Total income from tips -anyone done the math?

[peg2001]

Just curious if anyone has looked at DCL's tip recommendations in terms of income for the DCL employees. For example, if you assume that a stateroom host cares for 20 cabins on the 7-day cruise and that there is an average of 3 people per cabin and everyone pays only the suggested tip amount ($25.25/person), the host makes $1515 per week or $75,750 per year (50 weeks).

My assumptions may be off as I don't really know how many cabins are assigned to each stateroom host and guessed that cabins usually hold 2, 3, or 4 people that 3 would be average. Still, that is not a bad income considering that room and board is provided by DCL!!

 

[prymsu]

is that i bet that the staff does not always get the recommened tips, and in fact i bet there is a chunk of folks that forgo tipping...I highly doubt that they can count on getting the full amount.

 

[IrishCowboy]

Each stateroom host is assigned 10 cabins per cruise.

I've been told that on average:
25% don't tip or undertip
50% tip the suggested amount
25% tip above the suggested amount

 

[CSX2]

I think 20 cabins is probably high. Seems to me that there were a lot of room stewards in the general vacinity of our cabins. We had 4 cabins relatively close to each other and 2 different stewards. Plus, having been in the sevice industry, to assume that every guest tips the recommended amount is probably wishful thinking.

However, if you are right, good for them! Both of the stewards we had did a terrific job and we tipped above the recommended amount. And if they are making that much I might be looking at a career change!

 

[daltonsdodisney]

Wow! Then why do most posters seem to give the impression that they don't do that well?

 

[din]

Let's not forget that the base pay is not high. Someone may correct me on this - Dave can you help carify this?

I think they do have to pay for some minimal food and the rooms? Anyone else have a different set of information.

On our trip we chatted with our servers who averages 70-80 or more hour week. There are on the ship for six months before they can leave for a vacation. Also they not only work during the dinning room, where they get tips, but also the other food service areas. Saw our Palo server during breakfast of disembarkation morning.

The same applies to the stateroom host/hostess too. Saw him in the morning, 7AM to 11PM always cleaning or doing rooms.

BTW way full agreement with CSX2, having been in the restaurant business, upscale too, during my college days it is amazing how some tips are, err... well that is a different thread and topic...

 

[disneychic]

My husband is a ferry boat captain in New York and we've discussed similar topics. What he has told me is that because that almost all cruise ships are not registered in the U.S. they have foreign crews. The reason for this is that they do not have to comply with U.S. Coast Guard rules/regs. and they do not have to pay their crew members American currency. Also, another reason for this is that they do not have to have their employess in a Union. If the boat was U.S. registered, they'd be paying them a much higher salary, with U.S. benefits, and have to comply with Unions, and of course the U.S. Coast Guard. Becuase of this their crew doesn't have to be Coast Guard Certified, they have different license's etc.

 

[Lisa F]

I agree that 20 cabins per room attendant sounds very high, and I also agree that our room attendant seemed to work from 7am til at LEAST 11 pm and sometimes later. She was always around whenever we were around and was in our room at least 2-3 times a day cleaning up, filling the ice bucket, giving fresh towels, etc. Working from 7am-11pm is a 15 hour day, times 7 days in the week is a 105 hour work week. Assuming tip of about $75/cabin times 10 cabins for the week, that's $750 for the week or $7.20/hour. I hardly think they are getting rich on that, I think some kids who work at McDonalds around here get paid at least that much.

Even if they WERE making $75k/year, they are earning it considering their 105 hour work week. If they were earning the equivalent rate for a 40 hour work week then they would be making $28,400 per year, again, hardly something to get rich on.

Lisa

 

[GOOFY D]

I also think that since the vessel is in foreign waters, they are not subject to US income taxes. That makes their pay even worth more.

 

[daltonsdodisney]

I don't think it's like slave labor or anything. They wouldn't do it if there weren't some great benefits. I bet those jobs are hard to come by!

 

[magyar2]

We had some great conversations with our servers one time when we saw them off boat in Nassau, and one of them was about the jobs on DCL.

While both our servers had worked on other cruise lines before Disney, they said that the Disney company was the one that everyone wanted. They mentioned that other cruise lines have to go begging for people to work on them, but Disney always has more people applying than they need (though with only two ships, I can see how they don't have as many spots to fill as RCCL). They also said that working for Disney, they were treated better than any other cruise line they had ever worked for, and once someone was hired to work the Disney boats, they rarely left unless they were getting out of cruise work.

Now, they may have just been feeding us the company line, but they were really enthusiastic when they were telling us how great it was to work for DCL as opposed to the other lines. So, the jobs may be hard to come by, and Disney may get the best employees because of that. Perhaps that is why so many of us are more than thrilled with the service we receive!

