What's up with tipping on the cruises? I've never been on one before and have no clue. Dreams Unlimited says something about $84pp for a 7-day cruise??? Are there set tips you're supposed to do, or just when you think you've had good service?
Tipping?
- Thread starter koquinn
- Start date
Your servers and stateroom host work primarily for tips (they get a very minimal stipend from DCL). Disney has a "suggested" tipping level for them which totals $12 per day for each person in your cabin--or a total of $84 per person in your cabin on a 7 night cruise.
This is the suggested amount--DCL will send you the breakdown, but don't worry about it now. You are free to tip more or less as you see fit. In addition, if you purchase any bar items, they have an automatic 15% gratuity included; again, you can increase this if you choose. The only other tip that is customary is a small one to the person who delivers room service if you choose to use it.
If you use the services of the porters, they will expect a tip as well. They are NOT DCL employees.
This is the suggested amount--DCL will send you the breakdown, but don't worry about it now. You are free to tip more or less as you see fit. In addition, if you purchase any bar items, they have an automatic 15% gratuity included; again, you can increase this if you choose. The only other tip that is customary is a small one to the person who delivers room service if you choose to use it.
If you use the services of the porters, they will expect a tip as well. They are NOT DCL employees.
What's the deal with the "prepaid" tipping on the Dreams Unlimited site??
Gratuities are typically $12 per person per day so the $84pp figure is correct.
The break down is....
$4 pp pd for your main server in the dining room
$3 pp pd for your assistant service
$1 pp pd for your head server in the dining room (it is debatable whether this tip is really justified. If you don't see your head server until the last night when they show up with their hand out for a tip, I wouldn't feel guilty about eliminating this one)
$3 pp pd for your stateroom host.
Tips are for all people in your party...children as well as adults. Only time I would make an exception is if I had a very young infant who remained in the nursery at meal times. In that case, I would not tip the dining positions for that person. If the baby does join you at meal times, your servers will do a great job providing whatever you need to keep the baby happy and in that case, they should receive the full gratuity.
If you decide to dine at Palo, gratuity is included in the service charge, but some people tip a few $$$ extra.
Also, it's not a tipped position, but tips in the nursery are likely appreciated.
Some people choose to pay the standard tips before they cruise. This makes no sense to me as it just gives DCL my money in advance. If you do this, you will get coupons in your cabin that you place in the tip envelopes instead of cash. If you choose to charge your tips after boarding, you will get the same coupons.
Toward the end of the cruise you will get envelopes in your cabin. You can place cash in them or the coupon or both (you can add cash to what you charged if you desire). Frankly, I try to have enough onboard credit (from what my travel agent gives me and what I get from DCL) to cover the cost of the tips; thus, I wait and pay for it on board!
You present the envelopes to the appropriate crew members at the last night dinner...and to your stateroom host on the last day. If you charge your tips, the appropriate CM will get a check from DCL for all the tips that were charged, but you give him/her the envelope with the coupon on the last night just the same. DCL will make all of this very easy for you after you are on board. The only important thing NOW is to budget for it.
I budget $100 per person for tips--that way, I have some built in for room service, and to increase tips if I choose. It just makes the calculations easy.
Nope. Near the end of the cruise your stateroom host will leave 4 envelopes, one for each of the main tipped positions. You then put the appropriate tip in each envelope and give them to your servers at dinner on the last night or at your last breakfast and leave one for your stateroom host as well.
That seems so tacky to me. I get that they work for tips, but to actually leave out envelopes??? Wow. I can't imagine any other industry doing that. I'm a good tipper, but this seems almost offensive.
RedSox68
Retired 2021 -- All the Time to Travel Now!
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That's because some cruise lines automatically charge you tips without your input or amount. The envelopes are also available at customer service and are a convenience for you to put the money or tip slip into. I never took it as a "hint".
This is a wonderful website: http://cruisetip.tpkeller.com/
Works for any cruise line. You can click the cruise line, put in number of adults and kids and number of sailing days and it gives you a tip breakdown. Then there is an extra column if you want to add more or round off your tips. The totals appear at the bottom, which helps you with a budget amount.
One correction to the above--the suggested tip to the stateroom host/hostess is $4 per guest per night of cruise (not $3 as listed above).
Some thoughts--it is generally not a good idea to delay tipping until the disembarkation morning. If one or both members of your serving team are ending their contract that day (going home), you may have different servers. Ditto if some idiot guests can't understand that they have an ASSIGNED time and room on that breakfast--some people just show up and the head servers hustle to try to find them a place. I was moved on my last disembarkation day for exactly this reason--I went to my assigned table at my assigned time and found it full with people I'd never seen before; the head server came over, whispered to me, and directed me to another table.
Likewise, if your stateroom host is getting off the ship, he/she will not be working that last morning.
Even if you are dining in Palo the last night, it's a good idea to stop by your assigned restaurant and deliver your tips to the appropriate person. IF you charged your tips, the appropriate people will get them whether you deliver the coupons or not, but it's still customary to give the envelopes.
Room service--$1-5 depending on the amount of food they brought, etc. Put it in perspective. Your server gets $4 per day (per guest) which represents all the service you received at 3 meals a day and snacks. So how much has the guy who brings a tray to your door done and what is that worth? answer is a personal decision.
Porters at the terminal--$1-2 per bag is customary.
Some thoughts--it is generally not a good idea to delay tipping until the disembarkation morning. If one or both members of your serving team are ending their contract that day (going home), you may have different servers. Ditto if some idiot guests can't understand that they have an ASSIGNED time and room on that breakfast--some people just show up and the head servers hustle to try to find them a place. I was moved on my last disembarkation day for exactly this reason--I went to my assigned table at my assigned time and found it full with people I'd never seen before; the head server came over, whispered to me, and directed me to another table.
