Bruin Steve Posted September 15, 2016 #1 Share Posted September 15, 2016 Just received: Important Update Regarding Your Cruise Dear Princess Guest: To ensure our guest service on board remains among the best in the cruise industry, Princess Cruises has increased the daily gratuity charge for all voyages departing on or after December 15, 2016. The new daily gratuity amounts are $13.50 USD per guest for interior, oceanview, and balcony staterooms (including children), $14.50 USD per guest for mini-suites (including Club Class), and $15.50 USD per guest for suites. The gratuity rate increase is comparable to cruise industry standards and underlines our commitment toward our crew for the excellent service they provide our guests. You have the opportunity to prepay your daily gratuities at the current rate through November 15, 2016 at 11:59PM PST. You may prepay through your Cruise Personalizer or contact us at 1-800-PRINCESS. Guests booked with promotions that include paid gratuities will not be affected by this rate increase. Thank you and we look forward to welcoming you aboard. Sincerely, Princess Cruises Princess Cruises, 24305 Town Center Drive, Santa Clarita, CA 91355 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chloe45 Posted September 15, 2016 #2 Share Posted September 15, 2016 I just got this email 4 minutes ago. Didn't they recently raise them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruin Steve Posted September 15, 2016 Author #3 Share Posted September 15, 2016 I just got this email 4 minutes ago. Didn't they recently raise them? January 2016 from $11.50 to $12.95 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam in CA Posted September 15, 2016 #4 Share Posted September 15, 2016 Just got the email. Thank God I have the "3 for Free" promotion which includes gratuities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlorenceItaly Posted September 15, 2016 #5 Share Posted September 15, 2016 I just received the same email. It is minimal, so not a big deal. On most cruises, we typically tip additional cash to our room steward, waiter, asst. waiter, and sometimes sommelier. We may start adjusting the additional cash amount down a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bababooey Land Posted September 15, 2016 #6 Share Posted September 15, 2016 Hi all..I don't think this subject has been posted here yet. I just received an email from Princess regarding Gratuities. Dear Princess Guest: To ensure our guest service on board remains among the best in the cruise industry, Princess Cruises has increased the daily gratuity charge for all voyages departing on or after December 15, 2016. The new daily gratuity amounts are $13.50 USD per guest for interior, oceanview, and balcony staterooms (including children), $14.50 USD per guest for mini-suites (including Club Class), and $15.50 USD per guest for suites. The gratuity rate increase is comparable to cruise industry standards and underlines our commitment toward our crew for the excellent service they provide our guests. You have the opportunity to prepay your daily gratuities at the current rate through November 15, 2016 at 11:59PM PST. You may prepay through your Cruise Personalizer or contact us at 1-800-PRINCESS . Guests booked with promotions that include paid gratuities will not be affected by this rate increase. Thank you and we look forward to welcoming you aboard. Sincerely, Princess Cruises If you go to their website now, they have updated it as well. To simplify the tipping process for our guests, a discretionary gratuity of $13.95 per person for mini-suites and suites, and $12.95 per guest in all other staterooms per day (including children) will be automatically added to your shipboard account on a daily basis. Effective on voyages departing on or after December 15, 2016, the gratuity charge will be $15.50 per guest for suites, $14.50 per guest for mini-suites and club class, and $13.50 per guest for interior, oceanview, and balcony staterooms. This gratuity will be shared amongst those staff who help provide and support your cruise experience, including all waitstaff, stateroom stewards, buffet stewards, and housekeeping staff across the fleet. For a comparison, this is what Celebrity charges: $12.95 per person, per day in standard accommodations ($13.50 for cruises departing on or after July 1, 2016) $13.45 per person, per day in Concierge Class and AquaClass® staterooms ($14.00 for cruises departing on or after July 1, 2016) $16.45 per person, per day in suites ($17.00 for cruises departing on or after July 1, 2016) Seems like the tipping is comparable to Celebrity. Even though I don't like having to spend more money, I think the workers on cruises deserve it...as they work their tail off!! Hopefully the increase will go directly to the employees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess Cruises Fann Posted September 15, 2016 #7 Share Posted September 15, 2016 Just got the same email for my January cruise. It seems like they just went up. Still a minimal cost in the grand scheme of things. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruin Steve Posted September 15, 2016 Author #8 Share Posted September 15, 2016 (edited) In the greater scheme of things, it's an additional $8.80 for my 8 night Ruby Christmas cruise...or I could save the $8.80 by paying it 5-6 weeks early...Hardly worth worrying about either way. Edited September 15, 2016 by Bruin Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lrockwitt Posted September 15, 2016 #9 Share Posted September 15, 2016 Just got it Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hollon Posted September 15, 2016 #10 Share Posted September 15, 2016 I have a mini suite for May, how much are the tips now for a minisuite and how much will they be after Dec? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
