Tips not included with "have it all"?

[badtwin]

20 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

If it’s not in your HAL confirmation (page 2 on it on mine) where it lists everything, you don’t have tips included.  they are not included all the time and often only on special promotion.

So I am confused now too.  I have assumed  HIA usually doesn't include crew appreciation (what I called gratuities) the daily extra charge - but that HIA included tips on what you ate and drank - the 18% surcharge HAL adds to such things. Are you saying some HIA packages don't include tips?

[kazu]

2 minutes ago, badtwin said:

So I am confused now too.  I have assumed  HIA usually doesn't include crew appreciation (what I called gratuities) the daily extra charge - but that HIA included tips on what you ate and drank - the 18% surcharge HAL adds to such things. Are you saying some HIA packages don't include tips?

 

No, sorry if I didn’t word my response well.

 

To be clear - all HIA includes the gratuity using your word for the drinks and specialty restaurants.

 

It’s the daily service charge (crew incentive) that we are talking about = the daily surcharge added to your billing on your on board account.  

 

Hopefully I have explained ?

[Sea42]

40 minutes ago, Kate45 said:

OK. So alot of chatter here about wheth3r you tip extra or not and where you like to do your drinking. But...I would like to know whether the HIA in includes the tips. I just checked all my paperwork from HAL, and nowhere does it say it includes it in the drink pkg or the two inclused a la carte dinners. We cruise Sunday.this info would have been nice to know before now. I just assumed it was included 

Sometimes the HIA packages include the gratuities for your cabin steward/housekeeping and sometimes it does not. That will be on the list of included items on your invoice from HAL. There is a list on the invoice that will list WiFi, shore excursion, dinners, drink etc for each passenger. If you did not receive this invoice email your TA and ask for it.

 

It always includes the tips for the drinks you order thru the package, unless you go over the dollar amount allowed by the package. If you go over you are than charged the price difference and the tip on only the overage amount. Ex. If drink is $1 over the price limit you would pay $1.18.

 

The service charge for the specialty restaurant dinners included in the package is included with HIA.

[crystalspin]

29 minutes ago, Sea42 said:

The service charge for the specialty restaurant dinners included in the package is included with HIA.

As is the appreciation (another term for the daily grats making the rounds) for the dining room and Lido stewards, as well as behind the scenes crew like kitchen and laundry. That's one reason you are scanned in at the MDR -- I guess if they don't have you down as eating in the MDR or a specialty restaurant they figure you ate at the Lido?

[CNSJ]

5 hours ago, kazu said:

It works for others

Agree, I am 4 star, but sometimes will sign up for HIA w/Early Booking Bonus.  For me a port intensive itinerary will often push me to say no.  Long sea days like a TransOceanic, lends me to take the package.  

 

Glad we have choice at HAL.  Some cruise lines (NCL for example) tout that drinks are included, then have you pay an astronimical gratuity no matter how many drinks you actually consume.

 

[Toofarfromthesea]

Things are getting a little confused here because of different terminology being used.  Let me try to summarize for clarity:

 

1) the standard HIA DOES NOT include the $16/day crew appreciation.  It DOES include the 18% gratuity on the drink package and it DOES include the 18% gratuity on the included specialty dining

 

2) there are certain non-standard HIAs you might be able to get as promotions or early booking where the $16/day IS included, as well as giving upgraded wifi and drink package.

 

3) if you order a drink whose cost exceeds your drink package limit you pay the difference* between the cost and the limit plus 18% of the difference.

 

Do I have it right?

 

* and can someone verify that in this situation you only pay the difference plus 18%.  I ask because I just saw a YouTube video where the guy said you have to pay the full price, plus the 18%.  That sounded wrong to me, but I'd appreciate verification.

[crystalspin]

4 minutes ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

Do I have it right?

* and can someone verify that in this situation you only pay the difference plus 18%.  I ask because I just saw a YouTube video where the guy said you have to pay the full price, plus the 18%.  That sounded wrong to me, but I'd appreciate verification.

You do have it right as it currently exists. The video was probably right when it was made, as that was the situation forever until they tried the Have-It-All-And-More on one ship ("the Westerdam is the TesterDam") and then adopted the difference+18% fleetwide.

[CruiserBruce]

1 hour ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

1) the standard HIA DOES NOT include the $16/day crew appreciation.  It DOES include the 18% gratuity on the drink package and it DOES include the 18% gratuity on the included specialty dining

 

2) there are certain non-standard HIAs you might be able to get as promotions or early booking where the $16/day IS included, as well as giving upgraded wifi and drink package.

 

 

Not sure we can say "the standard" HIA doesn't include the $16 crew appreciation. As 2 of the 3 cruises we have booked, (all with HIA) have the crew appreciation included, I would say "the standard" HIA does include crew appreciation. These 3 cruises were booked in Aug 2022 (with crew appreciation, cruise in 2 weeks), Aug 2022 (without crew appreciation, cruise in March 2024) and Aug 2023 (with crew appreciation, cruise in July 2025).

 

It might be said that sometimes when they offer HIA it has crew appreciation, sometimes it doesn't.

[Zukini]

Here's an example from our latest cruise. The HIA promos are clearly stated, as is the separate crew appreciation promo.   18% gratuity on specialty dining and beverages were included in the HIA packages, and ordering more expensive beverages we paid the difference + 18%.  If ordering doubles, they counted as 2 singles.

