Would you accept pre paid grats for all dinning options

[marci22]

How would they allot tips for specialty, where you are getting a higher level of service than the MDR/free dining venues?

And then people are always changing their schedule around. Seems like a complicated thing for them to do when they can't even get their everyday website right.

[galavant3]

[quote name='shopper77']We always use our OBC for our tips. Therefore we would not like prepaying.[/quote]

That's what we do. If we don't have the OBC to cover or if we'll be using it on something else, we prepay. Either way, they are "taken care" of ahead of time.

[marci22]

[quote name='galavant3']That's what we do. If we don't have the OBC to cover or if we'll be using it on something else, we prepay. Either way, they are "taken care" of ahead of time.[/QUOTE]

I don't think they want you to do that though. They'd prefer you spend it at the $10 sale or other merchandise onboard.

[lucymorgan]

I find this thread quite interesting. A few years ago any thread on tipping caused a huge discussion with many different view points. As a consequence, I stopped reading them as they became very predictable. What I find surprising now is that many people are ok with tips being prepaid. A few years ago there were many more people who were completely against this.

In Australia, we almost always have service charges included in the bill and the price advertised is almost always inclusive of these. To protect workers we have a minimum wage by law (currently $640.90 AUD per week/$16.87 an hour - still not a great wage!).

Initially, I found the US system quite difficult and prepaid whenever possible to avoid what was to me the embarrassing step of handing someone some cash. One of our first trips to the US was pretty confronting for my family and I because we were used to having tips included in the prices of hotels and some of the service providers (doormen etc) were almost aggressive when hearing our Aussie accents - perhaps they had previous experience where Aussies didn't tip - not because they were cheap but because they didn't realise that things were different.

Now, having travelled to the US many times (for work and fun) I am more used to the different way (for us) of doing things and I am always prepared with the dollar bills.

On the cruise ships we have always prepaid and if we get good service (almost always) we also give envelopes at the end of the cruise with a litle bit extra. Edited October 22, 2014 by jenibor

[Havingfun2010]

I prepay EVERYTHING. Tips, drinks, excursions and specialty restaurants. The small OBC pays for misc purchases. The only thing I don't prepay is the casino. At the end of the cruise, my credit card bill is $50.00 or less.....

I just look at the prepaid tips, as part of the price, and consider them simply a basic service charge. It's not even that much money. $12.00 a day to be served all day.

I have plenty of cash on me for the casino, or getting off the ship etc. At the end, I will start passing out some of those $20's as I see fit. That is a tip.

[Irishwhiskey]

[quote name='clarea']Just a guess, but I believe that if gratuities become prepaid and non-removable, then they will have to be included as part of the advertised price of the cruise. If I recall correctly, the State of Florida won a lawsuit against the cruise companies a while back for something similar with regard to port fees.[/QUOTE]
The cruiselines will never make it so that you can't remove pre paid gratuities.It is the one loophole that makes it possible for them not to include it as part of the fare to cruise.

[Alohaaloha]

We prefer to prepay, it makes it so much easier. And we still tip extra for exceptional service at the end of the cruise.


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