Tipping for Mediocre Service

[pesto78749]

With everyone feeling this sad cold shoulder feeling what can be done? This will be my first cruise so I do not know what to suggest, but I hate the idea of leaving on a bad note. Would the other experienced cruisers speak up? If you have found away around this or have any ideas please share so we can brainstorm this. Is it possible to do a buffet for breakfast or order room service breakfast on the last day? I'm just guessing here...

 

[jilljill]

I don't think a lot of the servers give the cold shoulder on purpose. Many are overly tired and sad to see cruisers leaving. On our last cruise our asst. server was still working past midnight and had to be up and ready for the 6:45 b'fast seating. That's not a lot of sleep that night. She said that didn't happen often, but when it did it really drains you.
Plus if you are on 2nd seating you don't know what things have happened during first seating. Also, that morning is very rushed and the servers don't have time to chat like they would during your normal dinner rotation. They want to feed you, get the dining room cleaned up and get a couple hours rest or head off the ship for a couple of hours before the the next group of cruisers board the ship.

On the last morning the buffet is open for b'fast. You may only order room service if you are in a suite, and they only offer a continental b'fast thru that service.

 

[jiminyC_fan]

You can't order room service but you can go to the buffet. We have done that twice now. I sometimes wonder how hard it would be to warm up to families and then a week later, boom they're gone. Has to be hard sometimes. Maybe that's it? Emotional protection.

 

[lbuher]

I, too, feel that we were treated cooly by our serving team on the last morning. I was very disappointed as we tipped well over the recommended amount.

I am very interested in these types of comments in this thread. I thought it was just us/our servers. But what makes our situation a little different is that it was the last NIGHT that we got the cooler treatment - before they even got their tip envelopes at the end of the meal. (We went to the Beach Blanket Buffet before disembarking on the final morning). Our last night of dining was not nearly as light-hearted and fun as the other nights had been - no joking around, quite abrupt in the taking of our order, not even much eye contact at all. I was pretty disappointed and chalked it up to them trying to impress us earlier in the week for higher tips, but on the last night, they know we've already decided on their tips and brought their envelopes with us, so there's need to be nice to us anymore. Not a pleasant way at all to end our "relationship", and had I known they were going to be that way, we would probably have left less than the recommended amount.

Interesting that it seems to be a pattern.

 

[Olga]

With everyone feeling this sad cold shoulder feeling what can be done? This will be my first cruise so I do not know what to suggest, but I hate the idea of leaving on a bad note. Would the other experienced cruisers speak up? If you have found away around this or have any ideas please share so we can brainstorm this. Is it possible to do a buffet for breakfast or order room service breakfast on the last day? I'm just guessing here...

Thankfully we've never gotten the cold shoulder, maybe because they didn't see us often. We book suites and have most of our meals delivered at a time that is convenient for us. We go meet our servers the first night, have a few drinks with dinner and add a few extra dollars to the bar tab for the asst server. We run by during the dinner on our last night to deliver envelopes, thank them for their service and tell them that my comment card rated them as excellent. We do the same for the room host. Whenever I have seen any of them at anytime, they are as nice as can be. We do order breakfast on the final morning because we take early flights and must get off when the doors open.
Enjoy your cruise, be nice to them and they'll be nice right back at ya"

 

[Travelbee]

We have never experienced the cold shoulder but have alway tipped slightly higher than the recommended amount. That said, we've always given our servers their envelop during breakfast before disembarkation and leave the envelop out for the hostess just before we leave for breakfast. Are we suppose to give them out the night before?

 

[Jessebuggy]

we have been cruising disney for over 10 years and have noticed a decline in service all around on the last few cruises. Still good service but just not like it used to be. We keep a tablet and write our comments, both good and bad, throughout the cruise. That makes it easier to remember names and details. We attach that paper to our survey at the end of the cruise. In your situation, I would have written comments each and every time things were not up to your expectations. You will be long gone by the time those comments make their way back to the employee who will have to answer to his/her supervisor.

That is a great idea and I will do that for our next cruise in October. Thanks!

 

[Jessebuggy]

When you were initially unhappy with the service you were receiving, did you call Guest Services or housekeeping? My logic is that they SHOULD know how to do the job, but they also deserve one chance to know that you are unhappy and to make it right. If you didn't discuss it with GS or the housekeeping supervisor, then the hostess might think all was well!

KCashner -- You are right in that I should have called initially. However, we were on an escape from reality (2 surgeries for my husband in less than a year, 2 seizures for my youngest daughter, hysterectomy for myself) and I just didn't have the energy to complain.

 

[Jessebuggy]

Just as if you were staying in a hotel, it is your responsibility to inform room service to come and retrieve your dirty dishes. No need to go to bed with dirty dishes lying about until morning, room service will respond promptly to remove them for you. Sorry, but it is not the job of the hostess to remove dirty dishes, it is proper protocol that you call room service.
To save energy towels are not replaced daily unless they are left on the floor. A hanging towel indicates there is no need for new ones at this time.

Olga -- Dishes were outside door on many occasions. On the occasions that they were not, it is the Room Host/Hostess responsibility as they are the ones responsible for cleaning the room. Towels were on floor.

 

[Jessebuggy]

By the way, this is our first experience not receiving outstanding Disney quality and that is why it stood out so much to me.

 

[lborne]

Been on 3 Disney cruises and many others. On Disney, the last morning before you leave the ship you are treated as stowaways. But that is more a problem of too few people working too many hours. They just want to get you off the ship ASAP. All the other times on the cruise I've felt the service was fantastic, especially how the staff goes out of the way for the kids.

