Royal raising gratuities, Celebrity next?

RCI raising gratuities, I assume Celebrity will follow:

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Q: What is the adjusted automatic gratuity amount?

A: Effective on cruises departing on or after May 1, 2016, Royal Caribbean will automatically add a $13.50 USD gratuity for standard staterooms, $16.50 USD for Suite guests, to each guest's SeaPass® account on a daily basis. This gratuity replaces our previously recommended gratuity guidelines($12.95 USD standard statrooms, $15.95 USD for Suite guests), and will apply to all guests who did not prepay gratuities before April 14, 2016. The new daily gratuity amount is $0.55 USD more than the previously recommended daily gratuity amount.

Celebrity's gratuities from their website:

For your convenience, we automatically add gratuities for your restaurant and stateroom services to your onboard SeaPass® account on a daily basis in the following amounts, which may be adjusted at your discretion:

• • $12.95 per person, per day in standard staterooms
  
• • $13.45 per person, per day in Concierge Class and AquaClass® staterooms
  
• • $16.45 per person, per day in Suite Class
  

no big deal

RCI raising gratuities, I assume Celebrity will follow:

 

 

Q: What is the adjusted automatic gratuity amount?

 

A: Effective on cruises departing on or after May 1, 2016, Royal Caribbean will automatically add a $13.50 USD gratuity for standard staterooms, $16.50 USD for Suite guests, to each guest's SeaPass® account on a daily basis. This gratuity replaces our previously recommended gratuity guidelines($12.95 USD standard statrooms, $15.95 USD for Suite guests), and will apply to all guests who did not prepay gratuities before April 14, 2016. The new daily gratuity amount is $0.55 USD more than the previously recommended daily gratuity amount.

I also assume they will.

Weren't they just raised to $12.95 not that long ago?

I also assume they will.

 

Weren't they just raised to $12.95 not that long ago?

Last increase effective 7/1/15

I would assume so but it seems pretty soon to do so after an increase in July. I know it is typical in business to raise salaries annually but I have not seen that to be the case in the cruise industry. Having said all that, $.55/day/pp should not be material.

This would amount to about $7 on a 2 week cruise. That is the price of a bottle of beer.

no big deal

Agree.....Princess recently raised theirs too:D

Why make that Assumption? They are different companies with different management and different policies

Pretty soon it will be just like Vegas..."resort fees"...and currently in vegas $50 per day is not out of line.

I would assume so but it seems pretty soon to do so after an increase in July. I know it is typical in business to raise salaries annually but I have not seen that to be the case in the cruise industry. Having said all that, $.55/day/pp should not be material.

Not necessarily.

NCL raised their grats twice in less than 6 months.

It's business and, as another poster noted, it's the price of a bottle of beer.

OTH, it's a reflection of an industry wide pattern to squeeze consumers. For reasons that are not fully disclosed ...... not that it needs to be. The small increase fleet wide translates into a significant revenue increase for RCL. It's like when ATT makes a 2 cent increase in the cost of your monthly service. Sounds small but that translates into millions of dollars world wide.

So, while I agree, no big deal, it brings into question just what corporate is up to. Is the revenue derived from this going to go to improving customer service or is it going to simply increase the profit margin so RCL's stock price will rise?

It is a fee. Tips should be at your discretion. Sure you can change them or eliminate them if you are not happy with the service but they know that not many people do that.

Yes I know the poor starving third world employees are hard working people supporting their family back home but what does that have to do with me having to support bad service by some os these same employees.

Call it whatever you want but it is fare raise and is a fee. The cruise lines have found a new way to charge you and make ir seem that it is not their fault.

Pass the popcorn...

Why make that Assumption? They are different companies with different management and different policies

Every time RCL raised the gratuities, Celebrity did. I don't mind the increase, just mentioned it as a point of interest.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

It's business and, as another poster noted, it's the price of a bottle of beer.

