Tipping

[pinacoladasatpianobar]

If we don’t do pre-paid gratuities, will Carnival automatically post tips on our final folio at the end of the cruise? Or do we tip as we go?

 

for example, if we eat in the MDR 5 times, is it somehow logged so Carnival knows how much to charge our card for tips? Drinks at the bar as well? 
 

why do you choose prepaid gratuities? 
 

I never understand the tipping so if someone can break it down for what’s the standard (bar, MDR, cleaning staff, etc) I would appreciate it! 

Edited December 30, 2019 by Danca4eva1994

[Joe817]

5 minutes ago, Danca4eva1994 said:

If we don’t do pre-paid gratuities, will Carnival automatically post tips on our final folio at the end of the cruise? Or do we tip as we go? for example, if we eat in the MDR 5 times, is it somehow logged so Carnival knows how much to charge our card for tips? Drinks at the bar as well? why do you choose prepaid gratuities? 

I never understand the tipping so if someone can break it down for what’s the standard (bar, MDR, cleaning staff, etc) I would appreciate it! 

"If guests have not pre-paid their gratuities, the recommended, per person, amount will be posted to their Sail & Sign account on the second to last day of the cruise."

 

https://www.carnival.com/help/1123

 

We like to pre-pay our gratuities. If nothing else, just to get it out of the way before the cruise, and after the cruise, our final bill, if any will be less.

[joepeka]

If you do not pre-pay, the grats will be added to your S&S account. The daily grats are a pre-set amount which will be higher if you booked a suite, and it is supposed to be divided among the various crew teams - the specific breakdown is really unknown. As to bar drinks, there is an automatic 18% tip added to each one and you can add more if the server/bartender is particularly attentive.

ETA: as mentioned above, we've also pre-paid on our last few cruises so the details may have changed in the interim.

Edited December 30, 2019 by joepeka

[pinacoladasatpianobar]

8 minutes ago, Joe817 said:

"If guests have not pre-paid their gratuities, the recommended, per person, amount will be posted to their Sail & Sign account on the second to last day of the cruise."

 

https://www.carnival.com/help/1123

 

We like to pre-pay our gratuities. If nothing else, just to get it out of the way before the cruise, and after the cruise, our final bill, if any will be less.

 

8 minutes ago, joepeka said:

If you do not pre-pay, the grats will be added to your S&S account. The daily grats are a pre-set amount which will be higher if you booked a suite, and it is supposed to be divided among the various crew teams - the specific breakdown is really unknown. As to bar drinks, there is an automatic 18% tip added to each one and you can add more if the server/bartender is particularly attentive.

ETA: as mentioned above, we've also pre-paid on our last few cruises so the details may have changed in the interim.

So if you pre pay, when you eat in the MDR or bar, for example, do you just put 0 on the tip line and they servers will just assume the gratuities were already/will be paid for? 

[rufflesmom]

When you eat in the MDR you don't get any kind of bill or receipt.  Once you are done eating you just leave.  Whenever you buy a drink, the tip is automatically added each time.   All alcoholic drinks and soft drinks are a separate expense from the cost of the cruise.

[joepeka]

17 minutes ago, Danca4eva1994 said:

So if you pre pay, when you eat in the MDR or bar, for example, do you just put 0 on the tip line and they servers will just assume the gratuities were already/will be paid for? 

The only additional tip in the MDR will be for any drinks you order - that will be a separate bill with the automatic 18% tip already added in. Your MDR waiters and assistants are paid out of the pre-paid or end of cruise paid default tips added to your account.

[Elaine5715]

When you enter the dining room for breakfast/brunch/lunch or ATD, you give your cabin number.  And yes, they know who has prepaid and who goes to GS and has them removed.  All three of the dining room team share those grats.

[Illbcruzn4life]

1 hour ago, Danca4eva1994 said:

If we don’t do pre-paid gratuities, will Carnival automatically post tips on our final folio at the end of the cruise? Or do we tip as we go?

 

for example, if we eat in the MDR 5 times, is it somehow logged so Carnival knows how much to charge our card for tips? Drinks at the bar as well? 
 

why do you choose prepaid gratuities? 
 

I never understand the tipping so if someone can break it down for what’s the standard (bar, MDR, cleaning staff, etc) I would appreciate it! 

it doesnt matter if you eat in the MDR 5 nights, 7 nights, or not at all.

