Stupid question about Tip Envelopes for Disney Cruises...

Honest question that will probably get me flamed...and this is not meant as an attack, just curiosity. But why do people on these boards and others spend so much time obsessing about tipping? It's probably the most asked about topic on this forum. I get it that you don't want to be perceived as a cheap skate and want to make sure that the cast members are compensated for their efforts...but why do people spend so much of their vacation prep and vacation time worrying about how much they're going to tip someone, checking with others to make sure that their projected tip amounts "line up" with everyone else's, compiling lists of every potential cast member beyond the standard gratuity roster that might need to be tipped, and now apparently the instrument by which they plan to provide these tips?
I pay my tips before the cruise and never think about it again. No I don't hand out the envelopes.
 
I pay my tips before the cruise and never think about it again. No I don't hand out the envelopes.

I never used them but then one cruise my son - 4 or 5 at the time - said 'those envelopes are like kinder eggs for adults'. then I realized that those provide some modicum of entertainment for the staff. . . even if you are only putting the paper slips inside. I keep meaning to bring something cool to add to the envelope along with the slip but I can never think of anything.
 
I never used them but then one cruise my son - 4 or 5 at the time - said 'those envelopes are like kinder eggs for adults'. then I realized that those provide some modicum of entertainment for the staff. . . even if you are only putting the paper slips inside. I keep meaning to bring something cool to add to the envelope along with the slip but I can never think of anything.
I always figure they get disappointed if there's nothing extra inside.....so why bother. Sometimes if I really like the server and I have some cash left over I'll leave extra money. I rarely use cash anymore and don't take very much with me on vacation.
 
Honest question that will probably get me flamed...and this is not meant as an attack, just curiosity. But why do people on these boards and others spend so much time obsessing about tipping? It's probably the most asked about topic on this forum. I get it that you don't want to be perceived as a cheap skate and want to make sure that the cast members are compensated for their efforts...but why do people spend so much of their vacation prep and vacation time worrying about how much they're going to tip someone, checking with others to make sure that their projected tip amounts "line up" with everyone else's, compiling lists of every potential cast member beyond the standard gratuity roster that might need to be tipped, and now apparently the instrument by which they plan to provide these tips?


“Obsessing” and in another post “fretting”... those are the words you’re using.

Why not just see the posts as “asking”? Getting information? Finding out policies?

It’s all part of the planning.

My point was that there are so many other things to worry about planning that in my mind the minutiae of tipping would be far down the list of what I would be spending my time fretting over.

But at some point you thought about it, made your decision, and that’s where you’re coming from.

And you’re wondering about others who are still in the decision-making stages of their planning. Just because you’re past that doesn’t mean it’s not a valid place for others to be.

We leave the standard gratuities on the account, and if someone goes above and beyond we give them an amount of cash on top of that commensurate with the extra level of service they provided.

See? You decided on that already.

And at some point in there got cash out and brought it with you *and did not spend it* on other things. You planned. You just didn’t ask here about it.


Disney World is an international destination and I know that tipping customs are different throughout the world.

Yep.



And if you’re going to tip in cash you have to have that cash. And not spend it.

On our last Disney Cruise the now-ex managed to spend too much of the cash being generous with the onboard staff, and didn’t leave enough for th car rental shuttle tip. Because I’m uncomfortable not tipping the person who hauls bags onto their shuttle and puts them on the racks (and reversed it when you get to the agency), son and I stayed with bags at the port while now-ex went to pick up the car then came back to pick us up.

Needed to plan better. That was also the cruise where a series of funny little issues caused now-ex to pack all the shoes but the flip flops I was wearing in checked bags that were sent through onboard airline checkin. In January. Flying to Seattle. My feet were cold in those flip flops. The planning was poor overall at the end of that cruise.
 


Also, some people ask about tipping because they might come from other countries where tipping is not as widespread as it is in the USA. For example, I come from France, and we rarely tip, if ever. Discussions about tipping really help understand how to show recognition for good service.

Speaking of tipping, we understand that, a “default” gratuities line will be added to our folio by Disney Cruise, and that we will also be given envelopes that we should hand out in person. What happens if we still want to give gratuities and not hand out the envelope (say on the last day we change our mind and go to Cabanas for breakfast), will the server/stateroom host still receive their tips? (I assume yes, but I wouldn't want Disney require them of handing the form inside the envelope to claim their due.)
 
Speaking of tipping, we understand that, a “default” gratuities line will be added to our folio by Disney Cruise, and that we will also be given envelopes that we should hand out in person. What happens if we still want to give gratuities and not hand out the envelope (say on the last day we change our mind and go to Cabanas for breakfast), will the server/stateroom host still receive their tips? (I assume yes, but I wouldn't want Disney require them of handing the form inside the envelope to claim their due.)
The slip in the envelope is just a formality. The tip charges are on your account before you disembark - the night before, actually. The only way they don't get their tips is if someone physically goes to guest services to remove them, filling out a form to do so. (Note that I haven't done that!! I have filled out the form to UP the tip though, in which case they print a new ticket out to put in the envelope. They ask that you return the original slip if you do that, although I'm not sure why, other than to prevent confusion.)
 
The slip in the envelope is just a formality. The tip charges are on your account before you disembark - the night before, actually. The only way they don't get their tips is if someone physically goes to guest services to remove them, filling out a form to do so. (Note that I haven't done that!! I have filled out the form to UP the tip though, in which case they print a new ticket out to put in the envelope. They ask that you return the original slip if you do that, although I'm not sure why, other than to prevent confusion.)

Makes sense, thanks!
 


Also, some people ask about tipping because they might come from other countries where tipping is not as widespread as it is in the USA. For example, I come from France, and we rarely tip, if ever. Discussions about tipping really help understand how to show recognition for good service.
I agree with this. I just went on a Med. cruise and couldn't figure out if I was supposed to tip while I was in Spain, France, and Italy. It made me uncomfortable not knowing. I mostly didn't tip because it didn't seem like an expected thing like in the US and I usually didn't have any smaller amounts of Euros. I'm still uncomfortable about it--not knowing if I did the right thing or not.

I also wasn't sure on the ship if I should tip room service in dollars or Euros. I figured since they were spending the summer in Europe and mostly what I had at the time was Euros, I should tip in Euros. Plus Euros are worth more than dollars!
 
I also wasn't sure on the ship if I should tip room service in dollars or Euros. I figured since they were spending the summer in Europe and mostly what I had at the time was Euros, I should tip in Euros. Plus Euros are worth more than dollars!

I always tip in the ship's currency - US$. I don't know if they'll be able to use another currency, so I figured US$ would be the safe bet.
 
The slip in the envelope is just a formality. The tip charges are on your account before you disembark - the night before, actually. The only way they don't get their tips is if someone physically goes to guest services to remove them, filling out a form to do so. (Note that I haven't done that!! I have filled out the form to UP the tip though, in which case they print a new ticket out to put in the envelope. They ask that you return the original slip if you do that, although I'm not sure why, other than to prevent confusion.)

Yes, it's my experience that they always ask for the original tip slips. Sometimes I just add cash to save me from going to GS, but if I'm running low on cash, I do go and request the additional amount to be charged to my account and I bring all the tip slips down and after they print out the new ones, they keep the originals. I agree that it's likely to prevent confusion.
 
Since we went to Palo's for dinner on the last night of one of our cruises, I dropped off our tip envelopes at guest services to give to our servers. We also were not going to the morning breakfast rotation, as that is also an option. We left our tip envelope in our stateroom for our stateroom host.
 

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