Beverage Package Pricing Increase

[wallie5446]

Ughhh.....am I missing something? If I've got a premium package, and I drink $100 worth of drinks in one day for instance, they (ALL of the Bar staff I assume) will still be splitting a $10.62 gratuity for the day (i.e. 18% of $59), and not the $18 that would have been the gratuity if I had bought the drinks w/o a package. I seriously doubt X would pony up the $7.38 difference to pay the $18 tip.

 

However, I am curious how the package gratuities are split.

 

Nope, 18% of $100 is $18.00.

Our DD roomed with a bar server when she worked for RCCL, the don't stay for 8-10-12, even 15 years for a tip pool system.

[DaisyFire]

The price of the pkg has nothing to do with how many drinks are bought. The 18% is paid out on every drink we buy. They are going to post as a zero. The 18% is handled internally.

Sorry for the upside down pic! To many Dogfish IPA's watching the Championship!

 

So, are you saying that if I pay $49/day for the package and tip 18% on that amount (total of $59.62/day) and have ten $10 drinks during the day (I know, I know - what a lush!) that each bartender serving me one of these drinks will get 10% of the drink sticker price ( e.g $1.80) as a tip from Celebrity? So $18 of the $59.62 paid for that day's drinks is given to the bartenders in gratuities - leaving a little over $41 to cover the cost of my actual drinks?

[pspercy]

We're booked on an April 2016 sailing with the Classic package promo and I see that we can upgrade once we board for the $10 difference (today's rules anyway).

 

If I choose to upgrade ahead of time is the fee refundable if I had to cancel the cruise:( for some reason ?

[grandgeezer]

So, are you saying that if I pay $49/day for the package and tip 18% on that amount (total of $59.62/day) and have ten $10 drinks during the day (I know, I know - what a lush!) that each bartender serving me one of these drinks will get 10% of the drink sticker price ( e.g $1.80) as a tip from Celebrity? So $18 of the $59.62 paid for that day's drinks is given to the bartenders in gratuities - leaving a little over $41 to cover the cost of my actual drinks?

 

Wrong. As stated, you pay $49 a day for the package, and the tip pool gets$10.62.If you have 10drinks, and they normally sell for $10, the tip, per drink is $1.06 or less than 10%. If you have five drinks and they are $10 each, the drink pool still get $10.06 per drink which is about 19%. I have no idea how the drink pool is split. Is it divided by the number of drinks served or is the total pool divided equally among the qualifying people?

[offnoncruiser]

Nope, 18% of $100 is $18.00.

Our DD roomed with a bar server when she worked for RCCL, the don't stay for 8-10-12, even 15 years for a tip pool system.

 

I can't imagine that X pays their bar staff the gratuity of the "menu" price of the drinks that are provided with the packages. As you mentioned, they're all zeroed out on the statements, only showing the bar where they were "purchased". I looked at one of my old statements - max was 15 drinks in one day (alcoholic drinks only so let's say an average of $10 each) - so 15 x $10 x 18% = $27. So you're saying that the bar staff got $27 in gratuities that one day, even though I only paid the $10.62 (18% of $59/day package), and X covered the rest of it? Ain't going for it!

 

And there were several times where our wine glasses were topped off during dinner. How is that "charged" (entered)?

 

I vaguely remember when the packages were started there was a concern that 1) the staff wouldn't care about service because of the all inclusive pricing and 2) the staff was worried they'd be overworked because of all the lushes onboard. To me, getting rid of signing the slips got rid of half the work anyway.

 

I really don't know, but I've got a million questions about how gratuities work onboard, especially with the packages. Got to be pooled somehow.

[Salt Rocker]

I can't imagine that X pays their bar staff the gratuity of the "menu" price of the drinks that are provided with the packages. As you mentioned, they're all zeroed out on the statements, only showing the bar where they were "purchased". I looked at one of my old statements - max was 15 drinks in one day (alcoholic drinks only so let's say an average of $10 each) - so 15 x $10 x 18% = $27. So you're saying that the bar staff got $27 in gratuities that one day, even though I only paid the $10.62 (18% of $59/day package), and X covered the rest of it? Ain't going for it!

 

And there were several times where our wine glasses were topped off during dinner. How is that "charged" (entered)?

