Gratuity for bar glass purchase

[moopetguy]

Just got home from Grandeur -- during Day 10 of this sailing, the Daily Offers insert into the Cruise Compass promoted a "Bar Souvenir Glass Sale - Add our unique bar souvenir glasses in your collection. Buy any 5 glasses for only $15 Offers are available in pool deck from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm Say cheers with in style!" (sic)

 

I bought 10 souvenir glasses for $30. That's what was hand-written onto my receipt (the sale was just outside the Windjammer entrance, not outdoors/poolside).

 

I checked my account statement later that day and saw a charge for $35.40 for "PALLADIUM THEATRE" which made no sense to me, so I inquired at Guest Services. They printed the detailed receipt ("recreate audit check") which showed the $30 "Daily Souvenir Special" and a $5.40 gratuity.

 

I don't know why the charge is attributed to the Palladium, but that's neither here nor there. The problem I had was with the 18% gratuity. I bought products (new, empty glasses), not a beverage or service. I don't have to pay an 18% gratuity for mugs, cups, shirts, or anything else in the shops. But I was told that because it's a bar purchase, the gratuity is automatic and cannot be waived.

 

This is what Guest Services told me and they also connected me to one of the bar managers who told me the same thing over the phone. Guest Services told me they didn't write the gratuity onto the receipt because they "couldn't do the math in their heads". OK, fine, don't do the math, but at a minimum they should have written "18% gratuity" on the receipt, because I did not sign the receipt for $30+18%, I signed it for $30 -- period.

 

I still feel that I got a good price for what I bought, but the biggest issue I have with this is the lack of advance disclosure about the 18% gratuity for this purchase. It was not in the Daily Offers insert (verbatim above) nor was it stated on the sign on the table they were selling from.

 

Is it just me or does this seem wrong to you? Would you have expected there to be an 18% gratuity added if you hadn't been told about it in advance, just because it's a "bar purchase"?

[LMaxwell]

Would you have expected there to be an 18% gratuity added if you hadn't been told about it in advance, just because it's a "bar purchase"?

 

No.

[leaveitallbehind]

Aside from it being charged in the first place I'm surprised that when you questioned this with guest services they didn't reverse the charge.

 

Both actions are wrong IMO.

Edited January 17, 2016 by leaveitallbehind

[moopetguy]

Aside from it being charged in the first place I'm surprised that when you questioned this with guest services they didn't reverse the charge.

 

Yes, I was surprised by this as well -- I was expecting they would credit the $5.40, but both the Guest Services Officer and the bar manager were polite, but adamant that this is the way of things. :mad:

[leaveitallbehind]

Yes, I was surprised by this as well -- I was expecting they would credit the $5.40, but both the Guest Services Officer and the bar manager were polite, but adamant that this is the way of things. :mad:

 

Perhaps a new way of things - and unfortunate if so.

[Retired LEO]

Hmmmmm...If it doesn't contain alcohol how is it a bar purchase or service?

Edited January 17, 2016 by Retired LEO

[jes Scott]

When we purchased a souvenir glass they disclosed pre purchase and explained they had no control over it. That is was a corporate decision because anything sold the "bar" had gratuity. They seemed dismayed about it...we purchased because we wanted, but sure would have hated to purchase without the disclosure!

[UCF_Knight]

Clearly wrong on their part and handled poorly. Maybe contact Post Cruise.

[bxl121]

Sorry they couldn't (or wouldn't) work it out for you. Thanks for letting us know. I agree that 18% should have been disclosed. I'm new to cruising, but I'm wondering what would of happened if you paid cash? Would they have come after you for the 18%?

[john watson]

When you were at Guest Services and they said they could not remove the $5.40 gratuity. You could have asked whether it was possible to remove auto gratuities and if so can it be just $5.40 or does it have to be the whole amount.

 

Regards John

[moopetguy]

Sorry they couldn't (or wouldn't) work it out for you. Thanks for letting us know. I agree that 18% should have been disclosed. I'm new to cruising, but I'm wondering what would of happened if you paid cash? Would they have come after you for the 18%?

 

I don't think they would have accepted cash -- purchases onboard are all charged to your SeaPass account, so for the manual transactions in which they can't swipe your card at a point-of-sale terminal, they will write down your folio number (unique to each SeaPass card) on a carbonless multi-copy receipt.

 

I'm pretty sure only extra gratuities can be paid in cash (or can optionally be charged to the onboard account if you write it on the receipt if one exists, such as an actual drink purchase at the bar).

[moopetguy]

When you were at Guest Services and they said they could not remove the $5.40 gratuity. You could have asked whether it was possible to remove auto gratuities and if so can it be just $5.40 or does it have to be the whole amount.

 

I didn't think of that but it wouldn't have been applicable to me anyway since I had prepaid in advance of sailing (rather than auto-daily charges that could be adjusted onboard).

 

I've read that you can reduce the auto-daily gratuities if you feel your level of service from a specific crew member (e.g. MDR waiter or cabin steward) is not up to snuff -- but if I had done that in this case to offset the $5.40 that the bar shouldn't have charged, I probably would have ended up stiffing the other crew who should be getting their share of the full auto-daily amount. I'd be sticking it to them rather than to RCI corporate.

[bxl121]

I don't think they would have accepted cash -- purchases onboard are all charged to your SeaPass account, so for the manual transactions in which they can't swipe your card at a point-of-sale terminal, they will write down your folio number (unique to each SeaPass card) on a carbonless multi-copy receipt.

 

I'm pretty sure only extra gratuities can be paid in cash (or can optionally be charged to the onboard account if you write it on the receipt if one exists, such as an actual drink purchase at the bar).

 

Thank you. I kind of thought that there weren't any cash transactions on the ships. I guess one could think of it as hidden taxes, but it would suck to find out you had to pay 18% more on things. Thanks again OP for the warning.

[UCF_Knight]

Sorry they couldn't (or wouldn't) work it out for you. Thanks for letting us know. I agree that 18% should have been disclosed. I'm new to cruising, but I'm wondering what would of happened if you paid cash? Would they have come after you for the 18%?

 

Onboard shops, bars, etc don't deal in cash.

[Summerknight]

This practice is wrong. There should be a sign up clearly stating service fees or gratuities.

[spookwife]

Sorry they couldn't (or wouldn't) work it out for you. Thanks for letting us know. I agree that 18% should have been disclosed. I'm new to cruising, but I'm wondering what would of happened if you paid cash? Would they have come after you for the 18%?

 

paying cash is never an option for on board purchases.

[cb at sea]

I would have insisted the 18% be taken off my bill. This was a flat-out purchase of an item...not a "service" related thing.

[Ocean Boy]

It seems like anything that has a charge, unless it is bought in one of the shops, gets a gratuity added to it. RCI has gone way over board with this. They do disclose that 18% will be added to bar service. How they equate buying a glass in a venue that is not even a bar to being bar service is just ridiculous.

[fishbonz]

They will get you anyway they can I bought 5 empty cooler bags for $5.00 each mind you no ice or beer in them and each one had a 18% gratuity on it. Needless to say I still don't own a rccl cooler bag.

[postmeome]

Just pay your tips at the end of you cruise,and deduct any stupid charges...simples.

[moopetguy]

Just pay your tips at the end of you cruise,and deduct any stupid charges...simples.

 

But as I mentioned earlier, that would be screwing over the crew who are supposed to get those gratuities -- not sending any sort of message of protest to RCI corporate. Worse, the crew will think anyone reducing the tips is either cheap or thought they got bad service when that is not necessarily the case at all.