SINGLE HSC/TIPPING THREAD (Previously "Why are gratuities not included in Fares?")

[DaveOKC]

The wine steward gets his tip based on your order (15% is added to your bar bill). I have never tipped them extra but if I wanted to, I would give that directly to him/her. The cash we leave on the table is shared among the remaining dining room staff.

 

Since the wine server/steward gets 15%, I seldom tip extra. However, sometimes I bring a gift bottle to be served to us and in that case I do slip him $5 to make up for the lost 15% tip he/she would have gotten otherwise. They really seem to appreciate it.

[kazu]

It may vary by ship, but the Matre'd in the PG on Westerdam told me that tips were pooled in the PG.

 

That's what I have always been told and understood too.

[KirkNC]

Since the wine server/steward gets 15%, I seldom tip extra. However, sometimes I bring a gift bottle to be served to us and in that case I do slip him $5 to make up for the lost 15% tip he/she would have gotten otherwise. They really seem to appreciate it.

 

Good idea but I wonder who, if anyone, gets the $18 corkage fees. The name would imply it's for opening the wine but it well may go to the house coffers.

 

Ops, looks like this has been moved/combined with the numerous stickies. Funny as there are so many of those I pay them no mind.

Edited November 27, 2016 by KirkNC

[cbr663]

In which speciality restaurants do you tip separately (not included in the restaurant surcharge price) and how do you do it (i.e. automatically charged to your shipboard account, you authorize a charge, cash, etc)? How much should you tip (eq. a percent of the surcharge price, some other basis, etc).

 

FYI - On HAL, the gratuity is not included in the restaurant surcharge price, but it is included in the daily hotel service charge.

[jtl513]

... But i wonder who, if anyone, gets the $18 corkage fees.

hal Edited November 27, 2016 by jtl513

[Boytjie]

Good idea but I wonder who, if anyone, gets the $18 corkage fees. The name would imply it's for opening the wine but it well may go to the house coffers.

 

 

Corkage: a charge made by a restaurant or hotel for serving wine that has been brought in by a customer.

 

It has nothing to do with physically opening the bottle

 

 

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[Blanq]

I will be sailing on the K-dam for 9 nights in March and have booked a cabana at the retreat for our entire sail. This is new territory for me, and from what I can tell, the cabana butlers provide attentive service throughout the day, bringing lunch at your request, providing bottled water, sparking wine, fruit, etc. If we puchase drinks, I am aware a service charge will be assessed but am contemplating what might be an appropriate tip to extend at the end of our stay to the butlers. Anyone willing to share what they have done or would do with respect to tipping in this situation?

[alwaysfrantic]

I think I gave the head one $100 and his assistant $75 but it might have been $75 each.

[Blanq]

I think I gave the head one $100 and his assistant $75 but it might have been $75 each.

 

Thank you, Frantic, for your reply!

[Hsmama]

Ok, as a noob, just booked a HAL cruise to Alaska- I think I prefer to pay gratuities ahead of time,and this is a set fee,right? also On board credits. what exactly are they,how do they work? Can they be applied to an excursion,or tips? I am considering the HAL visa card,as it gives some credits after first use. Thanks

[jtl513]

Occasionally HAL offers some cruises with pre-paid Hotel Service Charges, but in general the only way to pre-pay them is by buying yourself some On Board Credits ... which is money that can be used for excursions or any other on board purchases. (HAL says "except the casino", but in practice you can use them for slot machines.) The HSC is $13.50/person/day for suite guests, and $12.50/p/d for all others.

 

Good idea to use the HAL-Barclay Visa card. You get 2 points per dollar for every HAL charge, and sometimes 3 points for pre-purchases of things like specialty restaurant reservations. They can add up quickly!

 

Enjoy HAL in the Great Land!

Edited December 10, 2016 by jtl513

[RocketMan275]

Ok, as a noob, just booked a HAL cruise to Alaska- I think I prefer to pay gratuities ahead of time,and this is a set fee,right? also On board credits. what exactly are they,how do they work? Can they be applied to an excursion,or tips? I am considering the HAL visa card,as it gives some credits after first use. Thanks

 

Yes, you can pay your gratuities up front. It's a set daily rate per person and the amount will depend upon whether you're in a suite or not. Suites are $13.5 and all others are $12.5. Feel free to tip extra for excellent service. For example, we always give a couple of dollars for room service. Bar service has it's own gratuities and an automatic 18% (IIRC) is applied to all drink orders including soft drinks.

 

OBC. Two different kinds. The kind give by Holland is non-refundable, use or lose. The kind given by Travel Agents or if you purchase for yourself are refundable and will be credited back if unused. OBC is used to pay for any purchases on board. For example, drinks in the bar, shore excursions purchased after boarding. OBC can also be applied to your gratuities. Think of your onboard account like a checking account. If you have OBC, you start with a positive balance and charges are deducted from the balance. After the OBC is used, further charges are applied to your credit card. You cannot use OBC to pay for items you purchase prior to boarding. It's call "on-board credit" for a reason.

 

Lots of folks like the cruise company credit card but there are better options available. For example, my Costco and Sams Club credit cards both pay 3% cash back on travel including airlines, hotels, restaurants, and cruise lines. That beats any of the cruise line cards. Cash back is great since it can be combined with any promotion or offer. Cash back also can be used on any cruise line so you are not locked into a particular line. And, the 3% applies to all travel, not just the travel booked through the cruise line.

 

You do have to recoup the membership fee but these cards quickly pay for themselves.

 

Here's what Cruise Critic has to say:

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=1453

Edited December 10, 2016 by RocketMan275

[Boytjie]

Deleted. (Better explained by others!)

