First time at Palo - what should we get?

[MomOTwins]

My son who was Platinum way before me suggested approximating what the meal would have cost shoreside in an equivalent restaurant and tipping 20% on that amount.

This was our thinking too, so I am surprised to see so many people tipping $30-40 for two people. That assumes the meal cost would be $150-$160 (i.e. 75-80 per person). I can't think of a single restaurant where the cost of a brunch would be anywhere near that amount except California Grill in WDW, and for that you are really paying for location more than anything. The most expensive brunch I can think of in the Washington DC area where I live is similar to Palo (includes champagne and a la carte items plus an elaborate buffet including caviar) and is only about $40 per person.

 

[CarolynU]

This was our thinking too, so I am surprised to see so many people tipping $30-40 for two people. That assumes the meal cost would be $150-$160 (i.e. 75-80 per person). I can't think of a single restaurant where the cost of a brunch would be anywhere near that amount except California Grill in WDW, and for that you are really paying for location more than anything. The most expensive brunch I can think of in the Washington DC area where I live is similar to Palo (includes champagne and a la carte items plus an elaborate buffet including caviar) and is only about $40 per person.

Are they tipping that for brunch or dinner? For brunch that is expensive, but not for dinner.

 

[Dug720]

Tip what you are comfortable with and don't worry what others do for the places like Palo where it is not spelled out. That makes it very easy.

 

[dcassetta]

This was our thinking too, so I am surprised to see so many people tipping $30-40 for two people. That assumes the meal cost would be $150-$160 (i.e. 75-80 per person). I can't think of a single restaurant where the cost of a brunch would be anywhere near that amount except California Grill in WDW, and for that you are really paying for location more than anything. The most expensive brunch I can think of in the Washington DC area where I live is similar to Palo (includes champagne and a la carte items plus an elaborate buffet including caviar) and is only about $40 per person.

I probably tend to tip a little more as being platinum, my meal is comped. I am not sure if any of the extra fee goes to the server, and if a meal is comped, if they would still gte that portion. So, I probably overcompensate.

Tip what you are comfortable with and don't worry what others do for the places like Palo where it is not spelled out. That makes it very easy.

Yup.

 

[ACQUADUCK]

None of any charge in Palo goes to the servers, it goes " towards" the upscale food, doesn't even cover that.
Also Kitchen staff, chef , galley have to be paid.

On any meal, anyone can see the charge is great value for money. It doesn't cover anything bar a contributing amount to the food.

Staff work for tips, but they can have other duties, i.e. Man fast food outlets when Palo is closed.

I am platinum and I tip an amount equal to the standard fee.

 

[dcassetta]

None of any charge in Palo goes to the servers, it goes " towards" the upscale food, doesn't even cover that.
Also Kitchen staff, chef , galley have to be paid.

On any meal, anyone can see the charge is great value for money. It doesn't cover anything bar a contributing amount to the food.

Staff work for tips, but they can have other duties, i.e. Man fast food outlets when Palo is closed.

I am platinum and I tip an amount equal to the standard fee.

I have seen posts like this before. I have also seen where people have said part of the fee does go to the servers. What I have not seen is documentation. Just various people stating what they have been told by crew members. I certainly hope the staff gets a wage in addition to tips. On some lines, HAL for instance, no additional tipping is expected at the upcharge restaurants and people may assume the same on DCL.

 

[ACQUADUCK]

I have seen posts like this before. I have also seen where people have said part of the fee does go to the servers. What I have not seen is documentation. Just various people stating what they have been told by crew members. I certainly hope the staff gets a wage in addition to tips. On some lines, HAL for instance, no additional tipping is expected at the upcharge restaurants and people may assume the same on DCL.

A number of years back when the DCL website was " unclear" on Palo gratuities , it was said $1 of the fee went to a pooled tip. That changed to , tipping at your discretion, and no part of the fee goes to a tip.

If you just estimate the cost of the food you eat, or is on offer, you can see $30 does not even cover the cost of the food.

If you expect to see any official documentation on an unofficial Disney forum, it's not going to happen, but CMs may get a small payment, i.e. Salary for other services, such as manning fast food positions or being a muster team leader.

HAL will differ to DCL to Princess to any cruise. You can't compare and things change like concierge on DCL on their tipping.

