Removing Gratuities?

[andie717]

Hello!  We have a cruise booked for March, 2021.  We will need to cancel, as I am a teacher with 2 teenage daughters, and our school district is requiring a 14 day quarantine after international/cruise travel.  At this point, not being sure IF cruising will be an option in March (which I'd like to think it would be....but....I also thought I'd be going to NYC this spring and summer and we all know how THAT has gone!), but for the sake of budgeting, thinking about removing gratuities from that cruise to put the $400ish dollars back in our pockets (2 cabins).  My question is, if you remove gratuities, are they refunded or put into OBC?  (And not trying to start a debate...we always prepay them, would never remove them if we were cruising...just not sure when we would be able, because of schedules, to rebook!)

 

Also, because we will need to cancel even if the ship sails...would you cancel now?  Or wait?

 

Thank you in advance for any insight!

[Roz]

I would wait.  Your cruise is 7 months away.  You don't know if the cruise will go or not, and your district may change its policies.

[andie717]

I wish I had your optimism!  🙂 I doubt my district will  change, perhaps the ship will sail...any idea about the gratuities question?

 

[jimbo5544]

March is a long way away.  You can certainly remove prepaid tips at any time before a cruise.  

[Matco]

Your cruise isn't till March 2021 and you're already paid in full? 

Edited August 10, 2020 by Matco

[bury me at sea]

47 minutes ago, andie717 said:

. . .

 My question is, if you remove gratuities, are they refunded or put into OBC?

 

If you have paid in full, they will convert to OBC.  If not paid in full, they will simply be deducted from the amount you still owe.

[Trueblueky]

When our cruise was cancelled, Carnival refunded the gratuities, port fees and taxes.  The "sticker price" went to future cruise credit.

[VentureMan_2000]

I'd ask for a refund of your gratuities right away.  It may take 4 or 5 months to get it refunded.

I've been waiting 130 days so far to get all my money refunded for 3 cancelled carnival cruises.  I've only received about 75% of my money back so far.  None of my cruises have been 100% repaid... upwards of $1,000 still owed on each. 

 

[n6uqqq]

I normally prepay my gratuities but since it is taking me more than 4 months to get my money back from a cruise on May 9th that was cancelled April 2nd I stopped adding the prepaid tips to future cruises. That would have been about 500 dollars more for Carnival to hold onto for several months after they cancelled the cruise. So for now they can just add the tips to my sail and sign if and when we actually cruise again.

[Cruisesfun65]

I would remove the pre paid grats and all Fun shop stuff for a refund. In the case you do get to cruise, you can always add them back on.

[andie717]

1 hour ago, Matco said:

Your cruise isn't till March 2021 and you're already paid in full? 

No, I have not paid in full.  I now see the error of my ways and realize that it will just be deducted.  I think in my mind I "paid" those already!

 

[andie717]

58 minutes ago, bury me at sea said:

 

If you have paid in full, they will convert to OBC.  If not paid in full, they will simply be deducted from the amount you still owe.

Thank you!  I think I was just mixed up in my mind thinking I "paid"  them already.  

[andie717]

18 minutes ago, Cruisesfun65 said:

I would remove the pre paid grats and all Fun shop stuff for a refund. In the case you do get to cruise, you can always add them back on.

I definitely would!  Thanks!

[crewsweeper]

2 hours ago, andie717 said:

Hello!  We have a cruise booked for March, 2021.  We will need to cancel, as I am a teacher with 2 teenage daughters, and our school district is requiring a 14 day quarantine after international/cruise travel.  At this point, not being sure IF cruising will be an option in March (which I'd like to think it would be....but....I also thought I'd be going to NYC this spring and summer and we all know how THAT has gone!), but for the sake of budgeting, thinking about removing gratuities from that cruise to put the $400ish dollars back in our pockets (2 cabins).  My question is, if you remove gratuities, are they refunded or put into OBC?  (And not trying to start a debate...we always prepay them, would never remove them if we were cruising...just not sure when we would be able, because of schedules, to rebook!)

