Specialty Dinning Gratuities

[cruisegal1970]

We have just booked Specialty Dinning package for the full cruise as it's our anniversary.  We have paid 20% gratuity on the package and I believe we are now expected to paid $36 per day additional gratuities, much of which goes to the dinning staff of the main restaurant that we won't use. 

Can we cancel these extra tips and reward those that do actually serve us?

[chemmo]

55 minutes ago, cruisegal1970 said:

We have just booked Specialty Dinning package for the full cruise as it's our anniversary.  We have paid 20% gratuity on the package and I believe we are now expected to paid $36 per day additional gratuities, much of which goes to the dinning staff of the main restaurant that we won't use. 

Can we cancel these extra tips and reward those that do actually serve us?

Remember you will be using the MDR or buffet for breakfast and lunch even if not for dinner. Hence it would not be reasonable to cancel dining gratuities even if you could. Remember your room attendant and others are also part of the gratuities too.
 

 

[wrk2cruise]

No you can't remove a portion of the auto tips (the part that goes to the dining staff).  Remember those also go to Lunch and Breakfast venues like Aqua Spa Cafe and Oceanview, but I get your point.  You would think that maybe specialty gratuities would be say 10% as an incremental amount over and above what you already paid.

 

The raw fact is that gratuities are base compensation for the wait staff and what you pay goes towards the MDR wait staff that would serve you if you dined there.

 

I sort of have the same "complaint" about the upcharge items in the MDR.  I'm already paying the wait staff gratuities for my meal, why do I have to pay 20% if I order an upcharge item?   I don't agree so I don't order them.   I guess you have the same choice.

[cruisestitch]

 You might not be using the main dining room for dinner, but those same staff members will be there for you in other ways. Some will be working the main dining room daily breakfast and sea day lunches. Some will be working in the buffet area.  

[mickey89]

Too avoid any mis-information, goto Celebrity's Terms and Conditions which says very clearly " Gratuities may be adjusted at the Guest's discretion onboard at Guest Relations up until morning of departure "

So the correct answer should be YES, the OP can adjust their gratuities to suit their situation.

 

https://www.celebritycruises.com/faqs/all-faqs

Edited November 4, 2023 by mickey89

[cruisestitch]

But you cannot remove only the dining staff gratuities and leave the housekeeping gratuities unchanged.  
 

 

[cruisegal1970]

4 minutes ago, cruisestitch said:

But you cannot remove only the dining staff gratuities and leave the housekeeping gratuities unchanged.  

Celebrity says "AJUST......" -  there is nothing wrong in me adjusting our gratuities from $18/pp/day  to say $10pp/day.

Edited November 4, 2023 by cruisegal1970

[Guindalf]

 

 

Here we go again!

 

If you're THAT worried about a couple of dollars a day for waiter/assistant waiter/maitre'D etc. gratuities. then do everyone a favor...DON'T CRUISE!

 

What you are doing is removing part of someone's salary. If you choose not to use the services provided, then why punish everyone in the tip pool?

 

Remember, you're not removing the wait staff's tips, you're reducing the amount everyone, including the room steward, laundry workers and more get.

[jwlane]

4 hours ago, cruisegal1970 said:

Can we cancel these extra tips and reward those that do actually serve us?

Leave it alone.

[cruisestitch]

2 hours ago, cruisegal1970 said:

Celebrity says "AJUST......" -  there is nothing wrong in me adjusting our gratuities from $18/pp/day  to say $10pp/day.

So your housekeeping staff will get less. Is that your intention?

[Pinboy]

2 hours ago, mickey89 said:

So the correct answer should be YES, the OP can adjust their gratuities to suit their situation.

No offence meant ( gotta cover my butt and be nice, oops, " politically correct " and not offend anyone )--

Anyone ( that wants to) WILL find a reason to remove all the Gratuities !!

Adjust them " to suit their situation " ?? 

Here's a suggestion---- Remove the gratuities---Bring the Staff some souvenirs from home, like a key chain or a stuffed teddy bear, or even a fruit cake--- that'll do it.

 

 

[tschwa2]

I thought the cover charges at the restaurants already assumed that you likely won't be eating in a dining room so have about $15-20 already built into the cost,  so the aprox $4 tip that would have gone for your dinner portion of the $18-23 per person per day and would have gone to the MDR or buffet's dining and culinary services staff, would also go to the servers in the specialty restaurant.  

[mickey89]

1 minute ago, tschwa2 said:

I thought the cover charges at the restaurants already assumed that you likely won't be eating in a dining room so have about $15-20 already built into the cost,  so the aprox $4 tip that would have gone for your dinner portion of the $18-23 per person per day and would have gone to the MDR or buffet's dining and culinary services staff, would also go to the servers in the specialty restaurant.  

Perverse thoughts ...... maybe you should be employed by Celebrity

[mickey89]

29 minutes ago, cruisestitch said:

So your housekeeping staff will get less. Is that your intention?

