Prepaying gratuities

[firemanbobswife]

If you go to guest services they will give you a breakdown of your tips. Lodo, mdr, room service, steward, etc.

 

Personally, I don't tip what I don't use. To me, it's not fair to tip room service and MDR if I never go there or use room service and I'm always on the lido and in my room causing those two departments to work extra hard. So, I move my tips around to who I use the most. Plus, tip extra when service is amazing. When I was on the valor in a suite, our steward, haru, earned himself an extra $100 for being absurdly amazing. Dude was like a ninja and cleaned our room like 4 times a day

 

Yeah, I don't have time for that. I know everyone that is supposed to be getting what they are supposed to be getting by leaving it the way it is. The same waiters also work in Room Service, Tea Time, Lido, breakfast/brunch, etc. They all have secondary jobs with their pay coming from tips (along with their hourly or contracted rate or whatever) from the MDR not from their "other" jobs from what I understand. I also do give extra to the RS and waitstaff.

 

I don't stress about moving dollars around. They are all hard working and while they might not serve me in the MDR, I will be served by a waiter at some point. I only hope that their tables at dinner didn't remove their gratuities. At least you don't remove tips totally so there's that.

[deborahjo]

We have never pre-paid and just treat it as a travel expense.

 

It really comes down to how you like to handle your money and what your style is. If you like to feel like everything is pre-paid, go for it. If you feel like you are paying for unproven service then wait.

 

 

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Isn't that what Carnival is doing by calling these tips no matter when you pay. It is a service charge and nothing more or nothing less.

 

Tips are paid for services rendered. Even if you pay on the ship they are charged on the second or third day. So you are still paying for services not rendered yet no matter how you pay.

 

 

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[k_y30]

Yeah, I don't have time for that. I know everyone that is supposed to be getting what they are supposed to be getting by leaving it the way it is. The same waiters also work in Room Service, Tea Time, Lido, breakfast/brunch, etc. They all have secondary jobs with their pay coming from tips (along with their hourly or contracted rate or whatever) from the MDR not from their "other" jobs from what I understand. I also do give extra to the RS and waitstaff.

 

I don't stress about moving dollars around. They are all hard working and while they might not serve me in the MDR, I will be served by a waiter at some point. I only hope that their tables at dinner didn't remove their gratuities. At least you don't remove tips totally so there's that.

To each their own. There's nothing wrong with how you do it or how I do it. I've also read that carnival will sometimes take a percentage of the gratuity as well so that's why I'm more anal about making sure the services I use get more of the pie

[firemanbobswife]

Isn't that what Carnival is doing by calling these tips no matter when you pay. It is a service charge and nothing more or nothing less.

Tips are paid for services rendered. Even if you pay on the ship they are charged on the second or third day. So you are still paying for services not rendered yet no matter how you pay.

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I have said for a very long time that they just need to go ahead and call it a service charge and be done with it. When you tell people in their contracts that guests will be paying you "x" amount per day and it's expected, then it's really not a tip.

[LMaxwell]

I let them charge me onboard; by the time the cruise rolls around I usually have a good amount of onboard credit to offset the charge.

[firemanbobswife]

To each their own. There's nothing wrong with how you do it or how I do it. I've also read that carnival will sometimes take a percentage of the gratuity as well so that's why I'm more anal about making sure the services I use get more of the pie

That isn't correct. Carnival does not take a percentage of the tips.

[A&Jfamily]

Isn't that what Carnival is doing by calling these tips no matter when you pay. It is a service charge and nothing more or nothing less.

 

Tips are paid for services rendered. Even if you pay on the ship they are charged on the second or third day. So you are still paying for services not rendered yet no matter how you pay.

 

 

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I was only referring to other people's philosophy as to why they don't pre-pay. I stated that I don't pre-pay but also feel it is just a travel expense.

 

It doesn't bother me whenever they put it on there and just gets paid when we get home. And the LAST thing I would do is worry about removing from MDR and adding to Lido or some silly such thing. I'm on vacation....I'm trusting Carnival to divide it up as they see fit!

 

 

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[lizardhowson]

I've also read that carnival will sometimes take a percentage of the gratuity

 

Do you really think Carnival would risk "stealing" a few measly dollars out of the employee tip pool when it would put their entire corporation at economic risk of an easy to win civil suit.

