Summer 2014 Planning and Preparation--An Update

Just a handful of days left before we commence on our grand summer 2014 vacation which includes a day at Universal Orlando—both parks, a sailing on the Disney Fantasy, and a week at Walt Disney World. The list of “to do’s” is dwindling and other obligations are starting to be visible in the rear view mirror.  Soon, we will be in full vacation mode. 

Here’s an update:

• Took one last trip to the grocery store.  We will be taking sandwiches, snacks, and fruit to eat while in transit.  Nothing like enjoying a juicy peach on the plane!
• Shared our itinerary with family and friends so they know how to contact us.
• Uploaded any pictures from cameras and then erased all SD cards.  Cameras fully charged.
• Refilled the boy’s allergy medication.
• Figured the tip budget.  Our tips for the cruise have already been pre-paid, so the tip budget included mousekeeping, room service, luggage handling, the town car, and table service meals.  Tips for our entire trip, including the cruise comes to just over $500.  This budget category can catch people off guard.
• Ordered 2 one-day passes to the Rainforest Room.  Looking forward to sharing this experience with the husband.  It will be our first time using any of the spa services on the ship.

Now, to get our paperwork in order, including Passports and finish packing (we’re actually almost done—it just never feels like it until the suitcases are loaded into the car).  Oh, and maybe a treat for me—a pedicure.

Tips For Tipping--Walt Disney World Vacation

In the movies or on TV, a person providing a tip has the exact amount in their jacket pocket or in their hand ready to hand to the cab driver or bell services.  Ah, to live in the movies.  In real life, tipping may look more like fumbling in the purse, digging in the pants pocket, rifling through the wallet for the right bills or frantically using the calculator function on a mobile device to calculate the right amount for a tip and then painfully signing the receipt as the tip is added to the bill.

When planning and budgeting for a Walt Disney World vacation, be sure to include tips.  This expense, if not expected, can sneak up on you and as the husband so eloquently put it. . . bite you in the #%&!

Let’s consider some of the possible tipping situations to plan and budget for.  We’ll begin at your home airport.

Luggage handlers at your home airport when you take your bags out of your car may be your first tipping encounter.  We appreciate their helpful service.  Typically a tip of $1-$2 per bag is appreciated.  They know this, though, and will offer to take the boy’s backpack and my rolling bag.  I politely decline and thank them for handling the bigger bags as we tip accordingly.

Depending on the time you arrive at Orlando International Airport, you may have more luggage handling to do, especially, if it is after 10:00 pm when Disney’s Magical Express needs you to claim your own bags and take them with you on the bus or if you are using some other form of transportation which means claiming your bags as well.  If you employ luggage assistance at the airport by waving a porter down, be sure to tip the $1-$2 per bag as they assist you in transporting your luggage to your destination within the airport. 

Tips for Disney’s Magical Express driver are appreciated but not expected.  I would suggest tipping if the driver is also handling your luggage under the bus with the $1-$2 per bag rate.

Okay, you haven’t even arrived at the resort yet and have had possibly 1-3 instances where tipping would be expected.  Do you have those in your budget?

Once you arrive at your resort, you may ask Bell/Luggage Services to assist you to your room.  If you do this, be prepared to tip them the $1-$2 per bag.

Mousekeeping, as housekeeping is referred to at the most magical place on earth, is another area where tipping is considered with a rate of $1-$2 per person per day for keeping your resort room nice and tidy.

The area where tipping can become more weighting, no pun intended, is dining.  All table service meals, unless the tip is included in the cost of the meal, are considered tipping opportunities with a recommended percentage of 18%.  Larger parties will automatically have 18% added to their bill.  You can then decide if you tip based on the post tax amount of use the pre-tax total to calculate your tip.

When table service meal totals are typically in the $100 range, even for our family of 3, the $20 tips can add up over the duration of the trip and be a surprise if not planned for ahead of time.

You may also tip for other services while at the World, such as a trip to the Harmony Barber Shop, a session at Pirates League or Bibbidy Bobbidy Boutique, spa treatments, childcare, or special excursions may also be tip worthy.