 

I vaguely remember when the packages were started there was a concern that 1) the staff wouldn't care about service because of the all inclusive pricing and 2) the staff was worried they'd be overworked because of all the lushes onboard. To me, getting rid of signing the slips got rid of half the work anyway.

 

I really don't know, but I've got a million questions about how gratuities work onboard, especially with the packages. Got to be pooled somehow.

 

Hi everybody,

 

On our last cruise we had a very long chat with one of the bar staff and they do have a problem with drinks packages. They only receive the actual 18% amount of the daily package. So if you exceed the daily package value their gratuity amount overall starts to drop and they loose out.

 

For example if the drinks package was $50 / day the gratuities at 18% would be $9. If you consumed drinks with a value of $100 the bar staff still only receive the same $9, the cruise line does not pay any extra gratuity.

 

As you can see they are therefore not to happy about drinks packages. They also advised that the waiter or barman who serves you receives 50% of the gratuity directly and the remaining 50% is pooled and distributed between all the bar staff. It was also highlighted that certain cruise lines do not pay their bar staff any wages at all and that they derive their income totally from gratuties.

[Pushka]

The unhappiness of crew assumes that people consume exactly the same amount of beverage on the package versus paying at the time. In my case the two are poles apart.

[Keys Kathy]

We spoke with one Bartender who said they only received tips, no "pay". Why would someone work there if they were not making money? We usually order directly from the bartenders and tip before we leave. We also tip the servers who take good care of us.

 

The trick is finding those who will take care of you on the first day. That is a the beauty of having the same staff again and again. You know who will take care of you and who to tip. They know you'll tip, so they automatically take care of you.

[The_Big_M]

I can't imagine that X pays their bar staff the gratuity of the "menu" price of the drinks that are provided with the packages. As you mentioned, they're all zeroed out on the statements, only showing the bar where they were "purchased". I looked at one of my old statements - max was 15 drinks in one day (alcoholic drinks only so let's say an average of $10 each) - so 15 x $10 x 18% = $27. So you're saying that the bar staff got $27 in gratuities that one day, even though I only paid the $10.62 (18% of $59/day package), and X covered the rest of it? Ain't going for it!

 

And what about all those other days when you and others spend under the threshold amount? Are you saying that for all those people Celebrity keeps the gratuity as extra profit on top of the drinks profit? Aint going for it!

 

Celebrity prices them so that they make a profit out of drink sales. Why would they then stiff the servers further and make them annoyed at customers?

[bogofman]

We had complementary Select package last year on a Med port intensive cruise.

 

I'd say overall we easily drank less than the package value over the course of the two weeks, some days may have broke even, I'd say unless passengers have a permanent drink to hand its very difficult to drink the value of the package every day for 14 consecutive days

 

especially as a beer drinker, you would need to be drinking 10+ pints of beer a day everyday.

 

hence I'm sure there are more that underspend the package than those that over use the package. hence the staff should be ok tip wise.

 

(I have no experience the sea day intensive cruises in the Caribbean, so maybe the staff work a lot harder for their tips on those cruises)

Edited April 7, 2015 by bogofman

[uktog]

Remember the bar staff often spin the no pay story/ I am losing out story to put you under some further moral pressure to give a larger tip. To be honest, anyone who starts that line with us goes off our "end of cruise extra tips" list.

 

All I would say is the packages have been running for three plus years now, and if you ask the crew how many years they have been onboard, you will find there have been several "re-signing ons" since the packages came in so it cannot be that bad.

 

Personally, I would never ask a server how they are paid or how the tips are divided. I would not do that on land so what gives me the right to be so intrusive at sea?

[Pushka]

The premium package includes coffees, evian and pellegrino waters etc. Not just alcohol.

[yorkyred]

We had complementary Select package last year on a Med port intensive cruise.

 

I'd say overall we easily drank less than the package value over the course of the two weeks, some days may have broke even, I'd say unless passengers have a permanent drink to hand its very difficult to drink the value of the package every day for 14 consecutive days

 

especially as a beer drinker, you would need to be drinking 10+ pints of beer a day everyday.

 

hence I'm sure there are more that underspend the package than those that over use the package. hence the staff should be ok tip wise.

