First-time cruiser! A few questions (mostly re: gratuities, etc).

[Starstruckharper]

Hi! A travelling companion and I will be travelling on the QM2 this coming summer (transatlantic, if that's relevant info). Every week it seems like a few more questions come to mind, and I thought it might be worth posting here (if just to give our poor cruise vacation planner a moments' rest!)

 

1) Are gratuities paid out of one's onboard credit account, or are they handled separately from it? 

 

2) Are gratuities calculated on a "per stateroom/reservation" or "per traveler" basis?

 

3) Can one "cash out" unused onboard credit at the end of a voyage?

 

Thank you! You all on this board could not have made a better impression in the brief time that I have know you, 

 

-Harper

Edited December 5, 2022 by Starstruckharper
Added more info

[Host Hattie]

Congratulations on booking a transatlantic crossing,  its the only way to cross  !

1 & 2 The Hotel and Dining Service charge is per person and is added to your on board account,  usually early on Day 2.

3 No, you used to be able to but I believe it's now use it or lose it.

 

Have a great trip 

 

[BklynBoy8]

Hello Starstrickharper,

 

1- We have handed personally extra gratitudes to those staff members that have displayed recognized exemplary service.

      

     The below rates are calculated and added into the passenger cabin's on board   account on a daily  basis.

 

      Beverage Service also adds a 15% gratitude to your bar service. 

 

2- How much are the gratuities on Cunard?

   In 2022, Cunard’s daily gratuities are $11.50 per person, per night for guests staying in Britannia Staterooms and $13.50 per person, per night for guests staying in Grill Suites. The charge is the same for adults and children.

 

3- OBC can not be cashed out at the end of the sailing. Best to use it during the sailing ex. laundry....

 

    Also any winnings in the Casino added to the On Board Account must be cashed out by the evening before disembarkation.

Edited December 5, 2022 by BklynBoy8

[exlondoner]

If you have obc, it is used to pay the hotel and dining charge.

[alibabacruisers]

Can you pre-purchase extra OBC?  I thought I remember reading a thread about this years ago but could not find it.  

[Victoria2]

OBC, use it or lose it and don't do what we did years ago which was go to the casino and think your obc will cover any  losses.

We  found out the hard way, you can't use obc in the casino. OOPS!  😀

 

In the unlikely  chance you have any left over, ask the Front Desk to add it as gratuities to the staff.

[exlondoner]

4 hours ago, alibabacruisers said:

Can you pre-purchase extra OBC?  I thought I remember reading a thread about this years ago but could not find it.  

I believe you still can, but don’t know the mechanics. For a while, many years ago, it was hugely advantageous to UK passengers because Cunard used a very generous exchange rate. I don’t think they do this any more.

[Windsurfboy]

2 hours ago, exlondoner said:

I believe you still can, but don’t know the mechanics. For a while, many years ago, it was hugely advantageous to UK passengers because Cunard used a very generous exchange rate. I don’t think they do this any more.

 

Unless there are exchange rate benefits,  or you want to gift someone else,  then I can see no advantage in pre purchasing OBC. There is a risk that if you don't use it you loose it.

[buchanan101]

Pre-buying OBC would stop the double-until-we-bother-refunding-it-two-weeks-later method of charging for on board spend Cunard use for any spend over OBC. 

[exlondoner]

15 minutes ago, buchanan101 said:

Pre-buying OBC would stop the double-until-we-bother-refunding-it-two-weeks-later method of charging for on board spend Cunard use for any spend over OBC. 

It’s not invariable - yet.

[Windsurfboy]

7 hours ago, buchanan101 said:

Pre-buying OBC would stop the double-until-we-bother-refunding-it-two-weeks-later method of charging for on board spend Cunard use for any spend over OBC. 

 

Never had that happen, but perhaps I haven't noticed as you would only see it if it made you hit your credit limit.

[alibabacruisers]

Thanks for your comments!

[Underwatr]

There is refundable and non-refundable OBC. The credit provided by Cunard as a booking promotion is nonrefundable but if you , a friend or your TA purchase OBC before the trip I believe that is refundable and you can get it back at the end if any is left over. Conveniently, nonrefundable OBC is consumed before refundable.
If a port call is canceled passengers receive a refund of the port taxes applied for that port call as refundable OBC applied to their onboard account. I think you have to have a minimum of $10 remaining in order to get it returned. (This is where I've seen refundable OBC appear on my account statement).

