Tipping

[DISNEY FANTASY]

That's a fairly recent addition to the survey. I usually let the servers know that I only want to hear the "excellent speech" once, the first time they do it. And I point out that repetition will only lower the rating.

That's been on the survey for quite a while, I suppose in response to earlier guest comments.

Unfortunately, Disney places unrealistic pressure on the servers to get excellent ratings. Their mention of providing "excellent" service and using that word several times is a manifestation of this unfair pressure from management. I hold Disney at fault for this, and don't blame the servers one bit for being the public tip of this policy. We are always kind to them, never telling them to not give us that speech, but we listen to it nicely and I am pretty sure they pick up that we understand and won't hurt them on the ratings.

I've even heard of some cruisers threatening them that if they gave them the "excellent" speech they would reduce their tips or their rating...how unkind. These hardworking, great folks are caught in an unfair system, and to add even more pressure isn't right. Let them tell you, then sit back and enjoy their excellent service during your cruise!

Agree its been there for a long time now, maybe three/four years.

 

[kaseyC]

If I get some extra time I may search the boards, I swear there have been threads on Concierge Staff not being allowed to take tips, as I recall a lot of folks used to buy phone cards and candy as thank yous since they weren't allowed to take tips.

Yeah and while you search the boards for those threads look for all of the threads discussing Concierge tipping. Concierge staff have never not been able to accept tips. Up until about 2009, there was what many of us old time concierge cruisers called the 3 times rule. You usually had to offer the tip to the concierge 3 time before they would finally take it. We have always tipped the concierge and we have been cruising concierge since 2000. The difference now is that it is expected and envelopes/forms are provided for the tips.

 

[tvguy]

I believe there was a time where the concierge staff wasn't tipped. Or, at least, it wasn't suggested to tip them. But they are now.

That may be.

 

[tvguy]

Yeah and while you search the boards for those threads look for all of the threads discussing Concierge tipping. Concierge staff have never not been able to accept tips. Up until about 2009, there was what many of us old time concierge cruisers called the 3 times rule. You usually had to offer the tip to the concierge 3 time before they would finally take it. We have always tipped the concierge and we have been cruising concierge since 2000. The difference now is that it is expected and envelopes/forms are provided for the tips.

LOL. Yeah, the quick search I did on DIS the years I started seeing tipping mentioned were all posted in 2008. I did find a few posts about it being forbidden on Disney, but those were on other forums.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

I don't tip a head server at a restaurant on land, so why on a cruise ship?

Many passsengers consider dining on a cruise ship to be the same thing as dining on land. It is not.

One thing I have noticed that helps to keep the excellent speeches down and at the same time makes your servers a bit more relaxed, is to actually use the word "excellent" yourself. So, if I really liked my food and they ask how the dish was, I answer "excellent". Usually I would never say that, just because it is not how I would phrase it. I would say I loved it or that it was delicious. But once they realise that you know that the best praise they can get is to say "excellent" they feel less pressured to teach you that this is the word that matters. Of course, the two truly absolutely excellent servers we had only ever mentioned the survey and the word "excellent" in passing on the last evening and immediately stopped talking about it when we said that we know about the importance of the survey and that we considered the service they had provided as excellent.

This may work. If you are asked how your food was and you say "very good" invariably you get "why wasn't it excellent? What can we do to make it excellent?" So I guess they are pretty much fed that word as what they are to look for.

 

[Tink431]

Curiosity...what does a head server do that he receives the lesser amount?

 

[dclpluto]

Curiosity...what does a head server do that he receives the lesser amount?

Head servers got a lot more people. So they get paid more. 250 times 1 is a lot more than 36 times 4.

 

[OKW Lover]

Curiosity...what does a head server do that he receives the lesser amount?

The head server is the one who assures that all the wait staff is doing what they are supposed to be doing. That means providing proper training, overseeing the evening and correcting anything that might be wrong.

 

[MSPeeler]

Wow. I'm cheap I think. I must not be reading any of this right. It isn't processing in my head correctly or something......

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Wow. I'm cheap I think. I must not be reading any of this right. It isn't processing in my head correctly or something......

What's the problem? Maybe we can help...

 

[MSPeeler]

What's the problem? Maybe we can help...

Well, first of all, I'm not sure if we pre-paid gratuities. I'll have to call to find out, as I remember hearing the CM say something about gratuities after our booking was completed.
$60/day per guest just sounds excessive to me. We have a family of 5 (2 adults 3 kids) That would be $300 just for tips.... That's almost my whole souvineer budget. So no souvineers/spa day or excursions for us ? AND that's minimum?

 

[TestingH2O]

Well, first of all, I'm not sure if we pre-paid gratuities. I'll have to call to find out, as I remember hearing the CM say something about gratuities after our booking was completed.
$60/day per guest just sounds excessive to me. We have a family of 5 (2 adults 3 kids) That would be $300 just for tips.... That's almost my whole souvineer budget. So no souvineers/spa day or excursions for us ? AND that's minimum?

Yes, definitely check if you pre-paid.

The standard gratuity is $12/person/day. So, for a family of 5, that is $60/day for your whole family not $60 per person.

Hope that helps some.

 

[MSPeeler]

Yes, definitely check if you pre-paid.

The standard gratuity is $12/person/day. So, for a family of 5, that is $60/day for your whole family not $60 per person.

Hope that helps some.

Thank You. For a 4-night cruise, that would be $60x 4 or 5? That's what's getting me. Just seems like a lot, but I don't know. Like I said, I think I'm cheap....

 

[JW9DVC]

Thank You. For a 4-night cruise, that would be $60x 4 or 5? That's what's getting me. Just seems like a lot, but I don't know. Like I said, I think I'm cheap....

4 nights at $60. You can also adjust these up or down even if you prepaid. If service is good you can keep the same or add. If you are not happy you can adjust downward.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Well, first of all, I'm not sure if we pre-paid gratuities. I'll have to call to find out, as I remember hearing the CM say something about gratuities after our booking was completed.
$60/day per guest just sounds excessive to me. We have a family of 5 (2 adults 3 kids) That would be $300 just for tips.... That's almost my whole souvineer budget. So no souvineers/spa day or excursions for us ? AND that's minimum?

Well, as noted the gratuities are $12 per guest per day, not $60. That $12 breaks out to $4.00 per guest per day to your room host; $4.00 per guest per day to your dining room server; $3.00 per guest per day to your assistant server; and $1.00 per guest per day to your head server.

And, remember, the tipping that you do for your dinner servers actually covers all meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner). So $8.00 a day per person for 3 meals really isn't much.

 

[MSPeeler]

Ok I think I understand! Thank You all

 

[bumbershoot]

Thank You. For a 4-night cruise, that would be $60x 4 or 5? That's what's getting me. Just seems like a lot, but I don't know. Like I said, I think I'm cheap....

It's per night.

Ok I think I understand! Thank You all

Cool.

Just realize that you're helping to pay their salaries. This is how these people get paid. Like it or not, it's how cruiselines pay servers, and room attendants. 12 x 5people x 4 nights might feel like a lot to you, but ultimately it likely isn't (would you pay that much more for your cruise fare if tips weren't extra?), and it's worth *so much more* to people from places like Jamaica, Dominican Republic, etc.

 

[rkwier]

What a cute idea. We always make our own Mousekeeping envelopes so maybe we will do this as well. Did you make your own design up or did you find some printable ones online somewhere?

I have template that someone else created on Photobucket and I was able to customize them. I would be happy to share it with you if you would like. Just pm if you are interested.