First Time Celebrity Cruiser - Select Dining and Prepaid Gratuities

[vulcan1971]

We are also new to X but have cruised with Princess and P&O previously.

 

Does Select Dining have a separate dining room or do traditional and select share. I can't seem to understand how this works.

 

Thanks

 

 

Select and traditional diners have their meals in the main dining room. It's all one space but usually on two floors.

 

 

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[hopeless holiday booker]

People do take off their tips - don't know how many but it's very common. The reason some people take off their tips is, in my opinion, just tradition. In the past when you got envelopes you really felt like your were tipping someone. you gave them the envelope and they said thank you and you felt like you've rewarded good service. When you change the gratuity to the service charge it feels different. People have to realise that as things change so does the tipping - whatever you give is pooled unless it's given as extra. In the UK we have a very different tipping culture so it doesn't come naturally to us until you've been lucky enough to cruise a few times:D

[charmed101]

Tipping has changed so much over the years,,, many years ago if your bill was $25. , you paid $25.,,,, if your server was very good, you added a tip in appreciation of great service.

The service industry watching this over the years decided that staff was doing so good with their wages plus tips,, decided in their penny counting wisdom that raises were not needed, they are doing good enough, ( more money for the business )

I believe that the crusing industry should change the "gratuities" to mandatory for all and maybe call it say,,"SCEPF" "Subsidized Cruise Employee Payroll Fund".

Then,,,, cruisers knowing that they have already paid this could choose to pay nothing else or when exceptional service is given, they can still choose to add more actual "tips" if they so choose.

[dkjretired]

Tipping has changed so much over the years,,, many years ago if your bill was $25. , you paid $25.,,,, if your server was very good, you added a tip in appreciation of great service.

The service industry watching this over the years decided that staff was doing so good with their wages plus tips,, decided in their penny counting wisdom that raises were not needed, they are doing good enough, ( more money for the business )

I believe that the crusing industry should change the "gratuities" to mandatory for all and maybe call it say,,"SCEPF" "Subsidized Cruise Employee Payroll Fund".

Then,,,, cruisers knowing that they have already paid this could choose to pay nothing else or when exceptional service is given, they can still choose to add more actual "tips" if they so choose.

 

Problem with that theory is that history has shown that the tipping starts over again and this conversation is then reignited in a few years.

[Lois R]

There is a thread at the top of this forum with questions for Lisa

Lutoff-Perlow. For those that are unhappy with answers you are

receiving and want more specific/detailed answers....why not post

the question to her and maybe, as CEO she will provide an acceptable

answer to you.

[cbradley1209]

I'm getting thoroughly confused. We have prepaid gratuities and we have select dining.

 

Are the mandatory gratuities for the select dining choice included in the 123GO prepaid gratuities package?

 

Thanks-chris

[Fergusdog]

Are Specialty Restaurant staff included in the prepaid gratuities or do you tip them separately?

[dkjretired]

I'm getting thoroughly confused. We have prepaid gratuities and we have select dining.

 

Are the mandatory gratuities for the select dining choice included in the 123GO prepaid gratuities package?

 

Thanks-chris

 

Yes, your tips are covered except for beverages. If you also have a drink package the drink tips are covered.

[dkjretired]

Are Specialty Restaurant staff included in the prepaid gratuities or do you tip them separately?

 

No, specialties are not included. Generally they are taken care of with the cover charge.

[BigJH]

To a certain extent, I agree with the comment that it shouldn't be called a "gratuity" as by definition a gratuity is optional and paid for "after" receiving good or exceptional service.

 

Making someone pay in advance to be able to choose the more flexible dining option isn't in my optinion a "gratuity" - it's a fee.

 

Anyway - we know the cost so it is us that ultimately decide whether we want to pay for select dining or not.

 

My conundrum is that if we do not pay it, we will effectively not be able to use the MDR - this is because even though we are a year out from our Jult 31st 2016 sailing - the only option available outside of select, is the late sitting, which now seems to be 8.45 - and for a family with children aged 12 and 8, this is far too late to be dining - thus meaning we will be unable to enjoy, what is, a valuable part of the cruise experience (ie eating in the MDR).

 

This sort of raises another question - "should the amount for gratuities be the same for children as it is for adults"?

 

Historically, my wide and I pre-pay, but to help the children learn about value, service, etiquette and a number of other things - they (by they I mean me, but facilitated by them) give teh traditinal envelopes. I can't see why this can't be an option which would allow you to choose select dining?

