Should I consider not tipping?

[lillygator]

Not sure why this question was even posted in the first place. OP has cruised before and been around the boards enough to know that tipping policy threads cause heated debates. I can't help but feel this was posted to just stir the pot.

castlecreations is a well known poster in other areas of the board and would not "stir the pot".


I understand the thought of not using the dining rooms, etc. But really if you are planning on eating at any of the buffets, etc...the waitstaff are the people who man those areas and I would think you would still tip.

 

[mmouse37]

castlecreations is a well known poster in other areas of the board and would not "stir the pot".


I understand the thought of not using the dining rooms, etc. But really if you are planning on eating at any of the buffets, etc...the waitstaff are the people who man those areas and I would think you would still tip.

That is just my point...I have always enjoyed reading the posts from the OP and I find it strange that a question like this would be posted.....it is a known fact what the majority of the responses would be and that the title of the thread alone would cause quite the debate. I am sure if she is considering not tipping she already knows what kind of responses she would get. There is certainly enough of these threads already to know what the outcome will be.

It certainly was not an attack, but an observation. I could really understand if this question was asked by a newbie but as you said the OP has been on the boards and knows the deal....I find it out of character.

 

[acourtwdw]

I don't think that the OP was "trying to stir the pot." She was trying to find out what other people have done in the past about tipping and not eating in the main dinning room. To me at least, that is a valid question.

To answer OP question, I would still tip the servers if I am assigned a table number and I ate any meals in the dinning rooms. If you are only doing buffets/counter service, I wouldn't tip them. How would you know who to tip? The person who hands you the tray, the person who clears the table?

Why are so many people on this board so nasty to one another? Sometimes I am afraid to ask a question for fear of the responses I might get.

 

[ols386]

No one is obligated to leave a tip for the servers in the dining rooms. Tips are supposed to be based on level of service. If I was dining in the dining rooms, and felt I had received good service, then I would leave a good tip. If I felt I did not receive good service, then I would adjust accordingly. But I do not believe I am "obligated" to leave a tip. Ok, so maybe the wait staff doesn't get paid very much for an hourly wage, but that is not my problem. If that is an issue, then DCL needs to address it. Also, I do not believe the OP posted this question as a way to get arguments, or whatever, started. I think it was a legitimate question and concern. Any Disney Cruise that we have been on.....the wait staff have always been GREAT, and I think they do a wonderful job!!

 

[MODisneyfan]

Disney provides guidelines with suggested tip amounts, but ultimately what you tip is at your discretion. You can find those guidelines here:

http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/dcl/en_US/help/overview?name=OnboardServicesFAQLandingPage#9

thank you

 

[Tinkermom3]

ETA---Castle--learning to sit through a meal is just a part of growing up. Unfortunately, you need to go through some really bad times to get to the good ones. If you cut short your dinners out every time your kids act up, then they will learn to act up to get out of dinner. I don't remember how old your kids are, but taking them out is a good way of teaching everything from patience to good manners. Try practicing at home. Hit a restaurant very early when they just open up and be determined that you aren't leaving. You can even warn the staff. Believe me, I have taken a child or two of mine for a time out in the restroom corner. But, the only way to overcome something is to face it and get through it. The Disney cruise may be a perfect chance for you to start the lesson of sitting through a dinner. This is coming from someone with a child with ADHD who knows a little something about fidgety, hyper kids. It can be a process just to get her to keep her two cheeks in her seat.


DG

It drives me crazy when people start trying to tell others how to raise their children or how to live. The OP asked a question about tipping NOT about how to raise her children. It is their vacation and they shoud be able to enjoy it however they see fit. If it is more enjoyable for them not to have to get showered and changed and sit through dinner every night then so be it.

Enjoy your cruise CastleCreations!

 

[DAD AT DISNEY]

The average waiter makes anywhere from $2.65 - $3.20 an hour. They really do depend on tips to make a living.

My husband is in the restaurant business and they have a saying:

"Our livlihood is dependant on the generosity of others."

