Gratuities refunded?

[livingitup]

Is this true, if you dont eat in the dining room you can request a refund of your gratuities? I have never heard of such but a friend told me today that his family always gets their gratuities refuned because they dont use the dining room. FACT or FICTION?

[cruzzza]

You can get them refunded, but not eating in the dining room is a lousy reason to have them refunded. First of all, automatic gratuities cover more people than the dining room waiter. Does he request that only the wait staff gratuities get removed while the others are left intact? Also, many of the dining room waiters also work the buffet during the day, so it's not like he's not utilizing their services. OK, so maybe I could somewhat understand a small deduction if he didn't eat at all in the dining room, but it's rude and cheap to completely take them off IMHO.

[hftmrock]

sorta both...

 

you can get a refund of your gratuities if you go and complain and ask them to remove them. they will question you on it but eventually they will remove it if you want it....

 

BUT!!!!

 

there are SO many people that the gratuity goes to that unless you didnt sleep in your cabin and never ate at all (including buffets) you are cheating people that deserve tips.

 

It is VERY WRONG (IMO) to remove tips because you didnt eat in the MDR. It makes no sense and its wrong

[bzpilot]

Yes, you can get them refunded. You can also not pay them in the first place. I don't recommend either, but it is possible.

 

Also the Dining Room staff are only a small percentage of people whom your gratuities are spread amongst.

 

 

 

Tipping / Automatic Gratuities

 

• Tipping is NOT included in the base cruise fare or in the normal fees applied prior to cruising.
  
• Carnival recommends you use their automatic gratuity service. This service automatically applies daily tips, currently $11.50/day for everyone 2 years of age and older, to your Sail & Sign Account. The total tipping charge usually appears on your account the second cruise day.
  
• The $11.50/day tips are split this way:
  
  • $5.80/day to Dining Room Services (Head Waiter, Waiter, Assistant Waiter)
    
  • $3.70/day to Cabin Services (Room Steward, Assistant Steward)
    
  • $2.00/day for Alternative Services (Kitchen, Entertainment, Guest Services & Hotel Staff)
    

   

  [*]You can choose to remove the automatic gratuities, adjust them down or adjust how they are distributed. You can do this by personally visiting the Guest Services Desk.

  [*]You can also choose to tip over-and-above the automatic gratuities. You can do this by either going to Guest Services and adjusting your automatic gratuities up or you can tip individuals in person throughout the cruise.

  [*]If you do remove automatic gratuities the staff will know. Staff members have been known to be questioned by their superiors as to why you would be removing the tips.

  [*]Also remember if you do remove automatic gratuities with plans on doing all your tipping in person you will most likely be leaving out many people who would normally be getting part of your automatic gratuities. You will not have personal interaction with many of the staff who salaries have been adjusted down to reflect your expected automatic gratuities.

  [*]If you like to keep your Sail & Sign Account to a minimum you can call Carnival (or your Travel Agent if you booked through one) and prepay your automatic gratuities before cruising. It will show as a credit to your account until the automatic gratuities charge hits your Sail & Sign Account once onboard.

  [*]Bartenders automatically receive an added 15% gratuity when paying for your drinks with your Sail & Sign Card.

  [*]A tip is expected for Room Service.

  [*]Many cruisers will also tip these people: Bartenders (in addition to the 15% automatic gratuity), Waiters (in addition to automatic gratuities), Room Steward (in addition to automatic gratuities), Porters (for carrying your bags), Spa Service, Salon Service, Camp Counselors, and Shore Tour Guides.

  [*]How you tip is a personal choice you need to make. These are just the facts to help you make an informed decision.

[Gailerina]

Wow talk about cheap.

 

Let's be honest...the amount you pay for tips is a CHEAP when you figure all who it covers.

[Sargent_Schultz]

Is this true, if you dont eat in the dining room you can request a refund of your gratuities? I have never heard of such but a friend told me today that his family always gets their gratuities refuned because they dont use the dining room. FACT or FICTION?

 

They are eating somewhere, so should increase the tips in those areas.

[rlkubi]

I agree with the others. Just because you don't eat in the Main DR you do eat on the ship and people are cleaning up after you. Also your room steward, etc. Please do not remove them. You will be treated great and the workers deserve this money.

[smc0320]

I guess you could do that....but why would you? I think you're talking about $5.00 per day per person....is it really that important to you? because it's probably way more important to the person receiving it...

 

that just sounds really petty and cheap...sorry...

