Tipping Faux Pas?

[webray]

On our 3 night cruise, we dined at Palo on night 2. I tipped our regular servers, therefore, for two nights instead of 3 for all three of us, even thought DS didn't dine with us on Saturday night. I distributed tip envelopes Satuday night and felt like my server was snubbing me at breakfast Sunday. Was I wrong in not tipping for the night I did not use his services?

Yes, you were wrong not to tip your server for the full three nights. Your server still served for breakfast or lunch that day, whether you saw him/her or not. If you didn't someone elses server served you.

 

[vpalmer]

First, I would like to make clear that I understand the reasoning for the tipping guidelines. I am a very good tipper but only when the ''server'' does their job. I realize that they do their job everyday but I need to see it. WHat I mean is that I don't care how well they serve other people, I will tip based on how they serve me. I realize people have bad days but in my opinion, everyone can put on a show face if they want to see the money!! I have had MANY bad days in my life but I never let that interfere with my work and customer service. If I know I have to LIVE off of my tips then you'd better believe that I will do what it takes to make more than the recommended amount. PLEASE DO NOT FLAME ME!!! IT IS ONLY MY OPINION!

Second point..............someone said that if someone can afford a cruise, they can afford tips. That isn't entirely true. I have been saving for my fir st cruise( will be in May) for over 4 years. I wanted the entire family to take one together as my father has cancer and my mother has no money to enjoy life and I thought that being together on Disney would be a trip to remember. We have scraped together the money to cruise but just the extra 150(?) per person for suggested tipping is a lot of money for us. We aren't making any excursions or buying anything. We are on the ship as a family to enjoy each other. So I see where some people cannot afford the extra tipping. Needless to say, we all will be tipping but at the same time having to give up something else to make sure that the correct people get what they deserve.

Some questions if someone can help:
how much is the general tipping for: room service, room steward,pool service, CM's etc. I have only the general tipping guidelines for thew dining rooms.Thank you!

The recommended tips are no where near $150 per person. For the three of us, the tips were around $225 for 3 people. I think that worked out to about $75 pp for a 7 night cruise. If you are on a 3 or 4 day it is even less.

 

[Anjelica]

but I somewhat agree with those that have stated in the past that "if you can afford a Disney Cruise Line vacation you can afford the tips". Not saying that statement is 100% absolute truth because someone can afford to pay for a DCL vacation does not necessarily mean they can afford the tips.

However, IMHO, if you look at any vacation where tips are the norm (i.e. stateside and cruises) then you shouldn't book the trip unless you can afford the tips. It's not the servers, waiters, hostesses, etc.'s fault/problem that you cannot afford a tip - no matter the circumstances. I know that may sound cruel but we don't know their circumstances either - they very well could depend on that money.

So I guess, bottom line, if you really can't afford the tips in a vacation then don't plan that particular vacation. Live within your means and take a vacation that you can afford (all aspects - travel, misc. costs, tips).

 

[nikky]

Do the room stewards come in every day even if you put out do not disturb signs up everday? I know it sounds odd but i like to clean up after myself and not have a stranger touching my stuff. Can u ask they not come in for the 4 days or no?

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

The recommended tipping amount for 4 passengers on a 7-night cruise works out to a grand total of $304 for the four major tipped positions. For a family that spends $3,000 on cruise fare, that works out to another 10%. For a family that spends $6,000 on cruise fare, that works out to another 5%.

The cruise fare does not include the services of the huge staff of servers, assistant servers, and head servers who provide great service at breakfast, lunch, counter service, dinner, buffets, and snacks. They're paid by their dinner passengers.

Also, the cruise fare does not include the services of the stateroom host/hostess who provides a sparkling clean stateroom when you board, who cleans you stateroom twice each day, and who provides other serves, such as getting ice and providing daily schedules to you.

It's that simple. When passengers don't tip, they're working for free.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Do the room stewards come in every day even if you put out do not disturb signs up everday? I know it sounds odd but i like to clean up after myself and not have a stranger touching my stuff. Can u ask they not come in for the 4 days or no?

