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As an American, I’m used to tipping. But this added envelope thing (when tipping is already included) is weird and unnecessary. It’s a deliberate attempt to get more money out of the passengers. Tricking them into adding a little bit more cash to the envelope when the cruise line itself should be paying the crew better.

The very best thing you can do in this situation is to go to guest services and tell them that it made you uncomfortable and left you with an awkward impression of the cruise experience. They need to hear this feedback. I know Disney cruisers who love this little ritual. They feel like it’s more personal. I find it weird, but I’m on the autism spectrum and I get very uncomfortable when I have to interact with anyone I don’t know well so I just skip things like this. I’ve let Disney know my feelings about it.

I’m from the US. I’ve never been on a Disney cruise before. I would find that very uncomfortable and awkward. If I paid automatic gratuity, I already paid tips. And if I wanted to give additional cash to any employee or server, I’d do exactly as I would any other time and just leave the cash at the table or give them the cash directly. Those envelopes are something that would actually make me consider not taking another Disney cruise because I’d feel like they were trying to guilt me into giving them more cash.

The whole purpose of me paying gratuities up front is to avoid the awkwardness around tipping. I'm horrified at Disney's blatant attempt to guilt trip their passengers+have been put off using Disney now

As an American well-versed in the awkward art of handing out gratuities, I find that practice to be quite bizarre.

I feel the same about auto gratuity. If that is the approach the line is doing then let that be it and no envelopes. I do give extra but I prefer that to feel super voluntary and not compulsory. Thanks for sharing! - T

i'm an American. I haven't been on a cruise. But I find that really strange. My best guess is that either: 1. some employees felt it was unfair that the tips were split evenly between workers regardless of the quality of their service; or 2. management wanted a way to distinguish good workers from bad. But that method is very labor intensive and awkward. A better way would be an app that you could go into on your last day and re-apportion the automatic gratuity (if you wanted) if someone gave exceptional service. It would also allow for a personal message to be sent to the employee for good work or to management to alert them to great service. Avoids the awkwardness for the guest and the labor intensiveness of counting all those slips of paper. I wonder how many times those are left in the room and the room staff keeps them for themselves or split them with staff they like.

I've been on two Disney cruises felt side-swiped by this practice. It's a shame to leave a person feeling confused, awkward, and inadequate at the end of a fun cruise because it feels like maybe you missed something important. The service is so good and you become friends with the servers, so it feels really awkward just to ignore them. I felt like an idiot, but I just loaded the paper slips into the envelopes and handed them to our waiters, etc. So happy to hear that it's considered ridiculous by so many and I won't ever worry about them again! Thanks for mentioning it.

As an Australian, I'm not used to tipping unless we go overseas, and I always find it an awkward thing in any circumstances. I like autotipping for this reason. This would be enough to put me off the cruise line, honestly.

Coming from Australia I don't like the tipping culture. I believe everyone should be paid a proper wage. But each to there own 🍻👍🇦🇺

I think it’s Disney’s Corporate way of reminding staff of their tips being part of their wages. I am American and find this practice weird too. My wife and I prepay tips and end up tipping even more when we are wowed by staff. My wife bought a gift from a nice shop in Cozumel for our room steward as a gift once and added a $50 bill on our last cruise. The girl was nearly in tears and gave us a big hug.

You are absolutely right, I went on the Disney cruise line and in the end I did give out the little envelopes. It felt wrong for me not to do so, However other people did not... and there was real incomprehension from the waiters and the people concerned that they didn't get the envelope. As an European this was really an uncool moment on a extremely wonderful cruise.

Yeah that's weird. Even here in a tipping culture, it's considered a bit tacky to talk about it, point it out, or make overt gestures. It's meant to be subtle, a transaction exclusively between the customer and serviceperson. It'd be more pleasant to have a little card in the room that says "Sam was your server. Ann was your housekeeper. (cabinkeeper?) They appreciate your generosity. If they've made your trip extra-magical, we invite you to leave them a thank you note, here's some cute notecards." Or something.

