Yes the suggested tips are per person so even the children count. The wait staff and room stewards work very hard to make your trip enjoyable. We have never tipped less than the recommended amount, even when the service may not have been the best it could have been.
Like some others experienced, the asst. server (beverage person) kind of ingore us after the first day or two when we don't by a bottle of wine or any cocktails (because there is the automatic tip included). When they continued to pay attention to us throughout the cruise we always tip them way over the recommended amount, if they don't - they get the minimum.
As another person posted, you are served by the entire wait staff crew throughout the cruise. They work at topsiders and the in the sit down restaurants throughout the day. They can even be found in the other food outlets (scoops, plutos, etc). For anyone to stiff their servers a tip is very selfish!!
Everyone needs to tip their wait staff because they work hard for us at least 16 hrs per day every day of the cruise. You are tipping them for all of the other meals you partake of not just dinner. That's why you do not "deduct" tips for dinners eaten at Palo or Topsiders. When you remember that you are tipping for 3 meals a day, the per person tip per meal is really pretty cheap!!
You definatly do NOT need to make your own bed, nor fold your own towels. Your room steward will keep your room cleaner than you do your own (at least all of our past stewards have). If there is something you need them to do, just ask them!! I have read where others have problems with some of the chemicals they use to clean with, and asked the steward not to use them, they didn't and from what I read, the room was still in exceptional order.
All of these folks are working for the tips,
DCL pays them a very minimal amount (approx $50/mo).
"Now go do the right thing"