Tipping

[ivanova]

We'll be one of those last night no shows this November ... simply because we'll have MAIN dining and our REAS spa appt is for 5:45PM, so we'll miss dinner in dining room, and our Palo ressie is for 9PM that night.

So we're either going to "pop in" to the dining room after our spa ressie (basically towards the end of the main dining time) and give our servers their tips, or we'll do it at breakfast the next morning. We'll definitely pre-warn our servers that we're missing the last night due to the spa & Palo ressies, so they won't think we're trying to dodge 'em.

 

[Rock'n Robin]

I don't think it's uncommon for first time cruisers to look at the tip guidelines and think "YIKES!" But once you see them at work it all makes sense.
This time my folks are celebrating (see my sig.) and we'll see how that goes to see if the head server gets extra. Last year I had a garage sale the weekend before we left and all the money (I don't do very well at garage sales) went right into sealed envelopes for tips. I ended up cracking them open and adding more for the server and asst. server. Alun was our server (on a 4 day Wonder) and with his scottish accent I would have paid him just to keep talking!
CACruiser, we're on the same cruise. Look for me at the sailaway, I'll have a drink in my hand...oops, I guess that doesn't help. I know how you feel about budgeting--I had $1200 saved up and $763 went to a basement flood we had this weekend. I can save $900 more in the meantime but $1300 for a week seems a little short to me. And no garage sale this year, but $300 of the savings is my rolled change!
Robin M.

 

[Greysword]

Question:

Does anyone give their tips to the servers/stewards early (like on the forst day), just to get it out of the way?

 

[princess Snow]

Originally posted by MrsPete
Two comments that may seem in opposition, but really are not:

1. I cannot buy into the "they work so hard and are paid so little" theory. So do lots of people -- and most of those people don't receive tips in addition to their paltry salaries. Day care workers, ministers, firemen . . . I don't even want to go on with the list, but we all know there are many jobs that could be included. Remember that the DCL employees also receive free room and board, and those who aren't American citizens are not paying the same high taxes that we are paying. I did some \]sk figuring, and I believe a DCL waiter probably makes more per week than I do as a teacher in a low-paying state; of course, my benefits outweigh the actual cash-in-hand.


Okay, don't take offense at my comments, but I want to point some things out. I am a former DCL crewmember, so I have a little bit of insight.
--Cruiseline workers DO work many hours for very little pay. Diningroom severs' wage without tips is approx. $50/month. Average work week is 70 hours a week, and many weeks, crewmembers clock in about 85 hours. You can not compare a teacher's salary in America to a crewmember's salary in international waters. I'm sure as a teacher, you do not work 7 days a week for 6-8 months with no day off.
--Remember, tipping is the guests' choice, and many choose to give less than reccommended or not tip at all. So, you can't really get an accurate calculation of what servers make using the reccommended tip guidelines.
--Yes, crew members do not pay for rent and food. However, our living space (shared by 2 or 3 people) is the size of an average closet--literally! And we do not eat the same gourmet meals that are served in the dining room.
--Quitting is not an option for some crewmembers. They have families to support, and jobs are not plentiful in their developping countries.
I don't want to be rude; I just want to share my knowledge from the "other side" of cruising!

 

[TartanFan]

Hey Robin! I'm Scottish and I can talk for as long as you like! Here's sometjhing for free - "It's a braw bricht moonlicht nicht the nicht ye ken!" (Translation - "*It's a lovely moonlit night tonight tonight, don't you know).

I accept tips!

 

[TartanFan]

My last post was facetious - sorry! It's been a long day.

 

[RobinMarie]

Thanks Princess Snow - your post was helpful!

TF - ya made me giggle!

 

[trishy]

Very well put, Princess Snow

My family also was a 'no-show' on our first cruise (went to Palo's) - and yes we did tip I don't believe it does anybody any good to assume 'no-shows' are non-tippers. To answer Greysword: Yes, people do pay up front - our travel companions on our last cruise did just to get it out of the way and not have to remember to do it later. It was their first cruise and although we assured them they wouldn't "forget" and we'd help them remember, they insisted on taking care of it right from the start. Silly Australians - but good tippers.

