GRATUITIES/TIPS/DAILY SERVICE CHARGE – ULTIMATE GUIDE

[pugrads]

For those of you who tip above & beyond the prepaid gratuities/DSCs, do you use USD or Euros when on European cruises?  I know the ships use USD, but do ship staff have accounts they can deposit cash into?  Or would Euros be better given the ship has several European itineraries?

[canderson]

2 hours ago, the penguins said:

pre covid you collected your sea passes at the check in shore side. Once on the ship the decks with cabins were sealed off until the general announcement that the cabins were ready (Princess still operates this system).

Post covid whatever time you board you go direct to your cabin where your sea passes are on the bed. 

As you mention a Butler perhaps suites were different.

Pre-COVID, they usually didn't lock down 'all watertight doors'.😄   We could almost always drop hand luggage in a closet at our cabin and then move on to public space.  Many people used to join us in doing this so as to avoid a total crunch of rolly cases in places like the Ocean View cafe, Luminae, etc.  We were always in and out quickly, and didn't interfere with the process of turning the cabin.  Was pleased to see this codified since it works out better for everyone.  Didn't really matter if it was a suite or not.

 

As for the specific event I mentioned, I guess I didn't describe it well enough?  This was right after a dry dock and a COVID restart.   Everyone was welcome to go directly to their cabin and occupy it that day.   The last passengers aboard had left many months prior, so no need to wait for housekeeping to do anything.  That's what was 'glorious' about it (among many other things). 

 

Edited September 3 by canderson

[pugrads]

6 hours ago, pete_coach said:

Please, don't be so naive. Like he has not said that to many LOL

Lemme see, 3500 per cruise, X 52 weeks per year x 3 years ...about 1 million people but you are special?? 

As I said, they are pleasant and polite to everyone...ther livelihood depends on making you feel "special" 🙂

Just because YOU aren't memorable @pete_coach doesn't mean other people aren't or don't make an impression on the staff.  We cruised on Summit 2 years in a row about a year apart.  The second cruise, the sommelier at the wine bar remembered us on site & pulled my favorite wine out of the fridge when she saw us.  She didn't have our key card/info at all.  We just became friendly with her.  So yes, sometimes the staff DO remember the passengers.

[DaKahuna]

48 minutes ago, pugrads said:

For those of you who tip above & beyond the prepaid gratuities/DSCs, do you use USD or Euros when on European cruises? 

 

 We have always used USD as that has been the ship's currency on all our cruises. 

 

 

[RichYak]

2 hours ago, canderson said:

Pre-COVID, they usually didn't lock down 'all watertight doors'.😄   We could almost always drop hand luggage in a closet at our cabin and then move on to public space.  Many people used to join us in doing this so as to avoid a total crunch of rolly cases in places like the Ocean View cafe, Luminae, etc.  We were always in and out quickly, and didn't interfere with the process of turning the cabin.  Was pleased to see this codified since it works out better for everyone.  Didn't really matter if it was a suite or not.

 

As for the specific event I mentioned, I guess I didn't describe it well enough?  This was right after a dry dock and a COVID restart.   Everyone was welcome to go directly to their cabin and occupy it that day.   The last passengers aboard had left many months prior, so no need to wait for housekeeping to do anything.  That's what was 'glorious' about it (among many other things). 

 

COVID is a coincidental timing of getting one’s seapass card at one’s stateroom. This was already the process on revolutionized ships pre-COVID. Source: Personal experience on Summit December 2019. 
 

The rest of the fleet went to this shortly before or perhaps immediately after the shutdown. 

[canderson]

1 hour ago, RichYak said:

COVID is a coincidental timing of getting one’s seapass card at one’s stateroom. This was already the process on revolutionized ships pre-COVID. Source: Personal experience on Summit December 2019. 
 

The rest of the fleet went to this shortly before or perhaps immediately after the shutdown. 

All true.

Didn't, or at least didn't mean to suggest otherwise.  I was in the first paragraph responding to the earlier use of COVID as a time marker.  Agree we were dropping hand luggage long before that, or before the Revolution, for that matter. 

 

As for the second paragraph, COVID  was very much the primary factor there.  Again, it was the initial restart cruise of a ship, so no need to wait at all to occupy after boarding.

[the penguins]

8 hours ago, Pushka said:

Not really higher price. I check on the US website and then the Aus and ours seem much much cheaper but there are of course different refund options etc. 

Are you saying that for the same cabin same sailing the base price if booked in Aus including the grats is cheaper than the price in the US? If so we should all be booking in Aus.

Do you have a specific example?

