Who, What, When, How of Tipping on DCL

[Aanna]

For us, it has varied according to service.

It sounds like you have had a LOT of variation in service, too! When the service has been good, can you ballpark what you tipped them?

 

[BCV23]

It sounds like you have had a LOT of variation in service, too! When the service has been good, can you ballpark what you tipped them?

Not sure at all about the attentive crew member from the Magic. I think it may have been $30? BTW that time we were at Serenity Bay. The time the gal drove us to the ship, I think I tipped $10. It was actually the same time no one answered our call during the storm. She drove up and looked at us huddled near the door. I asked for a ride to the ship as we no longer wanted to even try staying in the soaked cabana. That was a cabana on the family beach.

You are doing a great job with this thread. As everyone has said, there is no right or wrong answer but it is so helpful to get a consensus.

With regard to room service tips, it is my understanding that cash tips go to the person who assembles and delivers your order. Tips added to your account are split between everyone. So I tip in cash.

 

[Aanna]

Not sure at all about the attentive crew member from the Magic. I think it may have been $30? BTW that time we were at Serenity Bay. The time the gal drove us to the ship, I think I tipped $10. It was actually the same time no one answered our call during the storm. She drove up and looked at us huddled near the door. I asked for a ride to the ship as we no longer wanted to even try staying in the soaked cabana. That was a cabana on the family beach.

You are doing a great job with this thread. As everyone has said, there is no right or wrong answer but it is so helpful to get a consensus.

With regard to room service tips, it is my understanding that cash tips go to the person who assembles and delivers your order. Tips added to your account are split between everyone. So I tip in cash.

Thank you! I've added your point about cash vs. account tipping.

 

[Carrie in AZ]

My personal opinion is the MDR service team and the room stewards deserve more than what DCL recommends. To that end, we have tipped extra. I made a point of speaking to each person individually, thanking them for their outstanding, attentive service and let them know I would be tipping them an extra amount. They sure did appreciate hearing it from me in person. I worked as a waitress and know what a hard job it is.

We have cruised twice, both times during October so we brought along quite a bit of fun size candy bars and gave some to our room steward and the CMs in Edge. After cruising the first time, I read here how someone had brought British candy to give to the CMs in the Club (many are British) and that one CM broke down and cried she was so happy! I wanted to be a shero on our second cruise so I did the same! And some British snacks I bought at an intl market near my house. I also brought some magazines to give to them.

Everyone wants to feel valued and appreciated. I loved doing a little extra for the CMs and will do so again whenever we cruise again.

We shared a family cabana with another family I met in our cruise group. We tipped the host in cash but I cannot remember how much. Maybe $20 per family?

We tipped room service about $3 per delivery, I don't think any less but it could have been more. I took 50 one dollar bills with us to ensure I had enough small bills during the cruise.

 

[phinz]

4. Cabana hosts at Castaway Cay are Concierge staff members.

Not so for Serenity Bay. Serenity Bay tends to be some random crew member.

 

[phinz]

I recall hearing somewhere that the sommelier should be tipped separately if one gets the wine pairing?

This is standard practice in any high end restaurant.

 

[Aanna]

Not so for Serenity Bay. Serenity Bay tends to be some random crew member.

Okay, I'm clueless about cabanas. Are there other ports that offer cabanas staffed by Disney besides Castaway Cay and Serenity Bay?

This is standard practice in any high end restaurant.

True, but it feels as if so little on the cruise is "standard!" What do *you usually tip the Palo/Remy sommelier?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Okay, I'm clueless about cabanas. Are there other ports that offer cabanas staffed by Disney besides Castaway Cay and Serenity Bay?

No. The only off ship staffing by DCL crew members on cruises would be on Castaway Cay. At the family beach cabanas and the Serenity Bay cabanas.

 

[phinz]

Okay, I'm clueless about cabanas. Are there other ports that offer cabanas staffed by Disney besides Castaway Cay and Serenity Bay?

Serenity Bay is on Castaway Cay. It's the adult beach. Apparently adults don't warrant concierge hosts.

True, but it feels as if so little on the cruise is "standard!" What do *you usually tip the Palo/Remy sommelier?

We don't, because we've not done the wine pairing.

