Spa Automatic Gratuity

[Newfoundland Sailor]

Okay - please don't hate me that I am asking a tipping question. I pour over these boards night and day and I must have missed this in all the gratuity questions. So here it goes:

I just received an email from DCL that an automatic 18% will be added to my bill at the end of my spa services as an automatic gratuity.

Do you know if this is discretionary that I can change if the service is better or poorer. Or is it 18% no matter what?

Thanks!

 

[tajz90]

This makes me scratch my head (the email/auto gratuity). Who isn't tipping??? We are now being forced to tip beforehand because someone isn't tipping. Crazy.

 

[ThePicketts]

Just got the same email

 

[Newfoundland Sailor]

So this must be a newly implemented change? It's funny, the last time I went to the Med they implemented the automatic room tips too....It must be me.

This is what my letter said:

We are truly glad that you will be sailing with us soon.

Our records indicate that you, or a member of your party, have already pre-reserved some of your cruise activities, including a relaxing spa experience onboard. We wanted to take a moment and let you know that at the time of the spa services, an 18% automatic gratuity will be applied to the service check.

As you may know, it is customary in the spa industry to give gratuities in recognition of service, and we have at our Guests' request established this guideline. As a convenience, the gratuity will be automatically added at the completion of your spa service.

Should you wish to review or make modifications to your pre-reserved cruise experiences, please visit the My Cruise Plans section of our website at www.disneycruise.com/plan.

Again, we look forward to sailing with you soon and trust that you will have an exceptional voyage aboard Disney Cruise Line.​

 

[over50visits]

I just received an email from DCL that an automatic 18% will be added to my bill at the end of my spa services as an automatic gratuity.

For your convenience, of course!

And I see in their email it was done at the request of guests. Sure.

 

[MrSanderz27]

I just received the same e-mail as well

 

[disneyfan888]

I find this ridiculous. I have always left a tip after each and everyone of my treatments, but I think that this is pushing it. People need to remember that a tip is earned not forced. One leaves a tip upon completion of the treatment not before. It may be customary and I agree, but this is taking tipping too far. I will be canceling my treatments because this is not the appropriate way to handle the matter of people not getting tips. You earn the tip for the service I am already paying for, the treatment is not free. Lord knows I always tip, I even tip when we have gotten less than satisfactory service for different things, which is something my husband always argues with me about. I am sorry, but this is not right. I am pretty sure others will complain heavily about this. Very sad. Sorry needed to vent. vent over.

 

[ladyleslie]

Me too... i dont know how i feel about this?? is this a matter of too many people NOT tipping after services... So dcl makes it automatic... And 18%? has that always been the reccomended amount for tipping?? Im gonna have to look through my luggage to see if i have any receipts running around and figure it out....

 

[MagicMe]

Okay I would draw the line at automatic tips for spa services. When I get my hair done or get a massage at a salon I will always tip. The tip reflects how pleased I am with the service performed. If they've specifically done something I asked them not to do then I will still tip but not at the level if I loved it. The whole automatic thing is getting out of hand.

And you're already paying at least twice if not more for the services on the ship than you would on land!!

 

[tink too]

I just received this email as well. At least it states that the auto gratuity will be added "at the completion of your spa service".

I had to think for a minute if this was a new thing, but then remembered that there was a slip left for us to sign after our massage and we added our own tip amount.

 

[FJS961]

For your convenience, of course!

And I see in their email it was done at the request of guests. Sure.

I got the email today too. More like for your INconvenience. At the request of guests?!?! Yeah, right! Gimme a break. I will be canceling the pre booked spa services as a matter of principle.

Besides, being able to threaten a reduced gratuity if they hard sell products is very effective.

 

[neg58]

Perhaps the spa people are no longer allowed to beg for the tips. People complained about the pressure to buy products and tip and this might be the solution.

I'm done with the spa. I used the rainforest but on my last cruise it was so packed that I had them refund my money (pre-paid for several days). They can't seem to set a price and it varies so much from cruise to cruise. My kids did the mani/pedi/facial and they had cash for their tips, but the slips were still left for me to sign and leave more (if I so chose; please).

But I just don't like the spa or the people there that much, so I'm done with it. Having to give the 'expected 18%' would make any relaxation I got in the spa disappear in a second.

