Future booked cruises with All Included? Tips no longer included.

[burrma]

1 hour ago, NMTraveller said:

Yes our wifi,  drinks and everything in AI was for free along with added OBC.  This is when you compare it to the Celebrity rate at the time.  There are many benefits to booking through a TA.  We paid the Celebrity advertised rate and got a bunch of add ons for free by booking through the TA.

Us too..plus she had a group going so even better rates. Those I have been told are now gone! 

[tigervixxxen]

I’m a bit skeptical the crew actually sees their gratuities and it’s pooled fleet-wide apparently. I’m sure they get some additional line item in their checks but how that corresponds to what people are paying in gratuities, I have my doubts. 

[Cap_D]

Just sharing that their email marketing has zero mention of the changes in the fine print (it does say subject to change).  Shady, but they are not letting up. See below.  To be clear, not implying this applies to anything after the cutoff date in the FAQ or TA communication about groups. Just sharing that they are still promoting tips included. 

 

Also, Sunday night the website still said Butler or Butler and the team (not just the team) in places like mock bookings when we have all read that is not the case.   

Edited August 30, 2023 by Cap_D

[wrk2cruise]

Leaving discounted group rates out of the picture and just looking at Celebrity Cruise Only Rate vs Always Included rates.   I believe Celebrity is attempting to "hide" to cost of the gratuities from the AI rate like they do for Cruise Only.  This reduces the significant delta in price between C/O and AI and these prices will be more competitive with their competition, some of which don't include gratuities in their bundles.

 

I do believe them at their word that AI pricing will be adjusted down in early October to account for this. (Or maybe C/O will be adjusted up as another way to appear that the delta is reduced!) 

 

The gratuities are then shifted to an onboard expense where it's most likely an after thought by the customer.

[wrk2cruise]

3 minutes ago, Cap_D said:

Just sharing that their email marketing has zero mention of the changes in the fine print (it does say subject to change).

 

That's because the new policy doesn't go into effect for at least another 30 days.  If you were to book today or next week the listed T&C are accurate.

[abbydancer2003]

4 hours ago, terrydtx said:

We all know some CC members who are very adamant and volcal about not tipping and brag about haveing the daily gratuity charges taken off their accounts at the end of their cruise. With the old AI my understanding was you couldn't do this. I can see more doing it now and the hardworking crew getting less compensation.  This is just another shameless cash grab by Celebrity. 

You're probably right, although I think maybe those that wanted to remove tips would book cruise only, as they didn't want to pay gratuities.  It's probably a mix.

[Cap_D]

2 minutes ago, wrk2cruise said:

 

That's because the new policy doesn't go into effect for at least another 30 days.  If you were to book today or next week the listed T&C are accurate.

I know.  But it's still shady.  Plenty of space in the email to mention the change, even in the fine print. 

[the penguins]

4 hours ago, tigervixxxen said:

I’m a bit skeptical the crew actually sees their gratuities and it’s pooled fleet-wide apparently. I’m sure they get some additional line item in their checks but how that corresponds to what people are paying in gratuities, I have my doubts. 

Not pooled fleet wide that's what Princess does.

Crew certainly get the full Grats and keep a close eye to ensure they do. An example if you have Select Dining when you check in the Host prints out a small slip of paper which is given to the person who shows you to the table and then the slip is passed to the waiter. The slip is the waiters record for the tips. If you arrive at the table without the slip the waiter will go straight to the host to collect it.

You can also get a list from Guest Relations detailing how the tips are divided.

[Gracie115]

Princess just looks better and better.  Yes, there have been some cuts and added expense but nothing on the par with everything X has done over the last 8 months.  

 

I agree that the staff are the ones who will suffer more than anyone.  We're all smart enough to figure out if the "decrease" in price is an actual decrease before we book, but the staff will wind up with less in tips as the "extra" that many of us give now will be less than it is under the current program. I don't include myself in that group but then I won't be on a Celebrity ship for the foreseeable future.

