Not using stateroom service

[Lesverts]

Funny. For me I prefer the tipping culture of DCL now compared to how the other lines have gone. I am not sure how extreme the situation is now. But have read that some cruise lines that do not have directed tipping just put it all in one pot and spread it out over the entire crew. And when the line tells the crew what they will be paid for their contract it includes these pooled tips. If the line over estimates the tips in that calculation the person gets less money.

 

[Mle8308]

If I am not using the Stateroom service, are you able to remove the tips at guest services. I don't need the room cleaned or serviced during the cruise, so in my opinion tipping would be useless.

It's not all that much. If you can't afford to tip (or if you don't want to), you shouldn't cruise. Don't be cheap. I actually hope you are trolling us.

 

[Carohs]

Just because you don't need the room serviced daily doesn't mean you should give it up to save a few $. It's just nice to go on vacation and not have to worry about making the bed, having clean towels, taking out the garbage, etc. Even if we eat all meals in the provided dining spaces, we often will bring back either a drink cup or dessert to the room for later. All those dishes get cleared and it's a luxury to not walk them back upstairs. The standard tips are a small amount of money compared to the cruise fare. Even if you are low maintenance, why not let yourself relax fully while on vacation, and use the services the host provides? IMO it's not worth saving a few dollars on this.

 

[auntlynne]

I actually feel that walking into the cabin during the day, with the bed made and neat - and more importantly, after dinner, with the lights set to low with the Personal Navigator available and a towel animal to greet me - is actually one if the significant things that makes cruising the experience it is. (That is so integral to my DCL experience that I can imagine it.)

The cabin is the sanctuary from the hubbub of the crowds. Having it neatened for you just amplifies that.

I hadn’t really thought about this before.

I did wave off many days of service on a solo NCL cruise because the cabin was too small for me to keep my stuff stored. And that cabin never had the same welcoming feeling I get in serviced rooms. It felt more like a too-small dorm room.

We all are paying luxury prices for a Disney cruise. Having that effort by the room stewards is part of it. And yes, in the Social Contract of cruising, tipping is a part of the agreement on most cruise ships.

The OP has the right to chose no tipping. But I also feel there’s a responsibility to notify the Hotel Manager, if only by way of Guest Services, of that early on so as not penalize the steward. As much as I dislike playing Human Resource Manager in doing job evaluations (The Survey) while on vacation, anyone who reduces the expected Service Charge (ie, gratuities) needs to make it clear to a Supervisor that it is from the guest’s views of this practice.

I would certainly prefer gratuities to be included. But I work within the system until it’s changed.

This is the way - The Mandalorian

 

[Sleepyluke]

In all honesty, you should increase your tip if you choose to not have any daily service. Areas you may be saving the attendant time are the towel animals, turn down and towels.

I agree with the don't put your trash, plates, and other stuff in the hallways. There is no magic fairy to get them.

BUT I think you are increasing substantially the amount of work on turn around day, which is the most stressful and time sensitive of their week. They have to now deep clean the bathroom and floors on top of the regular stuff they do. Maybe you saved them a few minutes here and there throughout the week, but at then end of the day, you and all of us leave "footprint" for someone else to clean up.

If you want to argue that it should not be a tipped position, fine, but it is what it is industry wide, but not tipping because you are not using them is flawed at best, you are using them, just at your timing.

 

[MalvernPa]

If I am not using the Stateroom service, are you able to remove the tips at guest services. I don't need the room cleaned or serviced during the cruise, so in my opinion tipping would be useless.

Maybe a cruise vacation is not for you, try RVing/camping instead. That way, you can just clean up after yourself.

 

[Living42Day]

We only tipped the minimum amount for our last cruise except for the room attendant, she got extra.

We were fully prepared to tip extra for everyone, but our main servers kind of ignored our table in favor of other tables. It didn't help that the table next to ours had a group of three women who seemed to be extra flirty with the waiters, I still have "Heyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy Jossssssssseeeeeee! I've been waiting allllll day for youuuuuu" stuck in my head from our last MDR lol

The service was pretty slow and would frequently last 2 hours/2hrs 15 mins, our server's group of tables ended up being the last to finish each night. We cut it pretty close on Pirate Night, only making it up on the deck about five minutes prior to the show starting. We decided that on the next cruise, if we are still having dinners last that long that we would just skip the MDRs and do counter service or room service instead. We just are not that into food to waste that much time on it and would rather not be rushed to get to shows.

I also told our waiters about a birthday we were celebrating while we were on the cruise and they forgot (also noted it before our cruise on the app), but they gave one of the flirty women a birthday cake and had tables nearby sing to her. It's a small thing, but kind of a bummer and piles on.

