no more prepaid gratuities required with open dining

[WonderMan3]

Questions:

 

1. So will tipping now be at the customer's discretion? Sorry if this seems like a stupid question but I can only recall one cruise I've taken where tips weren't included and that was 11 years ago.

 

2. What happens for those who signed up for one of these Best packages that included tipping as one of the perks? Will we now get an onboard credit value equivalent? Otherwise it just devalued those offer packages since there is no gratuity charge to credit against anymore.

[chamima]

Questions:

 

1. So will tipping now be at the customer's discretion? Sorry if this seems like a stupid question but I can only recall one cruise I've taken where tips weren't included and that was 11 years ago.

 

NO _They are not at the customer's discretion. The tips are still charged to your account. Just not paid in advance.

 

 

2. What happens for those who signed up for one of these Best packages that included tipping as one of the perks? Will we now get an onboard credit value equivalent? Otherwise it just devalued those offer packages since there is no gratuity charge to credit against anymore.

 

I think this thread has caused a LOT of misunderstanding!

The only change supposedly coming is to those who book Select dining.

AND the only change is to WHEN the gratuities are charged and paid, not IF.

Currently if you have Select your gratuities are pre-paid before the cruise (as your cruise fare is).

Those of us in traditional dining have the gratuities charged to our onboard accounts on a daily basis. The change means that those in Select will also have the gratuities charged to their onboard accounts on a daily basis.

 

The main advantage is for people with a lot of OBC. The OBC can be used towards the gratuity charge. If gratuities had been paid in advance you couldn't use your OBC towards them.

 

If you have signed up for a package with included gratuities then your OBCs can be used for other things.

Edited January 23, 2016 by chamima

[afto]

Celebrity Cruises can't do that until the X website is changed so they can copy and past the paragraph here! They're not allowed to think or speak for themselves.

 

I think you may be correct on that!

[aggiemom11]

Has this been ABSOLUTELY confirmed? No more prepaying gratuities for Select Dining,

[sayaguru]

First it seems we need someone from Celebrity to say this is correct. Captain Club rep told me a bit ago it is not!

 

A scam - do not think so. As to booking and not having fixed dining; would guess that was online. Remember the website is awful. If you moved to fixed from Select I would simply call Celebrity or your TA and ask that the prepaid gratuities be removed. FWIW I do not specify any dining preference when reserving and it defaults to fixed.

 

OK scam is probably too harsh a word. But it was strange how I could magically change to fixed dining AFTER I paid the gratuities upfront.

 

No it wasn't online but booked through an Australian Travel agent who said you HAVE TO prepay the gratuities. As mentioned it's not a big deal really as it's paid eventually anyway. In all my cruises I have only once reduced the tips due to disgusting service.

 

 

Just spoken to Celebrity UK and they confirmed that whilst the ability to book select dining without pre-paying gratuities is not available yet, there is a company proposal to make the change - no definitive timing other than "the next month or so".....

 

Well there you go!

 

My first time on Celebrity and really looking forward to it. :D

[prim8keeper]

Has this been ABSOLUTELY confirmed? No more prepaying gratuities for Select Dining,

 

 

I talked to my TA today and they confirmed that they were notified from X about this change and working to change their systems.

[fleckle]

Questions:

 

1. So will tipping now be at the customer's discretion? Sorry if this seems like a stupid question but I can only recall one cruise I've taken where tips weren't included and that was 11 years ago.

 

The only change is that tipping for Select dining will become exactly like tipping for any other dining category (main dining room, Blu or Luminae),

i.e., paying Select tips in advance will no longer be required.

 

 

Our situation has been the reverse of yours as the tips were not included for any of the Celebrity cruises we have taken.

 

For us they have always been a separate charge,

whether we paid them on the ship, paid them in advance, received them as a perk from a travel agent or received them as a perk from the cruise line.

 

But I do remember reading that there are some locations where the tips are included in the cruise fare.

