Forgot to add gratuities

[Vitality08]

I'm so upset with myself. I've been meaning to prepay my lower gratuities before the deadline but completely forgot. I remembered this morning only to find out that last night at midnight was the deadline for the lower gratuities.

 

This was the second increase in gratuities since I booked and I missed both.

 

What makes me even more mad at myself if that I discovered today that I didn't even have to actually pay for the gratuities, I just had to add it to the booking.

[Ourusualbeach]

No point in getting upset with yourself over saving less than $10 for a 7 day cruise for 2.

[Bound4Bermuda]

Did you check today's sale with the free port fees/taxes? If your booking qualifies to price adjust, maybe that would about cover what you'd pay in gratuities, depending on where your current/their current fare rate falls, of course.

 

 

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[Tripper10]

You can adjust gratuities on board at the service desk.

[Thetrail]

I'm so upset with myself. I've been meaning to prepay my lower gratuities before the deadline but completely forgot. I remembered this morning only to find out that last night at midnight was the deadline for the lower gratuities.

 

This was the second increase in gratuities since I booked and I missed both.

 

What makes me even more mad at myself if that I discovered today that I didn't even have to actually pay for the gratuities, I just had to add it to the booking.

It's less than ten dollars, you won't starve!.....:rolleyes:

[ColoradoGurl]

I love how someone can determine that another person can't afford to cruise because they wanted to save a few bucks.

 

And where did they say they weren't going to tip? The cruise line offered the option to pay less before a certain date. There is nothing wrong with wanting to take advantage of that offer.

 

I didn't mean she didn't want to tip at all (although some people have suggested removing the tips once on board, so in those cases, I AM referring to not tipping at all), I was referring to tipping the extra (and more than fair) amount, as I think the tips are really low as it is. Until they change the auto tips to over $100 a person, I wouldn't bat an eye. So I just don't get the complaints over another $20. You guys...its TWENTY DOLLARS!!! The fact that you're talking about $20 as "saving a few bucks," in the scheme of a vacation cost, to me means you're on a budget that's a little too close for comfort for me. I realize not everyone has a cushion of cash when they travel, but it should certainly be enough that $20 won't kill (or upset) you. That's just my take on it.

Edited April 14, 2016 by ColoradoGurl

[marci22]

I didn't mean she didn't want to tip at all (although some people have suggested removing the tips once on board, so in those cases, I AM referring to not tipping at all), I was referring to tipping the extra (and more than fair) amount, as I think the tips are really low as it is. Until they change the auto tips to over $100 a person, I wouldn't bat an eye. So I just don't get the complaints over another $20. You guys...its TWENTY DOLLARS!!! The fact that you're talking about $20 as "saving a few bucks," in the scheme of a vacation cost, to me means you're on a budget that's a little too close for comfort for me. I realize not everyone has a cushion of cash when they travel, but it should certainly be enough that $20 won't kill (or upset) you. That's just my take on it.

 

This post is ridiculous. You sound like you are very bad with money. I hope you don't handle other peoples' money in any way.

[Eslader]

You know how truly wealthy people get wealthy? By watching every dime they spend and not saying it's only xxx dollars.

 

Well, in fairness if we're going to start talking about saving as much money as possible we should probably stop going on cruises at all, right? ;)

 

Dropping 2 grand on a cruise but begrudging paying $20 extra so that people from third world countries can live a little better does seem a bit petty, doesn't it?

 

I think the point was valid - if an unexpected $20 payment is devastating to you, then you probably shouldn't be spending 4 figures on a vacation. Put that money in the bank so that when unexpected expenses like car repairs or dead appliances crop up, you aren't left gasping for proverbial air.

 

I also think your point is valid - randomly throwing money around because "you can afford it" is a very bad idea. There are lots of people with high incomes who are one bad month away from bankruptcy because they're too loose with their money.

 

But the secret lies in finding the appropriate balance. You need to watch what you spend, but you can't be so miserly as to be upset about giving a tiny fraction of what you're spending for a vacation to the people who make that vacation so pleasant for you and for whom that $20 represents a whole lot more than it means to those of us fortunate enough to live in a rich country and have sufficiently high incomes that we can afford to cruise.

[Ms Jo UK]

On this board I read time and time again to tip the crew they are so badly paid and do such an excellent job. Reading these boards regularly you get the impression everyone tips more than the standard.

 

So with that said wwhat does it matter that tips have gone up a few $s.

 

I could have prepaid before the deadline but didnt bother and that is from a brit who doesnt come from a big tipping culture.

 

So prepaying or tipping extra in cash what is the difference - please explain.