You're correct. That was weird. I would feel very awkward finding that letter and those envelopes in my cabin. Like you, I pay my gratuities up front at the suggested rate by the cruise line. The workers work hard and they deserve the gratuities they get. But to leave a letter and envelopes in my cabin, almost expecting me to "give more", practically shaming me to "give more" is over the line and I would complain to the cruise company about this practice. As I have done on many cruises, if a staff member has done an exceptional job for me or my family during the cruise, I will privately give them cash and thank them for making our cruise so enjoyable, but this attempt at extorsion is very uncalled for. Complain to Disney Cruise line and make your thoughts known. Thank you for bringing this to the public eye.

I've worked with Disney in the past and can say that their corporate culture considers you an exceptional employee if guests call out your name in feedback (comment cards, making a trip to guest services just to give compliments to a cast member, etc). What this feels like is forcing an interaction between the guest and cast member so that the "cream of the crop" rises to the top. This lets Disney boast publicly about guests that searched the whole ship just to hand the tip to the cast member in person. Is it awkward? Hell, yeah it is. I understand the automatic tip deduction, since it allows you to roam around the ship and make purchases without worrying about the crew's compensation. And I understand the feeling of wanting to tip a certain crew member a little more because they took care of you above and beyond. But, for a cruise line to 1. withdraw the crew tips automatically, per policy and, then 2. turn around and print out symbolic vouchers for a forced interaction is a little too far in my book.

Emma, those extra 'tip envelopes" are an affront. On the cruise line I prefer, which has automatic gratuities, you would never see a "double dip" envelope ! If a passenger wants to offer an "extra" gratuity, she/he can do that without prompting !

It’s not right that “tips” are used to subsidise a large corporations salary bill. Tips should only be given if service is above what is expected. It’s a thank you for exceptional service above the norm

"Odd" sounds like the right term... As I recall, on Princess (which has pre-paid gratuities, a practice I'm fine with), at the end of the cruise there was a little envelope for giving an extra tip to the person (can't remember her exact title) who made up the room every day. Which I was also fine with, since she was quite friendly, learned quite quickly (without my asking) little things that I liked (like extra ice) and seemed to go above and beyond to make everything better. The idea of having the whole staff laid out with amounts...it almost looks like an invoice. Seems a bit heavy-handed.

We’ve tipped extra. We were just on a 33 day Tahiti cruise and the automatic gratuity was just under $1,000. Even so we tipped a little extra for our room stewards and one waiter. But I think you’re right. My wife especially, might have found the envelopes and the commiserate suggestion, borderline offensive.

Tipping isn't required on the Australian cruises I've taken, but most folk will pay cash to their room steward(s), favourite waiters, bar staff etc. One bar guy told me that while a cash gift was welcome, acknowledging good service by naming the crew member to the cruise line (in this case Carnival) was of great benefit to crew.

I’m an American and I’m also considered a generous tipper. I do find this unusual and wouldn’t add a tip unless someone did something that was extremely far and above expectations.

It happened to me this past Monday and I was surprised by it as well! I paid my gratuities ahead of time and wasn't worried about tipping more than that. The last day before disembarking, I received the exact same paper and envelopes and felt really awkward and weird about giving them envelopes without any additional monies in them!😶 I left it to my ten year old to hand them out and even he said it was kind of embarrassing!

Back in the 90's this was done where I worked. It was actually done at the request of the passengers because back then usually about only 10 to 15% of passengers prepaid the gratuities and a lot them felt like they were being judged (not so much by the crew who knew at the beginning of the cruise who had prepaid but by other passengers) for not handing out an envelope. I had no idea cruise lines were still doing this but it was started with good intentions.