 

2. What happens for those who signed up for one of these Best packages that included tipping as one of the perks? Will we now get an onboard credit value equivalent? Otherwise it just devalued those offer packages since there is no gratuity charge to credit against anymore.

That will also become the same for Select dining as for any other dining category with a Best package.

The tips are paid from the Best package and you incur no other charges for tipping

(unless you wish to tip extra, but that is not required and is strictly a personal choice).

 

[Wine-O]

Has this been ABSOLUTELY confirmed? No more prepaying gratuities for Select Dining,

 

Yeah, wait until they see the number of folks with Select Dining going to guest relations and removing their tips from the automatic daily deduction, thus stiffing the stateroom and waitstaff. Trust me, it will happen more if the Select Dining tips are not prepaid.

[Christine Frances]

Yeah, wait until they see the number of folks with Select Dining going to guest relations and removing their tips from the automatic daily deduction, thus stiffing the stateroom and waitstaff. Trust me, it will happen more if the Select Dining tips are not prepaid.

 

Plus it will stop lots of people booking Traditional to avoid paying grats up front and were planning on switching to Select once onboard. Will make it much easier to book early or late seating without these people clogging up the system.

[LzyCruiser_NWA]

Yeah, wait until they see the number of folks with Select Dining going to guest relations and removing their tips from the automatic daily deduction, thus stiffing the stateroom and waitstaff. Trust me, it will happen more if the Select Dining tips are not prepaid.

 

 

As If traditional dining people can't do the same.

[Hapytocruise]

I have always had fantastic service on every one of my 32 cruises. Remember when NCL hired all American crews for Hawaii cruises and half of the crew quit during the first week. Crew on a cruise ship work much harder than any comparable land job especially in the U.S. I have spoken the many waitstaff and they all told me that many passengers used to stiff them as far as tips are concerned before gratuities were automatic. $12 a day is a pittance for the services performed. We always tip more and that includes the Sommelier when we have a beverage package.. Really tired of hearing people on these boards make a big deal of this issue. I am certain some of them are looking to give nothing. If you are not going to stiff the crew then why do you care if they are prepaid or not.

 

 

Agree 100% the complainers are all looking for a way to stiff on tipping. On a TA just sit a bit by guest services to see/hear the excuses why tips should be removed...sad...sad...sad

[ghstudio]

The smart change celebrity should have made is to allow select dining passengers to pay gratuities on the ship but not allow them to remove the tips. They chose not to make the gratuities mandatory so I guess we'll see what happens...hopefully few will now take advantage and stiff the hard working folks on the ship.

[vedettes1]

Yeah, wait until they see the number of folks with Select Dining going to guest relations and removing their tips from the automatic daily deduction, thus stiffing the stateroom and waitstaff. Trust me, it will happen more if the Select Dining tips are not prepaid.

 

Are you suggesting that a significant number of people are stiffing the staff by removing tips? Those people ought to stay at home and contemplate their relationship to the rest of the world.

[Cruise Junky]

If you are not going to stiff the crew then why do you care if they are prepaid or not.

 

Because I think it's about time that I am now on a level playing field with traditional diners in being able to use my OBC for tips. I would never in a million years "stiff" the staff. Celebrity finally caught up with all the other cruise lines that treat the two the same. I shouldn't get punished because X is useless at accounting

[midwestchick]

Agree 100% the complainers are all looking for a way to stiff on tipping. On a TA just sit a bit by guest services to see/hear the excuses why tips should be removed...sad...sad...sad

 

 

That is absolutely horrible. I know of a person who told his group of travelers they could have their tips removed. I was not aware people could do this and then to learn people actually do this is appalling.

Somewhere on cruise critic, I read about a guy who stiffed someone in the casino after winning big money and also had grats removed....something like that. Anyway, his bags went missing on disembarkation day. Karma has it's way sometimes.

[pacurnl]

That is absolutely horrible. I know of a person who told his group of travelers they could have their tips removed. I was not aware people could do this and then to learn people actually do this is appalling.

