Gratuity &AIBP

Hi all

I have just looked on my booking and the all inclusive drinks package has gone up by nearly£200 as this has changed to premier package which in its self with the gratuity is another persons holiday. Is there anyway I can do to stop the gratuity and tip as we go. We are new to cruising and this will possibly be our last. On the threads it say we can stop it any tips.

Many thanks

Wasn't this question adequately answered in your previous thread?

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2541063

If you want to use the excuse that the price of the drinks package increased to be mean and stiff the crew members included in the Daily Service Charge pool, it is your conscience not mine. If any costs beyond the base cruise fare--costs your booking agent should have made you aware of up front--are beyond your means as you seem to imply perhaps a different type of holiday would be best.

You have a choice - skip the tips or skip the AIBP

Hi all

 

I have just looked on my booking and the all inclusive drinks package has gone up by nearly£200 as this has changed to premier package which in its self with the gratuity is another persons holiday. Is there anyway I can do to stop the gratuity and tip as we go. We are new to cruising and this will possibly be our last. On the threads it say we can stop it any tips.

 

 

Many thanks

The price of the AIBP - now the Premier Beverage Package - did not go up for anyone who had already purchased it. If you had purchased it at the old rate, your price did not change.

Also, the 15% "gratuity" for beverages is not optional. It is required as part of the beverage package purchase or as part of the purchase of individual drinks.

It is not the gratuity on the drinks package i am asking, it is for the normal gratuity, we are quite happy to tip As we go with all staff.

It is not the gratuity on the drinks package i am asking, it is for the normal gratuity, we are quite happy to tip As we go with all staff.

See my post #3

It is not the gratuity on the drinks package i am asking, it is for the normal gratuity, we are quite happy to tip As we go with all staff.

The Daily Service Charge covers all dining and housekeeping staff, the large majority of which you will have no face to face contact with even though you will be availing yourself of their services. Princess assumes the only reason anyone would remove the charge is due to inadequate service, thus your cabin steward and dining room team will receive a reprimand if you do so. If you genuinely plan to proffer the same amount amount of gratuities as cash rather than through the convenience of the Daily Service Charge, why put yourself out to have to carry cash with you at all times?

I do see that this is your first cruise so you perhaps you deserve the benefit of the doubt as to not knowing that (at least on cruise lines with USA-style policies) the era of cash tips has long passed.A flat Daily Service Charge is fair and if properly budgeted for the most reasonable way to handle gratuities onboard. Judging by your posting history it seems you would have been much more comfortable booking your first cruise on one of the many cruise lines with UK or European style onboard policies; I do hope your booking agent explained the differences when you made your choice of Princess.

I think she wants the AIBP and no tips????

It is not the gratuity on the drinks package i am asking, it is for the normal gratuity, we are quite happy to tip As we go with all staff.

If you do that they will be required to turn in the tips or lose their jobs. All you end up doing is guaranteeing that the folks you are tipping receive less. Suck it up and pay the gratuities. I just consider it a cost of the cruise.

Hi all

 

I have just looked on my booking and the all inclusive drinks package has gone up by nearly£200 as this has changed to premier package which in its self with the gratuity is another persons holiday. Is there anyway I can do to stop the gratuity and tip as we go. We are new to cruising and this will possibly be our last. On the threads it say we can stop it any tips.

 

 

Many thanks

Why would you do that? If you truly plan to "tip as we go", then you should be giving as much in tips as you go as you would with the standard gratuity. It sounds like you want to cancel the standard gratuities ($13.50 PP PD) so you can better afford the AIBP. That is really rather selfish of you to even think of stiffing the hard working crew. The new price for the AIBP is $68.99 USD PP PD. Beers are about $6 plus tip. Forgo the AIBP, keep the standard gratuity and drink two less beers per day. Surely, two beers is a small cost to reward the hardworking crew.

I guess it is a matter of her priorities - Booze or stiffing the crew -different strokes for different folks

It is not the gratuity on the drinks package i am asking, it is for the normal gratuity, we are quite happy to tip As we go with all staff.

You will never see "all the staff" that's included in the auto gratuity. If you remove the auto gratuity and "tip as you go", you'll be stiffing crew that makes your cruise enjoyable.

If you can't afford the gratuity, maybe seek another form of vacation trip.

To answer your original question and in no way judge you. Go to the pursers desk and ask to remove your daily gratuities. That's it simple. Only you and only you can decide if that's right or wrong. Princess makes this payment a choice, however they automatically opt you in on it

Wasn't this question adequately answered in your previous thread?

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2541063

 

If you want to use the excuse that the price of the drinks package increased to be mean and stiff the crew members included in the Daily Service Charge pool, it is your conscience not mine. If any costs beyond the base cruise fare--costs your booking agent should have made you aware of up front--are beyond your means as you seem to imply perhaps a different type of holiday would be best.

Out comes the well used boring saying "stiff the crew" nobody stiffs the crew only Carnival plc and I cannot see anywhere in the message that started the thread that they wanted to remove the gratuities and "stiff the crew" as you say but pay in cash is the way many pay gratuities.

Out comes the well used boring saying "stiff the crew" nobody stiffs the crew only Carnival plc and I cannot see anywhere in the message that started the thread that they wanted to remove the gratuities and "stiff the crew" as you say but pay in cash is the way many pay gratuities.

