Tipping

[CACruiser]

Since I am the OP, I will speak for myself.
I am aware that if tips went down, Disney might lose their workforce or quality of workforce who might go to a costlier, "tipsincluded" cruiseline. Many cruiselines are now automatically adding the tips to the end of a bill! This takes away the choice and control of tipping. Tipping is'nt intended to be a form of extortion for good service.

I am fully expecting a great trip and great service. But, why are you dissapointed that I have given priority to my excursions and CHILDREN"S souveniers?

We have made many concessions and cutback on our original plans to accomodate everything in balance between fun and accountability. But, in all honesty, it is OUR VACATION AND WE ARE THE PRIORITY! That is the whole foundation of vacation and service.

I did'nt set out to plan my vacation to see what I can do for others...I planned for my family and OUR fun.

My tipping is my choice and it will reflect the DCL suggestions and the quality of service received. That is fair.

Originally posted by smchan
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. I have posted my reconsideration and rebudgeting more than once on this thread. This will now be my last comment on the subject. But, I will make it clear that I am not being stingy or neglectful. I am being WISE by planning ahead and being balanced between having fun and giving my gratitude and gratuities to those who help make a Magical trip!

Now, I am off this soapbox. I learned a lot and changed some plans. I am still ruffled by some judgemental comments, but soon that will be all a faded memory.
LisaCA

 

[smchan]

Originally posted by CACruiser

I am fully expecting a great trip and great service. But, why are you dissapointed that I have given priority to my excursions and CHILDREN"S souveniers?

I suppose a lot of the uproar is over the semantics of the word "tip". As I mentioned before, I look at the tip on the cruise ship as being a required expense - just like the cruise fare or any other expense incurred when traveling. So in light of my view, I feel like buying children's souveniers or going on excursions would be at the expense of a DCL staffer if those expenses were in lieu of tips.

I don't tip out of pity at all, but we are a very priveleged country and I believe it would be wrong to present a less than recommended tip for great service so my kid could have a Mickey shirt. I don't care who the souvenier is for; they ought not come at someone else's expense. That extra $10 might be the difference in needed medical care for the staffer's kid.

That said, I can see the agony you've gone through trying to figure this out and I applaud your honesty and effort. You will receive and should plan on nothing less than excellent service unless your expectations are unreasonably high.

I wish I had a couple extra hundred bucks... I'd send it to you and put this issue to rest right now. You deserve it for having the moral conscience to wrestle with this dilema. Some people, I suspect, would forget about it and spend the money on themselves without regard to the DCL staffers.

Sam

 

[luvindisneyworld]

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[musicgirl]

CAcruiser, please don't think all these posts are directed at you. Like myself, many just want to add their views. Tipping is always a hot topic.

I am with you, I have carefully budgeted for our cruise. Since it will be our last big vacation for quite awhile (unless I win the lottery!), we are going to try do as much as we can within reason of course. I know many others have the means to tip alot more than myself. If I could (again, the lotto!) I know I would.

I hope you have a great time! It sounds like you deserve it!

Lorie

 

[natdencro]

Ive said many times before(as a Servers Mother) that their pay is APALLING, and they rely on tips. Its the same on ALL cruise liners. BUT: we have witnessed several people playing BINGO most days (at $30 a throw) - and then sloping off the ship without tipping even a FEW $s for their magical dining experiences. If you can afford to travel on a Disney ship, then you should be able to tip even a small amount if you are satisfied with your service. Other cruise lines are approx HALF the cost - and go to the same destinations. The CM's CHOOSE to work on Disney for a multitude of reasons - and accept that, like in life, there will always be those who are GIVERS and always those who are TAKERS. One game of Bingo on the ship costs more than 2 weeks' basic pay! As we Brits say "Think On!" Nat

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Could you imagine if their pay was guaranteed? There service probably wouldn't be as good. Of course, in our case on our honeymoon--that didn't stop it from not being good.

As for me--we are tip as earned kind of people. Our honeymoon cruise on Carnival and the "antics" of our treatment in the dining room reflected that. The Matre D' was rude when he had to change our table--when I went to go see him as I was highly upset over the matter--he basically told me to be quiet as he was fixing "other" problems. Once he fixed "our problem" he insisted 3 times that we have a free bottle of champagne. We said no as the previous night--we knocked ourselves out by consuming a bottle (didn't think you were supposed to 'sleep' on a honeymoon LOL). In any case--we accepted the bottle. Later in the week--they had a cake for us--but took too long to bring it to us. So we tried to leave. Literally--one foot out of the dining room--and our server made us return to our seats until after their little waiter parade so that we could have a cake.

