Beverage Package Gratuities Update: 15% to 18%

[Kleasie]

I know this is a very old theme but why do we have to "tip" extra for being served? I suggest 95% of the people reading this do not expect a gratuity for doing their job. Do you, yes you reader, expect to receive a gratuity?

 

I'm not trying to deny the cruise staff a decent wage. I'm simply suggesting that's what they should get in the first place and then "tips" for extra special service are just that. Some cruise lines understand this. Sadly most of those also include free booze as well as a living wage so it gets complicated.

 

Put-up the prices and pay the crew properly so they aren't reliant on charity - even if it is added automatically.

 

Maybe this is a subject for the United Nation's committee on ... sorry, I forgot UN stands for Usually Not-interested.

 

I couldn't have said it better myself!

[ghstudio]

I wonder if the "free gratuities" we have all been getting as part of 1-2-3 or otherwise will now internally be increased to the 18% so that after 2/1 the working folks actually get the full amount of the "raise".

 

It would be very nice to see a post by Celebrity Cruises that this is the case.

[DinaS]

I know this is a very old theme but why do we have to "tip" extra for being served? I suggest 95% of the people reading this do not expect a gratuity for doing their job. Do you, yes you reader, expect to receive a gratuity?

...

 

Do you NOT tip your waiter or waitress in a restaurant? Do you NOT tip your bartender when you go out for a drink after work?

 

An accountant shouldn't expect a tip for doing your taxes, since you are paying the full amount for their time.

 

Bartenders, waiters, waitresses, etc all COUNT ON TIPS TO SURVIVE.

 

I don't expect to receive a gratuity because I am not in an industry that depends on tips to survive.

[Celebrity Cruises]

I wonder if the "free gratuities" we have all been getting as part of 1-2-3 or otherwise will now internally be increased to the 18% so that after 2/1 the working folks actually get the full amount of the "raise".

 

It would be very nice to see a post by Celebrity Cruises that this is the case.

 

Yes, 18%.

[groryjm]

Do you NOT tip your waiter or waitress in a restaurant? Do you NOT tip your bartender when you go out for a drink after work?

 

An accountant shouldn't expect a tip for doing your taxes, since you are paying the full amount for their time.

 

Bartenders, waiters, waitresses, etc all COUNT ON TIPS TO SURVIVE.

 

I don't expect to receive a gratuity because I am not in an industry that depends on tips to survive.

 

In Europe and Australia this medieval concept was outlawed years ago :eek:

Edited January 29, 2015 by groryjm

[CHEZMARYLOU]

We upgraded our September cruise today and were charged the 15%.

 

Mary Lou

[ghstudio]

Yes, 18%.

 

 

That's terrific...those folks deserve more money. Thanks for the update.

 

 

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[OkanaganRon]

Smurfette you are absolutely correct. I upgraded yesterday for 2 people 14 days and the cost to me in CAN$ was $412.16...note that equates to an exchange rate of about $1.26, no longer a bargain rate!

[Wine-O]

Upgrade from the Classic Package to the Premium package is going from $11.50 to $11.80 a day. :eek: OMG, how can one afford the extra 30 cents a day? :rolleyes:

Edited January 29, 2015 by Wine-O

[CHEZMARYLOU]

Upgrade from the Classic Package to the Premium package is going from $11.50 to $11.80 a day. :eek: OMG, how can one afford the extra 30 cents a day? :rolleyes:

 

Had I known about the extra 30 cents a day I might have waited until next week to upgrade.

 

Mary Lou

[monicajay]

:o So for those wondering, we Canadians do NOT pay at par for the upgrade anymore. So I was told. ;)

 

I do not believe Celebrity has ever had Canadian at par. Sometimes they have held a better exchange rate than market exhange. Today the Canadian $ slipped below .80 cents to the USD, so it is no wonder they've changed the rate.

[HAM]

Hi there,

 

You should still receive the old rate. If you continue to have an issue, please let us know and we will try to assist.

 

You will TRY to assist? Why not just assist !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[HAM]

Hi

 

I have to admit as an Australian tipping is just an alien concept for me anyway. Here we generally only tip people if the service was absolutely outstanding.

 

I understand that tipping substitutes the income for the worker due to low wages. Because I'm not used to it tipping actually impacts negatively on my vacation because I'm constantly stressing about 'do I tip, how much etc'. For me it also takes away from the feeling of genuine hospitality - for example locally in Australia if you make requests when on holiday you would not expect to pay people extra - people do it because of the pride in their job and they genuinely want to make your experience positive. When I'm overseas I sometimes feel like people are only doing 'nice' things to receive something in return (tip).

 

I also get though that Aussie wages are very good and people don't need tips to survive financially...

 

 

I would honestly prefer to pay a higher cost for my cruise and have the staff paid appropriate wages so these ridiculously high automatic gratuities are not added to the tab. 18% for drinks service - to me that is highway robbery.

 

I don't see what your comments have to do with the increase. from 15% to 18%. If you want to debate the merits of tipping, then that's a totally different conversation.

[jelayne]

Wine prices up at least 10% last year, but package limits remained the same ($8 for Classic, $13 for Premium). I most certainly can understand an increase in gratuties, but appears to be less for more. I believe that Celebrity should consider rasing the per drink price by $1 or $2 to restore some of the choices that were eliminated due to increases.

 

The Classic package limits for wine are $9 not $8.

[The_Big_M]

I don't see what your comments have to do with the increase. from 15% to 18%. If you want to debate the merits of tipping, then that's a totally different conversation.

