MDR servers

[BecBennett]

I just saw this post on Facebook, this can't be accurate right?

They're paid in addition to the gratuity, right?

 

[Kwami]

Yes, they get paid. However, from talking to a number of them, gratuities make up a very large share of their total income.

 

[retlaw_yensid]

.

 

[dwg]

We are one of the guests that add a little more to the envelopes. The servers work very hard for their money and not just in the MDR. But unfortunately there are also guests that do not pay tips. This is as simple as going to guest services and removing the automatic tips. The automatic tips are nothing more than DCL's suggested tip amount per staff member assigned to the guest. It is not an amount set in stone.

Regardless of the tips being their sole source of income or not they do not pay for room or board so their expenses while on board are minimal. Also I would assume that many of the servers enjoy what they do as they often renew their contracts. Our last Head Waiter has been with cruise lies for over 20 years.

 

[SeattleSuz]

Having worked for a cruiseline, yes, they are paid hourly wages. Tips are just extra for them.

 

[Kwami]

Regardless of the tips being their sole source of income or not they do not pay for room or board so their expenses while on board are minimal. Also I would assume that many of the servers enjoy what they do as they often renew their contracts. Our last Head Waiter has been with cruise lies for over 20 years.

Their onboard expenses might be low, but that doesn't mean much. Most of them are supporting families back home. They're still paying rent or a mortgage for their homes, they're sending money home for food and supplies, they're spending money to communicate with their families, and they're paying for transportation to/from home. They're also paying for their own personal supplies while onboard and they don't get free WiFi, either.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Their onboard expenses might be low, but that doesn't mean much. Most of them are supporting families back home. They're still paying rent or a mortgage for their homes, they're sending money home for food and supplies, they're spending money to communicate with their families, and they're paying for transportation to/from home. They're also paying for their own personal supplies while onboard and they don't get free WiFi, either.

Be that as it may - the answer remains, yes, the crew are paid an hourly wage. Gratuities/tips are extra money.

 

[71 Truck]

Also I would assume that many of the servers enjoy what they do as they often renew their contracts. Our last Head Waiter has been with cruise lies for over 20 years.

We always ask for the same head server on the Fantasy. He has been with Disney for many years.
It is always amazing how many crew members we have recognized over the last 20 plus years from past cruises when we are on the ship.
I find it even more amazing how many recognize my wife and I from past cruises.

 

[dwg]

Their onboard expenses might be low, but that doesn't mean much. Most of them are supporting families back home. They're still paying rent or a mortgage for their homes, they're sending money home for food and supplies, they're spending money to communicate with their families, and they're paying for transportation to/from home. They're also paying for their own personal supplies while onboard and they don't get free WiFi, either.

I am aware of what they have to pay for but did not feel it was necessary to get into all of that. What the servers do with their money is they're own business and not really the point of this thread.

 

[retlaw_yensid]

I know I'm gonna get cr@p for this...but here goes.

1) They know what they're signing up for when they sign the contract. No one is holding a gun to their head forcing them to work for peanuts.

2) If it really is true that they work for tips only, let's analyze what that really means. For a main server, I believe the current base tip 'automatically' charged per night from guests at the end of each cruise is $4.75 a night. Multiply that per the number of days a server works in a month, times the number of guests they were assigned to...that's still a pretty big paycheck. I mean, let's assume 20 days with just 20 guests. That equals $1900. And we all know there are guests who still add more to those little envelopes.

This is not a sob story and I wish people would not perpetuate it.

 

[Dug720]

Be that as it may - the answer remains, yes, the crew are paid an hourly wage. Gratuities/tips are extra money.

This. And while by our standards the hourly wage may be (ok, is) low, for many of them what they can make in a couple of contracts can set them up nicely for their life back home. It's all relative.

I'm NOT saying to not tip. I'm in the "give extra" camp. I'm just saying that what is low to us is good for others.

 

[Cfabar1]

We have had several issues with our MDR servers on the cruises we have had. Billing errors, service snafus, etc.

I would never imagine docking their gratuities. They are (in my view) counting on that income. Yes it is a “suggested gratuity”, but that’s how the game is played in this industry, for better or worse.

It would take something truly extraordinary for me to dock the gratuity.

If given a survey about my experience, I will be truthful. I won’t claim that there were no problems if there were. But, I also think these people work round the clock and extremely hard, and are relying on/counting on that gratuity as a part of their wage.

 

[Kwami]

I am aware of what they have to pay for but did not feel it was necessary to get into all of that. What the servers do with their money is they're own business and not really the point of this thread.

OK, but you brought it up and minimized their expenses in your post. I just provided more detail.

 

[Kwami]

I know I'm gonna get cr@p for this...but here goes.

1) They know what they're signing up for when they sign the contract. No one is holding a gun to their head forcing them to work for peanuts.

2) If it really is true that they work for tips only, let's analyze what that really means. For a main server, I believe the current base tip 'automatically' charged per night from guests at the end of each cruise is $4.75 a night. Multiply that per the number of days a server works in a month, times the number of guests they were assigned to...that's still a pretty big paycheck. I mean, let's assume 20 days with just 20 guests. That equals $1900. And we all know there are guests who still add more to those little envelopes.

