DCL cruisers tried Royal...

[DCLMP]

But the way he justifies it is ridiculous. The price of the $100 soda package dropped by $10, and he had a hard time getting that $10 refund therefore he likes the Disney way of paying $4,000 more for his cruise better!

You've been around here long enough to know that the free soda on DCL is worth thousands.

 

[mjkacmom]

And those things you mention are things housekeeping does at hotels. I decline housekeeping at hotels and I should be able to do the same on a cruise without being obligated to subsidize an employee’s pay simply because “that is the way it’s done” or “that’s the industry standard”.

I can assure anyone here that should I ever take a cruise (Disney or otherwise), I can guarantee I will be explaining to anyone and everyone “assigned” to me my wishes. It is after all, my vacation.

Those tips also go to the folks who make your food, wash your dishes, clean public restrooms, wash linens….Back in the day, passengers were given envelopes and were expected to tip in cash.

 

[starvenger]

You've been around here long enough to know that the free soda on DCL is worth thousands.

Related story - I have cruises to thank for basically getting me off of carbonated beverages. My workplace at the time stocked the fridge with the fizzy stuff, so obviously I drank my share. But when I went on Allure in 2013, I knew that I'd have to pay extra for soda, so I went without. Honestly, did not miss it, and have been able to avoid that craving for pop ever since. Sure, every once in a while I'll get a Coke Zero, or plain soda water, or ask for a Pepsi as a mixer, but really I feel like I'm not missing anything by not drinking soda pop anymore.

Just don't take away my drip coffee.

 

[mjkacmom]

Do you lug your own sheets to a hotel? As far as the room itself goes, that’s already included in the price of my cruise. I don’t tip anyone extra at a hotel for having my room clean and sheets on my bed, nor would I on a cruise ship.
As for meals, at a restaurant I don’t tip the host, waiter, chef, asst. chefs, expediter, bus boy, etc. I tip my waiter and my waiter only. That ONE waiter takes the order and sees to my needs. I would tip ONE waiter just like a restaurant. However, please understand at some restaurants you DO order it yourself and pick it up yourself. In those cases, I don’t tip. If there is a buffet on the cruise, I would t tip there either.

I’m guessing you’re not from the US? Hopefully? Who doesn’t tip at a buffet? Are you busing your own table? You might just be tipping your server, but there is a good chance your tops are pooled with others, and busboys and bartenders are taking their fair share.

 

[Oldie13]

I’m guessing you’re not from the US? Hopefully? Who doesn’t tip at a buffet? Are you busing your own table? You might just be tipping your server, but there is a good chance your tops are pooled with others, and busboys and bartenders are taking their fair share.

Born and raised in the US. No, I never tip at a buffet.

 

[starvenger]

Born and raised in the US. No, I never tip at a buffet.

I think I'm beginning to understand your POV wrt tipping. Don't agree with it, but I can see where you are coming from.

 

[peder]

Cruising isn't for you. If you declined a room host's services and didn't tip, you would be taking away their wages, since they count on a certain number of rooms to subsidize their meager pay. It's just the way it works, and it's not changing anytime soon no matter how long you yell at the clouds. Your model of cruising would simply mean the lines would have to pay higher wages, and greatly increase the cost of sailing. You'd end up paying the same in the end, since most people cruise to get the very things you don't want. That is, unless you wanted to ride the generosity of fellow passengers' tips. Hence the default tip, to avoid people doing just that, at least without some level of effort and shame.

I would just add that cruise tipping is still highly dependent on region + culture of the passengers. For Caribbean cruises on an American line, yes, tipping has become expected and I would say that it's expected to tip extra as well.

But if you went on an Aida cruise out of Germany? Or a cruise out of Japan? My experience says that tipping is nowhere near normal in those areas.

 

[peder]

Born and raised in the US. No, I never tip at a buffet.

Wait, there are people here tipping at the buffets, too?

 

[tidefan]

Those tips also go to the folks who make your food, wash your dishes, clean public restrooms, wash linens….Back in the day, passengers were given envelopes and were expected to tip in cash.

Not to beat a dead horse... but...

This is why I really, really love the Virgin Voyages model. They go ahead and pay their crew a decent enough wage that there is no tipping expected on the cruise. It makes things SO much easier when you go.

I know that tipping is a sore subject in a lot of places, and, FWIW, we usually tip well, but...

- do we really need to tip when I buy a sandwich at a fast-food restaurant (looking at you, spin around tablets!)
- when I go to buy the souvenir cooler on the MV of the Disney Wish (with no beverages, BTW, just an empty cooler), and they make you buy it from the guy standing next to the bar, why do I pay an extra 18% for someone to reach into a box and hand me a soft-sided cooler?
- when you eat at a buffet, like Boma, for instance, why do you pay the server 15-18% in tips when the only thing, and I mean the only thing that they do is bring drinks. Why do they get tipped the same percentage-wise as the server across the way at Jiko that also takes your order, brings your food and pre-buses your table...

Just asking...

I love on Virgin where it's just all taken care of up front and you don't have to play all of these guessing games...

 

[RedHead0186]

Im not trying to change the entire system. And cruising IS for me if it’s something I want to do. I’m just saying knowing what I know now, im going to be vocal about how I want things and that’s that.

