Gratuities are now $13.50/day

[CamColt]

I'm pretty sure you are correct. I seem to recall that when we first started cruising with DCL that the tips were not automatically charged to your account. You could go to guest services and have them applied to your account if you wanted or you could just bring cash and put that into the envelopes.

I have a distinct memory of being pleasantly surprised on one of our later cruises when they just automatically added them to our account. It was so much simpler.

I agree with this. I can't say exactly when and how but I'm pretty sure it was not automatic for quite a few of our cruises beginning in 2000.

 

[lanejudy]

Agree that DCL hasn’t always charged the tips automatically. I want to say maybe around 2012-2014. For some reason I have it in mind that it was related to the European cruises because tipping is not common.

 

[oswald33]

Hello!

We are going on our very first cruise ever the end of April on the Dream. We are very excited! I am very confused about the tipping situation. Who do we tip? How much staff member? Is it per person per day? Or per day? Do we pre-pay or is it automatically added to our bill? Can we add or decrease the amount if we choose?

Thank you for all your help,

Lisa

 

[TestingH2O]

Hello!

We are going on our very first cruise ever the end of April on the Dream. We are very excited! I am very confused about the tipping situation. Who do we tip? How much staff member? Is it per person per day? Or per day? Do we pre-pay or is it automatically added to our bill? Can we add or decrease the amount if we choose?

Thank you for all your help,

Lisa

Your tips are automatically calculated at $13.50 per person per day. This amount includes your server, assistant server, head server, and room attendant. You don't have to do anything to divvy it up. In addition, there will be an automatic gratuity added to any spa purchases or drinks ordered through the bar. The tips are automatically added to your on board account at the end of the cruise.

Yes, you may choose to change the amount based on the service provided.

 

[oswald33]

Thank you for clearing that up for me.

Lisa

 

[closetmickey]

Maybe someone else can correct me, but I am almost certain there was some kind of change along those lines a few years ago.

You have it right. There was a change to the automatic addition of tips to your bill.

 

[kaseyC]

Agree that DCL hasn’t always charged the tips automatically. I want to say maybe around 2012-2014. For some reason I have it in mind that it was related to the European cruises because tipping is not common.

The change was related to the European itineraries. I just can’t remember when but I think you are right with 2012-2014. IIRC, our 2013 EBTA was our first cruise where tips were automatically added. Before that you could choose to tip the suggested amount in cash or add to your onboard account. A form was delivered to your room that you could fill out with amounts for each position if you were adding the gratuities to your on board account. You turned it in to guest services ( or to the concierge if you were in a suite) and you received tickets with the amount you were giving and crew members name and position with envelopes to put the tickets in so you could hand them out yourself.

 

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

This isn't an American thing, this is a cruise industry thing. I simply consider the gratuity to be part of the cost of my cruise and pay accordingly. If I think they deserve more, I'll tip them more. In reality, what you are giving them isn't actually a gratuity at all, it's the primary part of their wages. Some cruise lines don't call it a gratuity (service fee, hotel fee, cleaning fee, etc.) and some don't allow you to remove it so it is not, in my mind, a tip. It's just a standard cost of the cruise. If the industry was to change how they paid their staff, they'd simply increase your fees by at least the same amount and let you decide whether to tip over and above that so that's how I view it regardless of what they call it or how they levy the costs. Fair or not, like it or not, it's not likely to change any time soon.

I understand why you feel this way, and it does make sense that you do.

However, it is a gratuity. Many tipped positions on land have a majority of their income result from tips, and not direct wages.

If you can remove it completely, it can not be a wage. Wages must be paid regardless of how poorly a worker performs. Theoretically, all of a server's patrons could remove their tips, and the wage from the cruise line is all they would get, period.

Employers like the tip based salary structure because they save a ton on pay roll taxes.

 

[Mikamarii]

I'm also of the opinion that doesn't understand tipping. We do it because we have to and we expect it but doesn't mean I have to like it. The rest of my post will sound sarcastic put try to read it with a tone of neutrality and inquisition.

