"automatic" gratuity added?

[smeyer418]

Simple answer. Never. I have already "paid" tips for three meals. If I use it at all.

 

As I stated, if I forego any service meal, and use the buffet and serve myself, I don't start redistributing tips. And I usually see that service guy that I get for dinner upstairs. I've "already" tipped him, as I'm serving myself.

you bus you dishes too?

 

don't bother to reply we know the answer...for $2 per day, your slip is showing.

[cherbear4000]

I would just like to say that on my last cruise DH and I did not step foot in the MDR. All of our meals were eaten on either the Lido, steakhouse, or room service. I still left all of my gratuties on my account. I didn't want the MDR staff to lose out on money just because I chose not to eat there. I know I couldn't work as hard as they do for such little money.

[Disconnections]

I would just like to say that on my last cruise DH and I did not step foot in the MDR. All of our meals were eaten on either the Lido, steakhouse, or room service. I still left all of my gratuties on my account. I didn't want the MDR staff to lose out on money just because I chose not to eat there. I know I couldn't work as hard as they do for such little money.

 

Do you walk into a restaurant on land, tip a waiter and walk out without even ordering anything from that restaurant?

[Pine Bluff]

Do you walk into a restaurant on land, tip a waiter and walk out without even ordering anything from that restaurant?

 

I found that poist odd as well; tipping for work not even performed. Or workink 1/x less than their counterparts and making the same.

 

The right thing to have been done was to let the Maitrr d' know you were not going to be needing their services, and the table could have been released and reassigned.

[cherbear4000]

Do you walk into a restaurant on land, tip a waiter and walk out without even ordering anything from that restaurant?

 

First, it is not a land restaurant. It is a cruise ship. Things work differently. Also, the MDR staff bus the tables on the Lido during lunch and breakfast. So even though I didn't eat in the MDR, they still in some way assisted me. I look at the auto gratuity as part of my cruise fare. The staff work hard and deserve it. Who I am to judge who deserves tips and who doesn't when I don't know all they do behind the scenes. Besides, it wasn't the staffs fault I didn't eat in the MDR. They were there ready to serve me. They shouldn't lose money they were counting on because I chose to eat elsewhere. I guess I am not as cheap as some people. Also, we had YTD so we didn't waste a table.

Edited February 27, 2014 by cherbear4000

[Gigawhat?]

You guys are scaring me! It's like mommy and daddy are fighting! Ive not taken my cruise yet so I have no clue what to expect. I would think prepaid would be more of a convenience and I'm sure some people don't tip because they're cheap a$$es. Seems like when I booked my trip I told them to take prepaid tips off (not knowing how the process worked) but do they automatically put them on the sign a sail card?

[FlaGrl4Evr]

You guys are scaring me! It's like mommy and daddy are fighting! Ive not taken my cruise yet so I have no clue what to expect. I would think prepaid would be more of a convenience and I'm sure some people don't tip because they're cheap a$$es. Seems like when I booked my trip I told them to take prepaid tips off (not knowing how the process worked) but do they automatically put them on the sign a sail card?

 

 

You can still call Carnival back and ask for them to be added as a pre-pay item. If not, I have heard that they usually show up on your S&S account on day 2 of your cruise.

 

We have done the pre-paids all 3 cruises and it is so nice to get on the ship with a zero S&S balance.

 

It's just a preference as some like to take care of this onboard. There is no right or wrong, just what ever makes it easier for you.

 

:) Have a great first cruise.

 

 

BTW: just wanted to add that we usually take a small stack of one and five dollar bills. This is a tip, no pun intended, that I got here on CC before my first cruise. The one's we keep handy for room service delivery. We usually tip $2 for our pot of morning coffee and juice. The $5's come in handy for the porters, taxi, shuttle drivers and the excursion guides.

 

.

Edited February 27, 2014 by FlaGrl4Evr

[YubaSutter]

Who I am to judge who deserves tips and who doesn't when I don't know all they do behind the scenes. Besides, it wasn't the staffs fault I didn't eat in the MDR. They were there ready to serve me. They shouldn't lose money they were counting on because I chose to eat elsewhere. .

 

By giving tips, you are the judge who decides how tips should be distributed. Do you go around your city each night and hand out cash to all of the waiters in every restaurant? It's not their fault that you decided to eat in another restaurant. They are ready to serve you also.

[ContingentSea]

When you remove the automatic gratuities your room steward may become angry. When your room steward becomes angry, he may think of ways to get even with you. When he thinks of ways to get even with you he may become creative. When he gets creative, he may see your toothbrush as a good thing to clean the toilet with. When you use your tooth brush that was used to clean the toilet, you get a potty mouth. Don't get a potty mouth, leave your prepaid/automatic tips alone :D !

