Gratuities on On Board Account -Not requested

[Islandgirl4242]

We have friends who arrived home today after a 17 day Celebrity Panama Canal Cruise. This was their first cruise. They were surprised to find that each day a $25 gratuity charge appeared on their shipboard account. At the end of the cruise they were also given envelopes for additional gratuities for people who did "extras" during their cruise. They were confused about being asked to pay gratuities basically twice and they paid and paid and paid again. I was surprised at this as we've been cruising for years and never have had this happen. If gratuities are "supposedly prepaid", they should be included in the basic cruise cost. Being added to the on board account when that has not been discussed with or approved by the passenger is not an acceptable practice for a cruise line that hopes for cruisers to return. Will our friends take another cruise? It's questionable...the gratuities are just one of several disappointing practices by Celebrity on their cruise...I find this very sad, especially since we have a Celebrity cruise of our own in a couple of months.

What is happening to other Celebrity cruisers regarding this??

[Despegue]

If your friends would have informed themselves and read the info that Celebrity has supplied to them, they would have known that Gratuities are put nowadays automatically on the onboard account. you can always request to alter the amount at the reception. The extra envellopes are for discretionary extra tips should one want to give something more.

All the main cruiselines apply automatic gratuities nowadays, to avoid the crew being shafted by scrooge passengers who decide not to pay-up.

Celebrity gives all passengers the chance to prepay the gatuities at time of booking by the way. Your friend's travel agent should have told them this.

[Project_gal]

Auto-gratuities are standard. I am not sure how they publicise them for US customers [who usually do not find it as unexpected than UK cruisers do] but it is made clear if you book online in the UK. What does surprise me is the mention of envelopes. I believed that they were stopped by Celebrity around 2006/7. It would be nice if they were issueing them again and then we would not have to pack our own for additional end-of-cruise tips.

 

Sue

[Blue Skies]

Auto-gratuities are standard. I am not sure how they publicise them for US customers [who usually do not find it as unexpected than UK cruisers do] but it is made clear if you book online in the UK. What does surprise me is the mention of envelopes. I believed that they were stopped by Celebrity around 2006/7. It would be nice if they were issueing them again and then we would not have to pack our own for additional end-of-cruise tips.

 

Sue

 

You just ask at the desk for envelopes, we have done it many times, easy peasy.

[navyrotorhead]

We have friends who arrived home today after a 17 day Celebrity Panama Canal Cruise. This was their first cruise. They were surprised to find that each day a $25 gratuity charge appeared on their shipboard account. At the end of the cruise they were also given envelopes for additional gratuities for people who did "extras" during their cruise. They were confused about being asked to pay gratuities basically twice and they paid and paid and paid again. I was surprised at this as we've been cruising for years and never have had this happen. If gratuities are "supposedly prepaid", they should be included in the basic cruise cost. Being added to the on board account when that has not been discussed with or approved by the passenger is not an acceptable practice for a cruise line that hopes for cruisers to return. Will our friends take another cruise? It's questionable...the gratuities are just one of several disappointing practices by Celebrity on their cruise...I find this very sad, especially since we have a Celebrity cruise of our own in a couple of months.

What is happening to other Celebrity cruisers regarding this??

 

...that tips for stewards and waitstaff, of ABOUT $12.50 per cruise guest per day is automatically charged on PRACTICALLY every cruiseline /ship/ itinerary.

 

Any and every promotional brochure or advertisement I have ever seen, either in print or on the internet, explains that those tips are NOT included in the price of the cruise, and are USUALLY added on a daily basis, to your onboard account.

 

If they booked the cruise by themselves with Celebrity, the cruise line reps are required to inform them of that, and I can GUARANTEE that the contract sent by the cruiseline and signed by your friends includes that information.

 

If they booked with a travel agent, and that information was not presented by the agent, you/they should never use that agent again. But even then, the contract from the cruise line still includes that information.

 

The only scenario I can possibly think of, where they may not have known is if the cruise was a gift, and your friends did not bother to research in advance, ANYTHING about their big upcoming, first in a lifetime experience.

 

If you have been "cruising for years" you should know that tips ARE an added charge, (on ALMOST every cruiseline) and are normally added on a daily basis, unless they are PREPAID along with the regular cruise fare AND added taxes.

