New 20% drinks charge

[aliyakid01]

We are sailing next week on the Beyond, and I read celebrity are now charging 20% service charge on drinks even with a premium package, ?

is this the case, doesn't the fact we have paid grats count for this ? 

Is it compulsory to pay the 20% , I also tip privately as well as the included tips,,

Thanks

[jg51]

.

Did you phone Celebrity and purchase a Premium Beverage Package (or upgrade from Classic to Premium)?

If so, then a 20% service charge was already assessed to you at the time of purchase (or upgrade).

.

There ought not to be an additional 20% service charge added when you are onboard and ordering drinks.  If there is such a charge, that would be something absolutely brand-new (and very disturbing) -- resulting in our boycotting Celebrity!  [If there is an additional, unjust charge, we recommend that you not (masochistically) add a cash tip besides!]

 

Have a pleasant voyage.

.

Edited August 2, 2022 by jg51

[aliyakid01]

HI , 

We upgraded to a Premium on the phone with Celebrity, 

but as you pointed out and someone else, think its If you but a drink not in your package,.. makes sense,, 

Thanks

[Wineaux007]

20 minutes ago, aliyakid01 said:

HI , 

We upgraded to a Premium on the phone with Celebrity, 

but as you pointed out and someone else, think its If you but a drink not in your package,.. makes sense,, 

Thanks

You paid 20% to the cost to upgrade to the Premium package when you called to upgrade.  No other gratuity is required except if you order a drink above the cost of the package, you pay the difference and 20% of the difference.  If your package allow all drinks up to $15, and you order a drink that costs $18, you pay $3 + 20% of the $3 = $3.60.

[aliyakid01]

amazing, thank you for the explanation, 

makes sense, 

I have never heard of this before and have sailed with Celebrity, 

Appreciated..

I have the prem package, 

strange it states the 20% on the package page on the website.. 

[dazey]

I agree with all that you pay the 20%(before was 18%) but when you read the description that "aliyakid01" included it does read "added to each check".  However, one never gets a check with a drink ordered under a drink package(unless you order something over your limit then the 20% would be added on the difference).  Certainly one is not going to pay twice the gratuity and this must be just a poor way of stating it.  If you have no drink package then you get something to sign and the 20% will be already included.

[aliyakid01]

Thank you , its bad text from celebrity..

[HskrCrsr]

If you think that's bad text, look at their recently updated text from the FAQ (https://www.celebritycruises.com/faqs/all-faqs#gratuity-program😞

 

What is Celebrity’s automatic gratuity program?

Celebrity automatically adds gratuities to guests’ onboard SeaPass® account, except for guests in Excluded Bookings*, as defined below, in the following amounts:

 

• $15.50USD per person, per day for Inside, Ocean View, and Veranda staterooms
• $16.00USD per person, per day for Concierge Class and AquaClass staterooms
• $19.00USD per person, per day for guests of The Retreat.

 

A 20% gratuity will be added to all beverages, mini bar purchases and beverage packages.

Gratuities may be adjusted at the guest’s discretion onboard at Guest Relations.

*Excluded Bookings include all staterooms booked either (i) at the All Included rate (formerly Always Included); or (ii) in the Retreat or AquaClass stateroom category on or after July 14, 2022. Stateroom and restaurant service gratuities, and a 20% beverage package gratuity, are included in the fare of all guests in an Excluded Booking.

FOR ALL BOOKINGS: Gratuities for stateroom and restaurant services are shared by dining services staff, stateroom attendants, and other stateroom services personnel. An 18% gratuity will be added to all spa and salon purchases, and all specialty dining covers and specialty dining packages onboard.

That makes it perfectly clear... after a few readings maybe. Maybe.

[jgmorgan]

3 hours ago, aliyakid01 said:

Thank you , its bad text from celebrity..

Surely not.

[sasset]

We booked, last October, with the now defunct 'Elevate' package which included Premium Beverage and gratuiies as well as some other perks. The way it's listed on the invoice is: TCQ2-BEVRINGRA15.

To me, all gratuities  related to the Premium beverages are covered. The new 20% pertains to new bookings.

We shall see.

[wrk2cruise]

22 minutes ago, sasset said:

The new 20% pertains to new bookings.

 

There is no new 20%.    If you have a beverage package the beverage gratuities are included up to the limit of your package.  If you order a drink over the package limit you will be charged the difference + 20%.

 

If you don't have a package you will be charged for the drink + 20% at each purchase like it's always been.

