tipping

[notyours75]

No, I don't have it removed. I know the idea of the auto-gratuity came about so that people wouldn't have to put cash in envelopes to give out to the staff. I have also read on here that the staff know if you've had your auto-gratuity removed. If the charge doesn't get posted to your S&S account until the last day or so of the cruise, how would the staff (cabin steward, waiters, etc.) know ahead of time? I realize that some people pre-pay the gratuities (days, weeks, even months ahead of time) as a convenience to themselves, to "get it out of the way", as some have put it. If you're happy doing it that way, fine. However, in my mind, you're paying far in advance for a service that has not been rendered yet. That's a concept I'm having a hard time understanding. Would you pay someone else in the service industry (plumber, carpet cleaner, furnace/a.c. repair person, etc.) before the work is done? Maybe I'm looking at it the wrong way, but pre-paying a tip before service is rendered, and particularly a specified (not suggested) amount, just doesn't seem right to me. If it's going to be prepaid, and it's going to be a specified amount, then let's stop calling it a "gratuity" and call it what it really is. An income supplement.

 

By the same logic your paying weeks, months, if not years in advance to Carnival for a service they have not yet rendered either. Yet they demand payment in full at least 60 days ahead of time. Are they providing any less of a "service" than your waiter or room steward?

 

I do agree that the cruise industry has boxed themselves into a quandary by call it gratuities when it really is a service charge or supplement. Some cruise lines such as NCL have even gone to mandatory, no changing, no removing "gratuities". This is simply an excuse to pay employees as little as possible but have their income supplemented directly by the passengers. Thus keeping the cruise fares themselves to a minimum.

 

The only way to fix this would be government regulation that forces cruise lines to put all their mandatory costs up front in their cruise fares. Similar to how hotels have to disclose resort fees, etc. And lets be honest, who wants more government regulation and which government exactly is going to do that in international waters?

[Who Cares?]

Uh huh. Keep buying into that. Ask the kitchen help, entertainment and guest services how much of those tips they get. You'll feel like a fool.

 

At least man up (or woman up) to your actions and know that you are stiffing people. No one here can keep you from doing that but don't bury your head in the sand and then ask others to join you. :rolleyes:

[Who Cares?]

No, I don't pre-pay the auto-gratuities. I also don't give the cabin steward any extra cash at the beginning of the cruise. Why pay ahead of time for something that hasn't been done yet? When you go out to eat at a restaurant, do tip your waiter or waitress BEFORE you've even ordered?

 

Apples and oranges. When you go out to eat in a land-based restaurant, do you have the option to prepay your tip 6 months before you arrive to the restaurant? :rolleyes:

[Who Cares?]

No, I don't have it removed. I know the idea of the auto-gratuity came about so that people wouldn't have to put cash in envelopes to give out to the staff. I have also read on here that the staff know if you've had your auto-gratuity removed. If the charge doesn't get posted to your S&S account until the last day or so of the cruise, how would the staff (cabin steward, waiters, etc.) know ahead of time? I realize that some people pre-pay the gratuities (days, weeks, even months ahead of time) as a convenience to themselves, to "get it out of the way", as some have put it. If you're happy doing it that way, fine. However, in my mind, you're paying far in advance for a service that has not been rendered yet. That's a concept I'm having a hard time understanding. Would you pay someone else in the service industry (plumbing repair, carpet cleaner, furnace/a.c. repair person, etc.) before the work is done? Maybe I'm looking at it the wrong way, but pre-paying a tip before service is rendered, and particularly a specified (not suggested) amount, just doesn't seem right to me. If it's going to be prepaid, and it's going to be a specified amount, then let's stop calling it a "gratuity" and call it what it really is. An income supplement.

 

How's that any different that paying in full for a cruise you haven't yet taken? :confused:

[moniquet]

I don't know what the ideal system. Pre paid is no incentive but I wouldn't want to go back to the old days of the small envelopes. I remember a few cruises where the dining room was half empty on the last evening because the cheapskates didn't want to tip! Probably pay them a living wage and put the cruise prices accordingly and let those of us who want to tip do so.

[summersigh]

1. Employees do not receive their auto-tips for a particular cruise until it's over. Auto-tips go into a pool and are distributed to the crew at specific percentages. So, for example, it's my understanding based on what staff have told me in the past, all food service servers no matter where they work are tipped from that pool at the percent their contract specifies.

 

2. Those that "pre-pay tips" aren't actually prepaying a specific item. In reality they're paying into their Sign and Sail account where the tips are deducted from during the cruise.

 

3. We sailed Jan 8 for an 8 day trip. The gratuities were NOT charged to our Sign and Sail account until the 14th - 2 days before we disembarked.

Edited January 19, 2016 by summersigh

[Cushing985]

At least man up (or woman up) to your actions and know that you are stiffing people. No one here can keep you from doing that but don't bury your head in the sand and then ask others to join you. :rolleyes:

 

In Lace's world Carnival is lying about who gets a portion of the tip. You can't fix this kind of attitude other than Carnival going the "service charge" route and making them fixed (unable to adjust them).

[mumtopugs]

I prepay. I wouldn't think of not doing the auto-tipping and I like the idea of starting my cruise with no charges. I know everything I have goes to fun.

[PAPERBKWRITER]

Nearly everyone pays pre-tip. Many (me included) tip extra for good service. If you pull your tips a lot of people who depend on tip money will be missed. AND I'm pretty sure the crew knows who the dead beats are.

[Who Cares?]

In Lace's world Carnival is lying about who gets a portion of the tip. You can't fix this kind of attitude other than Carnival going the "service charge" route and making them fixed (unable to adjust them).