 

The envelopes are for EXTRA tips which are NOT REQUIRED.

 

The tips being added to your friends onboard account WAS "discussed with" and "approved by" the passengers when they "signed on the dotted line." That they did not research or read anything about a two week long, first time in their life, cruise through the Panama Canal, might define the word incredulity.

 

If your friends found "several disapointing practices by Celebrity on their cruise" they might not want to take another cruise, because almost all cruiselines have quite similar practices, and Celebrity is considered by most to be better than average.

 

To prevent you from feeling even more "sad" about YOUR approaching cruise with Celebrity, perhaps you should research the company's website or any literature you may have already recieved and carefully read your contract/ boarding pass documents. Spend some more time reading the many posts here on CC, learn as much as you can, and then call the cruise line and/or your travel agent, and ask lots of questions so you will will be more informed and hopefully less likely to be disappointed.

[Ando]

I was surprised at this as we've been cruising for years and never have had this happen.

 

May I ask with whom you have been cruising for years, and how recently? I have been cruising for years and in my experience it has only been the luxury lines (Silversea, Seabourn, SeaDream etc) who include the tips in the (much higher) fare. All of the Premium lines (Celebrity, Princess, HAL etc) have for many years now (at least the last 7 years that I can specifically remember) added the tips as a daily charge to the onboard account unless you have prepaid them (a facility that only Celebrity of the aforementioned premium lines offer).

 

I think Azamara is now also including tips, and possibly Oceania, as they endeavor to create another category (upper-premium) between premium and luxury cruises, but these are only very recent developments within the last year or two.

 

I agree that it would be very difficult to be unaware of this daily charge if you have visited the Celebrity website, read a brochure, or reviewed your travel documentation.

[sandancer]

We have friends who arrived home today after a 17 day Celebrity Panama Canal Cruise. This was their first cruise. They were surprised to find that each day a $25 gratuity charge appeared on their shipboard account. At the end of the cruise they were also given envelopes for additional gratuities for people who did "extras" during their cruise. They were confused about being asked to pay gratuities basically twice and they paid and paid and paid again. I was surprised at this as we've been cruising for years and never have had this happen. If gratuities are "supposedly prepaid", they should be included in the basic cruise cost. Being added to the on board account when that has not been discussed with or approved by the passenger is not an acceptable practice for a cruise line that hopes for cruisers to return. Will our friends take another cruise? It's questionable...the gratuities are just one of several disappointing practices by Celebrity on their cruise...I find this very sad, especially since we have a Celebrity cruise of our own in a couple of months.

What is happening to other Celebrity cruisers regarding this??

When you say "supposedly pre-paid" , do you mean at the time of final payment (always the case with select dining) or do you mean they just assumed they had paid them and they were not expecting to have them added.

[cynbar]

I'm a little confused here. Did the OP's friends prepay their gratuities, and then have them added again to their onboard account ? If so, that was a mistake, and should have been brought to the attention of Customer Service during the cruise. But if not, then I agree, this is now standard procedure on all the mainstream cruise lines. The days are gone when passengers are expected to tip in cash on the last night, largely because cruising is more casual these days and people eat in many different venues. Auto tips spread the money around to the many staff members who provide service, and then many cruisers choose to give more to those who have provided exceptional service. Regular tipping worked best when passengers ate most of their meals at an assigned table in the MDR -----this doesn't happen much anymore. Sorry the OP and their friends are upset with Celebrity, but it really is a sign of the times, not a black mark for any one line.

[Azulann]

OP needs to give more information about the prepaid gratuties the cruisers said they had.

 

I know when I booked for the first time with an online TA, I received prepaid gratuties from the TA. It showed up as a OBC. The gratuties were taken out of my on board account. I did not pay out of pocket for it when on board.

[mum and son]

I'm assuming that the OP's friends did not realise that auto tips were being added to their shipboard account and so they tipped accordingly via the envelopes at the end of the cruise. Also assuming here that they did not check their shipboard account on the last night and then got a rude shock when they got home and checked their final statement or received their credit card bill. :eek:

 

I can understand how the situation occurred - a lot of people new to cruising do not understand the system, nor do they know to come and get such good advice from cruisecritic.com. They were naive if they didn't check their account before leaving the ship - but then again, after 17 days on a cruise I'd probably feel a little bit relaxed as well. :D

[stellarose]

So I can't pre pay my gratuities? I want to pay for the bev package and tips now pre cruise.