 

[the penguins]

6 hours ago, canderson said:

Pre-COVID, they usually didn't lock down 'all watertight doors'.😄   We could almost always drop hand luggage in a closet at our cabin and then move on to public space.  Many people used to join us in doing this so as to avoid a total crunch of rolly cases in places like the Ocean View cafe, Luminae, etc.  We were always in and out quickly, and didn't interfere with the process of turning the cabin.  Was pleased to see this codified since it works out better for everyone.  Didn't really matter if it was a suite or not.

 

As for the specific event I mentioned, I guess I didn't describe it well enough?  This was right after a dry dock and a COVID restart.   Everyone was welcome to go directly to their cabin and occupy it that day.   The last passengers aboard had left many months prior, so no need to wait for housekeeping to do anything.  That's what was 'glorious' about it (among many other things). 

 

So you and some others including ourselves used to try and bi pass the system whereas now, as you need your room card,  will all have to go directly to your cabin.  

[the penguins]

8 hours ago, pugrads said:

For those of you who tip above & beyond the prepaid gratuities/DSCs, do you use USD or Euros when on European cruises?  I know the ships use USD, but do ship staff have accounts they can deposit cash into?  Or would Euros be better given the ship has several European itineraries?

it makes no difference to the crew as Celebrity will handle any convertible currency for them at preferential rates.

If you have currency that you are unlikely to need after the cruise e.g. Euro or Sterling we would use that first as this is much better than changing the money back.

Also, although $ is the onboard currency, for a lot of the year the ships operate in areas where it isn't and the crew need local currency for their time ashore.

[the penguins]

15 hours ago, eric4395 said:

Yes I will say it again that's what WE prefer to do, nobody elses business. 

Had you not posted the method you use and questioned it's legality nobody would have been any the wiser. 

[eric4395]

Just now, the penguins said:

Had you not posted the method you use and questioned it's legality nobody would have been any the wiser. 

I was asking the original poster ( guidelines) if you could still remove gratuities as it was never a problem before. Then it turned into what a usual gratuities thread descends into, where you are told to not do as we wish and indeed laughably don't cruise with Celebrity if you don't like there policy as if that would ever be a deciding factor  for us !.

It's not like I even said we weren't paying the gratuities.

It's nobody's business what other people  are doing and would never preach to anyone about right or wrongs on this subject .

 

 

[pugrads]

1 hour ago, the penguins said:

it makes no difference to the crew as Celebrity will handle any convertible currency for them at preferential rates.

If you have currency that you are unlikely to need after the cruise e.g. Euro or Sterling we would use that first as this is much better than changing the money back.

Also, although $ is the onboard currency, for a lot of the year the ships operate in areas where it isn't and the crew need local currency for their time ashore.

That’s what we’ve always done but as hubby & I were discussing how much cash to take this came up. We use the Wise card for the most part but wanted to be cognizant of the crew. And looking at the Equinox’s sailings, they come back to the US in November so USD might be a better option. 

[Pushka]

4 hours ago, the penguins said:

 

 

Sorry the quote didn't work properly. 
 

A totally random one. Just selected the first cruise that left Southampton next day. First the US site. No gratituties.  
 

Second the Au site. Gratuities included. 
 

USD $959 is AUS$1424. Price of the Oz cruise includes gratuities at $1382.. 

 

This is the line on our invoices:

A service charge for your dining and stateroom attendant are included in your cruise fare. A service charge for additional onboard services purchased will be incurred and reflect on your Onboard Expense Account.

 

Edited September 3 by Pushka

[Iamcruzin]

On 8/31/2024 at 10:32 AM, Guindalf said:

Let’s try to end all the questions about the policies and actions concerning when and how much to tip and when to remove gratuities (if at all).

 

This is too funny and you have been a member of Cruise Critic since 2006.

 

[pete_coach]

12 hours ago, pugrads said:

We've always had amazing sommeliers in Blue.  I'm particular with my wine so I have a favorite on the ship.  After the first night, they have always had bottles set aside for me & I never had to ask.  The sommelier at the wine bar on our first cruise on the Summit many years ago helped me find wines I liked that didn't give me a headache - which is hard to do.  Same with the morning croissants & bread selection.  By day 2, the server remembered our preferences & just brought us "our usual".  Those are the servers that we would tip above & beyond.

We have had good service too. I never said you  or anyone could not have good service.

Glad you did not have a hangover?  LOL

Not sure what your point is other than to argue??

 

11 hours ago, pugrads said:

Just because YOU aren't memorable @pete_coach doesn't mean other people aren't or don't make an impression on the staff.  We cruised on Summit 2 years in a row about a year apart.  The second cruise, the sommelier at the wine bar remembered us on site & pulled my favorite wine out of the fridge when she saw us.  She didn't have our key card/info at all.  We just became friendly with her.  So yes, sometimes the staff DO remember the passengers.

it is not a case of not being memorable, it is a matter of truth, realism and logistics.

