Prepaid Grat

[BNBR]

Before my Oasis cruise in July, I hadn't cruised in quite some time. We used to give the room steward and dining room staff an envelope with cash, there were no prepaid gratuities.

 

I'm curious if anyone knows how this works nowadays. For example, the drink package. It includes gratuities.... I pay the same, but I may have 3 drinks or 15....

 

Is the bartender giiven a portion, as some sort of mathematical equation, based on how much I drink? Is it a set amount? They do ring it up and certainly under their name...

 

Or does all prepaid gratuitiy go to a pot that is distributed accordingly?

 

I'm just curious how this works now. Being in the service industry when I was younger, I just have so many questions about how this works. You prepay gratuity for dining room - but you may skip the dining room..... does the waiter at Solarium Bistro get that portion of the tip? Etc.

 

Anyone know the ins and outs of how it works nowadays? I ended up tipping all the bartenders on every drink and left the MDR waiter and room steward quite a bit of additional tip. But it's just interesting and I'm so darn curious.

Edited August 3, 2016 by BNBR

[cb at sea]

The "prepaid" grats are distributed just like they used to be when they told you how much to tip each person. If you want to give more, you can, but it's not required at all. For waitstaff, it covers EVERYONE who serves you, just like before. If you eat at a specialty restaurant, the "fee" has the tip included.

 

When you buy a drink package, 18%is added to the cost, to cover the tips.

 

Once you've paid, whether before the cruise, or have it added to your account, you've done your duty...and those who are supposed to get tips, will get them !

Edited August 4, 2016 by cb at sea

[marbat105]

I miss the old days of preparing the envelope and presenting it personally to our cabin steward, our waiters, etc. But the days of the MDR are gone so I guess this is more efficient. Gosh I sound so old (only 55 ) My first adult vacation was a cruise at age 18. Been hooked since.

[Scotty G]

Anyone know the ins and outs of how it works nowadays? I ended up tipping all the bartenders on every drink and left the MDR waiter and room steward quite a bit of additional tip. But it's just interesting and I'm so darn curious.

 

Here is what is in the Cruise Documents that you should have received prior to your cruise.

 

Gratuities

 

A $13.50 per person per day gratuity will be automatically

added to each guest’s SeaPass® account on a daily basis to

be shared by Dining Services Staff, Stateroom Attendants

and Other Housekeeping Services Personnel as well as

staff from other departments who work behind the scenes

to enhance the cruise experience. Suite guests will see a

$16.50 daily gratuity.

 

Guests who prepaid gratuities prior to boarding their

cruise will not see a daily charge onboard.

 

An 18% gratuity is also automatically added to beverages

and the mini bar. Beverage gratuities are pooled and

shared by various dining and beverage service staff.

 

An 18% gratuity is added to spa and salon purchases.

 

Gratuities for other service personnel are at your

discretion.

 

This should hopefully answer your questions.

[boxermom711]

There isn't anything that says you can't still give your waiter or room steward an envelope with a tip. We usually do. In fact a couple of cruises ago we each ( I cruise with my bff) gave our room steward $80 in envelopes. He had taken such great care of us for the week

 

 

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[BNBR]

"A $13.50 per person per day gratuity will be automatically

added to each guest’s SeaPass® account on a daily basis to

be shared by Dining Services Staff, Stateroom Attendants

and Other Housekeeping Services Personnel as well as

staff from other departments who work behind the scenes

to enhance the cruise experience."

 

This sentence.... I guess it makes it abundantly clear that they are not distributing gratuities like they used to. As in, when you tipped in an envelope, it went to your stateroom attendant. Now it appears it simply covers the cost of their employees, in general. Just seemingly a creative way to dip into the tip jar, which is a bit unfortunate.

 

I'll definitely continue to leave additional cash for the waiter/back-waiter and stateroom attendant.

[Merion_Mom]

"A $13.50 per person per day gratuity will be automatically

added to each guest’s SeaPass® account on a daily basis to

be shared by Dining Services Staff, Stateroom Attendants

and Other Housekeeping Services Personnel as well as

staff from other departments who work behind the scenes

to enhance the cruise experience."

 

This sentence.... I guess it makes it abundantly clear that they are not distributing gratuities like they used to. As in, when you tipped in an envelope, it went to your stateroom attendant. Now it appears it simply covers the cost of their employees, in general. Just seemingly a creative way to dip into the tip jar, which is a bit unfortunate.

 

I'll definitely continue to leave additional cash for the waiter/back-waiter and stateroom attendant.

Your cabin steward used to tip out his/her helpers from the tips that s/he received. It's just stated upfront now.

Edited August 13, 2016 by Merion_Mom

[BNBR]

Your cabin steward used to tip out his/her helpers from the tips that s/he received. It's just stated upfront now.

 

Good to know. That's how most restaurants work, too.

