Tips -- The Poll

[budwmn]

The other thread on tipping made me curious. How about a poll?

 

[Presentation]

The poll makes it difficult if you don’t fall into one of these four. The results may mislead you into thinking things are one way when they are another.

 

[eva]

The poll makes it difficult if you don’t fall into one of these fout. The results may mislead you into thinking things are one way when they are another.

Could you give an example of what you mean?

Thanks.

 

[tvguy]

The current system offers the most options. You can:
1) Tip on the final night based on service received.
2) Prepay your tips the minute you walk on the ship based on the guidelines.
3) Tip nothing. (not recommended, but it IS an option)

 

[Presentation]

Could you give an example of what you mean?

Thanks.

Please see http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2408971

 

[woody73]

I think the current system works well for the typical Disney cruise out of Florida, where the vast majority of guests are used to tipping.

But there are many countries where tipping is not the norm. I'm not saying one system is better than the other, only that they are different.

We were recently on a Celebrity cruise that had guests from many countries. Celebrity adds a tip daily to the shipboard account. There was a tour group of 25 people from a country where tipping is not the norm, and they all had their entire tips removed. I felt bad for the servers and stewards who work so hard and rely on the tips.

Other cruise lines have been grappling with the tipping issue for years.

Woody

 

[kcashner]

Until and unless other lines start to include tips in the fares, DCL won't do it. THey're not going to do anything that makes a cruise LOOK more expensive.

 

[mammacaryn]

The system is fine....their tipping guideline is only a suggestion.

It is my money, my vacation. I tip based on the services I receive and how well they are performed.

I use the tips they list ONLY as a guideline. Some people I tip exactly what is suggested, some less and some more.

Tipping is a personal thing-that is why I don't understand why these threads about tipping get so HUGE, there is no right or wrong if you are doing what you genuinely feel is fare.

 

[MassDisLovers]

I think threads on tips get so huge because people feel strongly about it. In our day-to-day world, there are generally accepted guidelines about tipping that we all understand. In a restaurant, for example most people, will tip at the conclusion of their meal and factor in tax and tip as a part of the experience. Of course, some will tip more, some less, but it is generally understood that 15% is a "good" tip, so we know where to begin. On a cruise, we don't really know what the"value" is. What is the monetary (real world) value of my 7 dinners in the dining rooms , brunch at Palo or the value of a cabin attendant coming in a couple times a day? How do I really know how much the Head Server did to make sure my dining room experience was superb? His/her work is mostly done "behind the scenes" in support of the servers and assistants - what's the value of that?

The "value" of some onboard services is known - the massage cost $125.00, so I can figure from there, the cocktail was $7.95 - do I want to add an additional gratuity over and above the 15% already added?

I like it that DCL "suggests" tip amounts and consider that to be the starting point, sort of like the 15% "good" tip in a restaurant at home.

And, yes, people will go on a cruise and not tip. That's life. My daughter waitresses in a summer venue where about 20% of the patrons are foreign and generally do not tip. They know that , it's part of the job. They don't like it, but can do nothing about it. I'm sure the DCL workers feel the same way and are grateful for those of us who do the right thing when we cruise.

 

[UK-Simon]

Of course, some will tip more, some less, but it is generally understood that 15% is a "good" tip, so we know where to begin.

Slightly off topic, I just wanted to give my opinion on how to view tips in a real world situation. (I am a server myself)

Rather than view what is a good or bad tip, like to think of it in service terms. I consider for me to earn a 15% tip, I should be giving "good service" If I give great service, I would consider a "good tip" to be 20%. (I am not saying I expect this, I am just saying that a good tip depends on the service.

If I give less than good service (which I hopefully never do!), a "good tip" would be 10%, but in reality it could be as low as 0) Sometimes also bad service can be beyond your control. Tonight in fact we had a huge back log at the bar for drinks. I felt bad I could not get my drinks to the table quick enough, yet in reality there was nothing within my power to make it any faster. This will effect my tips for a reason beyond my control. (And I understand that, it's part of the role.)

By the time you tip your support staff out from your sales, every 1% over can make a big difference.

I guess to summarize, my point is a good tip is always relative to the service given.

 

[mindelmouse]

I also found this poll too vague...I don't think that the Disney system the way it is now is perfect. It has some very large flaws that need to be fixed. However, I don't want tipping to be automatic charges. Tips should be in my control as to what I want to give. I know people new to cruising don't always realize that their cruise cost is really more because, it's acceptable to add tips, however, they should not have to. I want there to be incentive for these people to earn the tips. If they know their going to get them regardless of what they do, there will always be a contingent that do the bare minimum and with so many people working on a ship, it would be a while and many upset customers until Disney would know. I want to note, that I still think certain members of the crew are way underpaid and the cruise industry looks to the consumer to make up the difference and this is very wrong. They should not be pushing off their payroll costs to us. When cruising, you are made to feel really bad if you don't give the servers or stewards really good tips and I don't think that's a good thing.

