Jump to content

Gratuity and service charges


snikrap
 Share

Recommended Posts

Set to cruise the Caribbean in two weeks but checking up I find that I am expected to pay 9 dollars a day for service charge on the drinks package and 13 dollars a day gratuity that’s 22 dollars a day x two for myself and the wife 10 day cruise that’s 440 dollars is this the norm for American cruise lines

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Don't know anything about the drinks pkg. service charge. But that is accurate info regarding daily gratuity for the crew. That's why I try to book during a 3 for free promo. On our upcoming 25 day cruise the gratuities will be $13.50 x 2 people x 27 days. That's $675. And I would never remove the gratuities. I don't tip extra, but I leave the daily automatic gratuities in place. Getting that included in a promotion is good perk.

 

Sent from my SM-G950U using Forums mobile app

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As above, the $9 per day is built into the cost of the drink package. You can, of course, decline to purchase the drink package, but you'll still pay 15% on any bar item. You will also be charged 18% on any spa items you purchase.

 

Yes, we had $460 in room gratuities on our April cruise. It sure was nice to have comped grats in August.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Set to cruise the Caribbean in two weeks but checking up I find that I am expected to pay 9 dollars a day for service charge on the drinks package and 13 dollars a day gratuity that’s 22 dollars a day x two for myself and the wife 10 day cruise that’s 440 dollars is this the norm for American cruise lines

The standard auto gratuity, hotel charge, is $13.50/pp/day or $130/pp a 10 day cruise. This is added to your on board account each day. If you are in a mini suite or full suite the charge is a few $$ higher.

There is a 15% automatic gratuity charge for all beverage purchases. Since you purchased the Premium Beverage Package the actual price is $59.99/day plus 15% = $68.99/day. No further charges are incurred on the ship. If you are booked on the Sip & Sail promo where you received the beverage package, the gratuity is included and nothing further will be charged on board.

This is standard for almost all cruise lines not just the ones that sail from the U.S. Some exceptions are based on the country of sale. I am aware that cruises sold in Australia and sailing in Australia include the hotel gratuity in the selling price.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Set to cruise the Caribbean in two weeks but checking up I find that I am expected to pay 9 dollars a day for service charge on the drinks package and 13 dollars a day gratuity that’s 22 dollars a day x two for myself and the wife 10 day cruise that’s 440 dollars is this the norm for American cruise lines
Yes, it is normal. Amounts vary slightly from line to line. For instance some lines charge more for the alcoholic beverage package, so the gratuity is higher.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interesting that one can't remove that 15%, but one can remove the daily hotel charge.

 

 

 

What's with that, Princess?

 

 

 

Yes, I agree with you. You shouldn’t be allowed to remove either.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The $9 a day on the drinks package is already included in what you paid for the package itself. This is true even if it was included as part of your booking, i.e. Sip N Sail. There will be no additional charge on your account.

 

 

 

Thanks beg3yrs, I just happened to catch this thread and thought something new came up on us for our upcoming cruise with Sip N Sail

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interesting that one can't remove that 15%, but one can remove the daily hotel charge.

 

What's with that, Princess?

Some cruise lines have a non-removable charge of 18% for every beverage, and some charge 18% of the menu price for every drink ordered even when you have purchased a drink package. I think Princess is being competitive and fair.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some cruise lines have a non-removable charge of 18% for every beverage, and some charge 18% of the menu price for every drink ordered even when you have purchased a drink package. I think Princess is being competitive and fair.

 

What cruise line charges a gratuity per drink when it within a package

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The only time I've ever been angry on a Princess cruise was when I saw the big line of people removing the gratuities at the end of a cruise. Mind boggling. I agree that there shouldn't be an option to remove the gratuities but, since Princess does allow, one has to expect some folks to take advantage of the option.

 

We booked two cruises under the Sip and Sail last year (not this time as they jacked the prices through the roof!) and had free drinks and free gratuities. On our 28 day Hawaii and South Pacific cruise the gratuities would have been $725.20 and the drink package was "valued" at $3,217.20. I was sooooooo happy to have those charges covered. However, if the gratuities hadn't been covered we still wouldn't have removed them.

 

They don't add the gratuities onto cruised booked out of Australia but I believe they raise the price of the cruise to cover them so it comes out the same.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I thought I read somewhere that if you book an Australian cruise from the U.S. you still pay the daily hotel charge. Is this not true? Also, is the rule the same for a cruise from New Zealand to Australia?

 

The relevant wording in my post above was "booked out of Australia". No matter where you sail if you book in the US they will add the gratuities. (Hope to sail with you two again sometime. :))

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I thought I read somewhere that if you book an Australian cruise from the U.S. you still pay the daily hotel charge. Is this not true? Also, is the rule the same for a cruise from New Zealand to Australia?

It has been 6 or 8 years since we sailed around Australia. We (Americans) did pay the autotip. Australians (and I think Kiwis) did not.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...