Gratuities in Aquaclass

[sheffield]

I am sure this has been answered before but the search feature is not there and the Celebrity website has problems.

Do you have to pay gratuities for Aquaclass when you book or are they added daily?

Thanks

[Ozzmund]

As I remember, you have the option of pre-paying your gratuities, or having them applied to your credit card at the end of the cruise. I would assume that settling up in cash at the end is also an option.

[Poconolady]

They are added onto your daily account, unless you have a pre paid gratuity perk.

[swigso]

I think that as you dine in Blu, which is Any Time Dining,

That gratuities are pre-paid.

Some travel agents offer to pay your gratuities

As a thank you for using them.

[Xport]

I think that as you dine in Blu, which is Any Time Dining, that gratuities are pre-paid.

 

AquaClass gratuities are added to your on-board account daily unless you choose to include them with final payment [which is always an option/not limited to those doing Select Dining in the MDR] or your Travel Agent is prepaying them--in appreciation of your business--on your behalf...

[sheffield]

AquaClass gratuities are added to your on-board account daily unless you choose to include them with final payment [which is always an option/not limited to those doing Select Dining in the MDR] or your Travel Agent is prepaying them--in appreciation of your business--on your behalf...

 

Thanks, I hoped they would be added daily as we have $1000 OBC to spend.

[Phxazzcruisers]

I am not sure you are correct. We are leaving on Monday on Equinox and are in Aqua Class. I just looked at my invoice and the gratuities are all prepaid. I believe when you have anytime dining in the MDR or as you do in Aqua Class they are automatically prepaid. Look at your invoice, it will indicate there if they were prepaid or not.

[Wine-O]

I am not sure you are correct. We are leaving on Monday on Equinox and are in Aqua Class. I just looked at my invoice and the gratuities are all prepaid. I believe when you have anytime dining in the MDR or as you do in Aqua Class they are automatically prepaid. Look at your invoice, it will indicate there if they were prepaid or not.

 

No they are not automatically prepaid if you are in AQ. They deduct daily on your seapass account.

[sheffield]

we booked in a balcony room but prices have dropped today and AQ is now less expensive than what we originally paid so we are going to change our booking. We do not cruise until May 11.

[sheffield]

Just found one of my old statements for a previous AQ sailing in 2010 and gratuities were added daily, so hopefully, this is still the way it is done.

Thanks for all your replies

[dkjretired]

Just found one of my old statements for a previous AQ sailing in 2010 and gratuities were added daily, so hopefully, this is still the way it is done.

Thanks for all your replies

 

The choice is yours, you may prepay or have it done daily when you get on board. Your choice...

[swigso]

When we sailed the Equinox in October, as Blu no longer has

Early or Late seating but now is open seating (Select/Anytime Dining)

Gratuities had to be pre paid.

That is what we were told but again Celebrity do have

a habit of giving wrong info.

[dkjretired]

When we sailed the Equinox in October, as Blu no longer has

Early or Late seating but now is open seating (Select/Anytime Dining)

Gratuities had to be pre paid.

That is what we were told but again Celebrity do have

a habit of giving wrong info.

 

Blu has always been open seating, its just a computer thing that they ask you if you want late or early seating. Additionally if for whatever reason you choose Select Dining, the computer will require you to prepay gratuities. AGain, choice is whatever you want except I believe there may be some different requirements in the UK.

[helpthejuggler]

No difference in the UK when booking AQ

[swigso]

Blu has always been open seating, its just a computer thing that they ask you if you want late or early seating. Additionally if for whatever reason you choose Select Dining, the computer will require you to prepay gratuities. AGain, choice is whatever you want except I believe there may be some different requirements in the UK.

 

Sorry but when the Solstice class was introduced Blu was traditional dining

I think it was either 6.30 or 8.30. That is why there is still sometimes

Confusion when a dining card is left in the room on embarkation day

with your dining time.

Celebrity changed it to open seating sometime later to accommodate

The suites dining if there was room in Blu.

It was at that time that gratuities needed to be pre-paid in Aqua Class.

[Lois R]

Sorry but when the Solstice class was introduced Blu was traditional dining

I think it was either 6.30 or 8.30. That is why there is still sometimes

Confusion when a dining card is left in the room on embarkation day

with your dining time.

Celebrity changed it to open seating sometime later to accommodate

The suites dining if there was room in Blu.

It was at that time that gratuities needed to be pre-paid in Aqua Class.

 

Huh? I have Aqua class for my upcoming cruise and my gratuities

are not pre-paid.

[dkjretired]

Sorry but when the Solstice class was introduced Blu was traditional dining

I think it was either 6.30 or 8.30. That is why there is still sometimes

Confusion when a dining card is left in the room on embarkation day

with your dining time.

Celebrity changed it to open seating sometime later to accommodate

The suites dining if there was room in Blu.

It was at that time that gratuities needed to be pre-paid in Aqua Class.

 

Not correct, the times were only there for the computer. Blu has always been open dining. The actual confusion was caused by people thinking they had to take the Select Dining to have open dining and therefore wound up with pre paid gratuities. This was further complicated because Celebrity's official policy was to take those people in AQ who pre paid tips and put them in the MDR, instead of Blu. This caused all kinds of confusion on these boards for well over a year and still occasionally causes a problem. For a period of time this was the most asked question on this board and many of us did our best to answer it. This is why many people thought that you had to pre pay tips in Blu when in fact that has never been the case. there is a long history on this and I'm sure many of the regulars will back up what I said.

