Tipping at Palo

[Grumbo]

Just wanted to ask about whether this is a separate entity (like room service)?
I can't see the tip you leave for your server at the end of the cruise pertaining to your Palo servers. As we didn't go to Palo on our last cruise wasn't a concern.
Anyway if someone could enlighten me it would be appreciated.
Cheers,
Grumbo

 

[ducklite]

There is a $5 per person service charge for dinner at Palo, and $10 per person at brunch (includes champagne). Your server gets a VERY small percentage of this.

We tipped $30 at dinner, $20 for brunch, and $5 for tea, plus the automatic 18% gratuity for alcohol (which there was plenty disposed of).

We left cash on the table.

Anne

 

[Grumbo]

$20 tip plus $20 service charge for brunch? Very generous Ducklite
Almost wish that the cruiselines would just include it in the price instead of all of this messing around with folks not knowing, being guilted at times into supplementing the employee's wages. Probably get flamed for this one but I know that if Disney showed their prices with tips included it would show them even more expensive than others that didn't include tipping in the price but I sure would prefer to know that "This is what it costs" not that "the employees only get paid what you tip".
Ah well of the soap box
Cheers,
Grumbo (Ducking quickly )

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Originally posted by Grumbo
$20 tip plus $20 service charge for brunch? Very generous Ducklite

Part of the $10 brunch charge goes toward the glass of sparkling wine or sparkling cider that comes with the lunch, so the tip portion is probably only around half of the $10 per person charge.

For Palo dinner, the entire $5 per person charge is a tip. As with tips in US restaurants, I think it's safe to say that the tips are divided among various people who serve you.

My guess is that most Palo diners don't tip above the mandatory tip and the automatic tip on the drinks. DCL is essentially saying, "we've automatically charged you the appropriate amount for tips," although there is a line on the bill to increase the tip. The service at Palo is excellent and the servers really deserve more.

There are some very generous people on the DISboards. Whenever the question of tipping at Palo comes up, they post that they leave $20 or $30 or even $40 above the automatic tips. I assume these people also leave $50 tips on $100 meals when they dine at restaurants back home.

Here's another thread on this subject: http://disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=341660

 

[Señor Ferrari]

While I agree with your idea, I have to admit I'm pessimistic that it will ever happen. This seems to be the case with all of the mass-market lines. None of their prices reflect tips for the wait staff and room steward. For some reason, it's just kind of accepted that when you purchase a cruise, it costs you about an extra $10/day for tips.

Holland America even goes so far as to have a "no tipping required" policy. However, they make it understood that you really should tip, and you end up tipping the same as you would on other lines, only they won't suggest what you should tip. On Princess, they have a flexible dining policy, which I like, because you can eat when you want at any of several restaurants. Because of this, you do not have the same wait staff every night. As a "convenience," they charge tips for wait staff to your account automatically. Of course, you can go to guest services and alter the amount, or choose not to tip altogether....

I guess that cruise lines won't do this unless they all get together and decide that they're all going to do it. I don't think one line is going to publish prices that are out of sync with the rest of the industry. When DCL first started, they published fares to include airfare and transfers, and people thought that they were way out of line with what the rest of the industry charged. They soon changed to the more accepted industry practices (although they still are on the high end of the mass market).

 

[Señor Ferrari]

Regarding the service charge at Palo, I was told that the automatic surcharge is pooled and split between the entire staff at Palo. I'm assuming that includes a percentage for the bus people. It's my understanding that anything above the $5 charge goes directly to the person who served you.

This is the case with bar drinks. The auto 15% is pooled and divided amongst all of the bartenders and bar servers on the ship. Anything extra goes right to the person who hands you the drink.

 

[inkkognito]

That's one thing I like about dude ranches...the tip is normally included automatically in your package. They tell you what percentage of your package fee goes towards it so that you know it is taken care of.
When we first started sailing on Disney, we didn't think to tip extra at Palo until we read about others doing it. Keep in mind that because there is no charge for high tea, you will not get a slip to fill out for a tip. We bring phone cards and use those as tips at the tea. Since we had multiple servers for high tea, we gave a card to each one.
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com

 

[GenieDana]

Since were on the subject...

