Gratuities increasing from Jan 2nd.

[nancyshaw]

Just want to understand the information.

 

I called Celebrity. One rep said it is for all future cruises booked after January2 not any that are already booked.

 

Called again, to make sure I had it right and was told, it is for ALL cruises, already booked or future bookings. To start Jan 2.

 

SO.....Celebrity reps also have no clue...depending on who you speak to.

[davekathy]

Just want to understand the information.

 

I called Celebrity. One rep said it is for all future cruises booked after January2 not any that are already booked.

 

Called again, to make sure I had it right and was told, it is for ALL cruises, already booked or future bookings. To start Jan 2.

 

SO.....Celebrity reps also have no clue...depending on who you speak to.

 

You got it! Welcome to CC.

[PBC29]

Just want to understand the information.

I called Celebrity. One rep said it is for all future cruises booked after January2 not any that are already booked.

Called again, to make sure I had it right and was told, it is for ALL cruises, already booked or future bookings. To start Jan 2.

SO.....Celebrity reps also have no clue...depending on who you speak to.

 

Seems to be the case regardless of subject you ask them about.

[sfaaa]

Perhaps if Celebrity would just pay a decent wage to their staff, there wouldn't be these constant per diem gratuity increases. !

 

If employees are unhappy with their wages, they are free to find a better job somewhere else at the end of their contracts. Cruise lines are not holding their staff hostage.

[oneputt18]

From FAQ:

"For both new and existing reservations, the adjusted gratuity amounts are effective as of January 2nd, 2018. Guests currently

booked that have not yet prepaid their gratuities, will have until the time of sailing to do so at the old rate. After January 2nd, 2018,

gratuities paid while onboard are subject to the new, increased rates"

 

So, Celebrity contradicts itself, one says you have up to March, FAQ says you have until time of sailing.

[nancyshaw]

So once the ship sails...the old adage, your ship has sailed becomes fact.

[sanger727]

I just can't bring myself to prepay the grats and knowingly short change the hardworking follks who will provide service for our upcoming cruises.

It's $14 for the week!

 

 

 

So if you sail dec 15 and pay $13.50 you are not short changing the crew. And if you sail Jan 15 and prepay $13.50 you are short changing the crew? I understand that the gratuities will change ever so often with inflation but there’s a transition period in there where I really don’t think either choice is ‘wrong’. I will probably prepay and I won’t feel badly about it.

 

 

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[riandei]

Cruise Critic has shown before that it's not unusual for TA's to be behind the curve when it comes to changes.

 

 

 

Interesting

 

We booked with large TA that advertises here....we got an email about a month ago that we were getting ship board credit in lieu of PREPAID GRATS for our January cruise.

 

Is it possible that they knew.

[Ox Fan Cruiser]

YES, it's only $1 a day..... NOT a big deal.... BUT... it seems a wee bit "bait & Switchish" to take a booking for an agreed upon price and later change the deal. Shouldn't the cruise line HONOR the deal they made? I can see for future bookings, but to later say, "Oh by the way, remember when we sealed the deal, I'm gonna ruin my reputation with you by squeezing another buck". They spend MILLIONS on advertising yet squander it all for a mere $1. IMVHO,, very foolish.

[gerelmx]

A bit confused, what happen if you book a cruise for 2019 with included gratuities (due date same as final payment),

will these gratuities increase?

[davekathy]

A bit confused, what happen if you book a cruise for 2019 with included gratuities (due date same as final payment),

will these gratuities increase?

 

If your gratuities are included, does it really matter.:confused:

[upwarduk]

So, Celebrity contradicts itself, one says you have up to March, FAQ says you have until time of sailing?

No where was March mentioned in the email I was sent.

Guests currently booked that have not yet prepaid their gratuities, will have until the time of sailing to do so at the old rate.

I rang my TA this morning and asked for gratuities to be added to my account. I have up until 20/04/18 to pay with the balance of my account.

[Ox Fan Cruiser]

If your gratuities are included, does it matter.:confused:

I think he is asking if you must pay the difference.

[davekathy]

No where was March mentioned in the email I was sent.

 

We didn't even get an Email concerning the gratuities increase. What a surprise! We are doing a B2B 24 March and 31 March 2018. But our gratuities are paid for by our TA.

[gerelmx]

I think he is asking if you must pay the difference.

 

 

 

Yes , Celebrity will charge us the extra. ??? This is Not The free perk included

 

 

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[davekathy]

I think he is asking if you must pay the difference.

 

No. That's why it doesn't matter. Their gratuities are included from a Celebrity perk.

[Cruise Junky]

Do the staff deserve it, absolutely. Can I afford it, of course. But I do wish instead of just increasing them all the time they'd make them mandatory so everyone pays their fair share.

