Pre-paid Gratuities

[pacheco18]

Orchestrapal and I posted at the same time

 

Anything goes

 

I would not tip for room service coffee. Orchestrapal would.

It's entirely up to you.

[LHT28]

Palermo22, I wish to add that it really is not only Housekeeping and Wait staff as it is shared among those who make your cruise experience on Oceania exceptional, meaning those who you don't meet face-to-face, such as cooks, laundry, and I could go on and on. On O, the amount of gratuity barely meets what an excellent vacation you receive due to the "behind the lines" staff.

 

 

that is incorrect they do NOT share in the gratuity pool

They are paid a salary

the cooks behind the counter in the Terrace do not get a share either

[LHT28]

I like to order coffee in bed early every morning. Should I be tipping the server each day, at the start/end of the cruise, or would this be covered by pre-paid gratuities? Would like to follow standard practice.

usually room service is delivered by one of the wait staff

most people I have talked to do tip them at the time of delivery ....is it covered under the daily grats charge probably

it is a personal choice if you want to tip or not

Edited August 6, 2014 by LHT28

[spindrift]

LHT28, This time I have to disagree with you. Unless I have been ill-advised, they do, in fact, share. Also, if you remove the gratuities and you tip extra to, let's say your steward, the account is checked to see if you kept the pre-paid gratuities. If you kept them, then the steward to whom you gave the extra tip at the end of the cruise is permitted to keep what you gave. If you cancelled the gratuities added to your account daily, then they must turn in the "tip" you gave to the steward so that the sharing occurs.

 

I think that a reliable source provided this information, but if the reliable source is incorrect, then I would look forward to other comments on this issue.

 

Aside from this, gratuities auto charged (prepaid or not) is a good thing. I fought this at first since I am of the old school having sailed many of the lines since 1957, and we certainly did individual tipping, but due to the change of protocol, you might say, it is necessary now. Had proper upbringing exist, one would know about tipping, thus the lines have had to go to this measure to assure those providing you with an excellent vacation are recognized for what they do.

[LHT28]

LHT28, This time I have to disagree with you. Unless I have been ill-advised, they do, in fact, share. Also, if you remove the gratuities and you tip extra to, let's say your steward, the account is checked to see if you kept the pre-paid gratuities. If you kept them, then the steward to whom you gave the extra tip at the end of the cruise is permitted to keep what you gave. If you cancelled the gratuities added to your account daily, then they must turn in the "tip" you gave to the steward so that the sharing occurs.

 

 

I agree with the second part of your statement

 

but I would check your source if they are saying the kitchen & laundry share in the tip someone should tell those crew members...;)

 

I much prefer the method of adding gratuities on Oceania to the old envelope method

[marilynfaye]

 

I much prefer the method of adding gratuities on Oceania to the old envelope method

 

Hear! Hear! Hate those envelopes.

[jenp123]

Wow - out of all the responses yours makes no sense at all! Where would you expect me to ask this question? What kind of answer did I expect? Definitely not yours! This is my first time on Oceania and obviously I have never received prepaid gratuities. So I asked on what I perceived was the correct forum.

 

 

You came to the right place and asked a question being a first time cruiser yet you seem to have no interest in listening to anyone's answers. This board is full of experienced cruisers who addressed your concern. If you are not happy with the answer or want a very specific legal definition then call Oceania or your TA.

[pacheco18]

You came to the right place and asked a question being a first time cruiser yet you seem to have no interest in listening to anyone's answers.

 

You nailed it.

None of us gives "legal" answers -- not even those of us who are attorneys.

We answer based on our experiences.

That's what you get on CC. For most people, it's enough.

[Hambagahle]

I think I can sum up this entire "conversation" by saying "...only in America" !!

 

I wish, how I wish, that in the US all prices for food/drinks etc automatically included a correct salary for the preparers and servers so that tips were no longer necessary. Every time we go to the US it takes us at least a week to figure out who we should be tipping and how much.

 

Back to the discussion on hand - we have pre-paid gratuities included courtesy of our travel agent. We take the premium beverage package in which the tips are also included. But we do tip our butler and stewardess at the end of the cruise as well - assuming that they have done a good job (and we have never found them not to...) However we don't go running about the ship tipping people right and left. Should we? I don't think so but am open to suggestions!!

