Originally posted by lillygator
Oh my! I just saw in a thread that the minimum recommended tip amount for a 7 day cruise is about $610!! Is this correct?
The numbers in the
DCL brochure and on the DCL website are the recommended tip amounts -- not the
minimum recommended tip amounts.
I think most of us treat DCL's recommended amounts as the minimums. But you should feel just as free to go lower as to go higher, based on the quality of the service you receive. (Considering the excellence of the people who work on the DCL ships, it much more likely that you'll want to adjust up instead of down.)
As others have noted, the amounts are per passenger (regardless of age), per cruise based on the length of cruise -- not per stateroom or per day.
For the four main tipped positions, our preference is to pay against our shipboard account at Guest Services. If you don't wait until the last minute, it's quick and easy. You get two receipts for each tip -- one to keep for your records, and one to put into the envelope. Neither you nor the tip recipient has to bother with cash. It's accurate and secure. If you provided a credit card that gives reward point points, you earn points on the tips.
Remember that for crew members in the four main tipped positions, the tips are essentially their paycheck. They support their families back home. They work 7 days a week, often starting early in the morning.