The bottom line on tipping?

[YippySkippy]

I know there are standard tip guidelines, but I notice that many people comment how they tend to tip WAY over the guideline.

I would LOVE to be able to overtip, but we're really watching our cash on this trip. If I tip the standard suggested amount, will the recipients feel slighted since they are used to getting so much more? Would it be considered poor manners to tip the standard amount?

Thanks.

 

[alexandrew]

Do not feel guilty over tipping the recommended amount......You're fine...

Personally, (and I really dont care who flames me), I think some folks tip way too much....I dont think it's necessary to tip 4 CMs a total of $600.00 for the 7 day cruise.....

 

[Lloyd Dobler]

You'll probably get lost of opinions about this, so I'll toss mine in. I would say if you tip the suggested amount, you have nothing to feel bad about. I don't think many people tip vastly more than the suggested amount. I tip what I feel is slightly more than the suggested amount, when I feel the service warrants it. I also tip slightly less if I feel the service warrants that.

I think the guidelines are there for a reason, and they're adjusted from time to time. I would say it is certainly not bad manners if you tip following them.

 

[mommasita]

Do not feel guilty over tipping the recommended amount......You're fine...

Personally, (and I really dont care who flames me), I think some folks tip way too much....I dont think it's necessary to tip 4 CMs a total of $600.00 for the 7 day cruise.....

No flames here... We tip the recommended, unless there is a VERY valid reason to tip more...I think once we tipped 20$ more...

I know the service is excellent, the cruise is excellent, but for our family of 4 it is costly, as everyone else..I just hate paying for those who don't..If we all held our own, then the CM's will be fine..

MY opinion here, but Disney could also boost up the payroll, instead of making us feel more sorry for them than we already do...

 

[alexandrew]

Recent threads have indicated quite a few folks who double the recommended tipping amount.....for a family of 4, 7-day, that is in excess of $600.00....On my next cruise, the plan is to tip recommended + 20% if the service is as it always is - excellent.....

 

[kcashner]

There is no reason to feel guilty for tipping the recommended amount. If the servers get the recommended amount from each guest, they are very happy (according to one of our servers). Yes, there are people who are financially able to be very generous, and the crew certainly appreciates that. However, what they really count on is the recommended amount.

It does hurt them to be stiffed....or to be tipped for the adults and not the children. When you see how hard they work to keep your children happy, you'll appreciate them. Yes, the tips add up....but if you tipped 15% at a restaurant on land for 3 meals a day for 7 days, how much would you spend in tips? Remember that even though you don't leave a tip at breakfast and lunch and that you are usually served by someone other than your team for those meals, your serving team is somewhere serving someone else.

Bottom line, the suggested tip for the 7 day is about $76. THis is a little less than 10% of the cost of the cruise for an adult in a category 12 at low season. Ok, I know it's more than 10% of a child's cost.....but it's only fair to budget the recommended. The staff will in no way feel bad if that is exactly what they get.

 

[allears]

They wouldn't give you a suggested amout if that weren't suffcient for your tips. Absolutely do not feel guilty tipping the recommended amount. We went on our first cruise assuming that is what you tip. We did then and tend to still tip more, but only because we feel like it was deserved.

One of the drawbacks of these boards, and there aren't very many is that you read a handful of posts about a topic, of one opinion or another, and kind of assume that the vast majority of cruisers share that opinion or action. Bottom line is, by tipping the recommended amount you are doing what is right, unless you get lousy serivce and by all means let your wallet and comment card do the talking. Though I think that's pretty rare.

And kcashner, nice to be on the same thread with you again!

 

[tvguy]

MY opinion here, but Disney could also boost up the payroll, instead of making us feel more sorry for them than we already do...

NCL, with their automatic gratuities is basically doing this. And in several cases, passengers don't like the service they get as a result.

Of course, whether they increase the payroll (and the cost of the cruise) or continue having passengers tip individually, we still end up paying for it.
I'd rather control how much my tips are, and to whom.

I've never been totally comfortable with tipping........especially when I spent $100 at Outback for dinner for the 4 of us....BEFORE tip. That meal couldn't have cost them more $25 for the food and labor to fix it, you'd think with that kind of markup they could afford to pay the wait staff $30 an hour!!!!

 

[ljql_5969]

I've never been totally comfortable with tipping........especially when I spent $100 at Outback for dinner for the 4 of us....BEFORE tip. That meal couldn't have cost them more $25 for the food and labor to fix it, you'd think with that kind of markup they could afford to pay the wait staff $30 an hour!!!!

I agree. I have never been totally comfortable under-tipping if my meal at a restaurant was poor. I think that restaurant prices have gotten so out of control and the service that you get has gotten worse (in some cases).

