Daily grats....what are the inside tips on changing or adjusting these??

[Hoosierpop]

Hey, is there a way I can avoid the long line of people at guest services who are removing their tips because they want to tip more than the standard gratuity and not at all because they want to save money? Also, I don’t know what Carnival does with the auto gratuities. I mean, I don’t know what really happens to the tips I hand out. But rest assured, it’s a lot more than the standard gratuities. Believe me.

[Elaine5715]

38 minutes ago, Hoosierpop said:

Hey, is there a way I can avoid the long line of people at guest services who are removing their tips because they want to tip more than the standard gratuity and not at all because they want to save money? Also, I don’t know what Carnival does with the auto gratuities. I mean, I don’t know what really happens to the tips I hand out. But rest assured, it’s a lot more than the standard gratuities. Believe me.

No, you need to stand in line to remove tips.  

[mz-s]

Any changes to the automatic gratuities requires you to appear in person at the guest services desk - you can't do this over the phone since it requires your signature.

[bigdog1958]

13 hours ago, Kelownabccan said:

Typical comments....do not do anything.....but My wife loves to give grats to the room steward every second day or so....a very nice amount....and also to the table service guys and gals......and others she likes...plus when we do drinks there is more grats.......is there a way to lower the $16 she will get also charged each day..she really liked the "old ways"...lol...for me I just give the grats at the end on the bill......On Hal she goes to the desk and they fill out a form on how much she wants to give....

How much do you leave on the table on the lido deck for those workers if you remove the gratuities

I have never seen people leave money for those workers. People always say I give money to the waiters in the MDR, but eat more meals on the lido deck, especially breakfast  and lunch.

[staceyglow]

2 hours ago, ninjacat123 said:

I always tell to whomever I am handing an envelope, that this (the envelope) is in addition to my pre-paid tips. 

This! 

 

If you remove tips because you want to give them out in person, you are potentially cheating the behind-the-scenes people to massage your own ego. Just leave the auto gratuities on your bill and give extra to the those who you want to thank personally. 

Edited January 30 by staceyglow

[mz-s]

43 minutes ago, bigdog1958 said:

How much do you leave on the table on the lido deck for those workers if you remove the gratuities

I have never seen people leave money for those workers. People always say I give money to the waiters in the MDR, but eat more meals on the lido deck, especially breakfast  and lunch.

 

I think it's fair for a customer to decide they don't want to tip everyone. I don't tip the greeter at Chili's or the microwave attendant at Denny's. If they are part of the pool and get tipped out when the money is all sorted, then so be it.

Edited January 30 by mz-s

[sparks1093]

The other thing to consider- if you remove the gratuities their manager is going to ask them why because the presumption is because of poor service on their part. If too many people remove gratuities in their section it can cause them a lot of grief. 

[DallasGuy75219]

32 minutes ago, mz-s said:

 

I think it's fair for a customer to decide they don't want to tip everyone. I don't tip the greeter at Chili's or the microwave attendant at Denny's. If they are part of the pool and get tipped out when the money is all sorted, then so be it.

And that's why if you remove tips and tip the people who served you directly, they're supposed to turn in those tips to be pooled anyway.  Like it or not, most crew members' wages are low because they're expected to be compensated primarily through gratuities.  Those include passenger-facing crew like restaurant hostesses and non-passenger-facing crew like galley stewards, dishwashers, and laundry attendants who support the people you're directly tipping behind the scenes but are not going to get tipped directly by passengers.

 

It's no different than a land-based restaurant where servers have to "tip out" to people like the hostess and busser who aren't going to get tipped directly.  Even if you want your full tip to go to your server, they still have to tip out to others in the pool.

[tonit964]

15 hours ago, Kelownabccan said:

no one answered the question.....can you do anything during the cruise or have to wait to last day???

You don't have to wait until the last day. Your wife can go to guest services when the grats hit your folio and adjust the gratuity however she wants to.

Edited January 30 by tonit964
corrected info

[Kelownabccan]

36 minutes ago, sparks1093 said:

The other thing to consider- if you remove the gratuities their manager is going to ask them why because the presumption is because of poor service on their part. If too many people remove gratuities in their section it can cause them a lot of grief. 

Like that thought.....a different way of thinking......this one question I asked as not an "old time" Carnival cruiser  has blossomed into another of those "grats" free for all blog entries....haha....not my intention

[mz-s]

One thing I've learned from this site is everyone is a huge tipper on the internet.

[sparks1093]

14 minutes ago, Kelownabccan said:

Like that thought.....a different way of thinking......this one question I asked as not an "old time" Carnival cruiser  has blossomed into another of those "grats" free for all blog entries....haha....not my intention

I get that, but threads often take on a life of their own, especially these type. 

[Pyxie]

1 hour ago, mz-s said:

 

I think it's fair for a customer to decide they don't want to tip everyone. I don't tip the greeter at Chili's or the microwave attendant at Denny's. If they are part of the pool and get tipped out when the money is all sorted, then so be it.

