Gratuities -- Pay in Advance or Not?

We have tips added at end. I usually add extra to standard tip but I didn’t have enough cash with me on this cruise so I went to guest services and told them how much extra to add to each envelope. They then gave me a new receipt showing amount to give our to servers and hostess. All tips are just added to credit card at end. We love all of our servers and hostess this time (transatlantic cruise stopping in NY tomorrow) so I added 50 to the hostess, 50 to server, 40 to asst server and 10 to head server who was always around helping.
 
The servers have no idea if you have pre-paid or not. If you have any "lax" behavior talk to their supervisor don't withhold tips.

As I see it..The purpose of a “tip” is to acknowledge the service rendered. If it’s lax service, it’s certainly the time to reduce a tip. I don’t believe it’s my responsibility to track down mgmnt on my cruise vacation.. luckily, We’ve had nothing but good experiences!!

Now if we re talking at a restaurant... I have spoken up to both my server and had it elevated to mgmnt with good results. That’s easy enough... but on a cruise... I’m too busy enjoying amenities to take up my time tracking people down.
To each his/her own. Happy travels!
 
There is really no reason to prepay for tips. They are charged to your account anyways and the end of the trip. If you want to add more you can
 
There is really no reason to prepay for tips. They are charged to your account anyways and the end of the trip. If you want to add more you can
There are reasons, though they might not happen to be reasons you would choose. Wanting to have more of your vacation pre-paid is one reason that a lot of posters have already shared.

Some people prefer not to prepay for their own reasons, such as wanting the tip money to collect interest in a savings account for as long as possible before spending it. To each his own.

For me, the teensy amount of interest I would earn by not prepaying the few hundred dollars for tips a month early isn't worth having to face a bigger bill at the end of the cruise. So I prepay.
 


There is really no reason to prepay for tips. They are charged to your account anyways and the end of the trip. If you want to add more you can

Sorry, but I don't understand the confusion with all the reasons already mentioned in this thread. The reality is that no one is really pre-paying any tips...only putting money on their onboard account that will eventually be used to pay for the tips. There is always time on the cruise to change what gets actually charged on your account for the tips. I have never experienced poor service on DCL. In most cases the service has been exceptional and I've added extra at the end....but never less. Regardless, what you pay is controlled until the last day of the cruise, with or without pre-paying money on your onboard account.
 
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As I see it..The purpose of a “tip” is to acknowledge the service rendered. If it’s lax service, it’s certainly the time to reduce a tip. I don’t believe it’s my responsibility to track down mgmnt on my cruise vacation.. luckily, We’ve had nothing but good experiences!!

Now if we re talking at a restaurant... I have spoken up to both my server and had it elevated to mgmnt with good results. That’s easy enough... but on a cruise... I’m too busy enjoying amenities to take up my time tracking people down.
To each his/her own. Happy travels!

No. That's not how gratuities on a cruise work. There is a minimum. It is not difficult to "track down mgmnt". Your head server is right there in the dinning room each night. Also you are not prepaying tips and your servers have no idea how much money is in your online account.
 


Costco has a whole display case of discounted gift cards, but they don't carry Disney (hopefully they will sometime soon)

Yes! I'm a Costco fiend and I surely do wish they would carry Disney gift cards! I buy their restaurant and spa cards ALL the time, but those come at a 20% discount! No way they could ever sell Disney cards for that of course, but as said, any discount is better than none, yes? :cutie:
 
I'm in the camp that likes to prepay gratuities. It's a modest amount especially compared to the cost of the cruise itself. We booked in late May for our Sept 8th Fantasy we just completed last week. I immediately PIF as I am platinum and wanted to get all my "stuff" booked. So I could not have hung onto the PIF amount except a few more days.

After I upgraded us to concierge the end of June, a few weeks out I started to pre-pay onboard credit, both w/Disney gift cards and with from our bank account. We always do a few spa services, etc., that really can add up, and for me there is nothing so deflating toward the end of my cruise than to discover our onboard spending is a LOT more than I had expected/planned. So I chose to get a jump on that, but only did it a few weeks ahead of sail date so it would have been literally a few cents worth of interest had I waited to pay those amounts onboard.

As others have said, to each their own. But for some of us, for a variety of reasons, we like to pay ahead a little. :cutie:
 
I am not paying gratuities in advance because until I experience the service, I won't know how much I will be tipping.

As I see it..The purpose of a “tip” is to acknowledge the service rendered. If it’s lax service, it’s certainly the time to reduce a tip. I don’t believe it’s my responsibility to track down mgmnt on my cruise vacation.. luckily, We’ve had nothing but good experiences!!

Now if we re talking at a restaurant... I have spoken up to both my server and had it elevated to mgmnt with good results. That’s easy enough... but on a cruise... I’m too busy enjoying amenities to take up my time tracking people down.
To each his/her own. Happy travels!

If you plan to give anything less than the standard gratuity, you will need to visit guest services to have the gratuities removed or reduced.
 
Yes! I'm a Costco fiend and I surely do wish they would carry Disney gift cards! I buy their restaurant and spa cards ALL the time, but those come at a 20% discount! No way they could ever sell Disney cards for that of course, but as said, any discount is better than none, yes? :cutie:
:offtopic: I just saw a 30% discount for ifly.

