Pre-Paid Tips

[defaultet]

Hi everyone,

 

I've been on Holland twice and will be on my first Carnival cruise this October. I think it's great that Carnival lets you pre-pay the tips. Frankly, I can't understand why all the cruise lines don't allow this. If people pre-pay they will be much less likely to adjust the tips down, no matter how bad the service is. I imagine most people would add another $20 or so on top just to be nice.

 

Anyway, I think it's a great policy. How does Carnival rate as far as bills? Both times with Holland our bill has been royally screwed up. We had to check it with a fine-tooth comb. In one case they even charged someone else's Shore Excursion to our account! And the Phillipino girls running the Front Desk at Holland are very unhelpful, rude, and generally speak poor English. Does Carnival have better accounting than HAL, or do they have some of the same problems?

 

Thanks!

Erik

[lemonhart1]

Having tips prepaid is great, but you can still adjust them up ao down depending on quality of service. Ths staff know this and will work to earn their tips and do that little extra which usually turns into an additional tip on cruise end.

 

Regarding accounting, errors do happen so check your sign and sail. We were charged for someone else's cabin as well as our own. This happened when we did back to back cruises on the Carnival Valor in December. I did not realize it until I got my AMEX bill in January. It took Carnival untilm April to credit my account. They did not even offer any apology for the error and almost indicated that someone else had used my card. I did change cabins for the second week and was billed for both cabins for week 2. Eventually all was fixed.

[Name game]

After 17 cruises on Carnival so far, I have never had a mistake on my sign and sail bill. It doesn't mean that it won't ever happen, but I've been lucky so far.

[dan40]

There might be a terminology problem here,

Carnival has PRE-PAID TIPS [paid as part of the cruise fare, in advance]

 

and they have

 

AUTO-TIPS

 

that are automatically added to your S&S account.

 

PRE-PAID TIPS cannot be adjusted or canceled.

 

AUTO-TIPS can be adjusted up or down, added to in cash or removed all together.

 

Dan

[PINEVIEW01]

There might be a terminology problem here,

Carnival has PRE-PAID TIPS [paid as part of the cruise fare, in advance]

 

and they have

 

AUTO-TIPS

 

that are automatically added to your S&S account.

 

PRE-PAID TIPS cannot be adjusted or canceled.

 

AUTO-TIPS can be adjusted up or down, added to in cash or removed all together.

 

Dan

Thank You for clairifying that for us Dan.

[MDR Cali Cruisers]

After 17 cruises on Carnival so far, I have never had a mistake on my sign and sail bill. It doesn't mean that it won't ever happen, but I've been lucky so far.

 

I've been lucky too on all of our cruises and once we had four accounts for one room with no problems.

[Cotton]

Having tips prepaid is great, but you can still adjust them up ao down depending on quality of service. ..

 

Lemon - I think you're confusing the auto tips that will be on your Sail & Sign account with the pre-paid tips that you pay when you make your final payment.

 

As Dan said... Pre-paid tips cannot be adjusted; it's a done deal. Auto tips can be adjusted.

[billsrobb]

Cotton:

As you know I am not new to this board but this tipping thing now has me confused. What is the difference between Pre-paid and auto-paid tips.

Robb

[DGP1111]

. . .I have never had a mistake on my sign and sail bill. It doesn't mean that it won't ever happen, but I've been lucky so far.

 

I'm not going to jinx myself by bragging, so I'll just say, "Yeah, what they wrote is same for me".:)

[pholter]

Cotton:

 

As you know I am not new to this board but this tipping thing now has me confused. What is the difference between Pre-paid and auto-paid tips.

 

Robb

 

I'm not Cotton, but I'll try to explain it for you..... Pre-Paid tips are those that you pay Carnival in advance maybe even with your final payment for the cruise. The Auto Tips are the ones (if not Pre-Paid) that are the first thing added to your S & S account when you board the ship. For me, Pre-Paid is the way to go because it's $70 pp that's not on my bill in the end. It would be the absolute minimum I would tip for poor service, so I always end up tipping more on board.

[LMHSRN]

Pre-Paid and Auto -Tips are both adjustable.

 

IT IS YOUR MONEY UNTIL THE END OF THE CRUISE - does not matter when you pay it.

 

Check with Carnival - they are the last authority on this subject.

[Corsair41]

So far, CCL has done a a good job on the S&S bill. I would still recommend keeping a reasonably close eye on it, since stuff happens.... sometimes.

[Cotton]

Pre-Paid and Auto -Tips are both adjustable.

 

IT IS YOUR MONEY UNTIL THE END OF THE CRUISE - does not matter when you pay it.

 

Check with Carnival - they are the last authority on this subject.

 

Sorry to disagree, but if the tips are PRE-PAID, they are PAID for just like the cruise is PAID for. The only thing adjustable is the auto tips.

 

And yes, I've checked w/my PVP, and also read it online.:)

[Cotton]

I'm not Cotton, but I'll try to explain it for you.....

.

 

Pholter - You answered Robb's question perfectly.:)

[Wennfred]

How does Carnival rate as far as bills? Both times with Holland our bill has been royally screwed up. We had to check it with a fine-tooth comb. In one case they even charged someone else's Shore Excursion to our account!

 

Its is best to keep your receipts and check them using the T.V., I was charged once for 2 drinks in a lounge I never went too. And last year I was charged for a bottle of wine. Both issues were resloved.

 

 

Fred

[billsrobb]

I'm not Cotton, but I'll try to explain it for you..... Pre-Paid tips are those that you pay Carnival in advance maybe even with your final payment for the cruise. The Auto Tips are the ones (if not Pre-Paid) that are the first thing added to your S & S account when you board the ship. For me, Pre-Paid is the way to go because it's $70 pp that's not on my bill in the end. It would be the absolute minimum I would tip for poor service, so I always end up tipping more on board.

 

Pholter:

Thanks for the claification. I guess I have always done the auto tipping route.

Robb