Customary tipping is 15% for good service and as much as 20% - 25% for excellent service.

If a person tips only the $5 built-in gratuity per-person, and receives good service, then they have placed a 15% tip if the value of the meal is $33.33.

By most accounts, the value of the meal is realistically somewhere in the $50 per-person range (sans alchohol and other additives, which themselves have built-in gratuities) and the service is usually excellent.

So if one recieves excellent service (and the meal is worth $50 per-person), and leaves a $10 per-person tip, they have tipped 20%

I personally would do a few dollars more (I'm just a little more generous). However, Horace Horsecollar points out that some folks are VERY generous - and there is nothing wrong with that.

My brother in New York knows waiters at similar "upscale restaurants" that clear more than $150 K annually waiting in the evenings only! It's these generous folks that keep them in the goods (and out of need of a day job).

Question is, has anyone actually done the math? Just how well do the Palo wait staff do???

 

[Grumbo]

hehe I don't think we want to figure out that GenieDana.. Might be a glut of folks applying. Then again most people wouldn't have the temperament or ability to work the hours and conditions that are required on a cruise ship.
Don't get me wrong. I have no problem in tipping, but I don't feel that the tip should be the entire source of income for a waiter or service employee (as it apparently is on the cruise ships) when I've paid for a meal or service already. Adding $40 or $50 to a meal for a tip imho is too much especially when I'm expected to still tip my regular server when I haven't been there at all that day.
Now as you state some folks are more generous, and then again some people are much more able financially to afford to tip this amount. A $50 tip to one person may be a drop in the bucket, whereas a $20 tip is a really large amount to the next person. Should they be told not to bother going to Palo then if you can't afford to tip large? No and I hope no one feels this way, but I HAVE heard that argument that if you can't afford it then don't do it.
The acronym To Insure Prompt Service in its day was probably appropriate but nowadays and especially with the cruise industry it seems to indicate The Inept Proprieters's Subsidy.
I know that this is a subject that can never probably be agreed upon by all but it seems to be so deep rooted within the fabric of society that its here forever

Cheers,
Grumbo (Who will make sure his server never knows that his nick on Dis is Grumbo )

 

[ducklite]

Compare Palo to say the California Grill at WDW. It's actually probably a step above that, but not quite V&A's.

Here in NJ, the CG prices are what we'd pay for a similar meal, atmosphere and service.

At any rate...

Average price at CG dinner for two (with appetizers, entrees and dessert) is about $110, not including alcohol. At V&A's it would have been $170. Cut it down the middle and my tip for Palo's was maybe a couple dollars over, but when you're paying $6000+ for a cruise, who's counting a couple bucks here and there?

Does anyone REALLY feel that a $5 per person tip for a meal at Palo's is sufficient, even if the entire thing was going to your server?

As far as your DR servers not waiting on you that day, maybe not, but geez, IMHO they deserve much larger tips than the suggested amonts as well. We tipped about double the suggested amount, plus gave phone cards! Again, look a tthe cost of eating that kind of meal with that kind of service every day at WDW! Keep in mind that those same servers also work during breakfast and lunch!

I prefer to be able to tip rather than having it all inclusive, so I can be generous for excellent service, and can be stingy for poor service. I feel that if a server knows they are automatically getting a tip, it makes them less inclined to try to go the extra mile.

Anne

 

[ducklite]

PS--I must correct myself--we only left $25 additional for dinner.

Anne

 

[CSX2]

Always overtip!!!

It can really make someone's day and it's good for your soul.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Originally posted by ducklite
Does anyone REALLY feel that a $5 per person tip for a meal at Palo's is sufficient, even if the entire thing was going to your server?

Nobody on this thread has said that the automatic $5 per person gratuity is sufficient. I know I've said the service staff deserves an additional tip.

