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Gratuities increasing from Jan 2nd.

lovescarborough

By lovescarborough,
in Celebrity Cruises

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upwarduk

upwarduk

Posted
Posted
The OP is simply saying it's not ethical to change the price after agreeing on it via a contract, and I agree with them.

The price hasn't been changed if you pre pay before your cruise.

 

Red travel

Check your invoice if you don't know whether you have pre paid or not. Everything if itemised on page 3.

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shipfriend_max

shipfriend_max

Posted
Posted

As such, I don't have a problem with those automatic gratuities. If I would, I wouldn't book any of the US cruise lines.

On my recent cruises with all those US lines (which I prefer) I always paid those automatic tips.

 

BUT: At some point, there are limits for me. Up to 13.50$ per day/person, I agree - but more than 14$ a day for more and more reduced service? Sorry, at some point, the value for money does not work for me anymore. 14 $ would be my personal limit, and if a cruise line allows you to cancel those gratuities, it should be aware that some cruisers do so.

RCI and Celebrity will take 14.50 $ a day from Jan 02nd, 2018, in regular stateroom categories.

 

Further, I dislike that guests with an existing booking are faced with accomplished facts. They booked under the conditions of 13.50 $ per day/person, and now they`re raised just like that? That's not okay.

For new booking effective from January 02nd, 2018, it would be okay. But not for existing resservations!

 

Princess and HAL are (still) taking 13.50 $ a day - for the level of service, food and overall cruise experience that's an amount I totally agree with. RCI and Celebrity, however, provide good service, but none that is worth 1 $ more a day/person than HAL/Princess.

 

There's always people, gooders who agree to everything the cruise line does, including reduced service and raised gratuities.

There's alwayy people who think negative and diagree to everything the cruise line does - that's not okay either.

And there's people like me, who understand changes and agree to certain points, but I have my limits and I weigh up whether the value for mone is still okay.

 

When will the cruise lines FINALLY learn to include the gratuities into the fare? That would stop all those discussions...

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upwarduk

upwarduk

Posted
Posted
Further, I dislike that guests with an existing booking are faced with accomplished facts. They booked under the conditions of 13.50 $ per day/person, and now they`re raised just like that? That's not okay.

 

 

You can still pay at the existing rate provided it’s before your cruise!:mad::mad:

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shipfriend_max

shipfriend_max

Posted
Posted
You can still pay at the existing rate provided it’s before your cruise!:mad::mad:

 

I know, but that's just another pseudo-concession to make the passengers pay their gratuities in advance.

Actually, as I told before, it would be correct if the newly booked passengers after Jan 02nd, 2018 would pay the new rate and the ones who booked earlier pay the old rate.

I don't know if it's even lawful to face the booked guests with accomplished facts and change their pricing conditions?!

 

 

THAT'S the fact that botheres me - not that I need to pay automatic grats.

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sanger727

sanger727

Posted
Posted
I know, but that's just another pseudo-concession to make the passengers pay their gratuities in advance.

 

Actually, as I told before, it would be correct if the newly booked passengers after Jan 02nd, 2018 would pay the new rate and the ones who booked earlier pay the old rate.

 

I don't know if it's even lawful to face the booked guests with accomplished facts and change their pricing conditions?!

 

 

 

 

 

THAT'S the fact that botheres me - not that I need to pay automatic grats.

 

 

 

It’s lawful in the US. Not sure about Germany. But their ‘get out of jail free card’ is the fact that the gratuities are not mandatory.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

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cheriberi

cheriberi

Posted
Posted (edited)

I have a cruise booked for March 2018 and am not very happy with the increase either. However, when I reviewed my confirmation (from the big box travel company) there is a section on gratuities that reads as follows:

 

Gratuities: It is customary to extend gratuities to the shipboard staff for their services. Celebrity Cruise Lines will automatically add a $13.50 per person per day gratuity for standard stateroom accommodations (Inside, Ocean View, and Balcony) $14.00 per person per day for Concierge and Aqua Class staterooms, and $17.00 per person per day for Suites to each guest’s onboard account. This gratuity will be shared amongst those staff who help provide and support your cruise experience, including all wait staff, stateroom stewards, buffet stewards, and housekeeping staff. All gratuity amounts reflect the current suggested amount by the cruise line and are subject to change without notice. Please note gratuities will be deemed undisputed unless a request to modify is received prior to disembarking the ship.

