Gratuities on Aussie cruises

[Corfe Mixture]

Can someone tell me what the level of standard gratuities is on Aussie based cruises.

 

To unload the question. I am aware that US cruises are $US12.95 or $US13.95, depending on cabin grade and, whereas cruise excursion costs are definitely quoted in $AUD, the figure being quoted by Princess UK on my cruise personaliser for my forthcoming Aussie cruise is simply $12.95/$13.95 without specifying whether or not this is $US or $AUD

 

Clearly when it gets charged to my on board account it will obviously be in $AUD, but what I am trying to assertain is whether or not the sum charged to one's on board account is 12.95/13.95 AUD per day or the AUD equivalent of 12.95/13.95 $US.

Edited June 3, 2016 by Corfe Mixture

[Womble99]

I would expect that they would be charged in AUD as that is the currency used onboard whilst in Australia. Why should they bill folks from overseas in other currencies? They don't bill me in AUD when in the US.

[Alaska05]

Don't know if this helps much since I'm from US and you're from UK.

 

When we did a cruise from Sydney in March 2016, I prepaid our gratuities the month before sailing. The charges were in US dollars @ $12.95 per day. Our onboard account was charged in Australian dollars.

 

You might try going into your Cruise Personalizer and look at what shows up if you try to pre-pay the tips. You don't have to actually do it if you don't want to, but it should tell you in what currency at least for prepaid.

[Ron the Rev]

In the UK we have the opportunity to prepay the gratuities before we cruise (saves bank conversion charges). It's always quoted in £ sterling at I assume the exchange rate of the time. If we leave it until we get aboard, it then is on our account as $US and is listed as a night manager charge. As the on board currency is $US I assume your charges will be in$US when on board.:confused:

[linanles]

For cruises departing and returning to an aussie port on Princess and P&O there are no gratuities charged. Tipping is not a common aussie practice.

Having said that I don't know what happens when a cruise is booked from overseas. I suspect the gratuities are built in to the price here but the base price overseas may be lower.

A search of aussie online travel agents will give you an idea of price differences.

Enjoy your cruise.

[Alaska05]

For cruises departing and returning to an aussie port on Princess and P&O there are no gratuities charged. Tipping is not a common aussie practice.

Having said that I don't know what happens when a cruise is booked from overseas. I suspect the gratuities are built in to the price here but the base price overseas may be lower.

A search of aussie online travel agents will give you an idea of price differences.

Enjoy your cruise.

 

I know for sure that Aussie cruises booked from the U.S. for us Americans are indeed charged the daily gratuities in U.S. dollars. Now our cruise fares are probably lower since the gratuities aren't built into the fare price.

 

Guess it all depends on where you live and what country handles your booking.

[Corfe Mixture]

In the UK we have the opportunity to prepay the gratuities before we cruise (saves bank conversion charges). It's always quoted in £ sterling at I assume the exchange rate of the time. If we leave it until we get aboard, it then is on our account as $US and is listed as a night manager charge. As the on board currency is $US I assume your charges will be in$US when on board.:confused:

 

Sorry Ron, you have totally missed the point of the question.

 

As the title suggests, I am talking about an Aussie cruise from Sydney and the on board currency is AUD, but the exchange rate for pre-payment of gratuities seems to be the $US to Sterling exchange rate.

 

We also cruise regularly in the US and, as you say, we have the opportunity to pre-pay the gratuities. What I am being offered is the facility to pre-pay my gratuities for £117.88.

 

What this means is that, if the gratuities are being billed to the account at the AUD equivalent of $US181.35 (13*13.5), then I would be pre-paying AUD246 and £117.88 would be a good deal. If the gratuities are being billed to the account at AUD181.35 as one would expect, given the on board currency is AUD, then £117.88 is not a good deal!

[Corfe Mixture]

For cruises departing and returning to an aussie port on Princess and P&O there are no gratuities charged. Tipping is not a common aussie practice.

Having said that I don't know what happens when a cruise is booked from overseas. I suspect the gratuities are built in to the price here but the base price overseas may be lower.

A search of aussie online travel agents will give you an idea of price differences.

Enjoy your cruise.

 

Many thanks for that information which is much more useful than you might imagine.

 

Think I can work out what is happening from that.

 

I've already discovered that the system is screwed up for gifting yourself additional OBC as for some strange reason they use the £ to $US rate for converting additional sterling purchases of OBC into AUD (meaning you lose out by 30% compared with settling your on board account at the end with a UK credit card) and knowing that there no auto gratuities on Aussie cruises would suggest that pre-payments will simply appear as OBC at a rubbish exchange rate.

 

As I say. You answer has been much more useful than you might imagine.

 

Many thanks