the penguins

Classic includes all speciality teas/coffees/chocolate regardless of your cabin.

As it's the Guides that set the prices (not TBL) it was your guide who choose to charge so much more for the tours they offer via TBL. It does not mean that all Guides do this.

I believe the furthest south Celebrity goes is Paradise Bay which is still north of the Antarctic circle. There will almost certainly be a naturalist to explain things during "scenic cruising", the broadcasts can typically only be heard on the open decks and not inside the ship. There will also probably be presentations in the theater during the voyage down and back. I have used "probably" as post Covid Guest Lecturers have not been available on all cruises.

Oh the joys of travelling and experiencing other cultures. Also a great, if unintended tip, " travel with a brother who is happy to use his credit card on your behalf."😂

Thanks. Even that presents us with "issues". Firstly we have no idea how much fuel we need. Remember our fuel is 3 times the cost of fuel in the US, we have a rental car that uses roughly 3 times the amount of fuel our car does at home (on a run we get 60mpg) and the US gallon is smaller than ours. The situation was made easier when a helpful cashier told us that if we pre authorized say 💲50 on our card we would only be charged for the amount we put in - not something we can do in the UK so we presumed we would be charged the 💲50 regardles of how much the tank took. None of these things worry us unduly, we enjoy the challenges, and our "fun at the pump" is nothing compared to the chaos we caused when we did our first school run in Dallas. Nor to the look of disbelief when, on being asked to produce ID at our Grandson's school, we produced passports. The Receptionist just couldn't comprehend how my wife didn't have a driving licence. Or try explaining to a Bank Teller that, although your Driving Licence doesn't have a photo, it is still a valid document (that problem has now been resolved). Even our Nursery Rhymes have different words and when our grandson was younger one of our cruise friends happily supplied us with the US versiond - Happy days. Now we are way of subject but "that's life".

Interesting and in some ways "odd". Prices on the TBL site are set by the individual guides not by TBL. If the figures you quoted are correct it was your guide who decided to add such a large premium. Naturally TBL charges for its services (I had heard 20%) which covers its website, payment handling, insurance, refunds, and 24 hour emergency help etc. The Guide only gets paid after they have completed the tour to your satisfaction. As always the great thing is that we have the choice.

Celebrity categorically deny this saying that all auto Grats are distributed to the staff covered by the auto Grats system with no retentions and no charges. Ask for the leaflet available from Guest Relations.

Must be reprogramming as during our trip to the Dallas area in November our chip and pin cards were accepted at every gas station. My wife was delighted as she no longer had to take her card into the cashier, explain the situation, wait as I filled the tank and then pay. It's always has been a pain but worse now as we also have to unload her walker so she can get to and from the cashier.

I think it's more because of our accents. We have always put it down to the cashier just "gently reminding" us that we need to tip. As I said before we love these differences. Another "problem" which we had until November last year was the impossibility of buying gas at the pumps using our credit cards as the machine required a Zip Code which we don't have. Thankfully the introduction of "chip and pin" has solved the problem.

Drinks at most bars (not Martini and World Class or in the Restaurants) and of no value unless you book at Sail Only rates.

You cruise Cunard which adds tips to every drink. So either you never order a drink or your principles "go out of the window" when it suits.

Rubbish - I could say something else but might get banned. Celebrity publish how the autograts are distributed (you can get a copy at Guest Relations) and confirm that none of the money is retained by the company and not do they deduct anything for handling the distribution. Refusing the autograts has only one result - crew members that are part of the Autograts system get less money. If you can live with that fine. The rest of your arguments simply don't stack up especially as you cruise P and O which simply rounds the Grats into the fare and I notice you don't ask them to refund you.

Sorry I said that I didn't think anyone was out to get us. As for Americans not haggling you have obviously never travelled with many of our US friends who have this down to a fine art.

Thanks. The replies have already demonstrated the confusion that we all suffer/enjoy when travelling to other countries. i e. some tip the guy in the supermarket some don't, some tip18% some 20%, some calculate tips before tax and some after. None of these countries/stores etc are out to get any of us it's just the way it is. Accept and embrace the differences and above all celebrate that we have the health and finances to enjoy travelling

No help, cruises in both places have the same tipping system unless he changes to P &O or Saga (over 50's).

I support your right not to book with a cruise line that has the tipping policy you don't approve of. What I question is you booking with such a company and then penalising hard working crew members by withholding their tips.

This doesn't only apply to Americans. As regular visitors to the US ( our grandson is American born and bred ) we have exactly the same issues. We have assistance at the airport should we tip or not? We don't in the UK. Breakfast at say Denny's, in the UK for a similar level restaurant we would tip £1 a person in the US what 20%? Our friends in New York tip 20% at lunch but not on the whole bill but only on the pre tax amount. In the UK we pay for the meal on a Card and tip in cash. When we did this in the US cashiers queried it on so many occassions that we now add the tip to the Card. In a US supermarket at the checkout we are often asked if we want help with the packing, not a service that's available in the UK. We never accept but if we did, do we tip or not and if so how much? In Hawaii we booked a private sightseeing flight. We booked on the phone with the MD, on arrival the same person checked us in and he was also the pilot. Yes you've guessed it, there was still a jar for "staff tips". The three of us had a great laugh about it and the pilot explained that he used to have a Receptionist but business was slack so he had to let her go. It's all part of the joy of travelling and experincing different cultures, it's not that people are out to "get us"

Book Celebrity in Australia/New Zealand and "no tips are required" of course the prices are increased so it makes no practical difference. Of the main line cruise lines P and O in the UK increased prices and then announced that tips were no longer required. Again it makes no practical difference.

I totally agree and if the search function wasn’t clunky look at the fun we would miss.

Personal choice - if you really will accept any cabin then a guarantee is perfect for you. Not for us we always choose.

Because new people join our wonderful "cruise community" all the time.

Not true for Celebrity (and I suspect for Royal) you can get a list from Guest Relations) that makes it pretty clear exactly how the system works.

The requisite amount? The auto Grats includes the staff you detailed but a % goes to other members of the "hotel staff" with whom they have no personal contact. Paying as you stated simply reduces the pay of the "hidden" staff. We would never remove auto Grats and tip over and above for extra service.

The system automatically takes/uses non refundable first.