andrewwilliamnewman

How does the Annual Cruise Certificate work when you are Prime?

I don't want to get dragged into this aspect of my thread...however i feel compelled to respond... If you went to Dennys, ordered a appetiser, followed by burger and fries, then a desert, and a drink for $50 for lunch... Then went to Gordon Ramsay's Hells Kitchen for dinner and paid $600 for a 3 course meal... You would still tip the Denny's waiter $100, like you would be expected to tip the Hells Kitchen waiter? It makes no sense to me personally - price is always in correlation to the tip given...or am i wrong?

I get on my hands and knees on the floor and make sure the floor is spotless before leaving the table. The waiters always tell us to leave it, not to worry, and they'll take care of it. They are embarrassed of us doing this, however I feel it demeaning on them if they have to do this, so I take care of it myself. I understand others probably do not do this however. Do the staff at Adventure Ocean get included in the 'tipping pool'? Or are they just well paid as they are qualified childcare providers?

I totally understand the whole, back-end staff having money taken away from them if they are removed/reduced, and the in-person team being handed cash, benefits only them... However, if this money handed over is indeed pooled, then what difference does it make to remove and give cash, compared to leaving the auto's on. Maybe its receiving the gratification directly from the staff who deal with you daily basis is a nice thing to receive, and the expectation/hope that they will go above and beyond for you since they know for fact the cash can't be removed or taken away like the autos. Its a tough one, its a tricky one, and its a highly debated topic, which causes anger/frustration/resentment towards some who choose to remove, and vice versa with those who remove and do things differently in a way they deem fit. End take it that removing on last day is the best way to ensure any such list does not include your cabin, if indeed you are to go ahead with this... And if we knew for a fact it is pooled, then tipping similar amounts in person will likely give you more thankfulness from those who attend you, and give you more personal happiness, yet make no difference at the end of the day. I don't know is the best thing to do...personal choice at the end of the day I suppose!

For clarity and transparency, and the reason for the post in the first place... I removed gratuities on day 3/4 of a 7 day cruise. I tipped the cabin steward on day 1, i tipped the dining room staff daily. I had the UBP, so gratuities were included with that. Service was good/the same each day before and after the removal of gratuities - however i was cautious that i had done something that is frowned upon by some. The unknown factor I was referring to was myself wondering if on day 4 or 5 or 6 or 7, the stateroom attendant or the dining room staff are made aware that gratuities are removed, and what/if any difference this would make for them - for example, does this have a negative effect on them from management, do they get questioned why, or is it just something that happens hundreds of times per cruise and its completely normal. We are a family of 4, a 7 day cruise, gratuities for us are $500-600 give or take. 2 Adults, 2 Under 5s. The same $18/20pppd being charged for both adults, a 4 year old, and a 9 month old baby makes no sense to me - which was the whole reason for the time I asked for the gratuities to be removed, and I went forward tipping as and when I felt deserved.

I think from the back and forth, tipping well upfront, so they know they’re taken care of by you from the start is the best way to go about things IF indeed it is done… Not saying I’m going to do it, just curious of other thoughts/experiences.

I have removed before, felt uneasy about requesting at guest services, was worried the attendant/dining staff would find out... Reason being, I got told by a friend that's how he'd always done it, so i gave it a go... Tipped large on first day the stateroom attendant as a thank you in advance, along with the dining staff every day in cash, $10-20 (coastal kitchen due to junior suite - not the mdr staff as we did not go in there). They were grateful continuously, didn't receive what I would perceive the be any difference in service, but cautious about doing it again due to the unknown factor of doing so...hence this post.

Very interesting information. I shall do some research here, and see what comes up! Everyone, really appreciate the input. The post is not meant for cause to divide and create tension, its just trying to find what works best for me with information/experiences that are different to what I know.

Hello all. I know this is a touchy topic, so I thought I would ask to gauge opinions, and find information from those that have done this... If you go to guest services onboard and remove gratuities (I know its frowned upon but hear me out...), do your dining staff/stateroom attendant get informed of this? I like to tip in cash, so I know the money goes directly to the people that go out of their way to help me out, so this ambiguous daily charge, is thought provoking as you don't know who gets it, and exactly at what percentage. $18pd/pp for a 1 week is $252 (2 person). Surely tipping for example $100 to stateroom, $50 each to dining server/attendant, $50 split to people who help you throughout the week is a better way of making sure the staff that support you are paid what they deserve? I just worry that by remove onboard gratuities at guest services on day 1/2, and these staff you see daily being informed about it in advance (or having a black mark on your account or something) before the usual last day tipping frenzy of the above, could lead to lacklustre service/attentiveness throughout the cruise. Let me know your thoughts, better ideas, and experiences.

Hi all, Just a quick question I was hoping that somebody could clarify for me… If I was to pre-book to guarantee a set time for Izumi sushi on the cruise planner (and pay the $39.99 each now)… Can I then just order à la carte, and get the difference refunded? We are 4 people, and I’d assume we’d only spend $80-100. We don’t want to pay $160 and get excess food we won’t eat. Any help/tips, greatly appreciated. Thanks.

70 Days until my B2B sailing from Shanghai, with stops in Japan and South Korea. There is no shore excursions available at all, is this normal? Any idea when these will pop up? Thanks All.