[Bo1953]

Okay, not again, but alas it will never really go away. I endorse X's including Tips/Gratuities/Fees in the fare so that way discussion is mute as to pre-pay, stop auto-pay on board, etc...

 

For many of us who continually choose the likes of X understand, fairly so, how the staff gets paid. Yes some may not provide the penultimate service at times, but to have a discussion about rather to pre-pay or pay afterwards or to be able to stop this income to the staff is something which I personally think should not be up for discussion.

 

We all know by now, that Select Dining requires the tips/gratuities/'certain' fees be paid up front and almost always with the last payment of our cruise fare. Personally, I see nothing wrong with this. It has to paid at some point, so pay it up-front and be done with it. One less fee to pay at dis-embarkation.

 

It could be that sailing X may not be for some of us who have a challenge with its' policies on this and/or other T & C's it has.

 

bon voyage all... on the high and low seas. :D

[BigJH]

You might have misunderstood what I was saying? I agree with the payment of a gratuity, after all the service we receive is exemplary - what I disagree with is limiting the facilities / options available until you have paid or pre-paid. There are already a number of restrictions applied to non-suite passengers, so why also restrict the time you can dine unless you pre-pay your gratuities?

[Bo1953]

You might have misunderstood what I was saying? I agree with the payment of a gratuity, after all the service we receive is exemplary - what I disagree with is limiting the facilities / options available until you have paid or pre-paid. There are already a number of restrictions applied to non-suite passengers, so why also restrict the time you can dine unless you pre-pay your gratuities?

 

Jason - I did not understand that to be thoughts of your post. I Am sorry for the mis-interpretation.

 

I think that with the Select Dining option may open it up a bit, as there still will be traditional seating times as well. Even though it appears that there are NO options but Select at the moment, X and regular cruisers on X have assured that often times the preferred early or late seatings are usually cleared before final payment, in which case the pre-paid's are not collected.

 

Thank you again - bo1953

bon voyage

Edited September 9, 2015 by Bo1953

[RocketMan275]

The number of people who remove auto=tips varies by itinerary and by the makeup of the passengers. Read Cruise Critic and you will see many, many posts from passengers who state that they remove the auto-tips for a variety of reasons.

 

Not only that, but I have read posts where some passengers recommended other passengers remove auto-gratuities to save money. One poster recounted another couple telling them at dinner the last night how they saved hundreds of dollars on their cruise costs. This couple said they always go to guest services on the last day and remove their gratuities and that the poster should do the same.

[RocketMan275]

Royal Caribbean does this too, but as they are Celebrity's sister company that makes sense. I assumed all lines did this for select/anytime dining.

 

 

Since early summer, Royal no longer requires prepayment of gratuities for their version of select dining, ie, my time dining.

[leeotampa]

I have a question about Select Dining. Do you just show up? Or do you have to make a reservation at some point in the day? We are coming over from Carnival and we had to sign up for dinner. Also, many people of said that you don't get good seating when you pick this option? We loved it on Carnival, we met a lot of nice table mates. We will only be doing main dining room on formal nights probably. We will be using Blu mostly.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

Celebrity has done away with formal nights, they are now Elegant Chic. You do not need to make a reservation for Select Dining but since you are assigned to Blu you will need to arrange it with the Maître D if you want to dine in the MDR.

[Pavovsky]

Celebrity has done away with formal nights, they are now Elegant Chic. You do not need to make a reservation for Select Dining but since you are assigned to Blu you will need to arrange it with the Maître D if you want to dine in the MDR.

 

 

In our experience you do not need to arrange with Blu - the MDR will generally accept you although you might be given a pager.

 

 

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Edited January 13, 2016 by Pavovsky

[kencr]

Gratuities breakdown if you don't know it

30% to head room service person

20% to asst. room service person

30% to head waiter at your table

20% to asst. waiter at your table

this was breakdown a year ago

[dkjretired]

Gratuities breakdown if you don't know it

30% to head room service person

20% to asst. room service person

30% to head waiter at your table

20% to asst. waiter at your table

this was breakdown a year ago

 

Actually that's not exactly it but close, they give out a certain percentage to other service personnel, small percentage but its about 2 or 3%. Many have complained about who these people are, years ago that tip went to the Head Housekeeper but too many people complained they changed it.