Gratuities

Will royal princess allow you to pay these before your cruise? We have sailed another cruise line and they did allow us to pay them upfront.

Will royal princess allow you to pay these before your cruise? We have sailed another cruise line and they did allow us to pay them upfront.

You can send yourself a monetary gift to go into your on board account. This money can be used to pay for the tips.

I have already purchased the PrePaid Gratuities for my B2B on Royal Princess this coming December. The way it shows up when you get aboard and check your onboard account is a 'negative' dollar value (credit), and they will still 'charge' the daily gratuity amount, but since you have already been 'credited' the total value of that cruises gratuities it equals out at the end of the cruise. Also don't forget to have Princess Cruises send you an email confirmation. Here is a screen shot of mine off of my iPhone:

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As Dave says, you can supposedly prepay your gratuity but in reality, all you're doing is sending yourself OBC in the amount of the gratuities. Your folio starts out with a credit and the nightly gratuity is deducted. You might as well send yourself OBC. It's the same thing as nothing is actually pre-paid.

As Dave says, you can supposedly prepay your gratuity but in reality, all you're doing is sending yourself OBC in the amount of the gratuities. Your folio starts out with a credit and the nightly gratuity is deducted.

Be aware that anything you charge to your account (beverages, shore excursions, shop purchases, etc.) will also have the OBC applied, so it is possible that you will use up the prepaid gratuity amount before all the days of gratuitiers have been posted. But the effect by the end of the cruise is the same.

I always send myself $500-750 between final payment and a few weeks prior to boarding. So as been posted, I start off with a credit amount then whatever is charged is subtracted from that amount. Once that is eaten up then any/all remaining charges are covered at the end of the cruise by whatever method I choose, be it credit card, debit card or cash.

Thanks for posting this question...I wondered the same thing. I'm also wondering what happens to any extra OBC that isn't used (if there is any) at the end of the cruise.

Thanks for posting this question...I wondered the same thing. I'm also wondering what happens to any extra OBC that isn't used (if there is any) at the end of the cruise.

I think it may have a lot to do with how that OBC was obtained. If it was purchased through Gifts and Services, any unused credit is refunded. I got mine back in cash from the Guest Services Desk last year. And according to the latest update on the Princess Cruises website other forms of OBC like from the Military Cruise Benefit Program or Loyalty Program is to all be used on the ship, with any unused credit balances 'zeroed out' and are non-refundable. Not sure how it goes with Shareholders or other forms of OBC?

Another question would be that if all of these forms of OBC are lump-summed, how do they determine what gets used first? Or are they all kept separated from each other and used at different stages as the shipboard account deducts from them?

I have already purchased the PrePaid Gratuities for my B2B on Royal Princess this coming December. The way it shows up when you get aboard and check your onboard account is a 'negative' dollar value (credit), and they will still 'charge' the daily gratuity amount, but since you have already been 'credited' the total value of that cruises gratuities it equals out at the end of the cruise. Also don't forget to have Princess Cruises send you an email confirmation. Here is a screen shot of mine off of my iPhone:

 

 

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Can drinks packages and coffee cards be purchased before travel? I always try to cut down on the amount of faffing about before boarding.

Can drinks packages and coffee cards be purchased before travel? I always try to cut down on the amount of faffing about before boarding.

Yes, it's on the website on the right-hand side, I think it's under Gift Services. From memory it's the 2nd tab from the right from my research. Trying to establish as many costs in advance to help my budgeting. I know culinary delights, drinks packages, gifts, internet packages and gift credits are there if my memory serves me correctly. Personally not interested in the wine, but leaning toward the package that includes Cocktails, as have several I'd like to try out.

HTH.

Crochetcruise :cool:

Can drinks packages and coffee cards be purchased before travel? I always try to cut down on the amount of faffing about before boarding.

Sorry but isnt a gratuity a thank you for good service so how do you know you are going to get good service until you are on the ship. What happens if you prepay and then have poor service and a gratuity is not worthwhile.

Sorry but isnt a gratuity a thank you for good service so how do you know you are going to get good service until you are on the ship. What happens if you prepay and then have poor service and a gratuity is not worthwhile.

We have only had one cruise where the service was not extraordinary - but that one still rated the daily gratuity. All other cruises we have had exemplary service, with extra gratuity provided by us for this.

