Pre-Paid Gratuity ?

[Cruise Man]

Although gratuities have been prepaid at time of booking do most people still leave a tip for each ordered drink or for dinner service.  I assume its up to each individual but I want to be sure to tip if that is customary!

Thanks!

[LGW59]

Just now, Cruise Man said:

Although gratuities have been prepaid at time of booking do most people still leave a tip for each ordered drink or for dinner service.  I assume its up to each individual but I want to be sure to tip if that is customary!

Thanks!

I plead the fifth!

[Married90]

truly up to the individual.  We will tip at the end of the cruise to those that went out of the way to make our trip memorable.  Personally I am a firm believer that pre-paid gratuities cover all the "norms" so I do not tip for each drink.   If the cabin attendant went out of their way to do something special for us or if we found a favorite bartender, etc we give them something extra.   

[NorthStarStateCruiser]

I actually gave a hefty tip to one of the gals taking care of the restrooms.  She was so kind and it was Christmas, so why not?  I'm sure they get far less cash tips than other guest facing staff onboard and she seemed very appreciative of it.  I told her to keep it for herself.  Any idea of whether they pool tips for the hotel staff like they do for the bars or restaurants?

[bikerunner]

Tipping is personal overall.  How one does it does not mean another has to.  With that having run resorts and Restaurants for many years I know how hard service people work, and the behind the scenes ppl also.  

[Diamond lover]

Speaking of which…..is it even possible to NOT prepay, and tip the old fashioned way, mid cruise or end of cruise in envelopes? Or is that a thing of the past? Have not cruised for a few years, but will be in 2023.

[the penguins]

5 minutes ago, Diamond lover said:

Speaking of which…..is it even possible to NOT prepay, and tip the old fashioned way, mid cruise or end of cruise in envelopes? Or is that a thing of the past? Have not cruised for a few years, but will be in 2023.

Yes you can. However part of the "prepaid" tips go to staff that you don't see and have no way of tipping individually. You can get a breakdown of how the "pre paid" tips are allocated from Guest Relations. Please no debates about if this is right or wrong its how the Celebrity system works. 

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

1 minute ago, the penguins said:

Yes you can. However part of the "prepaid" tips go to staff that you don't see and have no way of tipping individually. You can get a breakdown of how the "pre paid" tips are allocated from Guest Relations. Please no debates about if this is right or wrong its how the Celebrity system works. 

 

I thought if you didn't pre-pay they would be auto-billed to your stateroom (hence why people line up to take them off)?

[SFCAcruiser]

53 minutes ago, Cruise Man said:

Although gratuities have been prepaid at time of booking do most people still leave a tip for each ordered drink or for dinner service.  I assume its up to each individual but I want to be sure to tip if that is customary!

Thanks!

Welcome to the Celebrity  board. Your understanding of the gratuity situation is correct. This is a highly personal decision and no additional cash tips are needed or expected. However, like other posters, I choose to give some extra money here and there. I consider it a minimal form of wealth redistribution/noblesse oblige 

 

As points of reference, I will say we always give a cash tip to our cabin steward, and our dining room waiter (even with Select dining we often have the same waiter most nights) and often to the MDR hostess if they have taken the trouble to remember us and our preferences. Bartenders are often given cash tips by us, but to be honest, we do that to establish a rapport with a particular bartender and give him a reason to remember me. We never order room service, but I have read these boards for many years and it seems very common for passengers to at least tip for room service deliveries. 

 

As part of our cruise planning, we bring a lot of small US currency in anticipation of our desire to provide some additional cash to hard-working staff. 

 

[Ken the cruiser]

If you booked your cruise with the All Included option, here's what it says in the T&C on the Celebrity website regarding beverage gratuities.

 

“All Included” Pricing applies to sailings booked and departing on or after January 09, 2023, excluding Galapagos cruises, in an inside, ocean view, veranda, or Concierge Class, stateroom (“Eligible Bookings”). All guests within an Eligible Booking who choose “All Included” pricing, as well as, guests booked in an AquaClass® Stateroom, will receive a Classic Drinks Package, Tips Included, and an unlimited Basic Wi-Fi package. 

 

In other words, you've already paid the gratuities.

 

Edited January 13, 2023 by Ken the cruiser

[the penguins]

26 minutes ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

 

I thought if you didn't pre-pay they would be auto-billed to your stateroom (hence why people line up to take them off)?

Correct. The tips will be automatically added but you can ask to have them taken off or reduced. I was just highlighting that if/when you do this you are removing tips from some crew which you have no way of replacing. If the question is should you remove the autotips? My answer would be a catergoric no. 

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

14 minutes ago, the penguins said:

Correct. The tips will be automatically added but you can ask to have them taken off or reduced. I was just highlighting that if/when you do this you are removing tips from some crew which you have no way of replacing. If the question is should you remove the autotips? My answer would be a catergoric no. 

 

Oh, I agree 100%!!

[mahasamatman]

1 hour ago, NorthStarStateCruiser said:

I actually gave a hefty tip to one of the gals taking care of the restrooms.

 

On our last cruise, my wife gave tips and hand-made cards to the washroom attendants and cleaning crew. I doubt they get paid a lot, so it's always nice to see their faces light up when they get something thoughtful.

[jelayne]

We have a routine of one of us (me) getting up early on 1 or 2 mornings and wandering the ship, giving a small tip and maybe a  candy bar to the crew who are cleaning in the casino, cleaning the glass on the stairs to the Grand Plaza/Atrium, the theater.  We do the same in the evening for the crew that keep the restrooms clean and supplied. 
 

I will never understand those that are fortunate enough to cruise and then remove gratuities.  

[terrydtx]

With the tips included in AI and when in the Retreat we do give extra to our butler and room attendants at the end of the cruise and anyone else who went beyond and above our expectations.

 

Last year we had a bartender in our favorite bar that we got to know really well and when we were stopping at a port in Turkey, he told us to look for and try some Turkish Delights while on shore. We did that and brought back a box of them that night for him. He talked about how much he enjoyed the Turkish Delights every time we saw him for the rest of the cruise. That box cost 10 Euros and I think he liked it much more than giving him a $10 tip. We also gave him a 20 Euro tip at the end of the cruise.

Edited January 14, 2023 by terrydtx

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

Honestly? As nice as extra money and gifts are, the BEST thing you can do to show your appreciation is to mention crew BY NAME on comment cards and/or a letter or email after the cruise. Those mentions are noted in their files and are definitely taken into account when promotion opportunities and pay upgrades come up - IOW those mentions have much further reaching benefits than a one time hand-out.

 

(Please note: I DO still leave my gratuities in place and will give a bit extra when warranted, BUT I also make sure I'm following that up with by-name mentions in communications post-cruise.)

[terrydtx]

17 minutes ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

Honestly? As nice as extra money and gifts are, the BEST thing you can do to show your appreciation is to mention crew BY NAME on comment cards and/or a letter or email after the cruise. Those mentions are noted in their files and are definitely taken into account when promotion opportunities and pay upgrades come up - IOW those mentions have much further reaching benefits than a one time hand-out.

This is so true, our Butler on the Reflection last year said if butlers get too many negative comments on the comment cards after a cruise, they can get demoted.

[LaCal]

We tip $1-$2 per round of drinks extra 😜🍹🍹