Are pre-paid gratuities even worth it any more?

[Pickels]

On 3/7/2023 at 4:41 PM, CuseJeff44 said:

Last cruise I was on, there seemed to be an expectation for a gratuity even despite the fact we pre-paid. I'm wondering if it just makes sense to give them the gratuity at the end, like we used to back in the day before pre-paid gratuities were a thing. My favorite part of pre-paying is I don't need to worry about carrying envelopes and cash, I can just be done with it and enjoy my cruise. But now, I think based on the interactions I was getting many of the workers on board would prefer to have it in cash and handed to them? I'd prefer to pre-pay, but the worst possible scenario is having to do it twice and can tip at the end if they would rather.

We never felt there was an "expectation" for extra gratuities on any of our Celebrity cruises;  Regarding pre-paid gratuities---we consider those a "starting point"; if service was great, we always give something extra at the end of our cruise; if there was an issue with any of the service, we never remove the pre-paid but, consider those the "ending point"!  Get my drift?

[RichYak]

13 hours ago, zitsky said:

 

I grew up poor and worked as a secretary in college.  I do NOT have a problem with gratuities.  I do have a problem giving someone a tip when I don't think they've earned it.  I didn't make very much as a secretary but I never thought someone should hand me a $20 for doing my job.  

 

There are certain jobs where people work for salary and there are others where they work for tips. I'm not sure if you don't know the difference or if you just used an unfortunately meaningless example.

 

Anyway, more to the point of this thread, I wouldn't just give an additional $20 tip to someone just doing their job. The extra $20 would be for doing more than is expected of them.

[davekathy]

4 hours ago, Bo1953 said:

dk then obviously you are impressing the staff enough to want to help???

Someone's gotta step up and take charge. 😂

[jean87510]

3 hours ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

 

As long as you had left gratuities in place, he should not have had to pool it. They only have to pool cash if gratuities have been removed.

 

(There is a possibility that he had to turn it in, but as long as you had left autogratuities in place he would have gotten back the cash he had turned in.)

Thank you.  I think the lack of envelope threw me off plus recent threads about what happens to tips although if I understand it correctly, it's only if you remove auto-gratuity.  I am not a fan of a tip I give personally to someone being shared.  I don't care about the people in the back.  That's what their salary plus the auto-gratuity is for.  I didn't want him to share what I gave to him for his personal attention not the laundry people.

[JeanieC,Aston]

16 hours ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

The staff in the OVC work pretty hard getting coffees , clearing tables 

I bet no one here would do the job for the pay they get 😁

There was an advert in my local paper here in the UK for jobs on cruise ships.

Mostly for work in kids club or nursery,,,starting wage =£1760 a month board & lodging included.

[AmberCascades]

26 minutes ago, JeanieC,Aston said:

There was an advert in my local paper here in the UK for jobs on cruise ships.

Mostly for work in kids club or nursery,,,starting wage =£1760 a month board & lodging included.

 

Those jobs and desk jobs, guest services, future cruise sales, maybe the gift shops (??) pay more than the "general labour" type jobs.  We were waiting on shore for a tender once and started talking to a girl who worked in the kids club.  She said it was a pretty good salary but not everyone who worked on the ship got that kind of salary.  She also wasn't part of the tip pool.

[zitsky]

3 hours ago, RichYak said:

There are certain jobs where people work for salary and there are others where they work for tips. I'm not sure if you don't know the difference or if you just used an unfortunately meaningless example.

 

Anyway, more to the point of this thread, I wouldn't just give an additional $20 tip to someone just doing their job. The extra $20 would be for doing more than is expected of them.

 

Yes, I know the difference.

[SusieAV8R]

On 3/8/2023 at 9:35 AM, StingBeanz said:

 

I wish that I took a photo of the note accompanying the envelopes that were left in our Cabin as we neared the end of our Connie cruise a few weeks ago. The note listed the suggested additional cash gratuities for the Cabin Steward, waiter and I believe the beverage steward. 

 

It went a little beyond just the envelopes, it kind of felt like they were implying or requesting that you do this. 

I would definitely have taken a photo of that note and registered a complaint.  This has not, and won't not be tolerated, within our experience on Celebrity.  (We have only travelled in suites since 2008). I wouldn't tolerate it from any cabin/stateroom attendant.  It is not what the Celebrity Brand is conveying, and not what the Brand should be tolerating.  But corrections can't be made if not reported.  Did you report this?

[SusieAV8R]

9 hours ago, jean87510 said:

Thank you.  I think the lack of envelope threw me off plus recent threads about what happens to tips although if I understand it correctly, it's only if you remove auto-gratuity.  I am not a fan of a tip I give personally to someone being shared.  I don't care about the people in the back.  That's what their salary plus the auto-gratuity is for.  I didn't want him to share what I gave to him for his personal attention not the laundry people.

Folks on various threads have cited examples of which areas pool tips and which don't.  

[tonyinoc]

I don't understand the point of pre paid . 

Example 

if I pre - pay on the website for my 12 day cruise they say its $420 for 2 

if I don't pre - pay and let them charge me $17.50 per person its still $420 

 

there is no savings ? so why give them your money months before you leave ? 

 

I know all including is different so i am not comparing that 

[Ex-Airbalancer]

2 minutes ago, tonyinoc said:

I don't understand the point of pre paid . 