[cotto22]

We have almost always sailed on all inclusive lines, which have gratuities included. Although most people recommend a donation to a crew fund, we have given tips to those who have given us extra special service. There was the entertainer in the piano bar who always played my husband's favorite Beatle songs, and the server in another bar who had my favorite drink in front of me as soon as I sat down, etc. Our package on Oceania has gratuities included, and we will be purchasing the premium drinks package, so can I assume that some still do tip additionally?

[pacheco18]

There have been several threads about tipping on O in recent months

 

There is no set rule and folks seem to do what suits them -- as it should be.

 

MOST but not all tip their butlers extra (some in advance (I personally don't buy into that) -- most at the end of the cruise). Many tip their stateroom attendants extra if service is fabulous. Others reported they tip in the Specialties -- I do not think that is the norm -- I have never seen anyone tip there -- and "any other person" who made their trip especially memorable. For me, it's the baristas.

 

It truly is a personal choice. Whatever you do will be the right thing.

[hondorner]

No. Your tips are already covered.

 

My only exception is room service in veranda cabins and below (anyone without a butler). Yes, the kids who run the stuff to your room may already be covered under their regular duties. But, room service does not have a specific staff. They are volunteers taking on room service duties in their free time with the hope of a little additional income. I always give them a tip, usually a 2 Euro coin in Europe, $2 elsewhere. I keep a little stash in a drawer for that purpose as I'm notorious for not having it spontaneously.

 

They do not have their hand out -- O teaches them too much class for that -- but they never refuse it. It's not a lot (I've heard of folks tipping $5 but not me), but it does say thank you in a universal language.

[pacheco18]

You may find this thread helpful

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2058833&highlight=tipping

[cotto22]

Thanks for the link!

[ShopperfiendTO]

That's not just an O thing, I believe if you check around it is common lingo for this type of promotion.

I have sailed other lines in the past and been given free pre-paid gratuities as a promotion, and it has always been the daily room gratuity surcharge that is put on your bill, and has never included the gratuity on extra/optional charges you make onboard.

Possibly it is in the wording of "free pre-paid gratuities" that describes it. Your room gratuity charges are automatic and placed daily onto your account, in essence a given charge that will be levied on you, and the promotion is offering to pre-pay them for free for you. It would not be possible to pre-pay gratuities that are not a given, but merely a possibility and a thought.

As others have said, it just is. I have it as a perk on my next sailing, and am happy for it.

 

I think this is the closest to the answer that OP was looking for. The promotion is free pre-paid gratuities. It is the pre-paid gratuities that is free. The 18% bar gratuity is not pre-paid and logically cannot be pre-paid because you don't know who much you'll drink/pay.

[ronrick1943]

Agree with above, however I also give extra to the butler, stateroom attendants at the end of the cruise.

Rick

[GeorgesGal]

No. Your tips are already covered.

 

My only exception is room service in veranda cabins and below (anyone without a butler). Yes, the kids who run the stuff to your room may already be covered under their regular duties. But, room service does not have a specific staff. They are volunteers taking on room service duties in their free time with the hope of a little additional income. I always give them a tip, usually a 2 Euro coin in Europe, $2 elsewhere. I keep a little stash in a drawer for that purpose as I'm notorious for not having it spontaneously.

 

They do not have their hand out -- O teaches them too much class for that -- but they never refuse it. It's not a lot (I've heard of folks tipping $5 but not me), but it does say thank you in a universal language.

!

 

I'm right there with you, right down to keeping a 'stash' in the night table which saves scrounging around while coffee is being served and I'm half asleep! :eek::D

[LHT28]

Agree with above, however I also give extra to the butler, stateroom attendants at the end of the cruise.

Rick

 

a personal choice ...there is no right or wrong answer

Edited August 7, 2014 by LHT28

[palermo22]

You came to the right place and asked a question being a first time cruiser yet you seem to have no interest in listening to anyone's answers. This board is full of experienced cruisers who addressed your concern. If you are not happy with the answer or want a very specific legal definition then call Oceania or your TA.

 

I am not a first-time cruiser - I am a first-time cruiser on Oceania. As I explained, I have never been given prepaid gratuities previously. I have no problem following what other cruisers state is the gospel - however, that doesn't mean that they are correct. I just needed one person to say something like "you must have missed this - here is Oceania's interpretation of the prepaid gratuities. That never occurred. Again, it wasn't that I was closing my ears to all of the responses - some people really went overboard in trying to clarify the promotion. Some of it made sense - other responses made no sense at all. I have no problem calling Oceania and get the "official wording" - I was just hoping to hear it from someone on here - or perhaps, even more, I was hoping to hear someone say "hey, he has a point - let's look into this".