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Edited by cheriberi
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north29

north29

Posted
Posted

I have no problem with tipping the crew and always add more when GREAT service is done.

Too much focus on this thread about the adding of the tips to help the poor third world employees, when RCCL and all cruise lines profits are at an all time high, why doesn't the cruise line up there payment/salary for the crew instead of passing it on to the cruising public.

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Bo1953

Bo1953

Posted
Posted
I have no problem with tipping the crew and always add more when GREAT service is done.

Too much focus on this thread about the adding of the tips to help the poor third world employees, when RCCL and all cruise lines profits are at an all time high, why doesn't the cruise line up there payment/salary for the crew instead of passing it on to the cruising public.

 

That is an option for sure...

 

bon voyage

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derekjp47

derekjp47

Posted
Posted
How ethical is it to increase the daily gratuity rate after final payment as Celebrity has just done. I signed on at $13.50 per day and now I am told it's $14.50. Will the upcoming 29 day cruise $29.00) break me, no, but so far I have kept my side of the contract, paid everything as agreed upon, should not Celebrity be as ethical I am ?

Think about it, will I get on board with a chip on my shoulder, probably ! Who suffers, the crew, morale??

Please don't tell me about the fine print !!! Can I cancel and get full payment back, doubt it.

It should have been grandfathered to all who have made final payment on any of their cruises.

" You can't fix stupid !"

Chill out, if you have already paid your gratuities you are covered. If not, you have up to the time of your departure to pay at the current rate. If you wait and pay during your cruise you will be charged the higher rate. What can be fairer. Now, go enjoy your cruise !

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lovescarborough

lovescarborough

Posted
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Posted

As I started this thread I would like to add my thoughts.

We always prepay our gratuities and have never even thought of withdrawing them.

We always tip extra in cash where good service warrants it.

My biggest gripe is that Celebrity allow people to withdraw gratuities with no reason to do so. Okay a bad experience might count as a reason but usually it's just the old excuse of ' I like to tip individuals '

If the gratuities were to become an included service charge then it would not be the case that the majority are subsidising the miserly minority.

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davekathy

davekathy

Posted
Posted
As I started this thread I would like to add my thoughts.

We always prepay our gratuities and have never even thought of withdrawing them.

We always tip extra in cash where good service warrants it.

My biggest gripe is that Celebrity allow people to withdraw gratuities with no reason to do so. Okay a bad experience might count as a reason but usually it's just the old excuse of ' I like to tip individuals '

If the gratuities were to become an included service charge then it would not be the case that the majority are subsidising the miserly minority.

 

That is none of your business. And what makes you think "with no reason to do so"? Again none of your business.:rolleyes:

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RGEDad

RGEDad

Posted
Posted

Just FYI: Royal Caribbean is also increasing their normal gratuities on January 2. 2018

Royal Caribbean will be raising its automatic daily gratuity amount that guests pay night of their cruise beginning on January 2, 2018. Beginning January 2, 2018, guests will pay a $14.50 per guest per day service charge to each guest's SeaPass account on a daily basis. For guests in a Grand Suite or above, the amount is $17.50.

Prior to this change, the daily gratuity amount was $13.50 and $16.50.

If you have already prepaid your gratuities, you will be grandfathered into the current rates.

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EDLOS

EDLOS

Posted
Posted

Having copied the President of my TA (one of the largest), He agreed with thoughts and contacted Celebrity and got the following answer. You can on board, request the gratuity rate be honored at the original price and it will be changed.

Once a while Don Quixote Wins one !

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sanger727

sanger727

Posted
Posted

Congrats. Glad you are satisfied. I’m still going to pre-pay as planned. No idea if this message will actually be communicated from corporate to the actual ships and not going to waste my time on the ship dealing with it when I can just lock the rate in now.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

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chamima

chamima

Posted
Posted
Seems like people will do anything to save a dollar. The money is going to the crew who I believe works harder than the people complaining about the dollar per day increase.

 

 

We were pre-paid before this issue came up so I "have no horse in this race" as they say.

 

I'm just wondering if everyone thinks the crew will actually receive less per day from me than they will from my fellow passengers who are paying the $1/day more.

That would require the ship's accounting office to separate out all of the passenger accounts separately.

 

Again, I think the crew deserves far more than even what they get from our assigned gratuities and we make sure that, at least from us, they get it , but I just don't think they'll get anything different from people paying $13.50/day or $14.50/day.

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