Somewhere on cruise critic, I read about a guy who stiffed someone in the casino after winning big money and also had grats removed....something like that. Anyway, his bags went missing on disembarkation day. Karma has it's way sometimes.

 

Now that is funny!! You are so right!

[Mr. Click]

So all of this talk has me thinking.. is this why when I booked a cruise today for March 2017 I could not get Select Dining? The past 4 cruises we have booked, two taken, two to come we could not Traditional Dining and had to take Select. It was not a big deal because our TA was paying the grats for us. All very very strange.

[LzyCruiser_NWA]

Because I think it's about time that I am now on a level playing field with traditional diners in being able to use my OBC for tips. I would never in a million years "stiff" the staff. Celebrity finally caught up with all the other cruise lines that treat the two the same. I shouldn't get punished because X is useless at accounting

 

Don't you know it's typical of cruise critic to assume the worse of people and of course, preach from their high horse?

 

God forbid if people wants to spend their obc on gratuity and have select dining....just like the traditional people have always been able to do.

[Karynanne]

Are you suggesting that a significant number of people are stiffing the staff by removing tips? Those people ought to stay at home and contemplate their relationship to the rest of the world.

 

 

Unfortunately, it's true. And they post on this board and brag how justified the feel.

[Pavovsky]

Unfortunately, it's true. And they post on this board and brag how justified the feel.

 

 

Is it ok to stiff on tips for terrible and insulting service towards my wife in one establishment but overall with other staff give a total which was more?

 

I was faced with this scenario and had to withdraw from billed tips and give cash to the various establishments as the cruise line were not able or did not want to adjust.

 

I absolutely felt justified in this as it is for good service - I already pay enough on the cruise fare. But it felt like a lot of hassle and in future I am just going to pre pay the tips and if the same occurs again just use the questionnaire to highlight good and bad service with a few more euros for the very good.

 

 

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Edited January 24, 2016 by Pavovsky

[Hapytocruise]

Is it not true that if auto tips are removed staff receiving cash tips from the passenger who removed tips must be turned in for distribution? My understanding was that only "extra tipping" could be kept by the staff receiving it.

[carolslc]

Because I think it's about time that I am now on a level playing field with traditional diners in being able to use my OBC for tips. I would never in a million years "stiff" the staff. Celebrity finally caught up with all the other cruise lines that treat the two the same. I shouldn't get punished because X is useless at accounting

 

Yes- I agree!!! We have $375 in OBC, and don't drink, and we like to do independent excursions. I want to use our OBC for gratuities, but can't and had to pay them in advance because we like to have Select Dining. Other cruise lines just add them in each day during your cruise regardless of whether you have fixed or select dining. This is what makes sense to me. I'm going to pay them regardless.

[Pavovsky]

Yes- I agree!!! We have $375 in OBC, and don't drink, and we like to do independent excursions. I want to use our OBC for gratuities, but can't and had to pay them in advance because we like to have Select Dining. Other cruise lines just add them in each day during your cruise regardless of whether you have fixed or select dining. This is what makes sense to me. I'm going to pay them regardless.

 

 

That is a good argument. I may just pay anyway in advance to minimise the credit card bill when I come home :)

 

 

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[Mr. Click]

If you are that upset by one single incident take to customer relations and discuss it with them. That is a much more effective way of dealing with an isolated problem. Been there, done that so I know it works. I don't like to be one to complain but...sometimes you you have to do it and it is better than penalizing every one

[kathynorth]

Yes- I agree!!! We have $375 in OBC, and don't drink, and we like to do independent excursions. I want to use our OBC for gratuities, but can't and had to pay them in advance because we like to have Select Dining. Other cruise lines just add them in each day during your cruise regardless of whether you have fixed or select dining. This is what makes sense to me. I'm going to pay them regardless.

 

This is exactly what Celebrity is trying to fix by not requiring prepaid gratuities for select diners. Having everyone pay gratuities as you go, as is the case with fixed diners, could potentially decease the numbers of passengers requesting a change to dining arrangements on the first day of the cruise.

Edited January 24, 2016 by kathynorth