[amcjeep4life]

OK, what about this? Can I re-allocate the $5.80 a day that goes to the head waiter/ ass't waiter and put it ALL towards the alternative dining people? I'm going with my 8 y/o nephew, and I know better than to think he will sit patiently thru a normal dinner in the MDR. If we are going to eat at the buffets or grill for our meals, can we move the tips around to just go there? I hate thinking almost half the tips will be going to people who won't see us, when the alternate people don't get as much, but they'll be the ones we are relying on.

[bzpilot]

OK, what about this? Can I re-allocate the $5.80 a day that goes to the head waiter/ ass't waiter and put it ALL towards the alternative dining people? I'm going with my 8 y/o nephew, and I know better than to think he will sit patiently thru a normal dinner in the MDR. If we are going to eat at the buffets or grill for our meals, can we move the tips around to just go there? I hate thinking almost half the tips will be going to people who won't see us, when the alternate people don't get as much, but they'll be the ones we are relying on.

 

 

• You can choose to remove the automatic gratuities, adjust them down or adjust how they are distributed. You can do this by personally visiting the Guest Services Desk.
  

[donaldsc]

Is this true, if you dont eat in the dining room you can request a refund of your gratuities? I have never heard of such but a friend told me today that his family always gets their gratuities refuned because they dont use the dining room. FACT or FICTION?

 

Our you planning to bring sandwiches and eat all of your meals in your room?

 

Are you planning to bring large garbage bags and carry your sandwich remains and all the rest of your garbage off the ship at the end of the cruise?

 

Are you planning to clean your own bathroom and bring your own towels so that the ship does not have to wash them?

 

Are you planning to vacuum your own room?

 

Are you planning to bring your own sheets, pillows, pillow cases?

 

Do you plan to bring paper cups so that your dirty cups do not have to be washed?

 

Unless you can answer yes to all of these question, just pay the tip and stop trying to be a cheap piker who is trying to sc**** the crew. Better yet, do not cruise.

 

DON

[hihello]

Really? What does it matter where the tips are going to? Do you really have time on your vacation to go to guest services and sort all of this out? I didn't eat in the MDR every night- but it certainly didn't come over me to go and 'fix' my tip money.

If you can afford a cruise- I'm sure you can afford the $11.50 a day. These people work so hard and they deserve it.

 

Some people...SHM.:confused:

[hihello]

Our you planning to bring sandwiches and eat all of your meals in your room?

 

Are you planning to bring large garbage bags and carry your sandwich remains and all the rest of your garbage off the ship at the end of the cruise?

 

Are you planning to clean your own bathroom and bring your own towels so that the ship does not have to wash them?

 

Are you planning to vacuum your own room?

 

Are you planning to bring your own sheets, pillows, pillow cases?

 

Do you plan to bring paper cups so that your dirty cups do not have to be washed?

 

Unless you can answer yes to all of these question, just pay the tip and stop trying to be a cheap piker who is trying to sc**** the crew. Better yet, do not cruise.

 

DON

 

 

Amen!! lol.:D

[Gailerina]

Why are the buffet staff not tipped in the first place? They have to deal with whining people all the time.

 

My friend was a waitress in college and still does it at times....I have a speech concerning tipping...but we will stick with the best thought...don't be cheap.

[Another ship trip]

I can't imagine not tipping the dining room staff. If I eat in the buffet, which I do for breakfasts and lunches, I am still eating and people have to serve me, make my omelettes, change the food trays, clean the tables, etc. Unless you don't eat anywhere on the ship, you should definitely keep the tips on for the servers.

[k2excursion]

People, please! There is no reason to tear someone to shreds for a legitimate question. That does nobody any good, them nor you. And it doesn't answer their question.

 

My response is to recommend re-directing the dining room staff tips towards the people who are serving you, like what was mentioned in a post earlier. I'm guessing these buffet servers would be in the "alternative services", which get only $2/day. If they are the ones serving you instead of dining room staff, it makes sense that they should get those tips. That's only fair. It would be ridiculous for me to tip a waiter in Applebees if I'm eating at Chilis. For me personally, on the ship, I would probably just add to the alternative dining tips and not reduce the dining room tips, but that's me.

[livingitup]

First, everyone please note that I stated a friend said this to me. Next I followed with I have never heard of such. I thank you all for your responses. I cant imagine how his family does this and I dont understand the reasoning behind it. To me it is worst to prepay the gratuities and then go and ask all of it back because you skipped the MDR....REALLY!!!:eek:

[Payd]

Is this true, if you dont eat in the dining room you can request a refund of your gratuities? I have never heard of such but a friend told me today that his family always gets their gratuities refuned because they dont use the dining room. FACT or FICTION?

 

We have adjusted tips - only once.