 

[RedSox68]

It sounds like you have had a LOT of variation in service, too! When the service has been good, can you ballpark what you tipped them?

If you are talking about getting a cabana on the beach and not the spa ones, we tipped our host $25 at the end of the day. That was the average on another thread about this the year we went (2014).

 

[Aanna]

That passing reference I read somewhere about tipping the sommelier at Palo/Remy has been bothering me. It echoed things I had read long ago in Emily Post, and, yet, being a dilettante oenophile, I still had not encountered a situation in which it seemed appropriate. So I've done some research, and it seems that, other than any cash tip you might hand to any server who has done you a signature service, tipping the sommelier separately is no longer an issue: the standard 20% of one's bill is still appropriate and will be pooled by the appropriate staff.

A few of my references on this topic:
http://www.winespectator.com/drvinny/show/id/45652
http://www.alicefeiring.com/blog/2013/09/tipping-your-sommelier-change-in-the-rules-.html

Okay, now I feel better.

 

[Aanna]

Serenity Bay is on Castaway Cay. It's the adult beach. Apparently adults don't warrant concierge hosts.

Is there a way one can tell the difference between a concierge host and an any-old-cast-member host? I suppose that if one is a concierge-class cruiser, one would recognize them. The rest of us should just tip immediately in cash anyway?

I'm trying to figure out a succinct way to phrase this in the first post LOL "Castaway Cay cabana hosts (other than on Serenity Bay) are concierge hosts and may be tipped by concierge guests at the end of the cruise. If you are at Serenity Bay or not a concierge cruiser, tips should be given immediately and in cash if the service warrants ($10-$25 seems to be the base range)." Right?

 

[phinz]

Is there a way one can tell the difference between a concierge host and an any-old-cast-member host? I suppose that if one is a concierge-class cruiser, one would recognize them. The rest of us should just tip immediately in cash anyway?

I'm trying to figure out a succinct way to phrase this in the first post LOL "Castaway Cay cabana hosts (other than on Serenity Bay) are concierge hosts and may be tipped by concierge guests at the end of the cruise. If you are at Serenity Bay or not a concierge cruiser, tips should be given immediately and in cash if the service warrants ($10-$25 seems to be the base range)." Right?

Concierge hosts wear tan suits. When I've seen them on CC they've been wearing the same. That may change in hotter weather. I don't know. We are always at Serenity Bay and just happen to see them when out and about.

 

[Aanna]

Concierge hosts wear tan suits. When I've seen them on CC they've been wearing the same. That may change in hotter weather. I don't know. We are always at Serenity Bay and just happen to see them when out and about.

Thank you!

I have thought of a new question: do excursion guides prefer to be tipped in local currency or dollars?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Thank you!

I have thought of a new question: do excursion guides prefer to be tipped in local currency or dollars?

We've mostly tipped in US. But have also used local.

 

[Carrie in AZ]

Golly, didn't even think about tipping in local currency!! Now I am concerned about the US tip we gave our Capt in Grand Cayman. I suspect it happens all the time though.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Golly, didn't even think about tipping in local currency!! Now I am concerned about the US tip we gave our Capt in Grand Cayman. I suspect it happens all the time though.

Generally, any tour operator/guide has the ability to convert other currencies into their own without much issue. They usually get large amounts and it's not like they're just taking $10 to the bank to convert.

Especially in the Caribbean I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[justme0729]

We've never cruised and were cruising concierge... Are the concierge hosts, concierge bartender, etc (extra things from normal servers, cleaning etc) added automatically or do you have to give it to them in person?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We've never cruised and were cruising concierge... Are the concierge hosts, concierge bartender, etc (extra things from normal servers, cleaning etc) added automatically or do you have to give it to them in person?

You tip them yourself. As you do with all other tips. Difference being for your "regular" room host and dining room servers the tips are automatically added to your onboard account, and you get gratuity coupons to put in the gratuity envelopes that you receive at the end of the cruise for handing out. You will also get concierge gratuity envelopes, but you put whatever cash amount in there that you wish.

 

[NAB]

I recall hearing somewhere that the sommelier should be tipped separately if one gets the wine pairing?

The tip to this person is automatically on the bill , I think it is 15% just like the bar.

The server's tip is not on there though at Palo's