 

Also, because we will need to cancel even if the ship sails...would you cancel now?  Or wait?

 

Thank you in advance for any insight!

Wow! That's a tough spot for a teacher with 2 teens in school.

You said in a later post, that the cruise isn't paid in full. Was it booked under any non-refundable fare, like early saver? If not, I believe that you can get a refund.  But maybe not the full amount you paid so far.

If I were in your spot, I6cancel now. Cruise could or could not happen, but I doubt your school district's policy would change. See if you can rebook to a later date after the term is over. 

[bury me at sea]

1 hour ago, fyree39 said:

Remember RIF? You might be too young.

 

OP, I have yet to hear of anyone who has removed the pre-paid gratuities. I think you might need to place a call to Carnival and see if that portion of your cruise can be refunded. I totally get you and hope it works out.

 

It's quite easy and now you've heard of someone who has done it.

[firefly333]

I never prepay tips, but have never removed them and paid them onboard. Dont see the pt of prepaying tips. 

[jimbo5544]

Just now, firefly333 said:

I never prepay tips, but have never removed them and paid them onboard. Dont see the pt of prepaying tips. 

Have never removed tips when on board, and have strong thoughts about those that do.  That said this thread is not about that, despite posting to contrary.  To your specific post, the only time we recommend customers to rep repay is when they are traveling in groups and might not have same wait staff.

[xDisconnections]

2 hours ago, Matco said:

Your cruise isn't till March 2021 and you're already paid in full? 

My August 2021 cruise is paid in full. After having several canceled, I simply merged the deposits all into that booking.

[Roscoe13]

3 hours ago, firefly333 said:

I never prepay tips, but have never removed them and paid them onboard. Dont see the pt of prepaying tips. 

When paying with gift cards bought at 10% discount, it makes sense to pre-pay grats.

[Saint Greg]

5 hours ago, Roscoe13 said:

When paying with gift cards bought at 10% discount, it makes sense to pre-pay grats.

you can use those gift cards on board as well. That’s what I do. After my OBC is gone I settle up with a gift card.

[pe4all]

We always pre-pay gratuities, along with computer time, soda plan and water purchase.  Don't like having a large bill after vacay.  Will see what happens with our totally cancelled Breeze cruise from FLL as I haven't booked another yet.  Hoping everything will "transfer" smoothly to whatever cruise we decide on.

[sparks1093]

On 8/10/2020 at 6:43 PM, bury me at sea said:

 

If you have paid in full, they will convert to OBC.  If not paid in full, they will simply be deducted from the amount you still owe.

I believe if you've paid in full before the final payment date they will refund it, but if it's after the final payment date they will give OBC. If I'm going to pre-pay the tips (only advantage is reducing the final bill onboard, nothing more or less) then I'll add them to the account a few weeks prior to the cruise (which would of course require immediate payment). Nowadays I'm more likely to just budget for it onboard, though. The pandemic has changed the way that I'll be paying for cruises going forward.

[Purvis1231]

On our cancellation the gratuities were refunded while the cruise fair was applied to another cruise. It is odd that an organization is still requiring a quarantine for international travel when the USA is the world's hotspot. 

[cruisegus]

9 hours ago, sparks1093 said:

... (only advantage is reducing the final bill onboard, nothing more or less) ...

 

Actually not the only advantage, it is in effect a guarantee to not having an increase as when they increase them if you have selected to prepay them, even if they are not actually paid (not past final payment date) they honor the original price.

[Cruisesfun65]

1 hour ago, cruisegus said:

 

Actually not the only advantage, it is in effect a guarantee to not having an increase as when they increase them if you have selected to prepay them, even if they are not actually paid (not past final payment date) they honor the original price.

 

Any increase would not be more than $2 per person. Not exactly breaking the bank.