Gratuities

[ishophepays]

I have always liked to hand my cash over to the people directly (with a little gift) and sometimes, depending on service, extra money.

I understand now it is an automatic service on Carnival. Has anyone ever opted to not have the automatic payment and deliver the cash personally? Did you have a hard time doing this?

[parrotthead]

I have always liked to hand my cash over to the people directly (with a little gift) and sometimes, depending on service, extra money.

I understand now it is an automatic service on Carnival. Has anyone ever opted to not have the automatic payment and deliver the cash personally? Did you have a hard time doing this?

We prepay our gratuties.. (they know who has prepaid)

but we do give extra where we feel its needed. (the automatic/prepaid when divided out is not that much perday)

so you may want to prepay or leave them on your SS then tip a bit more where you want to. (cabin steward/waitstaff/etc) Remember if you opt out, you are also opting out of the people who are in the buffet, etc....

[huggs]

Can you pre pay gratuitities after you have made final payment ????

 

I am thinking it would be nice to have this out of the way and that way the bill at the end on our S&S will be $360 less ( 3 personx x 12 days ).

 

Then the OBC from our FCC of $200 will defnitely go to the bar bill...lol.

[Justsyd]

I second the above. I would leave them on since they are divided between people who are "behind the scenes," and give extra in person.

[ishophepays]

thank you - maybe I will prepay then give an envelope and gift.

[5waldos]

This goes around and around. If there was a poll, the gift should be green and flat and look a lot like and extra $20.

[PAcruiser25]

We take the gratuities off our S & S, and hand our cabin steward, waiter, and asst waiter cash and thank you notes. Often more than the recommended amount as we have received excellent service often.

[parrotthead]

Can you pre pay gratuitities after you have made final payment ????

 

Yes. We do it all the time. If you booked thru a TravelAgent (as we do) you should be able to just give them a call.

If you booked thru Carnival or online at Carnival.com just call them.

:)

[parrotthead]

We take the gratuities off our S & S, and hand our cabin steward, waiter, and asst waiter cash and thank you notes. Often more than the recommended amount as we have received excellent service often.

What about Buffet?

(just asking)

[parrotthead]

thank you - maybe I will prepay then give an envelope and gift.

as waldo is implying... the crew has limited space, so while we think we are doing good by giving gifts, they many times have no need for them nor anywhere to keep the 'gifts', so while well intended, they may not be the most useful to the crew member. (altho they will smile and thank you abundantly regarldess) I have heard that snacks/consumebles are appreciated (altho who knows if someone is allergic or likes a certin snack) I think Cash/Cash/Cash is always appreicated. (Most of) these people do not make what most Americans would consider a really great wage for the work they do, and many are sending a great deal of it to family 'back home' ..(interesting to chat with the bartenders, etc and ask about 'home and family' they are more then happy to share and you get a great appreicatation for them and what they do)

:)

[conchead]

This goes around and around. If there was a poll, the gift should be green and flat and look a lot like and extra $20.

 

I thought it was supposed to be Green and Yellow and look like a John Deere hat:D

[H82seaUgo]

paying a tip shouldn't be how it makes you feel.

 

imagine getting handed cash at your job because it makes your boss feel good.

 

the autotip is there for your convenience. if you want to show your appreciation, tell them while giving a handshake or a hug.

 

removing the tips for your jollies involves going to guest services, being grilled as to why you are displeased with your service, the help being called in for the investigaion, and you being lumped in with the majority of people that remove tips and stiff the help, even if your intentions are noble.

 

for the record, 92% of the people that remove tips stating that they would prefer to pay in cash, don't tip at all. the odds are against you that you may fall into the 8%, and these are the people that have contact with your food, and your most personal belongings.

 

happy sailing!

[okwriter]

imagine getting handed cash at your job because it makes your boss feel good.

 

I see no problem with that. :D

[Frank12]

What about Buffet?

(just asking)

 

Agreed. If you remove auto tips you are shafting someone.

 

Just leave the tips on and if the service is superior, give a little extra cash at the end.

[John&John]

Agreed. If you remove auto tips you are shafting someone.

 

Just leave the tips on and if the service is superior, give a little extra cash at the end.

 

Agreed. The waitstaff at breakfast and lunch (in main dining room or lido) won't be getting any tips.

 

Also, if you happen to be doing your time dining you would need to tip every night since you may not have the same waitstaff again.

[keiko618]

paying a tip shouldn't be how it makes you feel.

 

imagine getting handed cash at your job because it makes your boss feel good.

 

the autotip is there for your convenience. if you want to show your appreciation, tell them while giving a handshake or a hug.

 

removing the tips for your jollies involves going to guest services, being grilled as to why you are displeased with your service, the help being called in for the investigaion, and you being lumped in with the majority of people that remove tips and stiff the help, even if your intentions are noble.

