Tip Envelopes

[lds0191]

What do you do with tip envelopes for your dining team? We always add cash and still hand out the envelopes on the last night or at breakfast on disembarkation morning. The last couple of cruises I did not see anyone else carrying or handing out envelopes in the dining room. Do you leave them in your cabin? Drop them off at guest services? Leave them laying on your table in the dining room? I worry that the cash would not make it to the intended crew member as there is no name on the outside of the envelope and someone would have to open them to determine for who they were intended. To me it has always seemed awkward hand delivering the envelopes and now that tips are automatically added I was wondering what is the new norm for delivery.

 

[TRTRguy]

We hand out the tip envelopes with additional cash added. There was another couple at our table that did the same thing as well as a third couple who had no ideal what the envelopes were. You really don't need to pass them out if you are keeping it at only the recommended amounts but some people still pass them out because it still feels good to personally hand out

 

[Rob1872]

If you are just using the auto tips, you don't HAVE to hand them to your server. It is just traditional, I guess. We just increase the amount of the tip instead of adding cash, but we still put the little slip in the envelope and hand them to the servers the last night.

 

[lds0191]

Thank you for the replies. Good to know we are not the only ones still handing out envelopes.

 

[Spiffy MacSpiff]

We hand the dining team envelopes out on the last night. Our DSs take care of it and love being able to say thank you. Lots of other people still doing the same thing in our experience.

 

[bumbershoot]

There is no actual need to give envelopes at all. You can do it all through guest services.

I find the in-person tip thing to be extremely awkward and like having it more automated, even if I’m increasing it at GS.

 

[cruisehopeful]

I hand them over if there is extra cash in them. If everything is paid via guest services, I just leave the envelopes in the room - in my case I am rarely at MDR on the last night, though.

 

[BlondieinFL]

We don't hand out envelopes.

 

[dcassetta]

What do you do with tip envelopes for your dining team? We always add cash and still hand out the envelopes on the last night or at breakfast on disembarkation morning. The last couple of cruises I did not see anyone else carrying or handing out envelopes in the dining room. Do you leave them in your cabin? Drop them off at guest services? Leave them laying on your table in the dining room? I worry that the cash would not make it to the intended crew member as there is no name on the outside of the envelope and someone would have to open them to determine for who they were intended. To me it has always seemed awkward hand delivering the envelopes and now that tips are automatically added I was wondering what is the new norm for delivery.

On almost every occasion, I have added extra gratuities in cash to the envelopes. Because of this, I do like to give them out personally and have done that on the last night or the last morning depending on whether I'm eating the departure breakfast in the MDR or Cabanas. If I have added any cash to them, I would not leave them on the table unattended. I've actually never paid much attention to how many people around me are handing envelopes to the servers. It may actually happen more than you think. The envelopes are not very big, and could be passed easily without you seeing it.

 

[kiford]

That's why I never put cash in them. If I want to increase the amount, I'll go to Guest Services and add. I rarely see my room steward in enough time to give the envelope so I leave it in the room. Sometimes one of the servers might be reassigned so I won't see them and it's not often that I'm able to see the head server. So in order to make sure that the money gets to right person if I'm not able to get to them, I always just put it on the account.

 

[mmouse37]

We add cash and hand them out personally at our last dinner. Nothing awkward about it IMO.

MJ

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We add cash and hand out the server's tips at dinner the last night. It's not unusual for a server to not be at the breakfast the final morning, and I'd hate to miss them. Room host - also hand it directly to him/her.

 

[bakerworld]

We hand them out personally because I read on one of the forums that the servers do not always get the extra when left in the room, left with guest services, or increased at guest services. If this service has been improved since 2010 I would love to know because increasing at guest services would be much easier than chasing people around. We've never have a problem locating the room steward but the servers we have to 'catch' as we often do not attend the meals by the trips end.

 

[bumbershoot]

We hand them out personally because I read on one of the forums that the servers do not always get the extra when left in the room, left with guest services, or increased at guest services.

I don’t see why this should be the case. Especially with Disney.

 

[disneylove69]

I still hand out and say thank you. I find it's a personal gesture.

 

[scgustafson]

We given them to our dining team at debarkation breakfast, unless we know that one or more of them will not be there, then the night before. We give our cabin host(ess) their envelope on the final morning when we are leaving the cabin, unless we know they will be not there due to going home on vacation, then the night before.

 

[Sepo]

My server explained to me that they see a printout. They know exactly what the guests give them. The envelopes are ceremonial and superfluous.

Another tip: if you are to increase the tip, do it early in the trip at Guest Services, Before the 2nd to last day, to avoid the lines.

 

[Racer X]

I read this early on, and do this on every trip - we actually bring small thank you cards, place the coupon and the extra $$ tip in there, and hand them out on the last night, and leave on the bed for the room steward before dinner the last night. While not necessary i think it is a nice gesture, and let's the teams know you appreciated them. A quick handshake, and a thank you at the end of the last meal is a nice way to say thanks and end your cruise.

 

[eva2015]

I still hand out and say thank you. I find it's a personal gesture.

This. We also let our kids draw pictures/decorate the envelopes with markers.

 

[Chirple]

For those of you who are placing cash inside the envelopes, is it because you:

a) don't trust DCL to give them the added tip amount done via Guest Services or
b) don't want to wait in line at Guest Services to add it or
c) feel that cash in hand makes the tip more readily accessible.

We've always added at Guest Services and usually do it very late at night before our final night (usually no wait). Then we hand out the envelopes with the updated tickets at our last MDR evening meal. I write a personalized thank you on the back of each envelope.