 

[tvguy]

I think tipping works best for both the employer and the customer. The customer is the only one who knows if they received good service. The customer then tips accordingly, and staff not providing good service are not sharing in that like they would with automatic tipping.

I think any good waitperson will tell you, there are a lot of little tricks you can do to boost your tips and your customer satisfaction.
I worked with a lady who used to wait tables at a local grill on the side 2 nights a week. She made more in the 8-10 hours a week she was there in tips that she made being a TV director for 40 hours a week.
First, she was a flirt, and that always got the guys opening up their wallets at tip time.
Second, new wait staff were always "turning her in" to the boss for bringing unordered appetizers to tables and not billing customers for them. The owner knew she was doing it, and approved because usually that $3 appetizer (that cost $1 a prepare) prompted the table to order another $35 round of drinks (that cost $6 to prepare).

 

[dylan'smom]

I like it the way it is. On the lines that charge a daily gratuity it seems like a FEE. Yes, you may go down to guest services and have it removed, but it feels impersonal and creates a sense of a bill, no a gratuity for good service. It's like tax - the vendor can pretend they are charging less...lol...and psychologically you think so too..NOT.

Those who do NOT go to the dining rooms are still being served, often by the very SAME servers who are in dining rooms. These are not extras being subsidized, they are the same people working all day in different capacities.

We like Regent Seven Seas because tips & drinks are included...but it costs a lot more in the first place for sure.

DCL needs to be competitive in the mass market cruise industry and doesn't need to get the tacky rep when charging fees instead of suggesting gratuities. TIPS = to insure prompt service

 

[tvguy]

I like it the way it is. On the lines that charge a daily gratuity it seems like a FEE. Yes, you may go down to guest services and have it removed, but it feels impersonal and creates a sense of a bill, no a gratuity for good service. It's like tax - the vendor can pretend they are charging less...lol...and psychologically you think so too..NOT.

Actually, on our NCL cruise (2007) , you could NOT reduce it. They now call it a service charge and it is not negotiable.
Their line is...if service is not up to expectations, they want to know about it immediately so it can be corrected. If you receive subpar service, your only avenue is to complain, not reduce the service fee.

 

[Poohbug]

I think the ones you should ask about tipping are the DCL employees. They pretty much make their living off of the tips. Are they making a living wage on what they are receiving in tips? Do a lot of people not tip and this is causing hardship for them?

I guess I would never consider not tipping unless service was unacceptable. I'm sure that does not happen often on a cruise.

I think the current system is fine but if there are a lot of people out there not tipping, I can see why it would need to be changed.

 

[dylan'smom]

Actually, on our NCL cruise (2007) , you could NOT reduce it. They now call it a service charge and it is not negotiable.
Their line is...if service is not up to expectations, they want to know about it immediately so it can be corrected. If you receive subpar service, your only avenue is to complain, not reduce the service fee.

Ah, good to know. NCL does some things a bit differently and sometimes they catch on...as I recall they were the first mass market line to offer free style dining? Uh oh.

I think the ones you should ask about tipping are the DCL employees.

Good luck with that one. LOL It would be nice, I agree, but I'm guessing DCL isn't likely to poll their employees when setting the policy.

 

[tvguy]

I think the ones you should ask about tipping are the DCL employees. They pretty much make their living off of the tips. Are they making a living wage on what they are receiving in tips? Do a lot of people not tip and this is causing hardship for them?

I guess I would never consider not tipping unless service was unacceptable. I'm sure that does not happen often on a cruise.

I think the current system is fine but if there are a lot of people out there not tipping, I can see why it would need to be changed.

We chatted with our server on HAL about the whole tip thing, as well as whether cruise staff are paid fairly. He said it is just a hazard of the job. He said the vast majority of passengers who do not tip come from nations where tipping either isn't the practice, or in some cases, it's against the law. He just plans on about 10% of his guests not tipping.
He was from Indonesia and pointed out the salary he is paid per month is more than the average annual pay in Indonesia, so even without tips, he is ahead of the game. He had been on the ship 5 years, and figured another in 2 years he would have saved enough to retire back in Indonesia.....at age 30!!! So, while the pay and work seem awful to a lot of Westerners, how many of us would consider a job that paid enough that we could retire at such a young age? Wish I had kept in touch with him to find out if his plan worked out.

 

[AhoyCaptainMickey]

Another like it as it is now vote here.