 

 

I would never remove the automatic gratuities for fear that some mysterious malady may befall my ship, leaving it powerless and adrift at sea for days without hot food, running water and air conditioning. :eek::D

[alreadypacked]

One never tips people they don't interact with. Don't let a cruise line tell you how to tip.

 

Perhaps not directly, but even in restaurants on land, workers who you may not have had direct contact with have contributed to the service you received and they deserve and get tips for the work performed.

 

These include bartenders working the service bar (that is, bartenders making drinks for table servers who have taken and delivered your drink order), a food runner who did not take your order but delivers your meal to your table after having taken quality control measures to make sure that all of your food items are as-ordered before your meal leaves the kitchen, and bussers who prepared your table for you after the previous guest departed.

 

Your table server "tips out" or "gives" a portion of the tip you (hopefully) gave them to these behind-the-scenes workers as they have all contributed in several ways to the service you experienced.

 

One may disagree with the way these workers are paid but the fact is that they are not really getting a "salary" from the employer. The tips are their salary. Withdrawing tips takes money out of their pocket that they worked hard for. Most of us work for a living and want the pay that we earned. I certainly can't argue with that. It is what it is.

[John Reid]

When you are on that next cruise look around at all the people working to make your trip hassle free. The people on the lido decks at all hours bussing the tables, the guys pushing carts loaded with 500 pounds of luggage up and down the halls delivering your luggage, the room stewards constantly cleaning up your mess, and the hundreds of people working behind the scenes that you never see but have an impact on the quality of your cruise. These people are preforming jobs and working hours that we would never even consider. Now tell me how in good conscience you could remove your gratuities or complain about the amount that is automatically added. Just think of it a part of the cost of your cruise as others on here have said.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

And this is THE reason for keeping them. Some may want to tip directly only for good service, but only seven of your meals are dinners. How would one tip directly for the 14 other meals on a seven day cruise?

[cherbear4000]

By giving tips, you are the judge who decides how tips should be distributed. Do you go around your city each night and hand out cash to all of the waiters in every restaurant? It's not their fault that you decided to eat in another restaurant. They are ready to serve you also.

 

A cruise ship is not a land restaurant. Things worked differently on a cruise ship than on land. Tipping works differently on a cruise ship than on land. I am surprised you did not know this.

[LuckyZ]

You guys are scaring me! It's like mommy and daddy are fighting! Ive not taken my cruise yet so I have no clue what to expect. I would think prepaid would be more of a convenience and I'm sure some people don't tip because they're cheap a$$es. Seems like when I booked my trip I told them to take prepaid tips off (not knowing how the process worked) but do they automatically put them on the sign a sail card?

 

You may not have taken your cruise yet but you definitely make the best and simplest point of the entire thread.

 

As for your question, the pre paid gratuities can either be paid off up front with your cruise bill (which we do) or have them put it on your sail and sign card to be paid off when the cruise is over.

Edited February 27, 2014 by LuckyZ

[firemanbobswife]

And in case anyone didn't know, some of the servers from the MDR also work in the galley preparing and verifying room service orders at 5AM. Not to mention working lunch, and tea service too.

 

So just because you don't eat in the MDR, it doesn't mean that the waitstaff isn't serving you one way or another.

 

Keep the auto tips on and tip extra for great service.

[Pine Bluff]

You may not have taken your cruise yet but you definitely make the best and simplest point of the entire thread.

 

As for your question, the pre paid gratuities can either be paid off up front with your cruise bill (which we do) or have them put it on your sail and sign card to be paid off when the cruise is over.

 

Not sure why you excluded Carnivals third option is tipping in cash.

[Lace]

And in case anyone didn't know, some of the servers from the MDR also work in the galley preparing and verifying room service orders at 5AM. Not to mention working lunch, and tea service too.

 

So just because you don't eat in the MDR, it doesn't mean that the waitstaff isn't serving you one way or another.

 

Keep the auto tips on and tip extra for great service.

 

I would just like to say that on my last cruise DH and I did not step foot in the MDR. All of our meals were eaten on either the Lido, steakhouse, or room service. I still left all of my gratuties on my account. I didn't want the MDR staff to lose out on money just because I chose not to eat there. I know I couldn't work as hard as they do for such little money.

 

Some will tell you that the $2 a day for alternative dining goes to the people that work in the lido.

[LSEA]

you can have the best of both worlds...

 

ASSUME that they will give you great service. Leave the auto tips there. IF they did not earn your tips in your opinion, you can remove them or alter them on the last day.

 

This way you are still tipping for good service and have the option to fix it on bad service. (kinda like a money back guarantee. if they dont produce, you get your money back).

 

and this way if you get good service, you have to do nothing about it.

