Are Celebrity gratuities about to go up?

[the penguins]

5 hours ago, Thejuggler said:

Whilst day to day charges may be increasing it needs to be considered in light of overall cost.

 

We did our first cruise in about 2010, we did our last one a few weeks ago.  The cruise fare was about the same, largely due to the increase in the number of ships which are generally now much larger.  That increase in cabin capacity has allowed prices to remain very competitive.

 

20 minutes ago, Caipi said:

The 12 USD is the difference between the old and the new amounts. 

Kursenam - my mistake.

Before you ask, I am not Hungarian, and don't speak Hungarian but I was the Commercial Manager of the Hungarian Tourist Office in London when they decided  to recruit one English person to join the rest of the team.

Love the country and have visited many areas outside of Budapest including Lake Balaton, the Thermal Lake at Heviz, Eger, Tihany, Szentendre, the Nine Hole Bridge at Debrecen, the amazing swimming pools at Hajduszobosslo and the Caves around Miskolc.

[Caipi]

1 minute ago, the penguins said:

 

Kursenam - my mistake.

Before you ask, I am not Hungarian, and don't speak Hungarian but I was the Commercial Manager of the Hungarian Tourist Office in London when they decided  to recruit one English person to join the rest of the team.

Love the country and have visited many areas outside of Budapest including Lake Balaton, the Thermal Lake at Heviz, Eger, Tihany, Szentendre, the Nine Hole Bridge at Debrecen, the amazing swimming pools at Hajduszobosslo and the Caves around Miskolc.

 

🙂 Not at all. First I was perplexed about it myself, that's why I had the answer ready. 🙂

 

What you mean is köszönöm, but it was near enough. 🙂 I don't think I have met an Englishman who visited so many places in Hungary. I like it that you like it. 🙂 

I for my part have a cousin in London Blackheath who meanwhile is an english citizen. And I love(d) London, the Cotswolds and the Scottish Highlands. There are a lot of places I still have to / want to visit. Next year I will see Southampton. 😄 (QM2 cruise starting there.) 

[poffles]

18 hours ago, leaveitallbehind said:

Depending on stateroom category:

Princess:  $17 - $19

Carnival:  $16 - $18

HAL:  $17 - $19

MSC (Caribbean):  $16 - $20

RCI (as of Nov. 1):  $18.50 - $21

Celebrity:  $18 - $23

 

... and NCL.  I think NCL wins.

 

NCL ... How much are the service charges?

 

For bookings made on or after January 1, 2023:

• $25.00 USD per person per day for The Haven and Suites;
• $20.00 USD per person per day for Club Balcony Suite and below

 

.

Edited 22 hours ago by poffles

[the penguins]

47 minutes ago, Caipi said:

 

🙂 Not at all. First I was perplexed about it myself, that's why I had the answer ready. 🙂

 

What you mean is köszönöm, but it was near enough. 🙂 I don't think I have met an Englishman who visited so many places in Hungary. I like it that you like it. 🙂 

I for my part have a cousin in London Blackheath who meanwhile is an english citizen. And I love(d) London, the Cotswolds and the Scottish Highlands. There are a lot of places I still have to / want to visit. Next year I will see Southampton. 😄 (QM2 cruise starting there.) 

I used the English spelling which is what we used in the London office - we had to drop all the accents/umlauts (?) from the travel brochures we published here as the Hungarian had too many for the English typesetters to cope with. I am talking of a period before laptops/i pads etc. 

Blackheath is 15 miles from us and where our son lived before he moved to the USA and became an American Citizen.

Good luck with you QM2 voyage. 

 

[Jim_Iain]

4 hours ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

We haven’t gotten any email about the increase for  our November cruise yet 

Is it better to to prepay the tips or let the hard working have the extra money , 🤔

So for our upcoming12 night TA , it will be $12 for our cabin, that equals one cheap rum and coke , we will let the crew have the money 😉😁

 

 

I'm personally disappointed that when I give  tip to a person who has gone above and beyond, that they have to turn it into a tip pool.    Due to this fact it really doesn't matter and will go into the tipping pool.

