Information for cruisers who pre-paid their tips

[kkaren]

I pre-paid my gratuities to save approx $25 on the price of my cruise. I booked early saver so as the price of my cruise went down I applied for the lower price. This was granted but I now have to pay the higher gratuity price.

 

I was told that if you change your booking in any way you are no longer able to get the lower price for the gratuities. Hope this information is helpful to others.

[firemanbobswife]

Yes that is correct. So make sure you include the extra $0.95 pp per day when calculating out your actual savings. Also the port fees may change as well.

Edited June 9, 2016 by firemanbobswife

[Bases5]

Thanks for the heads up.

As mentioned port taxes can go up

plus you can lose previous OBC if you had it.

Another side note. If you reserved you cruise

with a reduced deposit. The full deposit could

Needed at the time of your price reduction

[Micahs Grandad]

As a wise man once said, the devil is in the details.

[NHNEV2003]

Yep--this happened to me yesterday when I got approved for the price drop but the gratuities were adjusted--the new balance due is a few $$ more than before.

 

Hopefully will see another price drop before November. :)

[shof515]

looks like i have kinda have to give up watching for price drops for my next 3 cruises :(

[Greggy_D]

As I mentioned in another thread this happened to me when I requested a ES price adjustment. One booking they raised the tip amount, the other booking they left alone.

 

I don't agree with this practice so on the cruise I'm going to have GS adjust the one booking's tips back to the original amount.

[maldenmusic]

Good info to know

[CruisinMama7]

I've always booked Early Saver & have yet to receive OBC (probably from the type of rooms I book, but I have also booked interiors & reg balconies). Even gave up looking for a lower price. Going to book Military rate from now on, be done with it and focus on other aspects of the cruise. It's all good. ;)

[MCFTJCH2V]

I pre-paid my gratuities to save approx $25 on the price of my cruise. I booked early saver so as the price of my cruise went down I applied for the lower price. This was granted but I now have to pay the higher gratuity price.

 

I was told that if you change your booking in any way you are no longer able to get the lower price for the gratuities. Hope this information is helpful to others.

 

You can adjust your tips to anything you want once on board. Still not sure why anyone prepare tips before service is rendered. And really don't care. We tip in cash using Carnivals guidelines as nothing more than guidelines.

Edited June 10, 2016 by MCFTJCH2V

[SadieN]

looks like i have kinda have to give up watching for price drops for my next 3 cruises :(

 

 

Even if a cruise goes down $20 you'll still be ahead of the game. Assuming 2 pax on a 7 day cruise. That's a $14 increase in gratuities.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[lizardhowson]

We tip in cash using Carnivals guidelines as nothing more than guidelines.

 

While tipping is completely at one's discretion, doing the "cash" thing in lieu of auto tipping, most fail to tip all those behind the scenes employees who clean up after you and provide basic services beyond your steward, waiters, bartenders - those such as cooks, bussers, those who clean up the deck areas (the list goes on & on) are cut out of being tipped.

[TerReuv]

While tipping is completely at one's discretion, doing the "cash" thing in lieu of auto tipping, most fail to tip all those behind the scenes employees who clean up after you and provide basic services beyond your steward, waiters, bartenders - those such as cooks, bussers, those who clean up the deck areas (the list goes on & on) are cut out of being tipped.

 

Not wanting to get into a tipping discussion, but I get so tired of people saying we should tip folks that are salaried! Also, ones that don't wait on me or serve me. The dishwashers and cooks are salaried employees with no customer contact. So, no tip. (Don't even get me started on the "entertainment staff" tipping.)

[Je Souhaite]

While tipping is completely at one's discretion, doing the "cash" thing in lieu of auto tipping, most fail to tip all those behind the scenes employees who clean up after you and provide basic services beyond your steward, waiters, bartenders - those such as cooks, bussers, those who clean up the deck areas (the list goes on & on) are cut out of being tipped.

 

Do you do that often? Tip people you never have contact with, never meet, who are actually salaried, because they have a contract that pays them a salary because they do not have a tipping contact position? And are working up to a tipping postion while trying to meet the standards that will allow them to move to a tipping position?

 

I'd love to see that interview. "You will get tips from people you never meet or serve".

 

Educate yourself as to which employees get a negotiated salary, and which ones get $50 a month with the rest augmented by tips.

[GUT2407]

Yep.

 

When you change your booking you change all the elements.

 

Fare

Grats

OBC

Fees and Taxes

 

 

Everything.

[dave76310]

Why do port fees change when you change to a lower fare? Yeah, I'm nieve enough to believe that all monies collected for this actually go to the port, like they imply it is supposed to. Silly me.

[TerReuv]

Why do port fees change when you change to a lower fare? Yeah, I'm nieve enough to believe that all monies collected for this actually go to the port, like they imply it is supposed to. Silly me.

