Should I consider not tipping?

[Alexander]

We took our first DCL cruise in August '07. We ate in the dining rooms two out of three nights. We tipped our servers the full amount. We just came off the Wonder last Sunday. We ate in the dining rooms zero times. We still tipped the full amount. I did so because I recognize the difficult living conditions, distance from family and friends, and crazy number of hours the cruiseline industry expects of its employees. I felt the least I could do was pay them the amount they were expecting to receive.

In the future however, we will request no dining rotation, if that is even possible. We don't like the dining rooms, the food is not the quality I want to sacrifice 2 hours of my vacation time for each day (not to mention the time it takes to get ready for dinner). Therefore, if we have no dining time, we have no dining team, and we are not obligated to leave tips.

I really, really wanted to leave a tip for the wonderful people who took care of us at Beach Blanket the night we had dinner there. However, that is not the "way it works." Guess what, those people didn't receive any of my tip money. It went to three people I never even saw! I think in the future, I am going to tip as I see fit.

 

[DAD AT DISNEY]

Because unfortunately that's the system. If someone doesn't agree with the system, that's understandable, but that shouldn't be taken out on the people who have to work in it.

Sadly, no matter how much people dislike it, it's not going to revolutionize the dining industry. And if it did, can you imagine the price hikes in food?

And BTW, the cook and the dishwashers make more money...$8 - $15 an hour in our area, so they really don't need tips.

Tell that to a dishwasher making 8 bucks an hour. My point is that DCL is making quite a bit of money off each cruise and choose to pay their employees very little money knowing that the customers will make up the rest of their income. What a great idea!!

 

[aristocats_lover]

Tell that to a dishwasher making 8 bucks an hour. My point is that DCL is making quite a bit of money off each cruise and choose to pay their employees very little money knowing that the customers will make up the rest of their income. What a great idea!!

I guess I wasn't clear enough. The dining on a cruise is the same as the dining at your local restaurant. Servers get paid next to nothing because the pay system is based on tips. So yes, employers do expect customers to make up the rest of their income. That's how it works.

 

[siestakey]

Tell that to a dishwasher making 8 bucks an hour. My point is that DCL is making quite a bit of money off each cruise and choose to pay their employees very little money knowing that the customers will make up the rest of their income. What a great idea!!

I'm thinking that you might not be cruise material. Irregardless what DCL pays their employees, you chose to take the cruise and opting to pay approx. $160.00 for a 7 day cruise in tips for all the people that make your cruise magical is a bargain! If you need to nickel and dime the people who make your cruise more pleasurable, then maybe you should consider another type of vacation. By the way....do you tip your servers when you go out to eat?

 

[DAD AT DISNEY]

I guess I wasn't clear enough. The dining on a cruise is the same as the dining at your local restaurant. Servers get paid next to nothing because the pay system is based on tips. So yes, employers do expect customers to make up the rest of their income. That's how it works.

I agree about "that's how it works" but it doesn't make it right.

 

[allears]

This has been said about 15 different ways, so I may not be any better at making this point, even if you don't take meals in the three main dining rooms, you will eat some where on the ship. All of the serving teams work all of the dining venues. The way the system ideally works is if all of the guests tip their assigned serving teams, these folks are rewarded for all of the service they provide. Such as working breakfas and lunch at the other venues. We eat dinner all but Palo night in the dining rooms, however, our serving team does not take care of us at every other meal. Others do and hopefully their dinner guests are tipping them, in proportion to the service they've received.

The op's question is understandable and many have re-iterated this same point that your complying with the tipping suggestions indirectly assures that all who provide you service during your trip are rewarded.

Not sure why the usual tipping debate has sprung up out of that, as this is not an exlusive DCL issue, or a cruise industry issue, it is part and parcel of the service industry. And I sure don't see it changing in the near future.

 

[cats mom]

This has been said about 15 different ways, so I may not be any better at making this point.... <snip>

Crazy isn't it?
I can't decide if people just don't bother to read any of the other responses, or if they already have their minds so made up, that it doesn't matter what anyone else says.


Of course I thought the following response was completely clear and should end all debate:

The suggested tip amounts cover the service you receive at ALL meals, not just at dinner.

But no, half a dozen replies later:

Therefore, if we have no dining time, we have no dining team, and we are not obligated to leave tips.

