Paying for Tips *** DCL Makes a Change ***

[Centex]

We had the option to pre-pay tips on Princess a few years ago and had no complaints about the service. I found it convenient to not have to keep up with the cash and get it distributed.

Bill

 

[TDC Nala]

We have two unrelated people in one stateroom. We are each going to use our own credit card. Will they split the gratuities or will they charge them all to my roommate's account as she is the primary name? Or can we go to guest services and have them split between our accounts?

 

[KSDisneyDad]

My immediate reaction to this is mixed. On one had, I am very glad for the servers/room attendants that Disney is moving in this direction to be consistent with other lines. I hope that very few actually go to Guest Services to lower or eliminate tips for skipping the MDRs, etc.

On the other hand, I hope this doesn't diminish the service we've come to expect. Most likely, it won't, but it does make me apprehensive.

 

[ilovetexas]

BRAVO, Disney Cruise Lines!!!!

And I wouldn't worry about the service. I can't imagine that people who are used to providing great service are suddenly going to spit in your food just because they've already got their tip.

DCL service will still be DCL service; it will just be an easier process for the passengers (once you get used to it).

 

[ThePhantomsGirl]

We have two unrelated people in one stateroom. We are each going to use our own credit card. Will they split the gratuities or will they charge them all to my roommate's account as she is the primary name? Or can we go to guest services and have them split between our accounts?

This will depend on how you fill out the payment authorization forms. I have often traveled with my good friend and we each take care of our own expenses. She fills out the payment authorization form for herself, and I do one for myself. That should come in the cruise documents.

 

[mskspgh]

You can do this yourself by using going to the DCL website and pulling up the Onboard Gifts section, there is an option for applying an onboard credit to a cabin as a gift.
__________________Can you direct me further to where i would gift someone onboard credit?

 

[lbgraves]

I think I would like it better if they added to the cost of the cruise initially...

I wouldn't like that because it takes away any incentive for the CMs to go out of their way to do a good job if there is no way to adjust the tip. We had a horrible server on the Fantasy's MV. I spoke with a HS that we knew from another station about our issue with the server, as well as the ineffectiveness of our HS and our server was replaced for the rest of the cruise. I was able to adjust our tip for the server, knowing that the two of them would split it, and handed the replacement a seperate envelope with cash in it just for him.

i wonder if automatic gratuities have a negative impact on crew performance.

When I commented on this change last summer to one of our favorite servers on the Magic, he said that he wasn't aware of the change in policy, though had noticed that there were fewer people not leaving tips - which has been an issue on the previous Med cruises in particular.

 

[PrincessTrisha]

My problem isn't that they are doing this (I find it more convenient), it's how they are doing it. If final payment is due 75 days in advance, then any changes should be delayed so that anyone who is less than 75 days in advance has the chance to cancel without penalty.

I am disappointed to know that I am booked on the Magic for April 30th and no where is it in my paperwork that I will have my tips automatically charged to my account.

I think DCL has been back handed about this and I don't like that.

 

[jilljill]

You can do this yourself by using going to the DCL website and pulling up the Onboard Gifts section, there is an option for applying an onboard credit to a cabin as a gift.
__________________Can you direct me further to where i would gift someone onboard credit?

http://dcl1.wdpromedia.com/media/dc...dAmenities/GiftOrderForm - Revised 2_2_11.pdf


If the link doesn't work do to the DCL website under the Onboard Gifts Section and click on Download Order Form to get to the form.

This is what the form says:

On Board Credits

Amount: $25.00 $50.00 $100.00 $250.00 $____._____
To:
From:
Message to Guest

 

[lbgraves]

My problem isn't that they are doing this (I find it more convenient), it's how they are doing it. If final payment is due 75 days in advance, then any changes should be delayed so that anyone who is less than 75 days in advance has the chance to cancel without penalty.

I am disappointed to know that I am booked on the Magic for April 30th and no where is it in my paperwork that I will have my tips automatically charged to my account.

I think DCL has been back handed about this and I don't like that.

The policy has been in effect on the Magic for nearly a year already, there hasn't been a change for that ship at all. The fact that you are expected to tip hasn't changed. You also are able to go to GS and reduce the gratuity if the service you receive isn't acceptable.

 

[jetskigrl]

My problem isn't that they are doing this (I find it more convenient), it's how they are doing it. If final payment is due 75 days in advance, then any changes should be delayed so that anyone who is less than 75 days in advance has the chance to cancel without penalty.