They use refundable OBC 1st....because refundable comes from REAL money. "Non-refundable" doesn't cost them a thing...it's some sort of promotion...and they want you to use the least amount of that as possible.

Will someone please explain the OBC to me in simple terms?

I have booked a cruise, when i arrive, i give my card details, when i am on board if i book a speciality restaurant, won't they take the payment from my obc before they debit my card?

Surely they use up your credit before they start taking card payments?

I dont understand how anyone has obc to cash out at the end of the cruise, unless they have thousands of $ of obc.

Be gentle with me when you answer, i am a brit and this is the first cruise i have been given obc.

Will someone please explain the OBC to me in simple terms?

I have booked a cruise, when i arrive, i give my card details, when i am on board if i book a speciality restaurant, won't they take the payment from my obc before they debit my card?

Surely they use up your credit before they start taking card payments?

I dont understand how anyone has obc to cash out at the end of the cruise, unless they have thousands of $ of obc.

Be gentle with me when you answer, i am a brit and this is the first cruise i have been given obc.

You understand it perfectly.

Any OBC on your account will be used for any charges (from daily "auto-tip" to specialty restaurants to alcoholic beverages to shore excursions to....) before you will start owing Princess money which will be charged to your credit card at the end of the cruise.

You understand it perfectly.

 

Any OBC on your account will be used for any charges (from daily "auto-tip" to specialty restaurants to alcoholic beverages to shore excursions to....) before you will start owing Princess money which will be charged to your credit card at the end of the cruise.

Thanks, i wasn't 100% sure when people talked about cashing them in.

Thanks, i wasn't 100% sure when people talked about cashing them in.

Some people do have more OBC than they can spend onboard. The OBC can come from:

Booking with a Future Cruise Certificate

Princess promotion when booking

Travel agency provided OBC

Being a stockholder in Carnival Cruise Lines Inc.

Being an armed services veteran in some countries

Given by Princess when accepting an offer to change from an overbooked cruise

For those with more than 20 cruise points with Princess, a loyalty OBC

Gift OBC from friends or relatives

Drinks packages sorted, I've decided to live dangerously and opted for the soft drinks package which includes milkshakes and mocktails, I'm on my holidays after all.

Thanks Crotchetcruise and Pam In Ca for your help.

Unable to understand why anyone would want to give Princess money before they have to at the end of the cruise.?????????????

Unable to understand why anyone would want to give Princess money before they have to at the end of the cruise.?????????????

It just an easier way to reduce your bill at the end of the cruise.

Unable to understand why anyone would want to give Princess money before they have to at the end of the cruise.?????????????

I'm unable to understand why anyone needs 13 question marks.

I guess it's because they think it's a good idea.

(FWIW, we usually prepay grats pre-cruise.)

I'm unable to understand why anyone needs 13 question marks.

I guess it's because they think it's a good idea.

LOL! :D The idea that different people like different things is still a hard one to grasp, I guess. ;)

Unable to understand why anyone would want to give Princess money before they have to at the end of the cruise.?????????????

Because I am excited before I cruise and the cost just does not seem to matter. Not very excited to leave the ship and a bill under my door does not make me happy. I have my tips, shore excursions paid. Have 400 obc, so I leave with no money due.

Unable to understand why anyone would want to give Princess money before they have to at the end of the cruise.?????????????

To help with their budgeting. I'm on a fairly tight budget so the more expenses I can identify and allow for, the less stressful it is for me personally. It's the not seeing your cash in your wallet reducing that has me concerned. When I can actually SEE the amount of money I have to spend, I can be VERY self-disciplined.

Thanks to the poster who did the Drinks comparison spreadsheet, I've pretty much decided to get the Unlimited Drinks Package, there are several Cocktails I'd like to try. Providing I remember to keep eating, and from all accounts, finding something to munch on WON'T be a problem so I shouldn't get too tipsy, just sleep well! *wicked giggle at myself*.

I intend to take my laptop and make copious notes to share with friends. I will do labels on each posting so information can be quickly located. Have told them if there's any info they want, please give me as much specific information as possible and I'll go looking with notepad and pen in hand to record my findings. Have just found a menu for the Sanctuary which gives me more information. Have forgotten the name of the poster, but many grateful thanks for your time and trouble in sharing the information.

Crochetcruise. :cool: