**Any Changes to the Gratuities Rules??**

[womack214]

Forgive me if anyone else has already discussed this....we sailed back in 2012 on Oasis and just paid our gratuities at the end of our sailing directly to the staff. Has this changed since then? Does RCI now charge the seapass card for this? I know you can do the pre paid gratuities but I like to hand my peeps their money at the end.....

[gerif]

Unless you have MTD and prepay, tips will be added to your seapass account each day. You are certainly welcome to hand additional amounts to those you feel warrant them on the last night, but at least this way they are assured of receiving the minimum.

[caribbean sailor]

Unless you have MTD and prepay, tips will be added to your seapass account each day. You are certainly welcome to hand additional amounts to those you feel warrant them on the last night, but at least this way they are assured of receiving the minimum.

 

You forgot to say they can easily be removed.:)

[bigque]

Unless you have MTD and prepay, tips will be added to your seapass account each day. You are certainly welcome to hand additional amounts to those you feel warrant them on the last night, but at least this way they are assured of receiving the minimum.

 

Or unless you add prepaid gratuities when you book the cruise.

[gerif]

You forgot to say they can easily be removed.:)

 

But what cheapskate would do that?

[setsail]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=36262923#post36262923

[Missus Makkem]

But what cheapskate would do that?

 

Just see the line at Guest relations every morning and you will soon find out.

[CGBCruiser]

But what cheapskate would do that?

 

I know someone who does this...not a friend of mine, but an older lady who prepays her tips and then goes down and has them taken off. She thinks that she pays enough for the cruise. It's awful.

[sabookkeeper]

First let me say that I have never removed the auto tips. This is my first RCI cruise and have decided to do MTD. Why do the gratuities need to be paid in advance?

[peteukmcr]

But what cheapskate would do that?

Lots, please see my comment below. And in defence of my fellow countrymen they weren't British.

Just see the line at Guest relations every morning and you will soon find out.

I heard too many people berating staff whilst waiting in line at guest services every day on our recent Adventure TA sailing (most vocally to the diamond concierge who was trying to help out) that it is disgusting IMHO.

[Harooni]

But what cheapskate would do that?

me , i took it off the last day , and paid everyone i wanted to in cash . my waiters and cabin stewart were happy i can tell you that much. :)

[Harooni]

First let me say that I have never removed the auto tips. This is my first RCI cruise and have decided to do MTD. Why do the gratuities need to be paid in advance?

my thinking is with MTD , you will get random waiters unless you come at the same exact time or by chance. so many might feel like they dont need to tip anyone and remove the tips from their account. just my guess.

[Langley Cruisers]

This is my first RCI cruise and have decided to do MTD. Why do the gratuities need to be paid in advance?

 

Yeah, this is actually "leftover" from when they first introduced MTD, and before the institution of the auto-gratuity. It is because you may very well have a different wait team on some of the nights in MTD, and this was the company's way of making sure each crew member was tipped and so you wouldn't have to go racing around the dining room on the last night trying to remember who served you on Night 1. Before the auto-tip, MTD was the place to be as wait staff were assured of getting paid their tips. Now, it's a step backward, in my opinion. If every passenger is subject to the auto-tip, then don't make us pay grats in advance for MTD.

 

~Whew! I guess that was inside me for a long time! LOL ~

 

.

[LMaxwell]

But what cheapskate would do that?

 

I am sure many cash tippers put you to shame. Maybe don't be so fast to make a snide comment in every tip thread; no doubt you are the "cheapskate" in comparison to many others. Just saying...

[Merion_Mom]

I am sure many cash tippers put you to shame. Maybe don't be so fast to make a snide comment in every tip thread; no doubt you are the "cheapskate" in comparison to many others. Just saying...

 

Because anyone who wishes to be generous beyond the $12 per person per day amount (if not in a full suite) can most easily leave the auto-tips in place and ADD cash.

 

And that is the reason that Geri says that.

[LMaxwell]

Because anyone who wishes to be generous beyond the $12 per person per day amount (if not in a full suite) can most easily leave the auto-tips in place and ADD cash.

 

And that is the reason that Geri says that.

 

Or they can just do it in all cash, believe it or not. Geri is just a mean spirited and judgmental person. Every thread, same people chime in with their nasty comments, always see Gerif there too putting people down.

 

Just calling them out on their negative tone.

[iheartbda]

me , i took it off the last day , and paid everyone i wanted to in cash . my waiters and cabin stewart were happy i can tell you that much. :)

Are you saying you think they are happy because you tipped in cash? They must keep a happy face at all times.;)

[33tekfan]

I know someone who does this...not a friend of mine, but an older lady who prepays her tips and then goes down and has them taken off. She thinks that she pays enough for the cruise. It's awful.

 

I don't understand. She prepays her tips then has them removed? How does she do this? Aren't prepaid tips paid before you even sail? What do they do? Credit her credit card? Why does she bother prepaying them?

[beshears]

I have not read all the responses, but we just got of FOTS this past Sunday. There is a $12 charge per day added to your Seapass/credit card. We did choose to give a little additional money to some others, so I picked up envelopes at the Guest Relations/Pursers desk.

[CGBCruiser]

I don't understand. She prepays her tips then has them removed? How does she do this? Aren't prepaid tips paid before you even sail? What do they do? Credit her credit card? Why does she bother prepaying them?

 

Yes she does. Then she goes and has them removed and they credit her card for them. I have no idea why she does it...it's just stupid. I guess she doesn't want to have to do it on a daily basis on the ship. I have no idea. But she never tips anybody.

[PORT ROYAL]

I don't understand. She prepays her tips then has them removed? How does she do this? Aren't prepaid tips paid before you even sail? What do they do? Credit her credit card? Why does she bother prepaying them?

 

 

I have evidenced this at Guest Relations, where a Brits received pre-paid Grats as part of the booking (free tips). But they wanted the tips removed, credited to their Ship account so they could purchase a future cruise voucher.:eek:

 

The desk stated a next cruise voucher payments must be made by credit card. To which they responded by saying okay then they would use the money to buy cigarettes.

 

They were a party of six.

 

I left GR at this stage.

Edited May 8, 2014 by PORT ROYAL

[Langley Cruisers]

I don't understand. She prepays her tips then has them removed? How does she do this? Aren't prepaid tips paid before you even sail?...

 

Prepaid tips are mandatory if you choose My Time Dining. This could account for why she paid them.

[Alaskalovr]

You forgot to say they can easily be removed.:)

 

Oh My! You are stirring the pot! LOL!!!:D

[Alaskalovr]

But what cheapskate would do that?

 

Removing AUTO_ gratuities does not= Cheapskate. Please refrain from calling names.

Do you ever ask for a price drop credit?

[dplusd]

Removing AUTO_ gratuities does not= Cheapskate. Please refrain from calling names.

Do you ever ask for a price drop credit?

 

Requesting a price drop is not the same as removing gratuities. IMHO anyone who would stiff the hardworking staff to save a few bucks is...a cheapskate...or worse.