 

I was just hoping maybe someone knew EXACTLY how it worked now, I may b.s. with one of the bartenders on my next one. Note the "staff from other departments" - which would imply outside of housekeeping staff.

Edited August 13, 2016 by BNBR

[Merion_Mom]

Good to know. That's how most restaurants work, too.

 

I was just hoping maybe someone knew EXACTLY how it worked now, I may b.s. with one of the bartenders on my next one. Note the "staff from other departments" - which would imply outside of housekeeping staff.

 

Think about it. Most crew will tell you hard-luck stories about how they don't get a fair share of the tips, blah blah blah, to get you to give them more.

 

Just give what you want to give, and don't worry about what the cruiseline does or does not do, or what other passengers do or do not do.

 

:)

[BNBR]

Think about it. Most crew will tell you hard-luck stories about how they don't get a fair share of the tips, blah blah blah, to get you to give them more.

 

Just give what you want to give, and don't worry about what the cruiseline does or does not do, or what other passengers do or do not do.

 

:)

 

I made a living on tips for quite some time, I find the details interesting. I don't "worry" really. But something I would like to know is the bar staff, specifically. I pay $50 for a drink package. I may drink 3 drinks or 15 drinks. Does the bartender get a "credit" for each drink or is the prepaid gratuity on the drink package put into a pool and given to all bartenders... or is it skimmed and put into a larger pool, etc. I always tip extra on every drink, but very curious how that works. I've noticed some bartenders wouldn't give me a receipt (or anyone else for that matter), maybe they were satisfied with the included tip? Just curious and interested to know.

[csnarpy]

Don't forget, when you get onboard, you can refuse the automatic tipping and get the envelopes like before. I've done it plenty. I prefer the personal touch and we really don't go to the MDR anymore, so I prefer to tip those whom I've dealt with.

Edited August 13, 2016 by csnarpy

[BNBR]

Don't forget, when you get onboard, you can refuse the automatic tipping and get the envelopes like before. I've done it plenty. I prefer the personal touch and we really don't go to the MDR anymore, so I prefer to tip those who I dealt with.

 

I was thinking about that aspect, too. It seems like gratuities now are actually a bit complicated as they are moving away from the MDR. Which is why I'm a bit curious about how it all comes together. :)

[Langley Cruisers]

...and don't worry about what the cruiseline does or does not do, or what other passengers do or do not do. :)

 

That's my philosophy, too. I simply don't care how it is distributed - it's actually no one's business, as far as I am concerned. I would hope no one would ask how much my employer pays me or my co-workers, and how it's distributed.

 

We prepay our grats and give additional cash to those whom we feel made our vacation extra special, as well as tipping the server for each drink in the Diamond Lounge.

.

[BNBR]

That's my philosophy, too. I simply don't care how it is distributed - it's actually no one's business, as far as I am concerned. I would hope no one would ask how much my employer pays me or my co-workers, and how it's distributed.

 

We prepay our grats and give additional cash to those whom we feel made our vacation extra special, as well as tipping the server for each drink in the Diamond Lounge.

.

 

If you like to tip extra, it's nice to know how it works so you can tip accordingly. Is $100 extra overkill because they get a large portion of the prepaid gratuity? For example.

 

It's a prepaid GRATUITY, which is a tip. This is different then simply a non-tipped persons wage, of course that is none of our business. Since it's a gratuity, it has nothing to do with how the EMPLOYER is paying their staff, or it should have nothing to do with it. A tip is how much YOU are paying the staff. I don't think it's out of line to be curious how my tip is being distributed.

 

Restaurants get in big trouble when they dig into the tip jar, for good reason. And customers would like to know if the management is stealing tips from the waiter, wouldn't you? In this case, it's not so much stealing, but I'd like to know how much of my tip goes where, as a baseline, so I can have a better idea of how much extra is appropriate.

Edited August 14, 2016 by BNBR

[Espn]

Don't forget, when you get onboard, you can refuse the automatic tipping and get the envelopes like before. I've done it plenty. I prefer the personal touch and we really don't go to the MDR anymore, so I prefer to tip those whom I've dealt with.

 

I have wondered how this works now along with giving extra to those that provide excellent service. Do the people actually get the money or does it just go into the "pool"? I thought I saw in a thread a while ago that the crew is required to turn in all tips, but I could easily be wrong. If I give my cabin attendant $20 I want them to keep the money, not get 1/1000th of it. Otherwise what is the point.

[packercruising]

We like prepaid. Less hassle. If you have a drink package the gratuity has already been added. As I understand it, and this has been in the conversation for years, if you want to tip a particular bartender more, and put it on your seapass, the tip gets distributed. We always do extra tipping in cash and give it directly to the person providing the service. Same with other servers and the cabin steward. You can get envelopes from the service desk.

