Sept. 23, 2012 Pacific Coast - Wonder Cruise

[sandracox67]

Finally finished our FE! (except for the hanging cord)
Really happy with how it came out.

 

[glindamood]

Hi everyone!
I can't believe how close we are now yay

Can't someone give me a rough idea on how much you would normally tip each service on top of the included gratuities please? And is anything not included in the pre paid gratuity? So hard coming from a non tipping country!

Off to join the Facebook group
Ps: HBMomof2, I'm Joanne

For us it totally depends on the service we get but it could be as much as $40 if it is outstanding, or none (and I have done both). Also, if you order an alcoholic beverage, an auto gratuity is added to that bill of 15%. But other than that, there isn't anything that I can think of.

Finally finished our FE! (except for the hanging cord)
Really happy with how it came out.

Super cute! I have not got a lick of sewing ability in me so I had to purchase ours from ebay a few cruises back but I like it and it is already in the stack of things to pack.

Good morning everyone! I hope that you are having a grand day so far. I can see that our trees are starting to turn already. Where did the summer go??

 

[glindamood]

I must look at the basic suit hire packs again. It's showing everything under the sun on my browser. Whatever he orders he'll need the trousers and maybe the suit jacket bought up a bit.

It did show everything until I was really ready to make the reservation and then everything but the basic tux with the bow tie, the shoes and the suspenders disappeared.

 

[sandracox67]

Hi everyone!
Can't someone give me a rough idea on how much you would normally tip each service on top of the included gratuities please? And is anything not included in the pre paid gratuity? So hard coming from a non tipping country!

Pretty much everything is included in the pre-paid gratuity but if you want to give more for extra services (maitre d changes your seating upon request, room steward gives you extra shampoo, etc.) that's kind of whatever you feel like; $5-$20 seems like a good amount. Also I've read that a nice tip for the room steward is snacks, candy, chips, nuts, etc. Pre-packaged is easier but some people like to give homemade.

Room service is not included in the pre-paid gratuities, so make sure to have some singles on hand if you plan to use that free service (late night Mickey bars anyone?). Usually a dollar or two is fine, maybe more if you have a particularly large order.

Not sure what the appropriate tip is for salon services, I'd guess about 15-20% of the bill.

And, of course, if you're eating off the ship, go with the 15-20% tip on the bill.

 

[bbangel]

Sandra your FE came out great!

Mom and I had a garage sale yesterday and managed to sell enough to cover our Palo ressie plus a bit. We are thinking to have another sale next week to try and shift more of the furniture and cover our port adventures as well.

 

[fshagan]

Hi everyone!
Can't someone give me a rough idea on how much you would normally tip each service on top of the included gratuities please? And is anything not included in the pre paid gratuity? So hard coming from a non tipping country!

As sandracox67 said, the salon and room service are two services not in the "tip pool". The page on tips at Disney's site is HERE, but it's a little confusing because they include all the tips that you are paying on your shipboard account automatically.

I was surprised that Palo has the gratuity included in the $20 extra charge (we have always tipped extra there, but I don't regret it; we had great waiters.) Palo can't accommodate our party this time, so we're skipping them unless something opens up during the cruise.

For the salon, they say "discretionary" but don't give you a suggested amount. Most tipping guides say spa services are tipped at 10 - 20%. You can see a TripAdvisor write up of it at this page. For babysitting, they say "not expected", so you don't have to tip them.

On shore, you aren't expected to tip at fast food restaurants, or buffets, unless you get a waiter or waitress who serves you and brings food to your table.

If you go into a Starbucks for a cup of overpriced coffee you can safely ignore that tip jar they put so prominently in front of you (it is really obnoxious for them to ask for tips to hand you a cup of coffee over the counter).

Taxi drivers get 10 - 15% of the fare, valets get $2 when they return your car, and many people use $1 a bag as a guide for a porter or free shuttle driver who handles your luggage (I round this up to either $5 or $10).

That TripAdvisor page has the rationale' behind tipping in the states; some positions pay less than $3 an hour and most of their income is from tips. It would make more sense to just build the tip into the prices and charge more like other countries do, especially in venues where you have so many people from other countries (like cruises!)

