I don't understand "prepaid gratuities" on Celebrity Silhouette!

[terrierjohn]

You are correct, the OP did not suggest they wouldn't pay the gratuities, the subsequent troll started that.

 

Select Dining has prepaid gratuities because they are pooled in that area due to people not having the same waiters each night as they do in traditional. Whether that doesn't meet your satisfaction is of course your choice but that's the reason, right or wrong.

 

Quite correct that was the reason before X introduced auto grats. but why continue the differentiation now?

[dkjretired]

Quite correct that was the reason before X introduced auto grats. but why continue the differentiation now?

 

Probably because the auto grats can be removed once on board.

[PoppyandNana]

You are correct, the OP did not suggest they wouldn't pay the gratuities, the subsequent troll started that.

 

Select Dining has prepaid gratuities because they are pooled in that area due to people not having the same waiters each night as they do in traditional. Whether that doesn't meet your satisfaction is of course your choice but that's the reason, right or wrong.

 

I really don't understand the rational here. If all tips are pooled and shared by all what difference does it make if one is on select dining vs fixed? Doesn't the room steward share in the same tip pool regardless of when you eat dinner? Don't all waiters, no just the one who served you, share in the same pool?

 

Based on my convoluted logic there is no valid reason for select dining folks to have to pre pay tips. If anything you should only have to prepay the prorata share of tips destined for waiters, not everybody.

[dkjretired]

I really don't understand the rational here. If all tips are pooled and shared by all what difference does it make if one is on select dining vs fixed? Doesn't the room steward share in the same tip pool regardless of when you eat dinner? Don't all waiters, no just the one who served you, share in the same pool?

 

Based on my convoluted logic there is no valid reason for select dining folks to have to pre pay tips. If anything you should only have to prepay the prorata share of tips destined for waiters, not everybody.

 

My understanding is that the traditional dining is not pooled but Select is because you don't have the same waiters. AS far as the rest of the people, that has probably more to do with the Celebrity computer systems which most of us know are not the greatest. Room stewards are not in the same pool if they are even in a pool, not sure of that.

 

I would hope they would eliminate them like Royal did last week but I suspect Royal may have done so because they are having some problems with their new concepts of dining.

Edited July 14, 2015 by dkjretired

[Gordoncruickshank]

My understanding is that the traditional dining is not pooled but Select is because you don't have the same waiters. AS far as the rest of the people, that has probably more to do with the Celebrity computer systems which most of us know are not the greatest. Room stewards are not in the same pool if they are even in a pool, not sure of that.

 

I would hope they would eliminate them like Royal did last week but I suspect Royal may have done so because they are having some problems with their new concepts of dining.

 

Blu certainly has a separate tips pool as, when we have been in a suite and used Blu for most of the meals, I always get the tips allocated to Blu rather than the MDR. One thing we did find out in Blu is that the waiting staff know who has switched off the autotips. There must be some reporting mechanism back to the dinning rooms.

 

I wonder if that is why some people get to stand in queues waiting to go into Select Dinning.

[Morganmanx]

You should cancel your cruise and go backpacking where there are no people for you to cheat and annoy.

[paul17]

Just silly,,

 

I think that US system to pay servers less than min. wage is not only silly, it's sick.

It can work well in Kansas, but not in international waters, not on a ship with international crew, not on a ship which country of Registry is Malta or so. I am not sailing from US ports and your Kansas rules do not apply. Regardless of Celebrity tricks.

Gratuities by definition (in the rest of the world) is paid for extra service not because somebody is underpaid. And of course it's voluntary.

And you guys don't own Celebrity Cruises, another mistake.

So for me if there was any legal way to get forced prepaid gratuities refund I would use it for sure.

And I am sorry that my simple question made you frustrated.

[Karynanne]

no, thank you. Do you really think everyone on Earth must follow US culture traditions ?

 

Not everyone...but those that cruise with Celebrity do follow U.S. culture tradition. You do have choices...

[paul17]

Not everyone...but those that cruise with Celebrity do follow U.S. culture tradition. You do have choices...

My choice is simple. I will cruise with Celebrity this time. concerning forcing me to follow U.S. culture tradition, is that a joke?

Do you know that non of Celebrity ships have US flag ?

have you heard about discrimination ?

[blueboro]

My choice is simple. I will cruise with Celebrity this time. concerning forcing me to follow U.S. culture tradition, is that a joke?

Do you know that non of Celebrity ships have US flag ?

have you heard about discrimination ?

 

Maybe you could file a discrimination suit and get all your money back:D

[paul17]

Maybe you could file a discrimination suit and get all your money back:D

 

Are you a lawyer? Let's do that ;)

[blueboro]

Are you a lawyer? Let's do that ;)

 

No, but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express.

[paul17]

No, but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express.

I am sure you did.

So you probably pay tips to a flight attendant too ? U.S. cultural traditions, a? not easy for an ordinary man like me ...

[dkjretired]

I think that US system to pay servers less than min. wage is not only silly, it's sick.

It can work well in Kansas, but not in international waters, not on a ship with international crew, not on a ship which country of Registry is Malta or so. I am not sailing from US ports and your Kansas rules do not apply. Regardless of Celebrity tricks.