 

But those people do get tipped out by the waitstaff. Same idea.

[bigdog1958]

23 hours ago, mz-s said:

 

I think it's fair for a customer to decide they don't want to tip everyone. I don't tip the greeter at Chili's or the microwave attendant at Denny's. If they are part of the pool and get tipped out when the money is all sorted, then so be it.

Sure, there are people who are cheap and dont tip at buffets. 

[staceyglow]

23 hours ago, mz-s said:

One thing I've learned from this site is everyone is a huge tipper on the internet.

Just like everyone is a big winner in the casino. 

[Essiesmom]

The MDR is not open for lunch every day.  But the servers there do not get time off when it isn’t open.  They work elsewhere.  Many times I have seen my MDR waitstaff working lunch in the buffet.  EM

[BeachChik]

We haven’t cruised in a few years so I haven’t been around. But it’s good to see that nothing has changed and tipping debates are still here 😆

[simplelife]

I don't change these, so there's no need for lines at all.  I just provide extra cash to those who have been particularly helpful.

Edited January 31 by simplelife

[Haljo1935]

On 1/30/2024 at 7:40 AM, sparks1093 said:

Gratuities for us have always posted to our account on the second or third day.

 

On 1/30/2024 at 6:57 AM, mz-s said:

...That means you'll have to wait in the line on the last night of the cruise to adjust or remove the automatic gratuities.

My experience is similar to @sparks1093 - grats post on day 2 or 3; that is when you go to Guest Services, so you're not waiting until the last day.

[BlerkOne]

On 1/30/2024 at 10:25 AM, mz-s said:

 

I think it's fair for a customer to decide they don't want to tip everyone. I don't tip the greeter at Chili's or the microwave attendant at Denny's. If they are part of the pool and get tipped out when the money is all sorted, then so be it.

I think Carnival does a far better job of distributing tips than customers do. Carnival knows things.

 

If a customer wants to tip additional, great.

 

Tipping a restaurants is based on the check amount and is in no way comparable to cruise line gratuities 

[vswan]

I prefer to prepay my gratuities and leave them on. A question though, if I tip bar staff $1 per drink, how do they know that I left my gratuities on and that the money doesn't need to go into the pool?

[mz-s]

31 minutes ago, vswan said:

I prefer to prepay my gratuities and leave them on. A question though, if I tip bar staff $1 per drink, how do they know that I left my gratuities on and that the money doesn't need to go into the pool?

 

You've discovered the flaw in the tipping pool logic that some on here play ostrich to. But no matter in your case. Automatic gratuities aren't distributed to bar staff anyways because they get 18% of all bar purchases.

[skridge]

On 1/29/2024 at 8:14 PM, Kelownabccan said:

Carnival will automatically add $16.00 per day, per guest to your onboard account for standard accommodations

 

Do you have to wait to the last day to do anything or can you do adjustments during the cruise??....On HAL my wife can go to the front desk any time during the cruise and fill out a form to how much she wants to pay.....and then the bill at the end is automatically adjusted to the new amount as an example.....Thanks

Anyone that can afford to cruise on Holland America or any other cruise line can afford $16 a day per person to take care of all the hard working people involved in the tip pool.  There are many reasons given as to why people remove tips and not a single one is valid.  Even if you have a crew member treat you horribly, which in my double digit cruises has never happened there is no reason to remove tips.  Report the person to guest services and mention them in the survey at the end of the cruise.    If you don't like the way the cruise lines go about paying the employees don't cruise.  If you can't afford to tip, don't cruise.  If you for some reason don't like the hard working people on cruise ships.  Don't cruise.  It's very simple.  

[Haljo1935]

1 hour ago, skridge said:

Anyone that can afford to cruise on Holland America or any other cruise line can afford $16 a day per person to take care of all the hard working people involved in the tip pool.  There are many reasons given as to why people remove tips and not a single one is valid.  Even if you have a crew member treat you horribly, which in my double digit cruises has never happened there is no reason to remove tips.  Report the person to guest services and mention them in the survey at the end of the cruise.    If you don't like the way the cruise lines go about paying the employees don't cruise.  If you can't afford to tip, don't cruise.  If you for some reason don't like the hard working people on cruise ships.  Don't cruise.  It's very simple.  

Respectfully @Kelownabccan didn't say "remove" grats, they said "adjust" grats. Adjusting can be up or down.

 

 

[Kelownabccan]

5 minutes ago, Haljo1935 said:

Respectfully @Kelownabccan didn't say "remove" grats, they said "adjust" grats. Adjusting can be up or down.

 

 

Thanks.....Somehow I turned into the bad guy asking a reasonable question.......wow....one question and the world falls apart.....actually my wifes like to give more but that is not what most people think.....and does not want to stand in those big line ups.....to each there own I guess....