Now imaging if THAT were the Disney discount!
 
If it’s lax service, it’s certainly the time to reduce a tip. I don’t believe it’s my responsibility to track down mgmnt on my cruise vacation

The point that was being made: would you rather have subpar service and reduce gratuity in response or would you rather have good service? I would personally prefer to have good service and not have to suffer and then just take action afterwards. We had a terrible assistant server on our Baltic cruise (late drinks, no drinks, wrong drinks). It would have really impacted my enjoyment of the cruise if I'd had to live with that for 11 days and then just reduce his tip afterwards. We complained to the head server after the first night. He got the server some help (yes, the assistant server had an assistant assistant server). Marginal improvement. Complained again. By day three he was replaced and the replacement was just amazing. This is part of the head server's job. I'd rather have my problem fixed so, yes, it's partly my responsibility to make sure that someone knows what my expectations are and how they can fix it. It's my vacation - I'd rather enjoy it than fume in silence.
 
The point that was being made: would you rather have subpar service and reduce gratuity in response or would you rather have good service? I would personally prefer to have good service and not have to suffer and then just take action afterwards. We had a terrible assistant server on our Baltic cruise (late drinks, no drinks, wrong drinks). It would have really impacted my enjoyment of the cruise if I'd had to live with that for 11 days and then just reduce his tip afterwards. We complained to the head server after the first night. He got the server some help (yes, the assistant server had an assistant assistant server). Marginal improvement. Complained again. By day three he was replaced and the replacement was just amazing. This is part of the head server's job. I'd rather have my problem fixed so, yes, it's partly my responsibility to make sure that someone knows what my expectations are and how they can fix it. It's my vacation - I'd rather enjoy it than fume in silence.

Exactly. Not only is it miserable for you to suffer with what you consider poor service (not saying yours wasn't @kiford - that definitely needed to be corrected), but it's not fair to NOT address an issue there and penalize them for something that they may not have realized was upsetting you and could easily have been corrected by opening your mouth. The servers and other crew members WANT you to be happy and WANT to know if there is any way they can improve. It's a double whammy to keep your mouth shut and not tell them there is something you don't like and then to turn around and penalize them (and write a letter or email complaining after the fact).
 
my responsibility to make sure that someone knows what my expectations are and how they can fix it. It's my vacation - I'd rather enjoy it than fume in silence.

YES. ::yes:: I worked for a large corporation known for stellar guest service. It always amazed me that people would have a bad experience but never say a WORD while the issue was going on so that it could be addressed and remedied. But they would just stew instead. It helps EVERYONE if there is an issue and you speak up to the appropriate management for a solution. :thumbsup2
 
YES. ::yes:: I worked for a large corporation known for stellar guest service. It always amazed me that people would have a bad experience but never say a WORD while the issue was going on so that it could be addressed and remedied. But they would just stew instead. It helps EVERYONE if there is an issue and you speak up to the appropriate management for a solution. :thumbsup2
Sometimes it can be hard to speak up, especially on a Disney cruise. I wasn't particularly thrilled with our servers the cruise we took. I've read stories of people being blown away by their servers and feeling so sad to say good bye at the end, and I felt nothing close to that. I felt like the service was slow, they seemed harried, it was hard to get the drinks we wanted, I asked for things for kids and they never arrived, etc. And then at the end got the, "Weren't your servers EXCELLENT?" speech from the head waiter. I think he may stopped by once the first night and we never saw him again. I didn't really want to make a big deal, but by the end I definitely didn't feel they were excellent. We did keep tips the same though, it wasn't worth the effort of changing them.
 
No. That's not how gratuities on a cruise work. There is a minimum.
This is a fallacy.

Straight from Disney Cruise Line site:
'Q. Is there an expected amount for gratuities, and how should I pay them?
A. It is customary to give gratuities in recognition of exceptional service, which you’ll receive in abundance aboard the ship. The following amounts are provided as a suggestion, but the gratuity you pay is always at your discretion:'
Following this is the gratuity table.

As stated, the gratuity table is 'a suggestion', not a minimum (or standard). And it is 'at your discretion', again not a minimum (or standard). And it is 'in recognition of exceptional service', again not a minimum (or a standard).

https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/faq/onboard-services/gratuities/

If you plan to give anything less than the standard gratuity, you will need to visit guest services to have the gratuities removed or reduced.
Thank you. I contacted Disney Cruise Line after reading a lot of erroneous information involving gratuities (like the above) and they assured me I can removed the auto-gratuities in full from my bill and then tip as I please at the end of the cruise in cash.

YES. ::yes:: I worked for a large corporation known for stellar guest service. It always amazed me that people would have a bad experience but never say a WORD while the issue was going on so that it could be addressed and remedied. But they would just stew instead.
Because the business/company/corporation already failed. If I have paid for an experience that is suppose to include stellar guest service and then I have to ask for stellar guest service, you have failed. If is included, I should not have to ask. I was reading the 'Concierge vs. non. Is it worth it?' thread and one poster was saying you have to know what is included so you can ask for it. Umm, no, if it is included and therefore paid for, it should be automatically provided. If it is not, it is a fail.

