Prepaid gratuities

[KYCruiser111]

When I purchased my cruise package through my travel agent, I chose to prepay my gratuities (tips). Has anyone ever done this on their cruise? What all does it include or not include?

[Essiesmom]

Yes, and it just means that you don't have to be concerned about it any more. Your stewards will know you prepaid. It will not show up on your onboard account, because it is all done with. EM

[firefly333]

It covers your waiter, asst waiter, $1 toward the buffet workers, and your cabin steward.

 

Anyone not covered, like room service you will still want to tip a couple of bucks.

[Max272]

I always prepay. I hate having a charge when I get onboard

[*Mach*]

It means you have prepaid the $10/day/pp gratuity that Carnival sets as the default. The tip isn't mandatory but it is customary.

It does not include, as was mentioned, tips for the room service folks who bring your food, the porters who take your checked bags at the port or the Maitre d'.

For the room services folks a buck per item ordered is good... the porters are normally tipped a buck or two per checked bag and you'll be proved an envelope for the Maitre d' in your cabin the last day of the cruise.

:)

[LambKnuckles]

Many folks do prepay tips and many choose to pay tips on their S&S and have it billed as they debark... Either way works...

Either way it's the same $10 per day, per person in the cabin.

[cruie4ever]

We rarely sail on Carnival except from out home port of SD because it is convenient & the Spirit is a good ship .Carnival 's $10 tip per pax perday is actually low today . holland America is $11 & Celebrity is either $11 or $12 depending on cabin class .

[Hogladyrider]

We prepay and ALSO bring cash with us for room service and an extra tip for our room steward, and often our wait staff, it's worth it to us for the service that is provided.

 

Prepaying just means a smaller S&S account and it is out of the way precruise.

[kf657]

Since our cruise is already paid for, does anyone know if I can call carnival and pre pay the gratuities....or is it too late?

I did not know you could prepay, my cruise was done thru an auto club and I was told about the option to pre pay...

[Tapi]

When I purchased my cruise package through my travel agent, I chose to prepay my gratuities (tips). Has anyone ever done this on their cruise? What all does it include or not include?

 

I always pre-pay my gratuities. One less expense to worry about when I get onboard...! :D

[lillulu]

Since our cruise is already paid for, does anyone know if I can call carnival and pre pay the gratuities....or is it too late?

 

 

I did not know you could prepay, my cruise was done thru an auto club and I was told about the option to pre pay...

 

Call Carnival and tell them what you want to do. Just give your booking number and credit card you want them on.

[gjsmth]

If you pre pay gatuities would it make any difference in the service you receive from room stewards vs payment upfront? I might tend to think it's better to have it done at the end after service is rendered.

[reesegirl]

Most people pre-pay gratuities now so your servers and room steward know they are going to get tipped and not stiffed. If you pre-pay and then get onboard and first day you remove the tip you may very well see a difference in service!!! Believe me these people know who remove the tips!!!

 

When we first started cruising many long years ago there was no pre-paying of tips. On the next to last night of the cruise you got a bunch of envelopes in your state-room with a guideline of what was an appropriate tip. The saddest thing was how empty the dining room was on the last night on-board and the servers knew that they had worked all week long for next to nothing.

 

I personally like the pre-paid tip idea but then I have been in the food service business for 35 years and sometimes I wish people would pre-tip me so I would know what kind of service they are expecting. A $2.00 tip on a $50.00 meal does not even cover the taxes that I have to pay for the meal I just served to you.:mad:

 

Hope this helps.

[paper1122]

I also prefer to pre-pay, otherwise it inflates your S&S account at the end. Though I am nearly done with reading Cruise Confidential (read it from the time I got home last night to the time I went to bed) I will definately be upping my tips on this one.

[vabeachlady]

I always pre-pay.... Don't want to have to stand in line at the pursers desk to add it in or worry about keeping cash for the envelopes for the last night.

 

I also tend to give the room steward a little extra, especially if I ask for anything special, i.e. extra ice or glasses, chair for the balcony and the like. The waiters in the MDR work their behinds off, and I usually also give them a little more on the last night. Quite often they help make my cruise memorable!