 

Help

[cruisestitch]

Yes, you can pre-pay your gratuities -- do you have a Travel Agent? Tell him/her what you want to do. If you booked through Celebrity directly, call your CSR and they can set it up.

 

Note that if you have Select Dining, you will automatically be pre-paying your gratuities as part of your cruise fare.

 

But even with Traditional Dining, it can be arranged to pre-pay them.

[Algebralovr]

So I can't pre pay my gratuities? I want to pay for the bev package and tips now pre cruise.

 

Help

 

You should be able to pre-pay both. Contact your travel agent if you used one or call customer service at Celebrity if you made your reservation directly. If for some reason they say no, you can always purchase OBC in advance for your account.

[CaroleSS]

Don't worry Stella. You can prepay for both then just sit back and relax with no worries! There will be no suprises on your bill.

 

If you WANT, you can pay for above and beyond service, but otherwise, leave your wallet in the safe!

[Compass Rose Monica]

No matter how many times I've cruised I ALWAYS read the fine print. I know the tipping rules (and everything else in the contract) but I still read it all.

 

Every night I check my onboard account on the tv monitor to verify what's been charged that day, from the tips to the drinks I buy to the shopping. I obtain hard copies mid-cruise and at the end.

 

Monica

[Lsimon]

The info on gratuities is published in so many places that one would have to read little or none of the information on their cruse to miss it. Typical is the following language:

For your convenience, we will automatically add gratuities for your restaurant and stateroom services to your onboard SeaPass® account on a daily basis in the following amounts, which may be adjusted at your discretion: $11.50 per person per day for guests in staterooms ($12.00 per person per day for guests in Concierge Class and AquaClass® staterooms and $15.00 per person per day for guests in Suites)

 

The above was taken from the Celebrity web site page on gratuities. Similar language also appears in the web site FAQ and in all of Celebrity's cruise brochures. A few days into the cruise a notice is published in the "Celebrity Today" daily bulletin left in each stateroom indicating the deadline for adjusting the gratuities automatically added to the on board accounts and the daily charges are detailed on the account visible on the stateroom TV or on hard copy available from guest relations. The information is also included in the "Guest Ticket Booklet" distributed to every guest in advance of the cruise either by an E-Doc viewable online or downloadable PDF or by hard copy (hard copy is not common any longer). While I don't have copies to say for certain I also believe this information is repeated with the disembarkation information distributed to staterooms the second evening before the end of the cruise. And of course if anyone is confused by the policy they could also ask at guest relations.

 

As others have said the policies and procedures in place today have been in place for at least three or four years on Celebrity.

[Islandgirl4242]

...that tips for stewards and waitstaff, of ABOUT $12.50 per cruise guest per day is automatically charged on PRACTICALLY every cruiseline /ship/ itinerary.

 

Any and every promotional brochure or advertisement I have ever seen, either in print or on the internet, explains that those tips are NOT included in the price of the cruise, and are USUALLY added on a daily basis, to your onboard account.

 

If they booked the cruise by themselves with Celebrity, the cruise line reps are required to inform them of that, and I can GUARANTEE that the contract sent by the cruiseline and signed by your friends includes that information.

 

If they booked with a travel agent, and that information was not presented by the agent, you/they should never use that agent again. But even then, the contract from the cruise line still includes that information.

 

 

If you have been "cruising for years" you should know that tips ARE an added charge, (on ALMOST every cruiseline) and are normally added on a daily basis, unless they are PREPAID along with the regular cruise fare AND added taxes.

 

The envelopes are for EXTRA tips which are NOT REQUIRED.

 

The tips being added to your friends onboard account WAS "discussed with" and "approved by" the passengers when they "signed on the dotted line." That they did not research or read anything about a two week long, first time in their life, cruise through the Panama Canal, might define the word incredulity.

 

If your friends found "several disapointing practices by Celebrity on their cruise" they might not want to take another cruise, because almost all cruiselines have quite similar practices, and Celebrity is considered by most to be better than average.

