Celebrity Gratututies on Australian Website prepaid

[downundermatt]

Hi There

Have always had my gratuities added onto my Seapass daily, and paid at the end of my cruise, when booking through an Agency,

Have been checking out a Celebrity's own Aussie website, and they are adding the tips so that you pay up front ?

Is this correct ? Has anyone else had the same experience ? :confused:

Just want to ensure I am comparing quotes correctly, and don't want to get stung a second time on board.

Cheers Matt

[Wastegirl]

I just went onto Celebrity's Australian site to check the cruises I had booked, out of curiosity and it won't let me book via the web - goes straight to telephone numbers on he US sie for me to ring. Looks like Celebrity is having trouble again with their web site.

 

The only reason I can think that your gratuities are included is that anytime dining is selected as opposed to fixed, as they want your gratuities paid up front if you choose that option, which I think is weird because Holland America doesn't ask you to pay your gratuities up front. Obviously Celebrity doesn't trust us and think all Australian's are going to remove this option once on board.

 

I haven't sailed Celebrity yet but so far I am not impressed with their customer service via their web site and when I call them (and eventually get through).

[downundermatt]

Having been on different Cruiselines -Celebrity is our preference.

 

Am surprised their Call Centre is closed all weekend - one would think it would divert overseas - and don't start me on their website - if only their Service shore, matched their on board service ,,,,,

[Marking Time]

Hi There

Have always had my gratuities added onto my Seapass daily, and paid at the end of my cruise, when booking through an Agency,

Have been checking out a Celebrity's own Aussie website, and they are adding the tips so that you pay up front ?

Is this correct ? Has anyone else had the same experience ? :confused:

Just want to ensure I am comparing quotes correctly, and don't want to get stung a second time on board.

Cheers Matt

 

Hi Matt,

we have sailed with Celebrity 3 times , first time booked with T.A. here in Perth , second time with Celebrity U.K.third, time with a T.A. in the U.K. and this time our fourth with Celebrity Australia . each time gratuities have been requested upfront. It's not a problem to us as we have always had excellent service but for those who don't think their service warrants it there is always the option of removing the tips.:eek:You wont get " stung" a second time. happy cruising:)

Chris

Edited March 8, 2014 by Marking Time

[kuldalai]

It is illegal to sell in Australia to Australians any travel service for an advertised price, and then add on extras later (on board.) So for cruises ex Australia the price you pay is all inclusive . It is called honesty in advertising .

 

The cruise industry is riddled with marketing "cons" like :

 

- Two for One fares that if you double the pp fare no would pay the original price that no one actually pays anyway !!

 

- Savings on Brochure & Launch fares that are fictional in that the saving applies from when bookings open, so no one actually pays the brochure or launch fare so the claimed saving is fictional.

 

- Fly free deals where the air fare is just built into the higher cruise fare .

[Cruise_me_Crazy]

It is illegal to sell in Australia to Australians any travel service for an advertised price, and then add on extras later (on board.) So for cruises ex Australia the price you pay is all inclusive . It is called honesty in advertising .

 

The cruise industry is riddled with marketing "cons" like :

 

- Two for One fares that if you double the pp fare no would pay the original price that no one actually pays anyway !!

 

- Savings on Brochure & Launch fares that are fictional in that the saving applies from when bookings open, so no one actually pays the brochure or launch fare so the claimed saving is fictional.

 

- Fly free deals where the air fare is just built into the higher cruise fare .

 

Interesting to read. :) I checked our invoice and it doesn't say either way whether we have paid the tips n grats etc. :confused:

[h & m]

Hi There

Have always had my gratuities added onto my Seapass daily, and paid at the end of my cruise, when booking through an Agency,

Have been checking out a Celebrity's own Aussie website, and they are adding the tips so that you pay up front ?

Is this correct ? Has anyone else had the same experience ? :confused:

Just want to ensure I am comparing quotes correctly, and don't want to get stung a second time on board.

Cheers Matt

 

Matt

 

Booking directly on Celebrity AU, they do include the tips in the fare, but you can easily delete them at the payment stage - if you have traditional dining. For select dining the tips have to be prepaid, this goes for the US site too.

 

Booking through a TA, you can not see as much detail on your booking on the Celebrity site, including payments, so you really need to check your TA invoice to see if tips have been included.

 

On our next cruise I booked directly with Celebrity AU, initially took off the tips,but then realised they were less in Australian dollars than US, so paid them upfront.

 

Hope this helps

 

Hilary :)

[Aussieflyer]

I am not sure that Kudalai is totally correct in that gratuities do not have to be added and paid for upfront. It is the taxes and fees that must be included in the price paid. We have just done an Arcadia cruise booked through an AU online TA - gratuities were added on the ship and no mention of them was made online. I have usually chosen to prepay gratuities but neither of my two upcoming cruises have included them in the price (both booked in AU).

It is my understanding that you must prepay if you have select dining but can uncheck the box for traditional and have them added on board (thus using OBC if you have any).