Gratuity on top of Cover Charge

[Bo1953]

13 hours ago, hrhdhd said:

Just dined in TG this evening on the Constellation. The gratuity is noted on both pages of the menu. The menu is dated 04/22.

Thank you for posting this, often times many of us do not read at the point of service, especially when we do not read it on the web site, so we go with our 'interpretation 'of how it works.  This is not to say that X cannot do a better job of using larger type, as many of us have not gotten our cataracts removed yet!!!!  LOL 

 

Bon Appétit and bon voyage 

[AnnaNicole]

14 hours ago, hrhdhd said:

Just dined in TG this evening on the Constellation. The gratuity is noted on both pages of the menu. The menu is dated 04/22.

The gratuity is added at checkout when you pay for specialty dining on the cruiseplanner.  Is an additional 18% added at the restaurant for prepaid reservations?   Your bill would be $0 and the gratuity would be $0 unless you ordered surcharge items.

[islabahia]

Moving on…

Edited October 30, 2022 by islabahia

[jgmorgan]

moving on, 😀

Edited October 30, 2022 by jgmorgan
correction

[deliver42]

For specialty restourants, we always leave cash for or server.

[hrhdhd]

Just now, AnnaNicole said:

The gratuity is added at checkout when you pay for specialty dining on the cruiseplanner.  Is an additional 18% added at the restaurant for prepaid reservations?   Your bill would be $0 and the gratuity would be $0 unless you ordered surcharge items.

Correct: gratuity is paid once. I booked online pre-cruise and had a bill of $0.

[DirtyDawg]

Here's a pricing flyer I just downloaded. It clearly says 18% will be added. 

 

Also, if the standard charge for Tuscan is $55 and your bill says $64.90 you don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out some kind if 'tip' or 'fee' has been added. When was the last time X priced a specialty restaurant at $xx.90 or $xx.47 (35.99 + 18%= $42.47 (actually is is 42.468 but I'm assuming X rounds up, those rotten 🤬) )

 

Lastly, if they charge me $64.90 or $55 and I add on a 9.90 'tip' the same amount of money is coming out of my bank account, so why on earth would I stop going to the specialty restaurant just because they added the 18% automatically? 

 

This while thread is much to do about 18% of nothing. 

 

17058375_CEL_SpecialtyDining_Pricing_Flyer.pdf

Edited October 30, 2022 by DirtyDawg

[AnnaNicole]

11 minutes ago, DirtyDawg said:

Here's a pricing flyer I just downloaded. It clearly says 18% will be added. 

 

Also, if the standard charge for Tuscan is $55 and your bill says $64.90 you don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out some kind if 'tip' or 'fee' has been added. When was the last time X priced a specialty restaurant at $xx.90 or $xx.47 (35.99 + 18%= $42.47 (actually is is 42.468 but I'm assuming X rounds up, those rotten 🤬) )

 

Lastly, if they charge me $64.90 or $55 and I add on a 9.90 'tip' the same amount of money is coming out of my bank account, so why on earth would I stop going to the specialty restaurant just because they added the 18% automatically? 

 

This while thread is much to do about 18% of nothing. 

 

17058375_CEL_SpecialtyDining_Pricing_Flyer.pdf 881.62 kB · 0 downloads

I think the intent of the thread was the OP generously tipped on the bill without realizing she was already charged 18%.    This happens to my husband a fair amount.   He looks for reasonableness on a bill and then adds a tip.   Later he realizes he double tipped as gratuities were already included.  He pays closer attention to his bills now.

[keesar]

I am surprised that people do not read the bill when it is presented.  Our bills clearly  have stated that an 18% gratuity has been included.  Then we add an additional tip based on service that evening.  At times, when we prepay, we do not even receive a bill as the server will say "You are all set.  Thank you for coming".

[jelayne]

1 hour ago, DirtyDawg said:

Here's a pricing flyer I just downloaded. It clearly says 18% will be added. 

