Pre pay your gratuities now!!!!

[H82seaUgo]

We sail in 35 days... cruise has been paid in full for months now... I paid $140 last month to prepay gratuities and my TA just charged me another $21 last night saying gratuities went up and because I have not sailed yet we are now to pay $80.50 per person for a 7 night cruise instead of $70.

 

I guess prepay doesn't mean you are locked into a certain price.?

 

priceless. absolutely priceless. :rolleyes:

[scchasgal]

We sail in 35 days... cruise has been paid in full for months now... I paid $140 last month to prepay gratuities and my TA just charged me another $21 last night saying gratuities went up and because I have not sailed yet we are now to pay $80.50 per person for a 7 night cruise instead of $70.

 

I guess prepay doesn't mean you are locked into a certain price.?

 

That is just wrong that tells me your TA didn't prepay your tip when you paid them. You should have been grandfathered in not charged more.

 

Time to get a new TA or book directly with Carnival.

[kshelleby]

That is just wrong that tells me your TA didn't prepay your tip when you paid them. You should have been grandfathered in not charged more.

 

Time to get a new TA or book directly with Carnival.

 

This is the first cruise I didn't book with a PVP and it will be the last time I use a TA. When you call them to make any changes or even a payment they make you select "3" on the keypad and nobody answers the line, you have to leave a message. If you select "4" to book a new cruise someone answers the line immediately. I now select "4" just to speak to someone because even leaving a message no one likes to return calls. Oh how I miss my PVP......

[big_duck]

That is just wrong that tells me your TA didn't prepay your tip when you paid them. You should have been grandfathered in not charged more.

 

Time to get a new TA or book directly with Carnival.

 

Or worse, the TA is pocketing the $21.

[H82seaUgo]

Or worse, the TA is pocketing the $21.

 

who knows where ANY of this money is going now!

[prattmom]

who knows where ANY of this money is going now!

 

Well John did admit today that it did indeed go to "newservices"...

 

Most of my trips to Guest Services would not have resulted in a tip... :rolleyes:

[H82seaUgo]

Well John did admit today that it did indeed go to "newservices"...

 

Most of my trips to Guest Services would not have resulted in a tip... :rolleyes:

 

now, just to see what firefly's spin will be on this. :rolleyes:

 

so there we have it. and NONE of my trips to guest services would result in a tip.

[prattmom]

If you want to raise the prices, then raise the price..

 

If however you want Guest Services to be "tipped" employees, maybe that will make the service better LOL!

[big_duck]

now, just to see what firefly's spin will be on this. :rolleyes:

 

so there we have it. and NONE of my trips to guest services would result in a tip.

 

Most of my infrequent trips to Guest Services involve transferring money from the Casino to my S&S account. I've already tipped the dealers out of that I'll be damned if I will tip both ends of the transaction.

[scooterpopsnana]

Well John did admit today that it did indeed go to "newservices"...

 

Most of my trips to Guest Services would not have resulted in a tip... :rolleyes:

 

 

Got to pay for 2.0 some way. Just don't pay the employess as much, let the tips pay them.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

If you want to raise the prices, then raise the price..

 

If however you want Guest Services to be "tipped" employees, maybe that will make the service better LOL!

 

Theome of the crankiest people i have ever encountered.

 

I would imagine you get burned out fast doing that job listening to the whining on an every day basis.

 

The whiners make it bad for the people that have a legitimate problem.

 

Bill

[ccruisequeen]

Just spoke to my PVP who states the change actually goes into effect on December 1st. Either way, IMHO, the increase is minimal when you compare it to all the hard work the crew is required to do.

 

I thought it went into effect on Nov 1 for cruises AFTER Dec 1. In any case, neither TA nor PVP told us that you could pre-pay, as they do on X, HAL or RCL.

[marpauly]

What I think would be "fair" would be that if WE must pay additional for the crew to have jobs, it should be added in to the up front cost and billed as part of your cruise fare. I would rather not think about whether or not every person earned everything. I've been on my share of cruises and there have been a couple of times that people in my opinion didn't deserve the full tip. But we paid anyway because we knew these people wouldn't be paid otherwise. To make a consumer feel guilted into spending money that way isn't fair in my opinion.

