Gratuities

[NJEMT29]

I know this has been asked before, but I’m gonna ask anyway.

if you don’t eat in the main dining room, do you need to have gratuities prepaid? And can I have them removed  from my state room bill?

I plan on tipping my cabin Stewart in cash and leaving cash tips to the waiters in the specialty restaurants, on the Mardi Gras.  

[phoneman69]

What happens to the people who work in the buffet area where you may eat, Guys burgers or pizza place people. I believe they all share in you gratuities. Don't these people also deserve part of the fund you are going to withhold ? Just saying your choice.

[NJEMT29]

 I’m trying to find out where do your tips go when you prepay them?

[WhaleTailFlCruiser]

If you can’t afford the gratuities don’t cruise. Those go to more than just your dinning room team. Go to your room steward and those folks that work the buffet ext. 

[firefly333]

1 hour ago, NJEMT29 said:

I know this has been asked before, but I’m gonna ask anyway.

if you don’t eat in the main dining room, do you need to have gratuities prepaid? And can I have them removed  from my state room bill?

I plan on tipping my cabin Stewart in cash and leaving cash tips to the waiters in the specialty restaurants, on the Mardi Gras.  

You cant just remove a portion. Just dont prepay and remove them if that's your wish. We cant stop you. I dont get why people come here and post about removing tips, just do it. Dont need our permission. 

[mz-s]

2 hours ago, NJEMT29 said:

I know this has been asked before, but I’m gonna ask anyway.

if you don’t eat in the main dining room, do you need to have gratuities prepaid? And can I have them removed  from my state room bill?

I plan on tipping my cabin Stewart in cash and leaving cash tips to the waiters in the specialty restaurants, on the Mardi Gras.  

If you know you're going to want to adjust gratuities, do not prepay them. Once the gratuities post to your onboard account, you can go to guest services and have them adjusted or removed as you wish. You may then pay gratuities in cash to whoever you want.

[mz-s]

1 hour ago, NJEMT29 said:

 I’m trying to find out where do your tips go when you prepay them?

 

https://www.carnival.com/help?topicid=1123

[lostsoulcruiser]

2 hours ago, NJEMT29 said:

I know this has been asked before, but I’m gonna ask anyway.

if you don’t eat in the main dining room, do you need to have gratuities prepaid? And can I have them removed  from my state room bill?

I plan on tipping my cabin Stewart in cash and leaving cash tips to the waiters in the specialty restaurants, on the Mardi Gras.  

To answer your question,  gratuities are not mandatory.  It is best to remove them at the time of booking but you can do it afterwards, up to the final payment if you have booked online.  Even after the final payment I think you can remove them, just not sure if you get them back or they go to your on board account.  

That said, watch your account when you get on the ship.  I believe Carnival still automatically adds the gratuity daily if you don't prepay, so talk to guest services and tell them your intentions.

[audcc77]

1 hour ago, lostsoulcruiser said:

I believe Carnival still automatically adds the gratuity daily if you don't prepay

I think Royal adds them daily.   Carnival adds them all at once as a line item a few days prior to the end of the cruise.  

[Elaine5715]

5 hours ago, NJEMT29 said:

I know this has been asked before, but I’m gonna ask anyway.

if you don’t eat in the main dining room, do you need to have gratuities prepaid? And can I have them removed  from my state room bill?

I plan on tipping my cabin Stewart in cash and leaving cash tips to the waiters in the specialty restaurants, on the Mardi Gras.  

If you remove the prepaids, any gratuities given in cash to your room attendants and wait teams will be turned in, not kept, and they will receive their normal share from the pool.  They only get to keep extra when the prepaids are paid.  The evening dining room waiters also work breakfast/brunch/lunch and Lido  

[Purvis1231]

5 hours ago, NJEMT29 said:

I know this has been asked before, but I’m gonna ask anyway.

if you don’t eat in the main dining room, do you need to have gratuities prepaid? And can I have them removed  from my state room bill?

I plan on tipping my cabin Stewart in cash and leaving cash tips to the waiters in the specialty restaurants, on the Mardi Gras.  

You paid tips upfront for the steakhouse and sushi. 

[BossyKat]

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DON'T REMOVE TIPS!

 

What is wrong with people!  UGG

[vwgolf2]

Tips are part of cruising culture, whether we like it or not. Like many people, I prepay and treat it as part of the holiday cost. If our servers or cabin stewards are nice and friendly we'll probably leave some $ for them at the end of the cruise. I'll get more annoyed at the automatic addition of 20% to our restaurant bills when we stay in Miami before the cruise but I recognise it's pretty standard in the US. Things are different elsewhere; when we went to Australia a few years back, people were very surprised that we wanted to leave some money for them after our meals!

