Open Seating & Gratuities

[autotripper]

Hello Ms. Alexander:

I just booked 2 cabins yesterday for our 2nd Celebrity cruise and we decided on Open Seating for dinner. I was surprised to note on our invoices that this dining option requires that our gratuities be paid upfront, before we even step foot onto the ship. How does Celebrity justify this policy?

Rosie

[Andy]

Hello Ms. Alexander:

I just booked 2 cabins yesterday for our 2nd Celebrity cruise and we decided on Open Seating for dinner. I was surprised to note on our invoices that this dining option requires that our gratuities be paid upfront, before we even step foot onto the ship. How does Celebrity justify this policy?

Rosie

 

Hi Rosie,

 

Ms Alexander is visiting with us to discuss Web/IT related questions. Your comment has been moved to the Main Celebrity Forum. As Celebrity does not typically respond on this forum.

 

Getting back to your comment, Celebrity does not "require" Guests to pre-pay Gratuities for Dining. This is done, when you opt for Select Dining. You can always opt out of that, by choosing Early or Late Seating, then ask for the gratuities to be removed.

 

I hope this helps !

[MicCanberra]

The main reason for the pre paid gratuities is that with Select you may get a different table each night and therefore a differing set of waiters, assistant waiters and drinks person each night.:D

[A Sixth?]

The main reason for the pre paid gratuities is that with Select you may get a different table each night and therefore a differing set of waiters, assistant waiters and drinks person each night.:D

 

Still doesn't make sense. Princess and NCL just charge the per day tip off the shipboard account no matter your dining choice (yes I know NCL is ONLY open /Freestyle dining). Only RCL brands charge them at final payment... months in advance of the cruise.

 

Maybe they should charge EVERY ONE for the grats at final payment. Makes as much sense.

[Fouremco]

Hi Rosie,

 

Ms Alexander is visiting with us to discuss Web/IT related questions. Your comment has been moved to the Main Celebrity Forum. As Celebrity does not typically respond on this forum.

 

Getting back to your comment, Celebrity does not "require" Guests to pre-pay Gratuities for Dining. This is done, when you opt for Select Dining. You can always opt out of that, by choosing Early or Late Seating, then ask for the gratuities to be removed.

 

I hope this helps !

Hmmm, methinks I detect a tad of dissembling here.

 

Let me rephrase the question: why does Celebrity charge open seating diners gratuities in advance and set time diners on a daily basis during the cruise?

 

[MicCanberra]

Hmmm, methinks I detect a tad of dissembling here.

 

Let me rephrase the question: why does Celebrity charge open seating diners gratuities in advance and set time diners on a daily basis during the cruise?

 

See my answer, :D

[Fouremco]

See my answer, :D

 

I've seen this line before and still fail to see the underlying logic.

[Gonzo70]

Hello Ms. Alexander:

I just booked 2 cabins yesterday for our 2nd Celebrity cruise and we decided on Open Seating for dinner. I was surprised to note on our invoices that this dining option requires that our gratuities be paid upfront, before we even step foot onto the ship. How does Celebrity justify this policy?

Rosie

 

Think of it as a service charge rather than gratuities (as it is essentially a service charge).

[cruiseri]

The original requester asked a very sensible explanation, and its been curious to me also for a few years. The answers supplied so far shed no light on the situation nor provide a logical explanation.

 

Perhaps to say that automatic tips can NOT be refused if you choose Open Seating would be more logical.

 

SAS

[Gonzo70]

The original requester asked a very sensible explanation, and its been curious to me also for a few years. The answers supplied so far shed no light on the situation nor provide a logical explanation.

 

Perhaps to say that automatic tips can NOT be refused if you choose Open Seating would be more logical.

 

SAS

 

The answer is not viewing it as "tips" or "gratuities" but as a service charge. When you opt for open seating you do not have dedicated waitstaff, but generally a variety of people handle your service. Celebrity invokes a mandatory service charge for this that is due at the time of final payment.

[Fouremco]

The answer is not viewing it as "tips" or "gratuities" but as a service charge. When you opt for open seating you do not have dedicated waitstaff, but generally a variety of people handle your service. Celebrity invokes a mandatory service charge for this that is due at the time of final payment.

"A rose by any other name..."

 

Call it a gratuity, a tip, a service charge or whatever else you choose, but the fundamental question remains: why do some passengers pay in advance and others after the fact?

 

[Wine-O]

"A rose by any other name..."

 

Call it a gratuity, a tip, a service charge or whatever else you choose, but the fundamental question remains: why do some passengers pay in advance and others after the fact?

 

 

Call it the price you pay for select dining. That's just the way it is. You don't like it? Go for traditional dining. :rolleyes:

[Gig103]

Only RCL brands charge them at final payment... months in advance of the cruise.

 

Not true, Carnival also charges it in advance if you choose "My Time Dining". It's one of those stupid quirky things that I attribute to them trying to discourage Select/MTD from getting too busy. Proof that it isn't a computer issue is that with Aqua Class you get anytime dining in Blu without prepaying.

[MicCanberra]

Exactly, I really do not see what the issue is, by paying early. I prefer to do it as I can then pay when I want and how I want pre cruise.:D

[Ohana Travel]

i have seen this discussed a great deal. the answer, "think of it as service charge instead of gratuities" seems a bit ridiculous.

honestly i would have preferred to have my total cruise cost $100 more. then celebrity could say that, "all basic gratuities are included". would make them look much better. and prevent the paying customers from feeling swindled.

 

note the $100 is more than i will pay for gratuities (prepaid or added daily). and i would still tip for room service or anyone going over and above.

 

i just think the bad PR celebrity gets from doing it this way is sad.

 

(i feel the same way about the drink package. but again, just my opinion)

[Fouremco]

Call it the price you pay for select dining. That's just the way it is. You don't like it? Go for traditional dining. :rolleyes:

It's not a question of liking it but one of trying to understand what seems to be a possibly unfair practise.

 

Just for the record, DW and I prefer traditional dining, so I've no axe to grind. Simply looking for a logical answer.

 

[Wine-O]

It's not a question of liking it but one of trying to understand what seems to be a possibly unfair practise.

 

Just for the record, DW and I prefer traditional dining, so I've no axe to grind. Simply looking for a logical answer.

 

 

It's a business decision. They've obviously thought it out with regard to their business model.

[Gonzo70]

It's not a question of liking it but one of trying to understand what seems to be a possibly unfair practise.

 

Just for the record, DW and I prefer traditional dining, so I've no axe to grind. Simply looking for a logical answer.

 

 

Too many people with select dining were stiffing the staff so they made it a mandatory service charge to be paid before the cruise to prevent people from trying to stiff the staff. Not sure why this is so hard to grasp that is akin to a mandatory service charge - so is due at the time of final payment.

[dkjretired]

It's not a question of liking it but one of trying to understand what seems to be a possibly unfair practise.

 

Just for the record, DW and I prefer traditional dining, so I've no axe to grind. Simply looking for a logical answer.

 

 

You may not understand the reason but it was given to you in an earlier post. With traditional dining you get the same waiter every night, with Select you do not. That's the reason, you can argue it all you wish on this board but that is the reason.

[redjetz]

You may not understand the reason but it was given to you in an earlier post. With traditional dining you get the same waiter every night, with Select you do not. That's the reason, you can argue it all you wish on this board but that is the reason.

 

People tend to tip the staff they see every night serving them at traditional dining, but too many failed to tip at all when they had different waiters every night in select dining.

 

As long as the cruise lines don't include the service charge in the cruise cost for everyone, this is a fair process to ensure all the wait staff get treated fairly. Can you imagine that waiters would want to work in select dining if they didn't get the tips that make up the bulk of their take home pay? (And please don't start the cry that cruise lines should pay their staff a fair wage. That is not the point of this discussion.)

 

We always do select dining and when we get a wait staff we really like, we try to get in their section and then we tip them extra anyway.

[Starry Eyes]

Too many people with select dining were stiffing the staff so they made it a mandatory service charge to be paid before the cruise to prevent people from trying to stiff the staff. Not sure why this is so hard to grasp that is akin to a mandatory service charge - so is due at the time of final payment.

As I recall, prepaying gratuities has been required since day one of Select dining. therefore, there may have been concern that people would stiff the staff, but I do not believe the accuracy of that fear was allowed to be tested.

 

I think prepaying has a few other impacts.

 

First, people who sincerely want open dining are likely to agree to prepay tips, while those who feel less strongly have another reason to stick with traditional dining. So, X can keep using their dining space efficiently.

second, people who plan to eat in the buffet or at specialty restaurants or such are less likely to take select dining slots, leaving them available to those who actually want open dining in the MDR.

Third, the staff know they will be tipped for every guest, every night, even if they only serve them once and cannot, therefore, bond with them. Thus, top quality waitstaff are happy to take select dining assignments. and really, select dining is a good place to have excellent staff who can manage many small table at various stages of their meals while making a positive impression on guests.

[cruiseri]

Okay, so now I hear it's not a tip/gratuity but a "surcharge", akin to the extra charge for the specialty restaurants. Some of the explanations offered are totally lacking in depth. BTW-the surcharge for a speciality restaurant isn't billed until after the meal.

 

Easy solution using the billing computer to ensure people pay a tip. I'd assume one of the main business reasons for the pre-paid tips is that Celebrity gets to play with the float until they really need to transfer the money after the cruise to the wait staff.

 

It appears that Princess doesn't have the same pre-conceived problem, as they don't pre-charge for select dining.

 

SAS

[Wine-O]

 

It appears that Princess doesn't have the same pre-conceived problem, as they don't pre-charge for select dining.

 

SAS

 

Well, isn't it great we all have choices. If you sail with Celebrity, take traditional dining. If you like select dining and don't want to pre-pay gratuities, sail with Princess. ;)

[ghstudio]

No one has understood why they charge gratuities in advance for select dining...and that has been true since it was announced. Celebrity has never, as far as I know, given an explanation.

 

It's just part of the offering....if you don't like the offering, don't choose select dining. That may sound blunt, but Celebrity set the policy, so it's your choice as to whether you want to book Select dining.

[A Sixth?]

Too many people with select dining were stiffing the staff so they made it a mandatory service charge to be paid before the cruise to prevent people from trying to stiff the staff. Not sure why this is so hard to grasp that is akin to a mandatory service charge - so is due at the time of final payment.

 

1) Where did you hear that too many Select people were stiffing their servers

 

2) As I recall the pay tips in advance for Select on "X" was there when they introduced it, so to stiff one would have to ask for a reimbursement then as now.

 

edit:

 

Yes, here's the May 2009 Celebrity press

 

Celebrity Select Dining

Following a day of exploration, or a day spent lounging with a novel, Celebrity Select Dining offers a flexible approach to dining. Allowing you to be seated any time the Main Dining Room is open, this option means there's no schedule to follow, leaving only your heart and appetite to satisfy.

 

Due to the open nature of Celebrity Select Dining, a prepaid gratuity is required when choosing this option and will be included in your reservation. With Celebrity Select Dining, expect the same level of exceptional service, regardless of your dining time.