Is grading a business/company/corporation on a pass/fail basis a hard line? Yes. It's hard line because these days so many businesses/companies/corporation have no problem diminishing their product/service/experience in order to increase their bottom line. Just look at Disney.

So no, I am not wasting my expensive cruise time complaining about less-than-exceptional service. I can live with service that is good, average or inconsistent. If it is outright poor or bad and negatively impacting my enjoyment, then I might, depending on the situation. Typically, as long as my grandchildren, who are pretty low maintenance, don't care, I am not going to create a fuss. They are my priority, period. So if the assistant server fails to bring my Mai Tai in a timely fashion, I will live with it but, yes, their tip is going to suffer.
 
Because the business/company/corporation already failed. If I have paid for an experience that is suppose to include stellar guest service and then I have to ask for stellar guest service, you have failed. If is included, I should not have to ask. I was reading the 'Concierge vs. non. Is it worth it?' thread and one poster was saying you have to know what is included so you can ask for it. Umm, no, if it is included and therefore paid for, it should be automatically provided. If it is not, it is a fail.

Is grading a business/company/corporation on a pass/fail basis a hard line? Yes. It's hard line because these days so many businesses/companies/corporation have no problem diminishing their product/service/experience in order to increase their bottom line. Just look at Disney.

So no, I am not wasting my expensive cruise time complaining about less-than-exceptional service. I can live with service that is good, average or inconsistent. If it is outright poor or bad and negatively impacting my enjoyment, then I might, depending on the situation. Typically, as long as my grandchildren, who are pretty low maintenance, don't care, I am not going to create a fuss. They are my priority, period. So if the assistant server fails to bring my Mai Tai in a timely fashion, I will live with it but, yes, their tip is going to suffer.

I am going to respectfully disagree. First reaction is, wow. Second is that you must have never worked in the hospitality or service industry OR owned a business. The best businesses on the planet are not perfect. Not Ritz-Carlton, not Four Seasons, not ANY business known for their outstanding service. NONE. Because they are run by people, staffed by people and serving people. And people ain't perfect. Not me, nor you. If a mechanic didn't fix your car to your liking would you say something? Or just drive it anyway? If your dentist didn't get a crown seated just right, would you not say anything because "they should know to do it right"? I could go on.

And I disagree to some extent about the thread about concierge. There is no way on God's green earth to explain each and every possible facet of guest service. I watched a guest come into the lounge and when asked by his name how his day was going, he said he was sick with a head cold. The host whirled around in the desk chair and starting asking him which cold medication he would prefer. They had an entire cabinet full of miscellaneous OTC meds. Who knew? Did they tell ME that on our initial meeting? Nope. And they handed the guest the entire box of his preferred med. While I agree that some of the major services like helping concierge guests on and off the ship at embarkation/disembarkation, with tendering, booking any needed rez's, etc., etc. should surely be outlined, it is not possible to explain every nuance of each and every offering. THAT would take a great deal more time than it would to speak with a manager for 2 to 5 minutes about less than expected service.

Because my DH and I are business owners and because I have worked many years in widely varied service industries, including healthcare, we are very good tippers (because we know exceedingly well how demanding people can be and how hard those jobs in the industry really are). But NOT if service is bad. That is understandable. That said, we are VERY quick to speak to a manager about 2 things: #1 Outstanding service. We feel it is at least as important to reinforce desired behaviors and compliment it when observed/received as it is to complain. Perhaps even more important. #2 If service is more than a little below what it "should" be under the circumstances, we kindly ask to speak with a manager and tell them in a professional and respectful way what precisely we felt was errant. If they don't know, they can't fix it. And supervisors/mgrs cannot be everywhere at all times with each and every guest, no matter HOW hard they try. I know that very well.

If I felt a business had failed me the way you describe, I would definitely speak up to the appropriate person(s) and/or write a letter/email. And if I felt they didn't care, I would not patronize them anymore.
 
I am going to respectfully disagree. First reaction is, wow. Second is that you must have never worked in the hospitality or service industry OR owned a business. The best businesses on the planet are not perfect. Not Ritz-Carlton, not Four Seasons, not ANY business known for their outstanding service. NONE. Because they are run by people, staffed by people and serving people. And people ain't perfect. Not me, nor you.
I am sorry, I thought you were asking for a explanation. I was not expressing my views on why customer/clients/patrons do not express their dissatisfaction with service. I was expressing customer/client/patron views. Or rather distilled views fed into a computer and spit out at the other end.

I thought I made that clear with what I added the bit about my grandchildren. I failed. Will endeavor to be better in the future.
 
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I am sorry, I thought you were asking for a explanation. I was not expressing my views on why customer/clients/patrons do not express their dissatisfaction with service. I was expressing customer/client/patron views. Or rather distilled views fed into a computer and spit out at the other end.

I thought I made that clear with what I added the bit about my grandchildren. I failed. Will endeavor to be better in the future.

That, All about me, was very gracious. Thank you. :flower3:
 

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