Gratuities included or not?

[elmsliebev]

I notice that Simply More is now saying gratuities are included along with drinks with meals, etc. We booked before the change to drinks being included in Simply More but later upgraded to Simply More to include drinks and wifi for a device each. However, my account still offers the opportunity to pre-pay the gratuities. Has anyone found that the gratuities are included in a booking that didn't originally have that? We sail in October and are based in the UK. TIA. 

[Harters]

We were on Vista a few weeks back. This cruise was booked with Simply More but before general gratuities were included in the cruise price for British (and other European?) customers. Gratuities were added to our onboard account, as they had been before SM. 

[elmsliebev]

36 minutes ago, Harters said:

We were on Vista a few weeks back. This cruise was booked with Simply More but before general gratuities were included in the cruise price for British (and other European?) customers. Gratuities were added to our onboard account, as they had been before SM. 

thanks, I'm assuming it will be the same for us then. 

[Harters]

And drinks in the bars still attract a 20% gratuity regardless. 

[ronrick1943]

We booked a cruise with the new Simply More and no gratuities included with fare.  We'll get it with the "O" loyalty program.  But really for what you get on the ship in service that doesn't seen to be enough in gratuities for the service we receive on the ship.  Not popular with a lot, but we do add when service is great.  Not just the Butler and Room Stewart, but others at time when we feel it's justified - this is just one opinion, people should what they feel is right.😁

[njhorseman]

4 hours ago, ronrick1943 said:

We booked a cruise with the new Simply More and no gratuities included with fare.  We'll get it with the "O" loyalty program.  But really for what you get on the ship in service that doesn't seen to be enough in gratuities for the service we receive on the ship.  Not popular with a lot, but we do add when service is great.  Not just the Butler and Room Stewart, but others at time when we feel it's justified - this is just one opinion, people should what they feel is right.😁

The posts prior to yours were all by passengers from the UK. They have a different set of rules with regard to the inclusion of gratuities in the fare than those of us from North America

[Harters]

1 hour ago, njhorseman said:

They have a different set of rules

The new arrangements for Britons mirror the arrangements that Australian and New Zealand customers for some time. I'd suggest that it reflects a different cultural attitude towards tipping in our countries than exists in North America. 

[njhorseman]

14 minutes ago, Harters said:

The new arrangements for Britons mirror the arrangements that Australian and New Zealand customers for some time. I'd suggest that it reflects a different cultural attitude towards tipping in our countries than exists in North America. 

Yes...it's due to cultural attitudes towards tipping and other cruise lines have done the same either in the past or at present.

[Vallesan]

15 hours ago, elmsliebev said:

thanks, I'm assuming it will be the same for us then. 

 

In a similar situation with our recent Marina cruise and gratuities showed up on the account. So I’m guessing yours will too.

[ronrick1943]

10 hours ago, njhorseman said:

The posts prior to yours were all by passengers from the UK. They have a different set of rules with regard to the inclusion of gratuities in the fare than those of us from North America

I would bet that there is a price differential that has gratuities included with the cruise-rather than a line item.  I don't see "O" giving something away - it has to be included in the cost or some other trade off one would think.  But thank you for the information.

[Harters]

3 hours ago, ronrick1943 said:

I would bet that there is a price differential that has gratuities included with the cruise-rather than a line item.

Absolutely. It's not a discount, just a different way of costing a cruise for markets that do not have a tipping culture (or not a significant one).

 

But let's see what the actual situation is. In this I need the help of one of our American cruisers who can look at O's website priced in USD and see what a fare is. Have a look at Vista's cruise departing 3 June 2025 "Epicurean Awakening" .  On O's site, priced in sterling, an A1 concierge veranda has the brochure price of 6099 GBP and a promotional price of 5299 GBP. That converts to $7788 and $6767. What's the listing on the US site?

[Redtravel]

If you booked before SM, tips weren’t included.  If you booked with SM tips are included if you booked outside the USA.  It may seem odd.  Some people outside the USA are not used to tipping.  American are used to tipping.  When advertising cruising fares, lower amounts will catch attention.  I would prefer an upfront price including tipping.  Some cruise lines do it. Since you’re going to pay it, just include it in the fare.  
Oceania includes port charges and taxes in the advertised price.  The big mass market lines usually advertise a price that seems low.  Add port, charges, taxes, and tips will increase the price. 

[sitraveler]

31 minutes ago, Redtravel said:

If you booked before SM, tips weren’t included.  If you booked with SM tips are included if you booked outside the USA.  It may seem odd.  Some people outside the USA are not used to tipping.  American are used to tipping.  When advertising cruising fares, lower amounts will catch attention.  I would prefer an upfront price including tipping.  Some cruise lines do it. Since you’re going to pay it, just include it in the fare.  
Oceania includes port charges and taxes in the advertised price.  The big mass market lines usually advertise a price that seems low.  Add port, charges, taxes, and tips will increase the price. 

Sorry.  Simply more does not include gratuities.  The included gratuities apply to the beverages only. 

[EJL2023]

2 hours ago, Harters said:

Absolutely. It's not a discount, just a different way of costing a cruise for markets that do not have a tipping culture (or not a significant one).

