Monday, January 24, 2011

89 DAYS TO GO . . .

     MONDAY JANUARY 24, 2011

     TODAY I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF HOW DIFFERENT TIPPING IS ON A CRUISE SHIP VS. DRY LAND.  FIRST, HERE'S THE LIST OF PEOPLE THAT YOU WILL BE PRETTY MUCH BE EXPECTED TO TIP IF IT ISN'T ALREADY AUTOMATICALLY PUT ON YOUR BILL AS PART OF THE CHARGES. ~ YOUR DINING ROOM SERVER ($4/DAY), YOUR DINING ROOM ASSISTANT SERVER($3/DAY), YOUR DINING ROOM HEAD SERVER($1/DAY), YOUR STATEROOM HOST OR HOSTESS($4/DAY), YOUR BARTENDER(15% ADDED TO YOUR BILL), ROOM SERVICE($1-$2/PERS), KIDS CLUB COUNSELORS(AT WILL), SHORE EXCURSION GUIDES($1-$2/PERS), BAGGAGE PORTERS($1-$2/BAG), TAXI DRIVERS AND IF YOU ADD ANY OTHER SPECIAL SERVICE MEALS OR THE LIKE ACCORDINGLY.  IN PARENTHESIS ARE DISNEY'S RECOMMENDED AMOUNTS.  THIS CHART WILL GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF THE JUNE 2010 RECOMMENDATIONS: WWW.DISNEYCRUISER.INFO/TIPS.HTM
     HAVING NEVER CRUISED BEFORE, I WAS SHOCKED AT THE SIZE OF THIS LIST, BUT IT TURNS OUT IT'S ALL FAIRLY COMMON.  BECAUSE CRUISE SHIP KITCHENS HAVE TO SERVE SO MANY, THEY FUNCTION MORE LIKE ASSEMBLY LINES, INCLUDING SERVICE.  SO EACH SERVER HAS THEIR OWN RESPONSIBILITIES, THUS MORE SERVERS TO TIP.  YOUR STATEROOM HOST IS YOUR MAID, SO IT'S NO DIFFERENT THAN STAYING IN A HOTEL.  A 15% GRATUITY IS ADDED TO EVERY ALCOHOLIC DRINK YOU PURCHASE, SO TIPPING YOUR BARTENDER IS NEVER NECESSARY UNLESS YOU DEEM IT SO.  BRING SOME LOOSE SINGLES FOR SPOT TIPPING.  THROW YOUR ROOM SERVICE WAITER A DOLLAR OR TWO.  HOW OFTEN ARE YOU ACTUALLY GOING TO ORDER ROOM SERVICE?  SAME WITH SOMEONE IN THE KIDS CLUBS.  I'VE HEARD, BECAUSE MOST OF THE STAFF ARE NOT FROM THE U.S., AND FAR FROM HOME FOR MONTHS AT A TIME, THAT CALLING CARDS ARE A GREAT TIP, AS IS CANDY OR CHOCOLATE, BELIEVE IT OR NOT.  IT'S ALWAYS THE THOUGHT THAT COUNTS.  AND SO VERY FEW THINK OF THE PEOPLE SERVING BECAUSE THE FEEL LIKE THEY'VE ALREADY PAID FOR IT.  YOU PAY FOR A MEAL IN A RESTAURANT AT HOME AND TIP DON'T YOU?  AT LEAST SOMETHING.
     ONE OF THE REAL HIGHLIGHTS TO ME, AND SOMETHING I'VE ALREADY TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF, IS PRE-TIPPING.  THE THREE SERVERS AND STATEROOM HOST ARE THE THREE DISNEY "EXPECTS" YOU TO TIP, SO THEY HAVE A RECOMMENDED SCALE AND A PROCESS FOR DOING SO.  ON YOUR LAST DAY, TIP ENVELOPES ARE LEFT IN YOUR STATEROOM FOR THESE FOUR INDIVIDUALS  YOU CAN PUT CASH IN THEM, OR CHARGE THE TIPS TO YOUR STATEROOM ACCOUNT AT GUEST SERVICES AND GET RECEIPTS TO PUT IN THE ENVELOPES FOR THE STAFF.  OR, LIKE ME, YOU CAN PAY THESE IN ADVANCE AND THE RECEIPTS WILL BE IN THE ENVELOPES WHEN THEY'RE LEFT.  SINCE YOUR SERVERS FOLLOW YOU WITH DISNEY'S ROTATIONAL DINING (ANOTHER DAY'S BLOG), TIPPING IS USUALLY DONE ON THE LAST NIGHT.
     NOW COMING FROM THE HOTEL INDUSTRY, I KNOW TWO THINGS FOR SURE:  1)MONEY TALKS, AND 2) THE SOONER THE BETTER.  YOUR STATEROOM HOST IS YOUR HOOKUP FOR EVERYTHING.  THE PERSON YOU'LL SEE (AND WILL SEE ALL OF YOU AND YOUR STUFF) EVERY DAY OF YOUR TRIP.  GIVE THEM SOMETHING ON DAY ONE AND YOU'LL BE ONE OF THE FEW THEY ACTUALLY REMEMBER FROM THE START.  THEN YOU WON'T HAVE TO FEEL AWKWARD ABOUT ASKING FOR SOMETHING OR EXTRA AT ANY TIME LATER.  AND THEY CERTAINLY WON'T MIND EITHER. 
     IF YOU'RE THE CREATIVE TYPE, THINK OF SOME THINGS THAT THE CREW MEMBERS YOU APPRECIATE MIGHT LIKE TO RECEIVE, AND BRING A FEW.  SINCE WE'RE SAILING EASTER SUNDAY, WE'RE BRINGING BAGS OF CANDY FOR EGGS AND SMALL GIFT BAGS FOR STAFF (AND MY SONS EASTER BASKET), EXTRA DISNEY PINS FOR MY SON TO TRADE, THANK YOU CARDS WITH DISNEY STICKERS, AND THE AFOREMENTIONED LONG DISTANCE CALLING CARDS.  ALL HAVE HEART AND MEANING, BUT COST NEXT TO NOTHING FOR A LOT OF GOOD WILL WHILE ON BOARD.  YOU CAN DO THE SAME, BUT DO IT YOUR WAY.  DON'T GET ME WRONG.  CASH IS KING, BUT THAT CAN GET EXPENSIVE AND CAN BE TOO LITTLE OR TOO MUCH (OK, RARELY TOO MUCH). 
     TIPPING FOR ANY AND ALL OF THE PEOPLE YOU COME ACROSS CAN BE ADJUSTED UP OR DOWN ACCORDING TO THE SERVICE YOU RECEIVE, EVEN IF YOU'VE PRE-TIPPED.  THEY CAN DO IT AT GUEST SERVICES ANYTIME.  SO ENJOY AND SMILE, CAUSE AFTER BEING TIPPED, THEY WILL.  :-)
     SEE YA REAL SOON!   ºOº

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