OBC to pay gratuities on onboard account

[seekatz]

We have a sizeable amount of OBC on our Celebrity coming up and have not cruised with them for awhile.  Are you able to use your OBC to pay for your gratuities onboard?  

[keesar]

Just now, seekatz said:

We have a sizeable amount of OBC on our Celebrity coming up and have not cruised with them for awhile.  Are you able to use your OBC to pay for your gratuities onboard?  

Yes, the gratuities will be deducted from your OBC on a daily basis.

[prmssk]

In addition, to the daily gratuities automatically being deducted from your OBC (assuming you don't pre-pay), you can also choose (if you so desire) to add extra gratuities to specific staff or departments by asking for the form at guest services (or the concierge if you are in the Retreat).

[Islander500]

2 hours ago, prmssk said:

In addition, to the daily gratuities automatically being deducted from your OBC (assuming you don't pre-pay), you can also choose (if you so desire) to add extra gratuities to specific staff or departments by asking for the form at guest services (or the concierge if you are in the Retreat).

I just did this on Summit and I was told by Guest Relations I could not assign it to a dept or a team; was told that each amount had to be designated to a particular staff person by name (or employee #). 

[the penguins]

8 hours ago, seekatz said:

We have a sizeable amount of OBC on our Celebrity coming up and have not cruised with them for awhile.  Are you able to use your OBC to pay for your gratuities onboard?  

Don't prepay and the tips will be deducted daily from your account i.e. using your OBC .

[prmssk]

8 hours ago, Islander500 said:

I just did this on Summit and I was told by Guest Relations I could not assign it to a dept or a team; was told that each amount had to be designated to a particular staff person by name (or employee #). 

The form I filled out last fall on the Constellation had lines for dining, room steward, etc. and then separate lines to list specific names.  Maybe they have changed the form.  We didn't have an OBC on our May Eclipse cruise so didn't ask then.  A few positions pool even additional tips so in those particular cases I'm not sure it matters if you put a name down - Luminae dining staff is one example I am aware of (unless that has changed too).

[amandas friend]

Are gratuities optional?

[Baggy178]

44 minutes ago, amandas friend said:

Are gratuities optional?

 

Yes.

We intend to use our $250 OBC as our gratuity as we feel the amount being demanded by Celebrity to be excessive.

[amandas friend]

Do you address this amount with the receptionist at the beginning of the cruise? 

[Baggy178]

14 minutes ago, amandas friend said:

Do you address this amount with the receptionist at the beginning of the cruise? 

 

We will do. 

Edited October 11, 2023 by Baggy178

[amandas friend]

I meant when do you address your intention to alter the gratuity amount- on the first day of the cruise? Thanks 

[tschwa2]

4 hours ago, amandas friend said:

Are gratuities optional?

It is optional the way gratuities are optional at nice restaurants.  It definitely is expected and the wages that the crew members in those positions get reflect that they expect to get gratuities from guests 

[the penguins]

On 10/11/2023 at 2:22 PM, Baggy178 said:

 

Yes.

We intend to use our $250 OBC as our gratuity as we feel the amount being demanded by Celebrity to be excessive.

Is that $250 per person and how many nights is the cruise?

[the penguins]

On 10/10/2023 at 11:58 PM, seekatz said:

We have a sizeable amount of OBC on our Celebrity coming up and have not cruised with them for awhile.  Are you able to use your OBC to pay for your gratuities onboard?  

Also make sure your onboard accounts are linked because otherwise you could find that the OBC is only set against one name and will only used to pay the charges for that person. Easily sorted, check your account on the cabin TV, if OBC only shows against one name pop down to Guest Relations and they will fix it. This happens regularly with our Shareholder OBC.