Who, What, When, How of Tipping on DCL

[Aanna]

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

Well, I suppose that makes it easy! I like the symmetry of *all* the alcoholic beverages handling the gratuities in the same way: the comfort of the predictable. LOL

 

[nrexxma44]

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.

The last 2 cruises we were on, we were concierge, and our hosts wore white shorts and striped tops in the Cabanas, when on the ship they always wore their tan uniforms.

 

[TestingH2O]

The last 2 cruises we were on, we were concierge, and our hosts wore white shorts and striped tops in the Cabanas, when on the ship they always wore their tan uniforms.

Our hosts on the dream wore aloha style shirts but yes, definitely shorts not suits. They were also always riding bikes.

 

[phinz]

The last 2 cruises we were on, we were concierge, and our hosts wore white shorts and striped tops in the Cabanas, when on the ship they always wore their tan uniforms.

It's nice to see they let them get out of those awful, boring beige suits. I hate that uniform. It's so bland.

 

[Aanna]

The last 2 cruises we were on, we were concierge, and our hosts wore white shorts and striped tops in the Cabanas, when on the ship they always wore their tan uniforms.

LOL So it doesn't look as if there is a hard and fast rule for this other than, "If it's pertinent to you, you'll know 'em when you see 'em?"

In terms of tipping, then, unless you actually recognize your cabana host, it's probably best to tip them in cash by the end of the day?

 

[phinz]

In terms of tipping, then, unless you actually recognize your cabana host, it's probably best to tip them in cash by the end of the day?

This would seem to be the case.

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

I read this whole thread and I didn't see an answer to a tipping question that I wondered about. My apologies if this has already been answered.

My question is about the various automatic gratuities. Who, SPECIFICALLY gets these? Are they split up among all the servers or is it the one that rings up your bill? So for instance, if you get specialty drinks with dinner, does your head server get the whole tip, or is split with the assistant, or does some "bartender" get the tip. Likewise, if you order item that costs extra from room service, does the person that brings it to you get the money, or the person on the phone who took the order, or is it split. Also, if you buy a drink package. We bought a "Passport" in the Skyline Bar, 7 drinks for the price of 5. It had an auto gratuity. Did the whole amount go to the 1 person who rung that package up? And nothing go to the 6 people who poured the other 6 drinks later in the trip? Often times in the bars a different person would pour the drink/deliver it, than the person who took our order. This is what made me first think they my be pooling the automatic tips.

I mostly ask because I feel bad at the thought of someone not getting a tip at all for something I tipped for, but the alternative, tipping again for something I already tipped for is a little redundant if the automatic tips are shared thus the person already got some of it. I went ahead and "retipped" for each drink in my passport, so that the person pouring it would be sure to get something, but I wondered what was happening to my automatic tip.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I read this whole thread and I didn't see an answer to a tipping question that I wondered about. My apologies if this has already been answered.

My question is about the various automatic gratuities. Who, SPECIFICALLY gets these? Are they split up among all the servers or is it the one that rings up your bill? So for instance, if you get specialty drinks with dinner, does your head server get the whole tip, or is split with the assistant, or does some "bartender" get the tip. Likewise, if you order item that costs extra from room service, does the person that brings it to you get the money, or the person on the phone who took the order, or is it split. Also, if you buy a drink package. We bought a "Passport" in the Skyline Bar, 7 drinks for the price of 5. It had an auto gratuity. Did the whole amount go to the 1 person who rung that package up? And nothing go to the 6 people who poured the other 6 drinks later in the trip? Often times in the bars a different person would pour the drink/deliver it, than the person who took our order. This is what made me first think they my be pooling the automatic tips.

I mostly ask because I feel bad at the thought of someone not getting a tip at all for something I tipped for, but the alternative, tipping again for something I already tipped for is a little redundant if the automatic tips are shared thus the person already got some of it. I went ahead and "retipped" for each drink in my passport, so that the person pouring it would be sure to get something, but I wondered what was happening to my automatic tip.

The auto-gratuities that you pay on your onboard account are $12.00 per guest (each person on your reservation is a guest) per night.

