Tipping servers and room attendant

[crazylady]

Thanks all. It's good to have have some numbers. I'd hate to be a cheapo but also I've been doing some reading on how poorly some of the cruise lines pay their employees which makes me want to do a little extra.

 

[Dug720]

I actually knew a girl (I grew in a foreign country) whose dad worked on a cruise line and sent home money and she was by no means living "elaborately." My point is that the bar should not be so low that we are okay with such hardworking and terrific people barely scraping by just because they are residents of a country that has even more abject poverty.

Obviously it all depends on where they are from and what their positions are. But many of them are doing much more than “scraping by” in their country. And I am still not saying lower wages should be the norm. But the bottom line is they are still choosing to work those jobs - just as you (I believe it was you in the internet thread) chose to take a job requiring 24/7 availability. If they found the wages so inhumane, they could do something else.

 

[crazylady]

On DCL, the amount designated to your servers goes directly, and only, to each individual. That's $4.50 per guest per night to your dining room server, $3.50 to your assistant server, and $1.00 to your head server. They do not share with the kitchen staff.

Each service team (server/assistant server) typically handles a 4 top, a 6 top, and an 8 top at each dinner seating. This can vary a little, depending on whether larger groups want table together.

A head server is in charge of 1/3 of the dining room. I don't know the specific number of guests that will be under that umbrella.

Thanks so much for this information!

 

[mmouse37]

Thanks all. It's good that have some numbers. I'd hate to be a cheapo but also I've been doing some reading on how poorly some of the cruise lines pay their employees and I'd just like to do a little extra.

The crew are not forced to work for the cruise line and in many instances what they make onboard far surpasses anything they could make in their home countries. We have talked to so many crew who work several years on the cruise line and then return and retire very well off in their home countries. Many also support their families back home while working on the cruise. I totally like to reward outstanding service and I do feel bad they work such long hours but most of their expenses are taken care of while onboard.

Edited to add....I don't ever see any cruise line bumping up the base salary of the tipped positions to a level we in the West would feel adequate....it would cost the cruise line way too much money and it would of course be passed onto the passengers. As much as we all say they should bump up the pay, not everyone in reality would then be able to afford to cruise.

MJ

 

[KashasMom]

I actually knew a girl (I grew in a foreign country) whose dad worked on a cruise line and sent home money and she was by no means living "elaborately." My point is that the bar should not be so low that we are okay with such hardworking and terrific people barely scraping by just because they are residents of a country that has even more abject poverty.

I have a relative through marriage from one of those countries who works on a cruise ship. He does extremely well - more so than he could at home. In his country working on a cruise ship is almost prestigious. Where he comes from there is no shortage of applicants for jobs on cruise ships, which would not be the case if it was so horrible. I don't believe that servers/room attendants are making a dollar or two a day - and I believe PrincessShmoo when she said it's possible that workers tell passengers the worst to play on their conscience (which = $$). These employees DON'T have living expenses on the ship, nor do I believe they are "scraping by". What they are sending home is likely paying a mortgage on a house for them and their family with money left over. There is nothing wrong with that but there are certainly worse jobs to have. No one is saying they don't deserve the extra tips - and I think there are many, many more of us who give extra than there are people who don't tip. I'm not sure what bar you think is so low, especially since the gratuities have been set by Disney.