Prepaid Gratuities

[5waldos]

I thought I read someplace that anytime dining required pre-paid gratuities? If not anytime dining then it was something else that required pre-paid. But it didn't say anything about whether or not things could be changed.

[scchasgal]

I thought I read someplace that anytime dining required pre-paid gratuities? If not anytime dining then it was something else that required pre-paid. But it didn't say anything about whether or not things could be changed.

 

I don't know if anytime dining requires it but it would make sense unless someone wanted to tip their server each meal as it happened.

[I Luv Crusin]

Pre-paid gratuities is for people with alcohol issues or gambling issues or are unable to manage their money

 

Everyone else tips at the end of the cruise.

 

I prepay tips and this does not apply to me. :mad: I just like to be done with it, if I receive service that "exceed my expectations" I'll tip more.

[redrob1234]

YES, YOU CAN ADJUST OR TAKE OFF THE TRIPS IF YOU WANT....I was just on the Valor and they made it clear iof you wante't to adjust your tips that was fine. Of course they wanted you to adjust up. Anyway I gave our MDR waiter $20.00 the first night and told him if he was good there would be more. The last night I gave him anoter 50. I don't mind tipping but if you let it all go automatic it is split among the crew. I like givig it personally and it works. What service!

 

That is soooo tacky

[Plant]

We do what we think is the easiest. We don't prepay tips, but we do leave the auto-tips on. Unless the ship sinks :eek: we haven't found any reason to remove tips! (Even then... :))

 

Sometimes we tip extra to people who have gone above and beyond for us.

[Carol1560]

I dont mind paying these guys tips cause they really do work their butts off. I guess that I just don't like a Corporation like Carnival telling me how much, etc and putting it on my account. I hate Walmart too!! I am the type where I don't have anything automatically deducted from my checking account. I like the flexibility of choosing WHO and how much.

[Dr. Jack Daniels]

People will always make excuses why they should not tip for their families.

 

Sorry but poor service does not deserve a tip. You are not entitled to a tip. It must be earned.

[bplazo]

Sorry but poor service does not deserve a tip. You are not entitled to a tip. It must be earned.

 

How about when it is earned and someone just does not want to pay it. I know when I should tip and do not look for reasons not too.

[dan40]

As a seasoned Carnival cruiser, I have experienced that your tips are automatically charged to your sail and sign account. If you would like to adjust these tips, all you have to do is go to the purser's desk and they can do that. Recently I read an post of a cruiser who was on the Triumph. Their post said that you cannot remove or change your prepaid gratuities. Is this true??

 

 

The confusion is PRE-PAID gratuities and AUTO-TIPS.

 

PRE-PAID TIPS are paid with the final payment of the cruise fare. Thus "prepaid."

AUTO-TIPS are added to the on board S&S account and are charged at the end of the cruise. They are fully adjustable, to any amount + or-, up to the last minute.

 

I have never done prepaid tips but I understand in the past, because they were paid with the final payment, they did not show on the S&S account so were not adjustable by on board staff. Now I understand they do show somehow on the S&S as a debit/credit and are adjustable.

 

The simple answer is they are tips, not fees, and are therefore always voluntary. Some cruise lines charge service fees, not adjustable.

[dan40]

Our travel agent told us yesterday that Carnival will charge the gratuities and you can not take them off! She said that too many people were not going to dinner the last night so the wait staff were not getting the tips!

 

 

What your TA told you is correct, the final dinners were embarrassingly empty.

 

BUT THAT WAS OVER 20 YEARS AGO! Auto-tips have been around a long time now. On all the mass market lines. NCL calls them fees.

[petro772]

As a seasoned Carnival cruiser, I have experienced that your tips are automatically charged to your sail and sign account. If you would like to adjust these tips, all you have to do is go to the purser's desk and they can do that. Recently I read an post of a cruiser who was on the Triumph. Their post said that you cannot remove or change your prepaid gratuities. Is this true??

You cannot remove PREPAID gratuities. You CAN remove AUTO TIPS if you feel inclined. ;)

[Goofyisme]

See my post on the other thread concerning gratuities.

 

I responded to a previous poster on this thread that stated the only reason someone does not pre-pay gratuities is because they do not intend to pay any gratuities. I thought that was the dumbest thing I have ever read on this board.

 

Must not read your own posts

[rednose83]

Pre-paid gratuities is for people with alcohol issues or gambling issues or are unable to manage their money

 

Everyone else tips at the end of the cruise.

 

What about those of us that do not drink or gamble and live with no debt yet choose to pre-pay our tips?

[conchead]

YES, YOU CAN ADJUST OR TAKE OFF THE TRIPS IF YOU WANT....I was just on the Valor and they made it clear iof you wante't to adjust your tips that was fine. Of course they wanted you to adjust up. Anyway I gave our MDR waiter $20.00 the first night and told him if he was good there would be more. The last night I gave him anoter 50. I don't mind tipping but if you let it all go automatic it is split among the crew. I like givig it personally and it works. What service!

 

That sounds so cheesy:rolleyes:

[dan40]

Pre-paid gratuities is for people with alcohol issues or gambling issues or are unable to manage their money

 

Everyone else tips at the end of the cruise.

 

 

Sounds to m e like you are mixing up PREPAID GRATUITIES and AUTO TIPPING.

 

 

PREPAID are paid with the final payment of the cruise fare, 70 days prior to a 7 day cruise. People prepay tips to minimize their S&S account totals and to better budget the cruise cost in advance.

 

If the PREPAID option was not selected, then:

AUTOTIPS are added to the onboard S&S account on day one of the cruise and are adjustable up or down until the cruise ends. Only then are autotips actually paid and the crew receives them some days after the cruise. [when the passenger's check, credit card clears]

 

Both autotipping and prepaid tipping came into existence some years back as a convenience to pax and as a way to stop the wholesale stiffing when tips were only presented in cash at the last nights dinner. I doubt that drinking or excessive gambling were a major factor in the stiffing of the help. Personal cheapness accounted for the overwhelming majority.

That is bourne out by the cruiselines knowledge that the vast majority of those who remove autotips, "to tip in cash," DON"T!!