Pre paid gratuities

[madgemonica]

We are considering Celebrity for the first time .We usually sail Princess. As a couple ,we usually pay one lot of gratuity and then individually tip also.

To secure my time dining when booking ,auto gratuities have to be pre paid. Can we remove one lot when onboard and individually tip as usual?

 

 

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[Adidas4fun]

No.

[dkjretired]

Not with Select dining....

[Can'tstopcruising]

The good thing about prepaid is that at the end of the cruise you do not have to scrounge around for US cash! One less thing to think about.

[cynbar]

Are you saying you usually remove the tips totally for one person ? Do you then carry cash and tip every waiter at every meal, service people in the buffet, your steward? Anyway, you would need to switch to Traditional dining to do this, where tips are charged daily to your onboard account. I have never tried to remove tips but I think I read somewhere that you need to give Guest Relations a good reason, such as poor service, but maybe someone who has done this can chime in here.

Edited May 19, 2015 by cynbar

[ClaudiaB]

Just keep your pre paid tips/gratuities in place. Don't remove them or even part of them!!

 

Then, for exceptional service, tip additional in cash as you go along and/or at the end.

 

If you remove tips, you're also "stiffing" others in the pool who help you - at the buffet, at the Mast Grill, all the other places where you may not have personal contact but who definitely serve you.

[dwhe]

 

Are you saying that you think you need to argue with Celebrity to have tips removed.

 

I know where I will spend some time on the Eclipse next month then, there should be some good entertainment when people try if true.

[shot2bits]

A friend of mine was on Eclipse a few weeks ago. He tells me the first thing he did was go and the gratuities removed. He then said he missed his room steward on the last day, so tipped no one.

[2theship]

A friend of mine was on Eclipse a few weeks ago. He tells me the first thing he did was go and the gratuities removed. He then said he missed his room steward on the last day, so tipped no one.

 

Grrrrrrrr . . . :mad:

[cruisestitch]

With Select Dining you can't remove the tips, period.

[Karynanne]

A friend of mine was on Eclipse a few weeks ago. He tells me the first thing he did was go and the gratuities removed. He then said he missed his room steward on the last day, so tipped no one.

 

And he's proud of this?

[Bailey & Sophie]

A friend of mine was on Eclipse a few weeks ago. He tells me the first thing he did was go and the gratuities removed. He then said he missed his room steward on the last day, so tipped no one.

Sure...he "missed" his room steward.

[Apeeler]

Sure...he "missed" his room steward.

 

He could of left it in the room :eek:

[Denny01]

Sure...he "missed" his room steward.

I bet he didn't 'miss' the steward when he needed extra towels, ice, an extra cleaning of the BR, etc. Dont they realize when they say something such as this, they forget we all know what they really meant, especially since the stewards are a quick phone call away. "Oh Steward, I have your tip - can you stop by?" Steward: "I'm sorry, I'm busy cleaning and straightening up a SR for another jerk who will stiff me!!!"

 

Den

[cruisead]

A friend of mine was on Eclipse a few weeks ago. He tells me the first thing he did was go and the gratuities removed. He then said he missed his room steward on the last day, so tipped no one.

 

That is just disgusting and nothing to be proud of. He probably stiffed the wait staff also. You know, just because you don't think this tipping culture is unfair doesn't give people the right to not tip.

[shot2bits]

I was actually embarrassed to relay this, but it is true and not a reflection on the majority of we Brits!

[gergles]

That is just disgusting and nothing to be proud of. He probably stiffed the wait staff also. You know, just because you don't think this tipping culture is unfair doesn't give people the right to not tip.

 

Of course it does. Tips are discretionary, period. If they weren't, they wouldn't let you remove them. I understand that you don't like that because that's how the staff (who's hard work is not denied) get paid and you don't think it's fair that people can choose not to pay them.

 

Unfortunately for that viewpoint, that's the other end of tipping culture. Sometimes you get stiffed, and as someone who works for tips, you learn to deal with that. I wouldn't remove autograts because I just price them in as part of the cruise, but it is absolutely, unequivocally, someone's right to refuse to tip for any reason or for no reason.

[TheViking]

We are first time cruisers heading to Iceland on Celebrity Eclipse at the end of June.

 

We bought the pre paid Classic Alcoholic Drinks package and the Pre Paid Gratuities package on booking so we could budget on-board properly and were told this covered everything.

 

Just seen this on their website "An 18% service charge will be added to Soda, Wine, Water, Classic and Premium Package prices at checkout" It also seems there is a $50 a day limit on the drinks???

 

Anyone advise how that works when we've pre paid gratuities/service charge?

 

Not on board yet and already getting the feeling that Celebrity are money grabbing rip off merchants!!! :confused:

[shot2bits]

Of course it does. Tips are discretionary, period. If they weren't, they wouldn't let you remove them. I understand that you don't like that because that's how the staff (who's hard work is not denied) get paid and you don't think it's fair that people can choose not to pay them.

