SantaFeFan

That is what NCL does. To reduce or remove the tips, passengers must contact corporate headquarters after the cruise by submitting a form with detailed reasons for the reduction or removal. I am willing to bet that they don't get very many of those requests.

I agree. I would prefer we get away from the tipping culture completely. It would make things easier for all consumers, but possibly at the expense of those who rely on tips. But, as long as this flawed system remains in place I will abide by it and try to support those dependent of those tips. The last thing I want to do is to benefit financially by reducing or eliminating the tips and as a result causing financial hardships to those I depend on who are in service industries and cannot change the system they are forced to work in. It's not their fault, so I can't in all conscience punish them.

I laugh every time I read comments like this. People who feel this way have little understanding that it will ALWAYS be the customer who pays for the employee's salaries. In fact, the customer also pays the captain's salary, the CEO of the company's salary, the purchase price of the ship when it was delivered, the fuel, the food, the company liability insurance, the rent for the land based headquarters, etc. etc. Do you actually think that salaries are paid with some kind of magic money printing machine that the company turns on when paychecks are due and that this isn't paid by the customer? SMH.

Thanks. Never used the system before so only going by what I have heard so far. Your comment is new information that will help me figure out how to use my devices.

Actually, my goal is to have two devices available, but would not using both at the same time. I would only use one at a time and would prefer to avoid having to log one off and log the other on every time I want to swap them. For most of the day my smaller and lighter phone will suffice, but other times the much large screen of the tablet would be better. I don't want to pay to connect four devices since I will only be using one at a time.

Not a good reason. As travelers, we all should respect the cultures of the places we visit, including on a cruise ship. To defy a culture because they don't like it is being a selfish traveler. It's no better than visiting another country and disrespecting how they do things there.

And the sooner that certain people will no longer be able stiff the crew. And that would be a good thing.

Sorry, antsp. I reread your post and completely changed my reply (check out the edit). We both agree, and my apologies for misunderstanding your post.

Agreed. Removing tips and handing them out individually only succeeds in making more work for everyone. The people receiving cash tips must record who gave them those tips, the amount of the tips, and surrender them to the purser for guest account reconciliation. A cash tip makes more work for several people who must keep track of those tips.

Gratuities have ALWAYS been split by all in the hotel staff. Nothing has changed. The staff in the buffet work the counters supplying the food you eat, right? Then they deserve to be included in the gratuities. Period! The majority of the hotel staff are there to support the people you deal with face to face. They are, and should be, part of the tip pool since the people you interact with couldn't do their jobs without the behind-the-scenes people providing support. By removing the gratuities and giving them to your hand picked favorites, you are only making more work for those people. When you remove the tips you are not accomplishing what you think. You are wasting your time - and everyone else's. It has always been that way. Nothing new. Experienced cruisers who actually care about the staff know that it has worked that way since the beginning.

Thanks. It's the just released Samsung S23+.

My smartphone has mobile hot spot capabilities. With the Princess Plus wi-fi, can that device connect to additional devices, such as a tablet, through it's hotspot capabilities?

I guess to some the concept of being generous is considered a character flaw. SMH.

I was replying to your question about the Plus Package (which is $76.70, not $60), not a separate drink package:

According to Princess drink package pages: Package Details and Qualifications The Plus Beverage Package is US $64.99 per day plus 18% service charge (totaling $76.70 per day) for all itineraries except Australia.

Thank you. That confirms what the hotel manager on Grand described.

And it is my understanding that the additional charge for specialty dining DOES include the gratuity. This isn't a guess on my part, or a rumor I heard, or something I read on CC. It was described to the audience by the hotel manager on Grand Princess during a question and answer event when someone asked that very question. Sorry, but I would believe that ship officer over anything posted here.

Of course not. If you used any of the other dining venues, you were served by the same staff who serve you in the MDR. If you insist on removing the gratuities for that day, then you would have to also not eat the rest of the day. Are you willing to fast for the rest of the day to make your point?

They are not covered as part of the MDR gratuities. As LAcruiser88 described in post #3, they are part of the specialty dining upcharge. It has always been that way.

Old packages at the $12 limit will be grandfathered in to cover the new $15 limits, resulting in those packages receiving $3 discount per drink. With the increase in prices, the old packages have had their limits increased as well at no additional cost the the purchaser, giving those packages the same drink variety as when purchased. It would be a PR disaster if they sold packages with a promise of $12 drinks only to raise the prices out of reach of those packages.

Based on how much of a disaster that "new" Love Boat reality show was, I would think that Princess would stay far, far away from any continuing association with it.

OK, got it. I didn't have a good idea what you were served. Now I understand. NOT street tacos. Done correctly, street tacos are pretty good! I live in San Jose and get them all the time from local taco trucks. Yum!

Street tacos - also know as traditional Mexican tacos - don't have fried shells. They are tacos that have a soft tortilla that isn't fried.

Reminds me of people who endure poor service either from the room attendants or dining room staff and instead of saying something when it happens silently put up with it and then remove the tips as punishment, or come on public forums and complain. It is always better to contact the appropriate people and get the issue resolved rather than stay annoyed or angry. But, it seems that some people need to have something to complain about.

And like I explained (which you have completely ignored), all we got was a "few dollars worth of stuff" that only consisted of a single personalized notepad, a group photo and a cheap picture frame. So my comment was accurate for OUR group's tour. "But you do you".