Gratuities on On Board Account -Not requested

[mandream]

The part that I don't really understand is

 

At the end of the cruise they were also given envelopes for additional gratuities for people who did "extras" during their cruise. They were confused about being asked to pay gratuities basically twice and they paid and paid and paid again.

 

We haven't "been given" envelopes for tips since Celebrity began adding the auto-tips to the onboard account. Yes, you can request these envelopes from guest services - but in my experience, they are no longer automatically provided.

 

If in fact in this case they were - I can see how that might cause some confusion.

 

Mike

[Ando]

Life got in the way and we did take about a 5 year break before resuming cruising in 2010 and that cruise was on RCI. Our previous Celebrity cruises were before their gratuity policy changes.

 

Heart on my sleeve I felt I was somewhat being attacked in this thread for my surprise and not reading about any policy changes (ok, I really should have done that and believe me, now I have). And I've been reading several of the CC tipping threads for the past couple of years...informative and also entertaining.

 

I will be careful in my verbage on any posts that I make...it's so easy to come across as arrogant or as an expert...and I really am not either one!

Thank you for your kind words!! ~~Judy

 

Hi Judy,

Thanks for your continued participation on this thread. As you have identified it was the wording, particularly "we've been cruising for years and never had this happen" in you initial post that has elicited such strong responses from others. We were all thinking how can this be possible? :confused: Now that you have explained your cruising history further I'm sure everyone understands why you were not aware of the auto-charging policies. If you had mentioned this in your original post....along the lines of "we have only cruised once in the last 7 years....have the policies changed during that time?".....I'm certain you would have received very different, more helpful, and less attacking responses to your question. ;)

 

It is so easy for posts to be read with a different tone to which they were intended....I think using the "smilies" helps a lot to convey the sentiments behind you words :)

 

With all of your research you have done for your next cruise I'm sure there will be no "bad" surprises in store - hopefully only good ones :D

 

Enjoy your cruise!

 

Cheers

Ando

[Hawaiidan]

When ever you enter into a contract, buy a car, sign a lease, contract for a job or travel by ship. air or train, there are terms and conditions that you sign off as in agreement to

 

No two contracts are or should be assumed to be the same. It is the duty and responsibility of the person entering into such agreements to do due diligence and fully undrstand the exact terms and conditions they are signing.

 

There are many errors demonstrated here and all on the part of the "victims" All the problem they experienced were due to their failure to properly and fully inform themselves. Lots of people every day assume stuff they do not know. They dont ask because that might make them look stupid.... even if they really are in the situation. The assume from some friends hearsay or story they heard... and that is frequently wrong.

 

A lesson was learned, read the contract. Ask questions when in doubt. It is your obligation if you want to get treated right. Assume nothing.

[Islandgirl4242]

Thanks for your thoughtful reply.

 

As for the "other issues" our first time cruising friends experienced...

LOL, they will have to fight their own battles. Believe me I've learned it is sometimes best to just listen and not get involved. :D

~~Judy

[cynbar]

IslandGirl, tip questions aside, I can empathize with your disappointment over your friends' less than stellar vacation. Twice now, we have cruised with relatives and friends who asked to accompany us, and then they just didn't enjoy it. In both cases, we tried to explain everything, but there is a lot to prepare for and they weren't thrilled. One couple had loved their cruises on Carnival and complained non stop that Celebrity was "too stuffy." The other couple didn't like the short times in port, or the fancy dining experience, although they knew all that going in. I've concluded that cruising isn't for everyone, those of us who love it feel that the pros far outweigh the cons, but obviously not everyone feels that way! Or, sometimes Celebrity is not the best fit.

[sunshine nana]

Hi Cynbar! I agree that most of our friends/family would not enjoy our cruises as much as we do! After some bad experiences, we do not even recommend restaurants in our area any more because a place we like does not always suit others and they have not hesitated to complain to us. A few people have asked me to "plan their cruise" for them, I always nicely say no. Our next cruise is a partial Panama Canal on Princess, a destination I would not have considered until reading about it on CC. ALL of our cruises have been great, none was perfect, but I would not have missed any of them!

[Croooser]

Kudos to Island girl for the mea culpa on this one. It is almost (OK, not completely but almost) unprecedented on CC for someone to admit that they made a mistake or were not as well informed as they thought that they were. The culture here is to dig in and under no circumstances acknowledge that you might not have had it right to begin with. Or maybe just go away and stop responding. I commend Islandgirl on this one.

[Islandgirl4242]

Kudos to Island girl for the mea culpa on this one. It is almost (OK, not completely but almost) unprecedented on CC for someone to admit that they made a mistake or were not as well informed as they thought that they were. The culture here is to dig in and under no circumstances acknowledge that you might not have had it right to begin with. Or maybe just go away and stop responding. I commend Islandgirl on this one.

 

Thanks, Croooser, you really did just make my day!!

 

And Sunshine Nana and Cynbar, you are absolutely right. Cruising is not for everyone and not every cruise is perfect. I can think back to a few cruises that were a little less than perfect and some of those things were really out of the cruise lines' control. And when I talk with friends about the cruises we've taken I mention the not so perfect days, too. We've enjoyed every line that we've cruised on and every cruise that we've taken. But most of all we've enjoyed the friends we've made that we still keep in contact with. I'm just happy to be back in the game and booked on our favorite line (Celebrity) and I'm also already looking towards our future destinations (let's see, where should we book after AUS/NZ in Dec).

 

Again, thanks to everyone for posting on this thread!!

~~Judy

[Miss SeaBee]

I'm sorry your friends were confused and upset, but I don't think you should feel responsible at all! When I went on my first cruise, I didn't rely on anyone I knew who had been on a cruise before to explain the ropes to me. I read my brochures, I looked at the cruise website, I googled and found Cruise Critic, and I felt pretty well-informed. Still, if I had had any questions or confusion, I was born with a voice and a brain. I would have asked someone in customer service to explain the issue to me. I wouldn't just sit and wonder and hand out money when I didn't have an understanding of what I was doing. And I wouldn't blame any of my friends who might have encouraged me to try cruising if I ended up handing out more money than I thought I should have.

[wwcruisers]

Just to correct a couple of posts stating that all mainstream cruise lines automatically add gratuities (if not prepaid) to your on-board account -- RC still has auto-tips as an option. Last time I checked, their default is the "envelope" (cash) system. The only folks on RC who have to pre-pay or use auto-tip are the ones who have "any time" dining.

 

Interesting that the OP's friends had the auto-tip added to their on-board account and still had "tip" envelopes left in their cabin. On all of our Celebrity cruises, we've had to go to Guest Relations to pick up envelopes for our "extra" tips -- it would have been nice to have some dropped off in our cabin.

[Muushka]

Kudos to Island girl for the mea culpa on this one. It is almost (OK, not completely but almost) unprecedented on CC for someone to admit that they made a mistake or were not as well informed as they thought that they were. The culture here is to dig in and under no circumstances acknowledge that you might not have had it right to begin with. Or maybe just go away and stop responding. I commend Islandgirl on this one.

 

You took the words right out of my mouth, Croooser!

 

Island Girl, thank you for your honesty. Rarely seen, always appreciated.:)

 

I just hope everyone who reads the OP will actually read the whole thread before slamming our Island Girl!