That being said, if you look at the guidelines, you'd basically be saving only $51 by NOT tipping the wait staff. Personally, if I was eating in the buffet room where I was having beverages brought, or tables bussed, etc I would fork out the $51 at the end of the week. On a 7 day cruise that's like $7.29 a day to show appreciation for any assitance etc you were given.

Why doesn't the restaurant owner pay the waiter/waitress a salary so they don't have to depend on tips to make a living.

Once again, why is it that the customer has to pay the majority of the servers salary?

Why not tip the cook and the dishwasher too.

 

[Dopey19]

WOW! I am really surprised at the personal attacks in some of the responses. All that poster asked was should she "consider" not tipped and explained why. To call someone cheap or accuse them of having children who misbehave seems extreme.

To ANSWER THE QUESTION - no I don't believe you should consider not tipping but rather base your tip how you feel the service you received was. If you avoid the dining room as personal preference than you may want to give the minimum suggested tip or slightly less. Tipping should always be based on your service received, it is not automatically earned; just as when we go to a buffett style restaurant you typically do not tip 20% of your check because you didn't receive the same level of service as you would a traditional restaurant. This is not a slight to the server but your thanking them for what was provided.

You seem sensible, use your judgement for what you feel is fair but I wouldn't avoid it altogether and most important, enjoy your cruise!

 

[Amy7979]

To be honest with you, this one quote should give you your answer. If you plan on tiping at the buffets, or at lunch or breakfast, then just give the tip at the end. If you bring your own stuff, then no need to tip as you will not be useing the service.

Perfectly stated, I think!

 

[dursin]

Good point about the CCard, I always tip in cash onboard.

Taylor

I don't really think the delay (if any) paying out the tips when a credit card is used is something that should be given any consideration whatsoever by the customer. That is entirely between Disney and their employees.

 

[mindy327]

 

[HiddenMickeys]

 

[trekygirl26]

Before I get flamed, let me explain. I have two little angels, who refuse to sit through one of those 1 1/2 hour meals.

Do you know that they can speed up your dining time? If you tell your waiter that you need to be done in an hour, they can do it for you. They will also bring out the children's meals first so they have something to keep them busy while you are waiting for your meals. The dining rooms are a great experience and i would hate for you too miss them.

IMO, if your child "refuses" to sit for an hour, who is in charge? It seems to me that you are the parent and you can teach them to sit for 1 1/2 hour at dinner. My questions is what do you do when they have to sit for other things and you don't have the option of getting out of them?? Like is said, just my own opinion.

 

[Skuba2]

It drives me crazy when people start trying to tell others how to raise their children or how to live. The OP asked a question about tipping NOT about how to raise her children. It is their vacation and they shoud be able to enjoy it however they see fit. If it is more enjoyable for them not to have to get showered and changed and sit through dinner every night then so be it.

Enjoy your cruise CastleCreations!

I was simply pointing out the advantage of using the dining room as a place to practice dining. The OP used a wink with little angels and stated her kids "refused" to sit through an hour and a half dinner. To me, that sounds like someone who tries every once in a while. I never said her kdis misbehaved. But, kids can get so antsy that you spend the entire meal telling them to sit still or turn around or whatever. You spend all your time doing that and you sometimes forget what you have even eaten. It isn't fun---I've been there. The kids are older and may enjoy the shows. Showing up late and leaving early is a good option. Presenting someone with an option and giving my opinion on it isn't telling them how to "raise their kids." I am simply trying to encourage a fellow poster to give it a try again. Gees

 

[CastleCreations]

Maybe DCL should be more forthcoming and explain in their policy that their waitstaff are bearly paid anything, and that they really rely on "tips" to support their family back home, who they only see every 4 or 6 months. Maybe DCL should not really call it "tip" as its really their "wage" where DCL takes no risk should the passenger choose to skip out on it, all all risk is borne by the waitstaff.

I really try to be polite in my very few and infrequent responses in this forum, but I just can't understand how people try to justify and rationalize stiffing people(rally hard working people) of their basic "living wage".

We who go can afford to go on these cruises are blessed, why not just calculate the "tips" as part of the vacation expense.

