TIpping

[needabreakcanada]

Hubby and I are having dicussion on tipping and pre-paying gratuities as opposed to leaving the envelopes.

 

If we choose to tip at the end how do they know we intend to tip?

 

Especially now that posts are coming out that they have lists on who has not prepaid gratuities?

 

Your opinion please - thanks

[Antloe]

dam double post

[mondello]

Thats what I love about the Auto-tip, its taken care of and one less thing I need to attend to. You can always adjust tips if your service is sub-par and you can always tip extra when you enjoyed good service. Why worry?

[Antloe]

Just prepay and enjoy your trip

 

I got a bucket of popcorn with extra butter

[needabreakcanada]

If you have already pre-paid how and when can you adjust them?

 

Thanks

[Cushing985]

Why on earth would you hassle with envelopes and not being sure if they went to those you wanted? Just do the pre-pay and tip extra, if you choose, to those who went beyond your expectations (your stewards, MDR serving staff, etc). What could be easier?

 

There will be those who think the $11.50 is too much and pull their tips and then insist they pay as they're served and they will be arriving at this thread shortly.

[firefly333]

If you have already pre-paid how and when can you adjust them?

 

Thanks

 

Why would you prepay if you intend to lower the tips.. otherwise, leave it alone and if you want to tip extra, just tip the extra you want to tip.

 

You have not even been on the cruise yet and you are thinking about lowering tips..?? service is probably going to be excellent, why worry about bad service until you experience it.

[Cushing985]

If you have already pre-paid how and when can you adjust them?

 

Thanks

 

If your service is so lousy you think the pre-pay tips need to be adjusted then you should go to the Customer Service desk (the purser) and adjust accordingly.

[kayhold]

If you have already pre-paid how and when can you adjust them?

 

Thanks

 

Just go to guest services and ask them to add or subtract.

 

Much easier than hunting people down. I would feel weird doing that, like I was searching for some kind of approval or something. I would rather just leave them on the other way.

[firefly333]

Hubby and I are having dicussion on tipping and pre-paying gratuities as opposed to leaving the envelopes.

 

If we choose to tip at the end how do they know we intend to tip?

 

Especially now that posts are coming out that they have lists on who has not prepaid gratuities?

 

Your opinion please - thanks

 

The lists are people who are removing auto tips .. not necessarily those who prepaid ... auto tips are charged automatically once you are on the cruise.. some cheapskates remove them.

 

The waiters and cabin stewards know who has removed tips .. nothing to do with prepaying them...

[careycouponer]

I always wait until we get our bill and then write in the changes, trot down to the desk, and get them done.

 

We tend to shift our tips, not lower them. Our last cruise, we ate in the dining room twice. So we moved some money from dining services to buffet services. We also added more for the room steward since the poor guy had to work around the dive gear that was drying in our cabin. :)

[Antloe]

I always wait until we get our bill and then write in the changes, trot down to the desk, and get them done.

 

We tend to shift our tips, not lower them. Our last cruise, we ate in the dining room twice. So we moved some money from dining services to buffet services. We also added more for the room steward since the poor guy had to work around the dive gear that was drying in our cabin. :)

 

wow I never knew you can actually shuffle the money around. I wont do it either way but who knew.

[firefly333]

I always wait until we get our bill and then write in the changes, trot down to the desk, and get them done.

 

We tend to shift our tips, not lower them. Our last cruise, we ate in the dining room twice. So we moved some money from dining services to buffet services. We also added more for the room steward since the poor guy had to work around the dive gear that was drying in our cabin. :)

 

The same waiters work both. Waiters I hear get the early breakfast and asst waiters more apt to get the next shift .. but all waiters and asst waiters work elsewhere, not just in the MDR.

[Swampbabe]

They should just the call the gratuities for the wait staff "food services" then the cheapskates can't say "I didn't eat in the MDR so I'll just tip in the buffet as I go" Covers all food venues, case closed.

[mamaskittles]

The lists are people who are removing auto tips .. not necessarily those who prepaid ... auto tips are charged automatically once you are on the cruise.. some cheapskates remove them.

 

The waiters and cabin stewards know who has removed tips .. nothing to do with prepaying them...

I take off the tips immediately ( or as soon as possible ).

I do not believe in tipping in advance of service. I do assume the service will be wonderful. I just do not tip in advance. I tip at the end, in cash in some cases or I re-instate a portion of the tips through the pursers desk. I do not tip the "behind the scenes" persons like the show folk or the mechanics, or the excursion desk people.:eek:

I am so far from cheap It is in another dimension. :p

I don't care if the waiters and the cabin stewards know I took off the tips.

Since I do it right away it is very obvious that it in no way reflects them or their dediation. The pursers people know that also.

I have every right to spend my money when and where I see fit. :D

[golfadj]

We leave the autotip on and if necessary make adjustments but generally do not have to.

[needabreakcanada]

"auto tips are charged automatically once you are on the cruise"

 

I thought you either say yes/no on your booking to auto tips?

 

?????

 

And to firefly33 - please do not automatically assume we wish to lower our tips, that was not the question I asked- thank you

[cb at sea]

If you use the cash envelope method, you HAND it to the person you're intending to tip...that's how they know who gets it...you GIVE it to them!

 

If you don't wish to physically give the envelope, you leave the auto-tip on...and the cruiseline takes care of it.