 

Besides, informed sources have stated that Carnival posts ledgers of how the auto tips that are not removed by cruisers are distributed each week for their tipped employees.

[jcas5599]

Carnival Glory 9/16/17 - Is there a way to not have my tipping be charged to my card??????

 

here is my issue with tipping- I was told by a crew member of Royal, that although we tip via automatic on our credit cards, they don't get them.. maybe it was true, maybe not.... but it raises my issue:

 

1) Tipping should not be implied. Yes, I am a good tipper (20% or more) but I resent the fact that someone forces me.... Don't take my money before I even get on the ship....

2) If I am going to tip someone, then I should be allowed to tip what I think and not what someone else thinks I should tip....I think a spa tip of 18% is ridiculous.... Again, when I have to sign something to the room, leave it there for me to put in the tip...that way you will actually get more out of me...

3) I truly believe that housecleaners need the tip more than the head waiter guy that I have never even talked to.... why am I forced to tip him when he doesn't even do anything?

4) Waiters, yes tip away... I am all for it.... Bar tenders? Tip away.. cleaning staff, tip away....

 

Again, I am all for tipping, but I would rather do it cause I want to than having it forced down my throat.

 

 

Don't force me to tip by putting it on my card....

[Saint Greg]

Carnival Glory 9/16/17 - Is there a way to not have my tipping be charged to my card??????

 

here is my issue with tipping- I was told by a crew member of Royal, that although we tip via automatic on our credit cards, they don't get them.. maybe it was true, maybe not.... but it raises my issue:

 

1) Tipping should not be implied. Yes, I am a good tipper (20% or more) but I resent the fact that someone forces me.... Don't take my money before I even get on the ship....

2) If I am going to tip someone, then I should be allowed to tip what I think and not what someone else thinks I should tip....I think a spa tip of 18% is ridiculous.... Again, when I have to sign something to the room, leave it there for me to put in the tip...that way you will actually get more out of me...

3) I truly believe that housecleaners need the tip more than the head waiter guy that I have never even talked to.... why am I forced to tip him when he doesn't even do anything?

4) Waiters, yes tip away... I am all for it.... Bar tenders? Tip away.. cleaning staff, tip away....

 

Again, I am all for tipping, but I would rather do it cause I want to than having it forced down my throat.

 

 

Don't force me to tip by putting it on my card....

 

Do you know how many people would stiff the workers if they didn't have autogratuity? I'm going to guess...A lot. Then they have trouble keeping employees because they aren't making enough money so they have to raise ticket prices to subsidize the stiffers.

 

The way it is now most of the blue cards probably don't realize what hit them until the last night when they get their bill. Then they have to stand in a long line at guest services if they want to remove them.

[cruziJenn]

May I also suggest tipping your room steward a little extra right up front. We usually (depending on their attitude lol) ante up $10 when we first meet our steward and hope that that will give him or her a little extra incentive for the week ahead. It often makes them more congenial as well and we love to actually get to know the people that will be doing so much for us every day.

 

When you get good or excellent service in the MDR it is often bcs the head waiter is making sure that his/her team are doing their best....and with a genuine smile instead of maybe being nervous or even miserable. The first head waiter that we ever had in MDR actually became a very good friend during our cruise and we never lacked or had to wait too long for anything....and after a night or 2 it became very obvious to us that he was behind all of that. We have never had that same level of quality again but it allowed us to see how a good MDR wait team should operate.

[jayscore]

One positive (among a few) for prepaying gratuities is if the price goes up you're grandfathered.

 

Been there!;)

[Moviela]

That isn't correct. Carnival does not take a percentage of the tips.

 

They also pay the points the credit card company charges Carnival. So if their is a dollar tip on your sign and sail statement, the entire tipped amount goes to the employee.

[SkyPiglet]

I do "Autogratuities" and always pre-pay. My reason is, like others have said, there are many people behind the scenes that are easy to overlook when handing out tips on a person by person basis. The workers make very close to nothing (I have read about $2 per day) directly from the line, and so those tips are the VAST majority of their income. So yes, the auto-gratuities are basically a service charge. As for pre-paying, or paying them as part of the Sail and Sign bill, either is ethically fine in my book, but I prefer pre-paying because then it's a done deal, and I don't need to think about it anymore.

 

I do hand out some one-on-one tips to the steward and waitstaff who go above and beyond, but that is in addition to the auto gratuities.