B/c of our treatment and the less than stellar attitudes of our server and Matre D' (I guess, head waiter on DCL?)--we did not tip the Matre D' (he only did something on the one night--and he was quite rude and forceful) and we shortchanged the server (only tipped for what we "used" since that was the only way to fairly shortchange him on purpose). Now--we took what we did not tip him and transferred it to our room steward instead of pocketing it b/c he deserved it and seemed very grateful to be working, period.


On an entirely different cruise in 1989--my family shortchanged the entire staff--but that was b/c my parents had no credit cards and most of our cash was involved in getting us and our vehicle towed to the port after it broke down (can you say poor planning!) In any case--it was unintentional--we still tipped, just not as much.

Now--the moral to the story--just as in any good restaurant, for maid service, for valet...etc. You should pay what you feel is deserved by those who serve you. If you go with intention to stiff--then shame on you. Otherwise tip what is affordable to you and what you feel is deserved by those on board. The tipping guidelines are just that--GUIDELINES. If they were required--they would be billed ahead of time and you couldn't board without paying it just like your cruise fare, taxes, and port fees.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Someone on this thread made a comment about the high price of DCL as a justification to not tip and why they should pay their staff more (not a quote or paraphrase--just the jist of what I understood their comment to be, however innaccurate I might have stated it).

Let's not forget that DCL is missing one thing that other cruise lines have on their ships--the CASINO. People who go on those cruises pay the cheaper fares and then "budget" for casino time--sometimes well above and beyond the price difference to go on DCL. That is their perogative (sp?)--but before you complain about DCL prices--you have to look at how other ships add to their bottom line. (kind of like Vegas and those oh so cheap and bountiful buffets).

 

[smchan]

Originally posted by Lisa loves Pooh
On an entirely different cruise in 1989--my family shortchanged the entire staff--but that was b/c my parents had no credit cards and most of our cash was involved in getting us and our vehicle towed to the port after it broke down (can you say poor planning!) In any case--it was unintentional--we still tipped, just not as much.

Poor planning indeed. Had I been in this situation, I would've made every effort to get to an ATM to get more cash or, if I didn't have it available, to mail it to the DCL staff as soon as I was paid next.

I stand by my statement that most (all?) of us are far better off than the ship wait/cabin staff and there's really no excuse to tip suggested amounts outside of poor service.

Sam

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Long one--and I'm maaaaad!!!! (sorry in advance).

smchan
I have to say I am somewhat offended by your comments SMCHAN, though I shouldn't be. It was poor planning--but flames and judgements are not necessary. It is now one of our most humorous family stories. I didn't want to waste the thread's time to explain myself. But now I will--and their are stories out there worse than mine I am sure!

My parents made mistakes on this trip--we left late, we blew an engine in the worst and most crime ridden part of town, we did not own a cell phone (they were several hundred dollars at the time), almost missed the boat (it was held for us--so no convenience of stopping at the atm). We were passed by 3 tow trucks before one picked us up. We search for a phone. The boat is held for us. We arrive and they pull the gangplank as my parents hopped onto the boat. This was after paying "in cash" an overpriced, we have you by the *****, fee for that wonderful ride in the tow truck. Did I mention that this cruise was after we suffered going through a Hurricane (it was Hugo--Huge before Andrew did all that damage in South florida).

Now we did spend our time in Freeport looking for banks and ATMs that would help us to no avail. The only ATM to accept their card was in Nassau. We found out too late. We even tried to have relatives wire us money (but that is a whole other story--and they didn't wire us money after all).

So pardon my offense--when I say that everyone has had some story in their life of an extenuating circumstance that prevented them from doing something at some point in their life. My parents tried their best. They still tipped something to everyone we needed to--I was a 'tween at the time and not privvy to how much--but I do remember them counting out what was left of their money and divvying it between the envelopes.

As far as sending the money afterwards...I will be honest and say that that probably never came up as a thought--but even if it had...it took us 72 hours to get home as we had that blown engine to contend with that took even more cash to fix (found an ATM of course), oh and that uncharacteristic snow/ice storm that occurred in Florida that year--combined that required two additional nights ina hotel, yes paid in cash. So forgive my family for not having the decency to send the ship money for their staff later.