That $12.00 breaks out to: $4.00 per guest per night to your room host; $4.00 per guest per night to your dining room server; $3.00 per guest per night to your assistant server; and $1.00 per guest per night to your head server.

The autotip on beverage purchases is pooled to be divided among all beverage servers and bartenders. If you tip additionally in cash, that tip will go only to the person you give the tip to.

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

Great! I knew about how the $12/day was distributed, but I'm glad to know that the tip on beverages is pooled among all the appropriate servers. I don't mind an automatic gratuity, but it is good to know that it is split up evenly.

 

[Aanna]

I read this whole thread and I didn't see an answer to a tipping question that I wondered about. My apologies if this has already been answered.

My question is about the various automatic gratuities. Who, SPECIFICALLY gets these? Are they split up among all the servers or is it the one that rings up your bill? So for instance, if you get specialty drinks with dinner, does your head server get the whole tip, or is split with the assistant, or does some "bartender" get the tip. Likewise, if you order item that costs extra from room service, does the person that brings it to you get the money, or the person on the phone who took the order, or is it split. Also, if you buy a drink package. We bought a "Passport" in the Skyline Bar, 7 drinks for the price of 5. It had an auto gratuity. Did the whole amount go to the 1 person who rung that package up? And nothing go to the 6 people who poured the other 6 drinks later in the trip? Often times in the bars a different person would pour the drink/deliver it, than the person who took our order. This is what made me first think they my be pooling the automatic tips.

I mostly ask because I feel bad at the thought of someone not getting a tip at all for something I tipped for, but the alternative, tipping again for something I already tipped for is a little redundant if the automatic tips are shared thus the person already got some of it. I went ahead and "retipped" for each drink in my passport, so that the person pouring it would be sure to get something, but I wondered what was happening to my automatic tip.

There are two types of automatic gratuities: ones that are added to your onboard account and ones that are added to beverage and spa bills.

For the first type (added to your onboard account), your tips will go to specific people: Dining Room Server $4.00/day, Dining Room Asst. Server $3.00/day, Dining Room Head Server $1.00/day, Stateroom Host/ Hostess $4.00/day. These go to specific people, and you will be given envelopes at the end of the cruise with vouchers for how much you've tipped them through your account. You can also add cash to these envelopes if you want to reward any of these four positions extra.

For the second type (added to your beverage or spa tab), chances are those tips are pooled, but most people seem to think that those tips are appropriate and sufficient. If you feel that a particular cast member has given you exceptional service, the best way to be sure they get the money is to hand them cash.

 

[Aanna]

Must... learn... to... type.... faster..... LOL

 

[barbarossa_hoosier]

Hi all. I read the OP, but not the intervening 5 pages of posts. If my questions were already answered, feel free to tell me to go back and read through the thread.

We are pre-paying the "usual and customary" gratuities ($12/day per person), but plan to be prepared to tip over and above, as may be customary and/or warranted. My question is: do most people tip the "usual and customary" amount for standard/expected level of service, and then give over and above that amount for exceptional service? Or do most people give over and above for standard service? (This is our first cruise, so we have no idea what to expect. But, we want to be appropriately gracious toward those who make our cruise experience.)

Secondly, assuming that we will be giving cash in addition to the pre-paid gratuities, is the usual method to give the envelopes with the pre-paid vouchers, plus additional tips in cash?

And, indirectly related to the cruise: for shuttle service from MCO (our plan is to use our hotel's paid shuttle), what is the typical tipping rate? (When I travel for work, $1/bag is pretty typical from hotel to airport - or vice versa - for the hotel's complimentary shuttle. But this would be about a 45 minute, paid shuttle ride.)

 

[Garyjames220]

Well I must say you Americans are great tippers, and when I go on holiday I would struggle to tip anything to what a lot of Americans do

I'v worked in the Hilton in glasgow Scotland in food and beverage and some nights I would get nothing. As where in USA it is expected. I wish my job was like that

But fair play to u all. It's nice to be nice

 

[Aanna]

Hi all. I read the OP, but not the intervening 5 pages of posts. If my questions were already answered, feel free to tell me to go back and read through the thread.

