Guests staying in elevated staterooms onboard Disney Cruise Line ships may be paying a bit more for the elite privilege as the cruise line has increased the recommended gratuity for concierge staterooms and suites.
Now, the suggested gratuity is $23.50 per person, per night, up from $15.50 just over a year ago. This is a significant 52% increase and can add substantial charges to a family’s cruise total.
For example, for a family of four on a 7-night sailing, the previous gratuity rate would mean $434 of gratuities for the cruise. The increased rate, however, is a total of $658 for the same cruise – $224 higher.
This increase only applies to concierge staterooms and onboard suites. For all other stateroom categories, the suggested gratuity rate remains at $14.50 per person, per day – the same as 2023 rates.
At this time, there is no indication that the other stateroom categories will be seeing an increased gratuity rate, but it is rather unusual for one type of stateroom to see such a dramatic increase without a corresponding increase for other gratuities.
Concierge level staterooms and suites do, however, receive additional services that standard staterooms do not have access to. This includes the assistant stateroom host, who helps service individual cabins, as well as the team for the concierge lounge, an exclusive space only available to guests in these concierge staterooms.
Read Also: What a Cruise Ship Cabin Steward Really Does
The gratuities for all staterooms are also divided amongst the regular stateroom host and the three-person serving team for the dining room. On Disney Cruise Line, the dining team moves with guests to each dining room on different nights for the rotational dining concept.
It is not at all unusual for more elite staterooms to have higher gratuity rates, no matter what cruise line. For example, on Carnival Cruise Line, daily gratuities for suites are $2 higher than for standard staterooms, while on Royal Caribbean – which just recently announced a gratuity rate increase – suites are $2.50 higher than other staterooms.
On cruise lines that have even more of an exclusive division between stateroom types, gratuity charges often reflect that division. On Norwegian Cruise Line, for example, gratuities for The Haven and suites are $5 higher than for other stateroom types.
Of course, all gratuity rates are per person, per day. Some cruise lines do not charge gratuities for very young travelers, but Disney Cruise Line does apply gratuities for all passengers, even infants and toddlers.
Can Gratuities Be Adjusted?
It is possible to adjust gratuities onboard Disney cruise ships if guests feel the service charges are not warranted. Gratuities are always considered optional, but are added to guests’ onboard accounts at the pre-determined amounts as a convenience.
Visiting the Guest Services desk onboard is necessary to remove or adjust gratuities after the charges have been added to individual accounts. It is not possible to do so through the cruise line’s app.
Travelers can pre-pay their gratuities before setting sail, which avoids the extra charge onboard. If pre-paid gratuities are asked to be refunded, that charge will be processed back to the original form of payment.
Of course, onboard staff will want to be sure nothing severe has happened to make a guest wish to remove the gratuities. If an incident has occurred or service is not as travelers expect, it is best to bring the matter to the attention of Guest Services so it can be remedied and the guest can continue to enjoy their cruise with the high level of service Disney Cruise Line provides.
Disney Cruise Line is renowned for offering exceptional service, with many small touches that have vanished from other major cruise lines in recent years. This includes twice-a-day stateroom service, chocolates on pillows, and extraordinary attention to detail.
This phenomenal service is designed to ensure that every traveler has a truly magical Disney cruise vacation, and believe me, Disney Cruise Line does not disappoint.