When it is time to return home, tipping Bell/Luggage Services to assist you with your luggage between your room and Disney’s Magical Express pick-up is customary, as would be the Disney’s Magical Express driver if luggage handling was included with the ride.  Back at Orlando International Airport, tipping a luggage attendant to help you to the airline counter would also be considered for tipping.  And, once you arrive back at your home airport, you may need luggage assistance again at baggage claim.

Planning ahead with bills of certain denominations and having them ready can alleviate potentially embarrassing or stressful moments, and potentially over tipping if you don’t have the right amount or only bigger bills.

The service industry thrives on tips and the many helpful folks who add a bit comfort and service to your vacation certainly deserve tips.  Just be prepared for the situations and have tips be a part of your vacation budget.

Disney Cruise Line Adds Auto-Gratuity Payment System

Disney Cruise Line is adding auto-gratuity payment system.  Guests coming on board any Disney ship will have gratuities automatically added to their shipboard account for stateroom host/hostess, server, assistant server, and head server.

So what does this mean?

Well, if guests are using a credit card for any on-board charges, the gratuities of per person per night of sailing will be charged to the credit card upon boarding, or shortly there after.  Guests’ using their credit card to pay for gratuities has always been an option, but guests needed to go to Guest Services to charge the appropriate amounts and get the little slips to go into the tip envelopes that are typically given to Cast Members the last night of the cruise.

Guests may also select to pre-pay gratuities when paying for their cruise.  This option has been available for some time.

Guests wanting to pay gratuities in cash, will need to go to Guest Services and have the auto-gratuity removed from their account.  Then, it would be my understanding that the cash tips would still be given to Cast Members the last night of the cruise.

Why make the changes?

Other cruise lines have already instituted a pre-pay gratuity system much to guests’ satisfaction—one less thing to worry about.

Also, if a guest “forgot” to tip that will no longer be an issue, as tipping will be handled automatically.  Guests will possibly feel more comfortable making Palo/Remy reservations for the last night of the cruise knowing that the tipping of the servers at their rotational restaurant is being handled for them.

It may also mean less visits or shorter lines at Guest Services for this particular issue.  Not tipping will require a visit to Guest Services and become a more conscious act.

I’m baffled when I hear about the folks who board the ship planning never to set foot in one of the main dining rooms.  They plan on eating at the quick service locations on the top decks or use room service (which requires tipping).  I hear reasons such as “don’t want to have to eat at a specific time,” or “the dining time interferes with shore excursions,” or “traveling with children and the main dining rooms seems so formal” or “we’re not foodies.”  All excuses in my opinion for avoiding tipping of the server, assistant server, and head server, as all of the reasons listed can be fixed! 

If you need a different dining time, ask for it at the time of your reservation.  If it isn’t available, use a wait list option and check back, or attempt to make the change once on board. As far as children go, the crew has vast experience with them in the main dining rooms including an excellent menu with tasty choices for children.  Our child likes to order and try items from the adult menu.  We aren’t “foodies” either, but we do enjoy trying something original when we cruise and the bonus is if we don’t like it, we can order something else, without paying extra.

Here’s our plan to handle the auto-gratuity system:

            Either we will pay cash up front or take cash with us and have the auto-gratuity removed from our on-board account.  For our cruise last summer, I already had the tip amounts for each person in an envelop, so it was easy to transfer those amounts to the tip envelopes provided on the ship.

Not sure how much to tip? Check out the Cruise Tip Calculator.

All Good Things Come To An End, Including A Disney Cruise

As they say, all good things must come to an end and the same goes for a Disney Cruise.  The last night of a Disney Cruise is an exiting and busy time.  The trick is to balance taking advantage of the rest of the magical experiences your cruise has to offer and get all the “business” done so you’re ready to leave the ship.

Here’s how our family handles the last evening on a Disney ship:

We get our tips ready for our Server, Assistant Server, Stateroom Host/Hostess, and Head Server.  Information about tipping will be left in your stateroom the day before the last day, including little envelopes to enclose the tip.  The form allows you to calculate the appropriate tips.  Remember that tipping is per person in your stateroom and children count.  So, for us, whatever the standard rate is, it is times three for our family.  Tipping is customary in the cruising industry.  Click here for a tipping calculator to help you estimate the tipping costs for your cruise.

