Tipping w a small child

[Dislaney4n6]

so how does the tipping work on a disney cruise? Do they charge you upfront before you get on the ship? Or, do you tip at the end in the form of envelopes?

Thanks for the help. This is our first dcl cruise.

From what I understand, the tips are now automatically added at the beginning of the cruise for the recommended amount. You can go to GS to change the amount or have them removed if you prefer to pay in cash. Envelopes and 'receipts' will still be provided at the end of the cruise. $4pp/night for Stateroom host and main server, $3 for assistant server $1 for head waiter.

 

[Savannah Mom]

Here's another reason why we always tip, no matter what:

Once while in port last year, our ship was fairly empty. We had gotten back early from an excursion and my son (then 6) was at the foosball table on the pool deck, just flipping the handles around, bored at the thought of having to play his mother again. One of the MDR servers (not ours, by the way) who was working on the pool deck clearing tables that day approached and challenged him to a game. They ended up playing two games, and OF COURSE my son won each time. I hardly need to tell you my son is the worst foosball player around.

So here's a crew member who made my son's day a little more magical, and did it for no other reason that out of genuine kindness and regard for a guest. There was no angle for a tip, as he wasn't even our server. It's little things like this that might go unnoticed that are the reasons we cruise Disney, and are the reasons why guests should always tip even if they don't feel they should because of [insert reason here]. Unless you get abysmal service, and it is not corrected after you talk to the Head Server, really, there is no reason not to tip the recommended amount, if not more.

By the way, I did write a fabulous letter of recognition for this crew member and left it at guest services. Felipe from Portugal, what a great guy.

OMGosh I might be hormonal or something, but that story brought tears to my eyes, haha! Can't WAIT for our cruise!

 

[UmmGooD]

We were in the same situation as the OP. We brought on a 3 month old baby. I figured I would tip out of courtesy but since it was our first cruise I didn't see why I would have to tip anyone in the dining room for a baby. After all we don't tip for him in a sit down restaurant. BOY WAS I WRONG.

Let me say that our servers on the Wonder were AMAZING. Not only did they cut up food for our 3 year old, they constantly entertained our kids. Plus when my wife was breast feeding they went out of their way to cut up her food for her so she could eat while the food was still hot. I think they worked extra because we had a small child. So they got a much bigger tip than what was recommended. We have 3 kids and this was the first time in a long time my wife and I didn't eat cold food because we were cutting up our kids meals, dealing with issues, etc....

So you might find otherwise but for us we didn't understand why we would tip for a 3 month old but after experiencing a Disney cruise we totally understand why you want to tip more. My oldest daughter, who is 8, to this day (5 months later) still says how much she misses our DCL servers and when we talk about our next cruise she is mad because we are going on a ship without them.

 

[Alexander]

Depending on the length of your cruise, a few days in they will charge the recommended gratuities for each person to your onboard account ($12/pp/day regardless of age). You can at that time or even before, change the amounts. We made it easy on ourselves and kept those tickets (they will give you a little card and an envelope to put the tip ticket into) and just added cash to the envelopes. You can present them to your servers at your last dinner or breakfast. You can present your room stewards at any time you see him/her.

I say we made it easy on ourselves because I didn't want to have to go to Guest Services and change anything. If you have an onboard credit, that money will cover the charges to the room (including the tips). We had an OBC and added a few hundred more dollars before we sailed to cover anything we knew would be charged to the room.

 

[Gdes1]

We have 3 kids and this was the first time in a long time my wife and I didn't eat cold food because we were cutting up our kids meals, dealing with issues, etc....

Yes! I am so waiting for this. DH and I shovel cold food into our mouths each and every night, as fast as we can, like we are in the military or something. Parents know that you eat what you can, when you can, because you don't know what's going to happen next.

When we cruised with 18 month old DS, the servers were SO great to him. Sometimes we ordered the fruit off of the dessert menu, but wanted it right away for DS. It sounds like a small thing, but if you understand how a ship's galley works, it is really a larger thing. We did that one night and from then on out, they always brought DS something so he could start eating before we even ordered.

 

[mamasha]

From what I understand, the tips are now automatically added at the beginning of the cruise for the recommended amount. You can go to GS to change the amount or have them removed if you prefer to pay in cash. Envelopes and 'receipts' will still be provided at the end of the cruise. $4pp/night for Stateroom host and main server, $3 for assistant server $1 for head waiter.

if you pre-pay, does your server get the tip or is it split?

 

[Alexander]

if you pre-pay, does your server get the tip or is it split?

Not sure what you mean by "split". There are tips for your stateroom attendant, the Head Dining Room Server, your Server, and your Assistant Server. Four tipped positions in all.

They don't share tips with others like a restaurant server may share with a hostess, busboy, etc., as all servers and stateroom attendants receive tips, as do bartenders, spa employees and others.

 

[kcashner]

The tip that you pay to your server goes to your server. They do not pool those tips and divide among all servers.

Bar items have an automatic 15% gratuity as well as a line for "additional gratuity. The 15% is pooled and divided among bar staff. Any extra goes directly to the person who served you.

 

[Dislaney4n6]

if you pre-pay, does your server get the tip or is it split?

I understand why you asked what you asked based on how I worded my other post. You will be tipping $12/day per person cruising. The breakdown is $4 stateroom host
$4 server
$3 asst. server
$1 head waiter