Australian Cruises and 3 for Free Promo

[GweninTX]

We are looking at Australia for 2018 and I was under the impression that all Australian cruises included gratuities. So if I am right ---how does the "free gratuities"work on the 3 for free promo? Thanks for any clarification you can give, we have never booked an Australian cruise before. :confused:

[skynight]

We are looking at Australia for 2018 and I was under the impression that all Australian cruises included gratuities. So if I am right ---how does the "free gratuities"work on the 3 for free promo? Thanks for any clarification you can give, we have never booked an Australian cruise before. :confused:

Are you from the U.S.? My understanding is that fares charged to U.S. customers are in US$ and do not include grats. Check with your T.A. If this is correct the 3 for free promo will include the grats. just like any other U.S. booked cruise that includes this promo. I believe that the 3 for free promo is not available to Australian customers. Depending on the ship on board expenses may be in US$ or in Aus$.

[cherylandtk]

On our Australia based cruise last year we, as US citizens/residents, were charged gratuities. The Australians were not. It was an interesting conversation at dinner one night.

 

Cannot say how Princess will handle it in the future, but the website seemed to imply Grats were included on such cruises for all when they were not. However, in the Personalizer you can tell by looking at the prepay option.

[racj846]

The gratuities are included in the fare Australians pay.

 

If you are able to do a comparison for a given cruise of the US$ cost and the AUS$ cost converted at the applicable FX rate, you will see that those down under have a higher fare.

[icat2000]

We are looking at Australia for 2018 and I was under the impression that all Australian cruises included gratuities. So if I am right ---how does the "free gratuities"work on the 3 for free promo? Thanks for any clarification you can give, we have never booked an Australian cruise before. :confused:

 

The gratuities included in the fare is only for Australian/New Zealanders who book cruises in those countries. We don't seem to have the same promotions like 3 for free or Sip and Sail. ( I read that they would never offer that to Australians or New Zealanders ) haha.

Edited October 11, 2016 by icat2000

[Zeikah]

As an Australian I can't buy the 3 for three promotion even though I am sailing in the USA. Not sure why we can't get it?????????????

[GUT2407]

As an Australian I can't buy the 3 for three promotion even though I am sailing in the USA. Not sure why we can't get it?????????????

 

Yet other lines offer similar to us.

 

I know celebrity and NCL Do.

[GweninTX]

Thanks all! Gratuities do apply for those from the US!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[cherylandtk]

The gratuities are included in the fare Australians pay.

 

If you are able to do a comparison for a given cruise of the US$ cost and the AUS$ cost converted at the applicable FX rate, you will see that those down under have a higher fare.

I used to think that, too...but a few days ago checked on three cruises on princess.au as well as princess.com...and the Aussie price on all three cruises were significantly less expensive. Was quite a surprise to me. Edited October 12, 2016 by cherylandtk

[windsor26]

Of course apart from the difference in the daily hotel charge There will be no 15% added to drink purchases for anyone:D

[islandwoman]

For US passengers, are the gratuities on Princess Australia cruises the same as they are on cruises sailing out of the US, i.e.: $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? Are they charged in $US or $AUS?

I am trying to decide whether to give up my free drink package (we don't drink much) in favor of the latest promotion that includes free gratuities.

[Aus Traveller]

For US passengers, are the gratuities on Princess Australia cruises the same as they are on cruises sailing out of the US, i.e.: $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? Are they charged in $US or $AUS?

I am trying to decide whether to give up my free drink package (we don't drink much) in favor of the latest promotion that includes free gratuities.

The daily gratuity charge would be the same as in the US. The stewards etc. on the Australian-based ships are paid at a much higher rate than on US-based ships. Their remuneration automatically includes the amount they would otherwise get as tips. It is correct what others have said - you will be charged the auto-gratuity unless you remove it from your account. And you are free to do so. When we cruise on ships where the auto-gratuity applies, we pay it because it is part of the staff remuneration package. From what I have seen of prices for the cruises, people booking in the US pay the same or even more than people booking in Aust. (By the way, we cannot good prices on cruises out of the US). In my opinion, it is OK for passengers to remove the auto-tip from their on-board account when they are travelling on a ship where the staff are paid at the higher rate that includes the tips. (Sorry- I put this bit in bold hopefully to prevent being jumped on.) If you leave the auto-gratuity on, they will not get it because their remuneration is fixed.

 

You would reward the staff more if you tipped them personally and on the Australian-based ships, there is absolutely no suggestion that they cannot keep these tips. A lot of Aussies do tip, but probably not as much as the auto-gratuity would have been, because it has been included in the original fare. Before anyone criticizes the system operating on these ships, I will mention that the stewards have told us that they love it.

 

It is up to you to decide how you will handle the question of tipping :) and only you can decide if you will take the drinks package. Keep in mind that drinks on the Australian-based ships do not have the auto-gratuity added on top, but they are much more expensive than on the US ships.

[islandwoman]

If you leave the auto-gratuity on, they will not get it because their remuneration is fixed.

Really? Princess Australia charges the US passengers for gratuities and then just keeps the money?

[Aus Traveller]

Really? Princess Australia charges the US passengers for gratuities and then just keeps the money?

The company doesn't keep the money, it goes towards staff incentives and awards.

[joybook]

I'm sorry to say this but here we go again. I can see all the responses coming now.

[GeoffH]

I am on an OZ cruise in November. I queried the 'no gratuities on Oz ships' and found that this it true for OZ/NZ passengers but not for anyone else e.g. US/UK passengers.

I priced up the cruise I am on using the Princess websites for US and OZ (hiding my IP address using VPN so I would not be re-routed to the UK site.)

My findings (after doing the currency conversions) were that UK and OZ/NZ passengers pay around the same amount and US passengers pay more.

 

Go figure.

 

I will be removing auto-gratuities when I get on the ship.