Gratuity for Cabin Steward not included for Retreat Guests?

[mfs2k]

From Celebrity's website https://www.celebritycruises.com/cruise-ships/celebrity-beyond/the-retreat

 

_{"Terms and Conditions:}

_{*All guests who book The Retreat on or after November 17, 2020 will receive the Indulge Package at no additional charge. The Indulge Package provides a Premium Beverage Package, an Unlimited Stream Internet Package, Gratuities Included, and an OBC for all guests in the stateroom. OBC amount varies by length of sailing: $200 per person for 1-5 night sailings, $300 per person for 6-9 night sailings and a value of $400 per person for 10 night or longer sailings. OBC has no cash value, is applicable to cruise only, non-transferable, not redeemable for cash, and will expire if not used by 10:00 PM on the final night of the cruise. Prepaid gratuities provide gratuities for Personal Retreat Host, headwaiter, waiter, and assistant waiter in the amount suggested by Celebrity’s guidelines."}

 

_{I don't see the cabin steward on this list.  Are we expected to fully tip the steward and not just tip extra for above and beyond service? Or is this an oversight in the marketing materials?} 

[bac513]

They are included.

What is Celebrity’s automatic gratuity program?

Guests that booked prior to Nov. 17, 2020 (without Always Included) or booked Simply Sail pricing:
For your convenience, we automatically add gratuities for your restaurant and stateroom services to your onboard SeaPass® account on a daily basis in the following amounts, which may be adjusted at your discretion:

• $15.50 USD per person, per day for standard accommodations
• $16.00 USD per person, per day for Concierge Class and AquaClass® staterooms
• $19.00 USD per person, per day for guests of The Retreat

This gratuity is shared by Dining Services Staff, Stateroom Attendants, and other Stateroom Services Personnel that work to enhance your cruise. A 20% gratuity will be added to all beverages, mini bar purchases and beverage packages. An 18% gratuity will be added to all spa & salon purchases onboard.

Effective November 17, 2020, with the Always Included℠ Pricing Package:
Beverage package gratuities and daily gratuities for Dining Service Staff, Stateroom Attendants, and other Stateroom Service Personnel are included as part of Always Included pricing. An 18% gratuity will be added to all spa & salon purchases onboard.

[isdoo]

All staff are included. 

I believe that the butler and concierge actually come under the category of Customer service and are paid from the same pot as the guys at Customer Services desk. 

[terrydtx]

37 minutes ago, mfs2k said:

From Celebrity's website https://www.celebritycruises.com/cruise-ships/celebrity-beyond/the-retreat

 

_{"Terms and Conditions:}

_{*All guests who book The Retreat on or after November 17, 2020 will receive the Indulge Package at no additional charge. The Indulge Package provides a Premium Beverage Package, an Unlimited Stream Internet Package, Gratuities Included, and an OBC for all guests in the stateroom. OBC amount varies by length of sailing: $200 per person for 1-5 night sailings, $300 per person for 6-9 night sailings and a value of $400 per person for 10 night or longer sailings. OBC has no cash value, is applicable to cruise only, non-transferable, not redeemable for cash, and will expire if not used by 10:00 PM on the final night of the cruise. Prepaid gratuities provide gratuities for Personal Retreat Host, headwaiter, waiter, and assistant waiter in the amount suggested by Celebrity’s guidelines."}

 

_{I don't see the cabin steward on this list.  Are we expected to fully tip the steward and not just tip extra for above and beyond service? Or is this an oversight in the marketing materials?} 

On the Equinox in August and in a Sky Suite, I confirmed that our cabin attendant was included in the AI prepaid gratuities.  We still gave him an extra $50 at the end of the cruise, he and our Butler were amazing the whole cruise.

[jelayne]

There was a breakdown of the gratuity that I saw pre suspension and it showed the Butler receiving $3.00 pp of the $19 gratuity.  Whether that is still the case I don’t know.

[mfs2k]

12 minutes ago, jelayne said:

There was a breakdown of the gratuity that I saw pre suspension and it showed the Butler receiving $3.00 pp of the $19 gratuity.  Whether that is still the case I don’t know.