[mollyeilis]

On this board I read time and time again to tip the crew they are so badly paid and do such an excellent job. Reading these boards regularly you get the impression everyone tips more than the standard.

 

So with that said wwhat does it matter that tips have gone up a few $s.

 

I could have prepaid before the deadline but didnt bother and that is from a brit who doesnt come from a big tipping culture.

 

So prepaying or tipping extra in cash what is the difference - please explain.

 

Well, the thing is, there's no one answer on the board. It's different people answering the questions.

 

I booked a December cruise ages ago, and have weathered both of the gratuity raises that the OP is talking about, but I put them onto my cruise before the last one, so I've "prepaid" them, and will be automatically giving two raises less than someone else who booked today.

 

I get her frustration. She doesn't say she can't afford it, she doesn't say she won't be adding to the tips, she strictly talks about frustration with herself. I mean, why pay more than you have to?

 

My being glad that I "prepaid" the gratuities before the previous raise doesn't mean I won't tip more. It means that I'm glad I won't pay more than I absolutely have to. I've "paid" tips in line with what it was when I booked. If Royal didn't want to give us this opportunity they would just raise it for everyone no matter what.

 

And as we found on our recent Freedom cruise (and on a Disney cruise or two), they aren't all excellent. They don't always deserve even more. I would never decrease the auto-tips, but we don't always go crazy with extra tipping.

[cb at sea]

Not a big deal...the staff deserves the little extra! Just means you won't need to tip additionally!

[BeachChik]

Not a big deal...the staff deserves the little extra! Just means you won't need to tip additionally!

 

:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

[Big_G]

I love it. You throw out a rude comment and somehow it's everyone else's fault.

 

LOL! Her original comment was deleted along with my very polite response. While I wouldn't be that concerned over a $20 savings on prepaid grats, I certainly wouldn't criticize someone that is. :confused:

[sfaaa]

It's less than ten dollars, you won't starve!.....:rolleyes:

 

Bad advice. Why wouldn't you want to save $10 if you are in a position to do so?

[Goodtime Cruizin]

On this board I read time and time again to tip the crew they are so badly paid and do such an excellent job. Reading these boards regularly you get the impression everyone tips more than the standard.

 

So with that said wwhat does it matter that tips have gone up a few $s.

 

I could have prepaid before the deadline but didnt bother and that is from a brit who doesnt come from a big tipping culture.

 

So prepaying or tipping extra in cash what is the difference - please explain.

 

It didn't & hasn't bothered me. I typically toss 20% as a tip and RCCL's 18% gratuity is still below this!

[time4u2go]

I love it. You throw out a rude comment and somehow it's everyone else's fault.

 

Maybe try not being so judgmental and rude and others might not feel the need to respond in kind.

 

And you might want to take some financial classes if you say you don't worry about $20. You know how truly wealthy people get wealthy? By watching every dime they spend and not saying it's only xxx dollars.

 

And saying that you have enough money that you pay someone to manage it means nothing. I can say I'm the queen of England with millions of dollars in the bank. Doesn't make it true.

 

I knew of a relative that was fairly well-off financially, but continued to clip coupons from the Sunday paper. When someone once asked her why she continued to clip coupons despite having so much money, she answered, "How do you think I got all the money?"

[Steelheader13]

If you felt like you were overpaying for the gratuities couldn't you just go to customer service and lower the amount by $20 at the end of the cruise?

 

I never would, unless the service was horrendous.

 

I am no veteran cruiser, but the one cruise I have taken, a little 4 day-er, I gave a nice gift of stationary (which I think she genuinely loved) to our wonderful cabin steward in the beginning and a thank you card with $25 in it, at the end. We also tipped a little cash when service was great at our meals and for bar service.

 

We will never be rich, BUT, we are VERY HAPPY, isn't that what's most important? It did not kill our vacation budget in any way.

 

We do not come from rich backgrounds and many of our family members have worked in the service industry. We have heard them tell of true stories of poor tippers.

Edited April 14, 2016 by Steelheader13

[JZ1018]

But $20 is like 2 drinks ;) :D

[critterchick]

But $20 is like 2 drinks ;) :D

 

Where have you been? It's more like 1.5 drinks now.:eek:

 

OP, sorry you missed the deadline for paying at the lower rate.

[NewSalt]

I told my DH that the gratuities were going up but that if we prepaid before the rate increase, we could tip at the old rate. He looked at me quizzically and said, "Are we so badly off that we need to save $10 at the expense of those people who are so poor and work their posteriors off to make our trip enjoyable?"

 

I remembered again why I love him.

[John&LaLa]

My TA pays our tips. One less thing to not worry about. But I agree, I wouldn't get bent out of shape for $20.