Nancy

 

[Embraer]

Got the email as well and paraphrased DisneyFan888, so thanks. This is my response

I have just received an email from DCL regarding an automatic tip that is going to be applied to a Spa treatment. I have always left a tip after my treatments, but I think that this is pushing it. People, and I include DCL and it's associate companies, need to remember that a tip is earned not forced. One leaves a tip upon completion of the treatment not before, so why are you assuming that I'll consider 18% sufficient, insufficient or otherwise. I understand that tipping is very much an american courtesy but we do tip in the UK if we think that the service warrants it. The email states also that this change in policy has been instigated at Guests' requests, please tell me how are people considering it too difficult to arrange this once on the ship? I will be quite happy to tip as I see fit after the spa treatment so please remove this automatic gratuity

 

[sambycat]

this is just one more reason why i won’t do DCL spa services. this seems a really odd choice of things to “automatically” tip. but then again, the whole spa set up on the ships is over priced, over pressured and now over tipped!

 

[Cmbar]

I agree. The hard sell on products is out of hand on the ships. I hated also the way they would leave a receipt from a previous customer with a very large tip on it so we could see that we need to tip. Very uncomfortable and I think I am skipping the Spa this trip. This probably is pushing some of us that were on the verge of justifying paying double and triple what we pay on land for these services.

 

[*pixie*]

I don't agree with the automatic tipping at all; however, I tend to over-tip so if the tip is already added in at 18%, I more than likely will leave it at that. So, technically, for the first time ever, Disney may actually be saving me money.

 

[lbgraves]

I... I hated also the way they would leave a receipt from a previous customer with a very large tip on it so we could see that we need to tip. ....

Seriously??? This is just tacky IMO! It also violates the privacy of the guest whose receipt is on display.

 

[Scoobypop]

I work in a spa at a high end resort in Las Vegas. An auto gratuity is not terribly uncommon for spa services. While my resort doesn't have an auto gratuity, I assure you, there are several that do. Also, while services can certainly be more expensive than discount chains like Massage Envy and strip mall spa/salons, they aren't necessarily double or triple than many other land based salons. They are comparably priced to WDW and Disneyland spa prices and actually lower priced than where I work in Vegas. I can understand being upset that this policy has suddenly changed. I just wanted to inform in case people don't know, that there are many spas that do include auto gratuity, so it's not completely uncommon or strictly DCL doing this. Also, Steiner owns and operates the spas on the ships, so it quite possibly/probably was Steiners decision, and not DCL.

 

[sunryzez]

I have never had an issue with a "hard sell" of products like others have said and I have been to the spa several times but if this will correct that then maybe that really is for the guests? Plus, I am honestly confused, I see people saying on one thread that tipping guidelines should just be stated so there is no confusion and this is what they are doing. A tip is usually 18% so that is what should be tipped.Most spas that I go to the tip gratutity is added as well. Honestly, it is your vacation, you should enjoy it, not cancel a service you were looking foward to because they are "adding" the tip that you "say" you were going to leave anyway.... I'm not trying to upset anyone by that statement but just stating that a Disney Cruise is an amazing vacation and you shouldnt stress out or get mad over something that you were going to do anyway....

 

[Aby]

I think the concern here is that by adding the 18% automatically and not allowing you to reduce the amount, is that they are taking away almost any choice the person had in the tip amount. I always tip based on service - if I had 3 different treatments at the spa, my tips might vary widely depending on how the treatments went and how well I was treated. By forcing a minimum of 18%, they are taking away my ability to distinguish poor service from good service, although I can still express my feeling of exceptional service, by adding extra. I just don't think a tip, should ever be forced. Yes, many people on the board have said they would likely tip that amount anyway, but no-one likes to feel like they have no say in the matter, and at this point they might as well just call it a surcharge instead of a tip. Since 18% is in the general range of what most people would normally tip (15-20%), I think it also will unfortunately reduce the staffs willingness to go the extra mile for people (why work extra hard for maybe an extra 2%?) whereas if the tip is not guaranteed to be 18%, they are more likely to work hard to ensure they get into that good tip window.

Just my opinion of course...all I plan on using is the rainforest room but my hubby may not bother with the spa after learning of this.

Aby