Gratuities

[RedSox68]

I started pre-paying them a couple of cruises ago and it is so nice to not have to worry about it once onboard. In all my cruises I've only had to remove part of the gratuities once for several reasons. If you prepay and there is egregious service you don't want to leave tips for, you can ask guest services to remove all or part of the tips. And because you pre-pay, it is one less thing on your shipboard account at the end.

 

[bumbershoot]

Would you tip the same if you have bad service or choose not get services? For instance, my DH doesnt want anyone in our stateroom so for the whole week we just ask for new towels and take our garbage out. ...still paying the same gratuity as someone who uses the service... and we don't eat anywhere but the buffet... still paying the same gratuity as someone who gets served like they should all week. I'd rather pay 1/2 the amount or something other than hundreds of dollars for services i dont fully use.

I wouldn't let myself get bad service more than once.

You've actually sailed and the attendant and management have let you decline all services the whole time? Interesting.

We don't have housekeeping in at hotels very often, but on a cruise we're living in luxury. And luxury means letting them come in and make my room lovely and presentable and usable twice a day.

Plus, even if you don't do this, THEY know that most people who SAY they want no services actually will want services. So they still need to make sure they are available for he last minute "oh but I do need this" requests.

Exactly. On more than one occasion I have seen my assistant waiter from dinner in the MDR working in the Windjammer during breakfast or lunch.

Yep! Our dinner assistant server made my morning a couple times by helping me get plain poached eggs and even bringing them to me! It was lovely. I think that actually might have been on Disney (b/c Royal has an actual egg station where you order just what you want, while you have to go to the eggs benedict station and make a special request on Dream), but we've seen the Royal servers out and about and helping quite often.


It's hardly hundreds for the 3 of us in my family, and paying the paltry sum to people who are working their behinds off is a small price to pay.

 

[RedSox68]

Would you tip the same if you have bad service or choose not get services? For instance, my DH doesnt want anyone in our stateroom so for the whole week we just ask for new towels and take our garbage out. ...still paying the same gratuity as someone who uses the service... and we don't eat anywhere but the buffet... still paying the same gratuity as someone who gets served like they should all week. I'd rather pay 1/2 the amount or something other than hundreds of dollars for services i dont fully use.

No, I would not tip for bad service -- ever. And only on one cruise did I have to remove the tips (NCL Pride of America). But what some consider "bad service", others may not. It's all relative.

What you might not realize is that whether you eat in the MDR or not, the same servers also work the buffets both on the ship and on Castaway Cay. They also do room service when not in the dining room. I have seen our servers at breakfast and lunch buffets cleaning areas and working behind the counter. As for the room steward, we don't allow housekeeping in our rooms at hotels, but always on cruises -- I like all the nice little touches they do. But even if they don't come in your room everyday, they are still the ones that are called when you need towels, soaps, ice, etc. And sometimes when you call for things not on their regular routine, it could be during their off time or meal time or nap time, but they still have to respond.

It's hardly hundreds for the 3 of us in my family, and paying the paltry sum to people who are working their behinds off is a small price to pay.

THIS.

 

[nkereina]

My dad was on his first cruise back in April, and felt so funny about being served by waiters and bartenders and NOT leaving them tips at the time of service. He ended up prepaying gratuities but also spending a good amount out of pocket because he started leaving tips for them in person as well. Sounds like this double up wouldn't have been avoidable though if RCCL adds gratuity to your account anyway.

 

[quickcat]

At the specialty restaurants, do we bring cash and tip or are these included in the prepaid gratuities?

 

[nkereina]

At the specialty restaurants, do we bring cash and tip or are these included in the prepaid gratuities?

Its included in the prepaid gratuities. Any tipping you do anywhere on board is at your own discretion, it's all included in your prepaid gratuities.

 

[bumbershoot]

Its included in the prepaid gratuities. Any tipping you do anywhere on board is at your own discretion, it's all included in your prepaid gratuities.

At the specialty restaurants? I don't think that's correct.

 

[3monkeys4me]

I thought the specialty restaurants included the gratuities into the cover charge, if that is true then in a way it is covered. We don't usually do the speciality restaurants but the one time that we did we tipped with cash because the service was exceptional.

 

[RedSox68]

I thought the specialty restaurants included the gratuities into the cover charge, if that is true then in a way it is covered. We don't usually do the speciality restaurants but the one time that we did we tipped with cash because the service was exceptional.

If you call and ask a CM, you will get a different answer every time. Some feel the gratuity is included in the cover charge, others don't. We always leave a tip.