 

Just my opinion

 

Excellent post. Editing to add though that I think it is very rare that service is so bad auto grats need to be reduced. If a passenger has a bad experience or bad service, speak to someone higher up in the chain of authority, they almost always remedy the situation with another crew member who will provide excellent service.

Edited February 28, 2014 by LSEA

[LSEA]

When you remove the automatic gratuities your room steward may become angry. When your room steward becomes angry, he may think of ways to get even with you. When he thinks of ways to get even with you he may become creative. When he gets creative, he may see your toothbrush as a good thing to clean the toilet with. When you use your tooth brush that was used to clean the toilet, you get a potty mouth. Don't get a potty mouth, leave your prepaid/automatic tips alone :D !

 

Not sure that's accurate (maybe though) but it sure is funny.

[alreadypacked]

I take it in a buffet you are doing all the work. The only tip I would leave in a buffet was if they brought me a drink, and tipped on that.

 

What about the person who clears your plates and glasses and wipes down your table for the next guest? They certainly work for tips.

 

As a person who has dined out a lot for many years (at full service restaurants and buffets) and who has previously worked in restaurants, I disagree with your take on the subject.

[firemanbobswife]

Some will tell you that the $2 a day for alternative dining goes to the people that work in the lido.

 

 

 

Could be. But exactly to whom that work in the lido? The people that refill the food?

 

 

 

Waiters from the MDR work both preparing room service in the galley as well as in the lido bussing tables.

 

 

 

It's all too complicated to try to figure out and get a headache over a few bucks for. The people are told what they will be making per week based upon people leaving their tips in place. Then when the cheapskates remove them, they get less. Not cool.

 

 

 

But when I go on my Glory cruise, I will see if anyone will be so inclined to tell me the real deal and be sure to report back here. I'm not expecting miracles, but it won't hurt to ask. Worst case, the eternal fight over tips will continue as will the topics of dress code, rum runners, smoking, etc.

Edited February 28, 2014 by firemanbobswife

[deborahjo]

When you are on that next cruise look around at all the people working to make your trip hassle free. The people on the lido decks at all hours bussing the tables, the guys pushing carts loaded with 500 pounds of luggage up and down the halls delivering your luggage, the room stewards constantly cleaning up your mess, and the hundreds of people working behind the scenes that you never see but have an impact on the quality of your cruise. These people are preforming jobs and working hours that we would never even consider. Now tell me how in good conscience you could remove your gratuities or complain about the amount that is automatically added. Just think of it a part of the cost of your cruise as others on here have said.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

You need to remember not all the people you spoke of work for tips. Some of them are salaried workers. I do not mind tipping but I will not tip salaried workers.

[twentypearls]

Why is it that people feel it is okay to judge and tell others how they should tip? If someone feels that a person should not get a tip, it is THEIR money. If someone feels that they received excellent service and decided to tip above and beyond, it is THEIR money. No one can tell me how to spend my money. I don't care how self righteous they are.

[alreadypacked]

Pretty much a great answer here. The cruiseline has advertised/promised to you GREAT service, and you are likely to receive great service and quickly conclude the daily per person charge is a fair amount.

 

I DO want to note that if you are unhappy with any aspect of service, ask for a manager or higher staff position and address it. They want you to be happy. They want feedback. Sending a letter after the cruise is a lost cause and waste of time. Let management onboard correct issues so you have a GREAT experience. If they fail to do so, adjust as you see fit. Adjust as you see fit regardless, I'm just saying if something isn't up to par ask for it to be corrected before looking first for punitive action.

 

As far as those trying to shame you to give MORE; that's totally subjective and another personal call if you receive above and beyond type of service.

 

Agreed!

 

As a customer and as a former customer service employee, give managers a chance to make the situation right before removing tips. Someone who automatically removes tips upon "disappointing" service makes me wonder about their true motives. If good service is what you're truly after, take the appropriate steps to get it.

[twentypearls]

But have you ever had really bad service in a restaurant and then had to complain to the manager to about that bad service? You may feel better that the manager was able accommodate you, but would you really still be okay about giving that server a full tip? After all, it wasn't them that made your experience better.

[CheapieD]

One person I would never tip and just don't understand why anyone would I'd the Maitre-D

 

I tipped the Maitre-D on a Disney cruise last year because she (and her assistant) went out of their way to accomodate my family and some special dietary needs we had as well setting up an extra special BDay celebration.

 

I don't remember there being a true Maitre-D on the Glory this year. There was a woman Maitre-D supervising the hostess but she never left the podium to seat guests or address guests beyond hello. Really more of a head hostess than a true Maitre-D. The same thing in the Steakhouse, more of a hostess than a Maitre-D.