[mz-s]

3 minutes ago, vwgolf2 said:

Tips are part of cruising culture, whether we like it or not. Like many people, I prepay and treat it as part of the holiday cost. If our servers or cabin stewards are nice and friendly we'll probably leave some $ for them at the end of the cruise. I'll get more annoyed at the automatic addition of 20% to our restaurant bills when we stay in Miami before the cruise but I recognise it's pretty standard in the US. Things are different elsewhere; when we went to Australia a few years back, people were very surprised that we wanted to leave some money for them after our meals!

 

In some cultures it is seen as disrespectful to leave a tip.

[cruisegus]

14 hours ago, lostsoulcruiser said:

To answer your question,  gratuities are not mandatory.

But they should be.

 

Call them what you want, service charge, resort fee, housekeeping & dinning fee.  Carnival should not allow them to be removed.

[starstruck05]

14 hours ago, lostsoulcruiser said:

To answer your question,  gratuities are not mandatory.  It is best to remove them at the time of booking but you can do it afterwards, up to the final payment if you have booked online.  Even after the final payment I think you can remove them, just not sure if you get them back or they go to your on board account.  

That said, watch your account when you get on the ship.  I believe Carnival still automatically adds the gratuity daily if you don't prepay, so talk to guest services and tell them your intentions.

You don't "remove" tips at the time of booking. You just simply don't prepay them. You can prepay anytime up until a few days before you travel. If you don't prepay you have to wait until they post during the cruise and have them removed at GS. It's not daily. It's done about 2 days before the cruise is over in one lump amount to your account. We usually don't prepay when we book the cruise. We prepay sometime before we sail, after final payment. Just works better for us.

[ledges1]

15 hours ago, WhaleTailFlCruiser said:

If you can’t afford the gratuities don’t cruise. Those go to more than just your dinning room team. Go to your room steward and those folks that work the buffet ext. 

There is a tremendous amount of truth in the above statement. Gratuities are a controllable expense by the individual in the overall cost of a cruise. Therefore, some are removed at the end of a cruise for this reason (reduce the cost of the cruise). 

[ninjacat123]

12 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

If you remove the prepaids, any gratuities given in cash to your room attendants and wait teams will be turned in, not kept, and they will receive their normal share from the pool.  They only get to keep extra when the prepaids are paid.  The evening dining room waiters also work breakfast/brunch/lunch and Lido  

That is why I tell my stateroom attendant and MDR waitstaff when I hand them envelopes with cash in them on the last day, "this is in addition to my prepaid tips".  I don't want my extra tip to be part of a communal pot.  They probably already know, but I want to make sure that they know.

[dacsmom]

Why start this again. Tip if you want, don't tip if you don't want. Don't ask for justification to remove tips.

Edited March 27 by dacsmom

[salty dingo]

On 3/27/2024 at 4:24 PM, dacsmom said:

Why start this again. Tip if you want, don't tip if you don't want. Don't ask for justification to remove tips.

I have to agree. Do as you see fit. I would tell you what I do, but nobody cares 😄!

[Ferry_Watcher]

The OP is a Platinum level Carnival cruiser.  Why is this question even being asked - if you don’t eat in the main dining room, do you need to have gratuities prepaid? And can I have them removed  from my state room bill?

 

Seriously?

[mz-s]

Some people just want to pick a fight I guess.

[aborgman]

On 3/25/2024 at 8:54 AM, vwgolf2 said:

Tips are part of cruising culture,

 

...but the prepaid service fees aren't tips/gratuities.

 

That being said - service fees incorrectly called tips/gratuities are part of cruising culture.

[mar214]

Don't forget crew members such as the staff that walks around the pool areas all day picking up your used dishes, cups, etc.in the brutal heat. They even reach under your loungers to pick up your stuff, asking you first if you are finished using it. You never have to worry about removing your own used dishes. Don't they deserve some of those gratuities? There are so many more crew sharing those tips than just the servers in the dining room. It's still your choice, but I cringe when I read about cruisers removing their tips. How about hotels that charge a mandatory "resort fee" even if you don't use the pool, gym,etc.? Just consider these charges part the overall expense. 

[crazyank]

On 3/25/2024 at 1:44 PM, BossyKat said:

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DON'T REMOVE TIPS!

 

What is wrong with people!  UGG

Please please please always remove trips!