The only cruise I've been on was the Disney one so when they gave me those I was like "Oh, okay, this is how we do it". I did give the tip to my server at the dining room because she was from Glasgow and I was from 10miles NW yet we met in Florida LOL. We got a long great and it was fun to give her that (and a bit more). The others I left in the cabin. I also left a bit extra for the housekeeping lady. She was so sweet, she saw my birthday badge when I got there and that night, when she did turn down she drew a little picture and 'happy birthday' on it. I was on the cruise solo as a total detox from a horrid 3 years (death of both parents and a few other bonus things). She didn't know that but, crew or staff or servers everywhere...no good deed goes unnoticed. You just never know when you'll be the only good thing that person hears that day.

This tipping „game“ is awful to begin with. Pay your emplyoyees good wages (Not only on cruises 🚢, but also in restaurants etc) Then let guests/customers choose IF they want to leave a tip and how much. But the service personnel is NOT dependent on tips. It’s just a little extra if they went the extra mile. Automatic gratuity seems very odd. And this envelope situation doesn’t make it any better. I work in the service business myself and I am so happy we are not even allowed to accept tips. We get paid decent wages! Tipping is awful. As a customer I know personnel is only friendly bc they need my tipps …

We went to the cruise recently , we found the envelopes a little bit odd, as well; however, it was transformed to a personal letter to say thanks! Our children spontaneously draw figures to all the envelopes, wrote their names and gave them directly to each member. The crew was genuinely happy by the gesture. They are part of the magic and amazing experience we had. For us the additional tips are totally worth it. Thanks for your videos

My family and I have been on three cruises so far, two on Carnival and one on Disney. I learned about the 'extra gratuities' from some videos I watched here on YT before we went on our first trip (Carnival), so I was familiar with the subject. I definitely felt awkward with the whole envelope thing when we went on the DCL trip, I agree with other comments that say that it feels like DCL really is trying to motivate you to give more $$ to their employees. I have joined the DCL group fans FB group and reading on many comments there, I've gotten the idea that most of their customers are hardcore Disney fans and they won't cruise on any other line, so they believe that Disney is superior and that their employees service is non-par with any other company, which seems kind of egocentric to me, as most them have never experienced the service other companies' employees give to their customers. You get the idea that most of the DCL customers do not feel weird about this technique used by DCL to push people to hand out cash to their employees, because this people truly believe they just had an service experience no other cruise line could dream to provide. I gotta say that I'm not against showing gratitude towards someone who really made your vacation extra special, but you shouldn't feel obligated to fill up the salary gap this employees have because DCL won't pay them enough to begin with.

I’m an American and this is strange and I’ve experienced it too on Disney. First, while US tipping culture is odd to begin with, cruise line tipping culture is at the extreme of odd. There’s no longer ANY pretense of voluntariness to it. Second, this Disney thing is unique - no one else does that little coupon thing. I think it has everything to do with Disney cruisers tipping MORE on average than the required amount and staff concerned that they would get less without the handover ceremony. The envelopes and coupons are designed to put you in that uncomfortable position of handing them an envelope that does not include more.

It is strange! I never cruise Disney and wouldn’t like getting envelopes after I paid my auto gratuity.

I really appreciate how you break up subjects about different nuances on 1 cruise. Thank you

First time hearing and seeing those tipping slips. That is crazy. Thanks for sharing this with us. I have seen more attempts by a few companies to get us consumers to recognize individual employees who stood provided really outstanding service. Problem with that, I do know know their names. So often service providers do not outwardly provide their name or wear name tags much, (if at all), anymore. Good day to you. Your videos are really good and informative.

We’ve had envelopes left in our cabin but never the pieces of paper. The envelopes were blank and there was a note that said something to the effect of “If somebody made your cruise extra special please use one of these envelopes to show them your appreciation”. I much prefer this approach…you’re not feeling obligated to tip but they’ve made it easy to do so if you want to.

As an American, I am comfortable with traditional tipping. This scheme I find odd, so, you are justified in calling it weird. Cheers Emma!

That is very strange, but being required to give gratuitous is strange. I think the lines should pay their staff more and add the traditional gratuity on the ticket price. It's just another hidden cost that they don't want to pay.

