Do you Prepay gratuities at the beginning or the end or how do you tip?

[Thad409]

I have always paid at the end up until our upcoming cruise in July. I decided that it would just be easier than waiting and having them charge my account at the end. if you pay at the end what is your reason? The reason I did it in the past was because I would just tip as I go for the services rendered. Don't beat me for starting a thread like this.

[mz-s]

Whatever works for you, it's all valid and acceptable. It's a personal decision and I don't think there's any right or wrong way.

 

A lot of people like prepaying because then the rate is locked in and it's one less thing to have to pay for during the vacation - easier to budget.

[glslipper]

I generally prepay at the beginning.  Then I also cash tip a little at the end to some people

[Elaine5715]

8 minutes ago, Thad409 said:

I have always paid at the end up until our upcoming cruise in July. I decided that it would just be easier than waiting and having them charge my account at the end. if you pay at the end what is your reason? The reason I did it in the past was because I would just tip as I go for the services rendered. Don't beat me for starting a thread like this.

Have you read similar threads?

[sgttami]

I prepay when I book the cruise and tip additional along the way to a variety of crew who aren't included in the "prepay".  Varies by cruise.

 

[Thad409]

2 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

Have you read similar threads?

No sorry not for a while. I was just curios and wondering if the staff knows who has prepayed and who hasn't and if that may affect service.

[n6uqqq]

4 minutes ago, Elaine5715 said:

Have you read similar threads?

Oh yeah about a hundred or so 😉 

 

 

 

[Elaine5715]

1 minute ago, Thad409 said:

No sorry not for a while. I was just curios and wondering if the staff knows who has prepayed and who hasn't and if that may affect service.

You may want to do a search.  Yes, they know.  They are professionals and perform their responsibilities. 

[mz-s]

6 minutes ago, Thad409 said:

No sorry not for a while. I was just curios and wondering if the staff knows who has prepayed and who hasn't and if that may affect service.

 

John Heald posted the following on his FB page the other day:

 

"I do seem to remember this subject came up many years ago and all I can tell you is that the answer now is no. The crew are not ever shown a list of the specific cabins that may have removed gratuities. Now they will know by how much they receive compared to the number of tables they wait on or the number of cabins they clean but which cabins removed them, no, they are not shown a list. We are so proud of our crew. We are so grateful that very few of our guests remove all their gratuities and give nothing at all."

[Elaine5715]

1 hour ago, mz-s said:

 

John Heald posted the following on his FB page the other day:

 

"I do seem to remember this subject came up many years ago and all I can tell you is that the answer now is no. The crew are not ever shown a list of the specific cabins that may have removed gratuities. Now they will know by how much they receive compared to the number of tables they wait on or the number of cabins they clean but which cabins removed them, no, they are not shown a list. We are so proud of our crew. We are so grateful that very few of our guests remove all their gratuities and give nothing at all."

That is his spin but the Guest Service people are roommates to room stewards/wait staff.  They share information like all front of house people do,

[Tapi]

Tipping is definitely a personal matter, and there’s no right or wrong way of doing it as long as you fairly compensate the people who work hard to take care of you all week. I personally like to prepay (get it over with; one less charge to worry about), and if someone goes way out of their way, I’ll give them a bit extra on the last day on top of the prepaid gratuity. 
 

The only people who royally suck are the ones who remove gratuities saying that they’ll pay “cash directly“, and then they walk off the ship on the last day after handing out $0. 

[south-carolinagirl]

Remember gratuities increase on April 1, so if you select prepay you can save a wee bit.  I went ahead and added to my upcoming three cruises and saved $57 😀

[momof3cruisers]

3 hours ago, mz-s said:

 

John Heald posted the following on his FB page the other day:

 

"I do seem to remember this subject came up many years ago and all I can tell you is that the answer now is no. The crew are not ever shown a list of the specific cabins that may have removed gratuities. Now they will know by how much they receive compared to the number of tables they wait on or the number of cabins they clean but which cabins removed them, no, they are not shown a list. We are so proud of our crew. We are so grateful that very few of our guests remove all their gratuities and give nothing at all."

