New 20% drinks charge

[WestLakeGirl]

2 hours ago, jennmaybe said:

Wanna know how much gratuity we pay? 0%!  We refuse to pay those prices and we do not use the mindset of “it’s vacation” to justify it.  There are so many better things that we can spend that money on while on vacation.  Heck, in some cases, that would pay for another short vaca. 😁

I feel sorry for the employees who work so hard for you to have a good vacation but Are ignored by you😢

[BeasleysMom66]

12 hours ago, WestLakeGirl said:

Yes, but BeasleysMom66 said that this was in the MDR, not a specialty (post #17).

 

On night #1 we had discussed amongst our group of what was a good gratuity for the MDR servers for the cruise.  The maitre d was kind enough to share some incite on typical tipping as well at the end of the trip.  After 9 nights of BAD service and attitude we decided that 5% of the original amount we had discussed was more like it.  The 20% we came up with was based on something but it was SO long ago I can't remember. 

 

The point now is with prepaid gratuities what is the consumer's recourse if the service is substandard consistently?  One bad incident doesn't change things too much on a week or more cruise but when you go to one venue like the MDR with the same servers nightly and get shafted expecting a gratuity is wrong.  A tip is supposed to be for appreciation for going above and beyond but cruise lines are treating as added wages for employees at the direct consumer expense.  

[BeasleysMom66]

5 hours ago, jgmorgan said:

Well, the full monty certainly deserves a big tip!🤣

 

The server we had was AMAZING.  Our food was spectacular and he had a great sense of humor when I "complained" that this was my 2nd birthday visit there and Gordon Ramsay hadn't shown up again.  The last thing he shared was his cell number and said that if reservations were full and we wanted to dine to text or call him and they always had options to get a table as long as it wasn't a HUGE number in the group.  He earned a tip and then some.  

[DaKahuna]

On 8/2/2022 at 7:55 AM, aliyakid01 said:

Thank you , its bad text from celebrity..

 

Not really.  It reads "on all purchases."  If you have a drink package and order a drink within the package you are not making a purchase and therefore would not be subject to a service charge. 

 

Granted it could be worded differently but it is, if you think about it, worded correctly. 

 

[WestLakeGirl]

Did you notice the date on that post?

[waterbug123]

8 hours ago, jennmaybe said:

Wanna know how much gratuity we pay? 0%!  We refuse to pay those prices and we do not use the mindset of “it’s vacation” to justify it.  There are so many better things that we can spend that money on while on vacation.  Heck, in some cases, that would pay for another short vaca. 😁

Tipping 0% is not something I'd brag about.  Do you also not tip when you go out to eat or out for drinks at home?

[STNGR]

11 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

 

Not really.  It reads "on all purchases."  If you have a drink package and order a drink within the package you are not making a purchase and therefore would not be subject to a service charge. 

 

Granted it could be worded differently but it is, if you think about it, worded correctly. 

 

 

That's because the 20 percent gratuity was added when you first bought the drink package. 

 

We just added the $80/day/person premium drink package for our upcoming 11 night cruise and the total bill was:

 

$80/day/2ppl/11 days = 1,759.58

Gratuities =                         351.78

Total:                                 2,111.56

 

See attached.

[deliver42]

I don't understand peoples thinking. No tips at all?

[cruisestitch]

1 minute ago, deliver42 said:

I don't understand peoples thinking. No tips at all?

Perhaps a troll?🧌

[Liao]

8 hours ago, jennmaybe said:

Wanna know how much gratuity we pay? 0%!  We refuse to pay those prices and we do not use the mindset of “it’s vacation” to justify it.  There are so many better things that we can spend that money on while on vacation.  Heck, in some cases, that would pay for another short vaca. 😁

Well I didn’t see anyone ask you!

[DaKahuna]

2 hours ago, WestLakeGirl said:

Did you notice the date on that post?

 

Nope