Gratuities Going Up $1 Per Day Effective May 21, 2019

[CTGirl]

8 hours ago, Princess Cruises Fann said:

Princess Cruises will increase its daily gratuities charge on all voyages departing on or after May 21, 2019. 
 

The daily gratuity amount will increase by $1, and will be as follows: 

Interior/Oceanview/Balcony -- $14.50 USD per guest, per day  

Mini suites (including Club Class) -- $15.50 USD per guest, per day 

Full Suites -- $16.50 USD per guest, per day 
 

PC_GratuityincreaseletterDraftV2.pdf 200.52 kB · 59 downloads

I am curious as to where you got your information.  I have a b2b cruise starting on May 18, the second on May 25th.  I don't see the increase in gratuities anywhere in my cruise personalizer nor in the FAQ's.  So I just Princess and the woman I talked to has not been given any information either about an increase.

[capriccio]

Note that the PDF file attached by the OP is entitled DraftV(ersion)2.  While it certainly looks like the increase will happen, right now it is not absolutely certain when it will happen.  It would be interesting to know what was in Version 1 of the announcement.

[Renmar]

As of today;

 

Carnival= $ 13.99 & up

Celeb. = $ 14.50 & up

Disn. = $ 13.50 & up

NCL = $ 14.99 & up

Cunard = $ 11.50 & up

RCCL = $ 14.50 & up

 

Theo

 

 

Edited April 26, 2019 by Renmar

[c-boy]

Wonderful !

[cruzsnooze]

6 hours ago, SinbadThePorter said:

 

I only cruise local so I haven't had to worry about gratuities. Does adjusting the gratuities mean that you can go to Guest Services and just tell them you would prefer to pay the old rate?

The gratuity does not ALL go to the people who deserve it. The pool takes out admin fees and other uses for crew retirement and employee of the month etc etc etc...... I have reduced my daily fee to $10 PP PD and will up it to $11 PP PD so my gratuity stays similar. If and when Princess and other cruise lines gives me a clear indication and breakdown of where my so called gratuity goes I will be skeptical of the crew receiving it. It is a gratuity not so I feel I am entitled to know if the people I am tipping really get my tip. As to salary and benefits, that's non of my business. 

  I have a flame retardant suit on so fire away, it won't change a thing!

Edited April 26, 2019 by cruzsnooze
typo

[land lover]

Who on this board can't say that they haven't received an  perk or great deal from the cruise line in the last year, which often included free grats. Princess is always the follower of price increases never the leader.

 

IMHO, just means less discretionary tipping.

Edited April 26, 2019 by land lover

[HaveDogWillTravel]

1 hour ago, CTGirl said:

I am curious as to where you got your information.  I have a b2b cruise starting on May 18, the second on May 25th.  I don't see the increase in gratuities anywhere in my cruise personalizer nor in the FAQ's.  So I just Princess and the woman I talked to has not been given any information either about an increase.

My Princess Cruise Vacation planner just confirmed this is true. He said he had no idea it was coming and only got it this morning. 

I do not know where the OP got the information but it is valid. 

Your cruise personalizer for the trip on May 25 will update on May 15 with the new price. 

Edited April 26, 2019 by HaveDogWillTravel

[Renmar]

If we do pay our gratuaties in advance would Princess charge them against our (handsome) OBC or dirctly to our credit card? Anybody knows?  Our cruise is not untl September.

 

Theo

[tonit964]

On my next cruise, it amounts to $7.00 dollars more for the week. I'm fine with that, no need to rush and prepay for 7 bucks.

My cruise after that to the Panama Canal, the promo pays it for the 19 days. 

[Mom33]

Sheesh.....$7.00 for a seven day cruise...$14.00 if I let my hubby come? Will I ever be able to afford it? 🤔🙄......😉

[c-boy]

6 minutes ago, Renmar said:

If we do pay our gratuaties in advance would Princess charge them against our (handsome) OBC or dirctly to our credit card? Anybody knows?  Our cruise is not untl September.

 

Theo

good question and I like the "handsome" statement. 

[Colo Cruiser]

1 hour ago, cruzsnooze said:

The gratuity does not ALL go to the people who deserve it. The pool takes out admin fees and other uses for crew retirement and employee of the month etc etc etc...... 

So you make this stuff up to justify your guilt from removing the auto gratuities? 🤔

[PescadoAmarillo]

1 hour ago, cruzsnooze said:

...The pool takes out admin fees and other uses for crew retirement...

 

I choked on this. Crew retirement? What crew retirement?  Do you think your waiters have some kind of pension plan waiting for them at the end of years of faithful service?

[Steelers36]

1 hour ago, Renmar said:

If we do pay our gratuaties in advance would Princess charge them against our (handsome) OBC or dirctly to our credit card? Anybody knows?  Our cruise is not untl September.

 

Theo

You cannot pre-pay grats via Cruise Personalizer using OBC on file.  Only Princess Excursions.

 

[Doug R.]