It was a non-DCL cruise--in fact it is a now defunct cruise line. We have no regrets over our actions--and based on the OP comments that she keeps providing even though she doesn't have to--she has extenuating circumstances and she is doing the best she can and plans on tipping what she is able for the service deserved. She does not intend to stiff.

My apologies for wasting this thread's time--now on to pertinent commentary.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Yes, I would say EVERYONE on a cruise is better off than the staff on board. I absolutely agree--but for some people it is their dream vacation and stuff happens--to judge them and their lack of integrity for not tipping as much as you do when you don't know the whole story is just plain wrong! There is a big difference between planned stiffing and short changing and unplanned doing the best you can tipping. My family could no more predict a blown engine on the way to a cruise than someone can predict that they will lose their job days before their departure on a cruise.

My last comment before I sit and watch by this cozy fire....

It seems we are confusing gratuity with charity:
From Merriam-Webster's on-line dictionary

Main Entry: gra·tu·ity
Pronunciation: gr&-'tü-&-tE, -'tyü-
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -ities
: something given voluntarily or beyond obligation usually for some service; especially : TIP

GIVEN VOLUNTARILY--meaning if the cruise line really really really expected you to pay the exact requested amount--it would be a requirement to pay it and they wouldn't let you on the same as if you refused to pay the taxes and port charges.

Main Entry: char·i·ty
Pronunciation: 'char-&-tE
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -ties
Etymology: Middle English charite, from Old French charité, from Late Latin caritat-, caritas Christian love, from Latin, dearness, from carus dear; akin to Old Irish carae friend, Sanskrit kAma love
1 : benevolent goodwill toward or love of humanity
2 a : generosity and helpfulness especially toward the needy or suffering; also : aid given to those in need b : an institution engaged in relief of the poor c : public provision for the relief of the needy
3 a : a gift for public benevolent purposes b : an institution (as a hospital) founded by such a gift
4 : lenient judgment of others

Obviously--none of these charitable definitions coincides with the cruise experience--unless you happen to be on on one specific to that purpose.

I know I cruise to have a good time and I will personally tip the going rate (so long as it was your standard average good service) and will tip above if it warrants. If I want to give to charity I will support them in my community or in my church or to *insert village here* as I am asked to or feel called to do so. I will not provide money to a server as charity. I will provide him with a gratuity that will supplement his/her income just as it does to the servers at Pizza Hut--if the service warrants it. I'm sorry--if he does a stinky job--then he will get a stinky tip.

 

[jin diesel]

TO THE OP: I understand your budgetary restraints and feel your pain!!! I am a single mom, cruising for the first time with my DD (7) next year on the 14-day repo cruise. I spent 4 hours debating whether or not to book the cruise the morning it was announced because I knew it would require an insane amount of saving on my part for the next year. In the four hours I sat around debating it, the price of the cruise went up by $1000.00. Now THAT is just plain nasty on Disney's part!!! As if the prices weren't already outrageous!!! The extra money could have gone towards tips!! For the most part everyone on this thread has been fairly civil, but I can also see how for some people - dropping $300 here and there isn't an issue. Or somehow they think charging an overpriced cruise on a credit card is smart. So I just wanted you to know that someone else out here understands the meaning of the word "budget".

As has been already stated on this thread - at first glance the tips seem outrageous because you're just looking at it as a lump sum. But after breaking it down over the course of 7 days, the size of your family and the number of meals eaten - it all evens out (and in fact seems pretty low).

I consider myself a really good tipper. The service industry here in CA is much more civilized than in other states. Servers in CA do NOT work for $2 or $3 dollar an hour slave wages like in most states along the east coast. With that said, I generally tip 20% for good service. For crappy (the crappiest service I've ever had is really just S L O W) service I tip a flat 15%. Not because I "feel sorry" for anybody, but because tipping is a matter of etiquette in our country. (Those Europeans are REALLY onto something with the whole "no tipping" rule!!) However, we have the option to tip less or not tip in regards to our preferences and the service given.

I know you'll enjoy your cruise AND will tip appropriately.

Have fun on your cruise!!! Meanwhile, we'll be here eating macaroni and cheese for the next 347 days as we save up!!!