 

you will still be charged gratuities for all 7 days.

[VentureMan_2000]

I like using my On Board Credit (OBC) to pay gratuities.  I'd use them for the CHEERS package, but you cannot use OBC until you are on board... go figure...  😅  so would lose out on the 10% discount by purchasing before boarding.

Edited December 31, 2019 by VentureMan_2000

[bury me at sea]

1 minute ago, Elaine5715 said:

When you enter the dining room for breakfast/brunch/lunch or ATD, you give your cabin number.  And yes, they know who has prepaid and who goes to GS and has them removed.  All three of the dining room team share those grats.

 

This.  If you never eat dinner in the MDR you are in fact eating daily somewhere on the ship.  Someone is attending the buffet line, bussing tables, flipping burgers,  making pizza, refilling coffee stations.  The daily gratuity takes care of employees stationed wherever you choose to eat.

[VentureMan_2000]

42 minutes ago, Danca4eva1994 said:

So if you pre pay, when you eat in the MDR or bar, for example, do you just put 0 on the tip line and they servers will just assume the gratuities were already/will be paid for? 

 

When you eat, there is no receipt to sign or review -- you just enjoy your food.  When you purchase a drink or cocktail/wine, an 18% TIP is added to the price automatically.  No need to worry about actually TIP'ing any person directly on the Cruise as these "pre-paid" gratuities do that for you.

I hope that answers your question. 

 

 

[Roscoe13]

2 hours ago, Danca4eva1994 said:

 

why do you choose prepaid gratuities? 
 

 

I never used to but since I found out about Carnival gift cards at a 10% discount, it make sense to pay them ahead and save the 10%.

[ParrotRob]

2 hours ago, Danca4eva1994 said:

why do you choose prepaid gratuities? 
 

 

For that elusive $0.00 S&S bill at the end of the cruise.

 

[ParrotRob]

1 minute ago, Joe817 said:

^^^^^ This!

Never quite works out though.  The pesky taxes on pre-departure in-port drinks always give me like a $4.00 bill...

 

[rainbowflag]

16 minutes ago, coevan said:

and you know this how?

This was photographed during a Behind the Fun tour by a guest in 2009. The memo was posted to a galley bulletin board. The crew are kept informed by management, it is their livelihood after all.

[Banditswife]

we pre pay our gratuities because, like others have said- it reduces the bottom line on our final bill.  One less thing to pay for after your cruise.  To the OP (original poster) : for the most part tips are automatic.  At the bars/lounges a gratuity is added to the drink price.  For MDR, Lido servers, cabin stewards & others- their tips come out of the daily auto tips.  You can always tip above the auto tips, if you choose.  

[rainbowflag]

49 minutes ago, VentureMan_2000 said:

  it's only sent to Management.  The Crew providing the services do not know. 

Did you read the memo? It tells the managers on the list to advise the affected crew members of passengers who removed their tips. Below the photo you can see headers for the list of guest names, with a header for cabin numbers, booking # and MDR table numbers.

[bingomamma19]

3 hours ago, rainbowflag said:

This was photographed during a Behind the Fun tour by a guest in 2009. The memo was posted to a galley bulletin board. The crew are kept informed by management, it is their livelihood after all.

Looks strange as it says "remove their prepaid gratuities", I am not sure that you can remove the Pre paid grats? 

 

 Also, most who remove their tips do it on the last night of the cruise, so the crew will not even know at that point?

[Mavrick_RN]

4 hours ago, ParrotRob said:

Never quite works out though.  The pesky taxes on pre-departure in-port drinks always give me like a $4.00 bill...

 

 

And that includes the Bottomless Bubbles.  When I was on the Legend in Vancouver the Port taxes you until you depart.  Believe me I always get my money's worth when it comes to unlimited soft drinks/refills. 

[knagl]

11 hours ago, Danca4eva1994 said:

I never understand the tipping so if someone can break it down for what’s the standard (bar, MDR, cleaning staff, etc) I would appreciate it! 

 

As others have mentioned, you will automatically be billed for a daily gratuity charge (unless you paid it before your sailing by pre-paying), and that money will get divided amongst the service staff (servers, room steward, etc.).

