First time cruiser - Gratuities and All Inclusive Drinks Package

Hi,

Have just booked my first cruise but I have a question about gratuities. My agent informed me that I can opt out of the daily gratuity scheme but I probably plan to just pay the $13.50 pp per day for simplicity. We also plan to take the pre paid drinks package. I noticed however on the website that it states that a 15% gratuity charge will be added to bar charges and dining room wine accounts. My question is this...

If we pay the $13.50 per day for gratuity and we take the all inclusive drinks package at $57.45 pp per day, do we still have to tip another 15% at the bar?

Sorry if this is a silly question, I'm easily confused :confused:

The 15% gratuity for the bar is included with the package, so no, you will not pay on top of that. Your drinks will be "free".

The bar staff is not generally included in the "tip pool" that is financed by the daily gratuity charge -- that goes to the food service and room stewards.

The $13.50 does not go towards bartenders or bar wait staff, but the 15% added to drinks (either bought individually or thru a package) does.

Different gratuities to different people.

Not additional tipping required for bar staff

Hi, you will not have to pay the 15% extra that is included in your drinks package.:D

Welcome to cruise critic and I hope you enjoy your cruise, Princess is a wonderful cruiseline.

Yes, you can turn off the automatic gratuities. But please take note that if you do this, and tip in cash then those people cannot keep what you give them. They are required to place that money back into the tip pool to share amongst the crew. The automatic gratuities also cover individuals that you may not normally tip in cash like buffet servers, but mainly cover your cabin steward and divining room staff. Should you leave the automatic gratuities on and also give a little extra in cash, then those individuals can keep what you provide them.

Thanks for the replies folks!:)

I'm curious, if you opt out of the automatic gratuities, are you charged differently?

I'm curious, if you opt out of the automatic gratuities, are you charged differently?

I don't think you are, but I may be wrong. Counting down the days!

We love the automatic gratuity method and always leave it intact- the staff works so very hard with long hours. You may have a server in the dining room one night and see the same server again bright and early in the buffet area at breakfast!

With this system, you may always tip someone in cash to honor their above and beyond service and positive attitude.

Enjoy your cruise!:D

Hi,

Have just booked my first cruise but I have a question about gratuities. My agent informed me that I can opt out of the daily gratuity scheme but I probably plan to just pay the $13.50 pp per day for simplicity. We also plan to take the pre paid drinks package. I noticed however on the website that it states that a 15% gratuity charge will be added to bar charges and dining room wine accounts. My question is this...

If we pay the $13.50 per day for gratuity and we take the all inclusive drinks package at $57.45 pp per day, do we still have to tip another 15% at the bar?

Sorry if this is a silly question, I'm easily confused :confused:

You can go to guest services and have the daily gratuity reduced to any daily amount you wish. Only $10 PP PD goes to the crew and the rest goes to employee incentives and employee parties and retirement funds etc....

You can go to guest services and have the daily gratuity reduced to any daily amount you wish. Only $10 PP PD goes to the crew and the rest goes to employee incentives and employee parties and retirement funds etc....

Where did you get this information? I have never heard anything remotely like this.

Since the automatic grats basically is the "salary" for the crew that serve you (they are paid a pittance by the cruise line) including those that you ordinarily would not tip like the person who washes the sheets, the head housekeeper, I just factor it in as "cruise fare." That being said, every day I leave a dollar or two for the room steward along with a piece of snack candy and a thank you note thanking them for something they have done--keep my ice bucket filled, the towel animal, keeping the cabin so tidy, whatever. I slip a dollar or two to any dining help provided they give me good service particularly if they do anything special I request or, in the buffet. That money goes in their pocket and doesn't have to be shared. What is interesting is that it is frequently I find "what goes around, comes around." They appreciate it so that I find some "extra" things that ordinarily I would not get in my cabin like "suite" toiletries, snacks, once even a bottle of wine! In the buffet, they see me coming and make sure I have a table in their section (often cleaning a recently vacant one that hasn't been gotten to yet) and drop by to see if they can get me anything. Ironically, I always tipped at least $20 over the recommended amount before auto tips went in so I'm not "giving" any more (and in some cases, less) with the auto tips than I did before (lol).

I slip a dollar or two to any dining help provided they give me good service particularly if they do anything special I request or, in the buffet. That money goes in their pocket and doesn't have to be shared…. Ironically, I always tipped at least $20 over the recommended amount before auto tips went in so I'm not "giving" any more (and in some cases, less) with the auto tips than I did before (lol).

In theory, from what I understand, staff is forbidden to accept dollars simply handed to them. Protocol is to hand them a sealed envelope inscribed with their name and your cabin number, which they then hand on to management and subsequently receive back. It seems to be a way to prevent circumventing the auto-tip rules. Of course, if you give money discreetly, nobody is the wiser.

And the reason auto-tips are in place is to make sure that everyone receives something of an equitable share. On our last cruise, many of the table around us in late traditional stood empty, and so if they'd depended entirely on individuals tipping, our wonderful waiters might well have made less than they would have serving more passengers….or even nothing. Auto-tip ensures they'll get at least something, and we were happy to tip more on top of that.

 

And the reason auto-tips are in place is to make sure that everyone receives something of an equitable share.

The main reason for the auto-tip is Anytime Dining.

Before ATD, there was no auto-tip. Passengers that wanted to tip their traditional dining room staff gave them cash on the last evening.

But when ATD was introduced, it was possible to have different waitstaff each evening. The auto-tip was also introduced so that passengers did not have to track down all the ATD staff that had served them.

Of course, the auto-tip also applied to traditional dining waitstaff and cabin stewards.

And as mentioned by others, the auto-tip is also shared by other staff that serve you including those at the pizza, burger, and ice cream counters.

The main reason for the auto-tip is Anytime Dining.

 

Before ATD, there was no auto-tip. Passengers that wanted to tip their traditional dining room staff gave them cash on the last evening.

 

But when ATD was introduced, it was possible to have different waitstaff each evening. The auto-tip was also introduced so that passengers did not have to track down all the ATD staff that had served them.

 

Of course, the auto-tip also applied to traditional dining waitstaff and cabin stewards.

 

And as mentioned by others, the auto-tip is also shared by other staff that serve you including those at the pizza, burger, and ice cream counters.

You're probably right, and I realize that it doesn't matter in the big picture, but I don't remember it that way. The auto-tip was newer on my first cruise in '02, there wasn't any ATD at that time, that I remember.

Counting down the days!