 

Also, if the standard charge for Tuscan is $55 and your bill says $64.90 you don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out some kind if 'tip' or 'fee' has been added. When was the last time X priced a specialty restaurant at $xx.90 or $xx.47 (35.99 + 18%= $42.47 (actually is is 42.468 but I'm assuming X rounds up, those rotten 🤬) )

 

Lastly, if they charge me $64.90 or $55 and I add on a 9.90 'tip' the same amount of money is coming out of my bank account, so why on earth would I stop going to the specialty restaurant just because they added the 18% automatically? 

 

This while thread is much to do about 18% of nothing. 

 

17058375_CEL_SpecialtyDining_Pricing_Flyer.pdf 881.62 kB · 1 download

With the change the price of Tuscan was raised $10 to $55 and a 18% gratuity was added to that amount.  A hefty increase.

[DirtyDawg]

1 hour ago, AnnaNicole said:

I think the intent of the thread was the OP generously tipped on the bill without realizing she was already charged 18%.    This happens to my husband a fair amount.   He looks for reasonableness on a bill and then adds a tip.   Later he realizes he double tipped as gratuities were already included.  He pays closer attention to his bills now.

Great life lesson. Pay close attention to any bill!

[PTC DAWG]

Some of y’all don’t like to tip, got it.  No wonder Celebrity had to make it automatic. 

[AnnaNicole]

9 minutes ago, PTC DAWG said:

Some of y’all don’t like to tip, got it.  No wonder Celebrity had to make it automatic. 

That's what you took from this thread?  It seemed to me people don't mind tipping.  

[PTC DAWG]

10 minutes ago, AnnaNicole said:

That's what you took from this thread?  It seemed to me people don't mind tipping.  

Note the word, some. Not all. 

[SusieV]

What I'd like to know is what happened from before when they insisted the cover charge WAS the tip. That no additional gratuity was necessary unless you chose because the staff was paid from the cover charge.

 

So now are we being made to tip on the tip since some people won't have been sailing Celebrity long enough to have been told that? It feels a little tacky to me.

[Pinboy]

1 hour ago, PTC DAWG said:

Some of y’all don’t like to tip, got it.  No wonder Celebrity had to make it automatic. 

YOU GOT IT !!

I waited to see something like this---

Celebrity did the right thing-- Good on them.

For those that are not happy with the 18%, the same ones wouldn't be happy with 4%, or better still, not tip at all. 

GR should have a separate " Remove Gratuities Here " line, so when I'm in line for change I don't have to listen to BS excuses why someone wants the gratuities removed.

 

[RichYak]

31 minutes ago, SusieV said:

What I'd like to know is what happened from before when they insisted the cover charge WAS the tip. That no additional gratuity was necessary unless you chose because the staff was paid from the cover charge.

I'm glad Celebrity has added the gratuity, so people can't point to how things were in the past as an excuse to stiff the staff.

[jagoffee]

19 hours ago, CaroleSS said:

I am a bit annoyed with X for what I feel is "misrepresentation". They quote you a price then "suddenly" add a gratuity on top of the quoted price and hope you don't notice!

 

They do it with the upgrade from the classic to the premium drink package. I called and asked to upgrade. They quoted me a price of $X per person, so I said yes....next thing I see is a charge for more on my account. I called back to see why and they said the gratuities amount isn't added until it is put in the cart. I asked the agent why they don't just include the gratuities in the original quote as it is misleading that the first quote is the amount they tell you and they never tell you the second amount......they said it was "the way the system is designed".  I asked, so why don't you wait until you put it in the cart before you quote an amount to the client....I was told it was "too much work to back it out"

 

For X to quote you a price, which you agree to pay, then to charge you an additional amount without specifically telling you so is deceptive IMHO.

You really did not know that all drink package quotes say plus gratuity?

 

I am not defending the change that Celebrity has made to the Speciality Dining prices.  I certainly remember that days when Celebrity implied the charge was the gratuity or at least it included the gratuity.