 

We had terrible service in the MDR...really bad. After a complaint, the Maitre D or his assistant stopped by each night to see if there was improvement. Improvement was marginal.

 

I chose to reduce the MDR head waiter and put that amount as extra towards our room steward.

 

Have only done it once as a result of service level.

 

Keep in mind though - that MDR staff and lido daytime staff are the same people. It shouldn't be viewed as a way to avoid tipping.

[Mulege]

We have adjusted tips - only once.

 

We had terrible service in the MDR...really bad. After a complaint, the Maitre D or his assistant stopped by each night to see if there was improvement. Improvement was marginal.

 

I chose to reduce the MDR head waiter and put that amount as extra towards our room steward.

 

Have only done it once as a result of service level.

 

Keep in mind though - that MDR staff and lido daytime staff are the same people. It shouldn't be viewed as a way to avoid tipping.

 

Just wondering how do you know the room steward actually sees the money in his or her hand?

[Gig103]

Don't listen to the haters, OP. If you aren't eating in the MDR, then adjust it to how you feel is fair. But before you decide what is fair, remember that the same staff you are tipping for dinner also work breakfast and lunch rotations in the buffet and/or the dining room. So moving your $5/pp/pd to the alternate services isn't a perfect solution.

 

Your friends, however, are cheapskates if they are having all the gratuities refunded to them.

[twindaddy]

Our you planning to bring sandwiches and eat all of your meals in your room?

 

Are you planning to bring large garbage bags and carry your sandwich remains and all the rest of your garbage off the ship at the end of the cruise?

 

Are you planning to clean your own bathroom and bring your own towels so that the ship does not have to wash them?

 

Are you planning to vacuum your own room?

 

Are you planning to bring your own sheets, pillows, pillow cases?

 

Do you plan to bring paper cups so that your dirty cups do not have to be washed?

 

Unless you can answer yes to all of these question, just pay the tip and stop trying to be a cheap piker who is trying to sc**** the crew. Better yet, do not cruise.

 

DON

 

What he said.

[Room7]

Tip what you want. All these bullies in here saying your a bad person if you remove any of the tip. A tip is something you give if you receive good service. If you receive bad service don't give a tip, if you get great service give a tip. A tip is in addition to a salary and if the argument is their salaries are low, that is a employer/employee issue.

[twindaddy]

Tip what you want. All these bullies in here saying your a bad person if you remove any of the tip. A tip is something you give if you receive good service. If you receive bad service don't give a tip, if you get great service give a tip. A tip is in addition to a salary and if the argument is their salaries are low, that is a employer/employee issue.

 

The OP asked for peoples opinion, just because some of them differ from yours does not make us bullies. If it makes you sad that someone disagrees with you, maybe being on the internet is not for you. You ask a question, you are going to get opinions.

 

Overall, the tenor of this thread has been respectful towards the OP. Tip threads typically devolve into basic name calling by now.

[athenasbyshanna]

Tip what you want. All these bullies in here saying your a bad person if you remove any of the tip. A tip is something you give if you receive good service. If you receive bad service don't give a tip, if you get great service give a tip. A tip is in addition to a salary and if the argument is their salaries are low, that is a employer/employee issue.

 

 

I don't know what cruise workers make for a "salary", but in most US states, servers and bartenders make significantly lower than minimum wage. We work for tips. Our rate of pay barely pays our taxes, let alone insurance, social security or anything else taken out. In some states it is still $2.13 an hour, some $4.15, some $4.67. . . I agree that if you get bad service, a lower tip is warranted, but you should also alert management. Those of us who work hard for our tips, give excellent service to everyone we encounter and still receive 10%, 5% or even less because people are cheap and stingy are suffering. $11.50 per day per person seems like nothing when you think of how many people that is being split up between. I believe it is definitely a person's choice to tip what they think is deserved, but know the facts, know the standards and realize who works for nothing or almost nothing but tips. :cool:

[Room7]

The OP asked for peoples opinion, just because some of them differ from yours does not make us bullies. If it makes you sad that someone disagrees with you, maybe being on the internet is not for you. You ask a question, you are going to get opinions.

 

Overall, the tenor of this thread has been respectful towards the OP. Tip threads typically devolve into basic name calling by now.

 

"but not eating in the dining room is a lousy reason to have them refunded"

"It is VERY WRONG (IMO) to remove tips because you didnt eat in the MDR"

"Wow talk about cheap."

"that just sounds really petty and cheap..."

 

And that is just from the first 8 posts. Well might not be bullying but "better then though" or pompous or negative comments.

 

The OP asked if they could remove tip or not. The question was not what people feel about tipping.