Tipping at Palo

[Mommb]

Cabanas -- My understanding is that the servers in Cabanas in the evening are "in training" and get a wage and are therefore not expecting any tips. I have read recently that evening Cabana servers have actually refused tips.

The servers at b'fast and lunch in Cabanas are part of the MDR serving crew and get their tips via the daily tips that people pay (or pre-pay)

Ah. That makes sense. I have had breakfast and lunch at Cabana’s but never dinner, so I didn’t think through that of course the dinner servers are different from the other dining room servers.

 

[Otimon]

Thank you all for your replies. Most appreciated. It would be good though if Disney were more forthcoming about this as I believe most folks want to do the right thing about tipping. Disney servers are the best.

 

[mevelandry]

When it was $30pp, we left an extra $20. Now that it's $40pp... I'll probably still leave an extra $20. I disagree with the "it would cost more on land so more tip is justified" mentality since I've already paid to eat that day (a fairly substantial amount, I would argue, given the cost of the cruise itself).

I agree.

Also, Palo is an "extra charge" (over what you were already charged for the included meal)...

So if you pre-paid your tips-- you already paid a gratuity for that meal. (I understand it's not gonna go to the Palo server but what can you do?)

It's ok to adjust accordingly but I wouldn't go crazy on tipping.

I'd stick to 20-25$ gratuity (for 2).

 

[firsttimemom]

This was likely from an article from cruisecritic that popped up in my inbox yesterday. https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=2077&et_cid=3244326&et_rid=16676213&et_referrer=NULL

 

[DisUniversal]

Where did you see that?

The daily auto gratuity on DCL is per guest is $13.50. That breaks out to
$4.50 per day to your room host
$4.50 per day to your dining room server
$3.50 per day to your assistant server
$1.00 per day to your head server.

Those gratuities go directly to your specific servers, not into a pool to be shared.
...

Your main server gets $4.50 per day and that is supposed to cover their services for serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, even though you're only assigned to them for dinner. Your stateroom host also gets $4.50 and that's for cleaning and making up your stateroom twice per day. Based on that, I would think a gratuity of $5pp for someone who is serving a single meal is sufficient with $10pp being a really good tip, especially for brunch which is basically them showing you where the food is and then you serving yourself 80% of the meal.

 

[cruisehopeful]

We had excellent service on the Wonder Palo brunch a couple weeks ago. Duan was awesome. She went over and above during our entire experience. We left $25. for our $80. brunch. No idea what the standard is.

 

[AngelDisney]

I would love to find a Palo level meal for $40 pp. There are higher end chain restaurants like Flemmings, Fire Birds, and Morton's that cost more than $40 pp. If you go on vacation to, say, New Orleans, and eat at Antoine's, it would be at least $75 pp without the baked alaska or any alcohol. Admittedly, Antoine's is better than Palo, but still. Maybe I need to visit your city.

As for tipping at Palo, it depends on if you get the wine pairing or not. Without the pairing, we typically do $20 a person. With the pairing, I may do $30 for those with the pairing and $20 for those without since you're getting extra attention from multiple cast members (sommelier).

Isn’t it true that the wine pairing already has a built-in gratuity? We always tip $15pp for brunch and $20pp for dinner at Palo considering what similar levels of dining on land would charge us.

 

[Barbydoll8]

We did Brunch last year and still tipped above and beyond anything that could have been included. The service was that exemplary to me.

 

[BraveCruiser]

My opinion is you tip because the servers are providing you exceptional service. The servers in these restaurants have worked their way up to be able to work there. We've been on many cruises and often see servers that used to be in the MDR promoted to Palo. We provide a healthy gratuity (probably $20-$25 pp) and often ask for that same server again if we are going back for dinner or brunch. I think that these servers really appreciate it. Everyone should do what they are comfortable with though.

 

[DisneyConvert]

We tend to tip on the higher end of the $25~$50 range for two people because:

• My wife has food allergies and Disney servers work really hard to make sure she doesn't ever get sick (and she doesn't)
• I can get a bit "creative" wrto mixing & matching menu items and as the Servers accommodate, I appreciate
• Also, we don't drink alcohol, so the Server doesn't get that 15% automatic on $100 of cocktails, wine and cordials.