Cash tips in lieu of the autotip must be turned in and it goes into the autotip pool - every dollar you tip this way may only wind up as 50 cents in his pocket - however the choice is ther for anyone

Cash tips in lieu of the autotip must be turned in and it goes into the autotip pool - every dollar you tip this way may only wind up as 50 cents in his pocket - however the choice is ther for anyone

If you stop your tips you don't stiff your room steward, or your waiter or assistant, you stiff the entire crew of the Princess fleet your contribution into the pool of money. To the crew you directly interact with it makes no difference

Hi all

 

I have just looked on my booking and the all inclusive drinks package has gone up by nearly£200 as this has changed to premier package which in its self with the gratuity is another persons holiday. Is there anyway I can do to stop the gratuity and tip as we go. We are new to cruising and this will possibly be our last. On the threads it say we can stop it any tips.

Many thanks

I think you asked the same question before and it was answered. Maybe you don't like the answer so you asked again.

If you already have the AIBP it is grandfathered in and will be treated as the Premier Package. The gratuity is included with the package, no further tipping is required. The increase in price is irrelevant.

If you do not have the drink package and wish to purchase it you will pay the current price which is US$68.99 and includes the gratuity. You CAN NOT opt out of the gratuity.

If you do not purchase a drink package then you will purchase all drinks separately. A 15% gratuity is added to the menu price of all beverages and you CAN NOT opt out.

The daily hotel charge ranges from $13.50/pp/day to $15.50/pp/day depending on category of cabin. The charge goes to staff that serve you directly such as the cabin steward and DR waiters, and those that don't, such as buffet waiters. All cash tips received by staff covered in the hotel charge pool must be turned in (or reported). If the passenger providing the tip has opted out of the hotel charge then the cash tip is retained by the pool for distribution to the entire pool If the passenger did not opt out then the staff member receiving the tip is able to keep it.

This is how the system works. Over and over on these boards it has been mentioned that it is best to keep the hotel charge in place. Those that remove it and tip directly are not achieving the result they may expect.

I think you asked the same question before and it was answered. Maybe you don't like the answer so you asked again.

If you already have the AIBP it is grandfathered in and will be treated as the Premier Package. The gratuity is included with the package, no further tipping is required. The increase in price is irrelevant.

If you do not have the drink package and wish to purchase it you will pay the current price which is US$68.99 and includes the gratuity. You CAN NOT opt out of the gratuity.

If you do not purchase a drink package then you will purchase all drinks separately. A 15% gratuity is added to the menu price of all beverages and you CAN NOT opt out.

 

The daily hotel charge ranges from $13.50/pp/day to $15.50/pp/day depending on category of cabin. The charge goes to staff that serve you directly such as the cabin steward and DR waiters, and those that don't, such as buffet waiters. All cash tips received by staff covered in the hotel charge pool must be turned in (or reported). If the passenger providing the tip has opted out of the hotel charge then the cash tip is retained by the pool for distribution to the entire pool If the passenger did not opt out then the staff member receiving the tip is able to keep it.

 

This is how the system works. Over and over on these boards it has been mentioned that it is best to keep the hotel charge in place. Those that remove it and tip directly are not achieving the result they may expect.

All correct except the automatic gratuity is shared amongs all crew across the fleet, not just that ship.

All correct except the automatic gratuity is shared amongs all crew across the fleet, not just that ship.

That is not true - it sounds like it but what it means is that the practice is shared across the fleet. I have been told this by the Maitr de, Hotel Manager and other staff execs.

That is not true - it sounds like it but what it means is that the practice is shared across the fleet. I have been told this by the Maitr de, Hotel Manager and other staff execs.

Of course you are correct, but do not think you you will convince anyone set in their beliefs to change them. The real question is, by withholding the tips from the crew and tipping individually, do you:

- Fully compensate all of those people who rely on the automatic tip?

- Equally compensate those that service you with your individual tips?

- Further the benefit of the crew by the elimination of their payments?

The reality is that there are some people who would like to not pay these charges. They will use any reason at their disposal to save a bit of their vacation income to use for themselves. There are also those who may be confused by the term tips or gratuity. I believe that the OP is of the latter.

So, OP, please know that you are free to eliminate your auto gratuity. If you would like to tip individually and get the benefit of those tips to the entire crew, be prepared to tip $27-$31 per couple, per day, depending upon your cabin choice, to the crew to make up the amount they will be shorted, either ship-wide or fleet wide by the elimination. Please do not try to compromise the crew by tipping secretly. Tip those you chose by letting them know what your cabin number is, that will help them put that money into the gratuity pool.

And for those who wish to save some of their vacation costs by not paying into the pool in some way, that is fine too. I would say that you can have it on your conscience if I thought you had one.

All correct except the automatic gratuity is shared amongs all crew across the fleet, not just that ship.

That really doesn't matter. If part of the gratuities on one ship are shared with other ships, so our the gratuities from the other ships. Balances out.

That really doesn't matter. If part of the gratuities on one ship are shared with other ships, so our the gratuities from the other ships. Balances out.

No it doesn't matter. It's the general pool that suffers.

That really doesn't matter. If part of the gratuities on one ship are shared with other ships, so our the gratuities from the other ships. Balances out.

Gratuities are not shared with other ships in the fleet - they stay on the ship - the princess faq sheet is a little misleading. I have asked all of the exec staff.

 

This is how the system works. Over and over on these boards it has been mentioned that it is best to keep the hotel charge in place. Those that remove it and tip directly are not achieving the result they may expect.

Except for the 'saving enough to be able to buy the AIBP.' THAT is the REAL desired effect in most cases.