49er Posted September 15, 2016 #11 Share Posted September 15, 2016 $1.10 per day more for the two of us. Think we will be able to manage that:-) 49er Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
49er Posted September 15, 2016 #12 Share Posted September 15, 2016 I have a mini suite for May, how much are the tips now for a minisuite and how much will they be after Dec? $13.95, $14.50 49er Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MsSoCalCruiser Posted September 15, 2016 #13 Share Posted September 15, 2016 I understand that everybody needs a raise. I understand that it's not a huge difference. What I don't understand is how can Princess raise the price of your purchase after you have made your Deposit or paid in full? When we put the deposit on our 12 night Alaska cruise we did so because we agreed with the price and everything else that went along with it. I don't get it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iceleven Posted September 15, 2016 #14 Share Posted September 15, 2016 The timing of this announcement seems to go right along with their new 3 for Free sale. Perhaps they are trying to motivate people to book early, to get this sale as all are cruises for late in 2017 and into 2018. And I'm sure they want the gratuities paid with real cash and not the on-board credit many of us use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moki'smommy Posted September 15, 2016 #15 Share Posted September 15, 2016 My first thoughts were twofold. First, it's only $1 per day. Secondly, didn't they just raise them? THen....they were already more than some other lines. For the first time, I has an issue where I really didn't like the way that Princess does the tip pool. Our steward was somewhat lacking. It was one of the few times I would have reduced a tip. However, there was no way I could do that without impacting our dining team, etc. Oh well, each line has things I like a lot and things I like less. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pablo222 Posted September 15, 2016 #16 Share Posted September 15, 2016 Just got the email. Thank God I have the "3 for Free" promotion which includes gratuities. This must be to balance out all the promotions... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yehootu Posted September 15, 2016 #17 Share Posted September 15, 2016 If you prepay before final payment, then have to cancel, I'd assume you get the money back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudithLynne Posted September 15, 2016 #18 Share Posted September 15, 2016 Here is my question: Our next cruise is April 2017, we will have $1100 OBC. If we prepay gratuities is there a way that we can use our OBC for that? If not, we would be better off waiting to pay on board with OBC. Does anyone have the answer to this, would sure appreciate the input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antsp Posted September 15, 2016 #19 Share Posted September 15, 2016 It's a suggested amount, if anyone wants to pay the existing amount they can adjust them at the passengers service desk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RetiredNTraveling Posted September 15, 2016 #20 Share Posted September 15, 2016 (edited) We too just received the notice! We agree that for a 7 day cruise it's not that big of thing! However, we are booked on the Oct. 8, 2017 ~ 28 Day Cruise. For that number of days, well I guess that I am tight on some things :eek: and not on others! ;) Even though when we are on board the ship, we usually tip $8 to $10 a day extra for special services that we simply enjoy and feel like rewarding the crew member for. I believe that we will pre-pay the Gratuities just because! :D Just Mike Edited September 15, 2016 by RetiredNTraveling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moki'smommy Posted September 15, 2016 #21 Share Posted September 15, 2016 Here is my question: Our next cruise is April 2017, we will have $1100 OBC. If we prepay gratuities is there a way that we can use our OBC for that? If not, we would be better off waiting to pay on board with OBC. Does anyone have the answer to this, would sure appreciate the input. When we have pre-paid anything, it required a credit card at that time. No way to use some of that OBC because we were on onboard at the time we paid. They don't apply the OBC to your account till you are actually on board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenie082756 Posted September 15, 2016 #22 Share Posted September 15, 2016 The timing of this announcement seems to go right along with their new 3 for Free sale. Perhaps they are trying to motivate people to book early, to get this sale as all are cruises for late in 2017 and into 2018. And I'm sure they want the gratuities paid with real cash and not the on-board credit many of us use. Bingo! I agree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cflutist Posted September 15, 2016 #23 Share Posted September 15, 2016 $3.10 extra per day x 18 days is $55.80. But that $502.20 would earn only $4.51 in our .90% APR savings account. Hmmmm, maybe we will Pre-pay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antsp Posted September 15, 2016 #24 Share Posted September 15, 2016 $3.10 extra per day x 18 days is $55.80. But that $502.20 would earn only $4.51 in our .90% APR savings account. Hmmmm, maybe we will Pre-pay. Don't see the benefits of pre paying Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigTimeCruiser Posted September 15, 2016 #25 Share Posted September 15, 2016 Yes, but the Promotions go away, but this will not. I wish they would just roll this added fee into the price of the ticket.:( This must be to balance out all the promotions... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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