 

(I have no experience the sea day intensive cruises in the Caribbean, so maybe the staff work a lot harder for their tips on those cruises)

 

Not really, when I worked ours out it included water, coffee, soda, fruit smoothies, none alcoholic cocktails,only around half of our drinks were alcoholic and it still came out above the package so we purchased it.

[wallie5446]

So, are you saying that if I pay $49/day for the package and tip 18% on that amount (total of $59.62/day) and have ten $10 drinks during the day (I know, I know - what a lush!) that each bartender serving me one of these drinks will get 10% of the drink sticker price ( e.g $1.80) as a tip from Celebrity? So $18 of the $59.62 paid for that day's drinks is given to the bartenders in gratuities - leaving a little over $41 to cover the cost of my actual drinks?

 

The packages are just like an all you can eat buffet. You pay the $17.95 and eat till you can't get up from the table to go to your car:D

 

Same concept, we have all the items in the Classic covered in our cruise price. We can go to any bar and order to our hearts content:rolleyes:

Whatever the item cost matters not, as it shows up on our cabin account as a ZERO. Well, unless we go and get something over the price cap.

[CruisinCrow]

Happy to report that I received a call from the beverage manager and the upgrade price will be $10 per person, per day. He apologized for the confusion. Good job, Celebrity!

 

Yay!!! :)

[wallie5446]

Remember the bar staff often spin the no pay story/ I am losing out story to put you under some further moral pressure to give a larger tip. To be honest, anyone who starts that line with us goes off our "end of cruise extra tips" list.

 

All I would say is the packages have been running for three plus years now, and if you ask the crew how many years they have been onboard, you will find there have been several "re-signing ons" since the packages came in so it cannot be that bad.

 

Personally, I would never ask a server how they are paid or how the tips are divided. I would not do that on land so what gives me the right to be so intrusive at sea?

Very on point! It ain't no one's bees wax how I am paid, and none of mine how they are. Again, only reason we understand how it works is because our kid worked on ship for awhile.

EW

[CHEZMARYLOU]

We're booked on an April 2016 sailing with the Classic package promo and I see that we can upgrade once we board for the $10 difference (today's rules anyway).

 

If I choose to upgrade ahead of time is the fee refundable if I had to cancel the cruise:( for some reason ?

 

Yes, if you cancel the cruise the upgrade price is refunded.

[DaisyFire]

So, are you saying that if I pay $49/day for the package and tip 18% on that amount (total of $59.62/day) and have ten $10 drinks during the day (I know, I know - what a lush!) that each bartender serving me one of these drinks will get 10% of the drink sticker price ( e.g $1.80) as a tip from Celebrity? So $18 of the $59.62 paid for that day's drinks is given to the bartenders in gratuities - leaving a little over $41 to cover the cost of my actual drinks?

 

The packages are just like an all you can eat buffet. You pay the $17.95 and eat till you can't get up from the table to go to your car:D

 

Same concept, we have all the items in the Classic covered in our cruise price. We can go to any bar and order to our hearts content:rolleyes:

Whatever the item cost matters not, as it shows up on our cabin account as a ZERO. Well, unless we go and get something over the price cap.

 

 

Thanks EW - I do understand how the package works. I just thought you were saying that they bartenders get tips based on actual menu value vs. what was paid per day for the package - since that is what we are paying gratuities on.

 

I believe this has already been discussed pretty extensively in subsequent posts - and in reality I don't believe it is critical to know the ins and outs. As has been stated, the servers/bartenders can always vote with their feet and there doesn't seem to be a noticeable staff turnover.

 

Also - while some may exceed the daily package cost in their drink consumption, others will be under - and it should average out. If it didn't Celebrity would certainly stop offering the package. So - if bartenders get the 18% of package price for their tips - they should be pretty much on point.

[chamima]

Thanks EW - I do understand how the package works. I just thought you were saying that they bartenders get tips based on actual menu value vs. what was paid per day for the package - since that is what we are paying gratuities on.

 

I believe this has already been discussed pretty extensively in subsequent posts - and in reality I don't believe it is critical to know the ins and outs. As has been stated, the servers/bartenders can always vote with their feet and there doesn't seem to be a noticeable staff turnover.

 

Also - while some may exceed the daily package cost in their drink consumption, others will be under - and it should average out. If it didn't Celebrity would certainly stop offering the package. So - if bartenders get the 18% of package price for their tips - they should be pretty much on point.

