tips

[jfis1020]

We read in our Passporter that it suggests approx. $76.25 per person for tips on the 7 day cruise. Since we have two adult and three children (ages 9, 6 and 4), should we tip that much for the two smaller ones? We certainly don't want to short anyone and will tip more for exceptional service, but does a child of 4 constitute that much? I understand ultimately tipping is our decision, but we want to be fair for all involved.

 

[mmouse37]

Yes....that is per person regardless of age. After you cruise you will see why. Your servers and stateroom host/hostess usually go well beyond what you would expect and really do deserve that much. They are especially good with children and most of the time go out of their way to keep them happy and entertained. Even you skip a dinner in the dining room the suggested tips for the week still stands.

If for some reason you are not satisfied with your service then you certainly should tip less, but those instances seem to be few and far between.

MJ

 

[ReadyForDisney2003]

I have to say I was very dissapointed with our servers during our Thanksgiving Magic cruise in 2001. I had my DS 6 and DD2 with us. Can you please tell me why I had to ask for crayons and kids menus every day? And, there was never a booster at the table -- I had to hunt down one of those, too. We finally said something to the head waiter on Tuesday or Wednesday, but really.

I have heard nothing but about good things about servers and ours were lousy. Frankly, I don't feel they deserved the amount we tipped, but we did it anyway. I think the whole tipping thing is so strange. Do they *really* know who tips how much? I don't think there was any recognigition our tipping. I wish they would just roll it all into the cost of the cruise. I'm pretty sure we just put the cash in the tip envelopes and handed it to them.

 

[inkkognito]

They know who tips what if you use the envelopes provided and write in your name on the space provided on the envelope.
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com

 

[mmouse37]

Sounds like you had one of those "few and far between" experiences.

We have sailed on DCL 7 times and each time had fantastic servers....always tipped above the requested amount. It does happen that you get a serving team not up to par.....sorry you had to experience it because it can make such a difference with a good team.

MJ

 

[Buckaroo's Dad]

Good morning, ReadyForDisney2003!

Can you please tell me why I had to ask for crayons and kids menus every day?

Ooh, ooh, Mistah Kottah, Mistah Kottah ooh ooh I know I know. Ooh ooh.

Yes, Horshack?

'Cause dey wern't at de tayble when dey got dhere! (Heh heh heh)...

 

[westjones]

I have been on 3 DCL cuises (3 day, 4 day and 7 day) and our service was also good, but I must say on the 7 day is was SUPER!!!!! REALLY SUPER!!!!! But all of them were good, and they all made our experience wonderful!

The tip suggestions seemed strange to me until I saw a PBS show about cruises and how little the people on board get paid (hardly anything). They basically live on the tips. After I saw that the tip suggestion made sense to me. I don't think a lot of people who are new to cruising realize that the servers don't get paid a 'real' salary.

Anyway, they are worth every penny! They make the trip really SUPER!
DJ

 

[SweetSpot]

ReadyForDisney2003:

We had the same experience. We really didn't like our head server, he was arrogant and not good with kids at all. My kids are older and have been eating in restaurants since they were born. I was very proud of the because they were extremely well behaved so it wasn't their behavior that caused his attitude.

Among other thingss he brought wrong meals for them, twice forgot one sons meal entirely and chastised them for not eating their vegetables or ordering the same meal every night and not trying new foods. Unfortunately, he also did this to my husband. Luckily, he controlled his temper for my sake but I know my DH was really unhappy. I found the server while he was working at Topsiders for lunch and asked him very, very politely to please lay off my husband and children. We were on vacation and if noone touched a vegetable and lived on chicken fingers that was alright with me. I fight to get them to eat well at home, I wasn't doing it on vacation.

He wasn't pleased with me after that and it was really obvious. We were very lucky to have a really sweet asst. server but with such a horrible head server he was spread too thin and meals never went smoothly.

We still tipped the suggested amount for the head server and over tipped the asst server. It's frustrating to have read here how great other servers are but it didn't ruin our trip and didn't stop us from rebooking. Hopefully, next time it will be better.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Originally posted by SweetSpot
We really didn't like our head server, he was arrogant and not good with kids at all.
...

We still tipped the suggested amount for the head server and over tipped the asst server.

The head server's job is to make sure that everything is functioning properly throughout the dining room. Aside from a friendly greeting when you enter, or a brief stop at your table to make sure you're happy, you seldom interact much with the head server -- unless there's a problem.

Your dining room server and your dining room assistant server take care of your table and a few adjacent tables.

 

[SweetSpot]

Sorry I misspoke it was our dining room server and the assistant dining room server that I was referring to. The HEAD server we only saw for a few minutes when we entered the dining room.

 

[dclwdwlover]

We try to stick to the recommended amount as much as possible, but I do have to admit that when we have had exceptional, personalized service we have tipped well beyond the amount & vice-versa. Even tho they give an amount to tip & I understand why, I still feel that, as these workers know, all are on a vacation and on a Disney Cruise they are looking for a "magical" vacation, so they should do their best to assure that that is the case. Last 2 cruises we gave our stateroom & both 2 dining room servers quite a bit above the amount listed. In turn, we gave nothing to the DR Host, as the first cruise we didn't even get a 'hello' or nod from him & the 2nd cruise just once did he make eye contact with us along with the rest of the table.
Sweetspot - If we had received such horrible treatment, we not only wouldn't have tipped the requested amount, we (probably I) would have complained discreetly. Yup - I know me - I would have! I just wouldn't have let my family know while on the trip (as you didn't) because I wouldn't want to ruin things for them.
Everyone can have a bad day(s), but when you called it to the servers attention he should have made an effort to do much better.

 

[Dean]

We haven't been on DCL but on other cruises have always tipped the recommended amount or just over. I've always wondered though if having a larger group, especially with younger children, if the recommended amounts were a bit much.

 

[JLSM97]

I've always wondered though if having a larger group, especially with younger children, if the recommended amounts were a bit much.

I wondered this same thing when we first researched the cruise. However, at the end of the week when we filled the tip envelopes, I realized that the CM's did more for the KIDS than for us. The assistant dining room server was on her hands and knees under my son's high chair every night picking up all the food he dropped/threw. The stateroom hostess emptied the Diaper Genie every day and straightened up a VERY cluttery room just so she could vacuum and make our beds.

If not for our children, I don't know if I would've felt like tipping anything extra, but in the end I tipped each of "our" CM's a little over the recommended amount, and for those two extra-helpful CM's they got quite a bit more. They definitely contributed to making our first cruise magical!