 

First, they don't always change. In my three cruises, I have been able to get price drops and the port charges have not changed.

 

I think it depends on if the port changes it's fees. Yes, all that money does go to the ports. However, sometimes the fee changes. If you don't price match to get a drop, then no worries as you are locked into the charge when you booked. But, if the fee goes up AND you do a price match then your port fees will go up.

 

I would be interested to know how many people have actually had the port fees change when they did a price match.

[shof515]

Even if a cruise goes down $20 you'll still be ahead of the game. Assuming 2 pax on a 7 day cruise. That's a $14 increase in gratuities.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

the price went down but the port tax went up..so i will be losing money instead :(

[firemanbobswife]

First, they don't always change. In my three cruises, I have been able to get price drops and the port charges have not changed.

 

 

 

I think it depends on if the port changes it's fees. Yes, all that money does go to the ports. However, sometimes the fee changes. If you don't price match to get a drop, then no worries as you are locked into the charge when you booked. But, if the fee goes up AND you do a price match then your port fees will go up.

 

 

 

I would be interested to know how many people have actually had the port fees change when they did a price match.

 

 

I have. But on just about every cruise I also get a portion of those back in the for of OBC. Typically around $4-$6.

[elliair]

Not wanting to get into a tipping discussion, but I get so tired of people saying we should tip folks that are salaried! Also, ones that don't wait on me or serve me. The dishwashers and cooks are salaried employees with no customer contact. So, no tip. (Don't even get me started on the "entertainment staff" tipping.)

 

You have a very valid point! This tipping stuff (outside of the cruising industry), has gotten way out of hand. When you go to a restaurant, you don't tip the cook or the person who busses your table, you tip the waitress because she's the one running back and forth getting you whatever you want and need. We had a guy out the other day to clean our pellet stove. DH asked me "Should I give him a tip?" I said no, his profit is already factored into his service call and on top of that he charged us mileage! Another pet peeve are hotel housekeepers. I quit tipping them because they never say thank you.

[pmang]

Not wanting to get into a tipping discussion, but I get so tired of people saying we should tip folks that are salaried! Also, ones that don't wait on me or serve me. The dishwashers and cooks are salaried employees with no customer contact. So, no tip. (Don't even get me started on the "entertainment staff" tipping.)

 

 

Just something you may not have thought of with the "entertainment staff" tipping... You do realize that they have duties outside of performing where maybe a gratuity is deserved. Walking around on embarkation day wearing "ask me" shirts and answering all kinds of questions certainly are not what their primary job entails. That's just an example.... Dancers also help organize people on port days and debarkation. Just a thought...

[AK Wife]

As I mentioned in another thread this happened to me when I requested a ES price adjustment. One booking they raised the tip amount, the other booking they left alone.

 

I don't agree with this practice so on the cruise I'm going to have GS adjust the one booking's tips back to the original amount.

 

I believe your experience is due to the date of gratuity increase. The following is direct from Carnival site:

"Please note, effective for all cruises departing on or after September 1, 2016, the recommended gratuities amount will increase from $12.00 USD to $12.95 USD per person, per day for guests in standard stateroom accommodations and to $13.95 USD per person, per day for guests booked in suites. If gratuities are added to your booking by May 9, 2016 and paid in full by the final payment date, you will not be subject to the increased amount."

The increased gratuity is only for cruises ON or AFTER September 1. :)

[Sparky2]

I pre-paid my gratuities to save approx $25 on the price of my cruise. I booked early saver so as the price of my cruise went down I applied for the lower price. This was granted but I now have to pay the higher gratuity price.

 

I was told that if you change your booking in any way you are no longer able to get the lower price for the gratuities. Hope this information is helpful to others.

 

Thanks so much for telling us this. We also prepaid our gratuities cuz on a B2B (14 days) it saved us $26.60. I hadn't thought about that change, but I don't really expect to get any price drops so I doubt if I'll have that problem.

[Elaine5715]

As I mentioned in another thread this happened to me when I requested a ES price adjustment. One booking they raised the tip amount, the other booking they left alone.

 

I don't agree with this practice so on the cruise I'm going to have GS adjust the one booking's tips back to the original amount.

 

Because that .95 a day will break the bank?

[Elaine5715]

You have a very valid point! This tipping stuff (outside of the cruising industry), has gotten way out of hand. When you go to a restaurant, you don't tip the cook or the person who busses your table, you tip the waitress because she's the one running back and forth getting you whatever you want and need. We had a guy out the other day to clean our pellet stove. DH asked me "Should I give him a tip?" I said no, his profit is already factored into his service call and on top of that he charged us mileage! Another pet peeve are hotel housekeepers. I quit tipping them because they never say thank you.

 

In land restaurants, wait staff tip out the bus boys whether the guests tip or not. The bar tender tips out bar backs who keep the bar supplied. Wait staff tip out bartenders.