 

Celebrity once more proves that they don't give a rat's a.. about their long term repeat customers.....

[Miaminice]

9 hours ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

People were pissed off when they included grats in Always included , now people are pissed off they are excluding them 🙄

I would think 99% of the passengers will just pay the daily grats without even thinking about it 

I fear you are to optimistic about the mindset of most fellow cruisers. 😞
And again, the crew will pay the price.

[Miaminice]

I am a bit surprised that many many posters don´t get that the change is just for bookings made after October 4th - not sailings after that date! If already booked, you are safe.

I am also surprised that noone (or I didn´t see it) mentioned that the OBC for Suite bookings is gone as well 🤔

[Ex-Airbalancer]

51 minutes ago, Miaminice said:

I fear you are to optimistic about the mindset of most fellow cruisers. 😞
And again, the crew will pay the price.

I am going by from what I have seen in the past 

our Travel agent would have groups with up to 40 cabins and out that group there was only one couple who would talk about removing the auto grats 

but I have no idea what happens in suite class maybe they run to guest services to have them removed at a greater % 🤔

[Miaminice]

2 minutes ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

I am going by from what I have seen in the past 

our Travel agent would have groups with up to 40 cabins and out that group there was only one couple who would talk about removing the auto grats 

but I have no idea what happens in suite class maybe they run to guest services to have them removed at a greater % 🤔

I go by the number of people here on CC and on FB almost boasting about removing grats. 
Some from European countries or UK where the gratuity system is different. Which IMHO is no excuse.
Anyway - I had the feeling the number is higher. But in this case I´d love to be wrong.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

9 minutes ago, Miaminice said:

I go by the number of people here on CC and on FB almost boasting about removing grats. 
Some from European countries or UK where the gratuity system is different. Which IMHO is no excuse.
Anyway - I had the feeling the number is higher. But in this case I´d love to be wrong.

Really grats should be built into the base price 

[SmilingOctopus]

Given current trends I wouldn't be surprised if the next announcement will be that they've listened to the community and that gratuities will be part of the base price starting 4 Oct 😂

It would actually be a good thing in my opinion, making things less complicated for a change.. 

[terrydtx]

15 minutes ago, Miaminice said:

I go by the number of people here on CC and on FB almost boasting about removing grats. 
Some from European countries or UK where the gratuity system is different. Which IMHO is no excuse.
Anyway - I had the feeling the number is higher. But in this case I´d love to be wrong.

Go look at the long lines at guest services on the last day of a cruise some are there to fix billing issues but many are there to remove the auto gratuities. It is shameful IMO. 

[terrydtx]

8 minutes ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

Really grats should be built into the base price 

With the old AI in a way the grats were built into the price and still I heard people trying to remove them and being told it was not possible.

[Miaminice]

10 minutes ago, SmilingOctopus said:

Given current trends I wouldn't be surprised if the next announcement will be that they've listened to the community and that gratuities will be part of the base price starting 4 Oct 😂

It would actually be a good thing in my opinion, making things less complicated for a change.. 

 

They might - and add 100% as commission 🙂

Edited August 30, 2023 by Miaminice

[hcat]

12 hours ago, hcat said:

I actually called mainly because my Confirmation paperwork for APEX had a charge for grats for each person. 

 

The rep  said it would drop off within 2 wks of booking..We were way past 2  wks , so I requested an updated Conf e mail( #4) 

 

she said it was going out right away and wpuld refect a credit for the grats.

 

.It never arrived.  I called again..diff rep same story.. said it would be here in 5 min... never arrlved.  If not here by tom noon,  I will call again..

 

B/c it involves a credit for their  invoice error, maybe it has to pass through the chutes and  ladders dept first!

 

???????

UNREAL.. The credit for the  "wrongly"

charged grats came through last night.

Took off the added grat charge b/c  we have the " all in package" which included the grats 

 

BUT now I see a $100 pp Change Fee addded on   which was not on  the orig invoice.  So  this require another phone call.. 

 

Just one booking. but. I wonder how many other errors are getting through!

