Prepaid Gratuities / Carnival

[bulldogbrian]

I prepaid gratuities for a cruise this fall on the Sensation. Does anyone know if this is includes all tips and gratuities? I can't remember exactly what it covered, and can't seem to find an answer on the Carnival web site

[paul929207]

It covers your cabin steward, the waitstaff and those that help them. It does not cover tips for beverages, 15% is added to all orders. It does not cover optional things like spa, casino, kids program, room service. It does not cover anything off the ship, such as porter, guides, restaurant staff, etc.

[FlaGrl4Evr]

We love the pre-paid gratituity option with Carnival. The only extra things that are not incl in the auto-tips are: porters, room service, off ship excursion tips for: guides, driver's, shuttles and taxi tips etc.

 

You can also give a little extra $ to your room steward, MDR staff and favorite bartender or waiter if you feel that they have gone above and beyond in the way of excellent service. This is of course at your discretion.

 

 

:)

Edited July 1, 2012 by Hoosiercouple

[bulldogbrian]

Thanks folks!

[jon bull]

We love the pre-paid gratituity option with Carnival. The only extra things that are not incl in the auto-tips are: porters, room service, off ship excursion tips for: guides, driver's, shuttles and taxi tips etc.

 

You can also give a little extra $ to your room steward, MDR staff and favorite bartender or waiter if you feel that they have gone above and beyond in the way of excellent service. This is of course at your discretion.

 

 

:)

all tips are at your discretion, and best paid in hand to who ever you wish to tip, when pre paying the staff do not recieve the full amount that you pay so give in person to whom you wish good luck to you k c r:)

[JYD Hawkeye]

So, Just for my clarification, you can instruct the cruise line not to charge any tips to your account and you can do it all in cash to the person that helps you ? Except for drink tips that is. This is my first cruise and I dont want to end up with a huge chunk coming off my card at the end of the cruise.

[july2012]

You can ask them to not charge the tips directly to your account. They may think you don't plan on paying any tips, so maybe tell you what to tip directly.

 

I prepaid my tips, and gave extra tips in person, to my room steward and his assistant, and my waiter.

[Stoogefan98]

I was wondering how much of a tip should be left for our room steward .... We cruise on the Carnival Paradise (our first cruise) in Feb. 2013 and I''ve seen quite a few posts stating that the room steward will keep your ice bucket full, etc. if you're kind enough to leave a tip at the start of the cruise. How much should be leave ?? I don't want to come across as cheap, but also don't want to make it seem as though we have mad-money ....

 

Anyone ?

[Keith1010]

There is no need to leave a tip at the beginning of the cruise. The steward will change ice and the like. I would tip towards the end of the cruise.

 

Keith

[calliopecruiser]

So, Just for my clarification, you can instruct the cruise line not to charge any tips to your account and you can do it all in cash to the person that helps you ? Except for drink tips that is. This is my first cruise and I dont want to end up with a huge chunk coming off my card at the end of the cruise.

 

Just be aware that the tips that you give to an individual will likely still be thrown in the pot to be split with the others (just like when you tip a waiter in a restaurant, they split the tips with the busboys etc).

[caulder60]

So, Just for my clarification, you can instruct the cruise line not to charge any tips to your account and you can do it all in cash to the person that helps you ? Except for drink tips that is. This is my first cruise and I dont want to end up with a huge chunk coming off my card at the end of the cruise.

 

 

I wouldn't recommend that. I heard and read a lot of reviews and yes you can choose not to tip up front but then the room steward and others will know. As it goes around the ship which rooms removed the tips. I don't agree with people who decide to not do the gratuity, these people work very hard for their money and deserve every penny. People just want to be cheap. Good luck!!!

[paul929207]

So, Just for my clarification, you can instruct the cruise line not to charge any tips to your account and you can do it all in cash to the person that helps you ? Except for drink tips that is. This is my first cruise and I dont want to end up with a huge chunk coming off my card at the end of the cruise.

Yes, you can remove the autotip and tip in cash. However, the recipient will have to put the cash into the pool, so you will accomplish nothing.

 

Also, for breakfast and lunch (and maybe dinner) you will have different waitstaff every day. Is it your plan to bring $8 or so per person to the meals so you can tip the staff in cash? Sounds like a hassle to me.

[JYD Hawkeye]

My reason for asking about this is when I eat somewhere where I dont utilize waitstaff, why should I still be tipping them ? Some days we will be ashore. Why should dining room waitstaff get a full share if I didn't see them that day? I do tip, aand well I might say. But why should I just freely give money away to someone I didn't see that day just because the cruise line says so ?

[paul929207]

My reason for asking about this is when I eat somewhere where I dont utilize waitstaff, why should I still be tipping them ? Some days we will be ashore. Why should dining room waitstaff get a full share if I didn't see them that day? I do tip, aand well I might say. But why should I just freely give money away to someone I didn't see that day just because the cruise line says so ?

So you will eat breakfast, lunch and dinner ashore?

[jon bull]

I wouldn't recommend that. I heard and read a lot of reviews and yes you can choose not to tip up front but then the room steward and others will know. As it goes around the ship which rooms removed the tips. I don't agree with people who decide to not do the gratuity, these people work very hard for their money and deserve every penny. People just want to be cheap. Good luck!!!

