Remy and Palo's price to increase

Sorry, I got the impression from your post that it was a more intimate gathering.

$90 for the meal, and a $40 tip per person for no corkage doesn't sound quite as extravagant now given that you love your wine!

ex techie

Sorry, I got the impression from your post that it was a more intimate gathering.

 

 

 

$90 for the meal, and a $40 tip per person for no corkage doesn't sound quite as extravagant now given that you love your wine!

 

 

 

ex techie

It was quite reasonable. They gave us a 20% discount on the food and a flat $100 corkage fee regardless of how many bottles we brought. We thought that was more than fair.i believe the server got half the corkage fee as well.

Several of us are in the hospitality industry or wine trade and this place wants our repeat business.

I would normally give an extra cash tip to the waiters in my assigned restaurant on the last night of the voyage, but as I won't be eating in the assigned restaurant this time, it pretty much will even out & that money will go to the servers in the alternative restaurant each night.

Having sailed so many times on Cunard, you will know that it is customary to still tip the service team in the assigned restaurant regardless of whether to not you actually dine there.

So your tips to the Remy and Palo staff are not in lieu, but in addition of what is customary and expected for those wait staff.

On a four night cruise the tips per person for your assigned dining room team are:

Dining Room Server - $16

Dining Room Assistant Server - $12

And Dining Room Head Server - $4

So for your 4 night cruise with two people there is a tip of $64 for their services.

I hope that helps you better plan your expenses :)

ex techie

It was quite reasonable. They gave us a 20% discount on the food and a flat $100 corkage fee regardless of how many bottles we brought. We thought that was more than fair.i believe the server got half the corkage fee as well.

 

Several of us are in the hospitality industry or wine trade and this place wants our repeat business.

That is more than reasonable!

I bet the server was equally happy with their tip as you were with the service!

If only we all had someone in the know when eating out! lol!

ex techie

It won't affect me going to Palo - brunch or dinner (I use dinner to avoid Enchanted Garden where I find the main menu to be rather vile) - as I live in NYC so $30 for meals like that is still a bargain.

It has taken any thoughts of trying Remy off the table. I was already iffy on it as I don't eat fish, I don't eat baby cow, and I don't eat weird birds, so there really didn't seem to be that much I'd eat to begin with - and definitely not a set-menu brunch.

Vile?

Thats a very strong opinion! What is so bad about the menu in Enchanted Garden?

I personally won't eat veal either.

ex techie

Vile?

 

Thats a very strong opinion! What is so bad about the menu in Enchanted Garden?

I personally won't eat veal either.

 

ex techie

There is just nothing on it that is remotely appetizing to me. I'm clearly in the minority as many love it and dislike Animator's Palate and/or Pirate Night - both of which I love. :)

There is just nothing on it that is remotely appetizing to me. I'm clearly in the minority as many love it and dislike Animator's Palate and/or Pirate Night - both of which I love. :)

Fair enough!

I still think the word vile might have been overused though! :p

But each to their own, and I hope you enjoy your Palo meal!

ex techie

Fair enough!

 

I still think the word vile might have been overused though! :p

 

But each to their own, and I hope you enjoy your Palo meal!

 

ex techie

I <3 Palo! :) I prefer to use it to kick off my cruise, but when I'm on the Fantasy I forego that to request AP on Pirate Night. Not sure what I'll do for what I have planned for birthday 2016 (planning to do the Dream B2B, and the actual date would likely be Pirate Night...AAR!! :p )

We usually eat at Remy at least once on a DCL Dream or Fantasy cruise. We were getting rather tired of the old menus but enjoyed the developing new menu in February this year. It is our more affordable version of Victoria and Alberts!

Recently were "wowed" by both the service and the menu at Palo; had not eaten there in years and that was back when only the Magic and Wonder sailed for DCL.

We have not done the Palo brunch yet, but have enjoyed the relaxing Remy brunch on several cruises.

We always tip extra, based upon the service -anywhere from 5 to 25%.

WrittenOnYourHeart,

Ask if they can seat you in the crew mess that night? lol! And just joking!

ex techie

Having sailed so many times on Cunard, you will know that it is customary to still tip the service team in the assigned restaurant regardless of whether to not you actually dine there.

So your tips to the Remy and Palo staff are not in lieu, but in addition of what is customary and expected for those wait staff.