I agree with you. It's awkward and then pointless if they get the tips anyway. Plus, saying thank you, knowing you've already paid for tips, is fine

Mandatory automatic gratuities is basically a labor surcharge for the crew. I've always believed a tip/gratuity is to be earned by going above and beyond.

I remember when tipping was a choice…it was for service above and beyond. It’s ridiculous now. Everyone is looking for a tip. I keep looking for a tip jar to show up in my dr’s office.

We stopped the automatic tipping and informed our steward that we will be tipping direct , they just gave us a smile and kept us stocked up with biscuits in our cabin

I am Canadian, and older, but I feel the same as you. It fits in tho, with a culture that is ravenous for recognition. Or perhaps the cruise company thinks it's one way to promote employee job satisfaction. Emma, you are such a good presenter. I have never cruised and have little desire to, but I like your videos and feel ready to go on a cruise anytime I should change my mind. Thanks!

Ironically just called and pre-paid our automatic gratuities for our upcoming DCL sailing today. We actually make thank you notes for our servers, stateroom attendants, etc. and place the envelopes in there. We've added additional money for some over the years and given just the paid amount. At the end of a 7-night cruise, we've usually gotten to know them well and try to make our farewell more personal. I've only sailed Disney and we've also given tips to more crew than the ones that get the autogratuities.

I don't like businesses giving me a chore. I would throw that mess in the trash.

Thank You For Sharing This Beautiful Video Vlog

I think Gratuities is BASE, and I dislike being compelled to pay anyone a tip; who does not deserve it. I remember going to lunch with my late sister and her family in Santa Cruz (California). The meals were not that cheap but we were expected to pay serving staff a 20% tip. Bollocks to that! I would be happy to give a cabin steward a good tip if that steward earned it, but randomly paying tipping is not in my DNA. My father was a Chief Engineer with P & O & Orient Line back in 1961. Back then; our family ended up being moved to Ceylon (now Siri Lanka) for 12 months, as dad's job took him there. Back then; it was normal to give your cabin Steward £1.0.0. and they never expected any more, for a trip between Tilbury and Sydney. My dad resigned from P & O and When it came time for us to leave Ceylon; rather than go all the way back to the UK, we sailed from Colombo to Melbourne; a 10 day trip. Our cabin steward was a young Scot named Joe Judge, who was quite a character. It was nice to have a fellow Scot looking after us. We (my brother and I who shared a cabin on E Deck - E101) gave Joe permission to come in any time and read our comics. He was like an older brother to us and as usual we'd take the mickey. On disembarking at Melbourne, my dad gave him £15.0.0. and told him: "Joe, after putting up with my three; you earned it" Joe was a real champ and said to dad that was more than what he was paid for a weeks work, but dad appreciated the way he looked after my brother sister and I. His service was excellent and he was worth that tip. However; I don't like being compelled to pay gratuities.

I'm a Canadian and we cruised on Disney Dream a few years ago! We didn't think this was a strange thing at all. We loved every aspect of the DCL and so appreciated all of the work and care the Cast and Crew put into making our cruise that much more special than other Cruise lines. We did not mind giving extra to everyone and in fact, we wanted to give/say our thanks in person! I know that the crew members do not make a lot on any of the cruise lines so to receive a little bit extra with a thank you note is a great thing in our books! We'll gladly do it again! Hope you enjoyed your first Disney cruise, Emma!

I was happy to hand something over to them, it was a nice way of showing appreciation.

That is weird. Similar thing happened to me on RC, even though I paid gratuities before hand. I still tipped since the house keeper was very nice, but it still felt a little pressured and awkward. Made me feel like the staff were not getting paid well enough. Not sure how the gratuities are split when you pre pay, but hopefully it all does go to the amazing staff.

BTW: love your KZfaq views on cruising, very informative and well done

I'm American. It's unusual to me too, especially since a gratuity is already included and it's not presented as for something extra for special setvice.