 

I'm sure Guest Services would love that as their workload would be cut in half! ;)

Edited January 19, 2016 by Who Cares?

[zqvol]

Out of Curiosity, how many ppl do prepaid tipping? In the past II have done prepaid tipping and tip extra accordingly. But prepaid seems to take the guest work out of the biggest chunk of it for me. I'm a fan of tipping for good service, I was in the service industry for years. But I have friends that have cruised and don't do prepaid tipping, so now it has me second guessing. Thanks for any input!

 

 

Are you asking about leaving the auto gratuity alone, or are you asking about paying your auto gratuity prior to boarding the ship. I think that the vast majority of cruisers leave the auto gratuities alone, but not so many of them pay them ahead of time. The only real difference is when the money comes out of the cruisers pocket.

[ksaunders]

The bill at the end is scary enough as it is. Prepaying takes a little bite out of the BIG BITE. :)

[beachbum53]

How's that any different that paying in full for a cruise you haven't yet taken? :confused:

 

Because paying for a vacation, whether it is a cruise, or staying at a resort, is NOT the same as paying for someone's service, such as a waiter or cabin attendant / housekeeping person who happens to work where you are vacationing.

[declansdad]

Because paying for a vacation, whether it is a cruise, or staying at a resort, is NOT the same as paying for someone's service, such as a waiter or cabin attendant / housekeeping person who happens to work where you are vacationing.

 

 

How is it different? You are still paying for something before you receive it.

[sausimayok]

We are Canadians, we paid for excursions, cheers program and prepaid our tips before our Canadian dollar hits rock bottom. If our dollar had more value against the American dollar we would wait, but there's no way in heck I want to go bankrupt on a holiday! LOL This is the first time out of eight cruises we've ever paid things off early. We'll still tip more, but everything else is paid for. :)

Edited January 20, 2016 by sausimayok

[teddybear231]

We always prepay before we go so it is just once less thing to worry about.

 

But we also give extra to the room steward, servers, and bar tenders.

[Who Cares?]

Because paying for a vacation, whether it is a cruise, or staying at a resort, is NOT the same as paying for someone's service, such as a waiter or cabin attendant / housekeeping person who happens to work where you are vacationing.

 

Actually, yes it is. A product, a service......either way you're paying for something before you receive it with the expectations that you will get what you paid for (imagine paying for a balcony and showing up and getting put into an inside cabin......you've already spent the money at final payment date 70 days earlier). Yea, its EXACTLY the same thing. Maybe you could wrap your head around it better if you considered it a "service charge"? Or call it a tax or second port charge since you have no problem paying those early.

[firemanbobswife]

I found this article pretty interesting. Especially #7:

http://cruiseradio.net/8-cruise-complaints-tired-hearing/

[jimbo5544]

I found this article pretty interesting. Especially #7:

http://cruiseradio.net/8-cruise-complaints-tired-hearing/

 

Good article, thanks.

[Bookworm1985]

I always prepay. Nothing finer than dreaming about a upcoming vacation that is fully paid.

 

This 1000 times! We always prepay and then tip extra as we see fit. I have never removed auto tips, and probably never will. You would have to be pretty damn awful for that to happen.

[trvlgirlmq]

We always add the gratuities when we book so that they are paid for before we travel. I consider it part of the cost of cruising and don't break down the total we are paying into categories. I have never had service bad enough to want to not pay someone what I know is their salary. That's just me.

[ShakyBeef]

I always prepay. Nothing finer than dreaming about a upcoming vacation that is fully paid.

 

 

I guess this is another one of those 'different strokes for different folks' things - I think dreaming about a free cruise is far finer than dreaming about a paid-for-by-me-in-advance cruise.:cool:

 

A free cruise after the fact is what I get doing it my way (booking & setting up S&S w/ Carnival MC, getting extra points, and getting a credit back after I pay for the whole thing). I don't mind seeing a big, fat S&S bill, and having it go onto my credit card at the end of the cruise, because I know I'm going to get all that money (assuming I have enough FunPoints to cash in) back.

 

In my case, leaving the auto-gratuities in place but not pre-paying them gets me more for free.:)

[firemanbobswife]

I guess this is another one of those 'different strokes for different folks' things - I think dreaming about a free cruise is far finer than dreaming about a paid-for-by-me-in-advance cruise.:cool:

 

A free cruise after the fact is what I get doing it my way (booking & setting up S&S w/ Carnival MC, getting extra points, and getting a credit back after I pay for the whole thing). I don't mind seeing a big, fat S&S bill, and having it go onto my credit card at the end of the cruise, because I know I'm going to get all that money (assuming I have enough FunPoints to cash in) back.

 

In my case, leaving the auto-gratuities in place but not pre-paying them gets me more for free.:)

 

 

It's still double points on the Carnival MC no matter when or where you spend it as long as it's from Carnival so doesn't it work out the same? I have one but I only got it for the initial $100 credit.

 

I get far better rewards in the form of double points all the time on every single purchase to use on any travel related expense of my choosing (so should I decide to go on another cruise line it won't matter) with my Capital One Venture rewards card. Just for signing up I got a free $400 in travel.

[Cuizer2]

Out of Curiosity, how many ppl do prepaid tipping? In the past II have done prepaid tipping and tip extra accordingly. But prepaid seems to take the guest work out of the biggest chunk of it for me. I'm a fan of tipping for good service, I was in the service industry for years. But I have friends that have cruised and don't do prepaid tipping, so now it has me second guessing. Thanks for any input!

 

I do not prepay tips.

[Who Cares?]

I found this article pretty interesting. Especially #7:

http://cruiseradio.net/8-cruise-complaints-tired-hearing/

 

Good read and very accurate. :)