sparks1093

As was pointed out above if a drink is over the $20 limit you only get a 25% discount. Sometimes the fine print sucks.

We always use www.insuremytrip.com and find a plan that provides both robust medical coverage and robust medevac coverage. We don't worry about Cancel For Any Reason because if we do end up cancelling it would be for a covered reason. I've read that a good rule of thumb is that insurance shouldn't be more than 10% of the amount insured and we usually find plans that are 5-7% of that. If you book your insurance within a certain period of time from making your deposit (usually 10 to 14 days) some plans will include a pre-existing condition waiver. As mentioned, Carnival's plan doesn't take age into account whereas the plans sold by others often do so at some point that might be a factor for us.

An excellent solution, thanks for the update!

Even if this is true (and it isn't, as has been said many times) it does emphasize the point that once you've left the tip, in any establishment even ashore, you have no say or control over what happens to it. If the establishment does pool all tips you can't hand a server a $20 with a wink and say "this is just for you" and expect that they will keep it to themselves. I usually leave extra for our waitstaff and steward, and then I don't worry about what happens to it since it is beyond my control.

We'll see but I don't like paying for drinks if I have Cheers and to be honest I'm not very fond of straight liquor so spending money on top of not knowing if I'm going to like it will probably rule the day.

Most excellent point. The terms and conditions in effect at the time of the new booking will replace the old terms and conditions.

The only reason that I participate in these discussions is so that both sides of the issue are as fairly presented as possible so any newbies following along can make up their own mind. I fully recognize that I will not change anyone else's mind who already has it made up.

And many folks on here have had similar experiences with discussing tipping practices with senior crew. I credit their input just as I credit yours.

I'm not even sure what gaslighting is and if I did do that I do apologize. How do you know what you posted in your last paragraph? Probably because you either read it on this board or a crew member onboard told you that. That's how most of us know about tipping. Also, what one line does is very likely very similar to how it's handled on another line, there are only so many ways tips can be handled. I used to work for tips and I used to work onboard ship, so I have an affinity for these workers and I will always advocate that people do right by them. But I can only control what I do, and for the most part I do respect what others do (or what they say they do in any event)- as long as they aren't removing the autograts and leaving nothing in its place. I know that you don't do that but some people do.

"On most cruise lines if an employee receives a cash tip over and above the autograts they are allowed to keep that..."

It's possible and some may even be as low as $25, but more typically it's $50 per person unless you are booking a newer ship in which case it's higher ($99 per person comes to mind).

The only way pooled tips will work is if all of the employees turn in those tips that they receive that they are required to turn in. Allowing employees to keep cash tips given when the autograts are removed is a huge loophole that shortchanges everyone. The two screenshots you posted are very consistent with what I've read over the years. On most cruise lines if an employee receives a cash tip over and above the autograts they are allowed to keep that, but it is still possible they are tipping out on that amount as well.

You are right, it's not your responsibility. You leave the tip and the company and employees take care of getting it where it needs to go.

LOL, you typed faster than I did.

It's my understanding that for Bottomless Bubbles that doesn't apply, it only applies to Cheers.

I agree, at the end of the day everyone has to do what works for them. If you want to carry around gobs of cash to carry this out, only to have that cash turned in anyway and then distributed the way it would have been distributed anyway go for it. The crew gets the amount they are supposed to get in either case.

Guess I won't be enjoying that Bacardi Gran Reserva Limitada after all then.

But folks in the hospitality field do their job mostly for tips. Yes, it's their choice to work in that field but I don't personally see that as a reason to punish them by withholding their due. I look at tips as a commission on sales paid by the customer instead of the company.

We were on Legend in November 2021 and again in February 2022. We asked for the same waitstaff and were assigned in their area. This would be the only time I would even consider some sort of gift, if I knew that an employee I had interacted with previously would be on a subsequent sailing and then only if we had discussed anything along those lines (i.e. the employee mentioned in passing that they loved Werther's Originals or something like that). Otherwise I show my appreciation with cash.

I think the rule is only $20 is covered under Cheers and you pay what is over that. If that is the case I will enjoy a glass of Bacardi Gran Reserva Limitada on the rocks at least once.

Just like in land establishments they received a portion of the tips from the frontline folks. I was pressed into service as a busboy one night at the hotel I worked at as a teenager, from my normal position as bellhop. I was miffed because I was counting on my tips for the night to fill my gas tank the following day. At the end of the night all of the waitresses came up to me and gave me a share of their tips (I think 10% of what they received for the night, maybe 15%), something that up until that time I didn't know happened. I got my tank of gas.

If you remove the gratuities and hand out cash they can't spend it at all, they need to turn it in. They only get to keep cash that is given over and above the autograts. As for who deserves more that's all decided in how the pooled tips are distributed (for instance, the wait staff is normally a team of 3 whereas the steward is one, so it stands to reason the waitstaff would receive more since more people are benefitting from it).

Regular coffee and tea are available at no extra charge. You do have to pay for specialty coffee (cappuccino, lattes, etc.). Here's a link to the drink package calculator https://cruisespotlight.com/drink-package-calculator/. Input what you are likely to drink and it will show you whether it's economical or not.

Yes, you can cancel anything pre-purchased before sailing.

The waitstaff are serving in other dining venues at other times. I have routinely seen my waitstaff on Lido. Since the tips are pooled what you pay isn't paid directly to "your waitstaff" anyway. I suspect that they no longer provide a breakdown because folks do what you just outlined, which skews the distribution of the tip pool which is based on the agreements the cruise line has for each class of employee.