[Gretchendz]

19 hours ago, leaveitallbehind said:

Depending on stateroom category:

Princess:  $17 - $19

Carnival:  $16 - $18

HAL:  $17 - $19

MSC (Caribbean):  $16 - $20

RCI (as of Nov. 1):  $18.50 - $21

Celebrity:  $18 - $23

 

Virgin zero...just saying 🙂

[Caipi]

2 minutes ago, Gretchendz said:

 

Virgin zero...just saying 🙂

 

Sounds good! But what really counts is what one pays altogether. I mean you know about the tips and the amounts in advance and calculate with it. (Although on Facebook one can find people who are 'surprised' by these charges on the ship... 😄)

[Gretchendz]

5 minutes ago, Caipi said:

 

Sounds good! But what really counts is what one pays altogether. I mean you know about the tips and the amounts in advance and calculate with it. (Although on Facebook one can find people who are 'surprised' by these charges on the ship... 😄)

 

So true...so many people think Virgin is more expensive...then I do a spreadsheet for them and it comes out the same or less or just a smidge more. New cruisers just don't realize how many add-ons there can be in traditional cruising.  

[NMTraveller]

I view it as very likely towards the end of the year …

[leaveitallbehind]

46 minutes ago, Gretchendz said:

 

Virgin zero...just saying 🙂

While grats (and other benefits) are included, Virgin base fares $$$ comparatively.

 

It is an apples to oranges discussion, however, which I get so I'm not trying to debate it or make a value judgement.  Just saying you are still paying for it somewhere.  

Edited 20 hours ago by leaveitallbehind

[Gretchendz]

43 minutes ago, leaveitallbehind said:

While grats (and other benefits) are included, Virgin base fares $$$ comparatively.

 

It is an apples to oranges discussion, however, which I get so I'm not trying to debate it or make a value judgement.  Just saying you are still paying for it somewhere.  

 

Of course. And I'm not saying Virgin is better. I just know when I compare highly similar itineraries, I am surprised how often Princess/Virgin/Celebrity, for example are within a very few dollars of one another.   Some people prefer to have it all covered and not stress about theadd-ons, others prefer to pay only exactly what they will use and nothing else.  There's a model for both in cruising.

[canderson]

2 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

I'm personally disappointed that when I give  tip to a person who has gone above and beyond, that they have to turn it into a tip pool. 

Hence the use by some of Amazon gift cards (for crew that are or will soon be making U.S. ports) and specifically directed OBC using the forms at GR.

 

[Ex-Airbalancer]

6 hours ago, the penguins said:

you must have booked a long time ago to get $12 = minimum currently $18

Sorry I should have written It will only be an extra $12 for the entire cruise for both of us 

[Jeremiah1212]

5 hours ago, poffles said:

 

... and NCL.  I think NCL wins.

 

NCL ... How much are the service charges?

 

For bookings made on or after January 1, 2023:

• $25.00 USD per person per day for The Haven and Suites;
• $20.00 USD per person per day for Club Balcony Suite and below

 

.

 

You also have to pay a service charge on drinks and specialty dining if you choose those options. On a 7 night cruise that is $540 + $350 for Haven gratuities or an additional $890 just in fees. 

[poffles]

7 minutes ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

 

You also have to pay a service charge on drinks and specialty dining if you choose those options. On a 7 night cruise that is $540 + $350 for Haven gratuities or an additional $890 just in fees. 

 

Yes NCL gets you coming and going with those things too.  And seems they've changed the 'Free at Sea' marketing and now it's 'More at Sea' ... seems fitting LOL

[Iamcruzin]

14 hours ago, Pushka said:

Thankfully Aussies fare includes the gratuities. 

Which just means the overall price will increase.

[D. B.]

15 hours ago, Pushka said:

Thankfully Aussies fare includes the gratuities. 

Do They have the Option to go to Guest Services once onboard and Request to have the them Removed?

[D. B.]

I encountered another form of price increase last week on Celebrity Constellation.

   Not an Increase by Celebrity but a Decrease of incentives by the Casino.

 When we went to buy our Bingo Cards the contents of the top Package no longer included any of the things like tear open or scratch off tickets and when I ask for my Free final game card we always received for being Elite+ I was informed That  it had been eliminated!

  

Then when buying the 4 card package for Deal or No Deal the free 5th. card for Elite+ members had Also been eliminated as had the Free Cruise in the spin for the 3rd. guest called to the stage.