 

To prevent you from feeling even more "sad" about YOUR approaching cruise with Celebrity, perhaps you should research the company's website or any literature you may have already recieved and carefully read your contract/ boarding pass documents. Spend some more time reading the many posts here on CC, learn as much as you can, and then call the cruise line and/or your travel agent, and ask lots of questions so you will will be more informed and hopefully less likely to be disappointed.

 

WOW, talk about a lecture and rather condescending, too!

 

OK, sorry, but we've cruised a bit more than you, Rotorhead. But I choose not to list all of our past cruises on CC...it's really not a competition for us, cruises just add to our lifestyle. LOL, DH was also in the Navy...doesn't choose to list "those cruises" either...different strokes, different folks.

 

Our first cruise was in '92. We've cruised on most all of the premium range lines. Our most recent cruise (Nov. 2010) was a 17 day RCI B2B in Asia. And I always do a lot of research and have booked "private group tours for us and other cruisers" in many ports. As obviously you do, I consider myself an above average informed cruiser. But we were not charged on our shipboard account for gratuities during our late 2010 cruise...possibly because we book in the states. I've heard that living/booking cruises in some countries, the gratuities are always part of cruise fare. But we did receive incredible service, wrote glowing reviews for those who deserved them (yes, even the laundry) and handed out envelopes with well above the recommeneded amounts at the end of our cruises. Well, actually our last cruise was a couple of weeks ago...2 weeks on our sailboat in the SanJuan/Gulf Islands and no one left me any gratuities.:rolleyes:

 

Sorry, Rotorhead, but we've actually never been disappointed on a cruise ourselves...I certainly didn't mean to come across that we had been.

 

The envelopes are for EXTRA tips which are NOT REQUIRED...this pretty much says it all, Rotorhead. "Service charges" and stated as that are something that I always expect to pay and with total understanding. "Tips" are something that I pay voluntarily for service...the words "required and tip" in the same line is the concept I disagree with.

 

But I do feel bad about our friends and their experience, especially since we've suggested that they give cruising a try for for the past several years. This cruise was a major expense for them, as it is for many. Their cruise was booked through AAA as part of a group of 30 and they kept telling us it was "all inclusive". I actually questioned this as many have different definitions of all inclusive. They thought their gratuities were part of their package, but did realize that their liquor consumption, tours, on board spa visits, etc. etc. were additional. Being this was their first cruise and they really aren't confrontational people, they paid the gratuities on their shipboard account (checked it daily) and at the end of their cruise also freely handed out envelopes with cash amounts above and beyond the norm...they were very impressed with the service.

 

I've read a lot of the CC threads since joining in 2010 and have received a lot of valuable information. I've even read a few of your other posts, Rotorhead ;). And now I know about the gratuity charge imposed by Celebrity...yes, I did see that it can be adjusted. Again, I want to say that I wish the cruise lines would make this a part of the initial cruise cost and they don't even need to list it as such. It would be great if the cruise lines paid the crew enough that they didn't feel it necessary to have passengers subsidize all levels of the crew's wages and to make passengers blatantly aware that they are. And YES, I've read other threads and know that this is a topic of contention. Will we still hand cash envelopes to those crew that we've come to know and have given us exemplary service...of course we will.

 

The gratuities were just one of several issues that our friends had on their cruise and several were issues we've never experienced with Celebrity or any of the other lines we cruise with. Some people save for years to take a cruise and it becomes a once in a lifetime experience. These are fun loving and truly nice people and we just wish they had had a different first cruise experience. We LOVE Celebrity and AUS/NZ, here we come!

 

Ando, we're saving our $$ for Seabourn, Windstar and Crystal...cruises that are on my bucket list!

 

Everyone, thanks for all of your time in making comments...if one doesn't ask, they'll never know!

~~Judy

[gimletgal]

Navyrotorhead - your post was not condescending at all. I thought you did well in your response.

 

I am totally surprised that the experienced cruiser (OP) did not fully explain to her friends what the Celebrity on board procedures were regarding gratuities, especially considering the fact that they stated their cruise was "all inclusive". That would have set off alarm bells for me.

