Tipping

[Thomas' Mom]

Hi to all. This question may have been brought up before but I wanted to ask. I understand the tipping charts for the 4 day cruise. I know they are per person but if you child does not eat dinner with you do you still tip for him? Also, if you eat at Palo's one night thus not eating in the rotation restaurant that evening does the tip remain the same.

Thanks for your help.

Mindi

 

[bratray]

hi

i would tip for all my cruising days even if i didn't attend the dining area some nites...it would be polite to tip for the child as well even if they didn't always eat with you (IMHO)

welcome to the disboards!!

 

[TooPure4u]

I agree with bratray.....these guys work hard for there tips....I think they do an outstanding job and work very hard to please us....

It's really up to you but I would

 

[brack]

IMHO I believe that the tip schedule is just the minimum. These people work hard and long to make all of us on the cruise fall in love with DCL. The people who serve us each night (whether we are there or not) also wait on us at breakfast and lunch. Sometime everyday we are cared for by the wait staff without being expected to tip extra.

Look at the cost of tips they are only a very small part of the whole vacation. It is money well spent.

 

[aprilgail2]

Yes, I tipped even for the day we went to Palo and also for times my daughter ate in the kids club. Your servers also serve breakfast and lunch to people and dont get tips seperatly for that so the per day amount covers all the meals!

 

[lrodptl]

Let me be the first to dissent. Tip well if the service is used and don't if it is not. If you can notify guest services of your eating plan that night they can use your table if you don't. If you made reservations at a restaurant at home and then did not go would you send along a tip anyway? Tips are for appreciation of service renderered. If you're not seeing the smile ,then.......... From the way this tipping is set up these people are out earning all the guests!

 

[jrabbit]

Let me be the first to help give you a clue. I'm sure that others will jump on this also.

If you're not seeing the smile ,then..........

So then you are tipping at EVERY breakfast, lunch and dinner that you partake of. Oh yea and you'll be tipping the people that work at Scoops, Plutos and Pinochios too!! Remember, you're seeing them smile so you must tip them!!

If you can notify guest services of your eating plan that night they can use your table if you don't.

Everyone already has an assigned seat - they don't need your table if you or part of your party is not using it.

If you made reservations at a restaurant at home and then did not go would you send along a tip anyway?

You're right of course, but someone would be able to use you place if you didn't show, and that person probably isn't a clod and will tip appropriatly. Like I said before, they don't/won't need to use your table because everyone already has an assigned seat. Also, you server on shore probably makes more than $50 per month (yes month) in salary from their employer.

From the way this tipping is set up these people are out earning all the guests!

I'm sorry, but I don't quite understand this statement. But since we are talking about tipping while on a cruise lets talk about how the "industry" handles tips. Tips are to be given out on the last night of the cruise to those in tipped positions (waiters, room steward - NEVER the captain). If everyone tips their people then all of them get "paid" for the service rendered throughout the entire cruise - because YOU didn't tip the folks at breakfast and lunch or every other time you ate during the cruise. You generally don't have your same waitstaff at breakfast and lunch - but they all earn their tips because they are all working all three meals.

Bottom line - if you never eat a thing on the ship - don't tip. If you do enjoy a meal from time to time - please tip your waitstaff according to the guidelines at a minimum for each person in your party.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Originally posted by lrodptl
Let me be the first to dissent. Tip well if the service is used and don't if it is not. If you can notify guest services of your eating plan that night they can use your table if you don't.

When you tip your server, assistant server, and head server at the end of the cruise, you're really tipping for all meals that you've eaten on the cruise -- breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks, at the main dining rooms, buffets, Castaway Cay, and the snack bars -- even those that are not served by the three individuals to whom you are providing tips. If everyone tips their service team, it all works out.

It's a dirty little secret in the mainstream cruise business that servers get about $50 per month and "room and board" from the cruise line to work long days, 7 days a week, with no days off for months on end. And their "room and board" isn't anything like what the passengers receive. Their tips are their compensation. (We can debate whether this is fair to the passengers and to the service staff, but it's the reality today.)