 

it is the cruise lines responsibility to ensure the staffs hard work is decently rewarded, if this is not the case it is they that are mean not the passengers!!!! we ALWAYS tip privately with cash if you dont you will find out that the staff only recieve 75% of the prepaid tips as the cruise lines keep back 25%, so pay whom you want what you want in private and in person.

[The Sunset Glow]

it is the cruise lines responsibility to ensure the staffs hard work is decently rewarded, if this is not the case it is they that are mean not the passengers!!!! we ALWAYS tip privately with cash if you dont you will find out that the staff only recieve 75% of the prepaid tips as the cruise lines keep back 25%, so pay whom you want what you want in private and in person.

 

The cruise line keeps 25% of the tips? I've never heard that before. If this is the case, where does that 25% go? I hope this is not true. They work hard for those tips:(

[FlaGrl4Evr]

A portion of that auto-tip goes to some of the behind-the-scene workers such as those in the buffet areas clearing tables and trays etc..... how would one possibly be able to tip everyone that has provided service to them?

 

Leave the dang auto-tip on and then tip over and above to those that you feel are deserving of it. Do people really waste their valuable cruise time chasing down every service worker who has provided them service?

 

Let the cruiseline deal with splitting up who gets what and why. It's only a measley few dollars a day anyway. Don't be a cheapskate.

 

 

.:)

[calliopecruiser]

if you dont you will find out that the staff only recieve 75% of the prepaid tips as the cruise lines keep back 25%, so pay whom you want what you want in private and in person.

 

I don't believe it, so I'd love to know your source. I do believe, however, that a portion of the tips are distributed to other crew members in support situations that you don't see....but that's not the same as saying they go to the cruise line. Even if you tip in private and in person, on most cruise lines the tips still get tossed in the pot to be shared amongst crew members.....if they're not, that crew member could (probably would) lose his/her job.

[chosbor2]

A portion of that auto-tip goes to some of the behind-the-scene workers such as those in the buffet areas clearing tables and trays etc..... how would one possibly be able to tip everyone that has provided service to them?

 

Leave the dang auto-tip on and then tip over and above to those that you feel are deserving of it. Do people really waste their valuable cruise time chasing down every service worker who has provided them service?

 

Let the cruiseline deal with splitting up who gets what and why. It's only a measley few dollars a day anyway. Don't be a cheapskate.

 

 

.:)

 

I agree with Hoosiercouple. Leave the auto tip on your account and tip individually to those who you see everyday and go above and beyond to meet your needs. If you are going to tip well anyway, why not take most of the hassle out of it and carry less cash.

[bunnyfoofoo82]

it is the cruise lines responsibility to ensure the staffs hard work is decently rewarded, if this is not the case it is they that are mean not the passengers!!!! we ALWAYS tip privately with cash if you dont you will find out that the staff only recieve 75% of the prepaid tips as the cruise lines keep back 25%, so pay whom you want what you want in private and in person.

 

I could be wrong but if the cruise line doesn't give 100% of the tips it's income tax withholding. Which the cash tips should be claimed (and I know they don't always) and withholdings calculated. The cruise lines have to justify all their wages and especially gratuities to internal auditors and DoL audits especially since they claim lower wages supplemented by gratuities.

[RWolver672]

I could be wrong but if the cruise line doesn't give 100% of the tips it's income tax withholding. Which the cash tips should be claimed (and I know they don't always) and withholdings calculated. The cruise lines have to justify all their wages and especially gratuities to internal auditors and DoL audits especially since they claim lower wages supplemented by gratuities.

 

And I could be wrong but the ships aren't registered in the US so I doubt if the workers would be paying income tax.

[calliopecruiser]

And I could be wrong but the ships aren't registered in the US so I doubt if the workers would be paying income tax.

 

If they're US citizens or resident aliens, it doesn't matter where the ship is registered......they have to file with the IRS and pay taxes on their income earned world-wide. If they pay foreign income tax on that money, they might be eligible for a refund.

[RaiderFaninNM]

Quick question, if the cruise is paid for can we still prepayGratuities?

[Retired_to_Cruise]

all tips are at your discretion, and best paid in hand to who ever you wish to tip, when pre paying the staff do not recieve the full amount that you pay so give in person to whom you wish good luck to you k c r:)

 

jon bull, your comment about the crew not receiving the full amount when you prepay gratuities is just like your last name. But, I will give you the chance to PROVE the bull you want us to believe.

[Retired_to_Cruise]

I wouldn't recommend that. I heard and read a lot of reviews and yes you can choose not to tip up front but then the room steward and others will know. As it goes around the ship which rooms removed the tips. I don't agree with people who decide to not do the gratuity, these people work very hard for their money and deserve every penny. People just want to be cheap. Good luck!!!

 

This post is also incorrect. Why is it that people always want to pretend that things happen one way, and they have no proof of what they are saying? Again, show us any REAL proof that you have for your statement. Real proof is not "I had a friend that this happened to, and he told me about this!"