prepaid gratuities/tipping

[Smartypants72]

I haven't been on a Carnival cruise in 2 or 3 years and just wanted to check if you are still able to remove the prepaid gratuities and then just give the crew cash? If so can I do this before the cruise or do I have to wait till we're onboard?

We're not cheap :) My husband used to work on several different cruiselines and knows how much they appreciate the cash upfront instead of waiting however long it takes to get the $ from the prepaid tips. Several of the cruiselines also don't give them the full amount so he feels much better giving it to them directly.

[Megan_Strick]

oh my

[firefly333]

Prepaid i.e. you pay them before you cruise, no these cant be removed, but automatic tips can be removed. You have to wait until you board and go to the purser's desk. Just be aware as has been posted that the crew gets a list of who removed the tips.... might affect your service because your cabin steward and waiter etc will know you removed them.

[klmorg]

I still don't get this concept. IMHO, folks should just leave the auto-tips on, and give extra cash if/when warranted. One couple we cruised with before said this is what they always do... they go remove the tips when they get on board, then pay cash at the end - because they want to tip in cash and they want to tip more than the 10 PP per day. They hardly had cash for our cab ride at one of the ports, so I really wonder if they ever did pay ANY tips, and the crew soooooo deserved them servicing these people. Ughhhh... I hope I am wrong.

[cathyoo]

Prepaid i.e. you pay them before you cruise, no these cant be removed, but automatic tips can be removed. You have to wait until you board and go to the purser's desk. Just be aware as has been posted that the crew gets a list of who removed the tips.... might affect your service because your cabin steward and waiter etc will know you removed them.

 

When I first start cruising with Carnival you could not remove pre-paid tips. However that is no longer true. You can remove both those pre paid and those assessed after you are on the ship.

[cruiserbryce]

yes you can remove them, but i dont think it can be done pre cruise. Cash is always appreciated I am sure.

[firefly333]

When I first start cruising with Carnival you could not remove pre-paid tips. However that is no longer true. You can remove both those pre paid and those assessed after you are on the ship.

 

I did see this posted on another thread, but decided to not come back and correct it, leave sleeping dogs lie and hope the thread died before folks started in on if they think its wrong to remove tips. lol

 

thanks for the update though, you are correct I see.

[DanusLight]

https://www.bookccl.com/irman/bookccl/booking_procedure/Gratuities_Tips.htm

[Chacooe]

If someone does not eat in the main dining room and only eats in the buffet area, should they have to pay the tips for the head waiter and his assistant. What do the rest of you think, should they take those tips off and give them to the kitchen help or what?

[Flynlo]

If someone does not eat in the main dining room and only eats in the buffet area, should they have to pay the tips for the head waiter and his assistant. What do the rest of you think, should they take those tips off and give them to the kitchen help or what?

 

I agree, take the $5.50 per day off, if you never sit in dining room. Leave the $1.00 on and the $3.50 for steward. Sounds reasonable to me. Who knows?

[joebat1]

If you remove the entire automatic tips, a list is generated and your cabin steward and wait staff are required to turn in any cash received. If you leave a small dollar amount, say $ 3.00 per day, then the employees you give cash to can keep 100%.

In olden days most people knew how to tip on land vacations(10 to 20%), and many first time cruisers asked the legitimate question...how much to tip on a cruise!! The cruise lines came up with a "suggested amount" as a guide line. As in any service job, many employees were "jilted" out of their tips(as is true in land based jobs).

As cruise prices continued to drop, it attracted many lower income cruisers out for a "cheap vacation", and the increase in "no tipping" pax's.

Again, in days gone past, a cabin steward might have 10 to 12 cabins per voyage. If he/she were proficient, their "raise" was an increase in the number of cabins assigned to clean. On a recent voyage the cabin steward had 19 cabins.... WOW ~~!!~~

Like some much in life, the cruise lines have chosen to become socialist, or communist in that ALL wait personnel will combine ALL tips, and the tips will be allocated as the company sees fit (regardless of the level of service)....

 

I leave a small amount on the automatic tips, and tip daily, and to those that have provided excellent service an envelope at the end of the cruise. Let the cruise line pay their employees', and let me TIP the service staff that give me good service.....

[MrPete]

I haven't been on a Carnival cruise in 2 or 3 years and just wanted to check if you are still able to remove the prepaid gratuities and then just give the crew cash? If so can I do this before the cruise or do I have to wait till we're onboard?

We're not cheap :) My husband used to work on several different cruiselines and knows how much they appreciate the cash upfront instead of waiting however long it takes to get the $ from the prepaid tips. Several of the cruiselines also don't give them the full amount so he feels much better giving it to them directly.

 

Just be aware that the crew memebers will get less that what they are due if you pay them cash, as they must pool these tips. I would think they would prefer the FULL amount owed them rather than a precentage.

 

Also, I'm not sure you are confusing PRE TIP with auto tip. Were you already charged your tips with your final payment? That pre tipping.

 

Auto tips are just the charge on your Sail and Sign account, and if you remove them, the crew member will be questioned AND will be made aware that you have removed their tips.

 

You may wish to reconsider the hardship you are considering.

[big_duck]

I agree, take the $5.50 per day off, if you never sit in dining room. Leave the $1.00 on and the $3.50 for steward. Sounds reasonable to me. Who knows?

 

Dining staff also work the Bistro area. This is taken into consideration by Carninval when they suggest just a $1. So if you take it off, you are indeed stiffing them.