 

There is an article on this site that explains it here, if you are interested.

[HappyHawk1975]

Stupid Question, is this a non Australian Cruise thing? We have done 2 cruises out of Sydney and are Cruising from Honolulu to Sydney on the Legend in September, I assume this is not relevant for this cruise also...?

 

 

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[SkyPiglet]

Stupid Question, is this a non Australian Cruise thing? We have done 2 cruises out of Sydney and are Cruising from Honolulu to Sydney on the Legend in September, I assume this is not relevant for this cruise also...?

 

 

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Yes. Since tipping and dependence on tipping is a very American tradition, it is in place for cruises with a primarily American customer base. So all for the cruises in North America follow that model. I don't know how they handle European cruises. The other day, John Heald confirmed that with Australian cruises, the service charges are part of the cruise fare that goes to the employees, so gratuities are not necessary. Honestly... that makes a lot more sense to me. :)

 

Edit: I didn't read your post properly. What I said applies to Australian cruises. I have no idea about leaving from Honolulu, since that is a US port. I would ask if there was an option to "pre-pay" gratuities when you booked? If so, then the gratuities probably would be appropriate.

Edited August 6, 2017 by SkyPiglet
SkyPiglet has poor reading comprehension.

[HappyHawk1975]

Yes. Since tipping and dependence on tipping is a very American tradition, it is in place for cruises with a primarily American customer base. So all for the cruises in North America follow that model. I don't know how they handle European cruises. The other day, John Heald confirmed that with Australian cruises, the service charges are part of the cruise fare that goes to the employees, so gratuities are not necessary. Honestly... that makes a lot more sense to me. :)

 

Edit: I didn't read your post properly. What I said applies to Australian cruises. I have no idea about leaving from Honolulu, since that is a US port. I would ask if there was an option to "pre-pay" gratuities when you booked? If so, then the gratuities probably would be appropriate.

 

 

 

Thanks & we were not given any option so I assume this as per our other Australia destination cruises being Sydney.

 

 

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[jimbo5544]

Do you know how many people would stiff the workers if they didn't have autogratuity? I'm going to guess...A lot. Then they have trouble keeping employees because they aren't making enough money so they have to raise ticket prices to subsidize the stiffers.

 

 

 

The way it is now most of the blue cards probably don't realize what hit them until the last night when they get their bill. Then they have to stand in a long line at guest services if they want to remove them.

 

 

 

Your first two sentences the the quoted posters last sentence say it all.......

 

 

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[Jenna2407]

I haven't pre paid this time (i did on my norweigan cruise in feb).

I was told, from a fellow cruiser, to ask them to remove tips and then just tip as i go along?

Can i do this? Should i do this?

 

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[Saint Greg]

I haven't pre paid this time (i did on my norweigan cruise in feb).

I was told, from a fellow cruiser, to ask them to remove tips and then just tip as i go along?

Can i do this? Should i do this?

 

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[Jenna2407]

Helpful 🤔🤔🤔

 

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[BunnieBear]

My favoured route would to be to have all charges covered in the price you pay for the cruise, rather than dividing it out, but that not being the case I have prepaid mine so that the back-room staff get some too. We've seen it all too often where bar staff get tipped hundreds over the course of the holiday whereas the laundry get nothing as they're not around where customers are spending.

 

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[Jenna2407]

My favoured route would to be to have all charges covered in the price you pay for the cruise, rather than dividing it out, but that not being the case I have prepaid mine so that the back-room staff get some too. We've seen it all too often where bar staff get tipped hundreds over the course of the holiday whereas the laundry get nothing as they're not around where customers are spending.

 

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Yeah im the same bunnie, i would just rather them be included in the price u pay!

Just checked and your english like me... we like things simple 😂

 

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[Schoifmom]

I haven't pre paid this time (i did on my norweigan cruise in feb).

I was told, from a fellow cruiser, to ask them to remove tips and then just tip as i go along?

Can i do this? Should i do this?

 

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Your "fellow cruiser" is flat-out wrong. Can you do this? Yes. SHOULD YOU? No.

 

 

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[Saint Greg]

Helpful 🤔🤔🤔

 

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The thread is helpful if you read it.

 

There are people you don't come in contact with who rely on those tips. I would just consider it part of the fare and just tip additional where you feel it is warranted.