But it's likely that many Palo diners don't tip above the mandatory tip (and the automatic tip on wine and drinks) because the message from DCL is that they've automatically charged you for all Palo gratuities.

Whether you tip nothing extra, a few dollars extra, $10 per couple extra, or you choose to be very generous is a personal choice. Nobody reading this board should feel they must budget an extra $25-40 per couple for Palo dinner gratuities above the $5 per person automatic gratuity charge.

 

[westjones]

I am glad this came up. This whole 'tipping' thing at Palo makes me uncomfortable, and we are afriad of doing the wrong thing---so we have avoided going since our first cruise when we embarrassed ourselves by not knowing there was an extra charge and actually got up to go before our server brought us our bill/slip (I just felt foolish that we didn't know about the extra charge ahead of time, it didn't bother me to pay it, I just didn't understand it, this was back in 2000 before I had this board to provide me with all this information).

From that time, we have not been to Palo (one reason, we want to eat dinner with our kids each evening anyway). Now we are thinking of doing the High Tea on our Feb. 2004 seven day cruise. The kids are usually in the Kids Clubs in the afternoon, so we thought it would be a good chance to try Palo again.

So what do we do for tips at the tea if we don't bring phone cards? Do we just leave some money on the table when we are done? How does it work. I really don't want to experience that awkward feeling that we had our first (and last) trip to Palo.

Thanks so much!
DJ

 

[ducklite]

DJ--That's exactly what I did--I brought cash and left $5 on the table when we were done.

Anne

 

[mjbarnard]

This may be a cultural thing – and I really don’t want to provoke flames – but I simply don’t understand the American tipping culture – which extends to many “tipped positions” well beyond cruise lines.

I actually don’t understand the underlying philosophy. How would Disney react if I told them – “well I will pay for my cruise, but only at the end of the trip – if it has lived up to expectations and you have gone ‘the extra mile’... If I have any complaints – well I might not pay.” ? Not sure they would buy that. In fact does the tipping culture not simply make Disney’s (and of course other cruise lines) prices look slightly lower than they really are? If this is actually the underlying motive – then I find that disappointing.

I do hope that the servers on the Magic are paid a fair salary for their work. Please reassure me that they are not dependent on the tips for their basic income. I would actually find it offensive if they were not able to rely on fair pay for their work. There was a thread on these boards a couple of months ago started by someone who enquired if a few phone cards would be sufficient in place of a cash tip. For every innocent and genuine misunderstanding posted on these boards – how many cost-cutters avoid paying when on board?

Over here in Europe we have a different approach. We do tip in restaurants and hotels. However this is EXTRA to basic and fair pay. That way – if someone does really go “the extra mile” on top of standard service – you can reward them appropriately. I find no difficulty in rewarding them generously when deserved. It does also result in an incentive to perform – because the servers can earn extra money – equivalent to overtime payment – without working extra hours.

Have I missed something? Hope so…

 

[ducklite]

Matthew--On ALL cruise lines (pretty much) the servers and stewards and other service staff (spa employees and such) rely on tips. They receive VERY low salaries, about US$50 per week.

That is why it is so very important to tip these people well for their hard work--unless of course you haven't been happy with their service. But if this is the case, you should speak up to a manager immediately!

Anne

 

[mjbarnard]

Anne - thanks for clarifying that. In fact your information will make me tip above average just in case they are short-changed by anyone else. If not - well that's their bonus.

Despite this - for the reasons I outlined above - I find this arrangement distasteful and unsatisfactory.

 

[house_of_princesses]

I've grown up in this "tipping culture", and I for one wish we'd abolish it. I'd rather pay up front. Good service can still be provided, without the proverbial carrott dangling in front of a server. Should I tip the counter clerk at Marshall Field's because she smiled and wished me well while making my purchase? NO. However, if I have good service I make it a point to tell someone. That person keeps his/her job. The person who doesn't smile gets canned. Simple.