UBP - how to use it + tipping?

[Schmoopy]

Hi CCers.

 

We finally decided and purchased our UBP for our upcoming Getaway cruise. I have two questions:

 

1. How do you "pay" for drinks? Are you given a wristband or card of some sort?

 

2. When we purchased the package, we paid an auto 15% gratuity. But I'm curious if we're expected to tip more. In a regular bar, we tend to tip a few bucks for 2 drinks (more than 15%). But I also don't want to overtip--we've already spent nearly $1000 on drinks at this point. What's expected with the UBP? If we don't throw down a few bucks with each order, will our service suffer?

 

TIA!

[phoenix1181]

You'll still have to give the server your card(s) & sign for your drinks. We always add a $1 (cash) per drink so I can't comment on service without that additional tip. With it, service on the Dawn was exceptional..........

[lhugheshome]

The last time on the Epic we had the UBP. I did not tip per drnk. However, I did provide a tip early on to the waiter in H2O ..$10 and that was enough to get stellar service throughout the cruise. We tipped again at the end of the cruise for the same waiter. We did not tip much in any other location.

[conandrob240]

It never occurred to me to tip extra using UBP. On the Breakaway, bar service was excellent and they seemed happy to see people with the UBP. Great service with no extra tips.

[Demonyte]

Others have answered already, but to clarify:

 

1. Your keycard will have UBP sticker that you need to get after boarding - to my understanding from any bar. On Getaway we had UDP sticker already on our cards when we got them but had to get the UBP stickers separately.

 

2. We tipped excellent servers with UBP just as we would with paying by drink, just added $1-2 to the receipt's tip row.

Edited August 1, 2014 by Demonyte

[cruzsnooze]

They have figured out 15% is adequate so I leave it at that, no extra.

[mcdermott]

I have had UBP C&C and UDP on both the Spirit and the Epic the service has always been excellent and to those who gave very good service I took their names and filled in Hero card and they must have been pleased because we were thanked the next time we were onboard

[khia213]

It's just me, and this is the first time we'll be using UDP, but for the bars I hang out in on board, I tip above the designated amount. I don't know how they split the mandated tips and I like to make sure that the bartenders that I deal with regularly are tipped personally.

[LrgPizza]

Others have answered already, but to clarify:

 

1. Your keycard will have UBP sticker that you need to get after boarding - to my understanding from any bar. On Getaway we had UDP sticker already on our cards when we got them but had to get the UBP stickers separately.

That's odd. Both our UDP and UBP stickers were on our cards when handed to us in the terminal before boarding.

[moosecrouse]

Something to remember is that the servers only get the gratuity on the UBP price. So if you get your money's worth and drink $500 worth they were only tipped on the first $400. I usually tip the waiters in H2O $10 each day cause they are the ones running around and leave the bartender $5 when I close out my tab.

 

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[Schmoopy]

Others have answered already, but to clarify:

 

1. Your keycard will have UBP sticker that you need to get after boarding - to my understanding from any bar. On Getaway we had UDP sticker already on our cards when we got them but had to get the UBP stickers separately.

 

2. We tipped excellent servers with UBP just as we would with paying by drink, just added $1-2 to the receipt's tip row.

 

Thanks everyone for the responses! This is really helpful! I think the best route is to have lots of singles with us, and lay down a buck or two with our orders--a little more for great service.

 

Demonyte, thanks for answering the "how it's used" question - when you say "stickers," is this a scannable sticker you need to use at each bar or is it just something to indicate you have the UBP?

[joteacher]

Thanks everyone for the responses! This is really helpful! I think the best route is to have lots of singles with us, and lay down a buck or two with our orders--a little more for great service.

 

Demonyte, thanks for answering the "how it's used" question - when you say "stickers," is this a scannable sticker you need to use at each bar or is it just something to indicate you have the UBP?

 

The sticker just indicates that you have the UBP. They run your card through the register as usual and the amounts show up on your on-board account, but you're not charged for them. It does, however, give you an indication of how much you've been spending on drinks if you were paying for them individually!:D

 

Also, on our Sky cruise, the bar waitresses told us that they actually preferred their extra tips on the tab (we asked) because bar tips are not shared among the staff. When the servers get tips the amounts go directly to them, and apparently the more they get in tips gives them some sort of ship incentive. They're kept track of by the drink tickets they sell.

 

Hope this helps!

~Joanne