Tipping specific people from OBC - possible?

[bertrande]

Sorry to start another tipping thread but I couldn't find exactly what we wanted to know. We will have a large amount of OBC on our next Celebrity sailing and all suggested gratuities have been pre-paid via the Go Best promotion (usually we would use OBC to cover the grats). Can we allocate OBC to specific staff on board as additional gratuities? I am thinking of the butler (if we use his services at all) and other individuals whom we might like to give an extra tip.

 

I know it can be done for a fee on RCL but am not sure if OBC can be withdrawn from the account on Celebrity ships so was thinking this could be one way of utilising it if it is possible.

 

Thanks!

[Beanb41]

If your OBC is refundable you can withdraw it as cash on the last night and pay your staff members as you wish. If your OBC is non refundable it can be used to increase gratuities but my understanding is that if you do it goes into the pool and you cant be guaranteed that your favourite staff member will see any of it. If you want to tip extra then do so in cash

[theflake]

The butler and cabin steward can be tipped from your OBC. Not sure why only them, but we did it on our ABC islands cruise last month.

 

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[bertrande]

If your OBC is refundable you can withdraw it as cash on the last night and pay your staff members as you wish. If your OBC is non refundable it can be used to increase gratuities but my understanding is that if you do it goes into the pool and you cant be guaranteed that your favourite staff member will see any of it. If you want to tip extra then do so in cash

 

The OBC from my TA is usually refundable (from RCL experience) but I will check again. Good to know I can withdraw as cash on the last night. USD is not my home currency so if we could use the excess to tip that would be a good way of utilising it.

 

The butler and cabin steward can be tipped from your OBC. Not sure why only them, but we did it on our ABC islands cruise last month.

 

Exactly what we needed to hear, thank you very much! Did you try tipping other staff which is why you found out only the cabin steward and butler can be singled out but not the rest?

[theflake]

Yes, we were trying to exchange our Canadian pesos and there was some computer glitch. Butler and steward were the only staff specifically listed.

 

I actually went WAY over my OBC limit but I'm pretty sure the option is there regardless. It is a charge you are putting on your account, not cash you are withdrawing.

 

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[Wine-O]

If you have pre-paid gratuities or automatic deducted gratuities, you can go down to guest relations. They will give you a slip of paper for you to designate additional tips to your butler, stateroom attendant, waiter, asst waiter.

 

If you want to give to others such as a bartender, have them print out the slip when you order a drink, and add the tip to that. If you have the drink package, I understand you can have him print out a blank slip and add tip. All that would come out of your OBC.

 

As for other persons, I don't know how you can tip them out of OBC.

[El Crucero]

My understanding from my TA and on board experience is that OBC given by Celebrity is NOT refundable. Only OBC from your TA is refundable.

 

We always give additional tips to selected staff, in cash in an envelope. I gave a cash tip to Iwahan, the men's bathroom attendant in the Ensemble Lounge on the Solstice. He deserved it for his outstanding service.

[Project_gal]

Sorry to start another tipping thread but I couldn't find exactly what we wanted to know. We will have a large amount of OBC on our next Celebrity sailing and all suggested gratuities have been pre-paid via the Go Best promotion (usually we would use OBC to cover the grats). Can we allocate OBC to specific staff on board as additional gratuities? I am thinking of the butler (if we use his services at all) and other individuals whom we might like to give an extra tip.

 

I know it can be done for a fee on RCL but am not sure if OBC can be withdrawn from the account on Celebrity ships so was thinking this could be one way of utilising it if it is possible.

 

Thanks!

 

I have asked the Michael's Club Concierge this specific question and been assured that, provided you have paid your standard gratuities, any person you name on the form will receive the amount you specify.

[Adidas4fun]

I have asked the Michael's Club Concierge this specific question and been assured that, provided you have paid your standard gratuities, any person you name on the form will receive the amount you specify.