[dkjretired]

No difference in the UK when booking AQ

 

Thanks, we have had a lot of people come on here and say they are from the UK and have to prepay tips no matter what the category. I don't pretend to know the laws, just reporting what people have said.

[helpthejuggler]

Thanks, we have had a lot of people come on here and say they are from the UK and have to prepay tips no matter what the category. I don't pretend to know the laws, just reporting what people have said.

 

We have always booked AQ and had the option. We prepay due to a general dislike of the whole process.

 

Since we would prefer to have it included in the price we choose that route and remove the hassle from our trip.

[swigso]

This is from the Celebrity Website

 

If I am an AquaClass® guest, can I choose Celebrity Select Dining?

 

Our online booking system does require you to choose either Main Seating (6 PM), Late Seating (8:30 PM), or Celebrity Select Dining in order to complete your booking. As an AquaClass® guest, whatever choice you make, you will be automatically assigned to Blu.

Since Blu offers flexible dining between 6 PM and 9:30 PM every evening, you're free to dine at the time of your choice during those hours, even though your reservation details may list a specific time.

 

Choosing Celebrity Select Dining will automatically add pre-paid gratuities and you will still be assigned to Blu.

If you are part of a group or party that is not booked in AquaClass and you would like to join them in the Main Restaurant, please email us at celebritydining@celebrity.com and we'll get back to you with the availability.

 

This is why there is still so much confusion, when you book AQ

If you state Select Dining you will need to prepay your gratuities.

If you select a set time even though Blu is open seating you will

Not need to prepay.

[dkjretired]

This is from the Celebrity Website

 

If I am an AquaClass® guest, can I choose Celebrity Select Dining?

 

Our online booking system does require you to choose either Main Seating (6 PM), Late Seating (8:30 PM), or Celebrity Select Dining in order to complete your booking. As an AquaClass® guest, whatever choice you make, you will be automatically assigned to Blu.

Since Blu offers flexible dining between 6 PM and 9:30 PM every evening, you're free to dine at the time of your choice during those hours, even though your reservation details may list a specific time.

 

Choosing Celebrity Select Dining will automatically add pre-paid gratuities and you will still be assigned to Blu.

 

If you are part of a group or party that is not booked in AquaClass and you would like to join them in the Main Restaurant, please email us at celebritydining@celebrity.com and we'll get back to you with the availability.

 

This is why there is still so much confusion, when you book AQ

If you state Select Dining you will need to prepay your gratuities.

If you select a set time even though Blu is open seating you will

Not need to prepay.

 

The section of the web site you quoted is only about 6 months old and was put in because of so much confusion. Prior to this entry it stated if you chose Select Dining you were removed from Blu and placed in the MDR. It actually caused people to choose the opposite of what they wanted to satisfy the computer system and that was the confusion we dealt with for months on this board. No matter where you are eating if you choose Select Dining you will have to pre pay gratuities. Choose a regular dining time and you do not have to prepay no matter where you eat. Difference in Blu is no matter what you do, your dining is anytime dining.

[Wineart]

We are currently on board Silhouette in Aqua Class. Gratuities are charged to our on board account daily, and it is $12pp per day. We are from the US.

[jveevers]

This is from the Celebrity Website

 

If I am an AquaClass® guest, can I choose Celebrity Select Dining?

 

Our online booking system does require you to choose either Main Seating (6 PM), Late Seating (8:30 PM), or Celebrity Select Dining in order to complete your booking. As an AquaClass® guest, whatever choice you make, you will be automatically assigned to Blu.

 

Since Blu offers flexible dining between 6 PM and 9:30 PM every evening, you're free to dine at the time of your choice during those hours, even though your reservation details may list a specific time.

 

Choosing Celebrity Select Dining will automatically add pre-paid gratuities and you will still be assigned to Blu.

 

If you are part of a group or party that is not booked in AquaClass and you would like to join them in the Main Restaurant, please email us at celebritydining@celebrity.com and we'll get back to you with the availability.

 

This is why there is still so much confusion, when you book AQ

If you state Select Dining you will need to prepay your gratuities.

If you select a set time even though Blu is open seating you will

Not need to prepay.

 

Amongst all the correct and partially correct replies. This one is the definative one.

[dkjretired]

Amongst all the correct and partially correct replies. This one is the definative one.

 

Now it is and we were so grateful when they finally corrected it, many threads were prevented when they put this in the web site. The only thing that does occur occasionally is someone comes on here and says the customer service still tells them the old policy. But that's Celebrity's customer service.

[kojtl1000]

We are currently on board Silhouette in Aqua Class. Gratuities are charged to our on board account daily, and it is $12pp per day. We are from the US.

 

We are completely new to cruising and do not really understand the principle of these gratuities. We are planning a cruise in December on the Celebrity Eclipse to the Caribbean. We also plan to do this in Aqua Class. We got a choice of the Classic beverage package (value $44 pp) or the prepaid gratuities (value $12 pp). We are planning to go for the beverage package, so this will take care of our drinks on board.

This leaves us with the tips/gratuities. As I understand it, we have 2 options, either take a prepaid package, or the gratuities will be added to our board account daily. Either way, it will be $12 per day/pp. When this is added to our board account, does this mean we will not have to tip anywhere separately at any bar, restaurant or room?

And what would be the advantage of prepaying for the gratuities as the price seems to be the same as the daily charge added to your board account.

 

Thanks a lot.