[Toofarfromthesea]

1 hour ago, CruiserBruce said:

Not sure we can say "the standard" HIA doesn't include the $16 crew appreciation. As 2 of the 3 cruises we have booked, (all with HIA) have the crew appreciation included, I would say "the standard" HIA does include crew appreciation. These 3 cruises were booked in Aug 2022 (with crew appreciation, cruise in 2 weeks), Aug 2022 (without crew appreciation, cruise in March 2024) and Aug 2023 (with crew appreciation, cruise in July 2025).

 

It might be said that sometimes when they offer HIA it has crew appreciation, sometimes it doesn't.

 

Meh, semantics.  I made it pretty clear that by standard I meant without a special promotion or early booking promotion.  Your own experience demonstrates it, as the one you didn't get them in Aug/22 because the cruise was immediate, and the 2 where you did get them were booked far in advance.  

[CruiserBruce]

19 minutes ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

 

Meh, semantics.  I made it pretty clear that by standard I meant without a special promotion or early booking promotion.  Your own experience demonstrates it, as the one you didn't get them in Aug/22 because the cruise was immediate, and the 2 where you did get them were booked far in advance.  

Nope. One cruise booked in Aug 22 is 2 weeks FROM now, one is in March 2024. The one that is two weeks from now includes crew appreciation.  The one that is in March 2024 doesn't include crew appreciation. All 3 cruises were booked within a month of the schedule being released. 

[Ready2go11]

 

12 hours ago, Kate45 said:

We don't have a HAL confirmation as we booked thru a incompetent TA! How can I find out because my TA doesn't reply or know and takes weeks to respond 

If you don’t have a booking confirmation, you can see it displayed as shown in the attached photo. Log into your HAL account and pull up your booking details online and click manage my cruise (orange button). Then click on my itinerary in the upper left (with the little calendar icon beside it). This screen is then displayed. 
 

if you do not see the yellow highlighted line, you do not have prepaid crew appreciation included as a promotion. 

 

Edited August 27, 2023 by Ready2go11
Remove personal info

[DaveOKC]

4 hours ago, Ready2go11 said:

 

If you don’t have a booking confirmation, you can see it displayed as shown in the attached photo. Log into your HAL account and pull up your booking details online and click manage my cruise (orange button). Then click on my itinerary in the upper left (with the little calendar icon beside it). This screen is then displayed. 
 

if you do not see the yellow highlighted line, you do not have prepaid crew appreciation included as a promotion. 

 

My reservation for Oct does not show this yellow outlined area, but when I drill down to paying for crew appreciation it states that we have already pre-paid it (it was included in HIA by the way).

[Ready2go11]

For the reservation with gratuities included, I clicked on prepay crew appreciation on the left side menu and it shows a box to check to add and purchase but it is grayed out and I cannot purchase again (obviously). 
 

For a different reservation where my promotion did not include prepaid gratuities (but I do have HIA) the box is available to check and prepay so thanks DaveOKC for pointing out another way you can check to see if you have this perk or not.
 

I usually have a healthy amount of OBC and already have wifi and drink package with HIA so I do not prepay since I can use OBC for the crew appreciation. 

[KAKcruiser]

Zukini, what was the July sale?

[Linaeve]

On 8/26/2023 at 8:14 PM, CruiserBruce said:

Nope. One cruise booked in Aug 22 is 2 weeks FROM now, one is in March 2024. The one that is two weeks from now includes crew appreciation.  The one that is in March 2024 doesn't include crew appreciation. All 3 cruises were booked within a month of the schedule being released. 

Ehh, I'm with the other commenter on this one. I've monitored HAL deals for a while, along with my folks. In my observation at least, the HIA that does NOT include the gratuties is offered more often than with them included. I think for most using the term "standard" as the most available and lowest level prevents misunderstanding, with the term "Upgraded" being with the better drink package and the gratuities included. Setting expectations is important and it would be better for new cruisers who might be reading these that if they have the HIA they should assume the lower level unless they know for sure or verify they have the upgraded package. "Standard" will tend to be what everyone assumes they have without needing to verify. Which leaves people upset when they don't check to see which HIA package they actually have. Just my two cents on the matter. 

 

[L454S]

I believe the term HA is using is "Have It All Plus". At least that is what my future bookings all show. They also refer to "Elite Beverage Pkg." and "Premium" wifi.

 

All 3 bookings were made since April.

 

I did notice when I booked our last NS T/A (sailed this past April), that the grats were there one time I checked and not there another time. I had booked already with the grats.

[shipshape sam]

We got the crew appreciation (tips) included for our 2025 sailing that was made earlier this year.  We were told the tips were included as part of early booking.  

 

I think they still could show up in promotions, but as I see it, it won't happen till after I book a cruise without them being included.  

[Zukini]

On 8/27/2023 at 11:26 PM, KAKcruiser said:

Zukini, what was the July sale?

Now that you mention it, I have no idea, since we booked this July 2023 cruise in September of 2022.  On our other paperwork, it's listed as the "Best Sale Ever" promo and also included $50pp cabin credit. Don't know why it was also listed as a July Promo, unless it was something they had extended from July of 22.