Maybe we can just make our own beds and bring our own toiler scrubbers so we can stiff the cabin attendant of his/her tips too? Better yet, maybe we can also bring our own captain so we can just ask DCL to reduce our fare by 20%

I really feel ashamed when I read comments from people who are "just cheap". Just face it, that's really what you are.

I can hardly say I'm cheap, but I don't believe in giving money away either. The last cruise I went on, those who went above and beyond, got a lot extra for it. For instance, or room steward was very kind to the girls, and even helped with my suitcases, I tipped him an extra $200 on top of what was asked. So, I can't call myself cheap. I think your post was a little over the top.

 

[CastleCreations]

Not sure why this question was even posted in the first place. OP has cruised before and been around the boards enough to know that tipping policy threads cause heated debates. I can't help but feel this was posted to just stir the pot.

This wasn't posted to "stir the pot", I enjoy the Disboards because I feel you get a wide range of answers when you ask a question. I don't "hang out" on the Cruise section of the disboards, and haven't read any threads about tipping, because it didn't pertain to me..Now, if you want to see where I hange out..head over to the Disboutique thread..

 

[CastleCreations]

castlecreations is a well known poster in other areas of the board and would not "stir the pot".


I understand the thought of not using the dining rooms, etc. But really if you are planning on eating at any of the buffets, etc...the waitstaff are the people who man those areas and I would think you would still tip.

Yea..a cheerleader for me...no I'm not a trouble maker, nor am I cheap...I was just wondering and hoped for a wide variety of answers. I have seen both sides, and plan on contacting DCL for advice.

 

[CastleCreations]

I don't think that the OP was "trying to stir the pot." She was trying to find out what other people have done in the past about tipping and not eating in the main dinning room. To me at least, that is a valid question.

To answer OP question, I would still tip the servers if I am assigned a table number and I ate any meals in the dinning rooms. If you are only doing buffets/counter service, I wouldn't tip them. How would you know who to tip? The person who hands you the tray, the person who clears the table?

Why are so many people on this board so nasty to one another? Sometimes I am afraid to ask a question for fear of the responses I might get.

Everytime I post a question that is "out of character" I feel a little attacked. But that's okay. I try to keep my conversations on here light hearted, because we are all here for the same reasons. This was a valid question that I had and I received some colorful answers.

 

[TinkerbellTris]

Well this was a huge compromise for me on my first cruise last year as well. The tips added on to the cruise price, airfare, excurssions, it got out of control. Honestly, you are not forced to tip anyone. I think you should do what you want when it comes to tips. I learned this: If they perform their job at the minimum I will tip them 1/2 of what it suggests. If they go a little over I will tip them what it suggests, if they go above and beyond (as our waitstaff on the Magic did last Sept.) I will tip well over the suggested amount. Now if they perform below standards I will lower the tip significantly. To be completely honest our room steward was terrible. I did make a complaint to her, she sometimes didn't clean the room, forgot to leave fun towel animals for my son, and walked in on my husband in the shower, walked in on us getting dressed, on the verandah, it goes on and on, I refused to leave a tip. Hubby made us leave a tip of $40 becasue he was embararrased to leave nothing in her envelope. I feel she wasn't worth anything. I say do as you please, it's your call, no one forces you.

 

[CastleCreations]

It drives me crazy when people start trying to tell others how to raise their children or how to live. The OP asked a question about tipping NOT about how to raise her children. It is their vacation and they shoud be able to enjoy it however they see fit. If it is more enjoyable for them not to have to get showered and changed and sit through dinner every night then so be it.

Enjoy your cruise CastleCreations!

Thanks...we are looking forward to it...We even booked 5 days on each side to spend at Disney...so we will either be really tired of Disney by the time we come home, or even more in love

The poster was right..I should make them sit there and behave, but this is vacation!!! and we're just not a sit down, cloth napkin, glass glasses, long, drawn out, appetizer, main course, dessert kind of family.


I loved your family photos that I saw on another thread. I have one of our portaits in my office and I look at it often, it was the best photo of all of us that I've ever taken. I was surprised...I thought my favorite one was going to be me with Captain Jack..