[traveler279]

This is how the gratuities are divided up as per the RCCL website.

 

The automatic gratuity is $13.50 USD, or $16.50 USD for suite guests, applied to each guest's SeaPass[emoji768] account on a daily basis. Here's how it is shared between your onboard service team:

 

Standard Staterooms:

 

$6.35 - Dining Services

$3.45 - Stateroom Attendant

$3.70 - Other Hotel Services

 

Suites:

 

$6.35 - Dining Services

$6.10 - Suite Attendant

$4.05 - Other Hotel Services

[gigi65]

I am curious as well, if we tip extra and write in on receipt does it go to that individual? We usually don't use cash on board until last night and this year we have a fair amount of OBC. However, if the said employee doesn't t keep it then I'll rethink writing in a tip . I just don't typically carry cash to pool area.

[packercruising]

When this question has been broached in the past, the majority opinion is that extra tips that you add to your seapass, get distributed. Of course that means that person gets a portion of the other servers as well. We always bring extra cash for the deserving servers and use our OBC on other things. Others have different philosophies on the topic that are just as valid.

[gagirl7143]

Don't forget, when you get onboard, you can refuse the automatic tipping and get the envelopes like before. I've done it plenty. I prefer the personal touch and we really don't go to the MDR anymore, so I prefer to tip those whom I've dealt with.

 

 

I hope if you never go to the MDR that you release your assigned table so the waiter can have someone else assigned to that seat so he or she isn't shorted for that table. Remember if you are not there he doesn't get a tip for that seat. Sure hate to see them stiffed!

[Langley Cruisers]

Remember if you are not there he doesn't get a tip for that seat. Sure hate to see them stiffed!

 

Can you elaborate on this?

 

Service charge/gratuities are collected from every passenger (unless they are removed), and distributed to the crew. Where you eat is irrelevant. We have taken cruises where we have not set foot in the dining room, and I know for sure that our wait team still got paid because we know that they also serve in the Windjammer buffet, and in the MDR at breakfast and lunch.

 

They do not get "stiffed" if you do not go to dinner in the MDR, not to worry.

[springaussie]

How is this system fair for staff working on cruises out of Australia or UK that are not tipping culture?

The line up on the first day at Guests Services on a Aussie Cruise to dump the tips is massive. Yes most Australians will give something but nowhere near the amount Royal demands.

Staff on Explorer and Radiance surely are not looking forward to the down turn in tips when they cross the Pacific in 2 months.

Staff on Grandeur of the Seas and Freedom of the Seas surely are better off.

 

 

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[Miryam1234]

As an European coming from non-tipping environment I find this autotipping concept strange. First you state that a tip is to regognise good service and then you are supposed to tip people you dont actually see doing anything. How would you know if it is good or bad service? And also, with MTD you can have a great service team one night and totally horrible the next and yet you are autotipping both similarly. I would rather see cruiselines paying decent wages rather than expecting passengers to figure it out, therefore I opt autotipping and consider it as part of cruise fare. I dont care which country they come from or how big families they are supporting. My father in law used to work as chief engineer and he was away for 6-8 months supporting family of 7. it was his choise to work abroad.

[Thorben-Hendrik]

We do not auto-tip - end of story!

We give out envelopes to the waiters and the room attendant at the end of the trip if everything was good.

 

We have the feeling that the tipping is done WAY too excessively and not really warranted for the service provided!

It is a mentality problem - people from the US believe in tipping everything and everybody no matter what - Europeans only tip when it is really warranted.

Tipping in the Windjammer - give me a break - it is self service all the way!

Big tips for cleaning the room? Why?

Towel animals? I do not need those....!

 

So we downscale our tipping to "the real thing" and not to the inflated throwing around of money....just like the cruise lines like it so they can save even more labour-cost....

Edited August 14, 2016 by germanfflyer

[BekkaW]

As an European coming from non-tipping environment I find this autotipping concept strange. First you state that a tip is to regognise good service and then you are supposed to tip people you dont actually see doing anything. How would you know if it is good or bad service? And also, with MTD you can have a great service team one night and totally horrible the next and yet you are autotipping both similarly. I would rather see cruiselines paying decent wages rather than expecting passengers to figure it out, therefore I opt autotipping and consider it as part of cruise fare. I dont care which country they come from or how big families they are supporting. My father in law used to work as chief engineer and he was away for 6-8 months supporting family of 7. it was his choise to work abroad.

 

Sadly, cruise lines are not going to change the wags they pay because you think they should. If they did pay higher wages, cruise fares would just go up - either way customers pay the wages (as with any business).

 

If I have understood you correctly you remove auto tips as a protest against this. That is very unfortunate, punishing the crew will do even less to change the cruise lines practice. If you don't agree with the cruise line operating model you should not do business with them. How do you think punishing those at the bottom is going to change things?