Gratituties

[Wer2pats]

I cannot remember but are the gratituties automatically put on your shipboard account? If not how are they done? I think we cruise so much I cannot remember which cruise line does what!

 

Thanks,

 

Pat

[bUU]

We had the option to put the standard (dining service and stateroom service) gratuities on our account. I remember having the choice when we booked (directly through RCI) and then again got a form to fill-in in our cabin, mid-cruise. Both were, again, optional.

[BobbieSu]

Okay, so if I chose the option of putting our gratuities on our account so that I have less cash to deal with am I going to look like a stiff come that last night when employees will be looking for an envelope?

 

Su

[bUU]

After we pre-paid our gratuities, we were issued both envelopes and vouchers to hand to the servers. I remember someone suggesting that if we actually didn't hand the vouchers to our servers that the gratuities would go into the general pool rather than credited to the specific server in any way.

[Wer2pats]

Thanks for all your responses. Seems as if I do remember getting vouchers to put in an envelope to give out on the last night. Just came off HAL. You automatically (everyone) is charged $10 per day for gratituties. No envelopes or vouchers. It is a long story and some were not happy with HAL's new policy.

[BobbieSu]

After we pre-paid our gratuities, we were issued both envelopes and vouchers to hand to the servers. I remember someone suggesting that if we actually didn't hand the vouchers to our servers that the gratuities would go into the general pool rather than credited to the specific server in any way.

 

I'm trying to understand. I put the gratuities on my account, but I still need to give my cabin attendent and servers vouchers, which they then exchange for these gratuities?

 

Su

[valparker]

:confused: :confused: Yes I have the same question with regards to the prepaid gratuities. My TA is saying it is best to prepay the gratuities because we are travelling with a group of 30 people and it will guarantee us a separate location in the dining room, but my concern is how do I know that our service providers get the tips we prepaid? Are they still going to be looking to be tipped at the end of the trip? Does anyone know?

[Sheffie]

Su, yes, you they will then be able to "cash" them in.

 

Valparker - I have never heard such a thing! Why would that make a difference in your dining location? I would just ask her to tell RCI that you don't want to be sitting with the others. (Though for the life of me I cannot understand why you would want to.)

 

Before the last night, you will be given cards in envelopes which state that you have paid, and you give these to your waiter, etc.

[valparker]

Sheffie,

 

Thanks for the response. I think what the TA was saying is that if we prepay our gratuities it would guarantee us 3 tables of ten next to each other in one location compared to 3 tables not necessarily near each other, I don't know, like I said I am quite new to this, just happened to be the planner for our group and trying to make everything great!

 

One more question, don't know if you know the answer or not, if we do prepay the gratuities and the service is less than average, can we adjust the gratuities or are we stuck?

 

thanks again for your help.

 

Valparker

[Sheffie]

Sheffie,

 

Thanks for the response. I think what the TA was saying is that if we prepay our gratuities it would guarantee us 3 tables of ten next to each other in one location compared to 3 tables not necessarily near each other, I don't know, like I said I am quite new to this, just happened to be the planner for our group and trying to make everything great!

 

One more question, don't know if you know the answer or not, if we do prepay the gratuities and the service is less than average, can we adjust the gratuities or are we stuck?

 

thanks again for your help.

 

Valparker

 

From what I understand, you can go to the Purser's desk and ask for an adjustment in your gratuities.

 

You can always go and check out your table locations once you get on board. I still think your TA is full of balogna re. prepaying making a difference.

Just MHO.

 

Michelle

[dosp]

Travelled with groups and never heard about tips guaranteeing seating! You can call RC to request and then ask when you get to the ship.

 

You can wait until 2 nights before the end of the cruise to pay for tips on your seapass account at the Purser's Desk. This way you will know if your tip amounts are appropriate.

 

I received a suggestion a couple of years ago and it's worked very well for me. When we check in and meet our cabin attendant, I will usually give them $20 or $30 on the spot and tell them that this is a down payment on the tip they will receive at cruise end, because I already know of the great service on this ship.

 

They fall over their own feet serving us for the rest of the trip!

 

Steve

[valparker]

Thank you everyone for your replies. I am going to check into it with RC and see if necessary to guarantee our seating or not.

 

 

thanks again,

 

valparker;) ;)

[TPKeller]

I try to keep up with tipping policies for several lines, so I can't remember for sure if it is RCCL or not, but I know that for one of the lines, if you pre-pay your gratuities along with booking, you cannot change or remove them once you are on the ship.

 

If it is particularly important to you to be able to do this, it would be wise to check before you make that final payment that includes gratuities.

 

Or perhaps someone will read this who does know for sure if that is the RCCL policy.

 

Theron

[valparker]

TPKeller - Thank you for your information regarding the tipping policy, I did in fact call RCCL and they told me if you prepay your gratuities with your final payment there is NO REFUND. You were correct.

 

thanks again

valparker:eek:

[bUU]

That's what I thought. When we pre-paid on Majesty of the Seas in November, my understanding was that we could not "adjust" our pre-paid gratuities. RCI's pre-pay is completely voluntary, but once you're on ship, you cannot change your mind about it. (There is another way to opt-in, while aboard ship, but that's not really "pre"-paying.)

 

Carnival, on the other hand, has certain cruises where gratuities are automatically pre-paid, and you can elect to have them adjusted or removed on-board ship (in addition to some cruises where the pre-pay is mandatory and not adjustable).