Yes we may spend 5-10k on a cruise so what's 300$. And for those that leave extra; why only 20$, 50$, 100$? If you can leave an extra 10$ a day well then surely you can leave an extra 20$....that won't break the bank. If you've spent 10k on a cruise why not 1000$, 1500$, 2000$ extra. After all, the crew doesn't make a lot of money and works hard and we've already spent so much money to go on a cruise? At one point is tipping enough?

Why don't we tip guest services? the managers? the captain? They make more money, but they hold more liability and work equally as hard to make our cruise an amazing experience. Is tipping about how hard they work? how much they get paid?

Why do we tip servers, but not clerks at macdonalds? Why cab drivers but not bus drivers? Why hairdressers but not tailors? If I walk up to a counter and a store and buy a bottle of water I don't tip. If I walk up the bar and buy a beer I'm expected to tip. What's the difference?

Tip jars are everywhere but it's only 'expected' in restaurants. Why do I need to tip a delivery driver when I've paid money for delivery service?

When I was a bartender in University the standard tip was double the GST which, at the time, was 7% (so 14% tip). For some reason the standard now is 18%. And food prices have gone up so tip prices are up vs when I worked 15 years ago. It just seems so arbitrary.

I've made my peace with having to tip so we do it, I just don't understand why. What I don't like is being forced to do it. I don't like having a mandatory 18% tip at a restaurant. I actually usually leave a little more when I'm allowed to decide but if it's decided for me a rarely leave more. Not an exact science but I find I get worse service when tips are mandatory and I don't like being forced to have to look like the ***** to reduce the amount because the service was absolutely terrible.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

The change was related to the European itineraries. I just can’t remember when but I think you are right with 2012-2014. IIRC, our 2013 EBTA was our first cruise where tips were automatically added. Before that you could choose to tip the suggested amount in cash or add to your onboard account. A form was delivered to your room that you could fill out with amounts for each position if you were adding the gratuities to your on board account. You turned it in to guest services ( or to the concierge if you were in a suite) and you received tickets with the amount you were giving and crew members name and position with envelopes to put the tickets in so you could hand them out yourself.

So civilized. I wish we could go back to those days.

 

[squirk]

I'm also of the opinion that doesn't understand tipping. We do it because we have to and we expect it but doesn't mean I have to like it. The rest of my post will sound sarcastic put try to read it with a tone of neutrality and inquisition.

Yes we may spend 5-10k on a cruise so what's 300$. And for those that leave extra; why only 20$, 50$, 100$? If you can leave an extra 10$ a day well then surely you can leave an extra 20$....that won't break the bank. If you've spent 10k on a cruise why not 1000$, 1500$, 2000$ extra. After all, the crew doesn't make a lot of money and works hard and we've already spent so much money to go on a cruise? At one point is tipping enough?

Why don't we tip guest services? the managers? the captain? They make more money, but they hold more liability and work equally as hard to make our cruise an amazing experience. Is tipping about how hard they work? how much they get paid?

Why do we tip servers, but not clerks at macdonalds? Why cab drivers but not bus drivers? Why hairdressers but not tailors? If I walk up to a counter and a store and buy a bottle of water I don't tip. If I walk up the bar and buy a beer I'm expected to tip. What's the difference?

Tip jars are everywhere but it's only 'expected' in restaurants. Why do I need to tip a delivery driver when I've paid money for delivery service?

When I was a bartender in University the standard tip was double the GST which, at the time, was 7% (so 14% tip). For some reason the standard now is 18%. And food prices have gone up so tip prices are up vs when I worked 15 years ago. It just seems so arbitrary.

I've made my peace with having to tip so we do it, I just don't understand why. What I don't like is being forced to do it. I don't like having a mandatory 18% tip at a restaurant. I actually usually leave a little more when I'm allowed to decide but if it's decided for me a rarely leave more. Not an exact science but I find I get worse service when tips are mandatory and I don't like being forced to have to look like the ***** to reduce the amount because the service was absolutely terrible.