We are pre-paying the "usual and customary" gratuities ($12/day per person), but plan to be prepared to tip over and above, as may be customary and/or warranted. My question is: do most people tip the "usual and customary" amount for standard/expected level of service, and then give over and above that amount for exceptional service? Or do most people give over and above for standard service? (This is our first cruise, so we have no idea what to expect. But, we want to be appropriately gracious toward those who make our cruise experience.)

Secondly, assuming that we will be giving cash in addition to the pre-paid gratuities, is the usual method to give the envelopes with the pre-paid vouchers, plus additional tips in cash?

From everything I have read, *most* people will go with the auto-gratuity for standard service and then add extra for exceptional service. That said, there is a wide spectrum: everywhere from people having the auto-gratuities removed entirely to folks in concierge paying 4x the auto-gratuity for standard service. Short version: if you go with the auto-gratuity, everyone will be satisfied and no one will feel slighted.

And, yes, the usual method for extra tips is to add them in the envelopes with the pre-paid vouchers.

And, indirectly related to the cruise: for shuttle service from MCO (our plan is to use our hotel's paid shuttle), what is the typical tipping rate? (When I travel for work, $1/bag is pretty typical from hotel to airport - or vice versa - for the hotel's complimentary shuttle. But this would be about a 45 minute, paid shuttle ride.)

Here I have only an opinion: if you are taking a paid shuttle and nothing special is done with your bag, then I do not see a need to tip. Then again, most of the hotel shuttles I've taken have had me handle my own bags, or, at most, the driver tosses them into the hold and pulls them out again, so I've never really seen that as a tipping situation.

 

[Toon crazy]

Do I tip for the pirate makeover?

 

[DIS_Ag]

Does anyone have opinion on tipping on corkage fees? We pay it and bring our own stuff on. I've tipped in the past because I'd be tipping if I ordered a drink. Thoughts?

 

[nycdisneygal]

SO I am confused about excursion tipping. We are doing a non- DCL one that will be 740 for us (5 adults, 1 child, 1 infant) and 15% of that is over $100! Or do I give say $5-10 per person (its the train and bus white pass tour -- no dog sledding). The other is only 4 of us for 340 but I am thinking will have more involvement from staff (dog sledding).

 

[mmouse37]

Hi all. I read the OP, but not the intervening 5 pages of posts. If my questions were already answered, feel free to tell me to go back and read through the thread.

We are pre-paying the "usual and customary" gratuities ($12/day per person), but plan to be prepared to tip over and above, as may be customary and/or warranted. My question is: do most people tip the "usual and customary" amount for standard/expected level of service, and then give over and above that amount for exceptional service? Or do most people give over and above for standard service? (This is our first cruise, so we have no idea what to expect. But, we want to be appropriately gracious toward those who make our cruise experience.)

Secondly, assuming that we will be giving cash in addition to the pre-paid gratuities, is the usual method to give the envelopes with the pre-paid vouchers, plus additional tips in cash?

And, indirectly related to the cruise: for shuttle service from MCO (our plan is to use our hotel's paid shuttle), what is the typical tipping rate? (When I travel for work, $1/bag is pretty typical from hotel to airport - or vice versa - for the hotel's complimentary shuttle. But this would be about a 45 minute, paid shuttle ride.)

I usually tip over the recommended for excellent service and it is always in cash. I always bring extra 10, 20, 5's with me so I can add cash to the envelope along with the vouchers.

You can, if you want, go to guest service and add the extra that way (via your onboard account) but I prefer to use cash.

MJ

 

[Aanna]

Does anyone have opinion on tipping on corkage fees? We pay it and bring our own stuff on. I've tipped in the past because I'd be tipping if I ordered a drink. Thoughts?

It's common to tip on the corkage fee as one would for a bottle of wine. Considering DCL's auto-gratuity on beverages, I bet that the same is added to the corkage fee. Does anyone have personal experience on whether this is the case?

 

[DIS_Ag]

It's common to tip on the corkage fee as one would for a bottle of wine. Considering DCL's auto-gratuity on beverages, I bet that the same is added to the corkage fee. Does anyone have personal experience on whether this is the case?

It's not auto. I've added $3-$5 to the $25 in the past.