You hear so many different ideas on tipping... if you pre-pay, then what is the incentive for the workers. I like Regent Cruise Lines policy. Tipping is included in the price of the cruise. They discourage tipping. However, if you get exceptional service, then people tend to give a little something. If a staff member performs poor service, you mark their comment card and the person with the most negative remarks is let go.

All that being said, tipping is a personal thing and don't feel obligated to follow guidelines when service is not the norm.

 

[su_kraft]

I think I am in the minority here... But here is the flip side for all the posts with the "we got the cold shoulder" theme. Not to say that doesn't happen, I am sure it feels like it... He is the warm fuzzy story...

We make a point of getting to know our room attendant. When we took our first DCL trip we had Maricar. There were 17 of us, and she had 4 of the 6 cabins. By the end of the cruise she was family to us. Not only did we tip above, I also sent Cinnabons to her house so her family could have a treat! Our servers were good - but a table of 17 is hard. But on the last morning we were treated very well, even got a hug good bye.

This last trip, September 2009, was more of the same. Laura and Eva in the dining room were awesome! Marilyn for a stateroom attendant was beyond great. And she had huge shoes to fill after Maricar! We took time to talk to her and introduce the kids to her and she too became family. She iced beverages, cleaned up after a 5 and 12 year old (and their parents) and would call to have dishes picked up for us. At the end of the trip it was sad to leave her. It was also sad in the dining room. Laura was starting her leave, so we didn't get a chance to say good bye. However the night before it was hugs for all of us. Eva took time to say a real good bye to the kids, including hugs for all. I even got a hug from Zan - who stopped what he was doing to say good bye. I swear, I had tears in my eyes when we left the ship - it was like leaving home, and family, behind.

It has to be hard on the CM's. They make attachments to some of the people they take care of. If they didn't I would be shocked. So, imagine how they feel - they have to say good bye to most if not all of us!

 

[kcashner]

I've never been on a cruise before, but that is changing this year!


I plan to do what I always do, tip often and a lot for great service, don't tip for poor service yet let those in charge know right away so problems can be corrected early.

The standard on the cruise is a tip on the last night that represents the service received for the entire cruise. Yes, some people do tip for fantastic service at other times, but it's not expected.

If you experience a problem in dining, please let the head server know...if in room cleaning, let either the housekeeping supervisor or Guest Services know so that it can be corrected. Then, hopefully, you'll have great service the rest of the cruise.

 

[Pintail]

We had an Assistant Server that we thought was great. The Server was OK. We tipped the Server the recommended amount, and the Assistant Server extra.

We put in a good word for the Assistant at Palo, and in our comments. We said he should have been the Server.

I think that if enough people give their feelings on the comment cards, the service will improve.

 

[lmhall2000]

I, too, feel that we were treated cooly by our serving team on the last morning. I was very disappointed as we tipped well over the recommended amount.

Maybe it has nothing to do with the tip but rather the fact that nothing they do from that point on will make a difference in their tip, so why try? That's a horrible way to be a CM but it is a reality...and I think it must be miserable to feign a good attitude if it's only for a higher tip.

T

 

[luv that cruise]

just from a human state of mind. a whole lot of work goes into disembarkation day and embarkation day for the next cruise. they say goodbye to some and have to begin to establish a new relationship with the new cruisers (who really aren't aware of the idea that the service people have come off another cruise). first impression with new cruisers is most important from a business standpoint. happy people spend $ and a positive first encounter will make people happy. and consider, the people in the dining room are trying to send you off with a full tummy but what they really want is you "OFF".

it's late and i hope this will make sense in the morning! if not, i will edit.

 

[disney-lover]

I have not been on a DCL before but the tipping issue is playing on my mind a lot. Our children probably won't be eating in the restaurants with us most nights as they will be off doing their own thing most of the time. So I was thinking should I tip for them? Also coming from a country that doesn't do tipping as the norm the recommended tips seem a lot. Of course I will pay it but if the service isn't great I won't pay over the recommended amounts.

Is there anyway that the tips could be left in the morning or anominously (sp)? I would hate to think I will get bad service on my last morning because the tip wasn't appreciated.

 

[Olga]

I have not been on a DCL before but the tipping issue is playing on my mind a lot. Our children probably won't be eating in the restaurants with us most nights as they will be off doing their own thing most of the time. So I was thinking should I tip for them? Also coming from a country that doesn't do tipping as the norm the recommended tips seem a lot. Of course I will pay it but if the service isn't great I won't pay over the recommended amounts.

Is there anyway that the tips could be left in the morning or anominously (sp)? I would hate to think I will get bad service on my last morning because the tip wasn't appreciated.

As the old saying goes, "when in Rome do as the Romans do"
The dinner servers work at all of the eating places during the day, as well as Castaway Cay. The children are being served by diningroom staff regardless of where they have their meals. Yes, by all means include your children when tipping the dining staff and your stateroom host.

 

[disney-lover]

As the old saying goes, "when in Rome do as the Romans do"
The dinner servers work at all of the eating places during the day, as well as Castaway Cay. The children are being served by diningroom staff regardless of where they have their meals. Yes, by all means include your children when tipping the dining staff and your stateroom host.

I totally agree with you and like I said I will tip. I didn't realise that the servers also serve during the day. I was thinking of tipping the day staff separately but if this is not the case then I will do the childrens tips with ours

 

[DVCconvert]

......On the last morning the buffet is open for b'fast. You may only order room service if you are in a suite, and they only offer a continental b'fast thru that service.

Unless you're in a cat 1 - then you can order a hot breakfast. At least that's been my experience 5 or 6 times, one as recent as Jan.