Everyone  has the option of skipping the Speciality restaurants, plenty of dining elsewhere.

Edited October 30, 2022 by jagoffee

[hcat]

They made the 18% clear 2hen we pre booked  spa res and pre paid with OBC.

I would usually tip more at the spa and buy 1 item but now I am going to stick with what I booked. Will buy something  at the perfume store if prices are okay.

[wrk2cruise]

2 hours ago, PTC DAWG said:

Some of y’all don’t like to tip, got it.  No wonder Celebrity had to make it automatic. 

 

As stated it was previously included in the service charge.  Not broken out separately.  Yes many of us added a small amount on top.

 

This has nothing to do with not tipping or removing tips.

[CaroleSS]

1 hour ago, jagoffee said:

You really did not know that all drink package quotes say plus gratuity?

I am well aware of this.......BUT, when the conversation goes like this......

 

me: how much it will cost to upgrade the two of us from classic to premium?
X: it will be $abc for the two of you

me: is that including my Captains Club discount and the gratuity

X: yes

me: ok, that's great

 

and after the phone call, I check my account and I was charged $abc + 18%......yes, I think that is being dishonest. I specifically asked if the charge included the gratuity and was told "yes"......When I called back to ask about the additional charge, I was told that they quote you a price based upon the "first screen", but the gratuity is only added once they put the "items in the cart". I asked why don't they just wait to tell you the price until they add it to the cart. I was told because it is time consuming to go through all those screens to only be told "no".

 

I'm just asking for honesty and transparency. Tell me the "true" cost and I will determine if I want the product or not, but to tell me the cost is one amount and charge me another - and never tell me there is an additional cost isn't appropriate......especially when I specifically asked!

 

 

[CaroleSS]

4 hours ago, PTC DAWG said:

Some of y’all don’t like to tip, got it.  No wonder Celebrity had to make it automatic. 

I'm a big tipper. You have to work VERY hard to not get at least 20% from me. MOST people are glad to reward those that enhance their cruise experience. 
 

I don't think you have been reading the comments correctly.....people aren't upset with the added gratuity, but rather the way it was added.

[D C]

8 hours ago, DirtyDawg said:

Here's a pricing flyer I just downloaded. It clearly says 18% will be added. 

 

Also, if the standard charge for Tuscan is $55 and your bill says $64.90 you don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out some kind if 'tip' or 'fee' has been added. When was the last time X priced a specialty restaurant at $xx.90 or $xx.47 (35.99 + 18%= $42.47 (actually is is 42.468 but I'm assuming X rounds up, those rotten 🤬) )

 

Lastly, if they charge me $64.90 or $55 and I add on a 9.90 'tip' the same amount of money is coming out of my bank account, so why on earth would I stop going to the specialty restaurant just because they added the 18% automatically? 

 

This while thread is much to do about 18% of nothing. 

 

17058375_CEL_SpecialtyDining_Pricing_Flyer.pdf 881.62 kB · 10 downloads

Why? Because they went from gratuity-included to gratuity-added. 

 

Celebrity has previously said that the price is inclusive of a service fee and that additional gratuities were welcome but not required. There have been plenty of dinners where we never received a final bill where we could add to the included tip. 

 

It really has nothing to do with gratuities. It has to do with a subtle price hike. 

[Mark_T]

21 minutes ago, D C said:

It really has nothing to do with gratuities. It has to do with a subtle price hike. 

... and that remains my concern, as this certainly does nothing to benefit the staff, if the service charge doesn't make its way into their pockets and I would expect that it will have had a significant impact on the number of people leaving additional tips...

[jelayne]

The pricing changed 6 months ago.   If you book  in the Cruise Planner it shows the amount of the gratuity before you complete payment, no secret that there is a gratuity added now.  The menus stated a gratuity will be added.  Reservations purchased before the change for dates after the change are honored at the booked rate with no gratuity added.  
Not so subtle to me.