Gratuities when sailing from Australia

[ScotsCouple500]

Hi we are booked on the Solstice sailing from Sydney to Auckland in November this year. According to the CruiseCritic web site gratuities automatically included in the fare.

 

Can anyone please confirm if this is the case?

 

Many thanks

[scotslizzy]

We booked through celebrity in UK and the gratuities are additional.

It is the Australian cruisers that do not pay additional tips. But remember they will be included in the price that the Australian's pay in their base price.

 

We just did our normal and pay the gratuities up front so no bill at the end of the cruise. This was for a cruise in Feb this year.

 

Scotslizzy

[ScotsCouple500]

Hi many thanks for the information re gratuities. Hope that you enjoyed your cruise

[barbette165]

Drink prices etc on board, already include the gratuity, so there is no 18% added to the displayed price.

[The_Big_M]

Agreed, Australian bookings have the gratuities already included.

 

As above, drinks on sailings in Australian waters also have the price adjusted to include the tip in the price. The price is higher to include that, making it similar to the price + tip on US sailings (but just rounded as well).

[lais]

But...if you do give s little addition tip with a drink or room service etc it goes a looong way on Australian sailings.

[Muffinz]

We sailed on Solstice recently in Australia and tips / gratuities are included on all Australia / New Zealand Cruises

[NantahalaCruiser]

We sailed on Solstice recently in Australia and tips / gratuities are included on all Australia / New Zealand Cruises

It depends on which website you are booking. The US website has fares without gratuities, includes gratuities as one of the four perks that you can choose and if you do not choose gratuities as one of your perks gives you the choice to prepay of not prepay gratuities.

[SFCAcruiser]

It depends on which website you are booking. The US website has fares without gratuities, includes gratuities as one of the four perks that you can choose and if you do not choose gratuities as one of your perks gives you the choice to prepay of not prepay gratuities.

Yes, indeed. We had this exact experience on a very recent Australia/NZ cruise, booked on a US travel agent web site.