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Tipping question...

ladylemondrop

By ladylemondrop,
in Celebrity Cruises

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ladylemondrop Great Review Rare

ladylemondrop

Posted
Posted

We usually like to tip people in person, it just feels nicer to hand over the cash to those who have served us well, and to see their happy faces!

 

But, I do have a query - we found last year on Solstice we preferred to dine at the buffet restaurant as this gave us flexibility over time, and we had kids with us - say no more, the dining room while very decadent was just not fun enough to hold their attention, so we simply ate in the ocean view cafe, and rewarded ourselves with a couple of kid free nights in the speciality restaurants. So! to my query - if you end up not dining in MDR much, how do you tip? Who do you tip? and how much? we ate there 3 nights out of ten...

 

We are planning a cruise on Constellation this October, 7 nights, and plan at least two to dine speciality restaurants and imagine other nights we may indeed again end up at the buffet help yourself option with the kids.

 

We are not tip shy - we tip well over the expected, but I would just like to be sure I am not going to a) need to fully tip waiting staff who are not actually waiting on us b) offending anyone, as I hate to do this.

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Hypo

Hypo

Posted
Posted

Celebrity has gone to an auto-gratuity process. The minimum suggested gratuities are automatically added to your SeaPass account, on a daily basis.

 

This applies to all passengers, except those who have Select dining (anytime dining). Those people must prepay their tips at final payment.

 

The tips are dispersed by Celebrity to the proper personnel. You may give additional, if you feel it is warranted, but it is not necessary. Celebrity no longer gives you vouchers, or envelopes, to hand out tips. Personnel working in the buffet or other venues rotate those positions with other personnel in the MDR on a frequent basis. They all get an equitable share of potential tips over a time frame determined by their management.

 

I spoke at length with several of my cabin stewards, and they prefer the auto tip process, as they know they will get their earned tips, and not be "stiffed" by some passengers. It is apparently a much bigger problem of people not tipping then most of us realize. (Some cultures/countries simply do not tip)

 

If you have a problem with service, you should address it with shipboard management when it happens. You can remove the auto tip, by going to the Guest Services desk and requesting that the tips be removed from your account. The crew do get a list of the passengers that delineates who has and who has not paid the auto tips.

 

I personally feel that the auto tip program is fine. To me, it is the same as adding the gratuities to the price of the cruise. Which is something we should all assume is the practice to be followed.

 

 

Hypo

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Lsimon

Lsimon

Posted
Posted
thanks, but if they happen to be different staff, will it be ok to tip those who mainly wait on us? or do we have to pop into MDR and tip those who would have waited on us if we had eaten there? this sounds so daft but I want to get it right!

 

I've read that one of the reasons Celebrity moved to the auto tips are situations just like yours: cruiser are tending to eat in different alternative spots and not just in the main dining room making it difficult to figure out who to tip when. It makes life much easier if you just do the auto-tips for the basic tip and then, if you feel it is deserved by a particular waiter, tip extra in cash. I know this makes the basic tip more like a service charge than a gratuity but that is more or less what it has become.

 

We've also read some reports on these boards that suggest the basic tips, but not extra tips, are pooled and that if a waiter receives the basic tip in cash he is expected to contribute it to the pool in any event. I'm not sure if this is true or not as there have been past postings with conflicting reports as well and the staff generally does not discuss tips much (I think they are instructed not to do so).

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fleckle

fleckle

Posted
Posted
What would be nice, since it's mandatory anyway, is if the tips were added to the price of the cruise so you had an accurate cost at the time of booking.
Very easy to figure accurate total cost at the time of booking. Celebrity lists the tip amounts as

$11.50 per person per day for guests in staterooms

$12.00 per person per day for guests in Concierge Class and AquaClass staterooms

$15.00 per person per day for guests in Suites

 

Just pick your category, multiply by number of days of your cruise, and there you have it.

 

Yes, you can add the tips to the price of the cruise and prepay it all at the time of booking if that is your preference.

 

 

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Bridge Maven

Bridge Maven

Posted
Posted

A few years ago I went to a spa resort in Lenox, Massachusetts that includes all tips and will not allow their staff to accept additional tips from its guests. The valet who got my car after I checked out even told me he was not allowed to accept additional tips. The spa's rationale is that their resort is suppose to be a relaxing vacation from the stress of everyday life and if people have to think about what to tip and if it is an appropriate amount they are not getting the full benefit of the spa's relaxing ambiance.

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Denny01

Denny01

Posted
Posted
Thank you all! great advice, if everyone is auto tipping thats fine by me, and we will just give extra to anyone exceptional.

Very nice response back. Good to hear how the OP takes various posters' inputs and ideas.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

 

Denny

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jackdiamond

jackdiamond

Posted
Posted
I've read that one of the reasons Celebrity moved to the auto tips are situations just like yours: cruiser are tending to eat in different alternative spots and not just in the main dining room making it difficult to figure out who to tip when. It makes life much easier if you just do the auto-tips for the basic tip and then, if you feel it is deserved by a particular waiter, tip extra in cash. I know this makes the basic tip more like a service charge than a gratuity but that is more or less what it has become.

 

We've also read some reports on these boards that suggest the basic tips, but not extra tips, are pooled and that if a waiter receives the basic tip in cash he is expected to contribute it to the pool in any event. I'm not sure if this is true or not as there have been past postings with conflicting reports as well and the staff generally does not discuss tips much (I think they are instructed not to do so).

The other more significant reason is that sadly there are a few stiffers still in our midst.

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TeaBag

TeaBag

Posted
Posted

I was one who did like giving the cash at the end of the trip but it was a hassle too. The auto tipping procedure is just so simple. You can take along some extra cash for those who have made your trip exceptional.

 

The Constellation is a beautiful ship and I was on her before her transformation. Enjoy your cruise.

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