I don't understand "prepaid gratuities" on Celebrity Silhouette!

[Lsimon]

.... There is a break down as to how grats are split up and a portion is designated to dining room staff. . I have never had breakfast or lunch in the MDR either. I was referring to the portion that goes to the evening service

 

While the old gratuity schedule did list an amount for the dining room waiter and assistant, which is what I'm presuming you meant by "evening service", it was still pooled and still used as the primary compensation for the work these individuals also performed in the buffet and other food service areas and for other food service staff in other areas as well. The new gratuity information on Celebrity's website and in their brochures and other printed material no longer has a breakdown between the staff but only an aggregate daily amount. I don't know why they've done this but it may very well have been to eliminate any misconceptions of what goes directly to certain staff vs. what is pooled.

 

Also while a few of the dining room waiters do lunch and breakfast in the MDR, which is all open seating, the majority have morning, afternoon or late night assignments in the buffet, other food service areas, or alternate responsibilities all of which is part of their basic food service compensation derived primarily from the gratuity pool.

Edited August 15, 2014 by Lsimon

[Sloop-JohnB]

While the old gratuity schedule did list an amount for the dining room waiter and assistant, which is what I'm presuming you meant by "evening service", it was still pooled and still used as the primary compensation for the work these individuals also performed in the buffet and other food service areas and for other food service staff in other areas as well. The new gratuity information on Celebrity's website and in their brochures and other printed material no longer has a breakdown between the staff but only an aggregate daily amount. I don't know why they've done this but it may very well have been to eliminate any misconceptions of what goes directly to certain staff vs. what is pooled.

 

Also while a few of the dining room waiters do lunch and breakfast in the MDR, which is all open seating, the majority have morning, afternoon or late night assignments in the buffet, other food service areas, or alternate responsibilities all of which is part of their basic food service compensation derived primarily from the gratuity pool.

 

 

 

Agreed, the "breakdown" has virtually disappeared in all Celebrity Materials.

 

Another reason IMO they should finally do away with the practice of calling it Grats and just tack the amount onto EVERYONE's Cruise Fare upfront (like they do for Select Dining as Prepaid Grats)... And just call it Service Charges list it separate if they want like Fees & Taxes... But it should just be non-negotiable.

 

Want to tip more for extraordinary service... Go ahead. But no more stingy buggers who sheepishly opt out and have amounts removed by Guest Services (and I say this as someone who has a relative who does this every cruise... Their justification has continually been "but I don't use that venue"... Poppycock. You eat & drink on the ship, you use the public spaces... And the pooled staff tips is for ALL that Service Personnel. Period)

 

Cheers!

Edited August 15, 2014 by Sloop-JohnB

[GrammaSally123]

Hi GRAMMASALLY123

 

I see this is your first post on Cruise Critic... So a big welcome aboard!!

 

Haven't sailed with Celebrity since last year, so not really in a position to say what is going on with how they have charged you for your Grats, maybe someone else can address that.

 

As for the Bevvy Packages... Under 123GO or Pick Your Perk you can choose to have the Classic Alcohol Pkg for the two primary Cruisers per Cabin (who are 21 or older)

 

Classic Pkg features name brand Spirits... Some Beers, and Wines & Cocktails up to $9 per pour. And it also covers some non-alcoholic items like Bottled Water & Pop

 

There is no cap on how much you drink in a day on the cruise (unlike some other cruiselines).

 

The Premium Pkg includes more elements... Premium Spirits, more Beers and Wines & Cocktails up to $ 13 per pour.

 

As well if you purchase a drink over $ 13, then only the difference is charged to you... And not the whole shot as it would be on the Classic Pkg

 

The Premium Pkg also includes a more extensive list of non-alcoholic bevvys... Like not just Regular Spring Bottled Water... But also ones that are Carbonated or Flavoured

 

The cost to Upgrade should you so choose is $ 11.50 US per person per day ($ 10 US plus 15% Grat)

 

Bevvy Pkgs include drinks anywhere on the Ship... EXCEPT those delivered by Room Service or taken out of your Mini Bar

 

Hope this helps,

 

Cheers!