 

We've also paid extra for people that really went out of their way to be awesome and take care of us. Then we've had people that didn't replace our towels and never made towel animals for us a single night on the entire voyage which was just strange.

 

I know tipping is heavily debated and with good reason. Having been in the service industry for many years and relying on tips since my salary was 2.13 per hour to wait tables, I know the importance of this income to survive. But I still prefer feeling like the cruise is taken care of and like I don't have to spend extra. So, I'd rather it be included in my fare.

 

With that said..

 

Put 4,000 people on a ship for a week with the average cost being 450 per passenger. That is 1 million, eight hundred thousand dollars PER 7 day sailing that they take in on the fare alone.

 

A report was released in 2009 saying that Carnival was averaging 76% of revenue from the fare and another 24% from the money people spend while on the ship. I don't feel like doing the actual math but this would be roughly another 540 thousand dollars of revenue that they take in per 7 day sailing.

 

So, now we're at roughly 2 million, three hundred and forty thousand dollars per 7 day voyage.

 

Yes, they have to pay for a lot of things like..

 

Food

Performer fees

Fuel

Maintenance costs

Captain, Cruise Director, Chef, etc. salaries

New beds, linens, couches, etc. (occasionally)

I am sure the list really does go on and on here.

 

But we're talking about a revenue of nearly 2.5 million bucks PER WEEK, per ship. I seriously would think that the cruise lines would pay their employees all properly.

 

Again, I am all for everyone making a fair and honest wage. These crew bust their behinds to do all of the work that they do. I just don't think they should have to wonder where their money is coming from and whether or not people will remove or add more tips. They should just get paid a salary for the hard work they do, regardless of whether or not our cruise fare goes up as a result.

 

I completely agree,even if a 7 day cruise would be 50-75$ more per person,well at least they would get very decent wages.I had calculated it as the senior room attendant on one of our cruise was making 2$/day per person in tips and his assistant,1.50$.They had 20 rooms with 50 people total,so every day that makes 100$/day in tips plus base salary,plus room and board plus as i read this thread most give extra:confused:.I'm a nurse and don't make this much,and am in the service industry also but haven't had 1 tip in my over 15 year career.And i have done everything that the plumber,room attendant does and my regular duties including saving lives.Does that count as above and behond??:rolleyes:

 

But my gripe is more that we have made this society where some have tips and some don't!!I eat at a mid level restaurant,i'm expected to tip my 20%,i go at Mcdonalds,nobody needs to tip because they make 7.25$/hour and they have to pay there own room and board.I've spent hours at other service oriented industries like fast food restaurants,walmart,homedepot,gas stations and the grocery store and NOBODY,even those who cruise and judge the others as cheap on this thread tip them.I cruise,everybody needs to have a tip,I go at the bar,the bartender gets her 20% but the bouncer gets no tips and the manager doesn't either most of the time because they supposidly like i do get a fare base salary.

 

But this is a hot topic,and those who don't auto-tip are labelled (cheap)but nobody blames those responsible for the injustice,the (CRUISELINES) for registering where the labor laws are made to take advantage of the employees,pay them 1$/hour with no overtime and then turn around and tell us that there employees deserve the raise and we will do you a favor and charge your S&S card without asking.Why isn't that these companies get to do this,pay them next to nothing and those who don't tip enough are the ones that are cheap???I don't understand that mentality.If you call it a tip,then it's to your discretion if it's mandatory then it's a service charge and they shouldn't be hyding behind the bushes and just charge us up front in the cruise fair.:rolleyes:PS Next time you see your friendly nurse with a big needle,please tip,just joking by the way!!!;)

That being said most cruiseline employees do deserve tips,99% of the time!!:D

[S.S.Oceanlover]

I completely agree,even if a 7 day cruise would be 50-75$ more per person,well at least they would get very decent wages.I had calculated it as the senior room attendant on one of our cruise was making 2$/day per person in tips and his assistant,1.50$.They had 20 rooms with 50 people total,so every day that makes 100$/day in tips plus base salary,plus room and board plus as i read this thread most give extra:confused:.I'm a nurse and don't make this much,and am in the service industry also but haven't had 1 tip in my over 15 year career.And i have done everything that the plumber,room attendant does and my regular duties including saving lives.Does that count as above and behond??:rolleyes:

