mfs2k

I got the same email a few days ago re: excursion refund due to price drop, and I used my credit card. The credit hasn't posted yet. I just checked.

oops inadvertent typo

I had to check to see if you lived in the United States or a country where tipping isn't the norm. Nope. Ohio. You are absolutely right I, and many others, tip additional amounts to gain benefits like faster service or longer pours. I'm not ashamed to acknowledge this. On a cruise ship (or even an open bar at a catered event), a noticable tip is definitely a bribe for the next drink. The $20-$40 I give the cabin steward on enbarkation day, is intended to be remembered. Whereas, when I go to a regular restaurant bar, or even a frequently visited coffee shop, a larger than 20% tip is both a thank you for those extra long pours, or friendly service in the past, and also for my next visit. I like being treated above and beyond. You treat me above and beyond, and I will treat you above and beyond right back. It's an "I scratch your back, you scratch mine" tipping culture I live in. As long as I live where tipping is presumed to be acceptable, I will do it willingly. If you're ok with being treated average and unrecognized, then by all means, the included tip on your cruise is fine.

so, argue.

Agree, In their eyes, they want the "potential" casino revenue for the passenger in that cabin. If you don't show, they lose all that potential income so they will make you pay for it. You're dealin with the devil. bunk beds aren't so bad. you'll be in the casino anyway.

Everybody is an accountant.

It sounds like everyone has different experiences, but if they can save on energy costs by adjusting the temperature a few degrees, they should. It's low hanging fruit in cost control. Obviously, guest comfort is important too, so if you feel it's been warm, send a complaint. Maybe they're taking it too far.

Theres no such thing as a free cruise. There are free cabins and expensive casino potential losses. If you're a gambler, they got you. but, this didn't answer your question.

Youve never done a sailaway from New York City I guess. lol

That's worth $20 to me on a 10 day cruise. And definitely worth more to me than a picture in front of a life preserver.

I suspect unsold cabins from agency blocks revert back to the cruiseline 90-120 days before sailing so they can be sold.

I suspect there's a chance if I hand a bartender a $20 bill at a bar I expect to visit frequetly during my cruise, I might get a little better service than he/she might typically give. Maybe not, but that's what I think.

The inherent definition of "gratuities" makes them gratuitous, and thus unequal. If you're referring to mandatory service charges, then that's different.

That's awful. You may have to search manually. I sailed on Carnival Jubilee in 1986. Maybe you'll find my old posts before there was an intenet for mortals.

Another way to look at it is the answer to this question: Do you tip extra for YOU or for the bartender? Many people tip extra at the beginning of a cruise to the bartenders at the bar they expect to visit often. Personally, if I do this, I'm hoping my pours of bourbon on the rocks will be a little more generous than the standardized recipe calls for. They usually are if I know the bartender and they like me. A relationship between a generous tipping customer and a heavy handed bartender is often symbiotic. It benefits both. A bartender who recognizes you and likes you might also save you a few moments and pulll him/her away from their bartender tasks and making your drink. I like when they stop fiddling with the POS terminal and greet me with a smile and my preferred drink placed in my hand.