I still kept all tips on, though. In the grand scheme, it's only $14.50/pp/pd. It's not worth being cheap on a cruise.

 

[auntlynne]

We only tipped the minimum amount for our last cruise except for the room attendant, she got extra.

We were fully prepared to tip extra for everyone, but our main servers kind of ignored our table in favor of other tables. It didn't help that the table next to ours had a group of three women who seemed to be extra flirty with the waiters, I still have "Heyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy Jossssssssseeeeeee! I've been waiting allllll day for youuuuuu" stuck in my head from our last MDR lol

The service was pretty slow and would frequently last 2 hours/2hrs 15 mins, our server's group of tables ended up being the last to finish each night. We cut it pretty close on Pirate Night, only making it up on the deck about five minutes prior to the show starting. We decided that on the next cruise, if we are still having dinners last that long that we would just skip the MDRs and do counter service or room service instead. We just are not that into food to waste that much time on it and would rather not be rushed to get to shows.

I also told our waiters about a birthday we were celebrating while we were on the cruise and they forgot (also noted it before our cruise on the app), but they gave one of the flirty women a birthday cake and had tables nearby sing to her. It's a small thing, but kind of a bummer and piles on.

I still kept all tips on, though. In the grand scheme, it's only $14.50/pp/pd. It's not worth being cheap on a cruise.

We told our last set of servers that we weren’t ones who wanted a long, drawn-out dinner. And we had our order planned when we arrived (since the menu is on the app - and we have seen it enough cruises!). I still will listen to recommendations.

But we had a family with kids and all the adults getting drinks (edit: at the next table). And taking their time deciding. So we got our orders in first and had dining our way.

Also consider speaking the Head Server. I am not a pushy diner, but sometimes, you need management to advocate for you. I’ve even told them the MDR cokes were flat and that got straightened out. Not a special request. Just having things normal is enough for me.

I hate to hear guests just give up on MDRs if they wanted to use them.

 

[Living42Day]

We told our last set of servers that we weren’t ones who wanted a long, drawn-out dinner. And we had our order planned when we arrived (since the menu is on the app - and we have seen it enough cruises!). I still will listen to recommendations.

But we had a family with kids and all the adults getting drinks (edit: at the next table). And taking their time deciding. So we got our orders in first and had dining our way.

Also consider speaking the Head Server. I am not a pushy diner, but sometimes, you need management to advocate for you. I’ve even told them the MDR cokes were flat and that got straightened out. Not a special request. Just having things normal is enough for me.

I hate to hear guests just give up on MDRs if they wanted to use them.

We might do that, thanks for the tip! We'll give it a go for the first night and weigh options. We knew what we wanted as well (the app is super great to plan out meals), but it was generally a minimum of 30 mins before the first course and drinks would come out and it would stagger from there. Except for the last night, they brought the salad out and 5 mins later it was the main course. It was kind of all over the place lol Oh well, even with all of that we still really enjoyed our cruise

 

[auntlynne]

We might do that, thanks for the tip! We'll give it a go for the first night and weigh options. We knew what we wanted as well (the app is super great to plan out meals), but it was generally a minimum of 30 mins before the first course and drinks would come out and it would stagger from there. Except for the last night, they brought the salad out and 5 mins later it was the main course. It was kind of all over the place lol Oh well, even with all of that we still really enjoyed our cruise

Glad the overall outcome was good.

We are not boat rockers (haha), but we weren’t happy with our situation the first night or two. It’s taken 20+ cruises to embrace the idea of speaking up. I had already learned to say when food wasn’t the right temp or cook level - that’s when I learned the Head Server could really expedite. I no longer feel I need to just say everything’s okay when it is truly not. I try not to be “those people” who nitpick everything.

 

[it398]

If you speak with Guest Services they will remove the tips from your account for any reason.

On our last cruise Disney changed one of the stops after we booked (but around 6 months before sailing) forcing us to spend a few hundered dollars on a shore excursion to the first city. Then a few weeks before sailing they moved the final stop on the cruise to a new town which went from a quiet village to an industrial port on the coast. Then on the cruise they cancelled all shore excursions at one port and just my excursion (with a few other problems caused by Disney) at another. by the 3rd port day and everything crumbling I was beyond angry and demanded that Disney refund the gratuities I had prepaid. They did remind me that the servers etc who got the tips not the company and that my problems were with the company, so I told them the company can pay the gratuities.

I did eventually calm down and left cash for all, but to Disney's credit they did repay me the gratuities which I had prepaid before departing.

