Tipping

[bats]

When DCL departed from Dover, there were signs up in the terminal saying that the porters were not allowed to accept tips! We spent the night in Dover and took a cab to the cruise terminal; our cab driver refused a tip--actually handed the amount over the fare back to me!

However, the hotel in Dover has a charge to use the swimming pool!

Different strokes for different parts of the world, I guess.

That amazes me of the porters and cab driver in Dover ... Even in the UK, it's the norm to tip a cab driver and porters!
DCL has a lot of sway and I suspect they had words with Dover Council to make it like that.
We got a cab from the station and did tip our driver .. He took it as he should have done IMO. Perhaps because we're British, he felt it was ok?

 

[kcashner]

My TA told me that there were drop boxes for the envelopes...hmm. What do you do if prefer to pay in cash? You must physically give it to them, or give to GS? My mother insists on using cash (old school)

Your TA is wrong. There are drop boxes for the comment cards, not for tip envelopes.

Regardless of how you tip (cash, coupon, or a combination), you hand the envelope to the appropriate individual. If for some reason this is impossible, you can give the envelope to Guest Services or to the head server to distribute to the team. however, if you go to dinner on the last night, you just give the envelope to the appropriate individual.

For the stateroom host--if you don't see him/her, just leave the envelope on the desk in the room.

 

[PATTERSON PARTY OF 3]

Per Guest per cruise 3-Night 4-Night 7-Night

Dining Room Server $12.00 $16.00 $28.00
Dining Room Asst. Server $9.00 $12.00 $21.00
Dining Room Head Server $3.00 $4.00 $7.00

Stateroom Host/
Hostess $12.00 $16.00 $28.00



Dining Manager Your Discretion

Room Service Your Discretion

Palo Gratuity included

Vista Spa & Salon Your Discretion

Babysitting Gratuity not expected

Port Adventures Optional; not included in port adventure price.


You can choose to pre-pay gratuities for your party up to three days before your vacation begins by contacting Disney Cruise Line; or, for the convenience of our Guests who have not pre-paid, the suggested gratuity amounts will be added to your onboard account, based on the length of your voyage as shown in the table above.



SO... If these are the numbers to use... It would be

Per person per cruise

3 day $36
4 day $42
7 day $84


My family has 3 our November cruise tips should be...

$ 84 x 3= $ 252. Correct?

Also we are in concierge and I have heard say the suggested form other Concierge cruisers we should do $50 per person per cruise. If they do a lot for you.

Cabana's on Castaway Cay... Suggestion is $10 per person in the cabana.


Does this sound right?

 

[PATTERSON PARTY OF 3]

Per Guest per cruise 3-Night 4-Night 7-Night

Dining Room Server $12.00 $16.00 $28.00
Dining Room Asst. Server $9.00 $12.00 $21.00
Dining Room Head Server $3.00 $4.00 $7.00

Stateroom Host/
Hostess $12.00 $16.00 $28.00



Dining Manager Your Discretion

Room Service Your Discretion

Palo Gratuity included

Vista Spa & Salon Your Discretion

Babysitting Gratuity not expected

Port Adventures Optional; not included in port adventure price.


You can choose to pre-pay gratuities for your party up to three days before your vacation begins by contacting Disney Cruise Line; or, for the convenience of our Guests who have not pre-paid, the suggested gratuity amounts will be added to your onboard account, based on the length of your voyage as shown in the table above.



SO... If these are the numbers to use... It would be

Per person per cruise

3 day $36
4 day $42
7 day $84


My family has 3 our November cruise tips should be...

$ 84 x 3= $ 252. Correct?

Also we are in concierge and I have heard say the suggested form other Concierge cruisers we should do $50 per person per cruise. If they do a lot for you.

Cabana's on Castaway Cay... Suggestion is $10 per person in the cabana.


Does this sound right?

I forgot to mention I took the part down to so....... from the DCL website FAQs.

 

[kcashner]

Palo Gratuity included

Vista Spa & Salon Your Discretion

Babysitting Gratuity not expected

Port Adventures Optional; not included in port adventure price.



My family has 3 our November cruise tips should be...

$ 84 x 3= $ 252. Correct?

Also we are in concierge and I have heard say the suggested form other Concierge cruisers we should do $50 per person per cruise. If they do a lot for you.

Cabana's on Castaway Cay... Suggestion is $10 per person in the cabana.


Does this sound right?

Yes, your calculation of $252 is correct. The "Suggestions" quoted above as to concierge and cabana host are just that--suggestions from posters on the Dis. There is no suggested amount from DCL; they are relatively silent saying only that it is at the guest's discretion.

I would base the tip to the concierge and the cabana host on what they do for you. If the concierge sits in the lounge and is "available" but doesn't do anything for you, the tip would be minimal. On the other hand, if he/she takes care of reservations, keeps my kids happy with snacks or smoothies, etc. then something more is appropriate. Also, the tip for a 3 night cruise should certainly be different than a 14 night cruise (a suggested per day makes more sense than suggested per cruise).

Cabana host--same deal. If he does nothing other than show me how to work the call buzzer...minimal tip. If he is running down to the cabana for whatever, then more is appropriate. $10 per guest? Dining server and stateroom host get $4 per guest per day for serving 3 meals per day or cleaning room twice. Does the cabana host do more than double the work of these people? I don't know...

 

[lbgraves]

There use to be a drop box for the form you filled out for tips before they were automatic. We would fill it out mid-cruise and receive the tickets in our room. Perhaps the TA's information is just outdated.

 

[tictoc]

I pay the tips when I book the cruise. I count on having amaing service since I always have. It was $144 for the three of us on a night cruise. When you break that down t the wait staff getting 8 dollars per day for serving three meals it does not seem like a lot. I fully intend to add to it. I am glad I get to pre-pay though so I will not have to weigh the choice of tipping versus the extra souvenier for myself! Just kidding I am a good tipper!

 

[avinsmomma]

Can you give your stateroom host or servers little extra daily tips? I've been considering it based on the "better you treat them the better they'll treat you" philosophy.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Can you give your stateroom host or servers little extra daily tips? I've been considering it based on the "better you treat them the better they'll treat you" philosophy.

While you certainly can tip "as-you-go", tipping on cruises is typically done at the end of the cruise. I think you'll find that the service onboard DCL ships is excellent, no need to bribe anyone do do a better job.

 

[Floridagram]

We find that tips on the ship are generally lower than what we would end up tipping at WDW for 3 meals per day, equal number of days. Your dining team gets $8 per guest per night ($1 head server, $3 assistant server, $4 server). We do a sit down meal at WDW for dinner, and the tip for that alone is more like $20 for the two of us.

This is so true! I was thinking on Saturday when we ate at the Crystal Palace how much a bargain the tips were on the cruise. There were 8 of us and all the server had to do was bring us drinks and take away the plates, no other service as they provide on the ship and our auto tip was over $27. And that was for lunch!

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

Can you give your stateroom host or servers little extra daily tips? I've been considering it based on the "better you treat them the better they'll treat you" philosophy.

unlike at a hotel you will have the same sate room attendant everyday of your cruise.