The suggested tip amounts take into account that not every passeenger will be dining in one of the main dining rooms each night.

Regarding the suggestion, "If you can notify guest services of your eating plan that night they can use your table if you don't," that's not true. Every passenger is assigned to a specific dining time, rotation, and table number. It's polite to let your servers know ahead of time when you're going to Palo, but that doesn't mean that other passengers will be assigned to your table that night.

 

[disneygatorfan]

The servers work every meal, not just dinner. I think sometimes people sometimes forget that fact, since they see different servers during breakfast and lunch, then their regular dinning team. But your serving team is working from approx 6am-11pm at night. They do everything from setting the breakfast tables, to clearing the last dinner table at night. In addition, they have to go to castaway to serve, and serve and maintain any dessert bars during deck parties.

In regards to if your children are dining every meal in the main dining area...

Your children are still counted as head count your your servers total number of guests at their tables. They get an equal distribution of guests so that hopefully they are all starting off on the same foot. It always makes me sad to see a serving team with a half empty table and realize they are working 14+ hours, and might get half the tips that week, because of the luck of the draw and their tables not coming to meals.. knowing they still had to serve two other meals to them already.

I always tip the suggested amount, and usually add more for great service. I'm in the boat that the only reason I would not tip a suggested amount is if the service was really not up to par. Otherwise, I assume the cost before I even get on board, regardless of missing a meal or two in the the main dining hall. THe guys and gals work their tails off, are far from home, and rarely see their families. I know it's their choice, and they can make good money.. but how many of us would reall work 14+ hours a day for 7 days a week, 9 months out of the year. Keep in mind that your serving team usually just gets one meal off a week. Just a meal, not a day.

I've always had excellent servers and they deserved every penny of that suggested amount and then some!

 

[ksjayhawks]

I wish the cruise lines would just automatically add the tips to your stateroom accounts. The tips are very reasonable for the amount of meals eaten IMO. Then if you wish to tip more, you could do so.

The servers work hard as everyone has stated. To the OP, if your child does not eat dinner with you, he is eating somewhere and being served by someone.

 

[lrodptl]

Originally posted by Horace Horsecollar
When you tip your server, assistant server, and head server at the end of the cruise, you're really tipping for all meals that you've eaten on the cruise -- breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks, at the main dining rooms, buffets, Castaway Cay, and the snack bars -- even those that are not served by the three individuals to whom you are providing tips. If everyone tips their service team, it all works out.

It's a dirty little secret in the mainstream cruise business that servers get about $50 per month and "room and board" from the cruise line to work long days, 7 days a week, with no days off for months on end. And their "room and board" isn't anything like what the passengers receive. Their tips are their compensation. (We can debate whether this is fair to the passengers and to the service staff, but it's the reality today.)

The suggested tip amounts take into account that not every passeenger will be dining in one of the main dining rooms each night.

Regarding the suggestion, "If you can notify guest services of your eating plan that night they can use your table if you don't," that's not true. Every passenger is assigned to a specific dining time, rotation, and table number. It's polite to let your servers know ahead of time when you're going to Palo, but that doesn't mean that other passengers will be assigned to your table that night.

We put this very question to guest services and they replied that we were we were absolutely not required to tip at all and certainly not for services unused. We were in a cat 3 and using room service. An 18% gratuity is included and we tipped on top of that. Concierge also told us that our table could and would be used by others if we notified them prior. I happened to be in the internet cafe' and saw another family at my assigned table at Animators right by the door. Sorry,but the servers employment contracts are not provided in order for the passengers to make sympathetic tips. I tip well for service but refuse to be sucked in to tipping arbitrarily because that's the way things work!

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Originally posted by lrodptl
We were in a cat 3 and using room service. An 18% gratuity is included and we tipped on top of that.

Let's see if I understand this... Room service food is free, so the cost is zero. 18% of zero is zero.

Are you perhaps thinking of the automatic 15% gratuity on alcohol and speciality beverages?

Originally posted by lrodptl
Concierge also told us that our table could and would be used by others if we notified them prior. I happened to be in the internet cafe' and saw another family at my assigned table at Animators right by the door.

