Princess Cruises Increases Gratuities

Thanks to our upcoming Roll Call as posted by loonline (thanks Rhonda and Brian!), it was just announced that the gratuities automatically billed to guests on their stateroom portfolios will be increased.

Effective on voyages departing on or after January 1, 2016, the gratuity charge will be $13.95 per guest for mini-suites and suites, and $12.95 per guest for interior, oceanview, and balcony staterooms.

The current charges per day are $12 per person for mini-suites and suites, and $11.50 per guest in all other staterooms per day (including children).

All guests who have pre-paid their gratuities before October 15, 2015, will have their current daily gratuity amount protected. If you have a cruise sailing after January 1, 2016, you may want to prepay your gratuities before October 15 in order to lock in to the older rates. This can be done by logging in to your cruise personalizer and choosing the pre-pay option when prompted.

Above was copied in part from another site I can't mention here.

Thanks for the news

Not a huge increase...

They haven't increased gratuities in awhile. I think the price is still reasonable for the work that they do. I have no problems with this.

We have a January 10 day cruise coming up, so the increase adds up to $40. Not a big deal, but $40 is $40. I prepaid. Thanks for the info!

Janet

P.S. We always tip extra as determined by the level of service. No worries!;)

Thanks for the info.

Thanks to our upcoming Roll Call as posted by loonline (thanks Rhonda and Brian!), it was just announced that the gratuities automatically billed to guests on their stateroom portfolios will be increased.

 

Effective on voyages departing on or after January 1, 2016, the gratuity charge will be $13.95 per guest for mini-suites and suites, and $12.95 per guest for interior, oceanview, and balcony staterooms.

 

The current charges per day are $12 per person for mini-suites and suites, and $11.50 per guest in all other staterooms per day (including children).

 

All guests who have pre-paid their gratuities before October 15, 2015, will have their current daily gratuity amount protected. If you have a cruise sailing after January 1, 2016, you may want to prepay your gratuities before October 15 in order to lock in to the older rates. This can be done by logging in to your cruise personalizer and choosing the pre-pay option when prompted.

 

Above was copied in part from another site I can't mention here.

That's slightly more than the recently announced increases on HAL effective 12/1/15.

"The new hotel service charge for passengers in interior, oceanview and verandah cabins will be US$12.50 (up from US$11.50) per person per day. Passengers in suites will be charged US$13.50 (up from US$12) per person per day".

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=6560

We have a January 10 day cruise coming up, so the increase adds up to $40. Not a big deal, but $40 is $40. I prepaid. Thanks for the info!

 

Janet

 

P.S. We always tip extra as determined by the level of service. No worries!;)

We have an 18 night cruise in April '16, for difference of $52.50 - grats now pre-paid. :)

Thanks, OP, for the info.

Princess has posted the increased gratuities for all voyages departing on or after January 1, 2016, on their website under Gratuities under FAQ: ONBOARD EXPERIENCE.

I have no problem with paying another $1.95 per night. However, I don't think Princess should change the price for people who have already booked.

Not a huge increase...

11% is quite a COLA

Princess is one of the last to increase their gratuities.

The NCL board is full of extra charges they are now implementing.

Think I'll stay with Princess:cool:

I have no problem with paying another $1.95 per night. However, I don't think Princess should change the price for people who have already booked.

I agree.

I don't doubt this as after reading about the HAL increase a day or so ago, I wondered when Princess would follow suite. But I just went to the Princess website and there's nothing posted that I could see, even under Press Releases.

11% is quite a COLA

Not when there has been no increase for several years. I wish I could recall how many - but wouldn't surprise to find out it's only about 2%/year.

Pam............. it's under ""onboard experience"'

Gratuities tab.

I don't doubt this as after reading about the HAL increase a day or so ago, I wondered when Princess would follow suite. But I just went to the Princess website and there's nothing posted that I could see, even under Press Releases.

It is posted under Gratuities under FAQ: ONBOARD EXPERIENCE.

Of course, everyone should be expected to reread the FAQ every couple of days to make sure nothing has changed.:rolleyes:

I don't doubt this as after reading about the HAL increase a day or so ago, I wondered when Princess would follow suite. But I just went to the Princess website and there's nothing posted that I could see, even under Press Releases.

http://www.princess.com/learn/faq_answer/onboard/experience.jsp

On this webpage, open (expand) the Gratuities section and you will find this (I added the color red):

To simplify the tipping process for our guests, a discretionary gratuity of $12 per person for mini-suites and suites, and $11.50 per guest in all other staterooms per day (including children) will be automatically added to your shipboard account on a daily basis. Effective on voyages departing on or after January 1, 2016, the gratuity charge will be $13.95 per guest for mini-suites and suites, and $12.95 per guest for interior, oceanview, and balcony staterooms.

PS - When is the last time you saw a travel company issue a press release about prince increases? ;)

No change to the 15% auto-charge for bars and spa.

Not when there has been no increase for several years. I wish I could recall how many - but wouldn't surprise to find out it's only about 2%/year.

From what I could find, it hasn't changed at least since 2012, possibly 2011.

From what I could find, it hasn't changed at least since 2012, possibly 2011.

It was $10.50 for steerage cabins in 2010. I don't have my departure invoices for 2011, 2012, so I cannot tell when it changed from $10.50 to $11.50.

Assuming it was $11.50 in 2011, then the average increase is 2.4% if they bumped it up a little each year and arrive at $12.95 for next year.

If it changed to $11.50 in 2012, then the increase is 3% rounded each year to arrive at $12.95 for next year.

I'm not complaining.

As long as the increase goes to the staff, I don't have a problem. On our two cruises, every employ we came in contact with was awesome.

If gratuities are pre paid and the cruise has to be cancelled, how are the gratuities refunded?

Pam

From what I could find, it hasn't changed at least since 2012, possibly 2011.

Never mind, I was wrong.

Seems fair enough. Goodness knows, the crew certainly works very hard!

We booked getting the free gratuities. Our cruise is next April - do you think they'll still be completely free or will we have to pay the difference?

If gratuities are pre paid and the cruise has to be cancelled, how are the gratuities refunded?

 

Pam

If you paid them with a credit card, any pre-payments are refunded back to that credit card if you cancel or the cruise is cancelled.

We booked getting the free gratuities. Our cruise is next April - do you think they'll still be completely free or will we have to pay the difference?

Yes, the gratuities will still be included without paying the difference. There would be many unhappy people if they were asked to pay the difference!