Edited December 10, 2016 by Boytjie

[Randyk47]

Ok, as a noob, just booked a HAL cruise to Alaska- I think I prefer to pay gratuities ahead of time,and this is a set fee,right? also On board credits. what exactly are they,how do they work? Can they be applied to an excursion,or tips? I am considering the HAL visa card,as it gives some credits after first use. Thanks

 

There is no direct way to prepay the Hotel Service Charge (HSC). You can create a credit reserve in your onboard account before the cruise equal to or greater than the HSC that can be used for paying the HSC or any other charges you make while on the ship. All your onboard purchases (tours, liquor, specialty restaurants, etc., etc.) get charged to you onboard account and in turn to whatever credit card you have to provide at the beginning of the cruise.

[jtl513]

bar service has it's own gratuities and an automatic 18% (iirc) is applied to all drink orders including soft drinks.

15%.

 

Off-topic: this 15% Service Charge was applied to gelato on the Koningsdam!

Edited December 10, 2016 by jtl513

[Hsmama]

Yes, you can pay your gratuities up front. It's a set daily rate per person and the amount will depend upon whether you're in a suite or not. Suites are $13.5 and all others are $12.5. Feel free to tip extra for excellent service. For example, we always give a couple of dollars for room service. Bar service has it's own gratuities and an automatic 18% (IIRC) is applied to all drink orders including soft drinks.

 

Ok so if I haven't yet paid them in my fare, I can set it up ahead of time on my cc? I want to keep it simple and do this.... bar service....so if I order a beer, is it auto tip with the 18% added in? it the price of the drink included the 18%? Do I then tip on top of that? (again, want to get the proper idea before we go)

[Hsmama]

Yeah, I hear you on the HAL cc.... I like the offer only b/c it's no annual fee,and they give $50 OBC to use right away which is a nice little perk. (I'm familiar with other,better cc offers tho)

[jtl513]

...so if I order a beer, is it auto tip with the 18% added in? it the price of the drink included the 18%? Do I then tip on top of that?

The price you see on the menu does not include the 15% service charge ... but the slip you sign will have it added automatically. There is no need to tip on top of that, but once in a while we will give a little cash too if we feel the server or bartender has done something special for us or been especially nice. Edited December 11, 2016 by jtl513

[Hsmama]

thanks for the info..... side question- do soft drinks come with the regular eating places? or are they always extra?

[kazu]

thanks for the info..... side question- do soft drinks come with the regular eating places? or are they always extra?

 

soft drinks are extra. water, milk, iced tea & juices (at breakfast) are free.

[RocketMan275]

Ok so if I haven't yet paid them in my fare, I can set it up ahead of time on my cc? I want to keep it simple and do this.... bar service....so if I order a beer, is it auto tip with the 18% added in? it the price of the drink included the 18%? Do I then tip on top of that? (again, want to get the proper idea before we go)

 

You will be asked when you check-in at the pier how you wish to handle on-board charges. You can present a credit card and all on-board charges, drinks, excursions, specialty dining, gratuities, things you buy in the shop, will automatically be charged to your card at the end of the cruise. This is the simplest option. Once you provide a credit card, you don't have to do any thing further.

 

Tipping is a controversial topic here at CC. Some want do eliminate it completely. Some say the service charge is sufficient and there is no need to tip extra.

 

We always take cash to pay for extra tips. I will usually leave an extra dollar or two for bartenders especially if I frequent a specific bar. It's not necessary but it does improve the service. I always tip the attendant who brings room service, probably two maybe more depending. Up to five if it's a large order.

 

Some will tip those who provide services while on a shore excursion, the driver and the guide. We don't do excursions so I don't know much about this. We also will tip the room steward, five to ten dollars per day.

 

Any OBC will be used to pay on-board charges before any charges go to your credit card. You can add OBC to your account. You can also tell them at check-in that you will use cash. I'm not very familiar with this. I think when your account balance hits $250, you will be asked to come to the front desk and pay down the balance or no futher charges will be allowed. You will also be required to come to the front desk and settle your account on the last day.

 

Questions?

[JVilleGal]

There is no direct way to prepay the Hotel Service Charge (HSC). You can create a credit reserve in your onboard account before the cruise equal to or greater than the HSC that can be used for paying the HSC or any other charges you make while on the ship. All your onboard purchases (tours, liquor, specialty restaurants, etc., etc.) get charged to you onboard account and in turn to whatever credit card you have to provide at the beginning of the cruise.

 

 

If you call HAL directly and tell them you would like to Pre-Pay you Gratuities they will do it. There is no where on line to pre pay but it's easily accomplished with a phone call. That has been my experience anyway :)

 

 

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Edited December 11, 2016 by JVilleGal

[jtl513]

If you call HAL directly and tell them you would like to Pre-Pay you Gratuities they will do it. They is no where on line to pre pay but it's easily accomplished with a phone call.

I prefer to just buy OBC on-line. Even more easily accomplished.

[JVilleGal]

I prefer to just buy OBC on-line. Even more easily accomplished.

 

 

 

Some people just like to know that the Gratuities are set aside and taken care of. And I also by OBC ahead as a way to have more of my cruise already paid for before I leave the dock. Better yet is when my TA pays the Gratuities and provides me with OBC which is often the case! :)

 

 

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[sail7seas]

Some people just like to know that the Gratuities are set aside and taken care of. And I also by OBC ahead as a way to have more of my cruise already paid for before I leave the dock. Better yet is when my TA pays the Gratuities and provides me with OBC which is often the case! :)Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

 

 

 

Plain brewed coffee is no additional charge at brreakfdast, dinner etc. Same for tea. Espresso and cappacino are additional charge. when ordered in the MDR.

Edited December 11, 2016 by sail7seas