If you gave up your rotation dining assignment entirely because you would be eating all meals in your category 3 suite, then I could see your rotation being assigned to someone else. But it's clearly not the case that tables are routinely occupied by other passengers when the assigned passengers choose to dine at Palo or Topsider's one evening -- even if they notify Guest Services in advance.

 

[disneygatorfan]

I think this was a question more directed at people who missed a meal or two in the main dining rooms, not people who did not eat any meals in there. If you skip one or two meals, I don't think they usually move people to your table.. but I would think that if you tell them that up front, then they can accomidate someone on a waiting list who wanted to change their dining time.

I think the main concern was what should people do if they miss a meal because they go to Palo, or if their children eat in the club a few nights out of the week, not those on concerige who chose to have private dinners with room service.

Just a clarification on how I perceive it at least.

 

[lrodptl]

Originally posted by Horace Horsecollar
Let's see if I understand this... Room service food is free, so the cost is zero. 18% of zero is zero.

Are you perhaps thinking of the automatic 15% gratuity on alcohol and speciality beverages?

If you gave up your rotation dining assignment entirely because you would be eating all meals in your category 3 suite, then I could see your rotation being assigned to someone else. But it's clearly not the case that tables are routinely occupied by other passengers when the assigned passengers choose to dine at Palo or Topsider's one evening -- even if they notify Guest Services in advance.

Room Service food is free but an 18% gratuity is automatically deducted. There is a waiting list of people who desire main seating over late and vice versa. When someone notifies guest services or concierge about a plan to miss a restaurant ,this opens up a spot for someone desiring this time or a miss due to Palo. Lookit, if I think someone deserves zero then that's what they get. I routinely overtip but not those I have not benefitted from. This latest trip cost me $9000,$7000 base and 2000 spent not including airfare. I used maintenance to replace 2 broken phones in my room. Tip or no Tip? What's his salary? One day some employee held an elevator door for us, Tip or no Tip?. I saw Disney employees day after day drying a wet road with leaf blowers. Tip em? I should have since I ran that road every day during my stay but tip a server who never served me? I'm finished talking about it. Have a nice day!

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Originally posted by lrodptl
Room Service food is free but an 18% gratuity is automatically deducted.

I really don't understand. 18% of what? I've never stayed in a Category 3 suite, and thus I've never enjoyed the extended room sevice offerings. So I honestly don't understand how "Room Service food is free but an 18% gratuity is automatically deducted."

 

[disneygatorfan]

I am not sure if I am correct Horace, but I believe if you are in a conceige suite, your room service is different, and you are able to order from the main dining menus if you so choose, and dining in the privacy of your room, rather then the main dining rooms. I would assume because of the additional choices, and it being full-course meals, there is an additional gratuity charge.

Someone correct me if I am wrong though...

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

I'm aware that the concierge suite guests have additional room service options. But I don't understand the comment that "18% gratuity is automatically deducted." 18% of what?

 

[brack]

Originally posted by lrodptl
This latest trip cost me $9000,$7000 base and 2000 spent not including airfare ...... but tip a server who never served me?

You spent over $9,000 on the cruise and you are being tight over about $200 in tips? I am at a loss for further words myself.

 

[bratray]

YYou spent over $9,000 on the cruise and you are being tight over about $200 in tips? I am at a loss for further words myself.

 

[momof3luvs2run]

just putting another spin here . . . I saw a thread here a few days about tipping the kids club employees. I was surprised to see that many suggested giving Walmart cards, calling cards, etc. I guess in my point of view -- we are paying for those services in the cost of our cruise. I really don't have any intentions of going to Walmart to buy gift cards for my kids to give out. Generous, yes, but is it necessary? And how many calling cards do these people get at the end of a cruise? Can I guess they have more than enough minutes to get them through the next 20 years? lol.

Maybe we should be questioning why these people are only being paid $50 a month when we are paying quite a handsome chunk of money for the trip. Just a thought. What's up with that Disney?????

I'm greatful for the tipping chart and will follow it . . . but not sure about worrying about people like the person who is scooping my ice cream cone on deck.