gratuities

[Louise34]

I know that prepaid grat's for Anytime Dining is $163.80 for the week. If you have early seating how is the gratuity charged? Automatic per person charge on your account each day, or payment in envelopes at the end of the cruise? We have been in anytime dining mostly and just forget the procedure for early dining.

[cruisenfever]

I know that prepaid grat's for Anytime Dining is $163.80 for the week. If you have early seating how is the gratuity charged? Automatic per person charge on your account each day, or payment in envelopes at the end of the cruise? We have been in anytime dining mostly and just forget the procedure for early dining.

There is no set procedure for Traditional Dining. You can either have the gratuities added to your SeaPass Account, once on board, or you can personally extend your gratuities at the completion of your cruise. The gratuities are the same whether you do MTD or Traditional.

 

$5.00pp per day for Housekeeping Staff ($7.25 if in a GS or above)

$3.75pp per day for Waiter

$2.15pp per day for Assistant Waiter

$0.75pp per day for Head Waiter

$11.65pp per day ($13.90pp per day if booked in a GS or above)

[spookwife]

Back in May, on Enchantment, we were given the option to prepay prior to the end of the cruise( we had already done so but I digress) and they would issue a voucher to slip into the envelopes provided on the last night. they started leaving the paperwork on our bed at turndown on the third night? maybe the 4th. (6nt cruise)

 

since then I have seen/heard on the boards that this practice has been discontinued.. no more vouchers but supposedly the appropriate staff gets notified anyway somehow.

[cb at sea]

Once you've prepaid, the tips are divided according to RCI's guidelines...you don't need to do a thing. Even if you get envelopes and vouchers, you don't need to hand them out...that's simply a formality.

 

If you were to pay your tips in cash, then you get envelopes and a guideline sheet on how much to tip each person.

 

The only ONBOARD tips that are NOT included would be for room service....they are kitchen staff, and should be tipped in cash at time of delivery.

 

Even if you tip in advance, or have the tips added once onboard, the staff doesn't actually GET the tips until the end of the cruise....just like if you paid in cash.

[Lionesss]

Friends at our dinner table were bummed as we handed out our tip envelopes the last night, they did pre-paid and had nothing to show for their tipping. No vouchers. They felt like they did not tip, even thought they did.

We still give the tips in person.

Safe travels

Sue and crew

[orville99]

Friends at our dinner table were bummed as we handed out our tip envelopes the last night, they did pre-paid and had nothing to show for their tipping. No vouchers. They felt like they did not tip, even thought they did.

 

We still give the tips in person.

 

Safe travels

 

Sue and crew

 

Apparently, RCL has stopped printing out the vouchers (cost saving?). We didn't get them last week either. We just went down to GS and picked up the ones that we wanted to add $$ to over the PPG.

[Clio1610]

Got off Indy last Sat (28th July 2012) and we were told that if you pre-pay tips the crew members only get half of them at the end of the cruise. The other half RCI supposedly puts into a 'pool' to be shared out through the rest of the crew...

 

Hmmmmm..... I wonder......

 

We will continue to pay our tips in cash to whomever we want !

[Big_G]

Got off Indy last Sat (28th July 2012) and we were told that if you pre-pay tips the crew members only get half of them at the end of the cruise. The other half RCI supposedly puts into a 'pool' to be shared out through the rest of the crew...

 

Hmmmmm..... I wonder......

 

We will continue to pay our tips in cash to whomever we want !

 

We've heard so many different versions of how they do it from different crew members that I don't even listen anymore. My wife actually admonished me for my 'I don't care expression' after one of our cabin attendants finished with his version. I didn't realize it was that obvious by my expression. He was a great attendant but it was just getting old. Sorry if that sounds rude but I really don't care. :rolleyes:

[Clio1610]

Apparently, RCL has stopped printing out the vouchers (cost saving?). We didn't get them last week either. We just went down to GS and picked up the ones that we wanted to add $$ to over the PPG.

 

Hmmm... So RCI has stopped printing out the vouchers for possible cost savings ???

 

But they still print out thousands and thousands of photos that people just don't buy - probably because they are sooooooooooo expensive !!!

 

Surely with the face recognition technology available these days, we ought to be able to view our photos on our stateroom TV ?

[Puffinater]

But they still print out thousands and thousands of photos that people just don't buy - probably because they are sooooooooooo expensive !!!

 

Surely with the face recognition technology available these days, we ought to be able to view our photos on our stateroom TV ?

 

RCI does not print the photos.

 

This is a contract/vendor operation. On the the Oasis Class there are face recognition kiosks for the photos.

[Merion_Mom]

Hmmm... So RCI has stopped printing out the vouchers for possible cost savings ???

 

But they still print out thousands and thousands of photos that people just don't buy - probably because they are sooooooooooo expensive !!!

 

Surely with the face recognition technology available these days, we ought to be able to view our photos on our stateroom TV ?

 

Some ships do this. The technology and equipment have not been put in place on all of them.

[macruisefan]

We've heard so many different versions of how they do it from different crew members that I don't even listen anymore. My wife actually admonished me for my 'I don't care expression' after one of our cabin attendants finished with his version. I didn't realize it was that obvious by my expression. He was a great attendant but it was just getting old. Sorry if that sounds rude but I really don't care. :rolleyes:

 

TOTALLY AGREE!!!

 

I usually just prepay my tips now and don't worry about it. But whatever you do, don't make me listen to any more information about how or when to tip. I'll TRIPLE my tips if I just don't have to listen to it anymore....

[Aquahound]

We've heard so many different versions of how they do it from different crew members that I don't even listen anymore. My wife actually admonished me for my 'I don't care expression' after one of our cabin attendants finished with his version. I didn't realize it was that obvious by my expression. He was a great attendant but it was just getting old. Sorry if that sounds rude but I really don't care. :rolleyes:

 

Not rude at all. I don't care either. In fact, I don't think it's anyone's business how income is dispersed among other people.