It's been a few years since we've sailed Celebrity and I just booked a 2015 cruise. I was surprised to see the following on my confirmation, "Please be advised that you must prepay your gratuities. Please verify that your gratuities are on this invoice and paid when Final Payment is due". If that is the case, why mess around with this charade and just add it to the price of the cruise and say gratuities are included? I don't stiff anyone and on other lines, I've let them add the gratuities to my cabin bill and have given additional tips in cash on the last evening for those that went above and beyond. This reminds me of "resort fees" that some hotels slip in later or all those additional fees one sees on their phone bills.
I realize that they also do that with taxes, fees and port expenses but those can vary. Tipping is at a set rate/day and making it mandatory no longer makes it a tip in my mind.
Tipping?
in Celebrity Cruises
Posted
It's been a few years since we've sailed Celebrity and I just booked a 2015 cruise. I was surprised to see the following on my confirmation, "Please be advised that you must prepay your gratuities. Please verify that your gratuities are on this invoice and paid when Final Payment is due". If that is the case, why mess around with this charade and just add it to the price of the cruise and say gratuities are included? I don't stiff anyone and on other lines, I've let them add the gratuities to my cabin bill and have given additional tips in cash on the last evening for those that went above and beyond. This reminds me of "resort fees" that some hotels slip in later or all those additional fees one sees on their phone bills.
I realize that they also do that with taxes, fees and port expenses but those can vary. Tipping is at a set rate/day and making it mandatory no longer makes it a tip in my mind.
Franknca