We will never find a "universal standard" on which jobs should be tipped, how much should be tipped, and what quality of service is required to merit a tip in the first place. For my part, I have always associated tips with employees who interact directly with the end customer, and provides said customer a level of personalized care and attention that elevates the interaction above that of a mere "transaction".

I, too, bristle when I see tip jars out for places that provide absolutely no level of service beyond a simple transaction - e.g., when I get carry-out from my local pizza place, nobody has to wait on me. I hand you money and you hand me a pizza. What exactly is the tip jar for?

On the other hand, the U.S. has been in this mindset for a long time that tips should subsidize a fair, living wage, not supplement it. I am glad to see that we are starting to move away from that thinking, but it's not across the board in all states, so I always try to keep in mind that some people will not even make the federal minimum wage of $7.25 if customers don't tip (only then are employers required to "true up" the employee's wage to at least the federal minimum). It's crappy and it's unfair, but I'm not going to let the end-user employee bear the economic brunt of these wage policies they have no control over.

$7.25 x 40 hours x 50 weeks = $14,500/yr. Let's be honest, folks - that is not a lot of money.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

I'm also of the opinion that doesn't understand tipping. We do it because we have to and we expect it but doesn't mean I have to like it. The rest of my post will sound sarcastic put try to read it with a tone of neutrality and inquisition.

Yes we may spend 5-10k on a cruise so what's 300$. And for those that leave extra; why only 20$, 50$, 100$? If you can leave an extra 10$ a day well then surely you can leave an extra 20$....that won't break the bank. If you've spent 10k on a cruise why not 1000$, 1500$, 2000$ extra. After all, the crew doesn't make a lot of money and works hard and we've already spent so much money to go on a cruise? At one point is tipping enough?

Why don't we tip guest services? the managers? the captain? They make more money, but they hold more liability and work equally as hard to make our cruise an amazing experience. Is tipping about how hard they work? how much they get paid?

Why do we tip servers, but not clerks at macdonalds? Why cab drivers but not bus drivers? Why hairdressers but not tailors? If I walk up to a counter and a store and buy a bottle of water I don't tip. If I walk up the bar and buy a beer I'm expected to tip. What's the difference?

Tip jars are everywhere but it's only 'expected' in restaurants. Why do I need to tip a delivery driver when I've paid money for delivery service?

When I was a bartender in University the standard tip was double the GST which, at the time, was 7% (so 14% tip). For some reason the standard now is 18%. And food prices have gone up so tip prices are up vs when I worked 15 years ago. It just seems so arbitrary.

I've made my peace with having to tip so we do it, I just don't understand why. What I don't like is being forced to do it. I don't like having a mandatory 18% tip at a restaurant. I actually usually leave a little more when I'm allowed to decide but if it's decided for me a rarely leave more. Not an exact science but I find I get worse service when tips are mandatory and I don't like being forced to have to look like the ***** to reduce the amount because the service was absolutely terrible.

I like tipping, but I think tipping should be left to personal discretion. For me, tipping is an individualized incentive for people who serve you directly. I do not like the idea of tipping people behind the scenes or of corporations relying on tips for employee pay. At that point it is no longer a tip and no longer an incentive for the individual helping or serving me. I have seen the decline in service at dcl, and it is absolutely tied to the idea that gratuities are automatic. (I'm not saying the service is bad, but it is not awesome, like it once was). At this points the gratuities are not tips, they are part of your fare.

 

[TestingH2O]

As someone who worked a tipped position in order to meet my financial obligations in grad school, I still keep an eye on the laws surrounding these positions.

Federal (US) minimum wage for people in a tipped position is $2.13. The assumption is that tips will make up the difference. Some states have raised that number, and some private employers have as well. Places like McDonald's and Starbucks have to pay at least the federal minimum wage so tipping seems silly in those instances.