1 hour ago, cruzsnooze said:

The gratuity does not ALL go to the people who deserve it. The pool takes out admin fees and other uses for crew retirement and employee of the month etc etc etc...... I have reduced my daily fee to $10 PP PD and will up it to $11 PP PD so my gratuity stays similar. If and when Princess and other cruise lines gives me a clear indication and breakdown of where my so called gratuity goes I will be skeptical of the crew receiving it. It is a gratuity not so I feel I am entitled to know if the people I am tipping really get my tip. As to salary and benefits, that's non of my business. 

  I have a flame retardant suit on so fire away, it won't change a thing!

It is people like you and those who line up to remove the grats on the last day who are partially responsible for rises in grats. As time goes on prices rise, deal with it. Princess does not owe you a complete breakdown that is between them and their employees. 

Edited April 26, 2019 by Doug R.

[chamima]

1 hour ago, PescadoAmarillo said:

 

I choked on this. Crew retirement? What crew retirement?  Do you think your waiters have some kind of pension plan waiting for them at the end of years of faithful service?

 

 

Jeannie

Just curious - are you thinking of prepaying tips for Tahiti 2020?

We're only on for 35 days (and we always add cash onto the prescribed tips) but I'm thinking that I'd still rather give the crew that extra $70 as part of that extra cash rather than have it included. (There's a cynical, suspicious part of me that always wonders if they get ALL of the "included" tips)

You'll be on for much longer so I'm curious what your thoughts are.

Edited April 26, 2019 by chamima

[RMMariner]

4 hours ago, compozer said:

I wish they would just add the tip amount to the cruise price.  I hear many people say cruising is such a great deal because they are paying the same price they did five years ago but if you pay the tips, then that is not true.    There is a good percentage of people that already are taking the tips off and I bet there will be a few more after this increase.     I feel bad for the room stewards because I bet this will cause people to stop giving them extra tips.  

 

Agreed. Just make them a hotel charge. Do not know what percentage actually pull their tips, but just make it a mandatory charge. Tired of subsidizing the people who sneak down and pull their tips on the last day.

[Woobstr112G]

Yup.....😁😁😁

 

Bob

[Woobstr112G]

1 hour ago, Mom33 said:

Sheesh.....$7.00 for a seven day cruise...$14.00 if I let my hubby come? Will I ever be able to afford it? 🤔🙄......😉

I got my sign ready.....😁😁😁

 

Bob

 

[c-boy]

10 minutes ago, RMMariner said:

 

Agreed. Just make them a hotel charge. Do not know what percentage actually pull their tips, but just make it a mandatory charge. Tired of subsidizing the people who sneak down and pull their tips on the last day.

here ... here 

[JSandage]

We sail on the Coral on May 22. We booked last fall with some promos, including on board credits and gratuities included. Wonder if they'll just take the additional new tip amount from our OBC?? Not a big deal.. just curious 

[JSandage]

4 minutes ago, JSandage said:

We sail on the Coral on May 22. We booked last fall with some promos, including on board credits and gratuities included. Wonder if they'll just take the additional new tip amount from our OBC?? Not a big deal.. just curious 

I think I just got my answer already. I checked on my cruise personalizer and our prepaid gratuity is finally showing up, it never did before. But since it now shows prepaid, we should be set.

 

[itf]

2 hours ago, land lover said:

Who on this board can't say that they haven't received an  perk or great deal from the cruise line in the last year, which often included free grats. Princess is always the follower of price increases never the leader.

 

IMHO, just means less discretionary tipping.

 

Being in the UK I can. We never seem to get the perks the US gets.

[senior lady]

3 hours ago, cruzsnooze said:

The gratuity does not ALL go to the people who deserve it. The pool takes out admin fees and other uses for crew retirement and employee of the month etc etc etc...... I have reduced my daily fee to $10 PP PD and will up it to $11 PP PD so my gratuity stays similar. If and when Princess and other cruise lines gives me a clear indication and breakdown of where my so called gratuity goes I will be skeptical of the crew receiving it. It is a gratuity not so I feel I am entitled to know if the people I am tipping really get my tip. As to salary and benefits, that's non of my business. 

  I have a flame retardant suit on so fire away, it won't change a thing!

 

[bemis12]

3 hours ago, cruzsnooze said:

The gratuity does not ALL go to the people who deserve it. The pool takes out admin fees and other uses for crew retirement and employee of the month etc etc etc...... I have reduced my daily fee to $10 PP PD and will up it to $11 PP PD so my gratuity stays similar. If and when Princess and other cruise lines gives me a clear indication and breakdown of where my so called gratuity goes I will be skeptical of the crew receiving it. It is a gratuity not so I feel I am entitled to know if the people I am tipping really get my tip. As to salary and benefits, that's non of my business. 

  I have a flame retardant suit on so fire away, it won't change a thing!

 

I think you should have the guts UP FRONT to tell your steward (and all others) that you are reducing the gratuity.  Don't sneak down and do it on the way out.