Tip fraud?

[thompstone]

Sailed on the Magic on May 14th. Great ship, good cruise.

We spent some time in the Red Frog pub and actually had a good rapport going with a couple of the servers. On the last night, I left one of them a $5 tip, added to the bottom of my $7.19 beer order. Since the Magic doesn't hand out a summary at the end of the cruise, I requested one a few days after I got home. The charge for that one beer showed up as $62.19 instead of $12.19. I called Carnival and they said it was entered as a $55 tip. They said they'd credit me the $50 with no real explanation, as if I'd somehow mistakenly entered it.

Bottom line, check your sail and sign account daily. I'd always drawn a line through the extra tip line, but not this one time. I'll never add a written tip again. I wonder how much gets scammed from people who don't look as closely at their account.

[GUT2407]

Sailed on the Magic on May 14th. Great ship, good cruise.

We spent some time in the Red Frog pub and actually had a good rapport going with a couple of the servers. On the last night, I left one of them a $5 tip, added to the bottom of my $7.19 beer order. Since the Magic doesn't hand out a summary at the end of the cruise, I requested one a few days after I got home. The charge for that one beer showed up as $62.19 instead of $12.19. I called Carnival and they said it was entered as a $55 tip. They said they'd credit me the $50 with no real explanation, as if I'd somehow mistakenly entered it.

Bottom line, check your sail and sign account daily. I'd always drawn a line through the extra tip line, but not this one time. I'll never add a written tip again. I wonder how much gets scammed from people who don't look as closely at their account.

 

But of course was it fraud or a mistake when it was entered, after all they said it was entered as $55 not that the receipt showed $55.

 

Amazes me that any line doesn't give you an account at the end of the cruise.

[IsanTom]

Probably!

[coevan]

if want to reward an employee, please hand them cash, who knows where the S&S tips go

[thompstone]

Actually, I had planned to give cash but had forgotten to bring any with me to the pub (and was too lazy to walk back to the cabin). Anyway, you guys are right- it might have been an honest mistake. I was obviously a bit riled up about it. I'll still avoid the extra tip line on the check, though.

[Thorncroft]

You almost got screwed by a crooked bar tender.

[Karnyval]

Never been on a Carnival cruise that didn't provide a S&S summary. You can certainly get one at Guest Services or at one of the self-serve kiosks.

[christyran1228]

I'm more inclined to believe it was an honest mistake ...

 

You can get a detailed print out of your activity anytime at the kiosk.

[Nic6318]

hi there

 

Yes it is strange that they don't give you a summary sheet. We have always received one in our mailbox for us to review the morning before debarkation.

 

They do have those machines where you can print one out. I find it convenient to use a few times or even every day during the cruise so that you are not waiting for the last day to correct any errors. After a week my memory might fail on how many drinks I had, plus I wouldn't want to go to customer service desk on the last day unless it was very important. A discrepancy like you describe would be easier to spot normally and as previously mentioned, it could easily have been a clerical error.

 

glad you enjoyed your cruise otherwise

[shof515]

Since the Magic doesn't hand out a summary at the end of the cruise, I requested one a few days after I got home.

 

I am confused by this. In all of my cruises on the last night or early in the morning on debark day, my account is closed and statement is slid under the door or in the mailbox by the door.Also, you can check your sail n sign balance daily throughout the day on the tv/sail n sign kiosk and or going to guest services

 

if it was a bar purchase, you should of gotten some kind of receipt from that purchase. in all of my ship based purchases, i was always given a receipt.

[Jdfireman]

So it was a mistake not a fraud

[Karnyval]

You almost got screwed by a crooked bar tender.

 

I think a safe bet there are more drunk passengers than crooked bartenders. At least on Carnival.

Edited May 31, 2016 by Karnyval

[pokergirl34]

This is not the first time I have heard of this happening. We get the Cheers plan and frequently add $1 for an additional tip. Last trip we started to draw a line before and after the tip like this: -1.00-

Now that I'm seeing this again, we will probably just give singles most of the time.

Thanks for the head's up!

[Thorncroft]

This is not the first time I have heard of this happening. We get the Cheers plan and frequently add $1 for an additional tip. Last trip we started to draw a line before and after the tip like this: -1.00-

Now that I'm seeing this again, we will probably just give singles most of the time.

Thanks for the head's up!