I am disappointed to know that I am booked on the Magic for April 30th and no where is it in my paperwork that I will have my tips automatically charged to my account.

I think DCL has been back handed about this and I don't like that.

I'm not sure what you mean by this. The policy states the customer can pay when booking, pay when making the final payment OR not pay at all and the tips will be charged to the onboard account (and a letter will be in the stateroom that explains the charges). I don't see anything back handed about that. Nothing that I have seen implys that people have to prepay them at all. They can wait until they board the ship and then they will be applied to the account the first day.

Quote from the OP:
Clients can add pre-paid gratuities at the time of booking or when processing final payment. If the pre-paid gratuities have not been added prior to boarding, your Clients will receive a letter upon check-in explaining the automatic charge to their onboard account. Your Clients still have the option to modify or add additional gratuity amounts, or pay in cash, by stopping by the Guest Services Desk onboard.
As a reminder, a 15% gratuity is automatically added to any bar, beverage, wine and deck-service receipt.


I like to prepay mine anyway, so no worries there. But if I want to use my OBCs to pay the tip, then I just don't prepay them and let DCL charge them to my account the first day (and since OBCs are applied to the balance first, I won't need to do a thing).

 

[taswira]

This will depend on how you fill out the payment authorization forms. I have often traveled with my good friend and we each take care of our own expenses. She fills out the payment authorization form for herself, and I do one for myself. That should come in the cruise documents.

Not necessarily true. On our last cruise, because you chose to pre-pay your gratuities, they gave us the one sheet with the tip envelopes and stubs, thinking that was all they were getting. Remember? I had to go to our Concierge and do my own gratuities through him. I foresee something similar happening next week. Either that or they could end up billing all of the gratuities automatically to my account.

While we have our separate cards and accounts, the payment authorization form is all on one sheet because we do not have separate reservations. It may take a lot of pixie dust for this one.

 

[U2FanHfx]

This can cause service to decline due to them "already" getting the money. However, there are people I know that tip NOTHING. I'm totally embarrassed for them and often top ours up to try and make some sort of effort to correct that.

Another thing to keep in mind is on a tour of another cruise line, they POSTED in the galley the names and staterooms of those that removed their tips. This was seen by all servers. Not saying Disney will do this, but I wasn't impressed by the use of that information either. Search CC for the pics if you are interested.

CJM

 

[trimix]

My immediate reaction to this is mixed. On one had, I am very glad for the servers/room attendants that Disney is moving in this direction to be consistent with other lines. I hope that very few actually go to Guest Services to lower or eliminate tips for skipping the MDRs, etc.

On the other hand, I hope this doesn't diminish the service we've come to expect. Most likely, it won't, but it does make me apprehensive.

I doubt this will have any impact on quality of service. This just makes tipping more convenient, and kind of forces it on the unwary. Instead of inconveniencing passengers by requiring us to stand in long lines to put tips on our account at guest services, it is done for us. Cheapskates who aren't willing to tip, or those who want to reduce their tip, will make for a much smaller workload at Guest Services.

If the dining service is lacking in any way, just speak up! On my last cruise, the first two dinners my glass spent most of its time empty. After making a small comment to the head server, I no longer had any problems with thirst.

 

[Had2disneycruz]

I don't want to get blasted, but I agree with those not thrilled about this change. I probably will always leave the suggested amount for each of our servers and stateroom host, but I want the option. When we cruised last week on the Fantasy, I didn't feel the service was up to Disney standards. No, I didn't say anything because I didn't want anyone to get in trouble and I know that doesn't do them any favors, but there were some issues. Our stateroom host got blasted one day by his superior, so I knew things weren't going well for him. Our assistant server was adorable and sweet but by mid-dinner, she disappeared. If tipping is now mandatory, then standards need to stay a step above.

 

[MinnesotaMouseketeers]

Thanks for the post, glad DCL is finally doing this ; because (flame me now, I'm ready) I like the idea that people have to go to customer service in order to decrease the tip amount if they feel they have too. And hopefully give a reason. My guess is there are a lot (not everyone) of people that are just cheap and feel this is one way to save, by skipping tips. My one fear is people giving false negative reviews to save money.

We only decreased the recommended amount once (on the Big Red Boat), and we wrote why at the end of the cruise on our review sheet. On every DCL vacation we have gone above the recommended amount for everyone. We have also given a 'shout out' for outstanding service for several people on the review sheets at the end of the cruise.