We really like Palo and have often done both a Supper and Brunch on a single cruise (helps to be "Platinum"!).

 

[MomOTwins]

It is very strange that they took the language about tipping off the website, and I wonder if part of the price increase was to account for tip due to non-tippers. If I am lucky enough to get Palo onboard on our November cruise, I think I will just ask at the desk when I make the rezzie.

 

[tankin]

My personal rule is that I tip based on what I think the value of the meal onshore would be. A Palo-like meal would be about $100 around us so I tip $15-20. Just my personal rule of thumb.

 

[Kiwifan]

Contrary to what the article quoted says - Palo servers only earn what they receive as tips. They do not receive anything from the recommended daily auto gratuity. So if you don't tip - they don't receive any pay for the night's work. (And that does happen).

My daughter works on the Fantasy & her boyfriend works in Palo.

 

[BuzzLightyearInTampa]

Yes sorry I didn't mean to single you out, I have however heard many times that people say a tip should be based on the "land" price of the meal so I was responding to that. In any event a comparable meal here in my (large, urban) city wouldn't be more than $40 pp (=$55-60 CAD) so I feel pretty comfortable with a tip at $20. Everyone certainly views things differently.

And in Europe, the tip would be built into the menu price, so only a small gratuity would be appropriate. It would be nice if DCL would actually explain things here a little more clearly. I get this feeling sometimes that different people are tipping wildly different amounts based on their understanding of what is proper.

 

[MouseinMelbourne]

Contrary to what the article quoted says - Palo servers only earn what they receive as tips. They do not receive anything from the recommended daily auto gratuity. So if you don't tip - they don't receive any pay for the night's work. (And that does happen).

My daughter works on the Fantasy & her boyfriend works in Palo.

Can Disney do that? I mean....ZERO pay?

 

[Dug720]

Can Disney do that? I mean....ZERO pay?

I'd be shocked.

I'd be even more shocked if people are stupid enough to take those jobs where there is no guarantee of getting ANY tips.

 

[MomOTwins]

I'd be shocked.

I'd be even more shocked if people are stupid enough to take those jobs where there is no guarantee of getting ANY tips.

Then be shocked. I worked as a waitress and there were nights where I actually owed money because a big table stiffed me (it was a hotel restaurant, so we had a lot of European guests that did not understand). but I still had to pay 6% of the total bill to the bartender and hostess in tipshare. So not only did I have work all night until the restaurant closed and then keep working until 2am cleaning the dining room and , I had to pay for the privilege of doing so.

 

[Dug720]

Then be shocked. I worked as a waitress and there were nights where I actually owed money because a big table stiffed me (it was a hotel restaurant, so we had a lot of European guests that did not understand). but I still had to pay 6% of the total bill to the bartender and hostess in tipshare. So not only did I have work all night until the restaurant closed and then keep working until 2am cleaning the dining room and , I had to pay for the privilege of doing so.

I meant without there being a base pay no matter how small. Working SOLELY for tips without any other form of pay IS a stupid decision IMHO.

 

[MomOTwins]

I meant without there being a base pay no matter how small. Working SOLELY for tips without any other form of pay IS a stupid decision IMHO.

I think you are misusing the phrase IMHO because your opinion is not "humble", it is very arrogant and unkind. People are not stupid simply because they have limited employment options. Millions of people around the world work solely for tips because that is the best (or only) option they have. I worked as a waitress throughout college and eventually went to law school and now have a much better paying career, but I would never call the career waitstaff at my former restaurant stupid. Nor would I say that of cruise waitstaff. And yes, in the cruise industry in tipped positions, on average 99% of income comes from tips.

 

[Dug720]

I think you are misusing the phrase IMHO because your opinion is not "humble", it is very arrogant and unkind. People are not stupid simply because they have limited employment options. Millions of people around the world work solely for tips because that is the best (or only) option they have. I worked as a waitress throughout college and eventually went to law school and now have a much better paying career, but I would never call the career waitstaff at my former restaurant stupid. Nor would I say that of cruise waitstaff. And yes, in the cruise industry in tipped positions, on average 99% of income comes from tips.

BUT they do have income from a wage as well. There are plenty of jobs - fast food restaurants are ubiquitous and are not tipped - that pay at least a base wage. To willingly go to a position where there is no base wage, no matter how small, is volunteering.