 

OTH, it's a reflection of an industry wide pattern to squeeze consumers. For reasons that are not fully disclosed ...... not that it needs to be. The small increase fleet wide translates into a significant revenue increase for RCL. It's like when ATT makes a 2 cent increase in the cost of your monthly service. Sounds small but that translates into millions of dollars world wide.

 

So, while I agree, no big deal, it brings into question just what corporate is up to. Is the revenue derived from this going to go to improving customer service or is it going to simply increase the profit margin so RCL's stock price will rise?

Agree & add how many Americans are getting 2 raises in a year 's time in todays business environment ?

This type of policy on the part of RCCL just tells us to look at other vacation options in lieu of cruises for the future

Why stop there, don't the rest of the crew need raises too? They should either raise drink prices or the gratuity percentage so the bar staff can benefit. Can't leave out the specialty restaurants, shops, etc. With bookings up, the sky is the limit. It's only money.

My question is: if one pre-pays gratuities and there is an increase, does the cruise line pay the crew the difference to compensate for the new amount?

Why stop there, don't the rest of the crew need raises too? They should either raise drink prices or the gratuity percentage so the bar staff can benefit. Can't leave out the specialty restaurants, shops, etc. With bookings up, the sky is the limit. It's only money.

Yup but it's not their money they are spending :eek:. When any business keeps raising it's prices the market saturates a lot faster .

Seniors did not get a raise in the 2016 social security cost of living ,yet food & other items have increased in cost year over year

Predicting a slower economy later 2016 & future cruise prices declining . Then what will RCCL do then ?

Why stop there, don't the rest of the crew need raises too? They should either raise drink prices or the gratuity percentage so the bar staff can benefit. Can't leave out the specialty restaurants, shops, etc. With bookings up, the sky is the limit. It's only money.

With the change in the exchange rates the American dollar has soared vs almost every other world currency. Any crew member from captain to dishwasher has had an increase of over 30% this last year..... as long as they do not live in the USA.

Anyone not living in the US has had a fare increase of over 30% on most of the cruises compared to any US passenger....but as you said.. it's only money even though ours is worth less. ;)

Regarding Celebrity there´s maybe a little hint in this RCI FAQ ;) or it´s just RoyalIT...:rolleyes:

steamboats

Why make that Assumption? They are different companies with different management and different policies

While that is true Celebrity has made the same changes after Royal has done it. For example, recently Royal changed their cancellation policy and shortly thereafter Celebrity made the same change.

I would be surprised if Celebrity doesn't also increase the gratuity amount. I'm pretty sure they increased the amount shortly after Royal upped theirs the last time.

Regarding Celebrity there´s maybe a little hint in this RCI FAQ ;) or it´s just RoyalIT...:rolleyes:

 

steamboats

I assume IT hasn't gotten around to changing Celebrity's web page yet.

RCI raising gratuities, I assume Celebrity will follow:

 

 

< Back to Gratuities

 

Gratuities

 

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Q: What is the adjusted automatic gratuity amount?

 

A: Effective on cruises departing on or after May 1, 2016, Royal Caribbean will automatically add a $13.50 USD gratuity for standard staterooms, $16.50 USD for Suite guests, to each guest's SeaPass® account on a daily basis. This gratuity replaces our previously recommended gratuity guidelines($12.95 USD standard statrooms, $15.95 USD for Suite guests), and will apply to all guests who did not prepay gratuities before April 14, 2016. The new daily gratuity amount is $0.55 USD more than the previously recommended daily gratuity amount.

Although Royal Caribbean International is proceeding with a gratuity increase, there are no plans at this time for Celebrity to implement a gratuity increase.

It is a fee. Tips should be at your discretion. Sure you can change them or eliminate them if you are not happy with the service but they know that not many people do that.

Yes I know the poor starving third world employees are hard working people supporting their family back home but what does that have to do with me having to support bad service by some os these same employees.

 

Call it whatever you want but it is fare raise and is a fee. The cruise lines have found a new way to charge you and make ir seem that it is not their fault.

Gratuities are hardly new. I think Columbus started charging them on his second voyage.:)