Example 

if I pre - pay on the website for my 12 day cruise they say its $420 for 2 

if I don't pre - pay and let them charge me $17.50 per person its still $420 

 

there is no savings ? so why give them your money months before you leave ? 

 

I know all including is different so i am not comparing that 

Just easier 

[RichYak]

17 minutes ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

Just easier 

Nothing is easier than automatic.

[tonyinoc]

46 minutes ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

Just easier 

but it still get charged to the same credit card 🙂 give them $420 6 months before you go or pay it as you get off the ship 🙂

[dlh015]

57 minutes ago, tonyinoc said:

I don't understand the point of pre paid . 

Example 

if I pre - pay on the website for my 12 day cruise they say its $420 for 2 

if I don't pre - pay and let them charge me $17.50 per person its still $420 

 

there is no savings ? so why give them your money months before you leave ? 

 

I know all including is different so i am not comparing that 

What 'savings' do you expect on gratuities?? You expect they should stiff the crew so you can save a few dollars??

 

Are you going to save a bundle on your CC interest or what? (assuming you maintain a balance on your CC)  

 

I guess if you're living paycheck to paycheck, it matters. Then the decision would be a no-brainer...

 

 

[deliver42]

It's good to know that when I'm getting off the ship, i don't have a $420.00 bill waiting for me. 

[tonyinoc]

14 minutes ago, dlh015 said:

What 'savings' do you expect on gratuities?? You expect they should stiff the crew so you can save a few dollars??

 

Are you going to save a bundle on your CC interest or what? (assuming you maintain a balance on your CC)  

 

I guess if you're living paycheck to paycheck, it matters. Then the decision would be a no-brainer...

 

 

wow FYI i have zero balance on any credit card. I was just commenting that there is zero reason to pay it in advance, And I am not living pay check to pay check but thanks for being concerned 🙂

[RichYak]

15 minutes ago, dlh015 said:

What 'savings' do you expect on gratuities?? You expect they should stiff the crew so you can save a few dollars??

 

Are you going to save a bundle on your CC interest or what? (assuming you maintain a balance on your CC)  

 

I guess if you're living paycheck to paycheck, it matters. Then the decision would be a no-brainer...

 

 

I think someone didn't have their coffee today. Your response seems pretty harsh given the question that was asked. Why give a supposedly financially struggling company any money before it's necessary seems to me to be a legitimate question.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

32 minutes ago, tonyinoc said:

but it still get charged to the same credit card 🙂 give them $420 6 months before you go or pay it as you get off the ship 🙂

Maybe maybe not , I have think about the exchange fees 

also I your are booking a year in advance, I don’t have go on the thread “They just raised the gratuities” 🤣 

[Ex-Airbalancer]

38 minutes ago, tonyinoc said:

but it still get charged to the same credit card 🙂 give them $420 6 months before you go or pay it as you get off the ship 🙂

Where do you get “6months “ it is only 90 days , 

Also if you doing Always included you don’t have a choice 😉

Edited March 12, 2023 by Ex-Airbalancer

[zitsky]

1 hour ago, tonyinoc said:

I don't understand the point of pre paid . 

Example 

if I pre - pay on the website for my 12 day cruise they say its $420 for 2 

if I don't pre - pay and let them charge me $17.50 per person its still $420 

 

there is no savings ? so why give them your money months before you leave ? 

 

I know all including is different so i am not comparing that 

Some people have different ways of planning their expenses?  I prefer to pay up front.

[Rtowncruiser]

We have sailed on RCL and Celebrity when the ships have been at 50% capacity or less because of Covid. We had superb service and tipped above our usual because of it. Our last sailing was almost at capacity and service was very good, but we didn't tip as generously as when the ship was partially full and staff was obviously going to get a lot less. 

[dlh015]

30 minutes ago, tonyinoc said:

wow FYI i have zero balance on any credit card. I was just commenting that there is zero reason to pay it in advance, And I am not living pay check to pay check but thanks for being concerned 🙂

My apologies. Rich is right...I'm a tad cranky this morning...

[dlh015]

35 minutes ago, RichYak said:

I think someone didn't have their coffee today. Your response seems pretty harsh given the question that was asked. Why give a supposedly financially struggling company any money before it's necessary seems to me to be a legitimate question.

I did another post in another thread that I erased as I realized I was not very delicate. I should have done that here...thanks...

[ldubs]

17 minutes ago, zitsky said:

Some people have different ways of planning their expenses? 

 

I agree.   It is an option.  People should do the option they prefer.  I think it is good to ask about potential reasons to opt for one over another.  I don't understand why some get so wound up over such a simple thing.   

[ldubs]

On 3/9/2023 at 7:45 AM, Pickels said:

We never felt there was an "expectation" for extra gratuities on any of our Celebrity cruises;  Regarding pre-paid gratuities---we consider those a "starting point"; if service was great, we always give something extra at the end of our cruise; if there was an issue with any of the service, we never remove the pre-paid but, consider those the "ending point"!  Get my drift?

 

I think your approach is very common.  We do the same.  I think the point of this thread is the crew is also now expecting the pre-paid grats to be just a starting point.   Like you, we have not experienced this. 

Edited March 12, 2023 by ldubs