 

Thanks for the welcome! Yes I am new and I did figure out the math after I thought about it a bit. I am just glad the $168 was total and prepaying is not a problem. I just needed to get it figured out. We have never sailed Celebrity and are really looking forward to getting out of Buffalo in January! We are not big drinkers but the pick your own perk offered the drink package and as long as the specialty coffees are included it will be a good deal for us. Thanks again for helping me figure it all out.

[cruisin'rose]

Carnival also charges tips ahead of time for anytime dining guests. We're going to pay tips anyway and do not consider it a big deal. Our next cruise will be the Celebrity Eclipse transatlantic in April and we weren't surprised at the policy when we booked. I've enjoyed reading the Celebrity boards and look forward to sailing Celebrity.

[miataman19]

Not suspicious at all, but in fact rather quite appropriate.

One of the perks of booking in a suite is preferred dining time, So it seems you've discovered they hold the number of slots necessary for suites unsold in both early and last and select seating until close to sailing to ensure they can accommodate the perk for suite guests. Likely at final payment or near in to sailing they open it up.

It's nice to see proof that the advertised perk for suites actually has some real benefit to it. I always had assumed this was one of the "padded perks" to add perceived value.

Excellent point. I tried the dummy booking's again and all categories except suites are not available and you must choose Celebrity Select Dinning. Suites offer both early and late seating. Book a suite with Celebrity and you actually get all the perks stated in the marketing material. Ok, now all I need to do is sell the car and upgrade to a suite...lol :D

[cle-guy]

Carnival also charges tips ahead of time for anytime dining guests. We're going to pay tips anyway and do not consider it a big deal. Our next cruise will be the Celebrity Eclipse transatlantic in April and we weren't surprised at the policy when we booked. I've enjoyed reading the Celebrity boards and look forward to sailing Celebrity.

 

I've done this one the last 2 years, and likely will again this spring, depending on how I feel about the situation in the Middle East and Israel related to my currently scheduled Dubai to Rome Sailing via Suez Canal in that period of time.

 

The TA to England is a lovely time, with a great bunch of regulars who take it each year.

 

I wait till after final payment when prices plummet to book.

[cruisin'rose]

We wanted this specific itinerary as our first transatlantic and first trip to Europe. We have already booked and are so looking forward to it. The roll call has been quite active and we've already booked some private tours.Thanks for the advice about waiting to book after final payment. Good pointer for next time! As new retirees we are hoping for many next-times!

[cle-guy]

We wanted this specific itinerary as our first transatlantic and first trip to Europe. We have already booked and are so looking forward to it. The roll call has been quite active and we've already booked some private tours.Thanks for the advice about waiting to book after final payment. Good pointer for next time! As new retirees we are hoping for many next-times!

 

I'm assuming SC means South Carolina, and as such you are in USA.

 

Watch your cabin fare over time and cancel and rebook of you find better deals.

 

At final payment, see if there are several of your preferred cabin category open and if so cancel a day before final payments and rebook a few days later once fares adjust.....Several people will actually cancel at final payment, and more cabins will open up. And many people can't book a last minute TA to fill the unsold cabins due to cost of the one way airfare close in so if you have all that sorted, you have the flexibility to play the game!

 

As it's a TA, likely you have no Celebrity offered perks that can tie up your reservation to a particular fare paid.

[cle-guy]

To those who make the argument that it's unfair some have to prepay gratuities (select dining) and others not (assigned seating), looks like at RCI they are soon going to full on select dining, even before they launch Quantum according the talk in this thread:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2086558

 

Which means, everyone gets to prepay gratuities soon there, and I believe soon it's coming our way, like when Suite dining opens up and M class loses its select dining space upstairs...

 

So fairness may be coming soon!

Edited August 17, 2014 by cle-guy

[fortinweb]

To those who make the argument that it's unfair some have to prepay gratuities (select dining) and others not (assigned seating), looks like at RCI they are soon going to full on select dining, even before they launch Quantum according the talk in this thread:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2086558

 

Which means, everyone gets to prepay gratuities soon there, and I believe soon it's coming our way, like when Suite dining opens up and M class loses its select dining space upstairs...