 

[tink157]

Hi everyone.......just found this a few days ago and have read and read and feel like I already know some of you now.

Our family is joining you for our first ever Disney Cruise. Son, wife and daughter, Daughter, hubby and two sons and daughter, then comes me Grandma.

So after reading everything I have been busy making the Fish Extenders.... I can't have my grands left out so I will have little things for them.

Can't wait to meet all of you and have some fun times.

Sandy

 

[BigDisneyOE]

That TripAdvisor page has the rationale' behind tipping in the states; some positions pay less than $3 an hour and most of their income is from tips. It would make more sense to just build the tip into the prices and charge more like other countries do, especially in venues where you have so many people from other countries (like cruises!)

Thanks for all the information from everyone on tipping. It is a concern for us too. We do worry about 'stiffing' people in the US when we travel as tipping is a moveable feast in a lot of other countries and certainly not an expected percentage. Coming from a non-tipping country, with a good minimum wage, but having lived in two tipping countries I agree with your final point.

Gail - we went thru the suit hire process last night to see that final page too. Now DH thinks he might buy a new suit in the US. Suddenly we went from 'space saving rental' to 'expensive new suit for work' in the blink of an eye. I think I've managed to find a couple of suit companies that will have stores where we are staying. Now I just have to hope they can do a three day turnaround on hemming otherwise I'll have to fudge it until we get home.

Oh my, I checked the Duty Free allowances into the US last night. Good thing I did as they are way different to here. One litre of spirits or wine per person. I don't drink but DH always stocks up the pantry on our return to NZ as our allowances are 3.375 litres of spirits and 4.5 litres of port, sherry or wine per person. Slightly different, guess he's getting his one bottle for the entire trip then.

 

[AussieMumma]

Thanks for the info on tipping. We've got the regular stuff sorted from our previous trips it was just the onboard stuff that confused me.

So for dinner, we still tip around 15-20% to the waiter even though we've already pre paid gratuity? To you get given a bill at the end so you know how much it would have been? I would have thought it would have just been an amount you chose yourself depending on the service and how much you can afford? Oh and since you have the same waitstaff each night do you leave a tip per night or a large one at the end of the cruise?
See.....very confused

 

[HBmomof2]

For those of you who maybe haven't seen yet I've created a Facebook group for our cruise so you can put faces to names in advance & chat over there too.

Come on over...
https://www.facebook.com/groups/414621178596727/

 

[ImDMous]

Aussiemumma,
in the main dining rooms you do not have to leave a tip for anyone. Those are included in your prepaid tips. You will get an envelope for each waitstaff member in your room and you can add extra if you want that covers all week.

In Palo, you will get a bill at your table for the $20 per person plus any alcohol if you ordered any. The tip is supposedly included in that $20 but we usually give extra also because they are so awesome.

All your bar tabs should include an automatic tip also.

Really all you have to worry about tipping on the ship is room service and spa services, I think.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[sandracox67]

Hi everyone.......just found this a few days ago and have read and read and feel like I already know some of you now.

Our family is joining you for our first ever Disney Cruise. Son, wife and daughter, Daughter, hubby and two sons and daughter, then comes me Grandma.

So after reading everything I have been busy making the Fish Extenders.... I can't have my grands left out so I will have little things for them.

Can't wait to meet all of you and have some fun times.

Sandy

Welcome! Are you in one of the Fish Extender groups?

 

[erbie]

So for dinner, we still tip around 15-20% to the waiter even though we've already pre paid gratuity? To you get given a bill at the end so you know how much it would have been? I would have thought it would have just been an amount you chose yourself depending on the service and how much you can afford? Oh and since you have the same waitstaff each night do you leave a tip per night or a large one at the end of the cruise?
See.....very confused

The tip at the end of the cruise covers the serving team for the whole cruise. If you eat at Palo, the extra charge does include service, but your server only gets a small portion of it. We always tip extra, as the server gets that amount over the Palo charge.

