Spin-off...How much tip for specialty restaurants?

[FairestOfThemAll37]

This can be on DCL or other lines.

On a recent thread, somebody was asking what to do on a tight budget and mentioned how much they had.

A poster said $60+tip for Palo and another mentioned a tip of $20-$25 on that would be acceptable. Is that standard?

Most lines say tip is included in the specialty dining cost. We're usually not comfortable with that and so we add something. What we add kind of depends, but was wondering how others calculate tip or if there's a formula or something?

I don't want to start a tipping debate of what is right or wrong (as far as I'm concerned if the line says it's included then it's totally optional or go for it and leave as much as you want). Just curious on other's thought process.

 

[TestingH2O]

Many people say they consider how much they would pay for the meal at home and tip based on that amount. Other people tip based strictly on the charge. Still other people don't tip at all because it is unclear whether or not the tip is included in the fee.

 

[Cackyschmackers]

As PP said, we tip as if on the amount we would spend at a similar restaurant/meal if we were at home. But I quote here something from a very popular website many of us probably have visited, and it made me question since I've seen this before.

"If you dine at Palo and/or Remy, many people add an additional tip to the per-person charge, though that charge is considered by Disney to cover the gratuity."

What is everyone's input?

 

[TestingH2O]

"If you dine at Palo and/or Remy, many people add an additional tip to the per-person charge, though that charge is considered by Disney to cover the gratuity."

This is what no one seems to know for sure.

 

[PAGA2003]

On the 'other' forum there was a recent post about this where someone emailed DCL and actually received a very concise and informative response that stated that $5.50 is gratuity and $24.50 goes toward food costs however guests are always welcome to leave additional gratuity. If you are on the other forum and do a search on 'Palo tip' the post is one of the first that pops up. I tend to believe this would have to be accurate as I find it hard to believe that servers would choose a position that does not guarantee some level of gratuity as other servers/bartenders have. It also makes sense as $5.50 is roughly 18% of the upcharge. On our last sailing we enjoyed our server and thought he provided attentive service and left an additional 20% tip based on the $30pp upcharge.

 

[Cackyschmackers]

Even if so, it's 18% of the up charge, not 18% of the meal. I have to think about this one.

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

Even if so, it's 18% of the up charge, not 18% of the meal. I have to think about this one.

How isn't it the cost of the meal? You've already paid food costs in the cruise and daily gratuities have been added for that. The cruise has set the price for that meal to the upcharge. Any alcohol ordered already has a gratuity added.

I've never understood the view that the true meal cost isn't the upcharge but what it would cost at a similar restaurant elsewhere on land. To me, it's two totally different things with very different operating costs.

But this is why I asked it seems everybody has a different view.

 

[Cackyschmackers]

How isn't it the cost of the meal? You've already paid food costs in the cruise and daily gratuities have been added for that. The cruise has set the price for that meal to the upcharge. Any alcohol ordered already has a gratuity added.

I've never understood the view that the true meal cost isn't the upcharge but what it would cost at a similar restaurant elsewhere on land. To me, it's two totally different things with very different operating costs.

But this is why I asked it seems everybody has a different view.

Okay, good point. I still feel like I have to think about it. LOL My husband would never dare leave the table at Palo (or anywhere on land) without a generous tip, for sure. I'll have to have him read this! We are notorious overtippers to begin with (he and my sister were servers for years).

 

[Cackyschmackers]

I think what throws a wrench in the works for me is that our Palo dinner is not substituting entirely for an MDR dinner. Because the night we do Palo, my husband takes our three daughters down to eat at our regularly scheduled MDR, and my husband may have a salad or app. That's why I guess it's confusing to me. Or I guess I'm really overthinking things at this point. Haha

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

Look at it this way, in the MDR you are tipping your main server an automatic $4/person/day, right? And we have now found out that (we think) Disney gives the server in Palo $5.5/person/meal. So the real question becomes two-fold, how many people does each Palo server have compared to each MDR server (total per night, not at one time), and how much more (if any) should Palo servers "make" than MDR servers?

So for example, if someone can tell us that Palo servers have half as many people as MDR servers, then clearly one would want to tip more than the $5.5 that is included, or else the Palo server will make much less than then MDR server. If they have about the same number of customers per night, then the Palo server is making about 40% more than the MDR server. You can then decide if that is enough in your opinion.

