Tipping for Dinner and other unknown fees??

[PrincessShmoo]

By prepaying, do you mean overpaying your booking so that your onboard account would have a negative balance equal to the amount that gratuity will be charged later on? Or is there an option for you to ask the charge to show up on your account pre-cruise and pay prior to boarding?

LAX

Yes. Overpaying your onboard account so there's a credit balance to cover the gratuities. If you call DCL and ask to pre-pay your gratuities, they will add the amount to the cost of the cruise, and it will be charged immediately to your credit card. And it shows up as credit on your onboard account.

 

[cgolf]

By prepaying, do you mean overpaying your booking so that your onboard account would have a negative balance equal to the amount that gratuity will be charged later on? Or is there an option for you to ask the charge to show up on your account pre-cruise and pay prior to boarding?

LAX

We did it through our Dreams TA, I just asked my wife aka the boss, but it wasn't overpaying the booking. Wish I could be of more help. If not booked through a TA I would call the DCL reps to help get it paid early. Apparently I am a slow typer and schmoo beat me to it

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We did it through our Dreams TA, I just asked my wife aka the boss, but it wasn't overpaying the booking. Wish I could be of more help. If not booked through a TA I would call the DCL reps to help get it paid early.

If you use a TA, any monetary stuff has to go through them. DCL won't talk to you about adding any extra costs to a reservation if you use a TA. But, if not, certainly calling DCL is the way to go.

 

[squirk]

I'm sorry - there are some real idiots out there who try to pass themselves off as DCL "experts" on YouTube.

Nobody's perfect, of course, but I've seen many videos giving information and advice that are patently wrong. Like, "you-didn't-even-bother-to-put-in-two-minutes-of-actual-research-did-you?"-wrong.

 

[MeliMel702]

I'm not sure I'm doing this right, but here goes the link to that video with the "hidden fees"

 

[MeliMel702]

It also looks like someone did correct them already!

 

[Dug720]

Just as a matter of point... I prepaid the gratuities for myself and my parents on our 2/22 Magic cruise and nothing about gratuities showed up on either of our final statements. So perhaps there is a cut-off point where you need to add them for it not to be the credit/debit thing, but at least when it's set up prior to the PIF date it does NOT show up as a credit.

Which makes sense when you think about it. There would be ISSUES if people thought they had prepaid them, then saw a credit on the account and spent it - and then got charged for the gratuities.

As to why I prepay them, I like having as much of the vacation paid for as possible. I'll even put the amount of any excursions I've signed up for on a Disney gift card (or buy onboard credit in that amount) so those are already paid for (did not realize how much I like the "pay for the excursions in advance" system most other lines have until I really thought about it.

 

[CM Dad]

I took my wife, adult kids and their families on a cruise for her 60th birthday and had used my Disney Vacation Savings Account to prepay the standard gratuities for all 4 rooms by calling DCL and applying as a stateroom credit. Apparently something went wrong with one of the rooms and the money for one room was returned to my DVSA. We did not know about this until one of my daughters saw the card for her stateroom. I was able to have here gratuities charged to my stateroom account.

 

[bumbershoot]

One vdo was talking about tipping your waiter for the dinners and this will be charged to your room bill.

she mentioned that the kids club charges a fee? About $60 something per kid. Is this right?

They have corrected their statement in the comments section of their video. It seems that they didn't know that the standard $12 per day gratuity also applied to children.

Glad that it's changed in the comments (watched a minute of that video and couldn't convince myself to watch a 28 minute video of them if that minute was the example) (but I despise podcasts and videos...give me text!) but it's a pretty huge leap from seeing the gratuity on the folio and thinking BOTH that you're charged gratuity if you bring kids to the dining room (vs the info given pre cruise that each person is charged gratuity no matter what) AND that oceaneers costs money. Seems like they were double counting the charges and to get home and make a video about it without asking dcl when onboard seems a bit...much.

It's why I like message boards. If I say something wrong there will be 10 people right after explaining that I'm wrong. Helps keep the misinformation down.

 

[kiford]

Any drink you pay for will have gratuity already added to the bill.

Note that this gratuity (15%) is split amongst all bartenders. If you add an additional tip, it goes directly to the person who served you. I always add a small additional gratuity ($0.50-$1.00 per drink depending on what I order). It adds up to a very small amount over the cruise but helps your server to remember you and your preferences. Although there is always good service, a little bit extra on your part will result on additional effort on their part. If you do this, also try to get the same server every time. It pays off in the end.

 

[FigmentSpark]

What do people tip when they redeem their 6th free coffee at Cove/Vista?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

What do people tip when they redeem their 6th free coffee at Cove/Vista?

Not to be snarky, but whatever they deem the service to be worth.

 

[FigmentSpark]

Agreed, Princess Shmoo. I was thinking that 5 days out of 6, that tip is added to the cost and maybe even ignored while signing, but on the 6th day, there's nothing to add. So... add what it cost the other 5 days? Or take it all as a bonus? Or just come up with a number? I wondered what people do.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Agreed, Princess Shmoo. I was thinking that 5 days out of 6, that tip is added to the cost and maybe even ignored while signing, but on the 6th day, there's nothing to add. So... add what it cost the other 5 days? Or take it all as a bonus? Or just come up with a number? I wondered what people do.

I would imagine, for those who actually think about it, they'd tip according to whatever they would tip at home for a specialty coffee.

I would also imagine that some people don't even think about it.

 

[over50visits]

What do people tip when they redeem their 6th free coffee at Cove/Vista?

If we're drinking that much coffee (and we do), we have always found the baristas come to know us quickly and provide a great experience. So, when the 6th cup comes along, we tip just as we do for the others, plus add what the 15% would have been. And they earn it all.

 

[kiford]

If we're drinking that much coffee (and we do), we have always found the baristas come to know us quickly and provide a great experience. So, when the 6th cup comes along, we tip just as we do for the others, plus add what the 15% would have been. And they earn it all.

I always tip the same as if I was paying for it. I think you still get a chit if you get the 6th one because they have to account for it but I can't verify that as I was always buying two (DH & I) so there was always a chit.

 

[Shanti]

We are getting ready for our cruise this week !! Woohoo! This will be our first Disney Cruise - So I have been watching youtube vdo's for tips and tricks. One vdo was talking about tipping your waiter for the dinners and this will be charged to your room bill. I thought gratuity was included in the price of the cruise. Or was she talking about tipping extra gratuity.

OH - and she mentioned that the kids club charges a fee? About $60 something per kid. Is this right?

And of course I know to tip for room service.

Any ideas or advice?

1. There are four different gratuities for housekeeping and main dining room dining that you'll need to pay. The easiest thing to do is call DCL and prepay the gratuities before the cruise (there is a set expected amount to pay for this). You can always change the amount you tipped once onboard if you wish. Paying in advance means no worries about tipping for housekeeping & main dining room dining during the cruise. Yes, you'll need to tip room service separately.

2. There is no extra charge for any of the kids clubs.

3. Have fun!

 

[JW9DVC]

I would imagine, for those who actually think about it, they'd tip according to whatever they would tip at home for a specialty coffee.

I would also imagine that some people don't even think about it.

I don't tip Starbucks or Coffee Bean. Why would you. That's like tipping the Taco Bell person.

 

[bostonluke]

I don't tip Starbucks or Coffee Bean. Why would you. That's like tipping the Taco Bell person.

You aren't supposed to tip at Taco Bell?

 

[LAX]

You aren't supposed to tip at Taco Bell?

That's a whole different topic, perhaps worthy of a new thread!

LAX