I've never worked on a cruise. I have no idea what the minimum wage is for cruise line employees in tipped positions. However, I'm sure it saves the corporation a ton of money in taxes to have the guests pay the bulk of the wage like land based businesses.

Here's the thing, until the business model changes, we know what we are getting into. It is presented clearly at booking and understood when you go to table service restaurants. If you object to this business structure, then don't patronize those businesses. Let them know why you won't be using them. Try to affect change. But going into the situation knowing you aren't going to play by the rules isn't going to do anyone any good and just makes you look cheap.

 

[squirk]

Here's the thing, until the business model changes, we know what we are getting into. It is presented clearly at booking and understood when you go to table service restaurants. If you object to this business structure, then don't patronize those businesses. Let them know why you won't be using them. Try to affect change. But going into the situation knowing you aren't going to play by the rules isn't going to do anyone any good and just makes you look cheap.

^ This.

You know who deserves a double-punch to the throat? Those people who oppose the concept of tipping, but still go to a restaurant, take advantage of the server's hospitality, stiff the server, and then leave behind those ****ty little slips of paper explaining why you don't tip. I guarantee you - the server earning $7.25/hr. does not give two ****s about your mini-manifesto.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

As someone who worked a tipped position in order to meet my financial obligations in grad school, I still keep an eye on the laws surrounding these positions.

Federal (US) minimum wage for people in a tipped position is $2.13. The assumption is that tips will make up the difference. Some states have raised that number, and some private employers have as well. Places like McDonald's and Starbucks have to pay at least the federal minimum wage so tipping seems silly in those instances.

I've never worked on a cruise. I have no idea what the minimum wage is for cruise line employees in tipped positions. However, I'm sure it saves the corporation a ton of money in taxes to have the guests pay the bulk of the wage like land based businesses.

Here's the thing, until the business model changes, we know what we are getting into. It is presented clearly at booking and understood when you go to table service restaurants. If you object to this business structure, then don't patronize those businesses. Let them know why you won't be using them. Try to affect change. But going into the situation knowing you aren't going to play by the rules isn't going to do anyone any good and just makes you look cheap.

I agree. The bottom line is you may not like the business structure but it is what it is. At least Disney gives the grats directly to the people serving you, unlike some other cruise lines. But regardless of the cruise line, we just prepay gratuities and do not think about it as an extra charge. I find myself in the guest services line the last night of cruises most of the time. We like to pay our onboard account with gift cards/cash and I always find it a bit heartbreaking (and annoying) to see people that last night taking off their gratuities. I have only seen it once on dcl, but on other lines, it seems half the people in line are taking them off.

 

[Keone2002]

No issues with the increase - we always give extra as most do. Deserved!!

 

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

Here's the thing, until the business model changes, we know what we are getting into. It is presented clearly at booking and understood when you go to table service restaurants. If you object to this business structure, then don't patronize those businesses. Let them know why you won't be using them. Try to affect change. But going into the situation knowing you aren't going to play by the rules isn't going to do anyone any good and just makes you look cheap.

Business model won't change unless the tax structure changes to encourage salary only income instead of tip based. This will never happen.

 

[Numtini]

Are taxes really an issue? These ships aren't even under US law, are they?

 

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

Are taxes really an issue? These ships aren't even under US law, are they?

I was replying to a post about the tip business structure in general, not cruise ships specifically.

As for cruise ships, maybe they pay US taxes for work performed in US ports, and in US waters? Also, I would guess other countries have similar tax structures, but I really don't know.

 

[TestingH2O]

Business model won't change unless the tax structure changes to encourage salary only income instead of tip based. This will never happen.

I agree with you. There is a movement in the restaurant world to get past tipping. It's not moving fast, but people are trying.

Regardless, we are where we are now and that is a situation where the employees, not business owners, will be peanlized if people protest the institution of tipping by not giving them.