 

But my gripe is more that we have made this society where some have tips and some don't!!I eat at a mid level restaurant,i'm expected to tip my 20%,i go at Mcdonalds,nobody needs to tip because they make 7.25$/hour and they have to pay there own room and board.I've spent hours at other service oriented industries like fast food restaurants,walmart,homedepot,gas stations and the grocery store and NOBODY,even those who cruise and judge the others as cheap on this thread tip them.I cruise,everybody needs to have a tip,I go at the bar,the bartender gets her 20% but the bouncer gets no tips and the manager doesn't either most of the time because they supposidly like i do get a fare base salary.

 

But this is a hot topic,and those who don't auto-tip are labelled (cheap)but nobody blames those responsible for the injustice,the (CRUISELINES) for registering where the labor laws are made to take advantage of the employees,pay them 1$/hour with no overtime and then turn around and tell us that there employees deserve the raise and we will do you a favor and charge your S&S card without asking.Why isn't that these companies get to do this,pay them next to nothing and those who don't tip enough are the ones that are cheap???I don't understand that mentality.If you call it a tip,then it's to your discretion if it's mandatory then it's a service charge and they shouldn't be hyding behind the bushes and just charge us up front in the cruise fair.:rolleyes:PS Next time you see your friendly nurse with a big needle,please tip,just joking by the way!!!;)

That being said most cruiseline employees do deserve tips,99% of the time!!:D

 

I think you are really underpaid.:(

 

Bill

[marpauly]

I think you are really underpaid.:(

 

Bill

No i would say undertipped!!!:D;)

[mjl1960]

I am okay with this increase, they deserve it....just don't come back in a few months and expect to do it to me again. Next time I may not like it so much.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

No i would say undertipped!!!:D;)

 

overall I would say you have a much better wage unless nurses in Canada don't get paid the same as here in the U.S. plus you get to go home and see your family every night and probably don't have to work 7 days a week, 12-14 hours a day.:)

 

Bill

[scchasgal]

overall I would say you have a much better wage unless nurses in Canada don't get paid the same as here in the U.S. plus you get to go home and see your family every night and probably don't have to work 7 days a week, 12-14 hours a day.:)

 

Bill

 

A lot of nurses head to the States to work from Canada, the wages are higher and not regulated by the gov't.

[marpauly]

A lot of nurses head to the States to work from Canada, the wages are higher and not regulated by the gov't.

 

I do make decent wages.Not what i would say it's worth thow.I am playing with your life.Everything i do has very grave consequences.But if my employer hid behind another countries flag,gave me 1$/hour and said the rest will be paid by your patients,then i would be where your cabin steward is.But i'm where your flight attendant is.You know it's all about the double standard.I serve you coffee or a beer on a plane going to your cruise,nobody tips,nobody is cheap,hay they do make 25,000$/year,but if your room attendant or server on your cruise doesn't have all his tips,hey that cruiser is soooo "cheap".

The problem is at the base,the employer.Give your employees at least minimum wage plus overtime after 44/hours/week and tell them they can keep there tips and then you have eliminated the problem of those who are so called cheap,because they are paid about as much as your flight attendant that nobody tips.;)It would be so funny or not if in the middle of your flight they would say"we have charged you for the services of the captain and flight stewart,50$per person.Thank you all!!We have done this for your convenience as it wasn't covered in your flight price.We don't pay our employees from your ticket prices,this is separate!!!Everybody would be in an uproar.Double standard...again!!The "cruiselines"are saying to there passengers,pay your service providers but at the same time they are not doing it themselves!!If you have to charge 50$/week more per passenger on the cruise price,please do,but don't make it the passengers duty to do your companies basic job of paying your employees!!It's not right!!!And then when 90% of your employees salary isn't paid by the service charge that they try to disguise as a tip,it will become a tip and we the passengers will be able to tip for those who have made our trip so memorable.