  During the Deal or no Deal Game the number of Match points was comically Low with only one guest even making it to a $10 level? 2 years ago, match plays of $100-$200 were common.

   The person who Was called to do the Free Spin had the pointer stop at $25! There used to be 4 spots with Free Cruise out of 8 spots.

  I spoke to someone who has a knowledge of the casino operations, and they said the attitude has been that the ships are fully Booked so incentives are no longer needed.

 I will follow my DW in her thought it's better to watch others loose in these casino activities than contribute to them in the future.

  

 

 

Edited 13 hours ago by D. B.
added content.

[Pushka]

1 hour ago, Iamcruzin said:

Which just means the overall price will increase.

The prices are very competitive. I think actually cheaper. I did a pricing check on our April cruise next year before booking. 

[Pushka]

1 hour ago, D. B. said:

Do They have the Option to go to Guest Services once onboard and Request to have the them Removed?

They shouldn’t be added on in the first place but will take the relevant paperwork with me. 

[markeb]

1 hour ago, D. B. said:

Do They have the Option to go to Guest Services once onboard and Request to have the them Removed?

It’s part of the fare. So no. 

[NMTraveller]

1 hour ago, D. B. said:

 

  

Then when buying the 4 card package for Deal or No Deal the free 5th. card for Elite+ members had Also been eliminated as had the Free Cruise in the spin for the 3rd. guest called to the stage.

  During the Deal or no Deal Game the number of Match points was comically Low with only one guest even making it to a $10 level? 2 years ago, match plays of $100-$200 were common.

   The person who Was called to do the Free Spin had the pointer stop at $25! There used to be 4 spots with Free Cruise out of 8 spots.

  I spoke to someone who has a knowledge of the casino operations, and they said the attitude has been that the ships are fully Booked so incentives are no longer needed.

 I will follow my DW in her thought it's better to watch others loose in these casino activities than contribute to them in the future.

  

 

 

Yes, the person playing Deal or No Deal on our last cruise won a free cruise...

Edited 12 hours ago by NMTraveller

[Iamcruzin]

2 hours ago, Pushka said:

The prices are very competitive. I think actually cheaper. I did a pricing check on our April cruise next year before booking. 

Here in the U.S. Celebrity is more than Princess for similar itineraries especially when you add in the all inclusive package. Royal Caribbean is even more.

[DaKahuna]

10 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

I'm personally disappointed that when I give  tip to a person who has gone above and beyond, that they have to turn it into a tip pool.    Due to this fact it really doesn't matter and will go into the tipping pool.

 

Jim,

 This bothers me as well, especially in Luminae.  I realize we don't always get the same waiter for breakfast and lunch and that pooling of tips helps those guys out but I also wish there was a way to give a tip to an individual where the individual could keep it.  

 

 Do you happen to know if the Butlers and Room Attendants pool tips as well?  

 

 Interestingly enough, on MSC apparently any tips you give a person goes to that person and not a pool.  

 

 

[markeb]

7 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

 

Jim,

 This bothers me as well, especially in Luminae.  I realize we don't always get the same waiter for breakfast and lunch and that pooling of tips helps those guys out but I also wish there was a way to give a tip to an individual where the individual could keep it.  

 

 Do you happen to know if the Butlers and Room Attendants pool tips as well?  

 

 Interestingly enough, on MSC apparently any tips you give a person goes to that person and not a pool.  

 

 

 

What I was told by a Retreat Concierge(?) was that additional gratuities earmarked to a butler or room attendant went to them. 

 

I'm not bothered by pooling in Luminae (or the MDR for that matter). I have no idea how much the team supports each other. I suspect it's quite a bit, even if you don't see it. And that would be the norm for waitstaff in the US. Pooling is probably less work than tipping each other out, which is the other standard practice (literally figuring out at the end of your shift who supported you on what check and tipping them out of your tips for their support). This is the classic example where filling out comment cards does them more good in the long run.

 

We're going out in Manhattan Friday for a very nice anniversary dinner. We'll have a waiter, an assistant or two (possibly another full waiter assisting with courses as well), a busser or two, and a sommelier. The restaurant has a formula for splitting tips and I'd assume that even if I handed the primary waiter cash, he or she would add it to the pool. Both because it's the right thing to do and because they want that continued support. Eat last (I think that works in the Navy as well...).