advantage to including gratuities in original booking?

[bar1068]

 

 

If you prepay, be sure your cruise documents indicate you have prepaid. Sometimes that doesn't get into the ship's accounting system and you could be charged tips again, which are more than the prepaid tips. The double billing will be removed or credited to your cc billing later.

 

Could you explain this? i get there could an 'accounting error' but the part about you could be charged again for tips, that are MORE? than the prepaid tips?

[Librarian365]

It's completely a personal thing. We have done it the old fashioned way with cash in the envelope (running around making sure the maitre de, waiter, kids club staff, special bartender etc all got their bit), and pre-paid. Since we have to pay for tips for the whole family, we just prepay to take that one less thing off our heads. I like to pay for what I can ahead so when the vacation actually arrives, I am not worrying about my other spending as much. On vacation, the less I worry about the better. It would have to be really bad for me to go to guest services and tip down.

 

But everyone else's points are completely valid. It is just personal.

[srlafleur]

I like to prepay at some point before the cruise, either when booking (if necessary to get anytime dining - as on some cruise lines), whenever I choose to (our last Princess cruise - it was like booking a shore excursion), or at final payment.

Now, if the possibility of having excess OBC was ever an issue, that would be a different story. That is not a "problem" I've ever had to deal with, though I've heard of people having hundreds, if not thousands of $$$ in OBC kicking around.

One of the inconsequential reasons I prepay is to lock in the price. Cruise lines have been known to raise it. Now, granted, an extra buck a day isn't going to break the bank, but the interest rate I get on the few hundred dollars of pre-paid grats isn't exactly lining my pockets, either.

 

I guess I'm just of the "out of sight, out of mind" mentality.

Edited January 29, 2016 by srlafleur

[gtalum]

Three reasons not to for me.

 

I'll keep the money in my pocket for as long as possible. I firmly believe in paying on time; I see no advantage to getting it out of the way.

 

Second, if you have a good amount of OBC, you would not be able to put it towards gratuities if you pay in advance.

 

The cruise and taxes must be paid in advance. Paying gratuities with your other final charges actually spreads out the total cost.

 

I'm a firm believer in never paying for anything before I have to (without paying interest, of course).

 

By paying gratuities with my onboard account via a credit card, I actually have anywhere from 30-60 days after the cruise ends to actually cough up the cash.

Edited January 29, 2016 by gtalum

[BAV2005]

My last cruise was on Royal Caribbean and since we wanted to do MyTime dining we were required to prepay our gratuities. I was annoyed at first but I was glad I did it when I walked off the boat with a final bill of less than $50 (we had $100 OBC)! It was a great end to a great cruise! Now my next cruise is with Carnival and they don't require it for their anytime dining but I'm still opting to pay ahead, I like the smaller bill at the end of the cruise and I feel like it allows me to not think as much about every dollar I spend onboard! [emoji6]

[Micahs Grandad]

I dont like paying for something before we receive the goods or services.

[declansdad]

I dont like paying for something before we receive the goods or services.

 

 

What about paying for your cruise and perhaps your plane tickets before you receive the service?

[gtalum]

What about paying for your cruise and perhaps your plane tickets before you receive the service?

 

Since there really isn't another option, it's not really relevant. if I had the option to pay for my cruises and airfares after I boarded, I'd do it every time.

[summersigh]

Kind of a case of "pay me now or pay me later" :D

[Micahs Grandad]

What about paying for your cruise and perhaps your plane tickets before you receive the service?

 

I dont like to but when you have no choice you have no choice.

[crewsweeper]

Could you explain this? i get there could an 'accounting error' but the part about you could be charged again for tips, that are MORE? than the prepaid tips?

 

Partially going by what my wife said regarding our final bill on board, that the amount they charged us on board was more than what she had already paid prepay. But the accounting system on the ship wasn't showing that they tips had been prepaid. We had to wait until we got home and contact Carnival to get it straightened out and our cc account credited.

