Palo Brinch - do you tip and if so how much?

[TooBoyz4us]

Yup, we sometimes leave cash and sometimes leave it on the additional gratuity line. Any time you add an additional gratuity on to check onboard (drinks, Palo, etc), it goes directly to the person who served you.

That is good to know that the additional amount goes directly to the server!

 

[ichoose2believe]

I did Palo brunch by myself and I think I tipped $10 or $15. I didn't get any additional wine or adult drinks. Planning on going again because it was a great experience.

 

[RedHead0186]

I'm so intrigued by the question on tipping at Palo. Those that tip a % based off of a land based meal, do you do that for your dining room wait staff also? If not, why not? I've found that my Palo waiter can be hit or miss along with my dining room staff.

I do whatever the "recommended" amount is for the servers and then add additional amounts based on how I enjoyed their service. That's not as much a strict percentage, moreso just what I think they deserve.

 

[auntlynne]

I'm so intrigued by the question on tipping at Palo. Those that tip a % based off of a land based meal, do you do that for your dining room wait staff also? If not, why not? I've found that my Palo waiter can be hit or miss along with my dining room staff.

No. Tipping is an unfair system. Why do we base it on cost of a meal, when your waiter may be better at a cheap restaurant? It is the accepted norm - if workers are willing to pass on jobs that don’t pay fairly, perhaps the system will fail. (as the post-COVID job market seems to be showing they are willing to pass on jobs).

And a poor waiter - I mean very inattentive when they are visibly not responding - does not get an automatic %. When I was young, the norm was 15%. It has managed to creep up to 18% or 20% and beyond.

Was this on the Dream? My server did it there last January. I was shocked (some oyher stuff too that he did) went to guest relations to share my experience and even got called by a mgr explaining they are not supposed to say anything like that and that the info the server gave was not accurate

Magic, April 2022.

My larger opinion on tipping culture is that I wish it weren't that way, but I'm not prepared to fight that battle with anyone, so I pay the tip.

What a great sentence - and reason for it.

I don’t love the new tipping method in Palo of 18% that goes to multiple people in the restaurant rather than just your server. In the past without the 18% included, everything we left went to the server. Now Disney is spreading that tip around to subsidize the wages for everyone in the restaurant, but they are doing so at the servers expense. I would have rather had Disney add a second tipping line for back of the house staff than start taking part of the tips away from the servers.

Prior to the change we would tip 20-30%. Since the change we tip higher to try to make sure the server is taken care of. We tend to do long cruises or b2b2b, so we have our Palo server at least 4-5 times and enjoy their service. By the second time they already know our preferences and they help elevate the meal. As a result we want to make sure they tipped accordingly.

Even that point - that was distributed among the back of the house workers - was not presented to my niece. She was told it went to the “company.” Could it be the Italian Manager of Palo wasn’t as proficient in communicating in English? Possibly. But the resulting multiple efforts to appease her over the following day make me think they were in the wrong. (She did not ask nor demand anything, other than why she was “expected” to tip on a la carte items and pay a service fee).

I have never known that my waiter in Palo was paying out other employees. The “host” is the Manager. The waiters clear tables. And I don’t order drinks. Who is getting a cut of this tip? (That is an actual question. Not asked on anger.). I always thought chefs / sous chefs were paid at or above minimum wage - not subject to the “tips count towards your hourly wage” classification.

 

[lorimay]

We usually only do Brunch, and it is complimentary. If I remember right we tip 50.00 for 2.

Yes, this is what we do on our complimentary meal. The service is always impeccable.
Less than 3 weeks until we are on the Dream for 13 nights and our first Pearl cruise.......

 

[Pixie Dust Believer]

I have never known that my waiter in Palo was paying out other employees. The “host” is the Manager. The waiters clear tables. And I don’t order drinks. Who is getting a cut of this tip? (That is an actual question. Not asked on anger.). I always thought chefs / sous chefs were paid at or above minimum wage - not subject to the “tips count towards your hourly wage” classification.

That is because until the auto 18% service charge was added to brunch and the pre fixe menu last year, we weren’t paying anyone other than the waiters with this tip. From my understanding the service charge is split amongst everyone in the restaurant, including the manager and back of house. I was surprised to hear it, but it was confirmed by three separate folks (2 servers that we have had in Palo for years and 1 manager who used to serve us in Palo), across two separate ships.

