Administrators Rare LauraS Posted July 8, 2014 Administrators #1 Share Posted July 8, 2014 Check out the latest Carnival Cruise Line news from Cruise Critic: Carnival Cruise Lines Raises Gratuities Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccruisequeen Posted July 8, 2014 #2 Share Posted July 8, 2014 Easier to calculate I guess Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicoleakamama Posted July 8, 2014 #3 Share Posted July 8, 2014 Does any one know if it means whoever booked before July 7th and had gratuities added to their bill but haven't paid in full yet if I'll be grandfathered in? My final payment date is Aug 4th. So just wondering. Sent from my SCH-I545 using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaytonCruiser Posted July 8, 2014 #4 Share Posted July 8, 2014 (edited) Its based on your sailing date. From faq What is the tipping policy onboard? For your convenience, we automatically charge the gratuities for dining and stateroom staff to your onboard Sail & Sign account. Voyages departing December 1, 2011 through October 8, 2014; the total amount is $11.50 per guest, per day and breakdown as follows: •Stateroom service team $3.70 per day •Dining room service team $5.80 per day •Alternative services team* $2.00 per day (*galley, entertainment, guest services and other hotel staff members) Voyages departing October 9, 2014 onward; the total amount is $12.00 per guest, per day and breakdown as follows: •Stateroom service team $3.90 per day •Dining room service team $6.10 per day •Alternative services team* $2.00 per day (*galley, entertainment, guest services and other hotel staff members) For Cruises-To-Nowhere; gratuities of $11.50 USD ($12.00 on sailings 10/9/2014 onward), or its equivalent in foreign currency, per guest, per day must be prepaid. As a convenience gratuities will be automatically posted to your Sail & Sign account on the second day of your cruise. Our Staff is totally committed to exceed your expectations in every way possible. If you are not satisfied with the service you receive, we encourage you to contact the Guest Services desk while onboard. This will allow us to address your concerns in a timely and appropriate fashion. Once gratuities have been posted, you may adjust them at your discretion at any time while onboard. Gratuities will be deemed undisputed unless a request to modify is received prior to disembarking the ship. For beverage purchases, fifteen percent of the bill is automatically added to the Sail & Sign charge. Room Service staff may be tipped as service is rendered. Edited July 8, 2014 by DaytonCruiser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicoleakamama Posted July 8, 2014 #5 Share Posted July 8, 2014 Yes I know. But it also said that customers who prepaid their gratuities before July 7th will be grandfathered in. I booked March for our Oct 18th sailing. Our final payment date is Aug 4th. We had the gratuities added in our balance but my question is....since my balance isn't paid in full yet will they add the .50 pp per day to my balance or no since I'm grandfathered in. Sent from my SCH-I545 using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starbright7966 Posted July 9, 2014 #6 Share Posted July 9, 2014 Check out the latest Carnival Cruise Line news from Cruise Critic: Carnival Cruise Lines Raises Gratuities Thanks for the info. does anyone know if children under 4 pay the same amount? Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coltsmama Posted July 9, 2014 #7 Share Posted July 9, 2014 Yes I know. But it also said that customers who prepaid their gratuities before July 7th will be grandfathered in. I booked March for our Oct 18th sailing. Our final payment date is Aug 4th. We had the gratuities added in our balance but my question is....since my balance isn't paid in full yet will they add the .50 pp per day to my balance or no since I'm grandfathered in. Sent from my SCH-I545 using Forums mobile app That what I'm wondering as well. I tried calling today and was on hold for 20 minutes before I gave up. I'll try again tomorrow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzgrif Posted July 9, 2014 #8 Share Posted July 9, 2014 Yes I know. But it also said that customers who prepaid their gratuities before July 7th will be grandfathered in. I booked March for our Oct 18th sailing. Our final payment date is Aug 4th. We had the gratuities added in our balance but my question is....since my balance isn't paid in full yet will they add the .50 pp per day to my balance or no since I'm grandfathered in. Sent from my SCH-I545 using Forums mobile app I had prepaid my grats for a dec cruise. We had a price change today. When accepting a price change they raised the grats to the 12 a day. Any changes and you are no longer grandfathered. The price difference was well worth the 3.50 change to our rate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HawksFan74 Posted July 9, 2014 #9 Share Posted July 9, 2014 Too bad I didn't prepay gratuities on mine. Do you have to book directly with Carnival to get that option? I used an online TA, and I don't think it was offered. I suppose one could manually adjust the grats back to $11.50 while onboard, since that's the amount we agreed to when booking... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ontario_Cruiser Posted July 9, 2014 #10 Share Posted July 9, 2014 Thanks for the info. does anyone know if children under 4 pay the same amount? Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Forums mobile app Children under 2 do not pay the gratuities, but those over 2 pay the full amount. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ontario_Cruiser Posted July 9, 2014 #11 Share Posted July 9, 2014 Overall I do not mind this change. 50 cents over three years since the last increase is only about 1% per year so is in line with inflation. While I would rather a no tipping policy (and therefore pay higher fares as the wages for these folks would be in the fare) I know that that is not likely to occur. It would put the line that does so at a competitive disadvantage as all lines currently add the tips to the total. