurant simply gave those bartenders and servers a higher hourly wage the restaurant would actually be hurting the bartenders and servers who go out of their way to provide great service (and thus EARN greater tips). In that model, if customers knew the tip was "built into" their bill then most wouldn't give an extra tip for exemplary service. The same things goes for anyone in a service job. So regarding DVC and other cruise lines, here is what would happen if they moved to that model (which has been proven out in studies and models on "regression to the mean"):
- DCL raises the rates to include the tips that are currently added, eliminating the tips and just increasing the salary for each employee (the model some on here have teed up as a good alternative)
- The tipped employees (stateroom stewards, servers, etc.) then start to see less added gratuities from guests because the guests are told that all gratuities are now included
- The tipped employees are then less likely to go out of their way for extra service, knowing that they probably won't get tipped extra for going "the extra mile"...so the level of customer service declines

I get that some don't like tipping and that other cruise lines use a different model than DVC, but DVC does it the way they do it (as well as other cruise lines). If the end result is the same cost of the trip (using the current model compared to adding the tip to the cost of the trip), then what does it matter? Guests can simply choose to tip only the amount that is added or add some extra for great service...it's up to each guest and it keeps the staff motivated to keep going above and beyond. Just like any other service industry in America. And if guests don't like it and prefer to use a cruise line that builds the tips into the fare of the cruise, then they should do that.

At any rate, it sounds like everyone on here agrees that the stateroom attendants should be compensated for their job (either via tip or having the tip added to the cruise cost and the attendant getting a higher salary). So, if someone decides to cruise on DCL (under the current model of getting tipped) then that person should NOT be demanding that the stateroom attendant's tip be removed from their bill. This threat started with the OP stating they demanded the stateroom attendant not get their tip, which is totally bush league.

 

[DVCSunDevil]

Yes, we know how it currently works.

The point is that the current system is stupid. Disney should just remove the pre-set gratuities entirely and increase the cost of the cruise and the salaries of those employees by the same amount. Save us all from the pointless "tip" game.

"Stupid" or not, that is how DVC does it. We can only deal in reality, not "what ifs" or "they should do it this way". So if someone doesn't like the way DVC does it, then they shouldn't cruise on Disney Cruise Line. But if they DO cruise on DCL, then do it knowing that the tip will be added and they have the choice if they want to tip more or not. Fairly simple.

 

[bakerworld]

The tip for the servers covers all meals - breakfast, lunch and dinner. The "dinner" servers also staff/serve in those locations - the buffet and fast food locations, as well as the MDR that serves those meals.

We figured that so we never alter the 'auto-tip' system that is added. We just don't add.

 

[DisneYE]

A mandatory tip is not a tip.

So, just skip the whole thing. Disney can pay their employees better and the rest of us can stop worrying about it. Everyone wins.

I agree with what you said about paying the employees better, but you and I know very well that is not going to happen. And least not in the short run. It just won't so might as well not dream about it.
So a quick solution is to include the tips and you can't remove them.
Many restaurants nowadays have that thing going on, a mandatory tip of 15-20% and I agree with it. Would I rather the employees get paid better? hell yeah (like Europe, Japan, Australia).
But it's just not the way it is now in the US, so we adjust to the environment, not the other way around.
Don't want to tip? don't go to a restaurant, or a cruise.

 

[scroogie]

"Stupid" or not, that is how DVC does it. We can only deal in reality, not "what ifs" or "they should do it this way". So if someone doesn't like the way DVC does it, then they shouldn't cruise on Disney Cruise Line. But if they DO cruise on DCL, then do it knowing that the tip will be added and they have the choice if they want to tip more or not. Fairly simple.

I think you're mixing up your acronyms in both your posts...you mean DCL rather than the several mentions of DVC

 

[Kwami]

I agree with what you said about paying the employees better, but you and I know very well that is not going to happen. And least not in the short run. It just won't so might as well not dream about it.
So a quick solution is to include the tips and you can't remove them.
Many restaurants nowadays have that thing going on, a mandatory tip of 15-20% and I agree with it. Would I rather the employees get paid better? hell yeah (like Europe, Japan, Australia).
But it's just not the way it is now in the US, so we adjust to the environment, not the other way around.
Don't want to tip? don't go to a restaurant, or a cruise.