[Kurbanfan]

I haven't been on a Carnival cruise in 2 or 3 years and just wanted to check if you are still able to remove the prepaid gratuities and then just give the crew cash? If so can I do this before the cruise or do I have to wait till we're onboard?

We're not cheap :) My husband used to work on several different cruiselines and knows how much they appreciate the cash upfront instead of waiting however long it takes to get the $ from the prepaid tips. Several of the cruiselines also don't give them the full amount so he feels much better giving it to them directly.

 

If you want to remove them..........why did you pre pay:confused:

[momofzeke]

If you want to remove them..........why did you pre pay:confused:

 

I'm wondering if the OP is actually thinking of the auto-tips instead of prepaid?

[dan40]

If you remove the entire automatic tips, a list is generated and your cabin steward and wait staff are required to turn in any cash received. If you leave a small dollar amount, say $ 3.00 per day, then the employees you give cash to can keep 100%.

In olden days most people knew how to tip on land vacations(10 to 20%), and many first time cruisers asked the legitimate question...how much to tip on a cruise!! The cruise lines came up with a "suggested amount" as a guide line. As in any service job, many employees were "jilted" out of their tips(as is true in land based jobs).

As cruise prices continued to drop, it attracted many lower income cruisers out for a "cheap vacation", and the increase in "no tipping" pax's.

Again, in days gone past, a cabin steward might have 10 to 12 cabins per voyage. If he/she were proficient, their "raise" was an increase in the number of cabins assigned to clean. On a recent voyage the cabin steward had 19 cabins.... WOW ~~!!~~

Like some much in life, the cruise lines have chosen to become socialist, or communist in that ALL wait personnel will combine ALL tips, and the tips will be allocated as the company sees fit (regardless of the level of service)....

 

I leave a small amount on the automatic tips, and tip daily, and to those that have provided excellent service an envelope at the end of the cruise. Let the cruise line pay their employees', and let me TIP the service staff that give me good service.....

 

 

This statement is NOT true!

"Like some much in life, the cruise lines have chosen to become socialist, or communist in that ALL wait personnel will combine ALL tips, and the tips will be allocated as the company sees fit (regardless of the level of service)...."

 

It is true of some lines, but not Carnival. It is even true of some Carnival owned lines. But there IS NO blanket statement that covers tips on all lines. Other than leave the auto-tip in place.

[penetangjudy]

I know on the Eurodam it is stated that when you remove the autotip and you only give cash that those you pay are supposed to hand the cash over and it will be divided up the way the autotip was divided. The person/people you want to benefit from this will not any more than anyone else.

 

If you leave the autotip in place and give those who gave you excellent service extra money at any other time during your cruise they would get to keep that money for themselves, they would benefit.

 

I personally like the autotip, takes away some of the stress of tipping and I think the staff work very hard for their money :)

[zqvol]

If you remove the entire automatic tips, a list is generated and your cabin steward and wait staff are required to turn in any cash received. If you leave a small dollar amount, say $ 3.00 per day, then the employees you give cash to can keep 100%.

In olden days most people knew how to tip on land vacations(10 to 20%), and many first time cruisers asked the legitimate question...how much to tip on a cruise!! The cruise lines came up with a "suggested amount" as a guide line. As in any service job, many employees were "jilted" out of their tips(as is true in land based jobs).

As cruise prices continued to drop, it attracted many lower income cruisers out for a "cheap vacation", and the increase in "no tipping" pax's.

Again, in days gone past, a cabin steward might have 10 to 12 cabins per voyage. If he/she were proficient, their "raise" was an increase in the number of cabins assigned to clean. On a recent voyage the cabin steward had 19 cabins.... WOW ~~!!~~

Like some much in life, the cruise lines have chosen to become socialist, or communist in that ALL wait personnel will combine ALL tips, and the tips will be allocated as the company sees fit (regardless of the level of service)....

 

I leave a small amount on the automatic tips, and tip daily, and to those that have provided excellent service an envelope at the end of the cruise. Let the cruise line pay their employees', and let me TIP the service staff that give me good service.....

 

Other than your own opinion do you have any source to back up this information?

[CRUZBUDS]

Cabin stewards do have many more cabins now, but they also have helpers. The helpers tips come out of the stewards. I suspect they make about the same as they used to.

 

We like auto-tipping and almost always add some cash at the end of the trip.

[joebat1]

Other than your own opinion do you have any source to back up this information?

 

Hey dude... this is NOT my opinion, but factual information given to me at the time on the following two cruises ~~!!~~ You might want to inquire on your next cruise as to policy regarding tipping on your specific cruise... Also you might wish to inquire directly with the cruise line headquarters on the subject matter......

 

The Purser on the Carnival Holiday in March and the room steward as well as the wait staff.......

 

The purser on the Ruby Princess in April and the room steward, the room stewards' supervisor as well as the wait staff and the Matrie d'......... With anytime dining it would be extremely hard to nail one waiter to turn in his extra tips because I had reduced my "suggested tips"......

[cruizer4662]

We always do the "auto-tips" and tip extra for good service at the end, I don't believe it tipping when I first go aboard. The staff work hard and most support families back in their home country. No different than when most of our ancestors came to work/live in the US.

[Flynlo]

Dining staff also work the Bistro area. This is taken into consideration by Carninval when they suggest just a $1. So if you take it off, you are indeed stiffing them.

 

Not true! How would you stiff someone that did not wait on you? Thats a silly idea. I would not tip for your service, nor expect you to tip for mine.

I suggested leaving the $1.