This is not a sob story and I wish people would not perpetuate it.

Using your own math, but allowing 20 guests over 365 days (no days off!), that's $34,675 per year. Half that for an assistant server. That's really not a lot. And, they're working 80-hour weeks with some months off contract, so they're actually earning a fair bit less than that $34,675. It's a good thing that they also get hourly wages.

(I know that $34,675 goes further in the Philippines and other developing countries than it does in the USA. I'm just pointing out that "not a sob story" isn't "really great", either.)

 

[Lesverts]

DCL would be an outlier if they did not pay for travel to join the ships. DCL would also be responsible for the costs of any necessary visas and etas. I know for a fact RCG does. Especially since there is dry land training for almost all of the jobs.

Pay for a server is only a couple hundred dollars a week plus tips. Not my personal server but a server I got to know in Cabanas was very honest that income has been down since the Wonder left Hawaii because the clientele comes from a non tipping culture. And from the lines at guest services at the end of the cruise I am sure more people than normal removed the gratuities. So I am guessing the crew are starting to spread that tips are their only pay to try and get less people to remove the gratuities and had some tips.

 

[dwg]

DCL would be an outlier if they did not pay for travel to join the ships. DCL would also be responsible for the costs of any necessary visas and etas. I know for a fact RCG does. Especially since there is dry land training for almost all of the jobs.

Pay for a server is only a couple hundred dollars a week plus tips. Not my personal server but a server I got to know in Cabanas was very honest that income has been down since the Wonder left Hawaii because the clientele comes from a non tipping culture. And from the lines at guest services at the end of the cruise I am sure more people than normal removed the gratuities. So I am guessing the crew are starting to spread that tips are their only pay to try and get less people to remove the gratuities and had some tips.

This is what I was trying to say regarding not tipping. You just said it better. Some guests just come from non tipping cultures and therefore do not tip. While I understand the culture while you are home because that is what the norm is, I think that is wrong since the norm on the cruise ship is tipping as this is the primary (only?) source of their income and if you decide to take a vacation on a cruise ship or somewhere else where tipping is the norm and it is clearly spelled out than tipping should be included as part of your expected expenses of vacation.

 

[DisneyConvert]

If it really is true that they work for tips only, let's analyze what that really means. For a main server, I believe the current base tip 'automatically' charged per night from guests at the end of each cruise is $4.75 a night. Multiply that per the number of days a server works in a month, times the number of guests they were assigned to...that's still a pretty big paycheck. I mean, let's assume 20 days with just 20 guests. That equals $1900. And we all know there are guests who still add more to those little envelopes.

This is not a sob story and I wish people would not perpetuate it.

I like economics too, but figure 16~20 guests x TWO seatings per evening.

Maybe 35 guests (could be less, depending on how full the ship is).
I can't support, but probably some folks stiff them but,
Giving what I know/believe more add in extra . . .
Do you'all agree?

$4.75 x 30~35 => $142.50~166.25/day
Not sure what their base wage but it's definitely not $0
12 hour days - easily. Brutal.
And their efficiency, physical stamina, demeanor and professionalism is first-rate.
But 6~7months on, 4~6 weeks off.

So $200/day (no food, laundry or housing expenses) x 190 days => $38K less sundries and internet.
So for Waiters and Cabin Attendants, maybe $60+K/year including time-off for a portion.
Less for Asst Waiters, more for Head Waiters.

That supports a family and is A LOT more than most folks from the Philippines, or Indonesia or even India would make if they worked in their native country in a similar capacity.

I agree with your conclusion: It's not a sob story, but we all agree it's very hard work that all of us respect and appreciate.
Hence an extra $1~$4/per day/per CM means very little to most of us, but means that hard-work is appreciated and rewarded.
A win-win in my opinion.

Which leads to my conclusion, that even with generous gratuities and extras, the economics of dining and living on a cruise ship while visiting high-cost areas of the world (e.g., Hawaii, Bermuda, Canada and Western Europe) are still quite advantageous.

 

[DisneyConvert]

This is what I was trying to say regarding not tipping. You just said it better. Some guests just come from non tipping cultures and therefore do not tip. While I understand the culture while you are home because that is what the norm is, I think that is wrong since the norm on the cruise ship is tipping as this is the primary (only?) source of their income and if you decide to take a vacation on a cruise ship or somewhere else where tipping is the norm and it is clearly spelled out than tipping should be included as part of your expected expenses of vacation.

Just got off NCL and tipping (Daily Service Charge) is added to bill. Very difficult to remove. Maybe they had too many guests from those "non tipping cultures."

 

[Dug720]

laundry

Only their uniforms are covered with free laundry. They are responsible for non-uniform clothes.

 

[Kwami]

DCL would be an outlier if they did not pay for travel to join the ships. DCL would also be responsible for the costs of any necessary visas and etas. I know for a fact RCG does. Especially since there is dry land training for almost all of the jobs.

DCL probably covers the airfare, but not the rest. I had a server from Indonesia on my last cruise and he was saying that it takes him about two days to get home from Florida with some pretty long layovers.