 

Eileen

[noblepa]

Most people pre-pay gratuities now so your servers and room steward know they are going to get tipped and not stiffed. If you pre-pay and then get onboard and first day you remove the tip you may very well see a difference in service!!! Believe me these people know who remove the tips!!!

 

When we first started cruising many long years ago there was no pre-paying of tips. On the next to last night of the cruise you got a bunch of envelopes in your state-room with a guideline of what was an appropriate tip. The saddest thing was how empty the dining room was on the last night on-board and the servers knew that they had worked all week long for next to nothing.

 

I personally like the pre-paid tip idea but then I have been in the food service business for 35 years and sometimes I wish people would pre-tip me so I would know what kind of service they are expecting. A $2.00 tip on a $50.00 meal does not even cover the taxes that I have to pay for the meal I just served to you.:mad:

 

Hope this helps.

 

That's not prepaying the tips. That's auto-tipping, which is added to your S & S account. At the end of the cruise, the whole account is billed to your credit card, or a cash payment.

 

The OP is talking about paying the tips long before sailing, as part of the final payment to CCL, as if it were part of the fare. I don't think that "most people" prepay tips. I would agree that most cruisers now let the auto-tip system take care of things, rather than messing around with envelopes and wads of cash on the last night of the cruise.

 

I've only prepaid once. At that time, we were told that prepaid tips could not be adjusted onboard. IOW, if we didn't like the service, we could not reduce or remove the tips. IIRC, they didn't even show up on our S & S account, but our waiter did know that we had prepaid. I don't know if this is still true or not.

[firefly333]

Call Carnival and tell them what you want to do. Just give your booking number and credit card you want them on.

 

I think since the poster booked thru a TA they have to go thru the TA even for this, since its part of the booking process.

[firefly333]

That's not prepaying the tips. That's auto-tipping, which is added to your S & S account. At the end of the cruise, the whole account is billed to your credit card, or a cash payment..

 

Actually it says on the Carnival site you can also adjust prepaid tips .. dont know why someone would, but it says you can. So, it could be prepaid tips, but why prepay then immediately take them off?? You are right, it doesnt sound like he was talking about prepaid to me either as it wouldnt make sense.

[vbecky]

I also like to prepay tips, I agree one less item being chardged on S&S card.

[Chopola]

I used the pre-pay last year and am using it again this year. I find it much easier than worrying about it later, so by the time I get on the cruise it's done and paid for.

 

I had my TA add it onto my final payment for me.

[PJK]

How do I pre-pay? I was not given the option when I booked.

[All4fun&fun4all]

I am going to pre-pay my tips this time but being ultra-paranoid I am terrified I will get up to the counter and they will have no record that I have pre-paid them. For all of you who do this regularly, what sort of proof are you given from your PVP to show that this has already been handled?? :o

[noblepa]

How do I pre-pay? I was not given the option when I booked.

 

Just call Carnival or your TA and tell them you want to prepay the tips. They will add the amount to your invoice.

 

Print out the invoice and take it with you when you sail, just in case there is a mixup on the ship and it doesn't show up on your S & S card.

 

Paul

[ck53]

We have prepaid out tips on our last 5 cruises. On some cruise lines (RCL) if you have "Any time Dining" it is required. We just booked another Carnival cruise this week and signed up for the "My Time Dining' and Carnival does not require it this for this dinner arrangement. I did ask to prepay the tips, which was $10 a day pp so it was $80 x 2. so it was tacked on to my cruise balance along w/ the insurance we purchased.

 

To me, it is just one less thing we have to pay for once we get back home.

 

Besides my DH thinks the bill is lower than normal that I ususally get 2 spa visits!;)

[Glamourgal]

All4Fun, I always take along a copy of my credit card bill. I have never had to use it but I take all bills that have anything pre-paid along with me. Bar credits, pre-paid tips, shore excursions etc. If there is any question I have proof that it was paid for.