If i were to receive bad service...

[Jiffymom]

Honestly. This post amazes me.

Why even think or be concerned about bad service . You are going on a vacation many only dream about .

So enjoy. If you get "bad" service the next night ask the maitre D to be seated in

another area. It's really no big deal .

Your tips go to all the service you receive not just dinner.

Enjoy dont have a negative to start your wonderful cruise

[MrsPete]

Another vote for, Sounds like you're looking for an excuse to avoid paying. The chances of having bad service are very slight.

[skidrow1950]

In response to the couple of you that might be suggesting that I'm trying to get out of not paying the tip...you are so wrong! Wife and I have been on 5 previous cruises and have always had a great time, to which I'm sure we'll have on this upcoming cruise. Reason for my post is because we've somehow convinced another couple who've been on one cruise several years ago to join us who apparently did have an issue with their server in the MDR. Having dinner with this couple a few weeks ago, the conversation centered around our upcoming cruise and they presented the question about how to handle the issue if it occurred again. Several of you have offered intelligent solutions which I will pass onto our friends. Wife and I will certainly attempt to diffuse ant situation that may come up, and who knows, maybe their expectations were set a little too high. Looking forward to a GREAT cruise with our friends!

 

Thank you all for your response!

[LMaxwell]

In response to the couple of you that might be suggesting that I'm trying to get out of not paying the tip...you are so wrong! Wife and I have been on 5 previous cruises and have always had a great time, to which I'm sure we'll have on this upcoming cruise. Reason for my post is because we've somehow convinced another couple who've been on one cruise several years ago to join us who apparently did have an issue with their server in the MDR. Having dinner with this couple a few weeks ago, the conversation centered around our upcoming cruise and they presented the question about how to handle the issue if it occurred again. Several of you have offered intelligent solutions which I will pass onto our friends. Wife and I will certainly attempt to diffuse ant situation that may come up, and who knows, maybe their expectations were set a little too high. Looking forward to a GREAT cruise with our friends!

 

Thank you all for your response!

Sorry that instead of providing you a factual answer to your question many people took the opportunity to pass judgment and make negative comments about you.

[skidrow1950]

Sorry that instead of providing you a factual answer to your question many people took the opportunity to pass judgment and make negative comments about you.

 

Thank you!

[skidrow1950]

I don't know , but I have a problem with anticipating bad service. Your going on a cruise to have a good time, why would you think about what could go wrong up front????

 

Call me crazy but I think you are looking for a reason to not tip

 

 

Sorry you have a problem! You're welcome to read my response later in this thread!

[skidrow1950]

Sorry you have a problem! You are welcome to read my response in this thread.

[GongZuoKuang]

Great service is in the eye of the receiver.

 

We found the service on the Liberty to be "meh" at best, oftentimes substantially lacking.

 

None of it was bad enough to raise a major stink. We had a few occasions to chat with various managers up and down the chain... I never got the sense they cared much, at least not more than superficially.

 

They have a boat full of people, and while some can be demanding, I think the majority are wowed by simple things and have simple expectations that are easy to exceed. "OMG, we can get TWO deserts! You are THE BEST!"

 

For us, we just consider the automatic tips as part of the cost, rather than as gratuities. I think you can probably get them refunded, but you probably need to jump through more hoops then it's worth.

 

FWIW, we did not find one single person who we thought deserved any extra tips... other than maybe the piano player in the piano bar.

[trev71]

Id talk to your head waiter and if they do not help just give them a low score and make sure you find out their name and put it on the survey, their attiute will change. you will be gone but i am sure it will change.

 

I dont know with pre paid grats it would be hard and a pain to deal with reducing a tip

Edited February 18, 2015 by trev71

[TEXASMUNK]

The OP is merely looking for a way to get his/her tips credited back to their account and the "bad service" is merely an excuse?

[LMaxwell]

The OP is merely looking for a way to get his/her tips credited back to their account and the "bad service" is merely an excuse?

 

Read through the thread and OP responded. But as far as excuses go, bad service is about the only acceptable one, in my opinion, to deduct from the prepaid gratuities.

[dpostman]

In response to the couple of you that might be suggesting that I'm trying to get out of not paying the tip...you are so wrong! Wife and I have been on 5 previous cruises and have always had a great time, to which I'm sure we'll have on this upcoming cruise. Reason for my post is because we've somehow convinced another couple who've been on one cruise several years ago to join us who apparently did have an issue with their server in the MDR. Having dinner with this couple a few weeks ago, the conversation centered around our upcoming cruise and they presented the question about how to handle the issue if it occurred again. Several of you have offered intelligent solutions which I will pass onto our friends. Wife and I will certainly attempt to diffuse ant situation that may come up, and who knows, maybe their expectations were set a little too high. Looking forward to a GREAT cruise with our friends!

 

Thank you all for your response!

