15% service charge

[SkiptonCBR]

Someone in a thread stated that the 15% service fee is added to a drinks package. Can anyone confirm that this is the case, that is, you pay up front the $600+ for a drinks package then you get 15% added to your final account prior to dissembarkation - or is it included in the package price?

 

:confused:

[Barwick Cruiser]

The 15% service charge is added to the package cost at the time of purchase.

Cathy

[Wine-O]

Someone in a thread stated that the 15% service fee is added to a drinks package. Can anyone confirm that this is the case, that is, you pay up front the $600+ for a drinks package then you get 15% added to your final account prior to dissembarkation - or is it included in the package price?

 

:confused:

 

Yes, whatever the drink package costs, a 15% gratuity is added on. At the time of purchase, not upon disembarkation.

[Sloop-JohnB]

Someone in a thread stated that the 15% service fee is added to a drinks package. Can anyone confirm that this is the case, that is, you pay up front the $600+ for a drinks package then you get 15% added to your final account prior to dissembarkation - or is it included in the package price?

 

:confused:

 

Hi SkiptonCBR,

 

The 15% Tip / Service Fee is payable when you buy the package.

 

If you buy it on the ship it will work out to be $ 44 per day PLUS 15% for the Classic Alcohol Package.... OR $ 54 per day PLUS 15% for the Premium Alcohol Package ... it will show up on your Onboard Account and is payable when you leave the ship on the last day.

 

If you only order it on-line prior to your cruising, it works the same way, TIP is a one-time charge when you buy the package... it is payable in ADVANCE by credit card.

 

IF you happen to want to tip an attentive Bar Tender or Server a couple of bucks MORE when you are onboard that is at your own discretion (and also welcome by Celebrity Staff)

 

Hope this is helpful,

 

Cheers!

[cruisestitch]

There is, however, some variation in how the gratuities are taken care of on sailings that originate in Southampton. For those sailings, drinks are priced INCLUSIVE of gratuity -- the price is adjusted upward accordingly. On all other sailings, the prices are quoted exclusive of the 15%, which is added at time of purchase. The total comes out the same but the price does look different on different sailings.

 

Also, note that there is sometimes a glitch in the ordering system on line. It appears that they are adding the 15% twice, but on final checkout, it is only in once. This glitch may have been fixed, but do watch out for it as many passengers have reported seeing it when they tried to order on-line-

[dkjretired]

Also, be careful if you buy it on the ship. Some ports require that they add a sales tax or a Vat tax if actually purchased in the port prior to sailing They will be hawking the drink packages even prior to boarding....

[SkiptonCBR]

I also sent an email to Celebrity and according to their reply, it seems for Australia they include the 15% in the purchase price of the package - no wonder I'm confused!

 

This probably has something to do with tipping not being part of the Australian culture.

 

Thanks for your responses - I suppose I'll only really know when I get my final bill on dissembarkation.

[dkjretired]

I also sent an email to Celebrity and according to their reply, it seems for Australia they include the 15% in the purchase price of the package - no wonder I'm confused!

 

This probably has something to do with tipping not being part of the Australian culture.

 

Thanks for your responses - I suppose I'll only really know when I get my final bill on dissembarkation.

 

It's the tip, it is done on all cruises by almost all cruise lines. If you don't buy a package, when you purchase a drink, the tip will automatically be added to the bill each time.

[cruisestitch]

If you buy the package ahead of time, whether the tip is added on top of the purchase price, or folded into the price, the tip will be paid at the time you purchase the package. It never would happen that you buy the package on-line and then see the tip added to your on-board account when you cruise.

 

If you buy the drinks one at a time, you'll get complete instructions and explanations on board -- for those sailings where the tip is automatically added, the chit you sign shows two lines before the total, one for the drink, one for the tip. When the price of the drink includes the tip, as for the Southampton sailings, there is just the total price on the chit. In either case, you can add additional gratuity if you wish.

[dzcruisers]

If you buy the package ahead of time, whether the tip is added on top of the purchase price, or folded into the price, the tip will be paid at the time you purchase the package. It never would happen that you buy the package on-line and then see the tip added to your on-board account when you cruise.

 

If you buy the drinks one at a time, you'll get complete instructions and explanations on board -- for those sailings where the tip is automatically added, the chit you sign shows two lines before the total, one for the drink, one for the tip. When the price of the drink includes the tip, as for the Southampton sailings, there is just the total price on the chit. In either case, you can add additional gratuity if you wish.

 

Sounds like they are now including the tip in the price in Australia also.

[cruisestitch]

Let's go back to the original question

 

 

Someone in a thread stated that the 15% service fee is added to a drinks package. Can anyone confirm that this is the case, that is, you pay up front the $600+ for a drinks package then you get 15% added to your final account prior to dissembarkation - or is it included in the package price?

 

:confused:

 

You would never pay the price of the package up front, whether on line or in person on board the ship, and then find the gratuity added to your final bill in a separate way.

[helpthejuggler]

But not really a tip....a service charge. It might be helpful to retain a distinction. The thread title is correct.

[dkjretired]

Sounds like they are now including the tip in the price in Australia also.

 

Agree, they were doing that on the Eclipse sailings out of England this year due to all the complaints last year by the British when the Eclipse commenced sailing there...Maybe they are trying to avoid problems and complaints in Austrialia...

[Wine-O]

But not really a tip....a service charge. It might be helpful to retain a distinction. The thread title is correct.

 

Call it what you want -- tip, service charge, gratuity -- It's all the same -- a tip for all the servers.

 

Because of the symantics involved sailing out of Southampton, Eclipse had to include the tip in the price of all the beverages, etc., so some wouldn't complain.