CruiseRonJulie

No, Carnival will not make any exceptions to this rule.

They replaced all 4K Cabin French Doors in the last Dry Dock. They now have floor to ceiling windows.

I prefer seasoned cruisers. That way they can tell me about when they started cruising how elegant it was. How you got a 5 cent piece of chocolate on your pillow, how you had to dress up each night and most importantly so they can tell me 15 or so times a meal about their Diamond status.

12 hours ago, deadmoney said:

Flip flops and hats belong on the lido deck.

You sound like a whole lot of fun.

I saw two very "large" ladies in bathrobes get into a screaming match at the Buffet. Before you knew it, they were throwing flip-flips like Tomahawks. 

22 minutes ago, deliver42 said:

To the OP. VERY WELL SAID. I COULD'T AGREE MORE.

Thank You.

5 minutes ago, crewsweeper said:

We call them "tips" and that has a slightly different connotation to most of us in common use than "gratuity" used by the cruise lines as a more "friendly" way of saying "service charge", or "wage enhancement" which is what it really is.

Ergo, by removing them you are impacting the wages of the crew for the services they rendered, directly or indirectly.

Well said.

19 minutes ago, xDisconnections said:

I'm willing to bet that a good amount of people on Cruise Critic who complain about the tip removers the most are in fact the ones secretly removing their tips on the last night of the cruise. They just need to protect their online imagine 🙂

My mother raised me and put sent me to college working as a waitress. I can assure you that I never remove tips.

8 minutes ago, K&RCurt said:

They rarely admit to it.  But if you ever had to go to Guest Services on the last morning to resolve an issue on your folio, you can stand behind the LONG line and listen as they go up and pull their tips for lame reasons.  This, of course, after they left their cabin and the smiling steward wishing them a safe trip home, not knowing they are about to lose $.

K&RCurt: You are so right. 

If your service is not up to par, then by all means you should have the ability to lower or remove tips. That is why I said it should be "near impossible" to remove them. I would never tell anyone who was treated rudely or had a bad experience otherwise. However, I am speaking to those to remove or lower tips as a standard practice.

I think it is time for Carnival to make it near impossible to remove the gratuities. I have read all of the excuses people give and I believe they are just looking for a reason to not tip:

1. The crew doesn't get the tips (do you really think that after all this time, we would not have heard this?0

2. I like to tip in cash (yeah, and I am sure you track down the laundry people and those at the Lido Buffet to tip them)

3. I think tipping should not be mandated

4. Insert another reason here:  the crew doesn't speak English, I didn't get a chocolate on my pillow, I only got a Lanyard, etc.

Please if you are just looking for a way to stiff the crew, be honest and just say "I want to keep my $14.00.

Then how about a Lanyard for Red, a tumbler for Gold, a watch for Diamond and a flat screen TV for Platinum?

I am only Gold and really appreciate a free drink. Not sure I could ask for more other than the best cruise Carnival can provide.

Here is my question: did you get cruises for all the days while accruing your status? If yes, then you had meals, entertainment, etc. Why is a gift required at this point. When is enough enough? I admire your status and hope to get there someday, but for me the fun of getting there will be all of the days on a ship, not for the gift at the end of the journey.

We use an over sized daily pill container. It obviously has seven spots. Use one spot for each of things like: 

Advil, Tums, motion sickness, sinus meds, anti-diarrhea,

pills.webp

I see no problem with asking to get just one thing or another. My problem is the folks who put things back into the serving trays after having them on their plate. Also the people that each as they go along the buffet and have not idea that their fingers are now touching their mouths and every set of utensils in the line.

Delivery fee: remove tips.  No table clothes: remove tips.  No straws: remove tips

Is there any chance you are just looking for another reason to remove your tips? The delivery fee is not the fault of all of the behind the scenes people and others that count on that income.

It is a Carnival policy, complain to them do not take it out on employees.

2 minutes ago, Joebucks said:

Some people love to one-up others, and/or always have "insider access". I always laugh at those "oh yea, I met the captain. He is a really good guy. I got his number if you need anything."

My favorite is when I read:' I took my cabin steward a hat from my home town. He loved it so much we became instant friends. I look forward to seeing him again when I cruise on the Vista in 2022."

I also get a kick out of the people that believe they have created a life long friendship with their cabin steward. 

I just read a review and the lady said "her cruise was ruined because the captain did not visit her table at dinner."

I may not get it, but I'm pretty sure the Offices and Staff are there to keep you safe and to give you a wonderful time on your cruise.

I just do not understand people who believe the ship's crew are there for there entertainment and to make life long friends.

I liked to use my Free Pen to write on the Table Clothes in the MDR. Then I would race down and have my gratuities removed.