Guests can pre-pay their tips through Disney Cruise Line similar to adding funds to an on-board account, can use their credit card or add the tips to their on-board account and receive slips of paper worth the amount of the tip to include in the envelope, or put cash in the envelopes.  We had the amount of cash needed for each tip set aside in a separate envelope before we got on the ship, so we just transferred those amounts to the envelopes provided by the cruise ship to give to the appropriate Cast Members.

Tipping is done the last evening.  We took our wait staff envelopes with us and handed them out after the promenade of chefs and wait staff that happens on the last evening.  We left our stateroom host’s envelope in our stateroom when we left for dinner.

When the boy was done eating, he went to the club and the husband and I went back to the stateroom to finish packing when we were done with dinner.  Directions for leaving your luggage outside your stateroom door the night before are left in your room, along with luggage tags.  It is important to remember the Disney Character and color of your luggage tags, as that is how you will find them in the large luggage room the next morning after you leave the ship.  The room is zoned by color and character.  Ours were red Mickey.  That’s how we found and retrieved our luggage.

You can find more directions on your stateroom television playing in a continuous loop on one of the channels.  The big thing to remember is to have clothing and whatever else you need for the next morning.  This would include important stuff like medications and travel documents, Passports, ID’s, etc. 

If you want to carry your own luggage off the ship, you are welcome to do so and you don’t have to have it out the night before.  We don’t recommend this, as you will be taking it to breakfast with you.  Once you leave your stateroom in the morning, there’s usually no going back.  Already, you are most likely carrying some sort of travel bag—such as a carry-on.  Trust me, in the morning, the restaurant will be filled with bags.  People and bags!

Now, we have done this several times, but our last trip was somehow easier.  Since we were headed to Walt Disney World, instead of a flight where our liquids would have to be in a checked bag, we had access to all of our toiletries the next morning.  What a pleasure!  I just put them in the carry-on bag, along with our clothing from the night before, and we were good to go!  No worrying about TSA requirements, how to get things in checked bags, weight limits, etc. 

When the packing was done and the bags were in the hall, we got the boy from the club (and turned in his bracelet with his electronic chip for checking in and out of the Kids' Clubs) and headed to the Lobby Atrium for the Until We Meet Again festivities held on the last night of your Disney cruise.  This show of sorts lets guests get access one last time to Disney Characters.  We hadn't seen Chip and Dale the whole cruise, so they were our target for the celebration.  After the characters come down the grand staircase in the Lobby Atrium, they find a spot somewhere in the vicinity to have queue form and greet guests.  Just be sure to follow the characters you are hoping to see.  Until We Meet Again only lasts for about 25 minutes, so be sure to move quickly.

The last evening is also a good time to settle your on board account.  You can also do that in the morning, but be warned that lines at Guest Services can get quite long.  If you have secured your on-board account with a credit card and plan on having all the charges for purchases and services added to your credit card, that will be taken care of automatically.  If you have deposited cash to cover your on board expenses for purchases and services, then it would be advisable to check the balance.  We had deposited cash for our ship board account.  When we hadn't spent all of it, we were issued cash back for the balance of the account.  We took care of our on board account before dinner on our last day.

The activities last well into the late evening and night, so be sure to take advantage of all that your last night has to offer.

When you return to your stateroom after dinner, you will find directions for the morning and a customs form.

One customs form can be completed for your entire travel party, which is what we did.  Carry your completed customs form, ID’s, Key to the World Card, and Passports in a handy location when getting off the ship, as you will need all of them at several points in the disembarkation process.

Breakfast will be in the same restaurant you dined in the night before, unless you dined at Palo or Remy.  Then your breakfast will be in the restaurant you would have dined in had you not been at Palo or Remy.  Main seating diners eat early breakfast and late seating diners eat late breakfast.  This is a well oiled efficient system, so it is best not to try to go against it.  There will be a specific menu for breakfast, but if you want to order more than one "plate" you are welcome to.  For example, if you want both eggs and pancakes, this would require more than one "plate" from the menu.  It's OK to do just that.

Hopefully your Disney Cruise has been full of magic and memories.  And, possibly another Disney Cruise is in your future!

Trust me, we all have the same feeling when leaving a Disney Cruise--a bit of sadness, a bit of disappointment and lament, a nice helping of satisfaction, and a great deal of happiness.