Gratuities by definition (in the rest of the world) is paid for extra service not because somebody is underpaid. And of course it's voluntary.

And you guys don't own Celebrity Cruises, another mistake.

So for me if there was any legal way to get forced prepaid gratuities refund I would use it for sure.

And I am sorry that my simple question made you frustrated.

 

Your question did not make me frustrated, I've been on this board for 20 years, nothing surprises me, I just learned a long time ago not to feed the trolls.

 

I will however make this comment, we are all well aware the ships are not US flagged but they are US companies which you failed to comment on. Your arguments are old and done many times on this board. '

 

Finally, your suing for discrimination is even sillier, shows you know nothing of the definition of the word or how to sue a cruise line.

Edited July 14, 2015 by dkjretired

[GUT2407]

You should cancel your cruise and go backpacking where there are no people for you to cheat and annoy.

 

Who is being cheated?

 

Not the line they don't get the money AND they let you remove the tips.

 

Not the crew, they signed up to a job where they must have known that people were allowed remove the tips and that some would do so.

 

How can someone do exactly what the "RULES" allow and be a cheat?

[GUT2407]

Not everyone...but those that cruise with Celebrity do follow U.S. culture tradition. You do have choices...

 

And one of the choices may be to sail with Celebrity and remove the tips. It is a choice Celebrity permits.

[Karynanne]

And one of the choices may be to sail with Celebrity and remove the tips. It is a choice Celebrity permits.

 

 

IMHO, Celebrity shouldn't allow the removal of tips. The people that are hurt by this, are the crew. Salary policies will not be changed, and to deny the crew their well earned gratuities, is a selfish move by some passengers.

[GUT2407]

IMHO, Celebrity shouldn't allow the removal of tips. The people that are hurt by this, are the crew. Salary policies will not be changed, and to deny the crew their well earned gratuities, is a selfish move by some passengers.

 

Why is it the Passengers not celebriy's???????

[wallie5446]

As late as 2003 we could not add the grats to the sea pass account. Had to go get change, stuff the envelope, and personally hand it to the person. All the cruise lines started letting us add it for our convenience. The Cabin Steward and Waiter now don't know who stiffed them now till well after they are gone.

 

Those that have been fortunate to never had to take a job where they had to be a servant to others will never get it. Those that have pulled themselves up by waiting tables, making beds, or shining shoes and such are the ones that do.

 

Till the end of time there will always be two sides to the thought on how workers are paid. This all is nothing new.

[Missymo]

We also had the 123 program on our Celebrity cruise last week. We were in the CS and were fortunate to enjoy Luminae. The food there was exceptional . Even though gratuities were prepaid, we still tipped our Butler, housekeeping and the definitely the wait staff in Luninae. during the week . We had the best service and the best food on a cruise ship. It was a wonderful experience.

[cb at sea]

Pay now or later...it's all the same. The folks you're "tipping" don't get their tips until your cruise is over. It's an either/or thing.

[Lsimon]

...The Cabin Steward and Waiter now don't know who stiffed them now till well after they are gone....

 

Actually, they receive a printout of who has the prepaid/charge tips in place and who has had them removed a couple days before the end of the cruise. Not sure of all of the reasons why they get this but it is likely so they'll know who to expect the basic tips in cash from. My understanding from these boards is that cash tips from people who have had their charge tips removed have to be submitted to the ship's tip pool but that extra cash tips from those who have already paid/prepaid their tips can be retained. So the staff needs to know who has paid and who has not.

Edited July 15, 2015 by Lsimon

[Christine Frances]

Actually, they receive a printout of who has the prepaid/charge tips in place and who has had them removed a couple days before the end of the cruise. Not sure of all of the reasons why they get this but it is likely so they'll know who to expect the basic tips in cash from. My understanding from these boards is that cash tips from people who have had their charge tips removed have to be submitted to the ship's tip pool but that extra cash tips from those who have already paid/prepaid their tips can be retained. So the staff needs to know who has paid and who has not.

 

Agree Larry, I have seen the list of people who have removed tips tacked on a wall during a galley tour and also on a clip board on a room steward's cart. They know who have stiffed them:(

[Loujul]

Hi,

 

I am new to the forum. I am about to book Silhouette and the agent sent me the note below: "The only available dining time is the open dining. Celebrity requires anyone on open dining to pre pay their gratuities. I have waitlisted your party for Late dining."

 

I have cruised a lot and have never encountered "prepaying" for services not yet received. Has anyone else encountered this? How does this work? If I book and then don't travel, wouldn't I lose the gratuities???

 

I would appreciate some assistance since I have to make up my mind by later tonight (Sept 29, 2011).

 

Thanks.

 

sparot5

 

It infuriates me that I have had to prepay my gratuities for all my upcoming cruises that are over a year away, but there's nothing you can do about it. :confused:

[paul17]

Actually, they receive a printout of who has the prepaid/charge tips in place and who has had them removed a couple days before the end...

I've never sailed with Celebrity but I've sailed with Carnaval and removed my autotips 100% last day. No questions asked.

Edited July 15, 2015 by paul17