 

On a four night cruise the tips per person for your assigned dining room team are:

Dining Room Server - $16

Dining Room Assistant Server - $12

And Dining Room Head Server - $4

 

So for your 4 night cruise with two people there is a tip of $64 for their services.

 

 

I hope that helps you better plan your expenses :)

 

ex techie

There are auto-gratuities for the servers in the main dining rooms on Cunard. Many passengers think that is sufficient, and some add a bit extra to this.

I was figuring Disney did the same thing. Is this wrong??? Do they not have MDR auto-gratuities?

However, in the Grills on Cunard, with ordering off menu, having 3 servers, table side finishes & desserts, etc., we actually add on a significant amount at the end in addition to the auto-gratuity, because there is a great deal of extra work, including the maître 'd.

But - no, I was not planning on adding $64 in addition to the auto-gratuity for a restaurant in which I was never planning to dine.

There are auto-gratuities for the servers in the main dining rooms on Cunard. Many passengers think that is sufficient, and some add a bit extra to this.

I was figuring Disney did the same thing. Is this wrong??? Do they not have MDR auto-gratuities?

However, in the Grills on Cunard, with ordering off menu, having 3 servers, table side finishes & desserts, etc., we actually add on a significant amount at the end in addition to the auto-gratuity, because there is a great deal of extra work, including the maître 'd.

But - no, I was not planning on adding $64 in addition to the auto-gratuity for a restaurant in which I was never planning to dine.

Sort of.

DCL does charge gratuities to your onboard account ($12.00 per guest per day) that covers your dining room service team (main -$4 per guest per day, asst - $3. per guest per day, and head - $1 per guest per day) as well as your room host ($4 per guest per day).

But, it's only a service, not required. You can have them removed, if you wish. Don't know if that's a possibility on Cunard.

I'll also point out that, while the gratuities are "for" the dinner servers, those same servers are the ones serving breakfast & lunch in the buffet/quick serve locations as well as the MDRs that serve those meals. The gratuities cover all meal service, not just dinner.

There are auto-gratuities for the servers in the main dining rooms on Cunard. Many passengers think that is sufficient, and some add a bit extra to this.

I was figuring Disney did the same thing. Is this wrong??? Do they not have MDR auto-gratuities?

However, in the Grills on Cunard, with ordering off menu, having 3 servers, table side finishes & desserts, etc., we actually add on a significant amount at the end in addition to the auto-gratuity, because there is a great deal of extra work, including the maître 'd.

But - no, I was not planning on adding $64 in addition to the auto-gratuity for a restaurant in which I was never planning to dine.

Auto gratuities are added now, but they are in addition to the cruise fare.

They are charged at the end of your cruise unless you adjust them up or down.

So your cruise fare does not already include that $64 tip, nor one for the Stateroom Host/ess either.

That is added on at the end.

I just wanted to make sure you knew what the expectations were.

ex techie

Thanks to you both for the heads up. I am hoping they will just add the recommended gratuities on to my account and leave it at that. I never adjust them, anyway. I just add on extra cash at the end of our voyage for our servers. I just figured all cruise lines put them on and that's that. But maybe it's a little more nuanced, and there are people who remove the auto-pay and don't tip at all??? I would say, a pox on them, but I don't want to raise anyone's ire....:eek:

So I can be safe if I use my original plan - just rely on the auto pay for the MDR even if we skip eating there, and the Remy/Palo dinners need to be tipped separately (the upcharge is for the meal - not the servers) I figured we would try each one twice. I am hoping they still have that "Embarkation Day Remy tasting dinner". I was planning on doing that!

Thanks to you both for the heads up. I am hoping they will just add the recommended gratuities on to my account and leave it at that. I never adjust them, anyway. I just add on extra cash at the end of our voyage for our servers. I just figured all cruise lines put them on and that's that. But maybe it's a little more nuanced, and there are people who remove the auto-pay and don't tip at all??? I would say, a pox on them, but I don't want to raise anyone's ire....:eek:

 

So I can be safe if I use my original plan - just rely on the auto pay for the MDR even if we skip eating there, and the Remy/Palo dinners need to be tipped separately (the upcharge is for the meal - not the servers) I figured we would try each one twice. I am hoping they still have that "Embarkation Day Remy tasting dinner". I was planning on doing that!

I think we are all singing off the same hymn sheet!