 

[wrk2cruise]

3 hours ago, HskrCrsr said:

*Excluded Bookings include all staterooms booked either (i) at the All Included rate (formerly Always Included); or (ii) in the Retreat or AquaClass stateroom category on or after July 14, 2022

 

Ironic that "Excluded Bookings" are the All/Always Included bookings😀

[jelayne]

I guess they are Excluded because those bookings come with All Included and Celebrity paid the gratuities 😉

[STNGR]

Just tried to add premium package for $80 per day per person. When I went to check out there was an additional 20% gratuity charge added to the $80/day charge. For the 11 night cruise we're on, this was an additional $352 for the two of us, i.e., $95/person, not the $80/day the package stated.

Edited March 26 by STNGR
Typo

[cruisestitch]

Yes this is correct.

 

if you are on a sailing out of Southampton, the price would have been $95 per day because it is quoted inclusive of gratuity. For other locations gratuity is added on check out and the total is the same.

 

noticed that you have re-opened a thread from 2022. At that time the gratuity charge went from 18% to 20%.

Edited March 26 by cruisestitch

[STNGR]

Cruise stitch,

  Agree. I normally tip 20% as a base (or more for extraordinary service). My only problem is that, call me crazy, I'm used to tips being given based on the quality of the service rendered, not a fee imposed by management to supplement the lack of living wage they don't pay their employees. Just a matter of principle...

[BeasleysMom66]

14 minutes ago, STNGR said:

Cruise stitch,

  Agree. I normally tip 20% as a base (or more for extraordinary service). My only problem is that, call me crazy, I'm used to tips being given based on the quality of the service rendered, not a fee imposed by management to supplement the lack of living wage they don't pay their employees. Just a matter of principle...

 

I feel the same way.  A mandatory 20% does not incentivize all employees to go above and beyond but to do the minimum.  Not to mention in bartending 20% can be high for a gratuity.  I am not one to be stingy (I just had birthday dinner at Hell's Kitchen and we tipped WAY over 25% because we got the full monty on that night) but their policy on Celebirty doesn't necessarily allow for when service falls below minimum.  My last cruise (before pre-paid) our entire table was in agreement that our 2 servers in the MDR fell way way below acceptable service and no where near 20% gratuity level.  We chose to tip 5% and gave the envelope to the maitre d and explained why.  I prepaid gratuities for my upcoming cruise but am waiting to see how much customer service is in place for the voyage.

[cruisestitch]

36 minutes ago, STNGR said:

Cruise stitch,

  Agree. I normally tip 20% as a base (or more for extraordinary service). My only problem is that, call me crazy, I'm used to tips being given based on the quality of the service rendered, not a fee imposed by management to supplement the lack of living wage they don't pay their employees. Just a matter of principle...

What you are used to is simply not the way Cruises operate. You need to wrap your head around the system. In place on cruise ships or choose a different type of vacation.

[WestLakeGirl]

25 minutes ago, BeasleysMom66 said:

  My last cruise (before pre-paid) our entire table was in agreement that our 2 servers in the MDR fell way way below acceptable service and no where near 20% gratuity level.  We chose to tip 5% and gave the envelope to the maitre d and explained why.  I prepaid gratuities for my upcoming cruise but am waiting to see how much customer service is in place for the voyage.

20% of what? There is no price given for meals served in the dining room?

 

[STNGR]

Cruise stitch,

   Agree, disappointing but you are correct.

Edited March 26 by STNGR
Correction to avoid confusion

[Arizona Wildcat]

14 minutes ago, WestLakeGirl said:

20% of what? There is no price given for meals served in the dining room?

 

The gratuity amount is allocated on a fixed formula.  In specialty venues it is 20% of the charge.

[WestLakeGirl]

Yes, but BeasleysMom66 said that this was in the MDR, not a specialty (post #17).

[jgmorgan]

10 hours ago, BeasleysMom66 said:

I just had birthday dinner at Hell's Kitchen and we tipped WAY over 25% because we got the full monty on that night

Well, the full monty certainly deserves a big tip!🤣

[jennmaybe]

Wanna know how much gratuity we pay? 0%!  We refuse to pay those prices and we do not use the mindset of “it’s vacation” to justify it.  There are so many better things that we can spend that money on while on vacation.  Heck, in some cases, that would pay for another short vaca. 😁

[PTC DAWG]

10 hours ago, BeasleysMom66 said:

 

I feel the same way.  A mandatory 20% does not incentivize all employees to go above and beyond but to do the minimum.  Not to mention in bartending 20% can be high for a gratuity.  I am not one to be stingy (I just had birthday dinner at Hell's Kitchen and we tipped WAY over 25% because we got the full monty on that night) but their policy on Celebirty doesn't necessarily allow for when service falls below minimum.  My last cruise (before pre-paid) our entire table was in agreement that our 2 servers in the MDR fell way way below acceptable service and no where near 20% gratuity level.  We chose to tip 5% and gave the envelope to the maitre d and explained why.  I prepaid gratuities for my upcoming cruise but am waiting to see how much customer service is in place for the voyage.

5%….