I thought the "Butler" is now called "Personal Retreat Host" and is listed above as included in Retreat Tips.  But I still don't see the Cabin Steward who cleans the rooms on the list. 

[jelayne]

11 minutes ago, mfs2k said:

I thought the "Butler" is now called "Personal Retreat Host" and is listed above as included in Retreat Tips.  But I still don't see the Cabin Steward who cleans the rooms on the list. 

See post #2 that says Stateroom Attendants
 

[Jim_Iain]

While a bit dated --- this was the breakdown prior to the last increase -   It will at least give an idea of the breakdown of your gratuities. 

 

[mfs2k]

9 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

While a bit dated --- this was the breakdown prior to the last increase -   It will at least give an idea of the breakdown of your gratuities. 

 

 

Sad they earn so little.  I give almost that much to my parking attendant.

[terrydtx]

13 minutes ago, mfs2k said:

 

Sad they earn so little.  I give almost that much to my parking attendant.

I remember the old days of cruising when you handed out cash tips in envelopes to your waiters and cabin attendants the last day of a cruise. The MDR would be at half capacity the last night because of passengers who refused for one reason or another to tip and didn't want to see their waiters. Many of the crew would end up being stiffed on gratuities they worked hard for. I also remember on CC long and very nasty threads between those who tipped and the anti tippers. The anti tippers would often argue that they cruise lines should increase fares to eliminate tips and ensure their employees made a decent wage. Then most cruise lines went to the policy of adding a daily automatic  hotel or service charge to all passenger's sail pass accounts instead of the envelopes. I also remember seeing the customer service desk having long lines of passengers wanting to adjust down or eliminate the auto service charge the last day of the cruise. This practice also led to more nasty CC threads on the subject. The anti tippers then argued they shouldn't have to pay for either bad service or for workers they never interacted with.

 

AI has achieved the goal of including all gratuities in the cost of your cruise. This I hope is finally helping to make sure the hardworking crew and staff of a cruise ship get more of what they work. so hard for. 

[CalTexCruiser]

59 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

While a bit dated --- this was the breakdown prior to the last increase -   It will at least give an idea of the breakdown of your gratuities. 

 

 

So on a 7 day cruise the butler gets a grand total of $ 28, and the cabin steward gets $ 10.64.

 

Holy cow I didn't realize how little they get. 

 

Glad I handed cash tips to all the Retreat personnel I interacted with.

[mfs2k]

35 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

I remember the old days of cruising when you handed out cash tips in envelopes to your waiters and cabin attendants the last day of a cruise. The MDR would be at half capacity the last night because of passengers who refused for one reason or another to tip and didn't want to see their waiters. Many of the crew would end up being stiffed on gratuities they worked hard for. I also remember on CC long and very nasty threads between those who tipped and the anti tippers. The anti tippers would often argue that they cruise lines should increase fares to eliminate tips and ensure their employees made a decent wage. Then most cruise lines went to the policy of adding a daily automatic  hotel or service charge to all passenger's sail pass accounts instead of the envelopes. I also remember seeing the customer service desk having long lines of passengers wanting to adjust down or eliminate the auto service charge the last day of the cruise. This practice also led to more nasty CC threads on the subject. The anti tippers then argued they shouldn't have to pay for either bad service or for workers they never interacted with.

 

AI has achieved the goal of including all gratuities in the cost of your cruise. This I hope is finally helping to make sure the hardworking crew and staff of a cruise ship get more of what they work. so hard for. 

I have the same cruising and cruise critic memories. 

[LGW59]

13 minutes ago, CalTexCruiser said:

 

So on a 7 day cruise the butler gets a grand total of $ 28, and the cabin steward gets $ 10.64.

 

Holy cow I didn't realize how little they get. 

 

Glad I handed cash tips to all the Retreat personnel I interacted with.

IMO if you use your butler, retreat host or whatever they call them, I give them $100 at the end of the cruise.  I know, I know controversial but that is what I do and it works for me for the amazing service I am provided.

[mfs2k]

3 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

IMO if you use your butler, retreat host or whatever they call them, I give them $100 at the end of the cruise.  I know, I know controversial but that is what I do and it works for me for the amazing service I am provided.