 

So fairness may be coming soon!

 

I read the "gee wiz" press release on the new dining concept, and all I could think of was "Why is RCI trying so hard to be just like NCL?" 'Dynamic Dining' is just 'Freestyle Dining' with another name. :rolleyes:

Edited August 17, 2014 by fortinweb

[dalgirl]

Eating when you are actually hungry is not a novel idea. And NCL has never required us to prepay for services not yet rendered.

 

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[cle-guy]

NCL has never required us to prepay for services not yet rendered.

 

Does NCL not allow prepayment of drink packages or excursions? Seem like not allowing people to prepay things may make it quite a battle on board to get things situated.

 

According to NCL's website, they do require a "Pre-paid Service Fee" and encourage (though do not require) tipping for great service as well:

What about tipping?

 

Gratuities

Guests should not feel obliged to offer a gratuity for good service. However, all of our staff are encouraged to "go the extra mile," and so they are permitted to accept cash gratuities entirely at the discretion of our guests who wish to acknowledge particular staff members for exceptional or outstanding service. In other words, there is genuinely no need to tip but you should feel free to do so if you have a desire to acknowledge particular individuals.

 

Also, certain staff positions provide service on an individual basis to only some guests. We encourage those guests to acknowledge good service from these staff members with appropriate gratuities. For example, for guests purchasing bar drinks the recommended gratuity is 15 percent. For guests purchasing spa treatments the recommended gratuity is 18 percent. Similarly, for guests using concierge and butler services, we recommend they consider offering a gratuity commensurate with services rendered.

 

NCL Service Charge

On all NCL ships payment of Pre-Paid Service Fee is required. A fixed Service Charge of $12 per person, per day will be added to your onboard account. The service charge is only for guests ages 3 years & up.

 

Our crew is encouraged to work together as a service team and compensated by a combination of salary and incentive program that the Service Charge supports. It is our earnest wish that you enjoy your Freestyle Cruise experience and that our entire crew in all areas of the ship will provide you with the standard of service for which NCL is known. Therefore, if you have any concerns about the service you receive during your cruise; please bring them to the immediate attention of our reception desk staff on board so that we can address any issues in a timely manner before the cruise is over.

 

Both NCL and NCL America have a structured guest satisfaction program on board designed to handle any concerns raised by our guests relating to the service or on board product quickly and efficiently. In almost all cases we are able to come up with a satisfactory solution to any issues which are raised and make sure our guests can focus on enjoying their cruise holiday. In the unlikely event we cannot satisfactorily resolve the issues through our guest satisfaction program; guests will be able to adjust the Service Charge according to the level of inconvenience they feel they have experienced.

 

Our clear priority is to have the opportunity of resolving the issue, when it happens, to everyone's complete satisfaction.

[cle-guy]

I read the "gee wiz" press release on the new dining concept, and all I could think of was "Why is RCI trying so hard to be just like NCL?" 'Dynamic Dining' is just 'Freestyle Dining' with another name. :rolleyes:

 

More likely than not, more and more current and new cruisers prefer flexibility to assigned seating. People (like me) are probably making their own friends along the way on the cruise and want to dine with them, rather than risk having the cruise line assign them to a table of unknown strangers they have to sit with for the duration of a cruise.

 

It's doubtful RCI is doing it just because NCL is, it's far more likely it's because their guests are starting to tell them more frequently they want more flexibility.

 

We live in a NOW society today, where more people want everything on demand and as the mood strikes them. It's finally moving its way into cruising.

Edited August 17, 2014 by cle-guy

[dalgirl]

On NCL the $12 daily service charge is billed to your account daily while you are cruising, not at final payment of the cruise months in advance of boarding. You pay once the cruise is completed like anything else purchased on board. If you like to have things paid in advance you have the option to prepay the service charge - again it is your choice and not a requirement.

