tips....not the average question

[MedicGoofy]

Hi all,

I just returned from a fantastic cruise. Wonderful weather. wonderful pampering. wonderful service.

I have a question about the tips that the 4 people receive. After that $12 a day is broken down....and say, your server is getting the $4 per day per person. Is that server, actually receiving the $4? Or is there money taken off that $4?

Also....they do get a regular wage as well? I am correct, no? while I know it's not what the average standards are, they do make some kind of a wage?

If they keep the entire $4/day/person....and make a small wage ontop of this....and assuming they don't loose anything off either, then,

why do people feel they do not make decent money, and that they are poorly undercompensated? I'm slightly confused.

Just looking for clarification, if I am wrong. Thanks

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Hi all,

I just returned from a fantastic cruise. Wonderful weather. wonderful pampering. wonderful service.

I have a question about the tips that the 4 people receive. After that $12 a day is broken down....and say, your server is getting the $4 per day per person. Is that server, actually receiving the $4? Or is there money taken off that $4?

Also....they do get a regular wage as well? I am correct, no? while I know it's not what the average standards are, they do make some kind of a wage?

If they keep the entire $4/day/person....and make a small wage ontop of this....and assuming they don't loose anything off either, then,

why do people feel they do not make decent money, and that they are poorly undercompensated? I'm slightly confused.

Just looking for clarification, if I am wrong. Thanks

AFAIK, the receivers of the tip get to keep the whole thing. There is no "administrative fee" deducted.

Yes, they have a small salary. I think it read it's only something like $50 a month. But they also get room (yeah, right), board, and uniform laundering.

I think the comment about being undercompensated was probably directed at just the actual wages. Not including the tips. With tips, yes, they make pretty decent wages.

I will point out that there are people who don't tip. Or that don't tip for kids. Or only tip for whatever "extra" services they feel they got. That would cut the "wages" that they would receive.

Many of the CMs receiving those tips are supporting fairly large families back home.

 

[jdb in AZ]

I wonder what the tips average out per hour -- the crew works long hours with very little time off.

 

[JohnDS]

To calculate how much they are earning, you'd have to know a few things. What is the average number of guests served by each tipped person? You would also need to know how many hours per week they are being compensated for, The ship is flagged in the Bahamas, minimum wage is 4 dollars per hour. If you know those things you might be able get an approximation.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

They also work something like 16 hrs per day, 7 days per week, with very little time off for several months straight, (6-8 months comes to mind).
They don't just work over your dinner time (main + late dining). You may see your servers cleaning up at Topsiders for lunch or breakfast, or see them setting up at Castaway Cay. We see our servers often all over, not just at dining times. They work hard & long imho & still manage to keep smiling.
If you calculate it to an hourly wage, it's not great pay.

 

[Four Swampers]

Hi all,

I just returned from a fantastic cruise. Wonderful weather. wonderful pampering. wonderful service.

I have a question about the tips that the 4 people receive. After that $12 a day is broken down....and say, your server is getting the $4 per day per person. Is that server, actually receiving the $4? Or is there money taken off that $4?

Also....they do get a regular wage as well? I am correct, no? while I know it's not what the average standards are, they do make some kind of a wage?

If they keep the entire $4/day/person....and make a small wage ontop of this....and assuming they don't loose anything off either, then,

why do people feel they do not make decent money, and that they are poorly undercompensated? I'm slightly confused.

Just looking for clarification, if I am wrong. Thanks

They make an very tiny wage. Almost all of their income is tip.

Whether or not they are undercompensated depends on perspective. First, they work very long hours: they are usually on duty by 6:00 am and off duty around 11:00 pm. They may get an hour or two of break during the day, but not much more. They work 7 days a week. Once or twice a week, they get six hours off, then back to work.

From the standpoint of an American, none of us would work that hard for the amount of money they make. After 9 cruises, I have never seen any servers from the USA, and only one from Western Europe. She was on her first contract; she anticipated doing one more contract (a server's contract lasts four months, I believe. Someone will correct me if I am wrong). After two contracts, she had no intention of coming back.

From the standpoint of someone from a less prosperous nation, the job is fantastic. Many people from Eastern Europe, India, and other Asian or African nations are delighted for the opportunity to make that much money. For them, sharing a room that is half the size of the smallest stateroom, working 100 hours a week, and being half way around the world from their family is the price you pay to earn that much money. Still an amount of money that no American would accept, mind you, but it is a lot for someone from a small village in India.