Dining on a Cruise Ship

I bumped into friend, neighbor, and fellow cruiser the other day and our conversation turned to cruising.  And, while our conversation sailed from one topic to another about cruising in general, the subject of dining on a cruise ship surfaced.  Let’s talk more about dining on a cruise ship. . .

Part of the cruising experience is enjoying being served during a meal.  Yes, that meal may take a bit longer than a pizza or burger.  Yes, there will an expectation of tipping your servers at the end of the cruise—more about that later.  Yes, you may be seated with other guests.  And, yes, your servers want you to enjoy your meal.

Time:  Dining on a cruise ship in a main dining room does take time.  That’s why there are usually “dinner seatings” and guests are assigned a time.  Some cruise lines have “free style” cruising, but if you want to eat something other than a buffet, you’ll have to make reservations for a specific time.  One reason the dining takes more time is that there are courses to the meal:  appetizer, soup and salad, entrée, and dessert.  On Disney Cruise Line, there is typically a “show” of sorts in some of the main dining rooms.

Sometimes it can be difficult for a child to sit through a meal that may take 90 minutes or more.  The “show” helps, especially at Animator’s Palette.  We also come prepared with toys, hand held games, etc.  On Disney Cruise Line, you will find crayons and children’s menus for coloring, etc.  We have also had the boy’s entire meal—minus dessert it if it something that would melt—served when we are served our appetizer.  When he is done eating, he heads to the kids club and everyone enjoys the rest of the meal time.

Tipping:  It is a cruise line expectation to tip those that serve you.  Some cruise lines have “service charges” rather than specific tips.  There’s a great web-site that will help you calculate your tips or service charges—click here.  Yes, tips are per person, so children, even wee ones, count.

Interestingly, I have read in some on-line forums, about cruisers forgoing the main dining rooms and opting for other dining options on board citing reasons such as the meals are too formal, take too much time, and the food is too “gourmetish.”  The husband and I were visiting about this the other night and I’m speculating some folks may avoid the dining rooms to reduce tipping.  Hmmm. . .

Eating with others:  Depending on the size of your travel party, you may be seated with other guests for dinner.  Of our 3 Disney cruises, we have shared tables with other cruises twice.  On our first cruise, we were seated with a family of 5 from Miami.  It was the first Disney cruise for both of our families.  We enjoyed the company, but it wasn't until our last cruise that we looked forward to dining with our tablemates who were a family of 3 from New Jersey.  Disney did a great job of pairing us up. . . it was the 3rd cruise for both of our families, we had children about the same age, and had similar occupations--even though I have no idea how Disney knew that!



It can be great fun to visit with others over a meal, especially after a day of adventures in port.  And, while this can concern some prospective cruise guests, I assure you, it will be just fine.  Go ahead, give it a try. 

Please, enjoy your meal:  Chefs and dining room servers want you to enjoy your meal.  This means that you can order pretty much whatever is on the menu.  I have had a meal of just appetizers before.  Now, while this didn’t concern my server, he still wanted to make sure I was satisfied.  If you see two salads you want to try, go for it!  The husband has ordered two entrees before.  Go ahead, it’s okay.

One day the boy was going through the buffet line for lunch and put steamed broccoli on his plate—he loves steamed broccoli.  Well, as sometimes will happen, his tray fell.  And, while he was getting a new one there was either no more steamed broccoli or he overlooked it in the line.  A few minutes later, a whole plate of steamed broccoli was delivered to him.  We will always remember that.

On our last cruise, one of the dinner meals featured asparagus as a side vegetable with one of the entrees.  Asparagus is the husband’s favorite.  Our table mates ordered that same entry and since we knew them pretty well by this time, when their plates arrived, the husband ended up with a heap of asparagus from their plates to his.  Our server noticed this and soon a plate full of asparagus arrived at the table.  And, while the husband loved every bite, he felt the affects later—if you have ever eaten asparagus, you will know what I’m talking about. 

If you order something that you try and don’t like, don’t hesitate to send it back or ask for something different.  Your servers will be offended if you don’t like your meal.  Want something that isn’t on the menu?  Ask.  Chances are, what you are asking for is being served somewhere on the ship and your server could get it for you.  This is your cruise and your wait staff wants you to enjoy your meal.