Many like to give half their tip at the beginning of the cruise, and the other half at the end. 

[Bo1953]

1 hour ago, mfs2k said:

 

Sad they earn so little.  I give almost that much to my parking attendant.

Yes, yet now you know what you can do for them on your next sailing...

 

bon voyage

Edited November 16, 2021 by Bo1953

[jelayne]

33 minutes ago, CalTexCruiser said:

 

So on a 7 day cruise the butler gets a grand total of $ 28, and the cabin steward gets $ 10.64.

 

Holy cow I didn't realize how little they get. 

 

Glad I handed cash tips to all the Retreat personnel I interacted with.

The $28 pp x 2 passengers x  12 Suites is $672 for a 7N sailing.  The suite  cabin attendant using Jim’s chart would get closer to the $4.08 so similar amount as the Retreat Host.  The extra tips are variable but with AI they have a guaranteed level of income that they can rely on.
 

[cdn_tbird]

1 hour ago, terrydtx said:

This I hope is finally helping to make sure the hardworking crew and staff of a cruise ship get more of what they work. so hard for. 

I honestly hope your prediction comes true but the pessimist in me that the anti-tippers will still be at Guest Services on the last night arguing the deserve a credit which just happens to work out to what the included gratuities (or service charges) are.

 

Personally, we have always pre-paid the gratuities and budgeted 5% of the cost of the cruise to give out as we see fit. Sometimes we've used the full amount, other times we haven't. 

[Denny01]

1 hour ago, terrydtx said:

I remember the old days of cruising when you handed out cash tips in envelopes to your waiters and cabin attendants the last day of a cruise. The MDR would be at half capacity the last night because of passengers who refused for one reason or another to tip and didn't want to see their waiters….

That reminds me of one of the more memorable situations I experienced early in cruising on my 1st cruise in 1995. Our two other couple tablemates met is at the last dinner and I put my envelope off to the side. The couple who were staying in a suite and, shall we say enjoying every drink they could, asked me what it was. I told them they had envelopes on their SR desk for tips to the waitstaff and their steward. He got up saying he’d go get it. The wife sat there for a few seconds and said she’d better go ‘help him’ find it. I turned to the other couple and said we’d not see them again, and we didn’t. I added more to my envelope as did the other couple who happened to be from Amsterdam and usually don’t tip, but as he explained, they follow the local customs. 
 

den

 

 

 

[PTC DAWG]

1 hour ago, LGW59 said:

IMO if you use your butler, retreat host or whatever they call them, I give them $100 at the end of the cruise.  I know, I know controversial but that is what I do and it works for me for the amazing service I am provided.

I see nothing controversial about it. 

[Jim_Iain]

3 hours ago, CalTexCruiser said:

 

So on a 7 day cruise the butler gets a grand total of $ 28, and the cabin steward gets $ 10.64.

 

Holy cow I didn't realize how little they get. 

 

Glad I handed cash tips to all the Retreat personnel I interacted with.

I agree and I use that gratuity breakdown in mind when I choose how much I will tip extra.   

[terrydtx]

3 hours ago, LGW59 said:

IMO if you use your butler, retreat host or whatever they call them, I give them $100 at the end of the cruise.  I know, I know controversial but that is what I do and it works for me for the amazing service I am provided.

On our Equinox cruise in August, I asked our Butler what he preferred to be called, a Butler or Retreat Host, he said a Butler was what he was and what he preferred. He was very proud to be our Butler and it showed every day of the cruise. 

 

I also think a $100 extra tip was appropriate for the high level of service our Butler provided. Nothing controversial, we can afford to cruise in suites so we can afford to tip extra where warranted. On our Equinox cruise we brought $300 in cash for the extra tips and used every dollar and then even a little more for the people who took care of us. It was nice to have an ATM machine in the guest services area and the extra fee for using it was paid by my bank. I remember the old no ATM onboard  days of having to hunt around for the cash to put into the tip envelopes.  This was our 50th Wedding Anniversary cruise and so many of the crew made it very special.

 

 @LGW59 it sounds like we think a lot alike on this subject.

Edited November 16, 2021 by terrydtx