 

[iloverags2]

Also keep in mind they might not be working the entire year. Our dining room server during our last cruise was working his last trip (he had been going non-stop for 7 months) before heading home to see his family, including children, and spending 5 months with them. He was so looking forward to going home since he hadn't seen his wife or children for so long, and he just went on and on about the kids with a huge grin on his face knowing he would be seeing them soon.

 

[prymsu]

They work six months straight with no days off, and then they get two months off to go home...

 

[Dave_from_Marietta]

Just some amplifications and clarifications...

<nl><li>I doubt any room attendant services 20 rooms. I doubt it's even as many as 10 rooms.<br>
<li>Yes, many people stiff their room attendants.<br>
<li>Yes, they are paid a wage, but that wage if offset by what DCL <i>charges</i> them for room and board. They don't get to ride for free!<br>
<li>Nobody onboard works 50 weeks a year. They work 8-month contracts (actually... the length of the contract varies depending on the type of job, but for the purpose of this discussion, let's say it's an 8-month contract). After the completion of their contract, they take 1 - 2 months off (again... the actual amount of time depends on the position). They are offered another contract only if they have received high remarks on guest comment cards.<br>
<li>My DW has worked in the restaurant industry in the U.S. Almost nobody keeps 100% of their tips. They are usually expected to pool their tips to share with employees who don't receive tips... or are expected to "tip out"... share some of their tips with other employees.<br>
<li>Yes, they work long and hard... and that's why you see so many people from foreign countries. We're so fat and comfortable with our standard of living in the U.S., there's no way they could staff their boats with U.S. citizens willing to work so hard, for so long, for so little money.<br>
<li>But it <i>is</i> good money compared to standard incomes in the places from where they come from, so they are happy to be there.</nl>

 

[din]

Thanks Dave. I remember reading somewhere that the staff is charged for room and board.

 

[atigeg]

Thanks for that excellent clarification, Dave!!
Every time we cruise, my admiration for the hardworking crew is renewed. When you divide their hours by the income they receive, it is very small by American standards. But for most of them, it is a better income than they can make in their homeland, and it's a way they can support their families. So many of them have left a spouse and children behind. We had a server on RCCL who came from India and who had worked on ships for many years. He had several children, and although it was hard on him to be away from them so much, he said that he was able to send home enough money to give them a comfortable life (at least by India's standards).
And the amazing thing is, even with the hard work and long hours, the crew members almost invariably have a smile on their faces. If you get a chance, be sure to spend some time chatting with them...they are often fascinating people.
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com

 

[Lisa F]

We also spoke to our server about working on DCL. I don't think it's just the company line, but I really do think people like working there. According to our server (who said he had worked on other cruise lines) DCL is the only one who actually has a human resources person on the ship. That means they have an actual place to go if they have a problem with a superior and disney really cares that their employees are happy. He also said that the quarters are much nicer and much more private than on other cruise lines as are the health and fitness facilities.

Lisa

 

[HelenC]

I we just got back from the 5/4 cruise and our stateroom host had 8 cabins....and he would've only had 7 if we didn't move into one of his empty cabins after the first night.

I do feel bad for them as they are away from their families for such long periods of time...but I remind myself that they have applied for these jobs and must want to be doing this for one reason or another. It's not like Disney heads over to these countries and forces people to work for them.

I'm also a bit of a skeptic and take everything they say with a grain of salt. I'm sure that they are well aware that if they tug at your heart strings, you are more likely to leave a better tip out of pity. It works on me everytime!

Helen.

 

[Lisa F]

I don't know that any of the people we encountered on our disney cruise wanted us to feel bad for them, and I don't really feel bad for them. Like anything, it has its plusses and minuses and every crew member we talked with seemed to really love their job. My only point is that in general, they work very very hard and earn every penny they get... and are by no means getting rich off of what might seem like the very large tips that disney recommends.

Lisa

 

[HelenC]

I'm not saying that all servers/hosts try to make you feel bad for them....I guess it's just a few comments that I've heard from them that stand out in my mind, like 'they feed the fish in the sea better than they feed us' and 'we work so hard, we barely have enough time to sleep'.

I agree, that they work really hard and earn every penny they get. I feel bad that they always have to be so friendly. I'm sure they have days when they don't feel like having the perma-grin on. I was walking late on deck 10 one night and caught a female server sneaking a cigarette. she was crouched down near a door so I naturaly looked down as I walked by. She quickly hid her cigarette, smiled and said hello. She looked nervous. I just smiled back and said "don't worry....I'll never tell!" I don't feel like I'm above any of them, so it makes me feel uncomfortable when they act so humble. Instead of a 'good evening, m'am' I'd prefer a 'hey, how's it goin'?'

Helen.