[firefly333]

"auto tips are charged automatically once you are on the cruise"

 

I thought you either say yes/no on your booking to auto tips?

 

?????

 

And to firefly33 - please do not automatically assume we wish to lower our tips, that was not the question I asked- thank you

 

prepaid tips, means you paid them BEFORE your cruise.. i.e. you prepaid them

 

auto tips, go on if you did not prepay. You do not give permission .. they will be charged automatically to your S&S if you did not prepay.

 

Sorry I am of the belief that those who remove tips are trying to find a way to tip less .. or else they would leave them alone or add to them.

[firefly333]

They should just the call the gratuities for the wait staff "food services" then the cheapskates can't say "I didn't eat in the MDR so I'll just tip in the buffet as I go" Covers all food venues, case closed.

 

NCL calls them a "service charge" which is what it is. A charge for the services you receive.

 

Like!!! I like your post and agree.

[mamaskittles]

prepaid tips, means you paid them BEFORE your cruise.. i.e. you prepaid them

 

auto tips, go on if you did not prepay. You do not give permission .. they will be charged automatically to your S&S if you did not prepay.

 

Sorry I am of the belief that those who remove tips are trying to find a way to tip less .. or else they would leave them alone or add to them.

Wow, do you also know tomorrows winning lottery numbers. I mean since you seem to know things you in no way could possibly know, I wonder if you have knowledge that could be beneficial to everyone. :D

As a cruiser who has been asea since before the change to auto-tips/ prepaid tips I like waiting till end to tip those I believe earned an amount I feel is appropriate based upon the service I received.

I still believe a tip is earned. :)

You can't earn a tip until you have actually done some work. :eek:

[firefly333]

Wow, do you also know tomorrows winning lottery numbers. I mean since you seem to know things you in no way could possibly know, I wonder if you have knowledge that could be beneficial to everyone. :D

As a cruiser who has been asea since before the change to auto-tips/ prepaid tips I like waiting till end to tip those I believe earned an amount I feel is appropriate based upon the service I received.

I still believe a tip is earned. :)

You can't earn a tip until you have actually done some work. :eek:

 

I get it. You always remove the auto tips.

 

Just like you have your opinions, I have mine ..its a opinion.

 

You can do what you want and I will FEEL about it how I want. truce?? You will never convert me to your idea that unless service is bad, its ok to remove the auto tips. .. but in the end .. its just a OPINION.

[needabreakcanada]

Sorry not trying to start any squabbles.

 

I am still a little confused about the tip thing.

 

So I understand the pre-pay option - what I don't get is why they would automatically, without permission, put the (is it the same amount) service tips on your card?

 

So basically what you are saying is that if we choose to do the envelope we have to not only say no on our booking to Pre-pay gratuities - but we also have to go to customer service on the ship and tell them to take the automatic one off too?

 

Boy if I didn't ask this I would be handing envelopes to people plus getting charged to my card at the same time...?

 

Thanks

[mamaskittles]

Sorry not trying to start any squabbles.

 

I am still a little confused about the tip thing.

 

So I understand the pre-pay option - what I don't get is why they would automatically, without permission, put the (is it the same amount) service tips on your card?

They started this auto-gratuities a few years ago. Some say it's because people did not give out the envelopes so the cruiselines figured out a way to make you tip the staff.

 

So basically what you are saying is that if we choose to do the envelope we have to not only say no on our booking to Pre-pay gratuities - but we also have to go to customer service on the ship and tell them to take the automatic one off too?

Yes. They apply them by the 2nd day. On Carnival you can check your balances on the interactive TV in the cabin and you will see the tips.

 

Boy if I didn't ask this I would be handing envelopes to people plus getting charged to my card at the same time...?

Absolutely.

 

Thanks

They do spell it all out in their faqs but it is always good to double check.:D

[firefly333]

Sorry not trying to start any squabbles.

 

I am still a little confused about the tip thing.

 

So I understand the pre-pay option - what I don't get is why they would automatically, without permission, put the (is it the same amount) service tips on your card?

 

So basically what you are saying is that if we choose to do the envelope we have to not only say no on our booking to Pre-pay gratuities - but we also have to go to customer service on the ship and tell them to take the automatic one off too? Ive heard they usually ask you why you are removing the tips. Do you really want to have this conversation possibly?

 

Boy if I didn't ask this I would be handing envelopes to people plus getting charged to my card at the same time...?

 

Thanks

 

The envelopes usually are for if you want to tip extra.

 

Here is my take on this. I grew up painfully shy in person. I would be so embarrssed to go to the purser's desk to remove tips. I really would die of embarrassement. I would be thinking, I know they are thinking Im cheap (even if you arent, I care what people think about me, so Im wrong, but this is how I feel).

 

Then you will be on a list that those waiting on you (your waiter, asst waiter, cabin steward) see of those who removed tips. I would die a 2nd death of embarrassement over being on this list. This is just me. Someone on here posted their cabin steward asked them why they had removed tips. How embarrassing?

 

I just get OBC, buy the stock, buy a FCC that covers most of tips and then count it as part of the cost of the cruise .. but this is why I personally would not do it. I care what people think too much, but thats how I am.

 

Its just something I refuse to put myself thru. I dont like putting myself in embarrassing positions if it can be avoided by going along with Carnivals "suggestions"