A friend and I ate out for lunch the other day and our waiter was goofing off constantly with his friend that was also a waiter there. He put our bill on our table and when we got up to go pay, we noticed that it was twice what we should have expected and realized that it was the bill for the 2 gentlemen that had been sitting in the same section as us. They had left and conveniently paid our lower bill!!! We told the waiter that he had given us the wrong bill and he figured out quickly what happened when he saw their empty table. He said, "Well, they paid your bill" and looked at as for a second to which I replied "Well, we aren't paying theirs." He was mad and walked away, came back, asked us what we had again and then gave us a corrected bill. After all that, I still tipped him!

 

[lbgraves]

Maybe it is because I bar tended & waitressed many years working my way thru college & paying off those darn loans, but I don't have a problem tipping less than the standard if the service is poor. I take note of what is going on around us & if it is due to a problem beyond the server's control like poor scheduling by management or a larger section due to covering for someone who hasn't shown up to work, then I don't count it against them. Their attitude about everything makes the difference in my book. If they are giving poor service because of nothing but their own laziness or disregard...then that is their problem. I would have not had a problem with leaving less than 20% for that waiter. He was disrespectful, flip with the customer, and obviously not paying attention. He was probably working with a bank, which means that he takes payment for all the tables he waits on and then pays for them at the end of the night. He had to pay the difference between the bills. Do I feel sorry for him? Not at all. It's his job to make sure everyone gets the proper bill.

 

[lovwdwalot]

When tipping, is the recommended amount per person in a stateroom?

 

[tvguy]

Yes, the recommended tip is per person, so times 4 if 4 in the cabin.

Good waiters and waitresses can make good money. I worked with a woman who not only worked full time for us, on the 4 am to 1 pm shift, but also worked 4 pm to 9 pm as a waitress at a middle of the road steakhouse. She was making $35k a year working for us full time, and $35K a year in tips waiting tables part time!!!! She had the personality for it, very organized, very hyper, attractive lady. And she would always "sneak" the customers something for free......free beer......free dessert........restaurant owner knew she was doing it, but didn't care because her customers became repeat and frequent customers........

 

[roscodog]

We tip the full amount per person including children.

 

[HappyLawyer]

there is a thread on here tipping and do not feel bad everyone cannot afford to tip way over,

 

[PhotobearSam]

I plan on tipping the recommended amount and I have budgeted $$$ for extra tips (room service, bars, Do you tip at the Spa?).

I think as long as you tip the recommended amount, your servers would be happy because I know some people stiff them and as long as you don't, they will apreciate it.

If I get really great service (something Special) I will add $5 or $10 to the tip....but I will not feel like I have to over tip....I will if it is deserved.

The only thing you should feel guilty about is if you don't tip...but you are not doing that so go and have fun. You deserve it.

 

[webray]

It would not be considered poor manners to tip the recommended amount.

Poor manners would be not tipping at all, so you are good to go. Tip the recommended amount for each member in your party..remember if you travel with children you tip the same as adult for them also.

 

[Skallywag]

We have asked our travel agent to put the tip on the account for us. Recommended amount. We feel some sometimes people are tipping far more than we could ever afford to do and this makes everyone else feel bad.
We will probably bring some typical british goods with us as an extra treat.
We do not tip here in England as service charges are usually included and feel that is enough.

 

[allears]

..."We feel some sometimes people are tipping far more than we could ever afford to do and this makes everyone else feel bad."...

This really should never make anyone else feel bad. It's totally a personal choice and up to the individuals. No one should fall into the trap of comparisson and think they should "keep up with the Jones..."


..."We will probably bring some typical british goods with us as an extra treat."...

This is a totally awesome idea, and we've done the same in the past. And in truth the personal gifts with that extra though really seem to touch the CMs.

 

[two-foxes]

I plan on tipping the recommended amount and I have budgeted $$$ for extra tips (room service, bars, Do you tip at the Spa?).

Yep, you tip at the spa. We usually add 20%....that can be a shocker on a couples massage, so be sure to budget that in!

 

[burma]

In my opinion you should at least tip the recomended amount. Anything over that would be at your discretion ... we did our first DCL in Feb and added extra to the envelopes for those that gave above and beyond. Staying within a reasonable amount ... and extra 10 -20 dollars. Remember you are going to have a nice CC bill when you get home. If somone goes above and beyond I think they deserve a little somthing extra.

Bottom line is always tip the recomended amount anything else is up to you depending on service ... just remember that disney magic is part of the plan so everyone is doing there best ...but there are those that go above and beyond that.