Sure, you can let your stateroom host/hostess know if there are some services you don't want.

I really didn't feel our stateroom hostesses were "touching [our] stuff." We tidied up after ourselves, so we didn't have clothing on the bed, sofa, or floor. The stateroom hostess had the stateroom nice and clean when we checked in. She made our beds, vacuumed the stateroom, kept the bathrooms clean and stocked with fresh towels, provided turndown service, and even made towel animals. (None of that really involves "touching [our] stuff."

If a guest would rather make his or her own bed, I'm sure that can be arranged. However, I wouldn't tip less than the suggested amount in that case. The stateroom host/hostess is still relying on the tip as income. (If my manager asked me to come to the office every day, but just to sit at my desk without doing any work, I would still expect to be paid.)

 

[DisneyAngel05]

I was in Australia about a year ago (Sydney). I found the prices were way too high and the service was appalling. Consistently appalling, it wasn't just one restaurant it was every single restaurant we were in. There were 10 of us, we ate very few meals together and for the most part went off on our own to do things so it's not like it was a group of 10 to be dealt with everywhere. I felt like having to come to the table to pick up dirty plates or refill water was an imposition for the servers, and it's one of the reasons I never want to go to Australia again.

On the pricing I'll mention though that food pricing even in the grocery store was much higher than at home.

Parts of Sydney are very expensive - it has many luxury restaurants and hotels etc, and of course you will pay more for those, as I'm sure you would if you went to New York etc.
I do not think the prices are a lot more for eating out here, it will always just depend on where you go!
Sometimes staff here are rude, I guess that is the drawback from having no tips, but my friends and I sometimes find the over-the-top waiters in some US restaurants all a bit too much, we just want to enjoy our meal, and not have someone consistently talking to us to make us give them more money~!! Of course this is just a culture thing - please don't get angry with me. Does anyone else feel like this?
I remember when I was in Anaheim in 04, and we went to this beautiful Italian restaurant in Downtown Disney, and the waiter was SO friendly, we were all saying Wow - what service, only to find that a 25%tip was added to the end of our bill. For 12 people, that was a lot of extra money - and we were a bit miffed! But I guess its just what you're not used to.

 

[Amberle3]

Typically in the US and Canada if you have a larger group (8 or more) the gratituity is automatically added. Normally that's 18%, I don't think I've ever seen it as high as 25%.

And I agree that some places take the level of attention way too far. I don't want a server to be my new best friend. Please don't sit down at the table with me. I just want them to take my order, make sure that my meal is fine, and check back at the table occasionally to see if there's anything I need. Bring me my bill in a timely fashion, that kind of thing. But don't drop my plate off and then disappear for an hour.

 

[DisneyAngel05]

I completely agree Amberle - its great to have good service, but I seriously don't want one sitting down with me!!!!

 

[cruisinluver]

The recommended tips are no where near $150 per person. For the three of us, the tips were around $225 for 3 people. I think that worked out to about $75 pp for a 7 night cruise. If you are on a 3 or 4 day it is even less.

The poster said he was cruising in May. Perhaps he is on a 14-15 day Repo which would be $150 in tips PP.

 

[cruisinluver]

It's that simple. When passengers don't tip, they're working for free.

Afraid this is not true. Besides room, board and medical all staff in tipped positions are paid a gauranteed monthly salary that is negotiated between the cruiseline and the union that represents the crew. It is more than $50 a month. If there is not enough made in tips to meet this guarantee, the cruiseline pays the difference.

This of course does not give permission to someone not to tip, but it is a false statement to suggest that they are working for free.

 

[vpalmer]

The poster said he was cruising in May. Perhaps he is on a 14-15 day Repo which would be $150 in tips PP.

Hmmm, I re-read the post and they said (will be in May) re: their first cruise so I made the assumption it was this year. Given the context of the post I would be surprised if they were talking about a repo cruise but I would like clarification if the PP is available.

 

[cruisinluver]

There are repo cruises this year remember.