[ronrick1943]

I am not a first-time cruiser - I am a first-time cruiser on Oceania. As I explained, I have never been given prepaid gratuities previously. I have no problem following what other cruisers state is the gospel - however, that doesn't mean that they are correct. I just needed one person to say something like "you must have missed this - here is Oceania's interpretation of the prepaid gratuities. That never occurred. Again, it wasn't that I was closing my ears to all of the responses - some people really went overboard in trying to clarify the promotion. Some of it made sense - other responses made no sense at all. I have no problem calling Oceania and get the "official wording" - I was just hoping to hear it from someone on here - or perhaps, even more, I was hoping to hear someone say "hey, he has a point - let's look into this".

 

That will never happen-everyone has their own idea of whats right. It's really up to you as a person as what feels right for you.

Rick

[palermo22]

That will never happen-everyone has their own idea of whats right. It's really up to you as a person as what feels right for you.

Rick

 

Agreed!

[Travelcat2]

Wow - out of all the responses yours makes no sense at all! Where would you expect me to ask this question? What kind of answer did I expect? Definitely not yours! This is my first time on Oceania and obviously I have never received prepaid gratuities. So I asked on what I perceived was the correct forum.

 

Just have to stick in my two cents because I remember being "beat up" prior to my first cruise when I asked some questions. Sometimes it is simply easier to ask your travel agent or call Oceania directly about where the tipping issue is spelled out in more detail. Even after taking my first Oceania cruise with another one booked in November, I am amazed at some of the responses on this thread. Some people apparently tip all over the place (which is certainly their right).

 

We were in a penthouse suite on the Riviera and we did tip the Butler and Stewardess at the end of the cruise. This was in addition to the amount automatically charged to our account every day. Our upcoming cruise has included gratuities and I expect to tip the Butler and Stewardess again. However, if we were in a regular suite with included gratuities, I would not necessarily tip anyone unless we asked them to something special for us.

 

Hope your first Oceania cruise will be a great one:)

Edited August 7, 2014 by Travelcat2

[Wendy The Wanderer]

... I have no problem calling Oceania and get the "official wording" - I was just hoping to hear it from someone on here - or perhaps, even more, I was hoping to hear someone say "hey, he has a point - let's look into this".

 

I don't understand why this isn't official enough for you:

 

 

For sailings beginning with the 2013-14 Winter season:

How much you choose to tip is a personal matter and completely at your discretion. For your convenience the following gratuities are automatically added to your shipboard account. For guests occupying staterooms, gratuities of $15.00 per guest, per day will be added. For guests occupying Penthouse, Oceania, Vista or Owner's Suites where Butler Service is provided, gratuities of $22.00 per guest, per day will be added. In addition, an 18% service gratuity is automatically added to all beverage purchases, spa services and dinner at La Reserve. Naturally, guests may adjust gratuities while onboard the vessel at their sole discretion.

...

Edited August 7, 2014 by Wendy The Wanderer

[wenjoyjack]

Thank you Palermo for posing this question. We are first time O cruisers also with pre-paid gratuities from our TA. We are Aussies and find navigating the whole 'tipping' situation extremely hard as it is not a natural part of our culture. We are new to cruising and so far have been on two Seabourn cruises where all gratuities are inclusive in the cruise price which takes a whole lot of pressure off us as we become anxious about 'how and when and how much to tip'. We will take the premium drinks package as this takes away some of this. On our first Seabourn cruise we had an amazing stateroom stewardess who, when she discovered we love our Sav Blanc, filled our fridge up each day with three bottles - by the end of our trip we had a full fridge (10 days) and we left her a well deserved tip, even tho gratuities were all pre-paid. Can't imagine how I would tip the Barista at the coffee bar! Also to the poster above, I too am hesitant about posting as I have been savaged before when asking an innocent question due to ignorance of the subject matter (not on an O board).

 

 

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[Travelcat2]

I don't understand why this isn't official enough for you:

 

 

While I understand what it is saying, it does not specifically address "included gratuities". One could assume that that paragraph is for people who do not have included gratuities. If an additional sentence was added, it would be helpful to many (in my opinion).