Likewise, if your stateroom host is getting off the ship, he/she will not be working that last morning.
Even if you are dining in Palo the last night, it's a good idea to stop by your assigned restaurant and deliver your tips to the appropriate person. IF you charged your tips, the appropriate people will get them whether you deliver the coupons or not, but it's still customary to give the envelopes.
Room service--$1-5 depending on the amount of food they brought, etc. Put it in perspective. Your server gets $4 per day (per guest) which represents all the service you received at 3 meals a day and snacks. So how much has the guy who brings a tray to your door done and what is that worth? answer is a personal decision.
Porters at the terminal--$1-2 per bag is customary.
Gratuities are typically $12 per person per day so the $84pp figure is correct.
The break down is....
$4 pp pd for your main server in the dining room
$3 pp pd for your assistant service
$1 pp pd for your head server in the dining room (it is debatable whether this tip is really justified. If you don't see your head server until the last night when they show up with their hand out for a tip, I wouldn't feel guilty about eliminating this one)
$3 pp pd for your stateroom host.
What exactly does each position do?
Main server - Takes your order, brings your food, entertains the kids and in general makes sure you have a great dining experience.
Assistant server - Typically takes of drinks for your table and assists the main server when needed.
Head server - Typically doesn't do anything, however if you have a birthday to be celebrated or some other special request, they are the person to go to.
Stateroom host - Probably the hardest working of any of the tipped positions. Makes the beds and cleans up the room twice per day, makes cute towel animals and handles any issues you may have with your stateroom. Not sure, but they may also be the ones who handles the luggage at the beginning and end of the trip.
lbgraves
Little Cinderella's Mommy
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Main server - takes your food order at dinner, brings your food
Assistant server - takes your drink order and assists main server with clearing table
Head server - oversees several stations in the dining room, hopes to deal with any problems behind the sceen but will step in if needed in the dining room, have seen them go around and cut food for children and remove the shell from lobster for everyone, also assist if there is a delay or a table is overwhelming a serving team, handles requests for celebrations [cakes]
Room host - cleans up your room at least twice a day, turns down the bed, fills ice bucket during the day
Assistant server - takes your drink order and assists main server with clearing table
Head server - oversees several stations in the dining room, hopes to deal with any problems behind the sceen but will step in if needed in the dining room, have seen them go around and cut food for children and remove the shell from lobster for everyone, also assist if there is a delay or a table is overwhelming a serving team, handles requests for celebrations [cakes]
Room host - cleans up your room at least twice a day, turns down the bed, fills ice bucket during the day
Head Server....sometimes seems that he does nothing, but much of his/her work is "behind the scenes. This person is responsible for dealing with all food allergies, special needs, etc. In addition, he/she supervises about 8 serving teams and should be constantly checking on them and assisting any that need help.
For instance, on our May 2009 cruise our serving team had more guests than "normal." They had our group of 6, a table of 4, and another table of 14. The group of 14 was (in my opinion) difficult. They not only changed seats nightly (which is fine), but would shuffle seats in the middle of the mean and then insist that the serving team bring them fresh place settings. They sent back a lot of food. OK, we all order things occasionally that we may not like or that is not cooked to our satisfaction, but that's rare...not like 8 dishes per night from one table! And much of the time, they had consumed a significant amount of adult beverage before entering the dining room. On several occasions, the head server brought out our food--essentially functioning as a server. I thanked her and commented that our server did appear to be a little overwhelmed with the other table. She professionally refrained from saying anything about them, but commented that she would not allow other guests to be neglected when others were demanding.
On another cruise, I commented to the server that the head server was a real dud. This was a server that we had requested on many cruises, and had spoken honestly with us on several occasions. He strongly disagreed with me, stating that this head server was one of his best friends and made it easy for him to look really good because the head server took care of having everything right before it left the kitchen.
I do agree that if you do not have allergy or special issues with food or any celebrations, you may not see much of your head server. At the very least, he/she should come by each night to ask if everything is OK and if there is anything he can do.
For instance, on our May 2009 cruise our serving team had more guests than "normal." They had our group of 6, a table of 4, and another table of 14. The group of 14 was (in my opinion) difficult. They not only changed seats nightly (which is fine), but would shuffle seats in the middle of the mean and then insist that the serving team bring them fresh place settings. They sent back a lot of food. OK, we all order things occasionally that we may not like or that is not cooked to our satisfaction, but that's rare...not like 8 dishes per night from one table! And much of the time, they had consumed a significant amount of adult beverage before entering the dining room. On several occasions, the head server brought out our food--essentially functioning as a server. I thanked her and commented that our server did appear to be a little overwhelmed with the other table. She professionally refrained from saying anything about them, but commented that she would not allow other guests to be neglected when others were demanding.
On another cruise, I commented to the server that the head server was a real dud. This was a server that we had requested on many cruises, and had spoken honestly with us on several occasions. He strongly disagreed with me, stating that this head server was one of his best friends and made it easy for him to look really good because the head server took care of having everything right before it left the kitchen.
I do agree that if you do not have allergy or special issues with food or any celebrations, you may not see much of your head server. At the very least, he/she should come by each night to ask if everything is OK and if there is anything he can do.
This is the way tipping works on cruiselines...all of them, not just DCL. Nothing tacky; it's just the industry standard for handling the matter.
Trust me, you'll see how they earn every last penny of that tip and then some! I'd be surprised if they didn't take such good care of you that you wanted to leave them extra...we have never been anything but spoiled by cruiseline staff! You're in for a really treat!
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