The four standard tips are server, asst server, head server, and stateroom host. Those are the prepaid tips. For alcohol, spa services, and room service, it's a separate tip. A dollar or two for room service, 10-20% for spa, and 18% is added to alcohol sales automatically when you get the slip for it.

 

[AussieMumma]

Aussiemumma,
in the main dining rooms you do not have to leave a tip for anyone. Those are included in your prepaid tips. You will get an envelope for each waitstaff member in your room and you can add extra if you want that covers all week.

In Palo, you will get a bill at your table for the $20 per person plus any alcohol if you ordered any. The tip is supposedly included in that $20 but we usually give extra also because they are so awesome.

All your bar tabs should include an automatic tip also.

Really all you have to worry about tipping on the ship is room service and spa services, I think.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

Thank you, I am not confused anymore!! Well about tipping anyway, I'm always confused about something or other

 

[kangamommy]

Any local types going to DL tomorrow? We're thinking about driving down for the day and getting some pirate stuff for DS at "Pieces of Eight" - maybe something for us too -- the only pirate costumes I've seen around for adult women seem to be "sexy pirate" which is wrong on so many levels for a Disney Cruise... I'm assuming the ones at Disneyland don't involve heaving breasts...

 

[gunka]

On our last cruise we were going to tip the suggested amount for the servers, but we were so happy with them we included $10 pre paid international phone cards. We had heard these were good gifts for cm that went out of their way for you and they were well received.

 

[wendyinoc]

WendyinOC any chance you could update with your daughters name? I know some of us are doing personalized gifts and just want to include her. Also shopmom how old is Hudson?

Thanks!

Husband is Bill and daughter is Whitney (2)

 

[glindamood]

Good morning or evening! Dreary here today but Drew and his bride got home safe and sound last night - late but safe. They actually said it was not bad at all - they had rain but nothing worse than the storms we get here. They were on the other side of the island so that is all good. PHEW! So I hope that Isaac doesn't cause any more issues for anyone although it doesn't really sound that way....

Worked on the packing list yesterday/last night and sort of laid stuff out. Still would like to try and get it all into just 2 bags but I am thinking that DH will take his suit which probably means 3 suitcases - but the cost of the third bag is less than the cost of the tux so could be that is the route we will go. And, if I need to pack jackets and jeans (like more than one pair each) I will need another bag as those items take up more room. Generally we just wear that one lone pair on the plane and we are good to go. Hopefully a polar fleece is all I will need jacket wise as I have never worn a sweater or anything on the ship but I have never had a tendency toward being cold.

Well, nothing else to report. Have a good day and I will check back later!

 

[tink157]

No, not on any FE ...... but as Grandma I will have some little goodies to put in my grands pockets, and a few little things to have them add in others pockets. They are so excited to surprise others, and figure it will bring a little pixie dust to others. They have been crafting little things for this and having fun.

I did post about us going to Legoland on the facebook page......but if you are not their yet.........is anyone else signed up for this? Kids are so waiting to go their.

 

[jetskigrl]

Good morning or evening! Dreary here today but Drew and his bride got home safe and sound last night - late but safe. They actually said it was not bad at all - they had rain but nothing worse than the storms we get here. They were on the other side of the island so that is all good. PHEW! So I hope that Isaac doesn't cause any more issues for anyone although it doesn't really sound that way....

Worked on the packing list yesterday/last night and sort of laid stuff out. Still would like to try and get it all into just 2 bags but I am thinking that DH will take his suit which probably means 3 suitcases - but the cost of the third bag is less than the cost of the tux so could be that is the route we will go. And, if I need to pack jackets and jeans (like more than one pair each) I will need another bag as those items take up more room. Generally we just wear that one lone pair on the plane and we are good to go. Hopefully a polar fleece is all I will need jacket wise as I have never worn a sweater or anything on the ship but I have never had a tendency toward being cold.

Well, nothing else to report. Have a good day and I will check back later!

I'm so glad that they make it back OK and that they didnt' have any problems (other than rain).

I guess I need to start thinking about what I am packing for this trip too. Usually I have piles of things already set up by this time