 

Since we pay the service charge with no changes (except to add an extra tip for excellent service), we will prepay the charges as required by X, but it is just strange not to charge everyone in advance.

 

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[paul17]

Is there a way to get a refund for prepaid gratuities ? perhaps for bad service ?

I've got free 123 beverage package and had to prepay gratuities.

I'd like to keep "select dining".

I emailed Celebrity customer service and got a phone call 3 weeks later.

I asked them to reply to my email, they said OK, but never emailed me back.

I think they just wanted to sell something, not really answer my question.

[cruisestitch]

No, you can't remove the pre-paid Gratuities if you are in Select Dining.

 

Think of it this way, suppose you have one bad waiter one night. There is no way to remove just his or her from the tip pool.

[paul17]

I think it should be a way. I know I can call my credit card company and dispute the mandatory gratuity.

I've also read that you can email Celebrity and ask for your money back.

Just don't know if it would work.

[kenevenpar]

I think it should be a way. I know I can call my credit card company and dispute the mandatory gratuity.

I've also read that you can email Celebrity and ask for your money back.

Just don't know if it would work.

 

They have more than a million cruisers a year. How many disputed credit card charges do you think they lose a year, other than obvious errors. You may want to consider a different cruise line or mode of vacation. Just a suggestion.

[cruisestitch]

No, there really isn't a way. And what amount would you be disputing? If you had good service from every person you came in contact with, and one bad waiter one night, how much of the gratuity would you be trying to withhold?

 

Please read the posts about why Select Dining has the mandatory pre-paid Gratuities, and perhaps you can get some understanding of how the system works and why it was set up that way.

 

And keep in mind that the gratuities are split between many, many service personnel.

[paul17]

I don't care how many. I've already paid for the cruise and have no intention to cancel, just want to save some money .

It says

A calmly pay for the entire bill, including the mandatory gratuity. Just make sure you use your favorite credit card. When you get home, immediately send a polite letter to the offending restaurant complaining of the poor service you received and requesting your tip money back. Then call your credit card company and dispute the mandatory gratuity.

[cruisestitch]

I don't know where that quote came from, but it really doesn't apply here.

 

That may work (and I emphasize MAY work) at a restaurant at which you had a single meal.

 

This is a multi-day vacation, with many meals served. The tip a waiter gets for any given meal he or she serves you might only be a couple of dollars. But there really isn't any way to figure out exactly what that amount is. Could be $2.18, could be $1.70 could be $3.00. Just what amount do you intend to dispute?

 

If you intend to dispute the entire amount you are charged for Select Dining, which is roughly half of the amount of the gratuities (the other half goes to stateroom staff), do you think it is plausible to claim that at every meal, every bit of service was sub-par?

 

If you are going into the cruise with that attitude, you will be guaranteed to have a dreadful time.

[paul17]

And what amount would you be disputing?

And keep in mind that the gratuities are split between many, many service personnel.

I am thinking only about full amount. Service personnel ? not sure. I am not responsible for them. I care about service, but prepaid gratuities have nothing in common with service quality.

There are some legal examples:

Lake George, New York. the District Attorney said the man couldn’t be forced to pay a gratuity even though the restaurant said tips of 18% were mandatory for parties of six or more.

[jelayne]

I don't care how many. I've already paid for the cruise and have no intention to cancel, just want to save some money .

It says

 

You may not be aware that the cabin stewards, waiters & assistant waiters who clean your cabin, serve your meals and bus your table get the major portion of their income from the gratuities. If you remove the gratuities they work for next to nothing.

 

I can't tell if you are in the U.S., but in the U.S. Waiters work for a wage of about $2.15 per hour-the majority of their income is from tips- same type of situation with the ships crew.

[WestLakeGirl]

Time to stop feeding the troll

[cruisestitch]

Removing tips for poor service is a far cry from removing tips because you are trying to save money or because you don't understand how the system works. You seem to be planning ahead to have poor service.

 

You booked the cruise, booked the Select Dining, and knew what the parameters were. Claiming that you received poor service throughout the cruise won't wash.