[Islandgirl4242]

I am now going to read each and every page of our cruise documents "before" doing any postings on CC. As I wrote, our last cruise was Nov. 2010 on RCI and we did not have any gratuity charges on our onboard account, except for our bar/lounge charges. Policies change and I do need to be up on those changes.

 

I do hope that our friends will give cruising another try. We've met so many memorable people and made some amazing new friends who we continue to take cruises with and share adventures.

 

Thanks again for all of your helpful posts and comments.

~~Judy

[BKFlowerMound]

Judy,

 

I am sorry that your friends were surprised by the gratuity practices. Based on the vitriolic nature of your original post, I'm guessing that you must have held yourself out as a cruise expert to your friends and feel somewhat responsible for their error. In my view, Celebrity is very clear about its "opt out" policy of including the daily tips on the Seapass accounts. It is in all of the materials, both print and web, and is highlighted on the cruise. Additionally, if you check your account, which is easy to do on your TV in your room, you see it added daily. Thus, in my view, Celebrity isn't responsible for your friend's error and you aren't either. They are primarily responsible, though their agent should have made clear what was included and not included in the fare.

 

Of the major lines, Celebrity's policy is nearly universally followed by the other major lines. The big exception, Royal Carribean. Royal follows an "opt in" policy. As your last cruise was on Royal, I can see how you were confused.

 

Cruise Critic is your friend and provides great information. Attached is a link to a CC article on tipping. You should, of course, check with the individual lines to determine their current policies before a cruise, but this is a start:

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=266

 

I'm guessing that you have more experience than I do, so I feel somewhat hesitant to offer you some advice. So, ignore it if you feel I'm wrong or behaving too much like a pedantic lecturer.

 

You received some strong responses to your post and I want to give you some insight as to why that might have been the case. The facts are that Celebrity's policy is the normal policy and it's been the normal policy for many years. A simple search here on Cruise Critic would have revealed that it's policy was the standard policy in the industry. Thus, when you posted "I was surprised at this as we've been cruising for years and never have had this happen" and "being added to the on board account that has not been discussed with or approved by the passenger is not an acceptable practice. . ." came across as both ill-informed and inflammatory. Most here are surprised that you could have been surprised, most think that adding to the onboard account was authorized, and most, accordingly, think that it is an acceptable practice. So if someone says something like I've been cruising for years and then follows it with something ill-informed, they should expect to be challenged. (I hope nicely)

 

There are some important issues that are hidden in your post like, for example, is the opt out tipping policy something that is a barrier to entry for new cruisers? It seems it was with your friends. Or, are the benefits to the cruise line of the tipping policy outweighed by the customer resentment and confusion it causes?

 

I really hope that you have a great cruise and will forgive my lecture.

[boogs]

Navyrotorhead - your post was not condescending at all. I thought you did well in your response.

 

I am totally surprised that the experienced cruiser (OP) did not fully explain to her friends what the Celebrity on board procedures were regarding gratuities, especially considering the fact that they stated their cruise was "all inclusive". That would have set off alarm bells for me.

 

I fully agree. Your explanation was clear and informative. Thanks for taking the time to explain how it works.

[Islandgirl4242]

Judy,

 

I am sorry that your friends were surprised by the gratuity practices. Based on the vitriolic nature of your original post, I'm guessing that you must have held yourself out as a cruise expert to your friends and feel somewhat responsible for their error. In my view, Celebrity is very clear about its "opt out" policy of including the daily tips on the Seapass accounts. It is in all of the materials, both print and web, and is highlighted on the cruise. Additionally, if you check your account, which is easy to do on your TV in your room, you see it added daily. Thus, in my view, Celebrity isn't responsible for your friend's error and you aren't either. They are primarily responsible, though their agent should have made clear what was included and not included in the fare.

 

Of the major lines, Celebrity's policy is nearly universally followed by the other major lines. The big exception, Royal Carribean. Royal follows an "opt in" policy. As your last cruise was on Royal, I can see how you were confused.

 

Cruise Critic is your friend and provides great information. Attached is a link to a CC article on tipping. You should, of course, check with the individual lines to determine their current policies before a cruise, but this is a start:

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=266

 

I'm guessing that you have more experience than I do, so I feel somewhat hesitant to offer you some advice. So, ignore it if you feel I'm wrong or behaving too much like a pedantic lecturer.