 

 

 

Somehow I just can't convince myself they're still getting the same thing they got before the packages.

I now tip cash with almost every drink and before we had a package I (almost) never added an extra gratuity when signing for each drink and seeing the (then) 15% on the slip. :o

[Christine Frances]

Somehow I just can't convince myself they're still getting the same thing they got before the packages.

 

I now tip cash with almost every drink and before we had a package I (almost) never added an extra gratuity when signing for each drink and seeing the (then) 15% on the slip. :o

 

 

Like you, I rarely tipped before but with a Classic Pkg you are now paying $9.90 per day ($55 x 18%) or with the Prem Pkg $11,70. I never tipped that much before to our servers (my bad) but hopefully this goes to the wonderful staff at Cafe Bacio as well because the coffees are covered along with alcohol. So I think the servers are better off with the pkgs.

[gsb]

days

 

especially as a beer drinker, you would need to be drinking 10+ pints of beer a day everyday.

 

Yes, if you're drinking the yellow fizzy stuff on the Classic Package.

No if you're drinking the good stuff on the Premium Package--some of those go for $$$, even above the $13 cap.

[wallie5446]

Somehow I just can't convince myself they're still getting the same thing they got before the packages.

I now tip cash with almost every drink and before we had a package I (almost) never added an extra gratuity when signing for each drink and seeing the (then) 15% on the slip. :o

 

Like you, I rarely tipped before but with a Classic Pkg you are now paying $9.90 per day ($55 x 18%) or with the Prem Pkg $11,70. I never tipped that much before to our servers (my bad) but hopefully this goes to the wonderful staff at Cafe Bacio as well because the coffees are covered along with alcohol. So I think the servers are better off with the pkgs.

 

Karen that is how it was forever and ever, we got a drink and the % was auto added. We either crossed it out, added more, or signed the slip as is and handed it back. We had the 'visual aid' as to what was going on:D

 

Now with nothing required to be signed we no longer have that 'visual' to reference, but everything is still accounted in the same manner by the great computer that dwells in the bellie of the ship!:eek: OK, you get my drift:D

 

The way the Company is calculating things is a weird way of accounting, but not mine to question why, but to drink away! Now if they will just add some better craft brews to the GastroBar before we get there in Nov!

[wallie5446]

days

 

especially as a beer drinker, you would need to be drinking 10+ pints of beer a day everyday.

 

Yes, if you're drinking the yellow fizzy stuff on the Classic Package.

No if you're drinking the good stuff on the Premium Package--some of those go for $$$, even above the $13 cap.

 

In the GastroBar they have a Rogue Double Chocolate Stout, 22 oz bomber that is $35.00! But on Sundays all beer is half price during Happy Hour from 4:00 - 6:00, = $17.50 less my $13.00 Premium coverage! $4.50+ .68 cent grat!

[DrLookGood]

Somehow I just can't convince myself they're still getting the same thing they got before the packages.

I now tip cash with almost every drink and before we had a package I (almost) never added an extra gratuity when signing for each drink and seeing the (then) 15% on the slip. :o

 

FWIW, I just came back from Equinox. I am originally from Russia and there were many bartenders from former Soviet Union. Naturally we talked and I did ask how tipping works with the beverage package. I've been told that they actually love beverage package. They get the same tips per drink as with no package, but now everyone drinks more, so overall they make more.

 

I also have heard about non-complimentary things Celeberity is doing to their workers, but those have nothing to do with tipping and beverage package.

Edited April 7, 2015 by DrLookGood

[DinaS]

FWIW, I just came back from Equinox. I am originally from Russia and there were many bartenders from former Soviet Union. Naturally we talked and I did ask how tipping works with the beverage package. I've been told that they actually love beverage package. They get the same tips per drink as with no package, but now everyone drinks more, so overall they make more.

 

I also have heard about non-complimentary things Celeberity is doing to their workers, but those have nothing to do with tipping and beverage package.

 

 

It makes sense that the beverage packages are beneficial to bartenders, since MANY people get them as perks, and MANY people don't come anywhere near getting the actual value from it.

 

I know if we get half of the value of the package, it will be a lot for us.

 

So the folks who drink more than the value of the package are offset (probably many times over) by those who don't drink as much.

Edited April 7, 2015 by DinaS