 

[BethA]

Consider if you ate out 7 evenings. I'm sure you would pay more in tips for a meal for 4 people for all those nights, with what a meal say at a WDW restaurant would be. Your children are waited on and you should tip for them.
The head server may or may not be visible or friendly and I tip them based on that.
The room steward usually does clean up twice a day and to me it is worth not being home doing everything for myself.
Maybe you should look for a cruise where tips are included in the price.

 

[ivanova]

Originally posted by BethA
Maybe you should look for a cruise where tips are included in the price.

In this case that's not realistic .. the OP is sailing in a month .. not like she can cancel with DCL and book a cruise with someone else at this point.

She has posted recently that she's been able to make some more changes to her budget and she's a lot closer to the suggested amounts per person that she was in her original post.

 

[CACruiser]

Originally posted by ivanova
In this case that's not realistic .. the OP is sailing in a month .. not like she can cancel with DCL and book a cruise with someone else at this point.

She has posted recently that she's been able to make some more changes to her budget and she's a lot closer to the suggested amounts per person that she was in her original post.

If I had more time, I would not reconsider going on another cruise. We belong to the DVC club and we "paid" for our cruise fair and square. I had overlooked the tipping aspect and wanted to plan ahead to be fair. When Disney suggests the tipping chart as a GUIDELINE, that means that the ultimate choice is the passengers.

I can choose ANY cruiseline I want as long as I can pay my bill!
I have done some research on the cruise industry.

Many posters on this thread are correct that many positions such as dining servers and room hosts (housekeeping) make a base pay (the average is 50 per MONTH, not per day) The majority of their income is in tips.

Here is what I found on DCL wages.

Head Room Steward (supervises assigned station of cabins and cabin stewards as directed by Floor Supervisor) - experience in hotels or prior cruise ship experience required. Good English Language skills required. Salary range: $2200-2800 U.S. per month depending on gratuities (tips). Possibilities for promotion to Floor Supervisor.

Cabin Steward / Stewardess (daily cleaning of passenger cabins) - no experience required, some experience preferred. Basic English Language skills required. Salary range: $1800-2200 U.S. per month, depending on gratuities from passengers. Possibilities for promotion to Head Room Steward.

Dining Room Assistant Waiter / Waitress (assisting dining room waiters in thefood and beverage service, serve passengers as directed by the waiter) - Experience required. Good English Language skills required. Salary range: $1400- 2100 U.S. per month, depending on gratuities from passengers. Possibilities for promotion to Dining Room Waiter.

Dining Room Waiter (serving passengers, explain the dishes, make recommendations, supervise assistant waiters assigned to their tables) - lots of experience and fluent English Language skills required. Salary range: $2200-3800 U.S. per month, depending on gratuities from passengers. Possibilities for promotion to Dining Room Head Waiter.

Dining Room Head Waiter (responsible for a certain serving station in the dining room, supervises all waiters) - lots of restaurant and prior cruise ship experience in related position required. Fluent English Language skills required. Salary range: $2600-4800 U.S. per month, depending on gratuities from passengers.

Anyway, I was ignorant to the working conditions and contracts of these employees. I am dissapointed that the cruise industry does'nt pay a decent wage and their income is mainly tips. The "tips included" cruise just includes automatic gratuties. There are a lot of hidden "secrets" in tourism and this is one of them.

As for me, I will pay a fair tip, but that is ultimately up to me. I will also be letting Disney know that for as much as they charge for a trip, they should pay their employees a fair wage.

LisaCA

 

[jrydberg]

As for me, I will pay a fair tip, but that is ultimately up to me. I will also be letting Disney know that for as much as they charge for a trip, they should pay their employees a fair wage.

Couldn't agree more. Enjoy your cruise!

 

[lotsofboys]

Here is an excerpt from a post from a few months ago, sorry the link to the article doesn't work anymore:

I saw an article about how U.S. companies hire workers overseas.

The article is Foreign workers stuck in worst U.S. jobs (The News-Press, February 16, 2004)

Here's a short excerpt that mentions Disney Cruise Line:


Currently, one of those hot spots is Eastern Europe, where one of five cruise workers now come from, industry officials said.

What is "desirable" there?