 

You received some strong responses to your post and I want to give you some insight as to why that might have been the case. The facts are that Celebrity's policy is the normal policy and it's been the normal policy for many years. A simple search here on Cruise Critic would have revealed that it's policy was the standard policy in the industry. Thus, when you posted "I was surprised at this as we've been cruising for years and never have had this happen" and "being added to the on board account that has not been discussed with or approved by the passenger is not an acceptable practice. . ." came across as both ill-informed and inflammatory. Most here are surprised that you could have been surprised, most think that adding to the onboard account was authorized, and most, accordingly, think that it is an acceptable practice. So if someone says something like I've been cruising for years and then follows it with something ill-informed, they should expect to be challenged. (I hope nicely)

 

There are some important issues that are hidden in your post like, for example, is the opt out tipping policy something that is a barrier to entry for new cruisers? It seems it was with your friends. Or, are the benefits to the cruise line of the tipping policy outweighed by the customer resentment and confusion it causes?

 

I really hope that you have a great cruise and will forgive my lecture.

 

Thank you, you are correct...I did/do feel somewhat responsible for our friends confusion about their onboard account gratuity charges and then also being given gratuity envelopes. I had told them that in the past we normally at least doubled the recommended gratuity that we put in the envelopes and they followed suit on this, so they had a larger expense than they had planned. With 30 in their group and many of them past cruisers I didn't feel it was my place or necessary to volunteer too much advice. Through the years they've heard us talk about the different cruise lines and our cruises...believe me, I don't consider myself an expert at anything...every single day is a learning experience. The gratuities were just one issue on their cruise that they really were not totally prepared for. They're great people and I just wanted them to have a really positive first cruise adventure and disembark already planning for their next one and that didn't happen.

 

I'm sure you've taken as many or more cruises than we have and really, who cares. That's the reason I've never listed our past cruises as part of my CC signature. Life got in the way and we did take about a 5 year break before resuming cruising in 2010 and that cruise was on RCI. Our previous Celebrity cruises were before their gratuity policy changes. And please understand, I do agree in the concept of pre-paid gratuities (too many cruisers don't tip for the incredible service we all receive)...I would just rather it be included in the base cruise cost instead of added to the onboard account. In today's economy even cruisers are on budgets.

 

Heart on my sleeve I felt I was somewhat being attacked in this thread for my surprise and not reading about any policy changes (ok, I really should have done that and believe me, now I have). And I've been reading several of the CC tipping threads for the past couple of years...informative and also entertaining.

 

I enjoy and learn from CC. I have a folder with 2 inches of paperwork from the research I've done on our upcoming cruise. With all of this one would think I would have been better informed from Celebrity's own website. I humbly apologize to everyone. And after this, I will be careful in my verbage on any posts that I make...it's so easy to come across as arrogant or as an expert...and I really am not either one!

Thank you for your kind words!! ~~Judy

[Taxguy77]

So I can't pre pay my gratuities? I want to pay for the bev package and tips now pre cruise.

 

Help

 

Why? If you want to give somebody money interest free for a few months, why not me? Why CCL, a foreign corporation? :confused:

[navyrotorhead]

WOW, talk about a lecture and rather condescending, too!

 

OK, sorry, but we've cruised a bit more than you, Rotorhead. But I choose not to list all of our past cruises on CC...it's really not a competition for us, cruises just add to our lifestyle. LOL, DH was also in the Navy...doesn't choose to list "those cruises" either...different strokes, different folks.

 

Our first cruise was in '92. We've cruised on most all of the premium range lines. Our most recent cruise (Nov. 2010) was a 17 day RCI B2B in Asia. And I always do a lot of research and have booked "private group tours for us and other cruisers" in many ports. As obviously you do, I consider myself an above average informed cruiser. But we were not charged on our shipboard account for gratuities during our late 2010 cruise...possibly because we book in the states. I've heard that living/booking cruises in some countries, the gratuities are always part of cruise fare. But we did receive incredible service, wrote glowing reviews for those who deserved them (yes, even the laundry) and handed out envelopes with well above the recommeneded amounts at the end of our cruises. Well, actually our last cruise was a couple of weeks ago...2 weeks on our sailboat in the SanJuan/Gulf Islands and no one left me any gratuities.:rolleyes:

 

Sorry, Rotorhead, but we've actually never been disappointed on a cruise ourselves...I certainly didn't mean to come across that we had been.

