Tipping Above Automatic Amount

[BritneyBelle]

Forgive me if this has been asked before, but I can’t find any recent answers. How much above the suggested/automatic gratuity should I plan on tipping for a family of four on a 7 night Alaska cruise? Like Pete said on todays show I want to know what they consider a good/nice tip if anyone knows (except we are not concierge). Thank you for your help!

 

[dcassetta]

I think whether you decide to tip extra will depend on the service. Do the cast members do their regular good job or do they go above and beyond? Do you leave your cabin cluttered requiring more work from the stateroom host? Do you have a child in diapers or one that might wet the bed? Does the serving team get to know you and learn your preferences? Does someone in your party require alterations to the regular menu (allergies, intolerances)? Are you celebrating a birthday or anniversary that gets recognized by your stateroom host or serving team? Does the head server do more than stop by and say hello?

Just some of the things to consider.

We have never removed tips, but have had cruises where we did not tip extra or not much extra. We have also had cruises where we doubled the tips or more.

 

[Kwami]

On my last 4-night cruise, I tipped one extra night, which is 25% more. They did a good job and that seemed about right.

 

[Cheburashka]

I add $10 - $20 to my stateroom host's tip, depending on length of cruise & level of service, and the same for my main dining room server. The assistant server & head server usually get an extra $5 - $10, depending on length of cruise and level of service.

 

[MomOTwins]

I usually tipped an extra $20-40 per person pre-Covid, depending on the level of service. Post-Covid, I tipped an extra $100 per person. They had 18 months with families to feed, no salary, and now “stimulus” or unemployment to get them through. And they all had more now—the dining team had to handle individual tables instead of the prior shared tables, and the stateroom host had all that deep cleaning to do on top of the usual. By next year though things should be not too bad. Will probably scale it back some to $50-ish a person.

That said I am talking about the people that actually gave me personal service: stateroom host, server, assistant server, and masseuse at the spa. I didn’t tip more for head server—did not see him once.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I didn’t tip more for head server—did not see him once.

Well....if the head server is doing his/her job, you won't see them. They make sure things run properly and there are no issues.

If the head server shows up, it usually means something needs to be addressed.

 

[Kwami]

Well....if the head server is doing his/her job, you won't see them. They make sure things run properly and there are no issues.

If the head server shows up, it usually means something needs to be addressed.

We always see the head server. He usually stops by to make sure that everything is OK and to let us know about fireworks or where we're stopping the next day or whatever. Last time, we got him talking about 20 minutes about working at DCL and all of the costumes that he has to wear and stuff. It was fun!

Do others really not see their head servers at all?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We always see the head server. He usually stops by to make sure that everything is OK and to let us know about fireworks or where we're stopping the next day or whatever. Last time, we got him talking about 20 minutes about working at DCL and all of the costumes that he has to wear and stuff. It was fun!

Do others really not see their head servers at all?

It can happen, if there are things that need to be fixed. Like helping servers who seem to be falling behind in service. Or dealing with dietary issues that weren't on the reservation.

 

[MomOTwins]

Well....if the head server is doing his/her job, you won't see them. They make sure things run properly and there are no issues.

That’s what I don’t understand about that being a tipped position. The chefs/cooks also keep dinner running properly, but I don’t tip them. The lifeguards keep the pools safe and the aquaduck running efficiently but not a tipped positions. I am fine with paying the automatic tip for head server, but extra feels weird for someone whose job does not involve direct personal assistance to me,rather than just generally ensure things are going well on board for everyone on the ship (which is true for pretty much any other untipped position).

 

[BritneyBelle]

Thank you all, it sounds like there is a lot of variation. I’m the type that likes to budget the max assuming I get amazing service and everyone deserves a good tip. If that’s not the case I can scale back, but I’d rather have cash ready to hand out at the end of the cruise when I get on board and deduct as I see needed. We have two small children, one is special needs, so we do take more work than your average family by necessity of those facts. For those who are suggesting a flat extra amount is that per tipped person or per passenger?

 

[MomOTwins]

Thank you all, it sounds like there is a lot of variation. I’m the type that likes to budget the max assuming I get amazing service and everyone deserves a good tip. If that’s not the case I can scale back, but I’d rather have cash ready to hand out at the end of the cruise when I get on board and deduct as I see needed. We have two small children, one is special needs, so we do take more work than your average family by necessity of those facts. For those who are suggesting a flat extra amount is that per tipped person or per passenger?

I was giving the per tipped person amount. You also don’t need cash—you can add extra tip at guest services and charge to your stateroom/credit card.

 

[Cheburashka]

For those who are suggesting a flat extra amount is that per tipped person or per passenger?

I do it per tipped person. I just add the extra cash into their tip envelopes that are delivered to my stateroom the day before debarkation. You can go to Guest Services to do it, but I find cash easier and I like to personally hand the tip envelopes to them on debarkation morning. The base tip will already be automatically applied and little coupons showing that will also be delivered to your stateroom, along with the tip envelopes.

 

[Ralph&Pam]

That’s what I don’t understand about that being a tipped position. The chefs/cooks also keep dinner running properly, but I don’t tip them. The lifeguards keep the pools safe and the aquaduck running efficiently but not a tipped positions. I am fine with paying the automatic tip for head server, but extra feels weird for someone whose job does not involve direct personal assistance to me,rather than just generally ensure things are going well on board for everyone on the ship (which is true for pretty much any other untipped position).

In your case, the head server may only provide the usual, relatively transparent management function in the dining room. You may only see the head server if something is not going according to plan, and that’s a goo thing. The standard $1/person/day is quite appropriate in this situation.