There are so many people behind the scenes the customers rarely see (technical staff, etc.) who make the experience beautiful and I thought the auto-gratuities ensure the 'team' shared tips / appreciation for a job well done. Disney could easily put those cards in your arrival packet as a 100% optional gesture should one wish to use them. I would like Disney and others state unequivocally that 100% of the gratuities are never used to subsidize the salaries they pay staff but are shared as a gift from you (the customer). Transparency is always a good thing.

In 2010 on a P&O Panama cruise on the Oceana we tipped our cabin steward and the restaurant staff on our final day. It was nice to see the Steward smile and say thank you. After all he had looked after us very well.

I always do the extra 'tip envelopes on each Dinsey cruise because the service is so good and when you come back sometimes you may encounter the same Servers and they do remember you I just love it, they go out of the way to serve. U

No, that's a total dealbreaker for me. It's like they're trying to guilt trip you.

Totally agree Emma. Most of the US cruise lines see pre-paid gratuities as a "basic", with additional tips in cash being very much encouraged. I've seen bundles of $ notes passing hands so many times, to bar staff, dining room staff etc, usually at the end of a cruise. What Disney have done goes a step too far - it would certainly put me off cruising with them.

am with you Emma 🇨🇦🙏

I'm from the US and I think the tipping thing you experienced is very weird, too. Definitely awkward. I would be annoyed by that because I would then feel obligated to give the envelopes. They definitely do that to get additional tips.

I agree. It’s a bit strange to be handing those out in your cabin. When we feel like giving extra tips, we go and grab some envelopes at the purser’s office …or personally hand them the cash and thank them 😀

We agree Emma - Royal has done that. I think it’s to prompt one to give addt’l $$ since just the paper is pointless. I think they should send a letter to each cruiser, acknowledge all gratutities have been prepaid, and let you know that if you would like to tip above for excellent service, envelopes are available either at concierge or library, etc. if someone wants to tip above, they will make the effort to get the envelopes. The current manner like you encountered leaves a bad taste in the mouth, which you would think is the last thing they would want a guest to be feeling as they disembarked. But big companies aren’t known for having common sense, lol. So throw away those slips!

That is outrageous! I am an American and I would immediately go to the desk and ask for a superisor. I would suggest to the supervisor that we speak behind closed doors as I was very angry. Upon entering the office, I would hand the "extortion" notes to the supervisor and ask who got the tips the cruise line already charged. I would explain that they know darn good and well that this was unacceptable and would likely have some words about Disney in general. When I got home, I would write a letter (no e-mail) to the President, and CEO of Disney and Disney Cruise explaining why I would make sure neither I, nor any of my friends, would sail with them again. I would also ask, just as an aside, if they plan to make sure families can no longer afford to bring their children to Disney parks, since they have made it almost impossible for families to do so now. I would send the letters, "Certified Mail with Signature Confirmation," which shows when it was mailed, when it was received, and the signature of the addressee. If you hadn't guessed, that sort of garbage ticks me off (angers me greatly.) Either give the employees the money you already forced me to pay, or let us pay as we go.

I find it odd too. Love Disney Cruise line and it’s convenient, living in Orlando, but that def something I wouldn’t miss. Great content. We’ve only done Disney but you may have convinced us to try MSC.

Honestly, The US should abandon the tip and just pay people a living wage. I lived on tips for over 5 years and it's just an excuse for the employer to pay less hourly.

I am a custom to automatic when booking my cruise in addition I give $10.00 daily to my room stuart and little more before disembarkation. I don't feel comfortable tearing up paper and placing in an envelope feels like a guilt trip.