 

The envelopes are for EXTRA tips which are NOT REQUIRED...this pretty much says it all, Rotorhead. "Service charges" and stated as that are something that I always expect to pay and with total understanding. "Tips" are something that I pay voluntarily for service...the words "required and tip" in the same line is the concept I disagree with.

 

But I do feel bad about our friends and their experience, especially since we've suggested that they give cruising a try for for the past several years. This cruise was a major expense for them, as it is for many. Their cruise was booked through AAA as part of a group of 30 and they kept telling us it was "all inclusive". I actually questioned this as many have different definitions of all inclusive. They thought their gratuities were part of their package, but did realize that their liquor consumption, tours, on board spa visits, etc. etc. were additional. Being this was their first cruise and they really aren't confrontational people, they paid the gratuities on their shipboard account (checked it daily) and at the end of their cruise also freely handed out envelopes with cash amounts above and beyond the norm...they were very impressed with the service.

 

I've read a lot of the CC threads since joining in 2010 and have received a lot of valuable information. I've even read a few of your other posts, Rotorhead ;). And now I know about the gratuity charge imposed by Celebrity...yes, I did see that it can be adjusted. Again, I want to say that I wish the cruise lines would make this a part of the initial cruise cost and they don't even need to list it as such. It would be great if the cruise lines paid the crew enough that they didn't feel it necessary to have passengers subsidize all levels of the crew's wages and to make passengers blatantly aware that they are. And YES, I've read other threads and know that this is a topic of contention. Will we still hand cash envelopes to those crew that we've come to know and have given us exemplary service...of course we will.

 

The gratuities were just one of several issues that our friends had on their cruise and several were issues we've never experienced with Celebrity or any of the other lines we cruise with. Some people save for years to take a cruise and it becomes a once in a lifetime experience. These are fun loving and truly nice people and we just wish they had had a different first cruise experience. We LOVE Celebrity and AUS/NZ, here we come!

 

Ando, we're saving our $$ for Seabourn, Windstar and Crystal...cruises that are on my bucket list!

 

Everyone, thanks for all of your time in making comments...if one doesn't ask, they'll never know!

~~Judy

 

I am sorry you thought my response was a "condescending lecture" instead of the carefully considered, logical, and comprehensive reply to almost every single sentence/concern in your original post.

 

I am sure the other posters like Despegue, Project gal, Ando, sundancer, cynbar, Compass Rose Monica, and Lsimon, (most of them addressing individual points, as opposed to all of your post) will probably also be surprised that their points are considered "condescending."

 

It does appear that at least two of the most pertinent points in my post were correct. That your friends booked through a travel agent/company that did NOT properly inform them of the tips being an added charge. And that your friends did NOT read their cruise documents, or they WOULD have known.

 

My first cruise with Celebrity was through the Panama Canal and it was one of the most wonderful and satisfying trips of my life. It is sad that your friends' experience was diminished, but unfortunately, they have no one but themselves to blame.

 

You also said about your friends' experience that "they were very impressed with the service" so once again, is there a point or not? And what are the others included in "just one of the several disappointing practices by Celebrity on their cruise"

 

The most important point in my post was the last. The information available here on cruise critic is probably the fastest, easiest, and most comprehensive way to become educated on not only the many positive aspects of cruising, but the occasional pitfall as well.

[Taxguy77]

We have done 4 southern TAs and one northern, one of the southern on =X= (Very nice cruise except the bed). In addition we have made several other cruises, Panama Canal to South America, Med, etc. I have NEVER taken a cruise without reading the cruiseline brochure about that trip at least twice.

Out of all the cruises, only one was "inclusive" and that was a luxury land/sea "President's Tour" that had a lot of fantastic extras (Including dinner in a castle with 5 or 6 wine glasses at each place setting all of which were used). And that one said in regular print the meals and liquor that was not included!

The last cruise we were on that did not have automatic "tips" (misnomer) was in the 90s. It's just a way of paying the crew and keeping the advertised cost down; call it a service charge if it's for tax purposes.