Princess to Increase Daily Gratuities

[LauraS]

Check out the latest Princess Cruises news from Cruise Critic:

 

Princess to Increase Daily Gratuities

[karabear15]

This states 12.95 per day...however I am booked March 2016 and on my paperwork it shows 12.00 per day, up from 11.50. So which is it??

[AlaskaGolden]

This might help explain. Pay today or tomorrow (pre-pay) and it's the old rate; wait until later (e.g. On the ship) and it's the new rate.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2265504

[oskidunker]

Its whatever you want to tip. If you want to tip the old rate,go to the pursers desk and tell them.

 

The Princess guidelines are a SUGGESTION. They wont throw you overboard if you tip less

[rocklinmom]

I am booked on a June 2016 cruise and yesterday I got an email about the increased gratuities. It said that I can prepay at the old rate by October 31st. I already prepaid last week, but this new date (old CC posts had said to prepay by October 15, which is today) might help others with cruises booked.

[chamima]

We also got the email but, as we have pre-paid gratuities on our next cruise, this won't affect us. (That is also in the email).

 

I just would like to commend Princess for sending out this email and informing people of the change and offering a way to circumvent it if people want.

 

Have had some not so wonderful experiences with other cruise lines recently implementing changes with absolutely no notice!

[Steelers36]

I am booked on a June 2016 cruise and yesterday I got an email about the increased gratuities. It said that I can prepay at the old rate by October 31st. I already prepaid last week, but this new date (old CC posts had said to prepay by October 15, which is today) might help others with cruises booked.

 

Princess extended the date. Sounds like thousands of email notices went out in the past week.

[tserface]

The seriously need to change what they call this since it clearly isn't a "gratuity". I don't care if we have to pay a service charge or not, but the idea of "raising" a gratuity seems kind of weird. Gratuities are supposed to be totally optional according to definition.

 

Might be time for the cruise lines to just own up to what they are doing and call it what it is ...

 

Tom

[twiggycat]

Has anyone had trouble prepaying?

 

We have two cruises booked. One in Jan. 2016 no problem prepaying. The other one Apr.2016 can't prepay on line(too soon maybe), then why send email about prepaying if you can't do it.

 

Tried to call , was on hold 30 minutes, never got through.

 

Hopefully it is just our account not system wide .

 

I am so tired of emails from Princess about saving money and go to do it and there is some fine print preventing the saving.

[coops]

Has anyone had trouble prepaying?

 

We have two cruises booked. One in Jan. 2016 no problem prepaying. The other one Apr.2016 can't prepay on line(too soon maybe), then why send email about prepaying if you can't do it.

 

Tried to call , was on hold 30 minutes, never got through.

 

Hopefully it is just our account not system wide .

 

I am so tired of emails from Princess about saving money and go to do it and there is some fine print preventing the saving.

 

Our cruise is also in April 2016 and had no trouble prepaying it yesterday.

[twiggycat]

 

Thanks. I will keep trying.

[elliair]

Its whatever you want to tip. If you want to tip the old rate,go to the pursers desk and tell them.

 

The Princess guidelines are a SUGGESTION. They wont throw you overboard if you tip less

 

The more I think about it, the more I think I'll do just that. I've been wanting a raise for a long time and it just isn't going to happen. I want a higher interest rate paid on my savings account and it isn't going to happen. I want lower prices at the restaurants I frequent and that's not going to happen either. Princess can increase the fares to compensate paying their employees and be done with it. This gratuity business has gotten out of hand.

 

For instance, its become expected of people who stay in a hotel to tip the housekeeper. We did just that this past weekend, and there was no acknowledgment of it - no thank you nothing. If the housekeeper can't say thank you, then I can send a message as well. No longer will we tip housekeepers at a hotel and this has happened numerous times with us. My hotel rate includes the cost of the housekeeper's wages. So should it be for cruise lines.

[notentirelynormal]

I just did it for both my cruises. Saved $32 on the 4 day cruise and $56 on the 7 day cruise in April. Did it today. That $56 will pay for the drink package for my grandson. Fortunately my granddaughter likes water and an occasional lemonade. She's a cheap date drink wise.

[emmieepoo]

The seriously need to change what they call this since it clearly isn't a "gratuity". I don't care if we have to pay a service charge or not, but the idea of "raising" a gratuity seems kind of weird. Gratuities are supposed to be totally optional according to definition.

 

Might be time for the cruise lines to just own up to what they are doing and call it what it is ...

 

Tom

 

I agree! I don't like the cruise companies to tell me what I have to tip. If I don't get good service, I don't tip..

[Thrak]

Has anyone had trouble prepaying?

 

We have two cruises booked. One in Jan. 2016 no problem prepaying. The other one Apr.2016 can't prepay on line(too soon maybe), then why send email about prepaying if you can't do it.

 

 

I have a cruise booked for June 2016. I paid my gratuities (at the old rate) in advance this morning with no problems at all.

[AZJerry]

We booked a cuise under 3 for free promotion, one of which includes free gratuities. Hopefully this doesn't screw us over somehow.

[Nezmo]

We booked a cuise under 3 for free promotion, one of which includes free gratuities. Hopefully this doesn't screw us over somehow.

From the email people are receiving from Princess:

"You have the opportunity to prepay your daily gratuities at the current rate through October 31, 2015. You may prepay through your Cruise Personalizer at http://www.princess.com under Payments and Credits, or contact us at 1-800-774-6237. Guests booked with promotions that include paid gratuities will not be affected by this rate increase."

[elliair]

It just occurred to me with the 3 for free promotion going on clear into next year, the increase to those who are not in on the promotion will be subsidizing those who aren't paying the gratuity. Someone has to make up for that loss and it's going to be us! Clever of Princess to offer you to pay ahead of time at the current rate, hold your money until your cruise and they haven't lost a thing.

[Musky Ike]

We booked a cuise under 3 for free promotion, one of which includes free gratuities. Hopefully this doesn't screw us over somehow.

 

On the contrary, it makes the value of the free gratuity payment more of a value. :) I just hope they actually pay the new amount into the tip pool for the staff.

[caribill]

 

I just would like to commend Princess for sending out this email and informing people of the change and offering a way to circumvent it if people want.

 

 

Was not always this way.

 

We were once on a B2B Princess cruise.

 

The auto-tip increased on day one of the second segment. No prior notice at all.

 

Also, if passengers do pre-pay the tips, then OBC cannot be used to pay them later when on the cruise.

Edited October 16, 2015 by caribill

[Musky Ike]

Was not always this way.

 

 

Also, if passengers do pre-pay the tips, then OBC cannot be used to pay them later when on the cruise.

 

Correct, more profit for Princess, great marketing tool.

[rocklinmom]

OBC cannot be used to pay the daily gratuities.

[msmoger]

OBC cannot be used to pay the daily gratuities.

 

I don't think that is correct. As far as I know, any OBC balance on your account will be used to pay any charges added to your account. If I'm wrong, I'm sure someone will let me know. :)

[Nan_Sea]

OBC is deducted for tips on a daily basis.

[AZJerry]

From the email people are receiving from Princess:

"You have the opportunity to prepay your daily gratuities at the current rate through October 31, 2015. You may prepay through your Cruise Personalizer at www.princess.com under Payments and Credits, or contact us at 1-800-774-6237. Guests booked with promotions that include paid gratuities will not be affected by this rate increase."

 

It's not that I don't trust Princess but I did print out the email to be kept with our paperwork, just in case...