 

What the actual amount prepaid vs ship paid was, I don't have a clue...too busy defending my expenses for daily beverages on the Serenity deck, in the Comedy club and that nightcap:D

[Sparky2]

Just wondering if there is an advantage to including gratuities in original booking or should I opt out? Thanks to anyone who has any advice on this.

 

The only reason we don't prepay gratuities is because we always have some OBC which will cover it. Otherwise, we would prepay.

[Earthworm Jim]

No real harm done prepaying, but I don't understand why people say "One less thing to worry about".

 

Who worries about it? If you didn't prepay, then that money is still in your checking account. When the credit card bill comes after the cruise, you pay it. Why would you worry about something you already had the money to pay for in your checking account?

[drosphot]

I use the Carnival Funpoints card so if the fare is close to $1500 and the gratuities put it over $1500 then the charge can be paid off with a higher value $ to point ratio. That's the only advantage I have figured out.

[Ohio Bucki]

If you prepay the gratuities does that protect you from gratuity increases prior to your cruise?

[BAV2005]

If you prepay the gratuities does that protect you from gratuity increases prior to your cruise?

 

 

Yes

[crusinpsychRN]

You're giving them your money long before it's due. You could leave it in the bank and draw a little interest. It's like how some people want a big income tax return. The object would be to give the government as little of your money as necessary for all that time and get a smaller refund.

[LMaxwell]

There is no financial benefit to doing so if that is what you were asking. If you are asking is there an intangible benefit (like to have things paid early) that is entirely up to you.

[declansdad]

You're giving them your money long before it's due. You could leave it in the bank and draw a little interest. It's like how some people want a big income tax return. The object would be to give the government as little of your money as necessary for all that time and get a smaller refund.

 

You must have an amazing bank if the return you would get on that small amount of money would give you anything to get excited about.

[T2C]

Just wondering if there is an advantage to including gratuities in original booking or should I opt out? Thanks to anyone who has any advice on this.

 

For us we're going to pay them one way or another so paying them right up front means it's less to pay off after the cruise

[Tripper10]

We like having a zero balance when we walk onboard.

 

We all have a zero balance when we walk on board. It's when you leave is what you have to keep a eye out for.

[lazyart]

I don't earn enough interest between the last payment to the end of the cruise for it to matter, so I pay it before boarding. I've yet to have enough OBC for it to make a difference.

[funinthesun1964]

I just let them get added to my S&S bill. Then, at the end of the cruise, my credit card gets charged for the final bill. Depending on the ending date of the cruise and how it relates to my cut-off date of my credit card, I could have an additional almost 2 months to pay that final bill.

[Jenn24101]

I always add them so I walk on the ship with 0 balance and hopefully obc. This time however, I am also paying off the cruise with Verizon cards so that has been an advantage. I have gotten an additional 10% off of our cruise and gratuities this way.

[BeachChik]

The % of prepaid tips to each area is relatively small. The crew on board that services you depends on these for their earnings, much of which is sent back to their families in their home countries. If you have really really poor service at a restaurant, the way to recognize that is to leave a tip that is significantly less than the recommended 15-20%. Leaving 0 tips just labels you as a cheapskate (and from a waitstaff perspective, maybe a demanding cheapskate:eek: ).

 

Similarly, the way to recognize really poor service on board a cruise ship is to NOT give cabin stewards, MDR waiters, bartenders/waiters, maître d' s et.al. ANY ADDITIONAL TIPS!

 

If you prepay, be sure your cruise documents indicate you have prepaid. Sometimes that doesn't get into the ship's accounting system and you could be charged tips again, which are more than the prepaid tips. The double billing will be removed or credited to your cc billing later.

 

This entire statement is ridiculous. I am 100% in agreement that for the most part they deserve the tips. But to say even if you get poor service you should pay the recommended and not tip extra is stupid. If someone receives poor service they should complain. If the issue isn't corrected than absolutely I would agree with reducing the tipped amount.

 

The fact that they depend on this money or send money home has no relevance to anything. If they are crappy at their job I'm not going to reward them for it. Though I haven't experienced poor service on a cruise ship.

Edited January 30, 2016 by BeachChik