Jump to content

Prepay Tips & cost??


Recommended Posts

Yes, the drink packages cover the minimum tips. If you are going to use one bar a lot, if you add an extra dollar or two, you will generally receive faster, better service.

 

Sent from my SM-G900P using Forums mobile app

Dollar or two per drink? That pushes the tip to near 30%. No thanks. I'll take my chances on the service. Yes, I note you said "generally".

However, if I am there awhile, and he was personable and professional, I might throw down a couple of bucks when I leave.

Edited by cruisePack842
clarity
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dollar or two per drink? That pushes the tip to near 30%. No thanks. I'll take my chances on the service. Yes, I note you said "generally".

However, if I am there awhile, and he was personable and professional, I might throw down a couple of bucks when I leave.

Not necessarily per drink. For example, I am in the casino with my DD &/or DH. At the beginning of the evening we each order a drink -- so that's 2 or 3 drinks -- on one of the checks we add a $5 tip. We get additional drinks throughout the evening, the server doesn't even usually bring anything for us to sign. The next night we come in, he immediately spots us, comes over & takes our orders & the whole process starts again. If the extra tips don't seem to be appreciated, if the service is lousy, if the experience is not good then I won't tip the same person again. I waitressed my way through college, my kids have had service industry jobs, pleasant customers & good tippers get better service. An extra $5-10 dollars a day won't make a difference in my everyday life at this point, but it may in the servers.

 

Sent from my SM-G900P using Forums mobile app

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Your example is a little different situation, to me. First, the ship is probably making decent money on your gambling. And some of your drinks were complimentary, so yeah, a nice tip is fine. You must be rolling pretty high to get the comped drinks, which I've rarely read about on this forum. Drink more, you gamble more. I get what they're doing, and it's good business.

With all due respect for your previous career, I just don't think it is my obligation to make any servers life better, beyond the tip I pre-paid, unless he went beyond what is expected. I'm the same way in restaurants; standard 15%, more if he/she is personable and professional.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't get comped drinks in the casino. If I said I did, I mistyped. I/we usually purchase the drink packages, sometimes they come with a suite or as a perk at booking. The casino was just an easy example. The same waiters usually cover the same areas every night in the casino, theater, in the smaller bars or clubs & the staff will recognize you. I rarely tip extra at the pool bars. There is usually a line of people and no personalized service.

 

Sent from my SM-G900P using Forums mobile app

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...
Correct me if I'm wrong, but when I'm at the bar, I hand him my cruise card, and it gets charged to that? Would the drink package be embedded on it too?

These are the "payment steps" if you have no drink package:

 

- When you check in on Day 1, you give the ship your credit card.

 

- When you go to the bar and purchase a drink, you hand your Ship ID to the bartender, who charges your drink to your ship account.

 

- The computer system adds an automatic tip to your drink bill, and you'll see a line for additional tip, if you opt to tip "over and above". You can also give a cash tip, if that's your choice.

 

- On the last day of the cruise, the ship makes one big charge to your credit card for all the drinks (and other things) you purchased over the week.

 

 

These are the "payment steps" if you have a drink package:

 

- You can purchase a drink package before the cruise or after you board the ship. The ship will charge you for the cost of the package PLUS 18% tips.

 

- Your Ship ID will show that you have the drink package.

 

- When you go to the bar and purchase a drink, you hand your Ship ID to the bartender, who scans your card ... but charges you nothing additional. You can add an additional tip to your Ship ID or you can hand the bartender an additional cash tip, if that's your choice.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So questions about the prepaid for the drink packages. Do you still tip when you get drinks? How does that work cause when you sign the receipt it has a line for you to write in a tip. If you don't tip you look an ass but they don't know you prepaid the tips.

I know last year when did the deluxe package it included the gratuity, however every time my husband got a drink he tipped. In the end I think we paid another $100+ in tips just for drinks. He was just getting whiskey on the rock - nothing fancy.

How does everyone else handle that?

 

On our cruises we normally try and get the " all inclusive package" plus pre- paid gratuities then once on board after a day or two go to the customer service desk and ask the gratuities to be removed and tell them we do our own tipping....never had a problem yet and we tip as we feel good service has been provided, however we always tip the cabin steward day one along with the table waiter and barman along with the phrase look after us and we will look after you.....never fails to produce

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
On our cruises we normally try and get the " all inclusive package" plus pre- paid gratuities then once on board after a day or two go to the customer service desk and ask the gratuities to be removed and tell them we do our own tipping....never had a problem yet and we tip as we feel good service has been provided, however we always tip the cabin steward day one along with the table waiter and barman along with the phrase look after us and we will look after you.....never fails to produce

 

Was this on a RCI cruise? We are sailing in 2019 and want to have the gratuities removed also and tip the individual not the 'masses'.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Was this on a RCI cruise? We are sailing in 2019 and want to have the gratuities removed also and tip the individual not the 'masses'.

 

You need to go over to the RCI board, here:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=83

 

and read the many threads on tipping. You will probably find that if you remove the auto tips, the employee has to turn any tips given into the general tip pool. The employee may not be allowed to keep the money you give them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

We're done with the auto-tips, and are going to have them removed in exchange for tipping directly. It's my understanding that the employee has to turn over *cash*, but we're going with gift cards. I couldn't find anything about their having to put those in the tip pool. Same with leaving the bottle of champagne we won in a contest, but didn't open. Auto-tipping means that regardless of the level of service they provide, they'll all get the same participation trophy...er, tip amount. Not a concept I want to promote.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In rough figures, the autotip for the mass market cruise lines is close to $100 per person for a 7 night cruise. So will you bring in an assortment of denominations so you can split it among the people who have served you?

 

How will you handle tips for staff at breakfast & lunch who you might see only once or twice? Bring $1 or $2 gift cards for them?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We're done with the auto-tips, and are going to have them removed in exchange for tipping directly. It's my understanding that the employee has to turn over *cash*, but we're going with gift cards. I couldn't find anything about their having to put those in the tip pool. Same with leaving the bottle of champagne we won in a contest, but didn't open. Auto-tipping means that regardless of the level of service they provide, they'll all get the same participation trophy...er, tip amount. Not a concept I want to promote.

 

Don't think that there aren't policies and procedures for those "non-cash" tips, just because you haven't heard of those policies or procedures...chances are good the cruise line is ahead of you on this.

 

Gee, thoughtful. Give your alcoholic beverage to a person who might be from a culture/religion that doesn't allow alcohol intake.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If we find out those policies exist, we'll figure something else out. Tipping into a pool isn't a practice I'm comfortable with. I don't tip the cook, the manager, the hostess, or the busboy at a restaurant.

 

No need for the rude and condescending post, Bruce. It is thoughtful and we have had nothing but thanks from those who have received it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If we find out those policies exist, we'll figure something else out. Tipping into a pool isn't a practice I'm comfortable with. I don't tip the cook, the manager, the hostess, or the busboy at a restaurant.

 

No need for the rude and condescending post, Bruce. It is thoughtful and we have had nothing but thanks from those who have received it.

 

Do you know that the tips you might leave at a restaurant ashore don't get split? I know they do in many restaurants, including the ones I worked in when I was younger.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So I'm getting that, unless you buy a drink package, tipping the bartender directly is the only way they get tips.

Then if you have a package, does a receipt even need to be printed out? Maybe a receipt that just shows me how many drinks I have left on my package? Is 15 usual allotment, per person, per day?

 

Not exactly. Every time a bartender hands you a drink and you pay for the drink ... the tip is included in the total amount of the drink. No tip necessary. It's already done.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...