 

for the record, 92% of the people that remove tips stating that they would prefer to pay in cash, don't tip at all. the odds are against you that you may fall into the 8%, and these are the people that have contact with your food, and your most personal belongings.

 

happy sailing!

 

You just summed up some of the problems and debate. Hey, if my boss wants to feel better by giving me cash, who am I to complain?

Your comment about guest services is interesting. I presume you have tried to take off tips and were 'grilled'. I don't have a problem asserting myself and if CCL wants to risk losing me as a customer by offering poor service at the service desk, so be it. I enjoy the belief that the crew will be investigated as to why I was displeased with the service. Who made up that assumption? I see this as a guilt provoking ploy. If CCL actually does 'investigate' why I removed them, they should ask me, again, back to grilling. If others want to lump me into the bad people's group, it's kinda sad they are so negative. As far as the 92% and 8% numbers, back those up. You say they are a matter of record so prove it. Your final comment about staff having contact with my personal things and food seems to imply that the CCL staff would steal from me or spit in my food if I direct tip/remove automated tips. I don't think either would happen, I think the staff provide ethical and excellent service. As far as the buffet staff, CCL can pay them. I usually eat in MDR and not on deck. I also do not tip the entertainment staff, janitor crew, embarkation staff, etc. I'm leaving tomorrow for a cruise and have my tip money ready, and not less than you probably expect expect a 'stiffer' like me to offer.

[firefly333]

Someone was selling group cruises all inclusive and had some NCL cruises. Someone brought up the service charge as NCL now calls it and the group leader/boss found out you cant completely remove the service charge, and have to say its bad service to remove part. I dont know.

 

They had to stop the group cruises on NCL, or quit selling them as all inclusive. Kinda sad that some people are so darn cheap they feel the need to removed tips. 5 people had cancelled when they read you cant remove the tips. Been quite a discussion this past week. The rest of us are hurt as the NCL cruises had to be cancelled because of a few cheap skates ..btw, the group price was terrific. You would think if you saved hundreds of dollars on the price of a cruise, you could manage to pay the service charge.

 

cheap people who feel the need to remove tips!!! le grrrrr. .. and of course its cheap. If you wanted to tip extra you would leave it on and then tip in cash the extra amount, so everyone knows it isnt because people want to tip extra. People think they are fooling othes justifying not just paying it as a service charge.

[DEBnGAB]

I thought it was supposed to be Green and Yellow and look like a John Deere hat:D

 

Which goes great with the John Deere penlights.

[Oompaland]

Can you pre pay gratuitities after you have made final payment ????

 

Yes, I have done this before.

[equium]

Hello, this is my first post on this board as I am a newbie to cruising. I took my family on the Carnival Paradise on 2-11 to 2-14 to Mexico. We had a blast. I almost did not make it on the boat (another story). Anyway, My sister was on the trip and is also my TA. She told me that she was going to take me to guest services to have the automatic tip removed for my kids (12, 14, and 16). That would have been about 90 bucks savings. Well, we never made it to guest services, but after a day and a half on board, I would not have gone along with having the tips removed. Alot of these crew work pretty hard. And, my kids ordered room service a few times to their room! If my kids were infants or perhaps under the age of two, and I didn't use any of the kid's services, I might have considered removing the tips, but my kids got just as much service as I did. It was nice not having to tip; and I may tip in the future now that i've read a lot on this site.

[ck53]

Even if the kids are under 2, it still is worth it. We traveled w/ our grandson and it was more work for the cabin steward, extra work for the waiter, getting the chold's food 1st then coming back to get out orders , more time @ our table, etc. It all works out in the end.

 

I do not believe in removing tips, it takes a whole crew, up front people plus unseen people to make your cruise special, and so I feel this covers them all.

 

Each to his own.

[equium]

Even if the kids are under 2, it still is worth it. We traveled w/ our grandson and it was more work for the cabin steward, extra work for the waiter, getting the chold's food 1st then coming back to get out orders , more time @ our table, etc. It all works out in the end.

 

I do not believe in removing tips, it takes a whole crew, up front people plus unseen people to make your cruise special, and so I feel this covers them all.

 

Each to his own.

I didn't think about it that way. I guess you're right. It's been so long since my kids have been that young, i forget. Good point.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

we always had it out our selves

[Karysa]

We consider the tips as part of the cruise. Would not consider removing them and tipping the crew personally because, this would cause me work and them stress. I am on vacation and don't want a job to remember to do and they are at work and have enough stress already. Tipping extra is not a job but rather a joy.:)

[tonit964]

For us it is just so easy to leave the tips on as they are. We don't want to hassle with anything when we are on vacation such as going to Guest Relations, finding /bringing envelopes, getting change, putting cash in envelopes and handing tips out. Yikes

 

If we have great service we give the Steward/Dining staff extra cash with a thank you and a handshake as a previous poster said..

 

I want to keep it simple! You don't have to really think about it the way they have it set up.

Toni