 

But let's see what the actual situation is. In this I need the help of one of our American cruisers who can look at O's website priced in USD and see what a fare is. Have a look at Vista's cruise departing 3 June 2025 "Epicurean Awakening" .  On O's site, priced in sterling, an A1 concierge veranda has the brochure price of 6099 GBP and a promotional price of 5299 GBP. That converts to $7788 and $6767. What's the listing on the US site?

It is $7649 with airfare and $6249 without air. 

[Harters]

Thanks EJL. Interesting. The without air is the better comparison as this is a UK - UK cruise, so no airfare included for we Britons.

 

So, the $6249, plus $18 per day gratuities, gives a total of $6465 for American customers. Some $300 cheaper than the price available to Britons, with gratuities, at $6767. 

[njhorseman]

6 hours ago, ronrick1943 said:

I would bet that there is a price differential that has gratuities included with the cruise-rather than a line item.  I don't see "O" giving something away - it has to be included in the cost or some other trade off one would think.  But thank you for the information.

Obviously. Nothing is free. You pay one way or the other. 

Wine and beer included with dinner? It's built into your base fare. 

Shore excursion credit? It's built into your base fare.

Gratuities included? You paid them in your base fare.

 

[elmsliebev]

21 hours ago, Harters said:

And drinks in the bars still attract a 20% gratuity regardless. 

presumably only those outside the soft drinks covered by Simply More or is it those as well? And coffee?

I'll probably be buying the odd Lyres alcohol free cocktail so I would expect to pay the gratuity on those.

Edited June 5 by elmsliebev

[njhorseman]

1 hour ago, sitraveler said:

Sorry.  Simply more does not include gratuities.  The included gratuities apply to the beverages only. 

I think you overlooked the words "if you booked outside the USA". As noted in some immediately previous posts,  The fare for UK customers now reflects included gratuities...not just gratuities for the beverages. 

[njhorseman]

4 minutes ago, elmsliebev said:

presumably only those outside the soft drinks and drinks with meals covered by Simply More or is it those as well? And coffee?

Gratuities are only charged for  beverages that are not included in the simply more, or not otherwise included in the fare.

Soft drinks and coffee were included in the base fare long before the introduction of Simply More so there already was no gratuity charged for them.

[njhorseman]

18 minutes ago, Harters said:

Thanks EJL. Interesting. The without air is the better comparison as this is a UK - UK cruise, so no airfare included for we Britons.

 

So, the $6249, plus $18 per day gratuities, gives a total of $6465 for American customers. Some $300 cheaper than the price available to Britons, with gratuities, at $6767. 

There are other considerations.  For example in the UK you have certain legal protections that we do not have in the USA. There's an implicit cost for them that's built into the fare.

Also marketing considerations come into play. Perhaps other competing cruise lines with a strong US customer base don't have comparably strong following in the UK, or have higher prices in the UK.

[Harters]

55 minutes ago, elmsliebev said:

presumably only those outside the soft drinks covered by Simply More or is it those as well? And coffee?

Coffee and SM soft drinks are gratuity free. 

[Harters]

48 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

There are other considerations

Indeed so. I would certainly expect there to be a price differential as, within UK consumer law, the cruise is defined as a "package holiday" which is protected should the operator go bust. There's also protection that requires an operator to refund the cost of a holiday they have to cancel (such as with Covid), rather than offering only a future credit. We were actually able to take advantage of that at beginning of Covid, when our operator tried to only offer a credit - only resolved when we played the "see you in court" card. The $300 difference between UK and US prices may not be unreasonable but I've no way of knowing the implied costs for O. Oceania does note its compliance with UK law in its "small print".

Edited June 5 by Harters

[Beagle5]

10 hours ago, Harters said:

So, the $6249, plus $18 per day gratuities, gives a total of $6465 for American customers. Some $300 cheaper than the price available to Britons, with gratuities, at $6767

Out of interest I looked up the Australian price for the same cruise. It's A$10,300 which converts to US$6,850.

So we pay about $400 more than US customers. I don't think we get the same sort of consumer protections that UK customers get either (though I'm not sure).

 

No wonder I feel like I have been priced out of Oceania post SM... sigh...

[basor]

2 hours ago, Beagle5 said:

Out of interest I looked up the Australian price for the same cruise. It's A$10,300 which converts to US$6,850.

So we pay about $400 more than US customers. I don't think we get the same sort of consumer protections that UK customers get either (though I'm not sure).

 

No wonder I feel like I have been priced out of Oceania post SM... sigh...

I believe Australian cruises also include gratuities like the UK....the US prices do not include gratuities..

[1985rz1]

4 hours ago, Beagle5 said:

Out of interest I looked up the Australian price for the same cruise. It's A$10,300 which converts to US$6,850.

So we pay about $400 more than US customers. I don't think we get the same sort of consumer protections that UK customers get either (though I'm not sure).

 

No wonder I feel like I have been priced out of Oceania post SM... sigh...

Like @basor said.  Australian pricing includes gratuities.  US pricing does not.