Yeah, I’m calling malarkey on that. We once cut our tip to the room steward for a host of reasons. One of them being that after he didn’t service our room for two days, he also wouldn’t pick up his phone when I called to get clean towels and ice.  He was never in the hall either.  But as soon as we reduced his tip, there he was making sure everything was “alright.” 

[crazyank]

8 hours ago, mz-s said:

I do seem to remember this subject came up many years ago and all I can tell you is that the answer now is no. The crew are not ever shown a list of the specific cabins that may have removed gratuities. Now they will know by how much they receive compared to the number of tables they wait on or the number of cabins they clean but which cabins removed them, no, they are not shown a list.

This

[asalligo]

I pay before the cruise now, especially since tips are going up day after tomorrow, but I like that it does not hit my bill during the cruise. Frankly that is why so many people remove gratuities in my opinion. Cruise is almost over and how much they paid might be weighing heavily on them and then $400 hits their sail and sign account and they think oh crap, I already thought I spent too much on this cruise. Then it starts creeping into their head that they could dodge this charge with just a few minutes of shame. People will do a lot for a few dollars. 

[sparks1093]

I've done it both ways depending on how our cash flow was at the time. I haven't pre-paid yet for our upcoming cruise and I could save a couple of bucks if I paid it before Saturday, but I don't think that I will. I might pre-pay before we leave to have one less thing to worry about but I'll worry about that as we get closer.

[ninjacat123]

10 hours ago, south-carolinagirl said:

Remember gratuities increase on April 1, so if you select prepay you can save a wee bit.  I went ahead and added to my upcoming three cruises and saved $57 😀

I didn't know this!  What is the new rate? I prepay my gratuities in general but I decided to prepay all of my upcoming cruises (6 cruises through 2025) in case the rate went up.  Glad I did!

[south-carolinagirl]

Onboard gratuities will increase from $14.50 per person, per day to $16 for guests in standard accommodations, beginning April 1. For those in suites, the price will increase from $16.50 per day for each guest to $18.

Edited March 30, 2023 by south-carolinagirl
Clarification

[Thad409]

I did notice that the gratuity is a higher rate since we booked a suite for the first time. What's the reason for this, do they do anything extra

[Elaine5715]

9 hours ago, momof3cruisers said:

Yeah, I’m calling malarkey on that. We once cut our tip to the room steward for a host of reasons. One of them being that after he didn’t service our room for two days, he also wouldn’t pick up his phone when I called to get clean towels and ice.  He was never in the hall either.  But as soon as we reduced his tip, there he was making sure everything was “alright.” 

Of course, Guest Services isn't "confidential".  They tell and you bet they post a list where coworkers can see and get a head ups. 

[Elaine5715]

2 minutes ago, Thad409 said:

I did notice that the gratuity is a higher rate since we booked a suite for the first time. What's the reason for this, do they do anything extra

Have twice as much cleaning to do

[Elaine5715]

40 minutes ago, ninjacat123 said:

I didn't know this!  What is the new rate? I prepay my gratuities in general but I decided to prepay all of my upcoming cruises (6 cruises through 2025) in case the rate went up.  Glad I did!

A $1.50 per day, per person.  

[mz-s]

14 minutes ago, Thad409 said:

I did notice that the gratuity is a higher rate since we booked a suite for the first time. What's the reason for this, do they do anything extra

 

No, they just charge more because the rooms are bigger I guess.

[Thad409]

I'm never compared and I guess I could but does anybody know if the rates are the same on the bigger ships versus The conquest class or are they higher, because we're getting ready to book a 2024 cruise out of Galveston on the Jubilee. Not that it matters if we're going to cruise we're going to cruise but just curious

[mz-s]

1 minute ago, Thad409 said:

I'm never compared and I guess I could but does anybody know if the rates are the same on the bigger ships versus The conquest class or are they higher, because we're getting ready to book a 2024 cruise out of Galveston on the Jubilee. Not that it matters if we're going to cruise we're going to cruise but just curious

 

Recommended daily gratuity rates are the same fleetwide.