 

This is NOT what we were told by our Michaels club concierge. We could only use our OBC to nominate staff covered by the traditional daily grats. Bar staff etc we had to tip separately in cash or on the slip at the time of service,

Edited November 30, 2016 by Adidas4fun

[Project_gal]

This is NOT what we were told by our Michaels club concierge. We could only use our OBC to nominate staff covered by the traditional daily grats. Bar staff etc we had to tip separately in cash or on the slip at the time of service,

 

That's what I love so much about Celebrity - consistency:rolleyes:

[CELTICGIRLCRUISER]

We had a ton of OBC, we used it in the specialty restaurants and tipped them using the OBC too no problem.

 

(We had a lot left over but luckily it was the refundable part of our OBC, the rest of the non refundable we used and won back in the casino so win win)!

[bertrande]

Thanks all. I guess I will have to wait until I get onboard the Connie to see what the practice on THAT particular ship is ;) Over two cabins where all but two persons' grats have been prepaid, it would be ideal if some of that OBC can be directly applied to persons who render outstanding service (instead of being withdrawn and incurring a withdrawal fee) but let's see. Will report back come February.

[Redtravel]

On a recent cruise, our waiter was superb. We did tip him extra. He thanked us and told us that he had to turn it in to the pool. He said that if anyone sees him accepting a tip and he doesn't pool it, he can lose his job. Now when I cruise, I ask about pooling tips. On a recent riverboat cruise, I gave extra tips to a few people who did something for me. I slip it to them when nobody is watching.

[Wine-O]

On a recent cruise, our waiter was superb. We did tip him extra. He thanked us and told us that he had to turn it in to the pool. He said that if anyone sees him accepting a tip and he doesn't pool it, he can lose his job. Now when I cruise, I ask about pooling tips. On a recent riverboat cruise, I gave extra tips to a few people who did something for me. I slip it to them when nobody is watching.

 

It's my understanding that if someone turned off their automatic tips, then that person gives a tip in an envelope, those tips must be turned in to the pool, but if you paid by pre-cruise tips or automatic tipping, anything extra goes to the person for whom you intended.

 

I had automatic tipping and went down to Guest Relations. They gave me a piece of paper which listed all the services (stateroom attendant, waiter, asst waiter, housekeeping, other), and I could write in additional money to go to my stateroom attendant and my waiter out of my OBC -- I'm pretty sure they did not have to pool those tips.

[bjahil47]

Just off the Equinox and we had a lot of OBC. You can go to Guest Relations and get a form that specifies categories for additional tips. You can use any kind of OBC. BUT, amounts specified to waiters, assistant waiters, restaurant or bar service goes into a POOL and NOT the specific individual. Monies you designate to your cabin steward or butler will go to them DIRECTLY. It is added to their next paycheck.

[9876]

It's my understanding that if someone turned off their automatic tips, then that person gives a tip in an envelope, those tips must be turned in to the pool, but if you paid by pre-cruise tips or automatic tipping, anything extra goes to the person for whom you intended.

 

I had automatic tipping and went down to Guest Relations. They gave me a piece of paper which listed all the services (stateroom attendant, waiter, asst waiter, housekeeping, other), and I could write in additional money to go to my stateroom attendant and my waiter out of my OBC -- I'm pretty sure they did not have to pool those tips.

 

I am just off Reflection. This is exactly what Guest Services told me too. If we designated their name on the paper from GS the tip would go directly to the designated person. The paper could only be used for the services that are normally covered with the daily gratuity charge. If we gave cash it would stay with the person we gave it to. One of the people we tipped was the sommelier so we handed them an envelope. Again, we were told he could keep that money.

 

No one eliminated tips from our account and I did not ask about that contingency so I do not know what the procedure is in that case.

[snyniew]

I tried to do that on my last night on the Summit last March. While I was told it was possible it couldn't be done that late into the cruise (it was about 10 pm on the final night). Since it was non-refundable I had to spend it or lose it. Oh well, shopping spree at the last minute. So if this is something you want to do just don't wait until the last night to make this request.

[bertrande]

I am just off Reflection. This is exactly what Guest Services told me too. If we designated their name on the paper from GS the tip would go directly to the designated person. The paper could only be used for the services that are normally covered with the daily gratuity charge. If we gave cash it would stay with the person we gave it to. One of the people we tipped was the sommelier so we handed them an envelope. Again, we were told he could keep that money.

 

Sounds good - I will check with Guest Services once I get on the Connie, hopefully it will be the same case. Thanks!