Gratuities

[Ellehci]

I went on a cruise at the beginning of December. My travel agent had put through that our gratuities be pre paid. Two months after our cruise RC is now telling us that the gratuities never went through on our credit card. I’m frustrated because it’s two months later when we had not budgeted to be paying for them during this month. Would you fight having to pay for them or would you just suck it up?

[GUT2407]

Tell your credit card you are disputing the charge, then contact the TA with whatever RC sent you.

[Ellehci]

RC said they have no receipt for the card not going through. 

[Clarea]

11 minutes ago, Ellehci said:

I went on a cruise at the beginning of December. My travel agent had put through that our gratuities be pre paid. Two months after our cruise RC is now telling us that the gratuities never went through on our credit card. I’m frustrated because it’s two months later when we had not budgeted to be paying for them during this month. Would you fight having to pay for them or would you just suck it up?

 

I think this is a job for your travel agent.

[voyager70]

13 minutes ago, Ellehci said:

I went on a cruise at the beginning of December. My travel agent had put through that our gratuities be pre paid. Two months after our cruise RC is now telling us that the gratuities never went through on our credit card. I’m frustrated because it’s two months later when we had not budgeted to be paying for them during this month. Would you fight having to pay for them or would you just suck it up?

 

Sounds like your TA screwed up.  Don't suck it up, fight for what you were told.

Hope you get it sorted out.

 

[ano]

2 minutes ago, Host Clarea said:

 

I think this is a job for your travel agent.

I'd agree. If they can't figure it out, just decline the tip. Its for outstanding service, and it doesn't look like RC gave you that.

[voyager70]

2 minutes ago, ano said:

I'd agree. If they can't figure it out, just decline the tip. Its for outstanding service, and it doesn't look like RC gave you that.

 

Not really fair to stiff the crew over something they had nothing to do with.

 

[ano]

Just now, voyager70 said:

 

Not really fair to stiff the crew over something they had nothing to do with.

 

In most cases I would agree, but not in this case. A gratuity or tip by definition is given to someone for good service. You really think RC is going to distribute your tip to the correct people two months later?  Its a tip alright, a tip for Royal Caribbean. 

 

Also

[dplusd]

27 minutes ago, Ellehci said:

Two months after our cruise RC is now telling us that the gratuities never went through on our credit card. I’m frustrated because it’s two months later when we had not budgeted to be paying for them during this month. Would you fight having to pay for them or would you just suck it up?

You probably know if you were charged the gratuities or not.  If you were not charged, I believe you should pay them now.  I would only object if you determine this would be a double charge to you.

[tinkr2]

So your travel agent gifted you prepaid gratuities? Or your ta was supposed to arrange for you to prepay them? And your card did not go through. 

If the first, then battle with ta. If the 2nd, you need to pay. You authorized and signed the slip . 

[voyager70]

11 minutes ago, tinkr2 said:

So your travel agent gifted you prepaid gratuities? Or your ta was supposed to arrange for you to prepay them? And your card did not go through. 

If the first, then battle with ta. If the 2nd, you need to pay. You authorized and signed the slip . 

 

I think that's the question that needs to be answered.

 

[cb at sea]

You need to take this up with the Travel Agent....that's why they are there...to help you with any disputes!  If the TA says it was paid, get a receipt showing that.  If this wasn't done, then you can have the tips added to your account...that's what they do if they are NOT prepaid.  And then, get a new travel agent!

[Ocean Boy]

1 hour ago, ano said:

I'd agree. If they can't figure it out, just decline the tip. Its for outstanding service, and it doesn't look like RC gave you that.

What does this have to do with RCI? She used a TA and that is who she needs to be discussing this with. If you make the choice to use an agent then that is you need to discuss issues with. 

 

I don't get this budget issue either. If you set money aside for gratuities and didn't spend it how is it not still there two months later?

[PhoenixCruiser]

I'm surprised they let you off the ship if your credit card didn't work.

[cruisinfanatic]

2 hours ago, Ellehci said:

I went on a cruise at the beginning of December. My travel agent had put through that our gratuities be pre paid. Two months after our cruise RC is now telling us that the gratuities never went through on our credit card. I’m frustrated because it’s two months later when we had not budgeted to be paying for them during this month. Would you fight having to pay for them or would you just suck it up?