Do you really want to pat yourself on the back enough to say that you stand out among the over a million people the staff sees in a year??

Do you really think you are so special??  As Oliver Wendall Holmes said, 'Don't flatter yourself  LOL  

 

Edited September 3 by pete_coach

[pete_coach]

11 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

 

 We have always used USD as that has been the ship's currency on all our cruises. 

 

 

I understood all transactions are in USD and then converted tot he currency of your choice.

[Quik2flip]

I’m shocked this topic hasn’t been closed yet! 😂

[pete_coach]

10 minutes ago, Quik2flip said:

I’m shocked this topic hasn’t been closed yet! 😂

LOL

Boomers Bickering .....

 

I pay what I want

The food is awful

The food is not what it used to be

The food is good

The service is bad

The service is excellent

The ship is great

The ship is old and need updating
 

Everyone remembers me years later cause I am special

 

LOL  Boombers keeping on....ans on ....and on LOL

Edited September 3 by pete_coach

[the penguins]

2 hours ago, pete_coach said:

I understood all transactions are in USD and then converted tot he currency of your choice.

the question was about cash tips not ship's transactions which are indeed in US$.

Also for those of us who have non US$ Credit/Debit Cards never let the ship do the conversions as that can add a lot to the total. There are lots of cards available that convert at the rate on the day.

[the penguins]

5 hours ago, eric4395 said:

I was asking the original poster ( guidelines) if you could still remove gratuities as it was never a problem before. Then it turned into what a usual gratuities thread descends into, where you are told to not do as we wish and indeed laughably don't cruise with Celebrity if you don't like there policy as if that would ever be a deciding factor  for us !.

It's not like I even said we weren't paying the gratuities.

It's nobody's business what other people  are doing and would never preach to anyone about right or wrongs on this subject .

 

 

We will just have to agree to disagree.

For me deducting/reducing the tips from one/more members the Autograts system to give it one or more other members of the crew is just plain wrong.

[DennysDad]

21 hours ago, the penguins said:

I didn't say "nobody does" but you said "many do" which I simply don't believe is true. If the vast majority of passengers didn't pay the auto tips in full Celebrity would be forced to introduce a different system.

Sorry again but as the total sum you are spending remains the same  clearly you are removing tips from some crew members to give it to others

Many do. Stand around guest services and listen. 

[pete_coach]

10 minutes ago, the penguins said:

the question was about cash tips not ship's transactions which are indeed in US$.

Also for those of us who have non US$ Credit/Debit Cards never let the ship do the conversions as that can add a lot to the total. There are lots of cards available that convert at the rate on the day.

Incorrect. The question was: "For those of you who tip above & beyond the prepaid gratuities/DSCs, do you use USD or Euros when on European cruises? "

I responded to "We have always used USD as that has been the ship's currency on all our cruises. "

Considering t it was asked about European cruises, my comment was and is valid.,

 

The discussion was about USD.

 

Your point is moot to the conversations quoted..

[the penguins]

1 hour ago, pete_coach said:

Incorrect. The question was: "For those of you who tip above & beyond the prepaid gratuities/DSCs, do you use USD or Euros when on European cruises? "

I responded to "We have always used USD as that has been the ship's currency on all our cruises. "

Considering t it was asked about European cruises, my comment was and is valid.,

 

The discussion was about USD.

 

Your point is moot to the conversations quoted..

Sorry if I misinterpreted the post. Surely all tips above and beyond are in cash.

I was simply making the point that it doesn’t matter which currency the tips are in as the ship will convert it for the crew. When you were cruising in Europe you probably had some Euros or £ left which you might not need again and so rather than change them back into $ you can use them for extra tips.

[pete_coach]

24 minutes ago, the penguins said:

Sorry if I misinterpreted the post. Surely all tips above and beyond are in cash.

I was simply making the point that it doesn’t matter which currency the tips are in as the ship will convert it for the crew. When you were cruising in Europe you probably had some Euros or £ left which you might not need again and so rather than change them back into $ you can use them for extra tips.

I explained my comments. They were not to you or about you.

You just seem to want to argue.

Edited September 3 by pete_coach

[FeliciaB]

16 hours ago, pugrads said:

For those of you who tip above & beyond the prepaid gratuities/DSCs, do you use USD or Euros when on European cruises?  I know the ships use USD, but do ship staff have accounts they can deposit cash into?  Or would Euros be better given the ship has several European itineraries?

I think you can tip in whatever is convenient to you within reason.  The ship will always be able to convert it to USD (at a decent exchange rate)  if that is what they want and can probably change it into Euro or GBP depending on the itinerary if that is what they prefer.