You do realize these statements contradict each other, right? You say you're not trying to change the system, but you're going to be vocal about how you want things. It's been explained to you several times that this is the model for most cruise lines, and you seem to not want to understand any of that.

By the way, DCL recommended tips are $14.50 per day for all four tipped positions. I don't know the exact breakdown, but it's probably $2-3 a day for a stateroom host. On a 7-night cruise, that's about $14-21. Is it really worth quibbling about?

Also, I can't believe no one else has mentioned the absolute best (IMO) reason to tip your host: towel animals! (Yes @Oldie13 I'm sure you're going to say you don't want those either. This was more of a mention for others).

 

[starvenger]

Let's not go there. I think people could go 12 pages just debating about the towel animals.

 

[RedHead0186]

Let's not go there. I think people could go 12 pages just debating about the towel animals.

Is it really a debatable topic? (I'm honestly asking, not being snarky). I thought it was a cute, tongue-in-cheek response. I honestly didn't mean to stir up anything if there's some sort of something to be stirred up . . .

 

[starvenger]

It can be. But nothing intense. I'm just teasing you here.

 

[RedHead0186]

It can be. But nothing intense. I'm just teasing you here.

Ahhh, okay. Phew!

 

[mjkacmom]

Not to beat a dead horse... but...

This is why I really, really love the Virgin Voyages model. They go ahead and pay their crew a decent enough wage that there is no tipping expected on the cruise. It makes things SO much easier when you go.

I know that tipping is a sore subject in a lot of places, and, FWIW, we usually tip well, but...

- do we really need to tip when I buy a sandwich at a fast-food restaurant (looking at you, spin around tablets!)
- when I go to buy the souvenir cooler on the MV of the Disney Wish (with no beverages, BTW, just an empty cooler), and they make you buy it from the guy standing next to the bar, why do I pay an extra 18% for someone to reach into a box and hand me a soft-sided cooler?
- when you eat at a buffet, like Boma, for instance, why do you pay the server 15-18% in tips when the only thing, and I mean the only thing that they do is bring drinks. Why do they get tipped the same percentage-wise as the server across the way at Jiko that also takes your order, brings your food and pre-buses your table...

Just asking...

I love on Virgin where it's just all taken care of up front and you don't have to play all of these guessing games...

When you sit down at Boma, are there dirty dishes on the table? Folks tend to use a lot of dishes at buffets, do you clear as well?

 

[TeamRiley]

Disney's premium is much higher than 30%...

I don't really care about the price of the cruise, I care about the price of the entire vacation.
Where we live, flying in to a port and getting hotels and transportation ends up being a significant cost, regardless of cruise line.
When everything is done, the cost of a trip to go on a Disney cruise is about 30%-35% more than Royal.

But don't believe me if you don't want. All I have is data on actual money spent where you have internet quotes and random possibilities.

 

[Mango7100]

When you sit down at Boma, are there dirty dishes on the table? Folks tend to use a lot of dishes at buffets, do you clear as well?

Exactly. At a buffet there are still people refilling your drinks, clearing your used dishes, turning over the table, etc. Absolutely you should tip at a buffet. Those servers probably work harder than the bartender who pours you a shot of a super expensive bourbon but takes 20% of that as a tip.

And if you aren’t willing to tip on a cruise, then you shouldn’t go on a cruise. Period. Unless you bring your own sheets, clean your own room everyday, turn over your room and completely clean it on disembarkation day, make your own food, serve yourself all food, do all your dishes, etc.

 

[auntlynne]

Yes, they have solo cabins with a solo lounge, and a coordinator. I think they are adding solo insides, OV and balconies.

And may also offer a rate with no single supplement. The rooms in the dedicated solo section on the Encore are SMALL. About 100 sf, with limited storage. Solo cruisers throughout the ship can participate in solo meets and group dining, too.

 

[Mango7100]

I don't really care about the price of the cruise, I care about the price of the entire vacation.
Where we live, flying in to a port and getting hotels and transportation ends up being a significant cost, regardless of cruise line.
When everything is done, the cost of a trip to go on a Disney cruise is about 30%-35% more than Royal.

But don't believe me if you don't want. All I have is data on actual money spent where you have internet quotes and random possibilities.

Is your data on actual money spent on just your one experience? If so, then one data point is not enough to say DCL is only 30% higher. You can’t say a DCL cruise is only 30% higher in every circumstance unless you yourself haven’t looked. It’s only 30% higher for your one trip. Other people and “random possibilities” may have found something different. My “random possibilities” have found DCL to be more than 30% higher than other lines in some cruises we have actually taken. In some cases it isn’t.

 

[TeamRiley]

Is your data on actual money spent on just your one experience? If so, then one data point is not enough to say DCL is only 30% higher. You can’t say a DCL cruise is only 30% higher in every circumstance unless you yourself haven’t looked. It’s only 30% higher for your one trip. Other people and “random possibilities” may have found something different. My “random possibilities” have found DCL to be more than 30% higher than other lines in some cruises we have actually taken. In some cases it isn’t.

Again, my information is on the entire trip cost, not just the cruise cost. And it is from many DCL and many Royal cruises. Some of them being as close to the same itinerary as you could get.

In the end though, it doesn't matter. We have fun on all the cruises we have been on. Given the choice, we choose Disney. If the difference in price was even higher, we would probably still choose Disney.