Celebrity made the rules, so I suggest you follow them.....Adjust...adjust

[CruisersTimesThree]

Do you realize how many people benefit from your daily gratuities? It’s not just the dining staff or the housekeeping staff. It’s also the bartenders who serve you your drinks, it’s also the attendants in the public bathrooms, it’s also the busboys who clean up your table after you eat, it’s also the people in the laundry room who make sure you have clean sheets and towels, the list goes on and on for the behind the scene employees. You “adjust” the daily gratuity and you take away a portion of these people’s hard earned money! Can’t understand people who do this! You are fortunate enough to enjoy what most consider a luxury vacation while you want to gyp the hard workers that make it possible!  BTW, do you plan on eating breakfast and lunch somewhere? The people that serve you those meals deserve their gratuity! 

Edited November 4, 2023 by CruisersTimesThree

[PTC DAWG]

1 hour ago, Pinboy said:

No offence meant ( gotta cover my butt and be nice, oops, " politically correct " and not offend anyone )--

Anyone ( that wants to) WILL find a reason to remove all the Gratuities !!

Adjust them " to suit their situation " ?? 

Here's a suggestion---- Remove the gratuities---Bring the Staff some souvenirs from home, like a key chain or a stuffed teddy bear, or even a fruit cake--- that'll do it.

 

 

I chuckled. 

[WestLakeGirl]

7 hours ago, cruisegal1970 said:

We have just booked Specialty Dinning package for the full cruise as it's our anniversary.  We have paid 20% gratuity on the package and I believe we are now expected to paid $36 per day additional gratuities, much of which goes to the dinning staff of the main restaurant that we won't use. 

Can we cancel these extra tips and reward those that do actually serve us

 

 

 

where will you be eating breakfast and lunch?

[mrgabriel]

4 hours ago, cruisegal1970 said:

Celebrity says "AJUST......" -  there is nothing wrong in me adjusting our gratuities from $18/pp/day  to say $10pp/day.

Correct, you are permitted to adjust gratuities. But because you CAN doesn’t mean that it’s right. Maybe one night the server in the MDR will go above and beyond for you. Are you going to add to the gratuity that night? It all works out in the wash. 
 

We don’t eat breakfast and on our last cruise we twice told the room attendant to skip evening service. Did we consider for even a second lowering gratuities? Of COURSE NOT.
 

If you’re angry at Celebrity for their gratuity policies take it up with the executive office or talk to the Hotel Director. Don’t punish the people who have no control and rely on that money. 

[Alakegirl]

9 hours ago, cruisegal1970 said:

We have just booked Specialty Dinning package for the full cruise as it's our anniversary.  We have paid 20% gratuity on the package and I believe we are now expected to paid $36 per day additional gratuities, much of which goes to the dinning staff of the main restaurant that we won't use. 

Can we cancel these extra tips and reward those that do actually serve us?

How would you possibly find all the people who actually serve you? So many people work the buffet, and the MDR breakfasts and lunches, I don’t see how you could possibly locate them all

[keesar]

4 hours ago, Pinboy said:

 

Here's a suggestion---- Remove the gratuities---Bring the Staff some souvenirs from home, like a key chain or a stuffed teddy bear, or even a fruit cake--- that'll do it.

 

 

 

I like the idea of a fruit cake ...and adding in a water bottle from your hometown..  

[hcat]

with the increased added specialty dining grats,  we no longer add extra..cash or  extra to the bill...

[manmachine]

On 11/4/2023 at 12:52 PM, CruisersTimesThree said:

Do you realize how many people benefit from your daily gratuities? It’s not just the dining staff or the housekeeping staff. It’s also the bartenders who serve you your drinks, it’s also the attendants in the public bathrooms, it’s also the busboys who clean up your table after you eat, it’s also the people in the laundry room who make sure you have clean sheets and towels, the list goes on and on for the behind the scene employees. You “adjust” the daily gratuity and you take away a portion of these people’s hard earned money! Can’t understand people who do this! You are fortunate enough to enjoy what most consider a luxury vacation while you want to gyp the hard workers that make it possible!  BTW, do you plan on eating breakfast and lunch somewhere? The people that serve you those meals deserve their gratuity! 

Yes, we must tip the laundry room folks now.  SMH.

Edited November 5, 2023 by manmachine

[manmachine]

1 minute ago, manmachine said:

 

Edited November 5, 2023 by manmachine

[mahasamatman]

Regarding the suggestions above about bringing gifts for the crew, I would recommend heavily against this. Imagine you are living in an area about the size of a double bed - how much extra crap do you really want? From discussions I've had with crew, most of the gifts they are given get thrown out.

[1Virgo]

22 minutes ago, mahasamatman said:

Regarding the suggestions above about bringing gifts for the crew, I would recommend heavily against this. Imagine you are living in an area about the size of a double bed - how much extra crap do you really want? From discussions I've had with crew, most of the gifts they are given get thrown out.

 

Totally agree.  What one might think is cute or nice may not be to them = waste of money.  

Don’t forget, they then have to transport those items home. a pain and costly.