However, other situations may warrant extra attention and what you describe as personal assistance. For example, this comes into play for diners with noted allergies. My wife must eat gluten free. The head server is the point person for managing the process of ordering allergy-safe meals. Even when the server and assistant server are reasonably knowledgeable about GF or other allergy limitations, the head server signs off on the orders. When placing an allergy order at one of the quick serve locations on the pool deck, one of the head servers will be on duty (they all work together in this regard) and will make sure your special order is handled properly. So, for those of us with special dietary needs, the head servers have been a valuable member of the dining team, and we have tipped extra in recognition of this.

 

[BritneyBelle]

I do it per tipped person. I just add the extra cash into their tip envelopes that are delivered to my stateroom the day before debarkation. You can go to Guest Services to do it, but I find cash easier and I like to personally hand the tip envelopes to them on debarkation morning. The base tip will already be automatically applied and little coupons showing that will also be delivered to your stateroom, along with the tip envelopes.

I was thinking I would prefer to hand any extra tip in cash to them too. Thanks for the advice!

 

[BritneyBelle]

In your case, the head server may only provide the usual, relatively transparent management function in the dining room. You may only see the head server if something is not going according to plan, and that’s a goo thing. The standard $1/person/day is quite appropriate in this situation.

However, other situations may warrant extra attention and what you describe as personal assistance. For example, this comes into play for diners with noted allergies. My wife must eat gluten free. The head server is the point person for managing the process of ordering allergy-safe meals. Even when the server and assistant server are reasonably knowledgeable about GF or other allergy limitations, the head server signs off on the orders. When placing an allergy order at one of the quick serve locations on the pool deck, one of the head servers will be on duty (they all work together in this regard) and will make sure your special order is handled properly. So, for those of us with special dietary needs, the head servers have been a valuable member of the dining team, and we have tipped extra in recognition of this.

I didn’t think about that, I have a pretty severe food allergy so I’ll consider that as well

 

[MomOTwins]

In your case, the head server may only provide the usual, relatively transparent management function in the dining room. You may only see the head server if something is not going according to plan, and that’s a goo thing. The standard $1/person/day is quite appropriate in this situation.

However, other situations may warrant extra attention and what you describe as personal assistance. For example, this comes into play for diners with noted allergies. My wife must eat gluten free. The head server is the point person for managing the process of ordering allergy-safe meals. Even when the server and assistant server are reasonably knowledgeable about GF or other allergy limitations, the head server signs off on the orders. When placing an allergy order at one of the quick serve locations on the pool deck, one of the head servers will be on duty (they all work together in this regard) and will make sure your special order is handled properly. So, for those of us with special dietary needs, the head servers have been a valuable member of the dining team, and we have tipped extra in recognition of this.

That explains it more. I guess I assumed the server and assistant were responsible for allergies and other dietary requests but we have never had any, so that must be why we don’t encounter the head server.

 

[rhinodadz]

Well....if the head server is doing his/her job, you won't see them. They make sure things run properly and there are no issues.

If the head server shows up, it usually means something needs to be addressed.

On both of our cruises since the restart the head servers have been much more visible, stopping by the table a couple times per meal. They seem more genuinely concerned about the quality of the experience the team is providing whereas in the before times a lot of the head servers seemed to just phone it in. Our last one actually took notes regarding our comments on a couple of the menu items and I have no doubt those comments were passed on the the culinary management team. First time we felt compelled to give the head server additional gratuity (always add to the other tipped positions).

 

[Starwind]

In your case, the head server may only provide the usual, relatively transparent management function in the dining room. You may only see the head server if something is not going according to plan, and that’s a goo thing. The standard $1/person/day is quite appropriate in this situation.

However, other situations may warrant extra attention and what you describe as personal assistance. For example, this comes into play for diners with noted allergies. My wife must eat gluten free. The head server is the point person for managing the process of ordering allergy-safe meals. Even when the server and assistant server are reasonably knowledgeable about GF or other allergy limitations, the head server signs off on the orders. When placing an allergy order at one of the quick serve locations on the pool deck, one of the head servers will be on duty (they all work together in this regard) and will make sure your special order is handled properly. So, for those of us with special dietary needs, the head servers have been a valuable member of the dining team, and we have tipped extra in recognition of this.

This. I have multiple food allergies. Our Head Server is always an integral and prominent part of our dinign team each cruise. We've cruised with DCL 8 times. Depending on the cruise, sometimes it has been teh head server who had taken our allergy pre-orders, sometimes it is the server, but regardless of who does it, the head server has to sign off on every special diet order [they are put on a special form that the head server signs off on]. And even if they aren't taking our order, they are at our table often making sure things are going well. When eating anywhere without a pre-order (eg the QS locations) it is a head server (or, rarely, a chef) who takes the order and brings the order out. When I do preorder to eat at Cabanas, I seek out a head server (easy to find as they wear white shirts in Cabanas) and let them know I have an allergy preorder and they are the one who takes care of getting it and bringing it out to me. They are also the one who troubleshoots if things go wrong with a special diet order.... like my Wafflegate experience when the allergy waffles were just a rock hard fail every time for a week... our MDR head server got heavily involved with that one, including on the last day we tried for the waffles before giving up and going for pancakes spending quite a bit of time working together with a Cabanas chef trying to make them work [they still didn't, and nobody could figure out why...]. I don't know who was more frustrated - him or me ! On one of our cruises our head server was working the serenity bay BBQ on Castaway and arranged for us to have our lunch there -- something we'd never been able to do -- and he is the one who got our (safe!) food from the BBQ and helped make it a special treat of actual BBQ (vs the norm of allergy safe ship food brought to the island)!

Needless to say, we significantly increase the tip given to our head server. We also have always increased the tips given to the other 3 positions. I've done both adding cash in the envelope and going to guest services and having them increase the amount. I prefer to go to guest services.

SW