I must agree with your feeling put to an unnecessary step of having to hand out individual vouchers to individual crew members to permit them to claim their gratuities. I made an inquiry with a business associate at one of the major cruise lines and the explanation I received was as follows. The policy of automatic gratuities has been a source of trouble with crew and passengers. Most upper-level cruise lines include the gratuity, although others provide passengers the option of opting out of automatic gratuities. This is especially true on cruise lines that promote themselves as luxury all-inclusive. However, other cruise lines pool all automatic gratuities, and crew members have to present those gratuity vouchers you displayed in your video to claim their gratuities. After all gratuity vouchers have been redeemed any unclaimed gratuities are distributed to all crew members

Having only cruised on Disney cruises, I find this totally normal LOL! I also really enjoyed talked to those I gave the envelopes too, thanking them personally and sometimes adding more in.

Yeah, that’s weird. What was the point? I assume auto gratuities are distributed appropriately and thus not on my last day to-do list!

Yes, I would find that weird. There are people behind the scenes who deserve some of the gratuity but you don't know who they are (people who launder the sheets, prepare/serve food in the buffet, etc. I like the automatic gratuity where I know it is being divided up among all people who contributed to my experience, not just the handful who are visible to me. That creates awkwardness if you don't give an envelope to your dinner server. I would really dislike this approach.

My kids always handed the envelopes to the servers and really enjoyed it. They have always been so excited by the staff on the Disney cruises we’ve been on

I asked a Disney cast member about the gratuity envelopes with the little receipts on my last cruise with them. She said Disney provides them so guests who go on a lot of cruises don't feel like they are forgetting to tip their room stewards and waiters. She called it a "cruise tradition." I don't know how true that is or not. My theory is that it's a psychological trick to make guests feel like their money is going directly to someone they have a closer relationship to. The receipts each say the tip amount so my guess is that guests mentally subtract that amount from their bills: "Ah, that money goes to Mary, our room steward! She's so nice, she deserves it." Or the envelope is a chance for guests to add more tip for exceptional service. It's definitely a psychological trick for the guests to think/feel... something. It's NOT for the crew, since they get paid either way but it might make the crew a little more tip money... sometimes.

I think you are the first vlogger to point this out. I was so mad when I saw these envelopes. First of all it was work to cut them up and put them in the envelopes and write their titles on the outside. And I call it “work” because I’m on vacation. I didn’t feel like doing anything that I didn’t want to do. Which is why I prepaid so that I wouldn’t have to go to guest services to settle gratuities. Second, I felt it was a manipulative move and caused me to feel guilty if I don’t add more to the envelopes. No body went over and beyond what they were expected to do. I did not ask for any special requests nor did I receive any. I was happy to prepay my tips to those who are deemed to receive them. I paid a lot of money for Disney cruises and the more you spend the higher the prepaid tips. The envelopes should be given upon requests. I was sure to let Disney know this on my comment card.

Seems like this is the cruise line's attempt at allowing people to actually hand something to the crew they appreciated all week. I think there are some passengers that feel something missing when they can't hand something to the crew.

Thats why we always go Marella - once youve pressed the button to book theres no more worrying about any other outlay and you can tip who and when you want

your thoughts were right

As a fellow brit, who recently came of Harmony of the Seas in the Med, I actually feel I would have preferred that way of tipping. We felt awkward that we didn’t know quite where our tips were going and actually did give extra cash tips given the current world situation, which is unusual for us. This time, I think I would have preferred to know who was getting what and to personally thank them for their service.