I use the India reference because we have talked about this with an awesome server from India. He has been with DCL for 10 years, he is happy, he is a great guy, and he says that in his village, he is regarded as wealthy. I can assure you that he would be regarded as poor in America, but that tip dollar goes ten times as far in rural India.

Again, it is all perspective. I certainly would not put in those hours for that wage. Indeed, I would not put in those hours for any wage. Still, the people who are doing that work are happy to have a job that is a great opportunity for them.

As a side note, by patronizing Disney and other cruise lines, we employ thousands of people. We, the cruisers, are the entire reason the cruise line exists. If not for us, there would be no employment for the men and women who designed the ship, built the ship, run the ship, run the activities, clean the ship, maintain the ship, serve the food, grow the food to sell to the cruise line, and run all the tourist activities in all the ports. A vast economic engine operates with our cruise charge and our tips.

 

[disney1990]

They work long, long hours. I know our Server told us that the next day he had a "shift" off -- not a day, but just part of a day. I will gladly tip because they work so hard to make my cruise Magical.

 

[Tinknalli]

Each serving team can have up to 18 in their section. Usually it is 16. They work up to 84 hours per week. 16 people x $4/day=$64.00. $64/day x 7 days= $448.00. $448 x 2 seatings= $896.00. $896 + $1.66 average daily wage from the cruise line= 897.66. 897.66/80 hours per week average= $11.22 hourly wage for server.

By the same calculations the assistant server would be $8.42/hour.

This is just an estimate based on what I have been told. It does not take into consideration the people that do not tip or reduce their tips.

They do not pay taxes on the tips.

 

[holula]

Each serving team can have up to 18 in their section. Usually it is 16. They work up to 84 hours per week. 16 people x $4/day=$64.00. $64/day x 7 days= $448.00. $448 + $1.66 average daily wage from the cruise line= 449.66. 449.66/80 hours per week average= $5.62 hourly wage for server. By the same calculations the assistant server would be $4.22/hour. This is just an estimate based on what I have been told. It does not take into consideration the people that do not tip or reduce their tips. They do not pay taxes on the tips.

They have two seatings though. So they could be receiving double that.

 

[Tinknalli]

They have two seatings though. So they could be receiving double that.

You are correct! My mistake! Making my corrections!

 

[lbgraves]

Each serving team can have up to 18 in their section. Usually it is 16. They work up to 84 hours per week. 16 people x $4/day=$64.00. $64/day x 7 days= $448.00. $448 + $1.66 average daily wage from the cruise line= 449.66. 449.66/80 hours per week average= $5.62 hourly wage for server.

By the same calculations the assistant server would be $4.22/hour.

This is just an estimate based on what I have been told. It does not take into consideration the people that do not tip or reduce their tips.

They do not pay taxes on the tips.

With two seatings, that should be doubled for the possible tips per day. However, as noted earlier, not everyone tips. Also I believe that your hours per week is on the low side. Servers work over 100 hours per week. There are taxes taken out as well but I have no idea what the amount would be. I didn't include the monthly amount for comp because honestly 12 cents per hour really doesn't make that much of a difference.

16 people x $4/day=$64.00. x 2 seatings $128/day x 7 days= $896.00. $896/100 hours per week average= $8.96 hourly wage for server from tips maximum with recommended amount.

 

[JohnDS]

$1.66 average daily wage .

I'm curious where this figure is from and if it's true, how the line gets around the minimum wage.
It's often pointed out that the are foreign flagged to avoid US labor laws, if that's true then I would assume they are bound to the labor laws in the country where the are flagged. The Bahamas minimum wage is 4 dollars per hour.

Sent from my rotary phone using DISBoards

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I'm curious where this figure is from and if it's true, how the line gets around the minimum wage.
It's often pointed out that the are foreign flagged to avoid US labor laws, if that's true then I would assume they are bound to the labor laws in the country where the are flagged. The Bahamas minimum wage is 4 dollars per hour.

Sent from my rotary phone using DISBoards

The CMs aren't paid an "hourly" wage. They get XX amount per month on their contracts. Don't know how that would work with a minimum wage law, since it's difficult to say exactly how many hours they will be working during a, say, 6-8 month contract.