It will say all on your on board charge statement. You would have received OBC for the amount of the gratuities and the credit reduced every day as the gratuities were charged. Did you pay for the obc that you know you used?

Look at it

Edited January 29, 2019 by cruisinfanatic

[NavyCruiser]

Easy, go back to the date that when the TA supposed to send info to RC to charge your credit card.  

If you see the charge on your credit card, then ignore charge now.

If you don't see the charge, then there were a mistake between you, TA, & RC, go ahead & pay now.  Easy that's one number, of 16, expiration date, etc. is off, or your credit card might think it's fraudulent & didn't  approve the charge.

Just make sure you only pay once., 

The crew (cabin attendant, MDR staff, etc.) shouldn't be penalized for either yours, TA, or RC corporate's mistake.

[cruisinfanatic]

17 hours ago, NavyCruiser said:

Easy, go back to the date that when the TA supposed to send info to RC to charge your credit card.  

If you see the charge on your credit card, then ignore charge now.

If you don't see the charge, then there were a mistake between you, TA, & RC, go ahead & pay now.  Easy that's one number, of 16, expiration date, etc. is off, or your credit card might think it's fraudulent & didn't  approve the charge.

Just make sure you only pay once., 

The crew (cabin attendant, MDR staff, etc.) shouldn't be penalized for either yours, TA, or RC corporate's mistake.

Why would the OP's card get charged for free tips?

[Ocean Boy]

1 hour ago, cruisinfanatic said:

Why would the OP's card get charged for free tips?

They were not free, the OP said they were supposed to be pre-payed.

[NavyCruiser]

5 hours ago, cruisinfanatic said:

Why would the OP's card get charged for free tips?

 

Please re-read OP's orig post!!!

esp the "pre-paid" & "gratuities never went through on our credit card"

Nowhere OP says that's it's "free"

 

It's only "everything's free, free, free..." when sailing out of CA & NY....

[happy cruiser1234]

On 1/28/2019 at 6:55 PM, Ellehci said:

I went on a cruise at the beginning of December. My travel agent had put through that our gratuities be pre paid. Two months after our cruise RC is now telling us that the gratuities never went through on our credit card. I’m frustrated because it’s two months later when we had not budgeted to be paying for them during this month. Would you fight having to pay for them or would you just suck it up?

If Royal did not receive your pre paid gratuities when you sailed then they would have charged you for them daily on your account.  

[Mythbuster]

I always pre-pay tips.  It is added to the final payment and never charged separately.  Check your invoice before paying.

[brillohead]

It would be a lot easier for us to help this person if the person could explain what exactly happened.  

We can all guess and assume what the OP is trying to say, but until we get some clarification as to what really happened, it's hard to give any advice for clearing it up.  

 

OP:  Can you answer these questions?

 

• Did your travel agent promise to give you "free gratuities"?
• Did you tell your travel agent at the time you made the reservation that you wanted to prepay your gratuities?
• Did you call your travel agent sometime between when you made the reservation and when you sailed and ask them to add on the gratuities in advance of your sailing?
• Did you check your final pre-sailing invoice from RCI (comes from Royal but provided to you by your travel agent) to see if there was a line item for gratuities included in the total? If so, did your total credit card charges (deposit and final payments) equal the total of the RCI invoice including gratuities?
• Were gratuities charged on your on-board account every day during the cruise?  If so, did a charge go through on your credit card for that amount at the end of your cruise?
• Did you have a cash account on the ship or did you have a credit card connected to your on-board account? 
• Have you checked your credit card to see if there were any charges from RCI in between when you reserved the cruise and when the cruise was over?

While I understand it is frustrating to have to pay something when you weren't expecting it, the fact of the matter is that you did know that gratuities would be part of your cruising costs.  If you didn't pay them before the cruise (prepaid) and you didn't pay them at the end of the cruise (onboard account charged to credit card at debarkation), then you should be paying them now. 

I'm not sure how (or if, to be honest) this got overlooked, but you should pay them at one point or another.