What Disney Cruise line does is "old school" or "old fashioned" but not what I personally find weird. As an example, my first cruise with Celebrity was in 2007 and during that cruise, the same sort of envelopes were placed in my cabin to hold cash tips to be handed to housekeeping and dining crew members in person if possible. Celebrity seems to have since gotten rid of that practice. (I have not cruises with them lately). My first cruise was in 1985, and the same sorts of envelopes were delivered so cash tips could be given to housekeeping and dining servers. In past video Emma, I remember you mentioning one difference between American and British/European cruise lines seemed to be that on American ships it seemed standard for passengers and dining room servers to socialize during dinner, but on European ships that is not the norm. I think this tipping in person tradition is similar in that it is perhaps more American or old-school. Disney still holds on to the fixed dining times, bucking the trend for anytime and anywhere dining, and part of that tradition is diners and waiters/waitresses possibly getting to know each other well. So tipping in person fits in with that tradition, I think. Granted, you certainly could have just left the tipping envelop on your table after the last dinner and when it comes to housekeeping, just left the tip on the bed. Or, as you said, I understand it's fine to recycle the sheet of "tips" and envelopes and the relevant crew members would still have gotten the same pay. In person tipping isn't required; it's just and old custom that Disney has retained for those who choose to join in. Have you asked your Gran if she previously used tipping envelopes like that in the past on cruises? Depending on when she started cruising, she might have much experience with them. Also, I think it might help to remember that when Disney Cruise Line was first instituted, it was partially meant to be a throwback to the 1950's, but updated; a "modern classic." So this is perhaps a good example of a custom from the previous century being retained. Some people like the old customs, and some do not. A difference cruise experience for different personalities.

On a cruise you can ask for the automatic tips to be taken of. My husband and I did this and gave the tips to the cleaners etc.

This is common on most cruise lines. Royal Caribbean had the envelopes on the last day. I know we left our cabin attendant some extra funds for their top tier service. But hey, here in America, we practically tip everyone :)

I cruise exclusively Disney. I have never felt this was awkward at all. I always want to thank the crew members for taking such good care of me! There are times where I was lucky to just cover the tips and had no extra. Then there are the times I’m able to tip extra. It’s never seemed odd to me.

I completely agree. I pre-pay for gratuities and I don't want to have to think about it again. One of the charms of cruising is that you have the option to put your wallet and your phone in the safe when you get there and leave it until you get off. I love that because it's almost ceremonial and it represents forgetting about work and money for 8 days or whatever. This feels like they're jamming it back in your face. Most cruise lines have ways for you to adjust how much you give to certain people, but they keep it out of your face.

American here! So I think the idea is, like you said, for those who like giving their tip personally and/or if you want to give a specific person (or all the persons) an extra tip because they made your trip extra "magical".

I would love it.

Automatic gratuities are convenient for everyone! These envelopes are just a bit too extra 😅 It makes it super awkward, especially if there is a system that takes care of that. It’s a waste of paper, too 🤷🏻‍♂️ If it’s the gesture, it’s understandable… but still weird. 🤣 Thank you, Emma! Great video!

I don’t mind it, actually. By the end of the trip we are so friendly with the staff so we quite enjoy taking the time to thank them personally.

I’m not sure but we usually cruise carnival and it’s added to your bill, but on the night before your cruise ends you can take the gratuities off and just pay them yourself. We also tip all through the cruise, we’ve Evan sent tips to the people who do our laundry. That’s how we do it. Hope it’s helpful 🤗

What my Dad taught me years ago still works for me today. He told me to give a small tip to the Room Steward and your Head Waiter the first day and tell them that you won't forget them at the end of the cruise. I've used that method for years and it works very well for me. Fast forward to more modern times where tipping became automatic but I learned that I can decline to have the tips automatically taken, and I see the Purser and make it so. I can understand from experience why the cruise lines do this though; years ago we cruised the Caribbean and shared a table with two other couples. Sometimes your table mates have a personality, sometimes they don't. Unfortunately they were the latter but the real embarrassment was on the last night, the night you tip your wait staff, when they didn't show. Unless we're cruising with family or close friends we take a table by ourselves now.

I have been on Disney a couple of times even out of England and I don't find it strange at all cause we had such an amazing time that we gave a little bit more to the staff as they truly went way above to make our cruise totally amazing.

I'm American and I've never seen this! That is awkward and not at all what I want to do. I agree with you that this is exactly the opposite of what I want when I pay automatic gratuities. Back in the 70's & 80's, yes, I enjoyed giving the tips out individually. But since automatic gratuities became the norm, I would NOT be happy to have this happen to me.

