Tipping help

[Goofy1932]

I keep seeing $20 here as the max extra tip people would give but several Facebook groups have people saying they tip closer to $50-$100 max. Based on that I was planning on the following as extra tips (is this too much?):
Dining Room Server - $50
Dining Room Asst Server - $40
Dining Room Head - $15
Stateroom Host/Hostess - $50

 

[PsylockeSmythe]

I keep seeing $20 here as the max extra tip people would give but several Facebook groups have people saying they tip closer to $50-$100 max. Based on that I was planning on the following as extra tips (is this too much?):
Dining Room Server - $50
Dining Room Asst Server - $40
Dining Room Head - $15
Stateroom Host/Hostess - $50

For us, we do the standard automatic tip and then we add anywhere from $10 to $20 mattering on the service and who it is going to. If I remember right for our Alaskan cruise in 2022 and our 10-day cruise of the Med in 2018, we ended up closer to $40 in extra tips for the two servers and $30 for the room host.

On our last cruise in 2024, we left $10 to $20 in extra tips. For us it all matters on the service. On our last cruise, we found the assistant server from our Alaskan cruise, who was excellent and due to injury was now working the bar areas of the ship and even though he only brought us water (we don't drink), we gave him a $40 cash tip on the last night, due to his personality and helpfulness.
Psy

 

[bakerworld]

I keep seeing $20 here as the max extra tip people would give but several Facebook groups have people saying they tip closer to $50-$100 max. Based on that I was planning on the following as extra tips (is this too much?):
Dining Room Server - $50
Dining Room Asst Server - $40
Dining Room Head - $15
Stateroom Host/Hostess - $50

This is closer to how we tip. We might add $5 more or less depending on service but our DCL service has always been very good. We do tip in cash, except for the auto-tipping. It's just easier for us.

 

[MrMagoo]

We normally double the required tips. I add it to their onboard account - makes it easier for them to send home or spend.

Same.

You can go to get services and they can increase the tips on the form that they give you and charge your onboard account instead of giving them cash.

It used to be that cash was the most popular, but the crew I have spoken to in recent years prefers it in their onboard account.

Am glad to see we are not the only ones that double the tips.

We do generally give cash.
However, we did talk to some crew members and they said they have trouble taking cash home and trying to
deposit it in their home bank.
Their home country was really strict about trying to find out where the cash came from.
Really wanted to see some form to prove where it came from.

And then we also talked to other crew members that had no problems and had not heard about others having that problem.
And they would rather have the cash.

So I guess the best thing is to ask the crew members you are going to give extra tips which they prefer, cash or added to
their account!

 

[Flcruising]

Not sure you get an typical answer on this board. This topic comes up a lot and many like to brag about how much more they give. Ive seen people try to make you feel guilty if you don't tip more than what's recommended.
I think the recommended tips are fair for the standard/expected service. When service has been above or in addition to the expected level then give more. But for the most part service is as expected and meets that level. On 2 occasions it did not. I still gave the recommended tips anyway However if it happens again I am not sure I will.

 

[Dug720]

But for the most part service is as expected and meets that level. On 2 occasions it did not.

If the service does not meet your standards, please bring it up while you're on the ship and give them a chance to correct things. If you're not happy with the service, they can't know how to fix it if you're not telling them - they WANT to give good service, but they're not mind readers.

 

[Drfate102]

Honestly, we tip an extra 5/per person per night for the Stateroom Host, Server and Assistant Server and half the amount for the Head Server as a baseline and depending on how they do, adjust from there.

 

[Flcruising]

If the service does not meet your standards, please bring it up while you're on the ship and give them a chance to correct things. If you're not happy with the service, they can't know how to fix it if you're not telling them - they WANT to give good service, but they're not mind readers.

That's good advice for people who don't know that. In our case we are aware of how to graciously handle various circumstances. But what you share is good information to remind everyone.

 

[MrMagoo]

This topic comes up a lot and many like to brag about how much more they give. Ive seen people try to make you feel guilty if you don't tip more than what's recommended.

We are not bragging about how much we give.
Just stating how much we tip.
If Disney gave the servers and room hosts an actual wage instead of making them rely on tip money only,
maybe we would not give so much.

However, we take into account that our servers not only see us at our evening meal they are also serving at breakfast and
lunch time which would diminish their tip per meal when you figure it as a tip per meal.
Plus if you try to guess how much the meals you are served on the ship would cost on land and figure your tip accordingly,
the Disney automatic tip would be very low. So we try to adjust for what we might have tipped on land for similar meals.

As for our room attendant, they do service our room twice a day so we adjust for that.
We also put in a couple of special requests and figure that in also.

However on our last 2 cruises our dining servers have not been that great and we are seriously rethinking our tips for them.
Afraid that the new ships and new crew members will have a diminishing effect of quality servers going forward.

 

[jimmymc]

I keep seeing $20 here as the max extra tip people would give but several Facebook groups have people saying they tip closer to $50-$100 max. Based on that I was planning on the following as extra tips (is this too much?):
Dining Room Server - $50
Dining Room Asst Server - $40
Dining Room Head - $15
Stateroom Host/Hostess - $50

It's a lot, but if you have a larger family and really push the stateroom to its limit, that would be reasonable.

 

[Flcruising]

We are not bragging about how much we give.
Just stating how much we tip.
If Disney gave the servers and room hosts an actual wage instead of making them rely on tip money only,
maybe we would not give so much.

However, we take into account that our servers not only see us at our evening meal they are also serving at breakfast and
lunch time which would diminish their tip per meal when you figure it as a tip per meal.
Plus if you try to guess how much the meals you are served on the ship would cost on land and figure your tip accordingly,
the Disney automatic tip would be very low. So we try to adjust for what we might have tipped on land for similar meals.

As for our room attendant, they do service our room twice a day so we adjust for that.
We also put in a couple of special requests and figure that in also.

However on our last 2 cruises our dining servers have not been that great and we are seriously rethinking our tips for them.
Afraid that the new ships and new crew members will have a diminishing effect of quality servers going forward.

"We are not bragging"...lol

"If Disney gave the servers and room hosts an actual wage "...Disney does give them a wage. It's a fair wage also.

"instead of making them rely on tip money only,"...no position relies on tips "only"

"We also put in a couple of special requests and figure that in also." As you should. If you expect more service than the standard then you need to pay more....sometimes a lot more.

"they do service our room twice a day" ... this is standard and expected level of service on a Disney cruise. As is other things mentioned.

 

[Goofy1932]

It's a lot, but if you have a larger family and really push the stateroom to its limit, that would be reasonable.

It is just my wife and I.

 

[Disneyworldlocal]

I think it’s safe to justify extra tipping for good service. I also think whatever a person gives extra is fine and the monetary amount isn’t as important as the gesture for adding more to the “ required amount “. On our Magic cruise in May we were not satisfied with our dining room server and literally only saw the assistant twice the whole cruise. We did address the slow service with our dining room server but never felt it got better. We did not tip them extra. We thought our stateroom host was awesome and super personable and we added a nice amount in his envelope.
We will see how our Wish cruise goes next week and tip accordingly