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

 

[dreamer17555]

"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.

The question asked was how much extra people tipped... and then you are upset that people answered the question with how much extra they tip?

I double the auto amount. That's not bragging. There are people who tip WAY more than I do. I was asked a question and answered it. I am okay with paying more to those working so hard to make magic for my family. If you are not, that is okay. No one is calling people cheap for not tipping more or removing tips. So attacking people for sharing how much extra they tip when this thread asked is silly.

 

[MrMagoo]

"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.

We are not bragging.
We just feel that is about the amount we would tip for similar meals if we were on land.
And according to numerous servers and room hosts, that IS the only wage they get.
According to them, Disney does not give them any kind of wages.

But if you know different and are sure they receive a wage, I would like to stand corrected.
Am just going by what we have been told by several crew members.

All I have done is stated how much we tip and the reasons why.
Everyone is free to tip as much or as little as they want and I will not judge them on their tips.

 

[MrMagoo]

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.

We had terrible service on the Treasure in April.
Our server even apologized at the end of our first meal saying he knew it was bad and that he had given us the worst service
he had ever given.
I am not sure if it was because were a table of 9 or not.
Unfortunately his service was still hit and miss the whole cruise.

 

[Flcruising]

We are not bragging.
We just feel that is about the amount we would tip for similar meals if we were on land.
And according to numerous servers and room hosts, that IS the only wage they get.
According to them, Disney does not give them any kind of wages.

But if you know different and are sure they receive a wage, I would like to stand corrected.
Am just going by what we have been told by several crew members.

All I have done is stated how much we tip and the reasons why.
Everyone is free to tip as much or as little as they want and I will not judge them on their tips.

I wonder why a crew member would tell guests they don't get paid except by tips?
A quick Google AI inquiry yielded this information
Disney Cruise Line employee salaries vary significantly by position, ranging from around $36,469 per year for entry-level roles like Quick Service Attendant to $153,669 per year for senior technical project managers.

 

[MrMagoo]

I wonder why a crew member would tell guests they don't get paid except by tips?
A quick Google AI inquiry yielded this information
Disney Cruise Line employee salaries vary significantly by position, ranging from around $36,469 per year for entry-level roles like Quick Service Attendant to $153,669 per year for senior technical project managers.

If that is true I will stand corrected.
We did find it hard to believe they didn't receive any salary but knowing Disney thought it was possible.
Especially when many servers said the same thing.

 

[Flcruising]

If that is true I will stand corrected.
We did find it hard to believe they didn't receive any salary but knowing Disney thought it was possible.
Especially when many servers said the same thing.

Oh who really knows except those involved. I just hope struggling families who have saved and sacrificed to go on a Disney cruise don't now feel they must pay more than the recommended tips. Especially if the service doesn't meet Disney standards. So i become a lone voice in these discussions trying to emphasize those families are fine with what is recommended. Unless, as I've said, they ask for extra effort from the crew.

 

[Einstein509]

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.

I think that's very generous. If we followed this rule, for us on our last 5 night cruise, that would total:

Stateroom Host: $100
Server: $100
Asst. Server: $100
Head Server: $50
Total: $350

What we actually tipped extra was:
Stateroom Host: $30
Server: $15
Asst. Server: $15
Head Server: $0
Total: $60

For context, our stateroom host was great and she was very appreciative of the extra tip the following day when we saw her. Our meal service team was the worst we've had sailing on DCL. Not attentive, late with service, did not deliver ordered items. We sometimes sat for a very long time waiting on apps, when other tables they served were already finishing up their mains (we did not show up late).