Disney Cruise Line’s "procurement ally" in Slovakia advertises dining room jobs that require 14-hour days, for $42 a month plus tips that could raise the monthly pay $2,300. Similarly, a cocktail waitress on Royal Caribbean’s ships could make $1,400 in a month of 10-hour days.

 

[lotsofboys]

I forgot to add: Have a wonderful cruise CACruiser

 

[crisi]

Lisa,

You've done an admirable job of taking the information you've been given and adapting.

When we first heard the tip amounts, I thought they were nuts as well. A LOT of money. I have two philosophical problems with tipping - 1) I believe people should be paid a living wage - and if my cost has to go up, so be it. And 2) I hate the thought that part of the reason I need to tip high is because so many people stiff the waitstaff - they are getting something for nothing (or something for less - if they are rationalizing on the "I paid a lot" plan) and I'm picking up their tab. But my philosophical objections have no place in the reality, which is that these people are dependant on their tips and by and large work hard and do a great job.

By the time we got off, I think we'd have signed our life savings over to the servers we had, they were so wonderful.

 

[musicgirl]

Personally, as a former waitress in college and right before I got married, I always find it difficult to not tip 20%. Very seldom do I ever tip under this even if the service was lacking. I always look back to my own beginning days or bad days when things might have been out of my control.

My problem with the tipping system on DCL is not the money, but the way it is given. I charge my tips and put the receipt in the envelope. I hate the ackwardness of when and how to give the envelope to the servers!!! It would be nice if everyone just did this with their accounts and no one presented envelopes.

Now I know some people like to pay with cash, but you could easily take this to guest services.

I feel like it ruins the last evening, worrying when to hand it to them.

JMO, Lorie

 

[Minnie&Mickey]

Originally posted by musicgirl
Personally, as a former waitress in college and right before I got married, I always find it difficult to not tip 20%. Very seldom do I ever tip under this even if the service was lacking.

I definitely agree with you on that! My 16 year old waitresses at a small Mom & Pop type Greek restaurant nearby and makes $3.50 an hour. The rest is made up in tips. My husband used to tip a lot less than I did, but now that he sees how hard his daughter works and how little she is paid per hour, he has become a lot more generous.

Originally posted by musicgirl
I feel like it ruins the last evening, worrying when to hand it to them.

So when is the best time to hand it to them...in the beginning of the last meal or at the end?

 

[crisi]

We tipped when it came time to order desserts. Tip the Head Waiter when he stops by, he may only stop by once (he does have other things to do that stop and chit chat every evening, but this is one night you are sure to see him to chit chat)!

Handing out envelopes to me was nice - it was a very personal touch for people with whom we'd developed some sort of personal relationship with. Had it just been charged to the room with no handing of envelopes, we'd still have felt obligated to say or do something that last night.

 

[kcashner]

Handing out the tip envelopes is no big deal (my DD loves doing it!). Just give it to the head server whenever he comes over (trust me, he will come over on the last night.....although we generally see him/her every night on each cruise). The server and assistant...just do it at the end of the evening before you leave...or with dessert...or whenever you have a free moment. It is appropriate to hand the envelope to the person and be thanked in person rather than just leaving it on the table. For the room steward, I typically leave it on the desk......

I actually like the handing the envelope rather than just a "charge to account" (even though it is generally charged

 

[smchan]

Originally posted by MrsPete
Along these same lines, we don't tip out of pity -- and that's what you're suggesting that we should do when you use the "they work so hard" line. If the job wasn't worth it to them, then they'd quit.

Excellent point and a good case for at least tipping the recommended amount. If people get stingy with their tips, workers will be less inclined to renew their contracts with DCL thus sending down the level of service offered on the ship which will ultimately lead to either a less desirable cruise experience and/or Disney raising cruise prices in order to pay higher salaries to otherwise poorly tipped workers.

I look at the recommended tip as a required expense - just like airfare, cruise fare, or whatever else one has to pay to get onboard. I am disappointed to see the OP give budget priority to exercusions and and souveniers, but that's her choice and DCL allows us to make that choice. As I mentioned above, if too many people make similar choices, the quality of service is likely to drop and the prices likely to climb.

I suspect the OP will have a great cruise and will feel led to give a fair tip when all is said and done.

Sam