Be careful if you pre-paid your tips at the 2015 rate.

[Ron the Rev]

I just prepaid my gratuities last week for my cruise next week on the Crown. I'm pretty sure i paid the new rate however I don't have a problem if its the new rate. The people who get these tips deserve them and more so I'm not going to sweat the $1 more a day. Now mind you it's only 2 of us for a 4 day cruise. If it were for 4 on a longer cruise it might be a little harder to swallow but like I said I feel they deserve that extra dollar:)

We prepaid at the old rate and got a receipt for it. now though the new rate comes up on the personaliser, at the new rate as having been paid. Oh well whatever happens what's an extra few bucks against the enormous wine bill I usually score up.:) Any ways any extra direct to staff is always appreciated and if you've prepaid at least they don't have to turn it in to the communal kitty.

No pockets in shrouds you know.

[Redwing55]

Dang, I wish I would have known that Princess would have handled it this way. We didn't prepay since we thought we'd just tip at the current rate. Turns out, it ends up having the same tip value either way. Oh well, it's only money.

[Retiring cajun]

We prepaid too. Just saw on personalizer they charged new rate???? What the heck?

[Retiring cajun]

But on my printed receipt it shows 2015 price!! Guess I'll call Princess [emoji16]

[Pushka]

My receipt shows the old prices (obviously) but online it shows as the adjusted rate.

[blbailey]

Following

[mrswallace2012]

We paid gratuities in November and we were charged the new rates . Should I call princess and ask for that money to be credited back ?

[Steelers36]

Am I missing something here, or do you people not get it?

 

You paid $X last year (before the OCT deadline).

Princess has recorded $Y credit in your Personalizer.

When you cruise, your folio will be charged the new current rate on board - $Y.

$Y credit and $Y charges cancel off and you are whole with paying in advance at the old rate.

Staff gets new tips as has been reported and recorded here numerous times last fall.

 

End thread?

Edited January 13, 2016 by steelers36

[Pushka]

Am I missing something here, or do you people not get it?

 

You paid $X last year (before the OCT deadline).

Princess has recorded $Y credit in your Personalizer.

When you cruise, your folio will be charged the new current rate on board - $Y.

$Y credit and $Y charges cancel off and you are whole with paying in advance at the old rate.

Staff gets new tips as has been reported and recorded here numerous times last fall.

 

End thread?

 

I get it. But just adding to the thread that my account has been recorded correctly. There has been some conflicting information posted here so just posting my experience. ;)

[Steelers36]

I get it. But just adding to the thread that my account has been recorded correctly. There has been some conflicting information posted here so just posting my experience. ;)

 

Yup, I know. You got it but others seem confused - or is it me. Hopefully clarity will occur soon. ;)

[Steelers36]

We paid gratuities in November and we were charged the new rates . Should I call princess and ask for that money to be credited back ?

 

Princess had a deadline for being able to pay 2016 cruise grats at the old rate and at first is was mid-October I believe and then it was extended to end of October. You've been charged correctly if I understand your situation correctly.

[Pushka]

Princess had a deadline for being able to pay 2016 cruise grats at the old rate and at first is was mid-October I believe and then it was extended to end of October. You've been charged correctly if I understand your situation correctly.

 

 

Ah. I understand your earlier comment now. :p

[CineGraphic]

Am I missing something here, or do you people not get it?

 

You paid $X last year (before the OCT deadline).

Princess has recorded $Y credit in your Personalizer.

When you cruise, your folio will be charged the new current rate on board - $Y.

$Y credit and $Y charges cancel off and you are whole with paying in advance at the old rate.

Staff gets new tips as has been reported and recorded here numerous times last fall.

 

End thread?

 

Not in my case.

I pre-paid "X", and they were charging me "Y", and that's why I started the thread.

[bigguy1]

Am I missing something here, or do you people not get it?

 

You paid $X last year (before the OCT deadline).

Princess has recorded $Y credit in your Personalizer.

When you cruise, your folio will be charged the new current rate on board - $Y.

$Y credit and $Y charges cancel off and you are whole with paying in advance at the old rate.

Staff gets new tips as has been reported and recorded here numerous times last fall.

 

End thread?

 

The "staff" have contracts ranging from 6 to 9 months. Is their salary for the contract period stated in the contract or is their compensation based on pooled gratuities? If their compensation is fixed, then the gratuity increase in nothing more than an increase in the fare. So, does anyone know if staff (waiters, cabin attendants, etc.) is salaried or does the tip pool determine their compensation?

[JLDMED]

I prepaid our tips in October at the 2015 rate. There was NO daily charge on our ship account, at all, for tips. There was NO credit on our shipboard account for the amount we prepaid.

 

Onboard service desk said it had already been taken care of. It was very easy.

[cruzsnooze]

Dang, I wish I would have known that Princess would have handled it this way. We didn't prepay since we thought we'd just tip at the current rate. Turns out, it ends up having the same tip value either way. Oh well, it's only money.

 

At guest services they will adjust your daily rate to ANY amount you wish to pay.

[emmak8]

What if everyone had their rate adjusted to the old rate? :D

[qqwer123]

Our experience was that we had prepaid our gratuities and on our cruise (Royal, March 23) we were not billed at all for gratuities and there was not even an obc showing anything. It was fine with us because we were not billed and it did not show up. On other cruises when we prepaid them, we just had a obc showing. So on the Royal at least, they have changed the way this is done.

Edited April 13, 2016 by qqwer123

[Thrak]

I'll just "wait and see" as usual. :)

 

I agree that it's most likely just a bookkeeping thing and they need to show the increased rate even though we paid at the old rate. Like others, I expect to either see no charge or a daily charge followed by a daily credit.

 

I always take a print of the email from Princess showing my gifted OBC, etc. So far I have never needed to produce it.

[cruzsnooze]

What if everyone had their rate adjusted to the old rate? :D

 

Then Princess would have to pay the crew and put up their own money for the incentive programs, retirement programs and other stuff they use our money for that is called tips but really isn't.

Keep in mind the daily rate is merely a SUGGESTION.

[pablo222]

Then Princess would have to pay the crew and put up their own money for the incentive programs, retirement programs and other stuff they use our money for that is called tips but really isn't.

 

What retirement program?

[MrMan]

How much could this be? Less than the cost of a cocktail on most cruises. It would take a lot more to spend vacation standing in line in customer service line over such an immaterial amount. Its like my retired father, if its Monday its time to go talk with the Post Office guys, if its Tuesday bank tellers. And it's not like the difference is going to a great cause.

 

There is a special place in heaven for those working the Purser desk.

[riclop]

When you "pre-pay" your tips, you're just sending yourself OBC in the amount of the anticipated tips. The OBC can be used for anything charged to your account. Nothing is actually pre-paid other than the OBC. The OBC amount you pre-paid doesn't lock you in at the older rate. It's just OBC.

 

That is not true when you pre pay your grats are not listed on your account, it's not OBC.

[cruzsnooze]

What retirement program?

 

I was told it is the for crew's retirement that were non service people people who work on the ships long enough to get retirement. Also the "tips" money is used for crew parties and incentive programs like employee of the month.

[caribill]

We paid gratuities in November and we were charged the new rates . Should I call princess and ask for that money to be credited back ?

 

You had to pre-pay by (I think) the end of September to lock in the old rate.

 

So in November Princess was correct to charge the new rate.