 

[dcassetta]

A number of years back when the DCL website was " unclear" on Palo gratuities , it was said $1 of the fee went to a pooled tip. That changed to , tipping at your discretion, and no part of the fee goes to a tip.

If you just estimate the cost of the food you eat, or is on offer, you can see $30 does not even cover the cost of the food.

If you expect to see any official documentation on an unofficial Disney forum, it's not going to happen, but CMs may get a small payment, i.e. Salary for other services, such as manning fast food positions or being a muster team leader.

HAL will differ to DCL to Princess to any cruise. You can't compare and things change like concierge on DCL on their tipping.

I am not sure that tipping is at your discretion helps to clear things up as is evidenced by this discussion and those on previous threads.

I have no experience in running a restaurant, so no idea whether the $30 covers the cost of the meal. I will defer to your superior knowledge on that.

I did not expect documentation on a forum, but I have also seen none on the ship itself and although I haven't asked in years, never did get a straight answer.

I understand that others lines have different policies. But, if other lines do not expect tipping at upcharge restaurants, and then people travel on DCL, they may assume the same is true there. Hence my concern that Palo, and I assume Remy, servers are receiving a wage. If, as you said, they work for tips and it is not made clear to guests that tipping is expected, are some of the servers working some meals without pay?

 

[MomOTwins]

Disney really should put out some guidance on this. Where a person's income is dependent on tips, I don't view tips as optional or "tip at your discretion" but rather a necessary part of the cost of the meal. On the other hand, for salaried employees (e.g., the CMs that manage the kids clubs), the cruise line builds the cost of their salary into the cruise price, so you have essentially already paid for their service. Sort of like how a professional car service fare includes tip, but a taxi/lyft/uber does not.

To respond to a pp, I was totally thinking of brunch and not dinner. You are right that I would assume a dinner meal cost to be at least $100-200, so the tip should increase accordingly. Kind of funny how DCL charges the same surcharge for brunch as for dinner when you think about it...

 

[psac]

Being a Palo server is certainly considered a premium position over being a server in the MDRs, but no idea if that’s from bigger tips or bigger base salary. As far as I know, they all make a base salary, it’s just really low, what we would generally consider unlivable.

Totally agree with everyone on tip amounts.

 

[mmmears]

I'm really glad that the subject of Palo tips came up here. We have brunch and dinner reservations on our upcoming cruise and I don't want to short the servers but I also don't want to tip way too much, so it's nice to hear what other people do.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I'm really glad that the subject of Palo tips came up here. We have brunch and dinner reservations on our upcoming cruise and I don't want to short the servers but I also don't want to tip way too much, so it's nice to hear what other people do.

In reality, a tip is whatever the service is worth to you. For one person the service may be worth $20, while another may think the same service is worth $50.

There's really no "too little" or "too much".

 

[ACQUADUCK]

Being a Palo server is certainly considered a premium position over being a server in the MDRs, but no idea if that’s from bigger tips or bigger base salary. As far as I know, they all make a base salary, it’s just really low, what we would generally consider unlivable.

Totally agree with everyone on tip amounts.

On average you get far bigger tips. It's also a route to head server or restaurant manager.

 

[ACQUADUCK]

I'm really glad that the subject of Palo tips came up here. We have brunch and dinner reservations on our upcoming cruise and I don't want to short the servers but I also don't want to tip way too much, so it's nice to hear what other people do.

I suggest a couple of things.

1/ benchmark the daily MDR guidance on gratuities. Note that covers dinner but they do work on breakfast and lunch.
2/ what you would pay in a comparable restaurant on land.
3/ The service fee currently $30pp. Cruisers use this ( as you can read) as a guide, from 50% of the fee to a tip = to the fee.
4/ Brunch, is slightly different how much you use the server, if you use the buffet or have hot served food, Dinner is all served.
5/ Bar service tips automatically charged.

So pre the meal, have " your" benchmarks in your mind, a range you consider is appropriate. Some here pay more or less or not at all, but have a pre planned range in mind.

Then on the meal how attentive the server is and how much used. Consider " real " help, not an animal made up of your napkins.

Then pay what you want to do.

Nothing is wrong! I mean " nothing" is " wrong ", but how much $ is down to you.