 

Bar/beverage gratuities are separate, and an auto gratuity amount will be added to any beverage purchase, with the option on the receipt for you to add an additional amount if desired.

 

You are not obligated by policy or custom to tip above and beyond any of the auto gratuity amounts -- you'll be fine and perfectly average if you don't. That said, we've found many of the ship's workers provide outstanding service, and choose to provide additional gratuities above and beyond the standard amount that we also pay.

 

In particular, since you're asking, we'll typically tip our room steward an additional $10 (cash) up front with any special requests (extra pillows, ice, etc.), and then leave another $10 or $20 in the room at the end of the cruise based on service. If we find a server team we like in the dining room (we do the anytime dining), we'll typically ask for them on all future main dining room visits, and will give them $20 or more on the last night, again depending on service.

 

So long as you don't request to have gratuities removed and then stiff the staff, you'll be fine no matter what you do. Hopefully this helps you. Have fun on your cruise!

[Cushing985]

28 minutes ago, knagl said:

 

As others have mentioned, you will automatically be billed for a daily gratuity charge (unless you paid it before your sailing by pre-paying), and that money will get divided amongst the service staff (servers, room steward, etc.).

 

Bar/beverage gratuities are separate, and an auto gratuity amount will be added to any beverage purchase, with the option on the receipt for you to add an additional amount if desired.

 

You are not obligated by policy or custom to tip above and beyond any of the auto gratuity amounts -- you'll be fine and perfectly average if you don't. That said, we've found many of the ship's workers provide outstanding service, and choose to provide additional gratuities above and beyond the standard amount that we also pay.

 

In particular, since you're asking, we'll typically tip our room steward an additional $10 (cash) up front with any special requests (extra pillows, ice, etc.), and then leave another $10 or $20 in the room at the end of the cruise based on service. If we find a server team we like in the dining room (we do the anytime dining), we'll typically ask for them on all future main dining room visits, and will give them $20 or more on the last night, again depending on service.

 

So long as you don't request to have gratuities removed and then stiff the staff, you'll be fine no matter what you do. Hopefully this helps you. Have fun on your cruise!

 

This is exactly what we do except as we don't have any special requests for the cabin steward we never give them anything up-front.  I do add $1.00 for an additional tip for drink orders and tip the person who delivers my continental breakfast in the morning $2.00.  I don't know how many people actually pull their tips on the last night but I do remember that posting from years ago where someone took a picture of an email posted in the crew area listing those who did.  I suspect if someone does that it's because they took a look at their account and saw they spent too much time in a bar or casino.  After nine Carnival cruises I've never had bad service from either the room steward or MDR but if that does happen I would just not tip the extra we normally do.  In my mind, the money I paid for in pre-paid tips is gone and no longer belongs to me.

[jimbo5544]

8 hours ago, VentureMan_2000 said:

First... I could create email like that to post here as evidence.

Second... let's just say it's legit for the sake of argument --  it's only sent to Management.  The Crew providing the services do not know.  If you catch the guy from accounting giving you stink-eye... perhaps you are on to something... 😂   .  If you recognize that that person is from accounting... you're likely... well, you know... 🤣

It’s legit, it was a big thing back here at the time,

[rainbowflag]

23 minutes ago, Cushing985 said:

 

 I do remember that posting from years ago where someone took a picture of an email posted in the crew area listing those who did.  

You mean the email posted here earlier in post #21?

[sanger727]

12 hours ago, Danca4eva1994 said:

 

So if you pre pay, when you eat in the MDR or bar, for example, do you just put 0 on the tip line and they servers will just assume the gratuities were already/will be paid for? 

you are putting too much emphasis on the ‘pre-pay’. Cruise lines charge an automatic gratuity to everyone that takes care of the MDR employees. Outside of a few people who choose to remove them, everyone pays this. It doesn’t make a lick of difference to the crew whether you pay it before your cruise or with your bill at the end. The general assumption is that you will pay those gratuities and no one has a a hand out with the expectation that you will give them more. You can tip above the gratuities if you choose to and it will be appreciated but there’s no expectation that you will. As others have said, there’s no bill in the mdr so there’s no tip line to address. If you order a drink you’ll see a tip already added on. There’s a tip line if you wish to tip more, but again, no need to.

[Purvis1231]

We do not prepay gradutitues but we always pay the auto-gratuities at the end of the cruises.