 

[trimix]

I don't want to get blasted, but I agree with those not thrilled about this change. I probably will always leave the suggested amount for each of our servers and stateroom host, but I want the option. When we cruised last week on the Fantasy, I didn't feel the service was up to Disney standards. No, I didn't say anything because I didn't want anyone to get in trouble and I know that doesn't do them any favors, but there were some issues. Our stateroom host got blasted one day by his superior, so I knew things weren't going well for him. Our assistant server was adorable and sweet but by mid-dinner, she disappeared. If tipping is now mandatory, then standards need to stay a step above.

I think you totally misunderstand the change. Tips are NOT mandatory under the new plan! The cruise line is implementing a CONVENIENCE for passengers, a convenience that will just happen to reduce the rate of people not tipping.

IF you don't want to tip, IF you think the tip is too big, or IF you think service has been exceptional and you want to tip more, you just go to the guest services desk and tell them. They can increase, decrease, or eliminate the amount you are tipping in just a minute or two.

I don't know about you, but I don't like to decide on tips until the last day or two of the cruise - sometimes I tip more, sometimes I tip less. But at that point in time it seems everybody else is trying to get their tip tickets, so the line can be very long at guest services and I HATE standing there for so long! With automatic tips, most people won't be getting in that line, so if I want to make a change I can anticipate a very short line. Or if I want to tip more I can just stuff some leftover cash into the envelopes and completely avoid the line!

But don't think for a second that tips are mandatory! If I am receiving substandard service in the dining room, the tip amount will be reduced for whomever I hold accountable.

 

[Freiden8]

I hope this doesn't come off as controversial as I imagine some could take it, I'm not meaning it to be.. but..

As an upcoming first time cruiser, I have come to the opinion that they should stop calling these charges/expectations, "gratuities," start calling them "service fees," and just add them to the total cruise cost at booking. Then, if someone wants to then go above and beyond, it is truly discretionary..

I certainly don't mind tipping -quite highly, in fact- for excellent service, but I don't like it being forced upon me either under the guise of convenience; when it appears to me that the whole reason this was first initiated was because the staff wasn't getting what the industry deemed as appropriate to expect. And, I certainly don't believe that a passenger should feel like a fool for standing in line and asking to reduce their gratuities charge. Which, I imagine some guests may feel.

From my admittedly limited observation, I think the whole point of gratuities, and the expectation of these gifts for exceptional service, is being lost..

eta: I guess my issue is with verbage.

 

[Freiden8]

I think you totally misunderstand the change. Tips are NOT mandatory under the new plan! The cruise line is implementing a CONVENIENCE for passengers, a convenience that will just happen to reduce the rate of people not tipping.

IF you don't want to tip, IF you think the tip is too big, or IF you think service has been exceptional and you want to tip more, you just go to the guest services desk and tell them. They can increase, decrease, or eliminate the amount you are tipping in just a minute or two.

I don't know about you, but I don't like to decide on tips until the last day or two of the cruise - sometimes I tip more, sometimes I tip less. But at that point in time it seems everybody else is trying to get their tip tickets, so the line can be very long at guest services and I HATE standing there for so long! With automatic tips, most people won't be getting in that line, so if I want to make a change I can anticipate a very short line. Or if I want to tip more I can just stuff some leftover cash into the envelopes and completely avoid the line!

But don't think for a second that tips are mandatory! If I am receiving substandard service in the dining room, the tip amount will be reduced for whomever I hold accountable.

but wouldn't this new "service" make some people feel like a cheapskate or just plain feel badly for having to ask them to reduce the charge, even if they feel it is justified?

I just don't like that..

 

[DOPEYLUVER]

Another thing to keep in mind is on a tour of another cruise line, they POSTED in the galley the names and staterooms of those that removed their tips. This was seen by all servers. Not saying Disney will do this, but I wasn't impressed by the use of that information either. Search CC for the pics if you are interested.

CJM

The tips are pooled on cruises. If the server is responsible for serving a table that has removed the tips, he/she is required to turn those tips in. On the other hand if the guest has given a tip in addition to what is being charged directly the server can keep it. There are always those cheapskates that claim they are tipping directly but in the end don't tip at all. If however the same server is claiming to not be tipped and therefore have nothing to turn in, he/she is either keeping the tips, which is against policy, or a really bad server and not getting tips.