 

[Tinknalli]

I'm curious where this figure is from and if it's true, how the line gets around the minimum wage.
It's often pointed out that the are foreign flagged to avoid US labor laws, if that's true then I would assume they are bound to the labor laws in the country where the are flagged. The Bahamas minimum wage is 4 dollars per hour.

Sent from my rotary phone using DISBoards

I believe they can get around it because of the compensation in room and board etc. It has been reported that they get approximately $50/month. I divided this by the average 30 days per month.

 

[Tinknalli]

With two seatings, that should be doubled for the possible tips per day. However, as noted earlier, not everyone tips. Also I believe that your hours per week is on the low side. Servers work over 100 hours per week. There are taxes taken out as well but I have no idea what the amount would be. I didn't include the monthly amount for comp because honestly 12 cents per hour really doesn't make that much of a difference.

16 people x $4/day=$64.00. x 2 seatings $128/day x 7 days= $896.00. $896/100 hours per week average= $8.96 hourly wage for server from tips maximum with recommended amount.

Correct on the to seatings. I made that correction. You may be correct on the number of hours they sometimes work as well. I used the figure from the DCL website that says 70-84 hours.

 

[Tinknalli]

Also from the DCL careers website:

You will enjoy a variety of "crew only" amenities that may include:
•Laundry areas (free of charge)
•Internet café
•24-hour crew gym
•Crew store with discounts
•Crew dining area (crew mess)
•Crew bar
•Recreation room
•Outdoor deck
•Crew pool on Disney Magic and Disney Wonder
•Private crew-only beach at Castaway Cay

You will also receive extraordinary benefits that may include:
•Shipboard medical care, and if appropriate, shoreside medical care while under contract
•Payments for subsistence/room and board if shoreside medical care is necessary while under contract
•Ability to purchase GAP medical coverage through insurer for periods in between contracts
•Shoreside room and board and set meal allowance during training for those living more than 120 miles from their port of embarkation
•Shipboard room and board based on berthing privilege
•Costumes/uniforms and laundering services at no additional expense
•Complimentary Disney theme park admission
•Discounts at select Disney resort hotels
•Discounts on Disney merchandise at select worldwide Disney locations

 

[disney1990]

Also from the DCL careers website:

You will enjoy a variety of "crew only" amenities that may include:
•Laundry areas (free of charge)
•Internet café
•24-hour crew gym
•Crew store with discounts
•Crew dining area (crew mess)
•Crew bar
•Recreation room
•Outdoor deck
•Crew pool on Disney Magic and Disney Wonder
•Private crew-only beach at Castaway Cay

You will also receive extraordinary benefits that may include:
•Shipboard medical care, and if appropriate, shoreside medical care while under contract
•Payments for subsistence/room and board if shoreside medical care is necessary while under contract
•Ability to purchase GAP medical coverage through insurer for periods in between contracts
•Shoreside room and board and set meal allowance during training for those living more than 120 miles from their port of embarkation
•Shipboard room and board based on berthing privilege
•Costumes/uniforms and laundering services at no additional expense
•Complimentary Disney theme park admission
•Discounts at select Disney resort hotels
•Discounts on Disney merchandise at select worldwide Disney locations

If you have time off to enjoy these.

 

[jenf22]

Each serving team can have up to 18 in their section. Usually it is 16. They work up to 84 hours per week. 16 people x $4/day=$64.00. $64/day x 7 days= $448.00. $448 x 2 seatings= $896.00. $896 + $1.66 average daily wage from the cruise line= 897.66. 897.66/80 hours per week average= $11.22 hourly wage for server.

By the same calculations the assistant server would be $8.42/hour.

Extending your calculation, if they worked a full year they would make ~$47,000 with no real expenses to speak of (lodging and food are provided).

 

[tinkerone]

just curious here, i know i have heard from these boards and from the horses mouth that if someone deciders to do this for 5 years they can often go home and be retired, never have to work a regular job again. now this is obviously third world countries that are being talked about but………if you could work those hours for 5 years and go home and retire would you?? i know i would. keep in mind that they do get 'rest periods' to go home and it is in two month stints, unpaid but still a rest.
just a question, not a debate.

 

[disney1990]

Extending your calculation, if they worked a full year they would make ~$47,000 with no real expenses to speak of (lodging and food are provided).

If everybody tips, perhaps. No real expenses? If I put you on the ship, you might not have expenses on the ship, but the expenses back home continue.