 

[Cackyschmackers]

Look at it this way, in the MDR you are tipping your main server an automatic $4/person/day, right? And we have now found out that (we think) Disney gives the server in Palo $5.5/person/meal. So the real question becomes two-fold, how many people does each Palo server have compared to each MDR server (total per night, not at one time), and how much more (if any) should Palo servers "make" than MDR servers?

So for example, if someone can tell us that Palo servers have half as many people as MDR servers, then clearly one would want to tip more than the $5.5 that is included, or else the Palo server will make much less than then MDR server. If they have about the same number of customers per night, then the Palo server is making about 40% more than the MDR server. You can then decide if that is enough in your opinion.

Good point. Because I would think it would be impossible for a Palo server to serve as many people, not tables, as a regular MDR server, in one night, correct?

 

[richkaryn]

Just to add in another factor here....you are also tipping that MDR server for the night even if you are in Palo and not the MDR.....so that's $ the MDR server is getting in place of the Palo servers too.....just saying...

 

[kkayluvsdis]

When we dined at Palo for brunch last month on the Dream our server actually specifically told us (when handing us the bill) that gratuity was not included... We tipped him 20% of the total meal cost.

This was our first cruise and first time at Palo, fwiw.

 

[Henlady]

We had an absolutely fabulous server for our last trip to Palo. There were 5 of us and he went above and beyond to take care of us, even bringing out "samples" of things for us to try. He was probably the best server we have had anywhere. He received a VERY generous tip that night. That said we have had good but not over the top servers at other times, those servers received around $20 to $25. The better the service, the higher the tip, which I think is fair.

 

[Dug720]

When we dined at Palo for brunch last month on the Dream our server actually specifically told us (when handing us the bill) that gratuity was not included... We tipped him 20% of the total meal cost.

This was our first cruise and first time at Palo, fwiw.

Wow. At that point I would have been asking for the manager. That is nothing more than a money grab.

Don't get me wrong. I do add a tip on when I dine at Palo. But to flat-out be told that (which from all I know is not true) would have me speaking to the manager and NOT adding any tip on period.

 

[JW9DVC]

Depends on the service and if we will return for either Brunch or Dinner. We tip bigger the first night so we get excellent service the next and then tip according to that. $10 per person on average. As I feel the typical meal would be about $50 per person.

 

[kkayluvsdis]

Wow. At that point I would have been asking for the manager. That is nothing more than a money grab.

Don't get me wrong. I do add a tip on when I dine at Palo. But to flat-out be told that (which from all I know is not true) would have me speaking to the manager and NOT adding any tip on period.

I know, right? I didn't want to make a fuss and I wasn't sure if that was customary or not with it being our first time. Of course we were planning to tip, regardless of being told but I was taken a little aback.

 

[kkayluvsdis]

Wow. At that point I would have been asking for the manager. That is nothing more than a money grab.
Don't get me wrong. I do add a tip on when I dine at Palo. But to flat-out be told that (which from all I know is not true) would have me speaking to the manager and NOT adding any tip on period.

Also-that was after them refusing to package our leftover flatbread to bring back to our stateroom with us-do you know if that is just a Palo policy? No leftovers??

 

[Dug720]

Also-that was after them refusing to package our leftover flatbread to bring back to our stateroom with us-do you know if that is just a Palo policy? No leftovers??

I do know that is policy. Primarily because there is no way to keep it at the safe temperature. But also because more than one person has in the past admitted to ordering essentially two meals and having one immediately boxed up so someone who did not pay for Palo could have Palo.

 

[BrdWalker]

Look at it this way, in the MDR you are tipping your main server an automatic $4/person/day, right? And we have now found out that (we think) Disney gives the server in Palo $5.5/person/meal. So the real question becomes two-fold, how many people does each Palo server have compared to each MDR server (total per night, not at one time), and how much more (if any) should Palo servers "make" than MDR servers?

So for example, if someone can tell us that Palo servers have half as many people as MDR servers, then clearly one would want to tip more than the $5.5 that is included, or else the Palo server will make much less than then MDR server. If they have about the same number of customers per night, then the Palo server is making about 40% more than the MDR server. You can then decide if that is enough in your opinion.

Don't forget the $ 4 per person and $ 3 for assistant server cover breakfast and lunch, island BBQ as well.