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

If you speak with Guest Services they will remove the tips from your account for any reason.

On our last cruise Disney changed one of the stops after we booked (but around 6 months before sailing) forcing us to spend a few hundered dollars on a shore excursion to the first city. Then a few weeks before sailing they moved the final stop on the cruise to a new town which went from a quiet village to an industrial port on the coast. Then on the cruise they cancelled all shore excursions at one port and just my excursion (with a few other problems caused by Disney) at another. by the 3rd port day and everything crumbling I was beyond angry and demanded that Disney refund the gratuities I had prepaid. They did remind me that the servers etc who got the tips not the company and that my problems were with the company, so I told them the company can pay the gratuities.

I did eventually calm down and left cash for all, but to Disney's credit they did repay me the gratuities which I had prepaid before departing.

So you punished the person who cleaned your room and the people who brought you food, who work in the Hotel department of the ship, due to issues with international port authorities, people who tell Disney when and where the ship can berth , who are the Marine and Seafaring department.

You say you left cash in the end, but wow, geez,

Was this on one of the European cruises?

 

[it398]

So you punished the person who cleaned your room and the people who brought you food, who work in the Hotel department of the ship, due to issues with international port authorities, people who tell Disney when and where the ship can berth , who are the Marine and Seafaring department.

You say you left cash in the end, but wow, geez,

Was this on one of the European cruises?

yes

Not really down to the authorities etc, more Disney takes bookings (and payment) based on destinations services etc which they did not fulfil, some could argue its outside of their control (and some of them probably were) but other issues both on and off the ship were not.

I believe that you pay a lot for the Disney cruise experience, and basic functions are included in the cruise price, there was no "above and beyond" moments from any staff, at least not on that sailing.
If Disney (like many others) chooses to rely on the goodwill of their guests to pay their staff the desired wages, it is (in my opinion) not my concern. I pay the fees asked by the company and will gladly tip for something special.

When I calmed down I did leave cash, but I do believe that "just doing your job" should not require additional payment. We tip because combined Disney usually provides exceptional customer care and experiences however on this occasion they did not.

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

yes

Not really down to the authorities etc, more Disney takes bookings (and payment) based on destinations services etc which they did not fulfil, some could argue its outside of their control (and some of them probably were) but other issues both on and off the ship were not.

So I'm guessing this was the 2023 Norwegian Fjords on The Dream.

There were a lot of port issues with that cruise in particular.

Punishing the room attendant and your MDR servers for issues with international port authorities is not cool.

Something similar happened on my cruise in August 2024, we were moved from the main cruise terminal to a berth in the commercial part of the port and we were not allowed to walk around the ship to get photos and had to take a bus to the pedestrian entrance.


I am from a country which does not have the same tipping culture as in America. However, the onboard culture on Disney ships is the American tipping culture. It is something I accept and allow for in my budget. Thats a compromise I make, to experience Disney cruising. I dont agree with it, but at the same time, it is not ok to punish room attendants and MDR servers and leave them short on their pay, due to your personal issues with the Walt Disney Company policys and procedures. You are not hurting Disney Corporate, you are not effecting the wages of the C Suite people, you are only punishing the minimum wage people who are most likely supporting their family in their home country.

 

[it398]

So I'm guessing this was the 2023 Norwegian Fjords on The Dream.

There were a lot of port issues with that cruise in particular.

Punishing the room attendant and your MDR servers for issues with international port authorities is not cool.

Something similar happened on my cruise in August 2024, we were moved from the main cruise terminal to a berth in the commercial part of the port and we were not allowed to walk around the ship to get photos and had to take a bus to the pedestrian entrance.


I am from a country which does not have the same tipping culture as in America. However, the onboard culture on Disney ships is the American tipping culture. It is something I accept and allow for in my budget. Thats a compromise I make, to experience Disney cruising. I dont agree with it, but at the same time, it is not ok to punish room attendants and MDR servers and leave them short on their pay, due to your personal issues with the Walt Disney Company policys and procedures. You are not hurting Disney Corporate, you are not effecting the wages of the C Suite people, you are only punishing the minimum wage people who are most likely supporting their family in their home country.

For clarity I didn’t punish them (once I’d calmed down). Just highlighting that guest services will remove even prepaid gratuities if you ask them to

 

[ladyofthetramp]

hmmm... they will check your cabin for security reasons, so be prepared for that. Please do notify the head of housekeeping for your reasons-you may be explaining in person, so be prepared for that. And please do not remove a gratuity for your personal preference-not fair to your steward to be penalized. Have a great cruise

 

[MamaMermaid]

Wow. This is somethning.