[Jeremiah1212]

45 minutes ago, SmilingOctopus said:

Given current trends I wouldn't be surprised if the next announcement will be that they've listened to the community and that gratuities will be part of the base price starting 4 Oct 😂

It would actually be a good thing in my opinion, making things less complicated for a change.. 

 

Gratuities being removed will allow them to temporarily add them back in for ‘free’ as a tactic for future sales and promotions. 

[luv4cruises]

In addition to guests being tempted to and actually removing pre-paid gratuities from their accounts major considerations are:

1.  This Celebrity move hopes to increase bookings exponentially before Oct. 4.

 2.  With their exorbitant  “non refundable” deposits. 

this move will bring in lots of cash for them to hold onto for 2+ years and keep if cruises are cancelled or just hold onto if refundable.

 

3.  As ships fill up prices will rise even more as they always do - supply and demand!!! 
 4. So this move hurts the staff, especially those behind the scenes,  as guests will remove the auto gratuities and personally tip only the crew they interact  with,  causing a reduction in staff as they jump ship for other cruise lines,

 

5. As X increases bookings prior to Oct 4, it will gain  tons of “non- refundable” cash for Celebrity  to hold onto, present a lucrative opportunity to risise prices sooner as future bookings fill ships prematurely. 

 

Since Jan, 2023 Celebrity continues to hit its loyal guests again and again and again with continuing cut-backs, additional charges, increased prices, the stress of comparing what used to be as compared to what is - eventually muddying the waters so much that guests just give up and pay more for less, because the stress of tracking the changes and charges smother the happy anticipation of a future cruise with stress and disappointment!!!!
 
Celebrity seeks to bring on new cruisers who will gladly accept what is because they have no experience or memory of what once was. 
I have cruised on 7 different cruise lines- in the past 10 years mainly with Celebrity. 
Sadly that will be changing. It is hard to support a company that has behaved so poorly this year. I love cruising as all of you do too. Instead of the joyful anticipation of my next cruise I’m anxious about the next negative, soon to appear change. 
I have booked 3 future Celebrity cruises, 1 Princess and 1 HAL.  I will be definitely less loyal to Celebrity in the future. 

Edited August 30, 2023 by luv4cruises

[terrydtx]

5 minutes ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

 

Gratuities being removed will allow them to temporarily add them back in for ‘free’ as a tactic for future sales and promotions. 

HAL does that with their AI equivalent Have It All (HIA) they will run sales with included Grats. Also they do an early booking HIA that includes the premium Wi-Fi, premium drinks and gratuities, we got this for our Canada NE cruise next August.

[hcat]

46 minutes ago, hcat said:

UNREAL.. The credit for the  "wrongly"

charged grats came through last night.

Took off the added grat charge b/c  we have the " all in package" which included the grats 

 

BUT now I see a $100 pp Change Fee addded on   which was not on  the orig invoice.  So  this require another phone call.. 

 

Just one booking. but. I wonder how many other errors are getting through!

I got through to a rep in Phillipines.. He agreed we should not have incurred a change fee ..said it might have been an automated  charge.   He could not reach the Resolutions Dept, so he changed our cruise fare to $100 less per person and now the balance agrees with what we thought it should be..

 

Still waiting for Inv # 5. He said the IT Dept is working on updates and warned there might be delays. he thinks it should arrive by 4 pm. Let's hope this is the end of 

 

I have been overly detailed  here in hopes this may help.others go through their own invoices...which they def should do on their own or with their TAs.  

 

We have already decided  X is no longer a good fit for us..but will continue to post  til  after the 2025 on APEX! 

[Cruise till you drop]

24 minutes ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

 

Gratuities being removed will allow them to temporarily add them back in for ‘free’ as a tactic for future sales and promotions. 

As long as it’s a wash for pax, I’m cool with that so that staff get paid

[TeeRick]

I hear that Celebrity Crew Members and Butlers have started a Go* Fund* Me page.🤑

Edited August 30, 2023 by TeeRick