I have done many Disney cruises with my kids. The kids love giving the gratuities to the staff (Disney speak, cast members), specially the dinning staff that follow you each night. For kids it is a big deal and a way they get to say a personal thank you to the staff.

I work at a winery and I love it when people tip me because they usually don’t for some reason. But I always find it weird when they directly hand it to me.

I am Australian and we have the gratuities built into the cruise fare, however I always give extra to the cabin steward. I was told by my steward whilst on a P&O cruise that all tips received by envelope must be declared and are shared among the crew or added to the steward's income and taxed accordingly, depending upon the policy of the particular ship. I always pay extra tips in cash and not in the envelope as these are not declared as income and the crew member keeps the entire amount. I must say that the crew member did not volunteer this information to me but responded to my enquiry regarding the envelopes.

The envelope is for the experienced cruiser who misses the emotional handing the tip to the staff and the option to add more cash for the tip. Otherwise, just leave the envelope in the cabin.

I think it´s a nice gesture, I would have written a special letter even if it is just saying thank you but for them to see that you took your time to hand write something. many people appreciate it and makes them want to do their jobs beter for the next person.

That's unusual never seen that before . Just right thank you . I found that really wierd!!!!

The "gratuity" system is a major deterrent for us taking our first cruise. Customers should not be held, even indirectly, responsible for paying the staff. The line, or restaurant, or hotel, should pay them a decent wage and not try to lay it all off on people who just want to enjoy their facilities. It has reached a point of ludicrous when you are implicitly "guilted" into paying even more. It's like picking up a discard rock and squeezing it as hard as you can to get more blood out. Yes, I feel strongly this is coercive and morally wrong. It destroys the very purpose it is purported to defend, that is, showing plaudits for good service. If it is "built in" to fares, then it is not even noticed by servers. It encourages expected handouts for nothing (extra), and probably leads to disappointment for the very people who should be paid for what they are going.

I worked youth staff on a different cruise line. We are not included in the “tip-out” bc not all passengers have kids & utilize our kids club services, and most passengers don’t know this. We never ask for tips, but sometimes grateful parents have given us tips on the last day, which we split equally among the youth staff team. It is appreciated bc our daily pay is peanuts!

The only cruise that I've ever been on to date was on Royal Carribean way back in 2011. At that time, I think they did this, but maybe then pre-paying for the gratuities was optional? So perhaps not everyone prepaid back then. We pre-payed for sure, but we also got these envelopes so that we can have that "token" interaction and possibly we could even give a bit more. I guess it allowed pre-paying guests to show that they had tipped alongside the other guests that preferred to hand out cash tips as they went. Even so, it felt awkward even back then. Just pay your employees and have a good system for registering complaints for poor service. Let the tippers tip on their credit cards at the end of the cruise if need be to provide "well earned" gratuities.

Agreed! I've been on 2 Disney cruises, I don't remember if that is the way it was handled on our trips. It may be a newer practice but I'd feel uncomfortable about it too.

*If I found this in my cabin, I would be sure never to cruise with that company again irrespective of how great the cruise was.*

Back in the day, when Royal was transitioning from suggested cash tips to ship account based tips, those who opted to have the gratuities added to the account got a printout and envelopes for the crew members so they could participate in the ritual of handing out envelopes without looking like a jerk while everyone else tipped.

We have done a number of Disney cruises. The first cruises they didn't have automatic gratuities, when you signed up they gave you a chart of who to tip and how much so you could bring the appropriate amount of cash with. You could then choose how much to tip from those guidelines. You could either give them directly to the person, or leave them at the customer service desk. Later cruises they went to Automatic which was nice you didn't have to bring a wad of cash with you. I personally like giving the tips to the person and thanking them for what they did for us on the cruise.

I agree with you !!! When I have cruised I also pay AUTOMATIC GRATUITIES. Many times… I have decided to not go to the last meals. I just don’t feel like interacting with staff anymore. Those envelopes would make me feel weird also!!