You have to request a refund of refundable OBC. It isn't automatic.

[Yaldi]

I've attached the U.K. version of the Gift Credit details. I found it in the "Gifts" section of My Cunard for a current booking.

 

The small print discloses any unused OBC of this type of is non-refundable. It also explains exclusions which have been covered in previous comments.

gifts-gift-of-choice-Aug2021.pdf

[PORT ROYAL]

Personal experience.

Many years ago, purchased OBC at an advantageous rate, combined with booking OBC and Shareholder, made a very sizeable amount.

At end of cruise, one was in credit and attempted the refund, only to be informed one actually spent the cash first, leaving the credit as Cunard booking/shareholder OBC, therefore non-refundable. (?)

First and last exercise.

[MCC retired]

I believe that OBC from your TA is Refundable .

If the OBC is from Cunard Promo Rate Code or Group Amenity , it is Not Refundable.

However , we have never had any OBC leftover to confirm.

[Windsurfboy]

Lesson seems to be , don't pre purchase  OBC unless you get a significantly advantageous rate.

 

Then only buy less than you are CERTAIN to use,  the loss due to non refundable exceeds the benefit.

[Starstruckharper]

Ope, thought of one more question: Do the TVs in the rooms have HDMI ports accessible to guests? I was thinking it might be nice to plug my laptop in and watch movies/etc. on the big screen.

[rakkor]

I think they do, but they aren't very accessible though, there is a USB port and, although a faf to get a USB stick in there, it's then left in there for the cruise. Also bear in mind that not all codecs are supported,  half of the films/TV shows, I'd brought last time, wouldn't play as the .mkv file format wasn't supported.

Edited December 24, 2022 by rakkor

[esrs]

Couldn't get to the hdmi in our Q4 on QM2 last August however the tv was able to mirror our tablet screen.

 

[Toffeegirl68]

On 12/25/2022 at 7:40 AM, esrs said:

Couldn't get to the hdmi in our Q4 on QM2 last August however the tv was able to mirror our tablet screen.

 

TV on Queen Elizabeth Dec'22... easily accessible, not tried to use connections though. 

Edited December 29, 2022 by Toffeegirl68

[elmsliebev]

On 12/10/2022 at 9:58 AM, exlondoner said:

I believe you still can, but don’t know the mechanics. For a while, many years ago, it was hugely advantageous to UK passengers because Cunard used a very generous exchange rate. I don’t think they do this any more.

We got 2$ to the £ on our honeymoon TA 14 years ago. Happy days!

[lissie]

On 12/11/2022 at 1:33 AM, buchanan101 said:

Pre-buying OBC would stop the double-until-we-bother-refunding-it-two-weeks-later method of charging for on board spend Cunard use for any spend over OBC. 

Except they don't - we used a Visa debit card expecting exactly this. What acutally happened over one cruise of 34 days and one of 20 days - Cunard charged a $1 to  the card a few days before we cruised - that was refunded.  Every day or 2 they  would make a pending/hold charge against my card for  our current balance. At the end of each sector - they confirmed the current balance charge and pending went to spent. At no time did their hold on our card exceed the amount we owed them - plus or minus a few dollars 

[Starstruckharper]

One of the things I do know: If you want to get to/from the Brooklyn cruise terminal and don't want to mess with NYC cabs, NYC ferry runs a regular route between Red Hook (steps away from the terminal), Corlear's hook, Governor's Island and Wall Street/Pier 11. Here's a map, and linked is the schedule:https://www.ferry.nyc/routes-and-schedules/route/south-brooklyn/

Edited December 30, 2022 by Starstruckharper

[buchanan101]

14 hours ago, lissie said:

Except they don't - we used a Visa debit card expecting exactly this. What acutally happened over one cruise of 34 days and one of 20 days - Cunard charged a $1 to  the card a few days before we cruised - that was refunded.  Every day or 2 they  would make a pending/hold charge against my card for  our current balance. At the end of each sector - they confirmed the current balance charge and pending went to spent. At no time did their hold on our card exceed the amount we owed them - plus or minus a few dollars 

They did exactly as I said they did. Double charged until refunds started reappearing on my card after about 10 working days. They replied to my email saying that this was their policy (quoted 7 to 10 working days, to contact them if hadn’t been credited after 10 days). This was on one 7 day crossing. These weren’t “holds” on the card but actual charges.