Gratuities increasing from Jan 2nd.

[Luvcrusn]

I was told my gratuities for my 1/26/2018 cruise will increase to $14.50 pp/day. Wanted to pre-pay with OBC but can't use it for gratuities pre-cruise. I have lots of OBC so wanted to use it instead of money out of my pocket. So will have to pay the increased charge onboard. Would have liked to use the extra $1 per day to tip the room steward extra myself. That way I would be sure he/she got the increase.

You still have that option.

[Mynki]

No more extra tipping for you? Boy, you really got them. That’s showing the crew not to mess with you!

 

Nah, he's a real amateur. Just do what I do and cancel all tips. That's really showing them!

[dateacher]

FYI, I got an email today from Celebrity advising me of the increase for my upcoming trip. They offered me the option of prepaying (which we all know about already). If it weren't such a hassle, I would but since my TA has to do it, I don't want to bother her over $14. Celebrity won't let me do it by phone with them and it's the one thing you can't do online. If you haven't been officially told, you probably will just before you leave.

[Cruise Gopher]

Got the official email today. We sail on 1/2.

 

Dear Robert,

 

As you get ready for your upcoming cruise, we wanted to let you know that we've updated our daily gratuities rates. The new rates will be applied to all new bookings made January 2, 2018 or later. Because you booked your sailing prior to January 2, 2018, you can still pay the original gratuity rates by prepaying them before you sail. If you pay your gratuities on board, you'll pay the new rates.

 

New Gratuity Rates:

Standard staterooms changed from $13.50 to $14.50 per day, per guest. Concierge Class and AquaClass® staterooms changed from $14.00 to $15.00 per day, per guest. Suite Class accommodations changed from $17.00 to $18.00 per day, per guest.

 

Gratuities are shared by our exceptional onboard dining and culinary services team, stateroom attendants, other housekeeping services personnel, as well as staff from other departments who work behind the scenes to enhance your cruise experience.

 

If you've already prepaid your gratuities or prepay them before you set sail, you will not be charged any additional automatic daily gratuities once on board.

 

Other onboard gratuity policies remain the same: an 18% gratuity is automatically added to bar service beverages, specialty dining reservations, and mini bar items—and will be itemized on your receipt.

 

Call1-800-647-2251, log onto Celebrity.com, or contact your travel agent prior to sailing to prepay your daily gratuities at the current rates.

[PaperSniper4]

Not sure what is going on. Has anyone from the States or Canada received this same e-mail?

 

I'm in the USA. We are booked on Celeb next month, and on an RCCL cruise in about 14 months. I got a notification letter from RCI, but not Celeb. I know RCI owns both cruise lines, so I figured both would be going up. Still, it's odd that Celeb didn't send the notice.

 

Or maybe it was in the fine print....we have complimentary gratuities on the Celeb cruise so I just quickly scanned then deleted the email.

 

Doug

[chamima]

I'm in the USA. We are booked on Celeb next month, and on an RCCL cruise in about 14 months. I got a notification letter from RCI, but not Celeb. I know RCI owns both cruise lines, so I figured both would be going up. Still, it's odd that Celeb didn't send the notice.

 

Or maybe it was in the fine print....we have complimentary gratuities on the Celeb cruise so I just quickly scanned then deleted the email.

 

Doug

 

 

Since you have complementary gratuities the change doesn't affect you so they didn't send you notification for that cruise.

 

We have about 8 cruises booked for the next year and a half with Celebrity.

The upcoming cruise has paid gratuities but the ones for the future (end of 2018 and beginning of 2019) do not and I didn't expect to get anything about our gratuity-paid cruise but really did expect to get the notice for those future booked cruises that the increase will affect.

I'm not going to pay our gratuities that far in advance but would have appreciated the notice.

[Luvcrusn]

I'm in the USA. We are booked on Celeb next month, and on an RCCL cruise in about 14 months. I got a notification letter from RCI, but not Celeb. I know RCI owns both cruise lines, so I figured both would be going up. Still, it's odd that Celeb didn't send the notice.

 

Or maybe it was in the fine print....we have complimentary gratuities on the Celeb cruise so I just quickly scanned then deleted the email.

 

Doug

I'm in the US and are not sailing on X again until Dec. 2018. We have prepaid gratuities but received the email about the increase this past Tues, December 26th.

[cruise47]

It does not increase on any bookings made prior to Jan 2. AND as long as you prepay prior to Jan 2~

We Received this same email on 12/26/2017.