So at the end of your cruise, in addition to your 4 day cruise fare you will be charged:

$32 per person to tip your wait staff in the main dining rooms irrespective of whether you use them or not.

You will also be charged additionally for any meals in the upcharge restaurants so Palo or Remy. $30 for Palo pp, and $85 for Remy pp.

And in the "spirit", "tradition" and "custom" of cruising, a gratuity or tip is expected, not required, for your servers on top of the meal charge in those upcharge restaurants that you dine in as well. Palo and or Remy.

ex techie

Thanks to you both for the heads up. I am hoping they will just add the recommended gratuities on to my account and leave it at that. I never adjust them, anyway. I just add on extra cash at the end of our voyage for our servers. I just figured all cruise lines put them on and that's that. But maybe it's a little more nuanced, and there are people who remove the auto-pay and don't tip at all??? I would say, a pox on them, but I don't want to raise anyone's ire....:eek:

 

So I can be safe if I use my original plan - just rely on the auto pay for the MDR even if we skip eating there, and the Remy/Palo dinners need to be tipped separately (the upcharge is for the meal - not the servers) I figured we would try each one twice. I am hoping they still have that "Embarkation Day Remy tasting dinner". I was planning on doing that!

Sounds like you have it all covered. The auto-gratuities will take care of your assigned team in the main dining rooms (whether you eat there or not) and you plan to tip in the specialty restaurants.

And yes, there are people who remove the auto-gratuities from their serving team as well as people who go to GS and increase the tips. As you noted, tips can also be increased by adding cash to the envelopes.

Not sure if anyone else saw this

 

http://disneycruiselineblog.com/2015/04/palo-and-remy-prices-to-increase-fleetwide-in-late-april/

They are still worth the money.

I think we are all singing off the same hymn sheet!

 

So at the end of your cruise, in addition to your 4 day cruise fare you will be charged:

 

$32 per person to tip your wait staff in the main dining rooms irrespective of whether you use them or not.

 

You will also be charged additionally for any meals in the upcharge restaurants so Palo or Remy. $30 for Palo pp, and $85 for Remy pp.

 

And in the "spirit", "tradition" and "custom" of cruising, a gratuity or tip is expected, not required, for your servers on top of the meal charge in those upcharge restaurants that you dine in as well. Palo and or Remy.

 

ex techie

Just to note that even if you skip a meal or two in the MDR, those servers will still be working at Cabanas or the sit-down breakfast and lunch MDRs as well as the food places on Castaway Cay. The tip is intended to cover ALL of that. So unless you bring on all pre-packaged, no need to heat it up stuff from home and eat only that (or I suppose eat only room service in which case you should would probably end up tipping the same amount) you WILL be interacting with your servers at some point.

I know that due to the very weak USD that they are having to pay a subsidy to some workers in order to keep them, in the form of an additional top up payment for salaried positions and I would guess also tipped positions.

If $1 meant 1 euro or rupee or CAD or AUS, such a drop could screw you financially

 

That and fresh produce never seems to lower in price, especially good quality meat or fish.

 

Maybe that is why? Additional labor costs and produce costs?

 

ex techie

Er what?

Currently the US Dollar is closer to parity with the Euro than at most points in the past.

Er what?

 

Currently the US Dollar is closer to parity with the Euro than at most points in the past.

Since you obviously missed my post after the initial one, and haven't read the thread thoroughly.

Here it is again :)

Whilst it is right now, previously it hasn't been so strong, and policies such as price increases due to increased labor costs wouldn't happen immediately.

 

Look at these charts to show the variance over the past 5 or so years.

The Euro has fluctuated significantly to where it is right now, and you have to remember the CM's I was referring to are long time valued integral employees.

Say the CM earns $2000 a month, the fluctuation between mid 2010 - late 2011 - now would mean their earnings would have been E1680 / E1400 / E1900.

 

An Australian's earnings at $2000 have gone from AUD 2400 in 2010 to just AUD 1900 in late 2012/early 2013.

 

 

That was what I was trying to say and sorry if I was unclear.

 

ex techie

For anyone who had booked prior to the adjustment, it will show up as a credit on your Palo/Remy bill.

Well. . . Not sure what we will do. We sailed back in 2006 and both our Palo brunch and Dinner were fantastic. Then in 2008 they were just good. It's been a while but we sail the Magic next April and I'm thinking skip brunch and hope dinner is enough to satisfy.