[davekathy]

Yes , Celebrity will charge us the extra. ??? This is Not The free perk included

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Explain "included" that you said in your post #35. :confused:

[gerelmx]

Explain "included" that you said in your post #35. :confused:

An apology if I did not give to understand

 

Our booking includes one free perk, We select OBC. Also we add prepaid gratuities at the current rate (not free), we will pay with the cruise until final payment day in 2019.

 

The question is when the final payment arrives celebrity will charge us the additional dollar Per Pax Per Day?

[davekathy]

An apology if I did not give to understand

 

Our booking includes one free perk, We select OBC. Also we add prepaid gratuities at the current rate (not free), we will pay with the cruise until final payment day in 2019.

 

The question is when the final payment arrives celebrity will charge us the additional dollar Per Pax Per Day?

 

You've added the option of prepaid gratuities to your booking but haven't paid for them yet. Correct?

Edited December 20, 2017 by davekathy

[Aulanis]

As many have said its only $1 if its all paid to the staff that is a 7.4%

pay rise - many of you getting that?? in the UK nurses have been limited to a 1% pay rise for 4 years.

[rose6]

As the per diem prices for crusing has significantly increased, I find the continual increase in the cost of tips to be more offensive. A 7.4% increase in a time of 2% inflation seems excessive. Celebrity has reduced it's cabin service crew from 2 to 1. Entertainment staff has been cut and the overall cruise experience has suffered. I have always felt that it was the cruise line's responsibility to pay it's staff a fair wage. Over the years I have read explanations on these forums saying that the crew prefer tips to wages for tax avoidance purposes. I believe it is immoral to knowingly support such a scheme. Tips should be paid based on the quality of service received, not on cruise line

dictates. Raising tip pricing long after the initial booking agreement is also off putting. Corporate greed is never attractive, but in the current political climate of tax give aways to the rich and large corporations it is particularly offensive.

[fshagan]

I have always felt that it was the cruise line's responsibility to pay it's staff a fair wage. Over the years I have read explanations on these forums saying that the crew prefer tips to wages for tax avoidance purposes. I believe it is immoral to knowingly support such a scheme. Tips should be paid based on the quality of service received, not on cruise line

dictates. Raising tip pricing long after the initial booking agreement is also off putting. Corporate greed is never attractive, but in the current political climate of tax give aways to the rich and large corporations it is particularly offensive.

 

The staff are paid a contracted amount that is guaranteed by their union. It's not a lot of money by western standards, but it is for the staff. I don't know if the daily gratuity on X is "promised" to go to the staff or not, but I do know the staff must receive the wages their union negotiated, even if the ship sails empty. Perhaps the gratuity is extra, or the gratuity is part of those wages (I would bet the latter, but I don't know for sure). Cabin stewards earn about $1,000 US per month (but you know how hard they work for that $1,000). It is three to four times what they would earn for similar work in a hotel at home.

 

As to tips not being taxable, there is no tax avoidance scheme involved. Several countries do not tax tip income in order to serve their own country's purposes. The Philippines, for example, exclude tip income from their progressive tax system in order to encourage people to temporarily work abroad and bring needed cash back into the system. It is to their benefit to not tax tip income.

 

The tipping system is not where the corporate greed is in play. It is in the favorable tax treatment the cruise lines enjoy. No US cruise line with ships flagged under another country pays any federal corporate income tax on the earnings from foreign ship-based activities (including our cruise fares, alcohol purchases, etc.) They are leveraging a loop hole in the federal tax code under section 883. In the RCL 10-K filed with the SEC, at the end of section 23.3 is their conclusion as to why they do not pay federal income tax:

 

Based upon, and subject to the factual representations and assumptions described above, and the legal authorities and limitations set forth below, it is our opinion that the income of the Company, and its direct and indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries that own, charter or operate a ship or ships, to the extent derived from or incidental to the operation of a ship or ships, is exempt from Federal income tax pursuant to Code section 883.

[ano]

The sad part is, I have never seen any proof that the cruise companies pay the employees these gratuities, or more likely they do pay them to workers, but they remove a giant "service charge."

[Miaminice]

The sad part is, I have never seen any proof that the cruise companies pay the employees these gratuities, or more likely they do pay them to workers, but they remove a giant "service charge."

 

And both accusations are totally incorrect!

 

One can debate if the gratuity system or a payment of fixed salaries would be the better way.

However, these statements are incorrect and mostly used by people who need an excuse to remove gratuities.

 

Do you honestly believe people would work on the ships of the Royal Caribbean Corporation for years if this was true?!

 

You can make up your own mind, but you can´t make up your own facts!