[Marelaine]

I'll try to keep this story short. My son at the age of 5 found $1,100 dollars on the Constellation (year 2005) while we were waiting to go into dinner. We were sitting in the Martini Bar. He was sitting on my lap and reached down into the sofa cushions and found 11 $100 bills rolled up. We wanted to teach the kids ethics and morals, so we went to Guest Relations and advised them a large sum of money had been found in a public area of the ship. After taking our names and stateroom number, they said we would be contacted if anyone reported losing money. The last night of the cruise we returned to Guest Relations and they said no one reported losing money and we could keep the money. Of course our two kids smiled. I looked at them and said no we are not keeping this money, and look around at the many crew members who work hard on this ship. We found the money on the ship, it stays on the ship. We proceeded to walk around that night and found 11 of our favorite crew members who were not already tipped and gave them each $100. The smiles, appreciation and hugs we received that night was worth more than that $1100.

 

Sorry I missed this story before now. That is the nicest story I've read on CC. The lesson you taught your kids is worth more than thousands of dollars. I hope they inherited your class.

[Shadow9612]

I'll try to keep this story short. My son at the age of 5 found $1,100 dollars on the Constellation (year 2005) while we were waiting to go into dinner. We were sitting in the Martini Bar. He was sitting on my lap and reached down into the sofa cushions and found 11 $100 bills rolled up. We wanted to teach the kids ethics and morals, so we went to Guest Relations and advised them a large sum of money had been found in a public area of the ship. After taking our names and stateroom number, they said we would be contacted if anyone reported losing money. The last night of the cruise we returned to Guest Relations and they said no one reported losing money and we could keep the money. Of course our two kids smiled. I looked at them and said no we are not keeping this money, and look around at the many crew members who work hard on this ship. We found the money on the ship, it stays on the ship. We proceeded to walk around that night and found 11 of our favorite crew members who were not already tipped and gave them each $100. The smiles, appreciation and hugs we received that night was worth more than that $1100.

 

Very very nice story. Thank you for sharing this.

[lovescarborough]

Interesting! I have copied part of the email I received yesterday(hope that I am not breaking any forum rules) I live in the UK:-

"As you get ready for your upcoming cruise, we wanted to let you know that we've updated our daily gratuity rates. The new rates will be applied to all sailings from 2 January 2018 onwards. Anyone booked prior to 2 January 2018, will have until the time of their sailing to pay their gratuities at the old rate.

 

If you've prepaid your gratuities, you will not be effected by this price change.

 

If you've not yet prepaid your gratuities, you can still pay the original rates by prepaying them before 2nd January 2018. If you pay your gratuities on board, you will pay the new rates. "

 

I have just received another email from Celebrity headlined ' Correction, Important Information about Gratuity rates '.

The last sentence quoted here ' If you've not yet paid .... ' Has now been removed and replaced by ' If you pay your gratuities onboard you will pay the new rates'

I am confused as to why they felt the need to send out a correction but maybe I am just missing something ?

[chamima]

I have just received another email from Celebrity headlined ' Correction, Important Information about Gratuity rates '.

The last sentence quoted here ' If you've not yet paid .... ' Has now been removed and replaced by ' If you pay your gratuities onboard you will pay the new rates'

I am confused as to why they felt the need to send out a correction but maybe I am just missing something ?

 

 

Does your cruise leave on January 2?

I can see some confusion for those people that sail ON Jan. 2 because they will be on board January 2nd and the phrase "if you pay by Jan.2" may make them think they can pay on board when in reality they have to pay BEFORE the cruise.

[lovescarborough]

No. Our cruise leaves on January 7th and we prepaid our gratuities along with final payment weeks ago.

[upwarduk]

If you've already prepaid your gratuities or decide to prepay them before you set sail, you will not be charged any additional automatic daily gratuities once on board the ship.

Providing you have booked prior to Jan 2nd and decide to pay gratuties before you set sail, there is no problem.

[navybankerteacher]

Perhaps if one looked at gratuities as recognition of services provided it might seem appropriate to recognize those services at the rate recommended at the time the services are provided, and not at the rate which might have been recommended perhaps two years earlier.

 

I am continually amazed by the cheesieness of the problems CC’ers can raise.

[MicCanberra]

Perhaps if one looked at gratuities as recognition of services provided it might seem appropriate to recognize those services at the rate recommended at the time the services are provided, and not at the rate which might have been recommended perhaps two years earlier.

 

I am continually amazed by the cheesieness of the problems CC’ers can raise.

While I agree they should be paid, there is nothing wrong with paying in advance to save some money.