 

I think the point is that the more 'exceptional' something is from normal, the more annoying it can be.

 

Paying 10% more when you're not accustomed to it can be tolerated under normal contingencies. Almost doubling that amount makes it more of an issue.

 

If the percentage has gone that high, two questions.

 

1) As at least some drink prices have also risen, why is the proportional increase in the gratuity no longer sufficient? Have wages gone up dramatically more than CPI reflected by the drink price increase?

2) When the percentage gets so significant it's time to re-look at the issue and include them in the prices, as other lines and regions have done.

[bighairtexan]

I don't care about that increase at all but I WISH some of the money would go toward MORE staffing at bars and bar waiters. Sometimes finding available bar staff is like looking for bird poop in a cuckoo clock.

[K.T.B.]

Unless my math is off, it's an additional $2.50 per day per person. In all honesty, the hard working people of the ship probably deserve more. So I have NO problem in them getting an increase in their tips. It's a small bit of money when you're spending thousands on vacation. :)

[bvocruise]

I just called to upgrade our beverage package for a 11 night cruise on the Reflection in May. It turns out the beverage package is not showing up at Celebrity. I spoke with my TA and they see it on their end. They will call them tomorrow and try to resolve the issue.

 

We actually planned on paying for it this week anyway to be done with it.

[Safety Squirrel]

How do you justify 18% gratuity on a beverage??! Particularly, in light of the fact that your oil/fuel costs have dropped about 40% in the last few months?

 

Gratuities have nothing to do with oil prices.

 

Gratuities go the serving personnel who well deserve them.:D

[belasea]

Hi all,

 

Effective February 1, 2015 for all sailings beginning on or after February 1, 2015, our beverage gratuity rate will increase from 15% to 18%. This includes all individual drinks and beverage packages (purchased pre-cruise and onboard). Any packages that were purchased prior to February 1, 2015 will still be eligible for the 15% gratuity rate, and no additional gratuities will be assessed.

 

Hello, we are taking a cruise in May and new to cruising. We received the Classic Beverage Package as part of the 123Go promotion. Do we pay the gratuity on the beverage package that we received? How do the tips get paid for the beverage package? I thought we were charged per person, per day, for our tips and that we paid the tips at the end of the cruise, but are there additional tips for the beverages? I have no problem paying the tips, I just want to make sure that I understand the protocol and what is expected. Thank you

[jveevers]

Hi all,

 

Effective February 1, 2015 for all sailings beginning on or after February 1, 2015, our beverage gratuity rate will increase from 15% to 18%. This includes all individual drinks and beverage packages (purchased pre-cruise and onboard). Any packages that were purchased prior to February 1, 2015 will still be eligible for the 15% gratuity rate, and no additional gratuities will be assessed.

Funny how we only ever hear from "official Celebrity" when it is negative news. Impossible to get responce when we have issues, like it took 6 weeks of emails and phone calls to find out that our cruise 2016 was cancelled due to chartering.

[burrma]

If they keep " money grabbing " and this getting on ship late afternoon; missing drinks and lunch on embarkation; might have to rethink sailing 3 weeks in 2016 with them. Leaving Sunday for three weeks now; will report back.

They cancelled out Hawaii trip also; real late so other lines had gone up in price. Not doing well!

[kristapb]

Hello, we are taking a cruise in May and new to cruising. We received the Classic Beverage Package as part of the 123Go promotion. Do we pay the gratuity on the beverage package that we received? How do the tips get paid for the beverage package? I thought we were charged per person, per day, for our tips and that we paid the tips at the end of the cruise, but are there additional tips for the beverages? I have no problem paying the tips, I just want to make sure that I understand the protocol and what is expected. Thank you

 

No need for any "additional" payments, unless you want to. Your daily gratuity charge goes to the cabin stewards, waiters, etc. The bartenders receive a gratuity on each drink when you have the classic or premium (included in the package) beverage package. No need to tip extra, although many people do if they particularly appreciate the service from a particular individual.

[jveevers]

Hello, we are taking a cruise in May and new to cruising. We received the Classic Beverage Package as part of the 123Go promotion. Do we pay the gratuity on the beverage package that we received? How do the tips get paid for the beverage package? I thought we were charged per person, per day, for our tips and that we paid the tips at the end of the cruise, but are there additional tips for the beverages? I have no problem paying the tips, I just want to make sure that I understand the protocol and what is expected. Thank you

Your Beverage Package received under 123go is unaffected, Celebrity paid the Grats included. If you upgrade you now pay the daily rate (think $10.00) plus 18% = $11.80. Previously upgrade would have cost you $11.50 ($10.00 + 15%).

Of course upgrading is optional as is tipping extra to Bar Staff, keeping in mind that you have in affect already paid 15% courtesy of Celebrity. As for other gratuities , for non bar staff, a daily amount is added. That is unless you also have free grats as part of 123go.

If you have selected "any time dining" you would have had to pay the daily grats up-front, so they will not be added daily.

Depending on your view or tradition of tipping, you can add or give additional at any stage

[Karynanne]

If they keep " money grabbing " and this getting on ship late afternoon; missing drinks and lunch on embarkation; might have to rethink sailing 3 weeks in 2016 with them. Leaving Sunday for three weeks now; will report back.

 

They cancelled out Hawaii trip also; real late so other lines had gone up in price. Not doing well!

 

 

"Money grabbing"? The 18% gratuity is extremely fair. In large populated cities, gratuities are between 18 and 20%...sometimes a bit more.

Celebrity servers are deserving of the increase.

 

 

 

 

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