 

Yes. I've heard of it happening before too. Very easy scam if you don't get caught. :)

[thompstone]

Regarding the sail and sign summary at the end of the cruise, I saw this on the Carnival website: In our ongoing green efforts, the following ships will no longer deliver statements to the staterooms: Carnival Glory, Carnival Imagination and Carnival Magic; guests can view their statements at a Sail & Sign Kiosk, at Guest Services or on their stateroom interactive television.

 

I found this out after I got home, since I had expected one to be delivered.

 

So for those sailing on any of these ships, print one before you disembark. Either that or call them when you get home. They emailed it to me within the hour.

 

Plus, they didn't hand out any receipts on this cruise. Probably more of the green efforts.

Edited May 31, 2016 by thompstone

[Karnyval]

Regarding the sail and sign summary at the end of the cruise, I saw this on the Carnival website: In our ongoing green efforts, the following ships will no longer deliver statements to the staterooms: Carnival Glory, Carnival Imagination and Carnival Magic; guests can view their statements at a Sail & Sign Kiosk, at Guest Services or on their stateroom interactive television.

 

I found this out after I got home, since I had expected one to be delivered.

 

So for those sailing on any of these ships, print one before you disembark. Either that or call them when you get home. They emailed it to me within the hour.

 

Plus, they didn't hand out any receipts on this cruise. Probably more of the green efforts.

 

If you want a receipt - ask for it.

 

On ships with the Carnival app, you can check your Sail and Sign account in real or almost real time.

[volmoma]

I am confused by this. In all of my cruises on the last night or early in the morning on debark day, my account is closed and statement is slid under the door or in the mailbox by the door.Also, you can check your sail n sign balance daily throughout the day on the tv/sail n sign kiosk and or going to guest services

 

 

 

if it was a bar purchase, you should of gotten some kind of receipt from that purchase. in all of my ship based purchases, i was always given a receipt.

 

 

Not with the Cheers program.

 

 

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[riffatsea]

We would never leave a cruise ship(or a hotel on land)without getting a written print out of our expenses!!

It is always possible for mistakes to occur!

[cruizinisthebest]

So for those sailing on any of these ships, print one before you disembark. Either that or call them when you get home. They emailed it to me within the hour.Cruise Cash

From $25.00

Cruise Cash provides an immediate credit to a guest's Sail & Sign account. This credit is good for any charge made to their account including taxes and gratuity charges. Cruise Cash is valid for a single voyage and cannot be transferred to future bookings. Cruise Cash is non-refundable and any unused credits will be forfeited.

 

 

I'll be on the Magic this summer and will check my account daily like I've always done. Not to check for "fraud" but to keep track of my spending. Any discrepancies will be seen before I get off the ship.

 

Anything is possible, but I have a hard time believing a bartender you had become friendly with would try and scam you by grossly overcharging your s&s. It's entirely possible it WAS a mistake.

[kdkstormy]

It could have been a mistake. If it was put as $5 they could have seen the $ as a 5 and entered it as 55

[Sabalon]

Never attribute to malice what can be attributed to stupidity (or in this case error).

 

Could have been either...though I'd think it's not something they would risk their job for, so could have just been a miskey.

[myfuzzy]

I always go through our S&S daily. I learned years ago, never assume things will always be correct. First, we always ask for a receipt, pull up our statement every couple of days, compare receipts. Once we found a drink on our bill, but no receipt, hmm, went to guest services, they went in the back and pulled the stack of receipts from that bar, that particular day, and found the bill, asked us if we knew so and so, we said of course not, charge was removed from bill. The worst part is, DH's handwriting is worse that a chicken crossing the road in flour. His 1's look like 7's and his 5's look like 9's, so we have had incidences of tips being taken in the double. We actually had to fight for a credit of 60.00 on a glass of wine. So be smart and check your statement often, and make sure you get one before you disembark.

[Micahs Grandad]

We check our account every few days as we have seen errors. Thanks for the comment on the Magic, we expect statements the last morning.

[kona_wahine]

I know this isn't the case here but NEVER leave a tip line empty. It's easy for a crooked server to add their own.

[myfuzzy]

I know this isn't the case here but NEVER leave a tip line empty. It's easy for a crooked server to add their own.

 

You are absolutely right, never leave the tip line blank. Don't even put a line. If you leave cash on the table, you can write in....on table or in folio...no mistaking words for numbers. Actually, once, don't fry me for this, but service was soooo bad, there was no way I was going to leave any tip...so I wrote in the tip line "you've got to be kidding!"