A mandatory 15% tip is the same as raising prices by 15% and paying that difference directly to the employees. There's no good reason to have a tip-based system.

 

[Mags2002]

Everyone can argue about tipping til they are blue in the face. That won’t change the fact that those in tipped positions are paid a ridiculously minuscule amount by DCL and rely on their tips to make a decent wage. It isn’t fair for people to remove them unless the service was truly bad, which hopefully is a rarity on DCL. Until anything changes, which I doubt it will, Guests will have to cruise with the knowledge and acceptance that the crew deserve their tips and factor it in to their overall budget.
If after a couple of days you think the service is lacking, mention it to them and they will do their best to recover the situation. There is nothing they can do at the end of the cruise or when you get home. Give them a fair chance to re-earn their tips.
I am fortunate enough to be paid well in my role so I dont know how it feels to get to the end of a cruise and realize that the people you tried so hard to please didn’t think it was even worth a tip. All I can guess is that it must feel horrible to think that a Guest believes you weren’t good enough

 

[mjkacmom]

A mandatory 15% tip is the same as raising prices by 15% and paying that difference directly to the employees. There's no good reason to have a tip-based system.

In the US, restaurants would have a tough time hiring staff without a tip based system. Those in tipped positions with very low hourly wages prefer to be tipped, so they can work hard in order to make more money.

 

[PsylockeSmythe]

In the US, restaurants would have a tough time hiring staff without a tip based system. Those in tipped positions with very low hourly wages prefer to be tipped, so they can work hard in order to make more money.

It matters on the state you are in and what that state's minimum wage laws are for tipped positions. For example, in California, the restaurant servers receive a minimum wage of $16.50 and hour. While in North Carolina that same server would only receive $2.14 an hour, with the expectations that the tips will make up the difference between the minimum wage and the tipped minimum wage.

So those in California get the benefit of both a higher minimum wage and tips, while those in other states, have to rely mostly on tips, and I've been in many restaurants to where the server has to rely on tips and received very poor service and the server still expected a large tip.

Psy

 

[disney2you]

At the very least they could have talked to the stateroom attendant about their preferences (don't roll up wires or make the bed for me). Seems like just an excuse not to tip. I went to Palo on my latest trip and wanted only the cheese plate but recognized I was taking up a whole table and taking earnings away from the waiter so I tipped 30$ on a 10$ cheese plate, service was also amazing as well even though he knew that was all I was ordering.

 

[Djm_in_buffalo]

Perspective is everything. If you’re a ‘1st world’ working professional, university student, or fresh uni. graduate taking a gap year and working in this service capacity, it’s probably not all that awesome. At all. Maybe the same is true for somebody from the same country who was never a university student, but does have hundreds of dollars a month in car payments, high rent, etc.

But, if you’re from a country such as Egypt, Indonesia, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Ukraine, etc., when compared to the average wages in that country (on average, up to a few hundred USD per month… but to a fair degree, costs are commensurate), I think you’re making significantly greater than the average wage back home, pre-tip. For an eye-opening perspective, look into what the average cardiologist in Egypt earns.

Again, I’m not here to bash tips. I do tip for competently performed services. I am opposed to ‘mandatory gratuities’. Particularly when folks deride and aver/allude that the worker is going to be hard-up, but for those tips flowing.

 

[RedHead0186]

If after a couple of days you think the service is lacking, mention it to them and they will do their best to recover the situation. There is nothing they can do at the end of the cruise or when you get home. Give them a fair chance to re-earn their tips.

This is great advice, Mags! It always breaks my heart when people say they had a negative experience and docked someone's tip, but never gave them a chance to address it. Many times, the CM might not even realize they're not meeting the guests' expectations, but given the corrective feedback, can adjust. Yes, sometimes there truly are some negative experiences with CMs, but a lot of times I think it's due to different expectations. If you've given the CM a chance to address the issue and they still don't, yes, then adjust your tip. But I think it's really unfair to lower a tip for someone without giving them a chance to fix it.