anniegb

I have prepaid my gratuities for my cruise post Feb 14, My account shows my Crew Appreciation as fully paid and no increase.

Good to hear. San Pellegrino ?? As a Scot, the Scotch Whisky brands offered under the Signature package are very poor and do not sell well in my local pubs. Once again the renowned and deserved brand leader is missing from the list. Just as well I don't drink the stuff 😉

Certain brands of water are excluded from any package e.g, Perrier

Agreed and one of the world's best lagers is still missing.

Agreed but my solution is to replace my Cosmos with Singapore Slings. I too hate cluttered daily statements for JMO trivial amounts.

That was my recollection too. However IIRC someone quoted a higher daily differential in price recently.

Thanks for the updated menus. If I am reading the beverage package prices correctly, the difference between Signature and Elite beverage package is only 5USD daily plus gratuity??

Let us wait and see 🙂 My revised invoice states Pre-paid crew appreciation.

FWIW I have just managed to prepay my gratuities for my upcoming cruise next month at the current (pre increase) rate. The on-line payment system is being worked on, according to Seattle, and may explain some of the glitches.

I only made the comment based on what I witnessed at Guest Relations on the Zaandam on a long South American cruises. There was a bundle of forms to be completed by a guest if they wished to withdraw from the auto gratuities.

If someone does opt out on the last few days of the cruise, how will they be impacted??

Cynic that I am, I view such claims as hot air.. I have sailed with American cruisers who openly brag about removing gratuities on the grounds they do not receive tips in their day jobs. On same cruise, one passenger reported the loss of a bank roll of 500 USD he was keeping for additional tips. Roll the tips into the cruise fare - simple.

in addition to the above, i am often curious how Japanese nationals handle tipping in USA and USA vessels. In Japanese culture, tipping is viewed as insulting and their people always go the extra mile - in my limited experience. PS Thanks for the tip re exchange rate used when prepaying tips.

Not I - nothing disturbed at all.

Snap. However the lead in figures in the body of the email bear no relation to the examples quoted wrt a solo passenger. The difference is not double but can be in the region of 500%. Do they think we are stupid??

Surely not the coil issue ? 😉

Time to find a new TA?

JMO According to O'Leary, European airfares are only going one way - up.

Not for me.

Received a similar email. However my account is now showing OBC to which I am not entitled.

There is more than one sailing of the Antarctica itinerary - you did not specify.

Will he?? He is on until early December and the sailing date of the Antarctica cruise is the 10th-30th. Do we know who is his replacement will be?

With a certain degree of amusement, I read a thread on another board that some cruisers are requesting microwaves be installed in cabins to make popcorn.

I don't cruise P&O and rarely sail ex UK - so no incident to report. Yes the water on the ship may be standardised but is it of sufficient quality to brew quality tea?? In cabins with kettles occupied by families, I would be astonished if there had never been an incident but would you hear about it?? BTW my preference if for tea made in a pot using loose tea but that is another debate. PS It could be a nice income earner for the cruise line - a supplement for supplying a kettle in the cabin 😉

I have English friends who 'persuaded' an Italian hotel to give them a kettle for their room. They simply ordered room service - a pot of tea - please every time they returned to the hotel.