Tipping aboard Disney Cruise Line: Everything you need to know about gratuity on a Disney Cruise

in Disney, Disney Cruise Line

Disney Cruise Ship

Disney Cruise Line offers unforgettable Disney vacations aboard state-of-the-art, magical cruise ships. A Disney Cruise has all of the magic of the Disney Parks at sea, but one of the features that make Disney cruises a top vacation choice for fans is their all-inclusive feel.

When you take a Disney Cruise Line vacation, you will pay the total cost of your trip before you even set foot on the ship. That means that your dining experiences (aside from specialty dining), stateroom, and activities are all included in the cost of the cruise. So if you want to go on a Disney Cruise Line vacation for only the base price, you could board the ship and not pay a single dollar for extra experiences for the duration of your vacation. Sounds great, right? We think so too, but we also know that there is one very important thing that guests may forget to account for in the cost of their cruise: tipping.

That’s right. Gratuities are not included in your Disney Cruise Line vacation. Whether or not you book extra experiences not included in the cruise, it is still customary to provide gratuity to each of the Cast Members serving you during your vacation. And as of January 19, 2019, Disney Cruise Line has increased their recommended base gratuity for select positions, encouraging guests to tip even more than they were expected to before. If this is confusing, don’t worry. We’ve broken down the best tips for tipping aboard Disney Cruise Line so you can remember when you are expected to tip and when it’s okay not to.

A bed in a hotel room

Who you are expected to tip

You are expected to tip your Dining Room serving team that rotates with you to each dining location for dinner every night of your cruise, as well as your Stateroom Host or Hostess. You are also expected to tip the Dining Manager, your servers at Palo or Remy (should you choose to dine there), as well as Room Service, if you order it.

Disney’s recommended gratuity amount per guest, per cruise:

Dining Room Server

  • 3-night cruise: $13.50
  • 4-night cruise: $18
  • 7-night cruise: $31.50

Dining Room Assistant Server

  • 3-night: $10.50
  • 4-night: $14
  • 7-night: $24.50

Dining Room Head Server

  • 3-night: $3
  • 4-night: $4
  • 7-night: $7

Stateroom Host/Hostess

  • 3-night: $13.50
  • 4-night: $18
  • 7-night: $31.50

Dining Manager, Room Service, and Palo/Remy servers: Tip at your discretion, but generally no less than 18%. If you utilize Senses Spa & Salon services, an 18% gratuity is automatically applied to your bill. Additionally, a 15% gratuity is automatically added to all bar, beverage, wine, and deck service tabs. Keep this in mind if you plan to take advantage of amenities like these that are not included in the base price of your Disney Cruise Line vacation.

Who you are not expected to tip

You are not expected to provide gratuity to any of the babysitting or Kids Club services that your family may utilize throughout the ship. It is also optional to tip Port Adventures, as gratuity is not included in the price of Port Adventures.

When you are expected to tip

You can pay gratuity in advance by contacting Disney Cruise Line no later than three days before your cruise begins. You can also pay by automatically having the gratuity added to your onboard account prior to disembarking the ship. You can also change the amount of gratuity you pay or pay in cash at anytime during your cruise by visiting the Guest Services desk.

A bar with chairs

Planning a Disney Cruise Line vacation?

Planning a vacation can be overwhelming, especially if you’re planning a Disney vacation. What travel dates are the best for you? What type of restaurants are you wanting to try? Do you want to save money or are you willing to splurge? What experiences do you want to have? There are so many questions that you’ll have to ask yourself when planning a Disney Cruise Line vacation, and an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner can help. We always recommend Academy Travel for all of your vacation planning needs. Click here for a no-obligation quote so you can chat with an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner about your next Disney Cruise Line experience.

What’s your best travel advice for a Disney Cruise Line vacation? Share your experiences with us in the comments!

Source: Disney

in Disney, Disney Cruise Line

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