 

I personally thought your OP was fair. I think your response is exemplary. Many posts regarding your OP were very helpful. Unfortunately, many were judgmental and useless. It happens all too frequently on CC. But there is way too much good stuff on CC to let one self be bothered by it, so it is best to just ignore the crappy stuff and be happy :D. When I read responses like yours that are balanced and not vengeful, It reassures me that all is not lost.

 

dp

[joepeka]

This is interesting to read and hopefully not true! Due to having a last minute cancellation of one person of our party of 6, and then deciding that another person would be sleeping in a cabin they weren't booked in, we ended up with 1 person staying in a cabin where 2 were booked. We wanted to remove all of the gratuities for the 2nd person in that cabin, and went to Guest Services on the 1st day of the cruise and they supposedly refunded the pre-paid gratuities, but I've yet to see it on my credit card (this was done Feb. 8). We did tip extra cash to the cabin host where the person actually stayed, and also tipped the 2 dining room servers additional to make up for the removed gratuity.

 

I didn't receive anything from Guest Services, so hopefully the refunded gratuities will actually show up on my credit card.

 

I'm also expecting that the pre-paid gratuities and taxes/fees for the person who didn't make the cruise to show up, and they haven't yet either.

I earlier (above) referred to a thread from last year on this topic and the experiences of the posters was that it was possible to get pre-paid gratuities refunded but it was difficult to justify and had to be done post-cruise (not during the cruise) due to some RCI accounting peculiarity. Your experience would seem to support that and I hope that refund appears on your credit card soon. :)

[skidrow1950]

Thank you dpostman for your response! I really do appreciate the intelligent and helpful comments received by many. As for the others, each can read into or interpret what they may. CC is helpful in so many ways and a pleasure to be a small part of. Have a great day!

[dpostman]

For the record, I have prepaid grats, and am bringing along a wad of ones & fives. My personal feelings are that the Pre-Paid gratuities are just part of the cruise price. I expect to get good service and Great service will be proportionately recognized with CA$H to the provider of said great service.

 

dp

[bplazo]

Sorry that instead of providing you a factual answer to your question many people took the opportunity to pass judgment and make negative comments about you.

 

So what? I cannot believe anyone would even give a thought to not tip the workers on the ship. The suggested amount is the bare minimum I would pay. Pretty pathetic to tip less than that.

[PennStateFan123]

So what? I cannot believe anyone would even give a thought to not tip the workers on the ship. The suggested amount is the bare minimum I would pay. Pretty pathetic to tip less than that.

 

 

Judge much?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bplazo]

Judge much?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Yes :) especially when it comes to people who are trying to make an honest living and putting up with demanding people. I have never had a bad experience on a ship and I do not go looking for it to try to save a few dollars.

[PennStateFan123]

Yes :) especially when it comes to people who are trying to make an honest living and putting up with demanding people. I have never had a bad experience on a ship and I do not go looking for it to try to save a few dollars.

 

 

Good for you. Bet you talk in the third person too

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited February 18, 2015 by PennStateFan123

[grandgeezer]

If the cruise lines would pay these people a decent wage, this wouldn't be a big issue. A tip, or a gratuity, is something given for exceptional service, not just for being there. If this is the way the cruise lines want to operate, just add the tip into the price of the cruise, not a separate item. Then if one of the staff gives you exceptional service, you can give them an extra tip it will be given in the intent of the definition of a tip or gratuity.

[cdwh1902]

The subject of tipping would not be so fractious if it was included as a service charge in the fare - just like most countries do outside of the USA - VAT, GST etc. That way RCI et al can pay their staff decent wages from the get go.

 

Back to the original post with regard to pre-paid gratuities - do you pay tips before you arrive at a restaurant etc? If we tip, it is because of exceptionally good service.. why encourage mediocrity?

[PennStateFan123]

The subject of tipping would not be so fractious if it was included as a service charge in the fare - just like most countries do outside of the USA - VAT, GST etc. That way RCI et al can pay their staff decent wages from the get go.

 

 

 

Back to the original post with regard to pre-paid gratuities - do you pay tips before you arrive at a restaurant etc? If we tip, it is because of exceptionally good service.. why encourage mediocrity?

 

 

Agreed . If I get really poor service I'm pulling some of the tips.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[papaflamingo]

 

 

Hey papaflamingo, have fun on the Quantum and watch out for women drivers in the bumper cars....my neck still hurts.:D

 

Will do slk230red! We leave tomorrow and I'm majorly excited! Flew up to New Jersey on Tues. so we could be sure not to run into any "snow delays." The weather, cold, has been beautiful. Spent the day in Manhattan, great dinner, great play. Plan to take it easy today. Really looking forward to Quantum tomorrow. As for the bumper cars, I'm a "pedal to the metal" kind of guy. Figure "best defense is a good offense." May take some muscle relaxers just in case (or just imbibe a few more liquid ones). :)