The folks who lose out on this are the servers who used to get the full amount that was left before. It is effectively a pay cut that is not to dissimilar to what happened when Disney came out with Concierge tipping guidelines last year, but I digress. I feel for the servers who have to try to explain this to their tables.

 

[Pixie Dust Believer]

Yes, this is what we do on our complimentary meal. The service is always impeccable.
Less than 3 weeks until we are on the Dream for 13 nights and our first Pearl cruise.......

We are on that cruise too! Looking forward to some delicious Palo brunch and dinner!

 

[Chipmunkmaniac]

I believe 4 percent out of the 18 goes to Disney. My waiter was giving me the whole lecture about how it was divided when he mentioned Disney's part he said 'to maintain the name and upkeep of Palo' and then at the end he pointed at the additional tip line and said 'if you want to recognize the service I gave you tonight this where you will need to add a tip' So I fell very much forced into additional tipping and if there is something I hate it is being pushed into decisions. as I said there were some other issues that night as well so thats why I decided to make a stop at guest relations explaining I fell very uncomfortable about my dinner. I was supposed to have a second dinner that cruise (it happened on the first nights so I was supposed to benefit from the first night not counting as your one dinner) and twice on the second leg of the b2b and cancelled all three. they tried to talk me into coming and assigning me a different server but come on at 6pm at Palo with three tables taken how awkward would that still be....

 

[auntlynne]

That is because until the auto 18% service charge was added to brunch and the pre fixe menu last year, we weren’t paying anyone other than the waiters with this tip. From my understanding the service charge is split amongst everyone in the restaurant, including the manager and back of house. I was surprised to hear it, but it was confirmed by three separate folks (2 servers that we have had in Palo for years and 1 manager who used to serve us in Palo), across two separate ships.

The folks who lose out on this are the servers who used to get the full amount that was left before. It is effectively a pay cut that is not to dissimilar to what happened when Disney came out with Concierge tipping guidelines last year, but I digress. I feel for the servers who have to try to explain this to their tables.

This is the type of information that would benefit both the guest and the workers. Instead of turning things sour at the end of a lovely dinner.

 

[n2mm]

First time going to Palo as a platinum (daughter & husband). So she pays 0 for pre-fix after perk credit, but will pay 18% on the $45 perk per person ($18) plus pay an additional tip to the server $10-20 Per person. She doesn’t drink. Did I get this right? we Don’t do Palo ourselves, but she wants to go next month. This is confusing.

 

[cwis]

Ha, another threads about gratuities.

We usually tip 20% everytime, so we add the missing 2% on diner, and add the missing 20% on brunch.

Why is that so DCL has not yet added auto-gratuity for the brunch? I struggle to understand this and would welcome any relevant hint.

 

[Cheburashka]

But watch your bill - they added 18% to the total bill for my niece (no alcohol involved) and then said it was not for the server, but for the company. And stated she needed to tip the waiter, in addition. Disney did a hard backpedal when questioned, resulting in lots of apologies from officers and managers

I was told at Palo that the 18% is for the whole serving team, and any extra is for your individual server. Was that a lie?

 

[cwis]

I was told at Palo that the 18% is for the whole serving team, and any extra is for your individual server. Was that a lie?

You'll never know what a lie or not.

In upscale restaurants you typically tip your server, and they in turn tip their runners. So it would make sense if there were some kind of sharing at Palo's.

 

[Remysister28]

I also am insecure about automatic gratuities and make sure to give my servers cash when they’ve been exceptional.

 

[CarolynFH]

First time going to Palo as a platinum (daughter & husband). So she pays 0 for pre-fix after perk credit, but will pay 18% on the $45 perk per person ($18) plus pay an additional tip to the server $10-20 Per person. She doesn’t drink. Did I get this right? we Don’t do Palo ourselves, but she wants to go next month. This is confusing.

I’m confused too. Hope to read an answer to your post!

 

[tidefan]

When I was young, the norm was 15%. It has managed to creep up to 18% or 20% and beyond.