 

 

 

Unfortunately for that viewpoint, that's the other end of tipping culture. Sometimes you get stiffed, and as someone who works for tips, you learn to deal with that. I wouldn't remove autograts because I just price them in as part of the cruise, but it is absolutely, unequivocally, someone's right to refuse to tip for any reason or for no reason.

 

 

On a personal level, I wish that the employers would pay a decent salary which removed the need for tipping. I think the whole tipping culture is demeaning to the recipient . Having said that, I am happy to pay, if that's the right word, someone for going the extra mile on my behalf. At the end of the day, if I have spent 4 or 5k on a holiday, good service should be a given, not an extra. I know the staff work hard but they are there of their own accord because the conditions and pay are far better than they could expect in their own countries. I have never had less than excellent service from the staff on Celebrity, P&O or Thomson and where required I have been happy to give a gift at the end of my cruise ( or land based holiday). This will always be a contentious subject.

[omeinv]

We are first time cruisers heading to Iceland on Celebrity Eclipse at the end of June.

 

We bought the pre paid Classic Alcoholic Drinks package and the Pre Paid Gratuities package on booking so we could budget on-board properly and were told this covered everything.

 

Just seen this on their website "An 18% service charge will be added to Soda, Wine, Water, Classic and Premium Package prices at checkout" It also seems there is a $50 a day limit on the drinks???

 

Anyone advise how that works when we've pre paid gratuities/service charge?

 

Not on board yet and already getting the feeling that Celebrity are money grabbing rip off merchants!!! :confused:

 

 

Please don't worry. If you have a drink package, it includes the gratuities. Only if you order individual drinks is there a gratuity added. So the way it was explained to you in the first place is accurate. If you've pre-paid gratuities and purchased a drink package you're set. Further, there is no $50.00 per day limit on drinks. The only "limit" would be if a person was drinking to the point they've created a problem; or if they are abusing the package (buying drinks for a person without the package).

 

Finally, I think the Iceland cruise starts in the UK. On those itineraries (UK and Australia), they simply build the gratuities into the price of the drink, rather than having it show up as a separate line item when you sign the chit; but again, with a package, you won't see it either way.

 

I do believe you'll find that - contrary to the impression you've unfortunately received - Celebrity is better than most cruise lines, and certainly better than land based hotels, regarding "nickel and diming". Once on board it's so much nicer than a perusal of Cruise Critic would lead you to expect.

 

You're all set for a great cruise, now just be careful of the internet - and Celebrity's website - they can cause more doubt than they resolve. :)

 

Harris

Denver, CO

Edited May 19, 2015 by omeinv

[Cruizen Susan]

Grrrrrrrr . . . :mad:

 

My sentiments exactly! Outrageous! I heard some other gentleman from England on another thread bragging that he is not accustomed to tipping, never has and never will. He said he goes to customer service, asks that they be removed and refuses to give a reason, saying it's none of their business. I sure hope the cruise staff doesn't judge us all by a few bad apples.

 

When in Rome do what the Romans do. Don't take the cruise if you can't swing the tips. Or if you are a CHEAPSKATE!

 

Geesh!

[TheViking]

Thanks for the reply

[ourlol]

A friend of mine was on Eclipse a few weeks ago. He tells me the first thing he did was go and the gratuities removed. He then said he missed his room steward on the last day, so tipped no one.

There are times when I want to remove my home country from my profile. So often these tipping threads leave me shaking my head and ashamed to admit I'm British. Please don't tar us all with the same brush. I would like to think most of us tip the required amount (as a minimum), with a little extra when deserved.

 

We are first time cruisers heading to Iceland on Celebrity Eclipse at the end of June.

 

If you want to 'meet' some of your fellow cruisers there's a very active roll-call for your sailing. See http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2012065&page=25 That said there's a lot to read. We're nearing 1000 posts.

Edited May 19, 2015 by ourlol
Updates

[Cruizen Susan]

There are times when I want to remove my home country from my profile. So often these tipping threads leave me shaking my head and ashamed to admit I'm British. Please don't tar us all with the same brush. I would like to think most of us tip the required amount (as a minimum), with a little extra when deserved.

 

I won't paint you with the same brush, you obviously are an English gentleman who adjusts

easily to the customs and culture. I could have just as easily said Scotland, Australia, American, etc. in my post on this thread, in addition to England. It's just that we Americans are very accustomed to paying tips for EVERYthing! Too much so, but we are conditioned.

 

Happy cruising! And don't remove your home country....I have met and dined with many lovely British folks on our cruises!

Edited May 19, 2015 by Cruisen'Susan

[wallie5446]

We are first time cruisers heading to Iceland on Celebrity Eclipse at the end of June.

 

We bought the pre paid Classic Alcoholic Drinks package and the Pre Paid Gratuities package on booking so we could budget on-board properly and were told this covered everything.

 

Just seen this on their website "An 18% service charge will be added to Soda, Wine, Water, Classic and Premium Package prices at checkout" It also seems there is a $50 a day limit on the drinks???

 

Anyone advise how that works when we've pre paid gratuities/service charge?

 

Not on board yet and already getting the feeling that Celebrity are money grabbing rip off merchants!!! :confused:

 

You need to re-read whatever it was you read. Totally wrong in every point.