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeM Posted July 9, 2014 #12 Share Posted July 9, 2014 We will continue to remove our tips one the first day and use envelopes on the last day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KirkNC Posted July 9, 2014 #13 Share Posted July 9, 2014 That's consistent with other lines plus it is very little in the overall scheme of things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KirkNC Posted July 9, 2014 #14 Share Posted July 9, 2014 We will continue to remove our tips one the first day and use envelopes on the last day. Curious when you do that how you tip the guy who brings ice to the bar or the runners who carry the food into the dining room :rolleyes:. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruise_girl2002 Posted July 9, 2014 #15 Share Posted July 9, 2014 I don't mind the raise in gratuities. they work hard and considering there are people out there that don't tip period :mad:. Its only an extra $4 for a week...big deal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bplazo Posted July 9, 2014 #16 Share Posted July 9, 2014 Children under 2 do not pay the gratuities, but those over 2 pay the full amount. Tipping should be extra for children. No exceptions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hlb76 Posted July 9, 2014 #17 Share Posted July 9, 2014 Curious when you do that how you tip the guy who brings ice to the bar or the runners who carry the food into the dining room :rolleyes:. Great question! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
srlafleur Posted July 9, 2014 #18 Share Posted July 9, 2014 That what I'm wondering as well. I tried calling today and was on hold for 20 minutes before I gave up. I'll try again tomorrow I know this is going to sound snarky, it's not meant to be but... surely your time is worth more than the $.50 pp/day that you may (or may not) save? An additional $7.00 per week for a couple, and you're going to tie up your time to find out if the cost is grandfathered? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bplazo Posted July 9, 2014 #19 Share Posted July 9, 2014 I know this is going to sound snarky, it's not meant to be but...surely your time is worth more than the $.50 pp/day that you may (or may not) save? An additional $7.00 per week for a couple, and you're going to tie up your time to find out if the cost is grandfathered? Yeah, really not worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coltsmama Posted July 9, 2014 #20 Share Posted July 9, 2014 When I initially read the email carnival sent out , I somehow misread it at first. I'm a klutz at using the I internet on my phone I swear. I thought it said it went up $12 p.p./p.d. so yea, THAT would have been worth it. But after re reading it this morning and realizing what it said, yea no big deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loubetti Posted July 9, 2014 #21 Share Posted July 9, 2014 (edited) The people who work on these ships for gratuities are paid next to nothing in wages by the cruise line. The cruise lines take advantage of their incorporation in foreign countries where they are not held to any wage/hour laws such as we have in the USA, and thus throw this burden on the passenger. This should, by now, be apparent to any experienced cruiser. Okay, I'll admit that they do get free room and board- granted. Of course, there are staff who are on salary, such as the deck / engine staff, and hotel management / entertainment staff and more. However, a majority of staff are paid a pittance in pay, and gratuities are all they have to rely on to make a decent wage for 12+ hours per day of work. Also, when was the last time an audit was done of these cruise lines to see just how much of these "gratuities" actually got in to the deserving crew member's pockets? :rolleyes: For those with "rose colored" glasses on, take them off when it comes to how much of the crew that you interact with gets paid. Your gratuities are essentially their pay, and it gets split up too. It's all about marketing, and the cruise lines get away with it. They advertise a cheap cruise, then tack on the pay for most of the staff and then their port charges and taxes. I also wonder about those port charges and taxes, and if they are not inflated! ;) Edited July 9, 2014 by loubetti Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USNUZULOOSE Posted July 9, 2014 #22 Share Posted July 9, 2014 I guess it could be a lot worse in the rise of the gratuities. I won't gripe over .50 cents. I will still continue to tip extra as always. They do work hard for there money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goduckies05 Posted July 9, 2014 #23 Share Posted July 9, 2014 Does it matter to you if they lower their wages or raise rates... the customer still pays it either way. So just live with it. Sent from my SM-G900P using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbee524 Posted July 10, 2014 #24 Share Posted July 10, 2014 I'm not complaining about the rise in the gratuities. But, I received an e-mail from Carnival with a letter dated July 8th stating that if the gratuities were paid by July 7th they would remain at the former rate. Now I'm just thinking that this letter should have been sent on the 6th or at least on the 7th. I still wouldn't have prepaid our gratuities, but to send the notice after the final date looks pretty bad and not very well thought out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hlb76 Posted July 10, 2014 #25 Share Posted July 10, 2014 We never got an email. I just say it on here :rolleyes: Again not a biggie its goning to cost me $3.50 more for our Oct cruise I can re-budget that no problem. I prob would have pre-paid mine knowing I had a choice only becuase I was going to pre-pay them anyway next month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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