I waited tables for over 10 years in my younger years. 15% was always the norm (and was adjusted to 10% for poor service and up to 20% for amazing service). When did this change? I think that this varies by location in the country. I think here in the South, that this is still pretty standard. Also, I was always told a 10% tip for buffets (looking at you Boma, not sure why someone gets 18% of the bill just for bringing drinks)...

As to DCL, the tipping really started to bother me on our inaugural Wish cruise. We wanted one of the Maiden Voyage Cooler Bags. Well, you had to buy them at the bar. So, we bought one (with nothing it in, mind you) and got the privilege of tipping 18% to the person for the act of reaching in a box and handing us a bag. Seriously???

I have become partial to the way Virgin Voyages is doing things. Most everything sans alcohol or excursions is included in your fare. Tipping is included. This also means that when you buy a $10 drink at a bar, it is $10, not $11.80. Richard Branson, I believe, was pretty insistent on this when the line was formed. It's a very pleasant change. Workers on VV are paid a much higher wage, so the "tips" part of what you would normally pay is included in the cruise fare.

That said, I have no problem with tipping for outstanding service. We did this with many of our great tour guides on our recent British Isles cruise on Princess (which also has a pay-ahead gratuity option so you don't have to worry about it, even with the drinks).

 

[cwis]

As to DCL, the tipping really started to bother me on our inaugural Wish cruise. We wanted one of the Maiden Voyage Cooler Bags. Well, you had to buy them at the bar. So, we bought one (with nothing it in, mind you) and got the privilege of tipping 18% to the person for the act of reaching in a box and handing us a bag. Seriously???

Not going into a tipping discussion, but maybe the cooler hasn't come here by itself, and the crew you bought it from “magically moved it” from storage to deck. Maybe, also, they are on a tipping position, and, essentially, well, your tips is how they make money at the end. Feel free to reach out to Disney if you're vocal about it, there's no chance that anyone at headquarters is going to read you here.

 

[tidefan]

Not going into a tipping discussion, but maybe the cooler hasn't come here by itself, and the crew you bought it from “magically moved it” from storage to deck. Maybe, also, they are on a tipping position, and, essentially, well, your tips is how they make money at the end. Feel free to reach out to Disney if you're vocal about it, there's no chance that anyone at headquarters is going to read you here.

Do you tip the workers in Mickey's Mainsail? I bet those shirts and toys didn't get there by themselves either... Or, and here's an idea, just sell those in the shops to begin with...

Maybe Disney should just pay them correctly in the first place...

 

[Ralph&Pam]

First time going to Palo as a platinum (daughter & husband). So she pays 0 for pre-fix after perk credit, but will pay 18% on the $45 perk per person ($18) plus pay an additional tip to the server $10-20 Per person. She doesn’t drink. Did I get this right? we Don’t do Palo ourselves, but she wants to go next month. This is confusing.

Not quite. The 18% autogratuity is charged on everything ordered a la carte, but not on the prix fixe menu. So, as a platinum cruiser, if you order only the prix fixe menu and apply the $45 platinum credit to cover that, there should be no added autogratuity. If you order additional items, even as simple as bottled water, the 18% is added for the extra costs. In theory, you could get by with a $0 bill (only ordering prix fixe), to which you would add your additional gratuity for the server. We never manage to do it this way ourselves for dinner, but have done the brunch that way multiple times. Our platinum daughter who cruises solo does it for Palo dinner every cruise, since she doesn’t drink and loves the selections on the prix fixe menu. She tells me she tips $10-15 depending on the quality of service, so the $10-20 per person for this sounds like it’s right in line.

 

[n2mm]

Not quite. The 18% autogratuity is charged on everything ordered a la carte, but not on the prix fixe menu. So, as a platinum cruiser, if you order only the prix fixe menu and apply the $45 platinum credit to cover that, there should be no added autogratuity. If you order additional items, even as simple as bottled water, the 18% is added for the extra costs. In theory, you could get by with a $0 bill (only ordering prix fixe), to which you would add your additional gratuity for the server. We never manage to do it this way ourselves for dinner, but have done the brunch that way multiple times. Our platinum daughter who cruises solo does it for Palo dinner every cruise, since she doesn’t drink and loves the selections on the prix fixe menu. She tells me she tips $10-15 depending on the quality of service, so the $10-20 per person for this sounds like it’s right in line.

Thank you! That was very helpful.