Certainly not a valid assumption given the way the tipping system is set up if you ask me.

 

[allears]

Crazy isn't it?
I can't decide if people just don't bother to read any of the other responses, or if they already have their minds so made up, that it doesn't matter what anyone else says.


Of course I thought the following response was completely clear and should end all debate:




But no, half a dozen replies later:



Certainly not a valid assumption given the way the tipping system is set up if you ask me.

Awesome.

 

[lbgraves]

I believe this issue has been covered clearly so that everyone should understand the reason for tipping your main serving team and the OP's original question has been answered. Since this is turning into a debate about tipping in general the thread will now be closed.

Just think about what Jiminy Cricket said....Always let your conscious be your guide.

 

[dursin]

Yes, just like when your child has a birthday party, the guests "should" bring a birthday gift, but are not "required" to.

Let's not define the term "tip" so loosely. If we all had your attitude about tipping on board, I wonder how many dining room servers would provide the level of service you are accustomed to, let along choose to work on the ship.

Nothing wrong with my attitude on tipping. We have been on three DCL cruises so far and have left gratuities equal too or in excess of the recommended amounts in all but one case where the stateroom host received about 75% of the recommended due to a few problems we had the the service provided. All I said was that tipping is not required by some DCL policy. It is expected however and with few exceptions I can't think of a reason why someone wouldn't leave a gratuity.

 

[MinnesotaMouseketeers]

If I could make changes within DCL I would include tips in the cost of the cruise with the option of going to the customer service desk to lower it if people decide that they got less expected service. Or to raise it if service was above and beyond expected.

As others have stated, they are all over the place serving meals not just the dining room in the evening. And I bet there are many cruisers out there who decide to stick it to staff that are in the tipping services that do a very good job; but VERY few cast members that give less than good service.
JMHO

 

[allears]

I believe this issue has been covered clearly so that everyone should understand the reason for tipping your main serving team and the OP's original question has been answered. Since this is turning into a debate about tipping in general the thread will now be closed.

Just think about what Jiminy Cricket said....Always let your conscious be your guide.

Hey Lisa, good points! However, the thread is still open, yikes.

 

[dursin]

Hey Lisa, good points! However, the thread is still open, yikes.

So far even though there's been quite a bit of disagreement, this thread has remained civil and I don't see anything which is in violated of any of the Disboard guidelines so perhaps it was just left open....

Now, to keep this on topic! I don't think I'd like to have the entire gratuity built into the cruise fare, but I'm sure there's some sort of compromise that would make it more comfortable for everyone. Perhaps build about 50% of the suggested gratuities into the cruise fare and then reduce the guidelines by 50%? Only problem with that though is you sort of have to trust DCL to be honest and make sure the entire 50% that they are building into the cruise fare makes it to the people who deserve it.

 

[flexsmom]

OK, I shouldn't feed the beast of this thread, but I will offer another way of looking at it.

So many people comment about how food is available constantly from a variety of sources on the ship - in fact, this is one of the benefits/serives offered! Despite the fact that we tip direclty for room service, I kind of consider the "ship" as a whole to be a gigantice floating restaurant, of which I am partaking of its services for an entire week. Or 4 nights. Or 3 nights. Or whatever.

So when I tip the "server" and the "asst server", I sort of figure that I'm tipping as a whole. Of course I factor in the direct bar tabs I've paid, Palo tip, etc., but it sort of makes a difference in my approach to tipping. If my server and asst server were abhorrent then they'd know via the tip and if they're wonderful they'd know it via the tip, but I do recognize that there's some amount of general "total service" tip for meal service associated.

I'm not saying this is the right approach for everyone - it just seems to work for us!

 

[bsusanmb]

I hardly think Beaches is appropriate for my two little girls, and despite their "great kids program", I've been there and it's not that great.
I just find it hard to fathom, that it is "due" to them, when they aren't providing our family that service..if that's the case, why not tip the spa staff for that massage that you didn't get. I appreciate your opinion, but I think I will call DCL and make sure they know not to assign us a dining rotation.
This is about as silly, as my best friend who has to purchase the dining plan for everyone in her party, even though her youngest has a feeding tube and can not eat table food.

Well, now, I would really have to go as far as I had to with the DDP and the child with the feeding tube. That is just insane! Anyone with any intelligence would not even consider charging that child. My gosh...that is just awful!