Just got asked a weird question from the CM

[4 The Love Of Disney]

I was on the DCL phone line making a clerical correction on my cruise which is over a year away. The Cast Member was able to make the correction very efficiently and to my satisfaction. But then he asked me a question that I have never been asked before in my dealings with CMs over the phone on my previous cruises. He mentioned that my cruise itinerary did not reflect the prepaid gratuities and if I wanted them to be put on??? This caught me off guard and I then asked him to repeat the question in case I had not heard correctly.

He repeated the same thing and then went on to say that the gratuities had to be paid on the date of my final payment. He asked if I wanted to put them on now or if I wanted to wait till I got closer to the final cruise pay date. He was kind enough to calculate what that amount would be ( which was what I had already budgeted for ). We are a family of 5 and this will be our first cruise where we are on the concierge level

Is this a normal question? Has something changed and we are now being required to pay for the gratuities before we even set foot on the ship? Has anyone ever been asked this question before?

I have no issue with tipping at all. I just feel that tipping should be done at the end of the cruise not before. I politely declined his request and will wait till I call to make some more requests (i.e. adding money to my onboard account ) and see if that question is asked again by another DCL phone cast member

Thanks

 

[Arkum]

Hmmm. I'd like to know the answer to this as well since I was hoping to use OBC to help with the tipping costs.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I was on the DCL phone line making a clerical correction on my cruise which is over a year away. The Cast Member was able to make the correction very efficiently and to my satisfaction. But then he asked me a question that I have never been asked before in my dealings with CMs over the phone on my previous cruises. He mentioned that my cruise itinerary did not reflect the prepaid gratuities and if I wanted them to be put on??? This caught me off guard and I then asked him to repeat the question in case I had not heard correctly.

He repeated the same thing and then went on to say that the gratuities had to be paid on the date of my final payment. He asked if I wanted to put them on now or if I wanted to wait till I got closer to the final cruise pay date. He was kind enough to calculate what that amount would be ( which was what I had already budgeted for ). We are a family of 5 and this will be our first cruise where we are on the concierge level

Is this a normal question? Has something changed and we are now being required to pay for the gratuities before we even set foot on the ship? Has anyone ever been asked this question before?

I have no issue with tipping at all. I just feel that tipping should be done at the end of the cruise not before. I politely declined his request and will wait till I call to make some more requests (i.e. adding money to my onboard account ) and see if that question is asked again by another DCL phone cast member

Thanks

DCL is adding the tips to your onboard account automatically now. However, they are not actually charged to your credit card (or however you are paying your account) until the end of the cruise.

If you pre-pay, you are paying those charges up front and they are basically part of the cruise fare charge. Some people like to pre-pay (like us), because it means that part of the cruise is already paid for and makes budgeting easier.

Even if you pre-pay, the tips are not handed out to the CMs until after the cruise is over, so, if you feel you want to make any adjustments to the tip (either up or down), you still can, at Guest Services onboard.

Don't know if this is an automatic question now, or not.

 

[the_bUg]

That's really odd... I was of the impression that they billed the "required" tips to your stateroom account during the duration of the cruise. It seems odd to me that they would be pre-paid.

Can anyone correct this? I was sure that they are billed to onboard acct.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

That's really odd... I was of the impression that they billed the "required" tips to your stateroom account during the duration of the cruise. It seems odd to me that they would be pre-paid.

Can anyone correct this? I was sure that they are billed to onboard acct.

Did you see my answer?

Tips are added to your onboard account. You can pre-pay tips, if you wish. Either way.

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

I talked to a few different CVPs (That's what they are, not really a CM like a cruise crew member except that they work for Disney) and one time when I went to add Twinkie, the total was a lot more. I asked why, he said "Its the prepaid gratuities." I said, "I have already booked our 2 in this room and they did not instantly apply prepaid gratuities on the booking." *Not talking OBC, talking Ship Fare and Tax & Port fees..and added tips.* He said "Well all the bookings have to have the gratuities." I thanked him for his time and hung up. A few hours later when we had the air fare for twinkie nailed down, I called again. This time, a new CVP, very friendly, never said one word about having to book with the prepaid tips.

I 100% believe it depends on which CVP you get. I recommend my personal CVP at extension 148...

 

[Disney Dreams]

I talked to a few different CVPs (That's what they are, not really a CM like a cruise crew member except that they work for Disney) and one time when I went to add Twinkie, the total was a lot more. I asked why, he said "Its the prepaid gratuities." I said, "I have already booked our 2 in this room and they did not instantly apply prepaid gratuities on the booking." *Not talking OBC, talking Ship Fare and Tax & Port fees..and added tips.* He said "Well all the bookings have to have the gratuities." I thanked him for his time and hung up. A few hours later when we had the air fare for twinkie nailed down, I called again. This time, a new CVP, very friendly, never said one word about having to book with the prepaid tips.

I 100% believe it depends on which CVP you get. I recommend my personal CVP at extension 148...

Sort of OT, but anyone who is a Disney employee is a Cast Member. What does CVP stand for?

- Dreams

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Sort of OT, but anyone who is a Disney employee is a Cast Member. What does CVP stand for?

- Dreams

Cast Vacation Planner?

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

Cruise Vacation Planner.

It's who you will talk to when you call to book at Disney cruise and that is officially what they are (sorry, off topic or otherwise) as each email from her says CVP So-and-so...



neener neener

 

[Lisa Lisa]

Sort of OT, but anyone who is a Disney employee is a Cast Member. What does CVP stand for?

- Dreams

I think it's Cruise Vacation Planner. I called the Castaway Club phone number to ask a question, and the woman I spoke with told me she was a CVP and gave me a spiel about the benefits of using one to book our next vacation. She was pretty persistent about it!

Re: the original post, someone (tweis, I think) posted recently saying that pre-paid gratuities were added to the quote she was given at the Future Cruise Desk recently. The CM didn't mention it, and she only noticed later. Looks like they have started pushing people to pay gratuities in advance. I hope they don't try to require this, because I am completely opposed -- although I understand why some people like to do it.

 

[tweis]

I was on the DCL phone line making a clerical correction on my cruise which is over a year away. The Cast Member was able to make the correction very efficiently and to my satisfaction. But then he asked me a question that I have never been asked before in my dealings with CMs over the phone on my previous cruises. He mentioned that my cruise itinerary did not reflect the prepaid gratuities and if I wanted them to be put on??? This caught me off guard and I then asked him to repeat the question in case I had not heard correctly.

He repeated the same thing and then went on to say that the gratuities had to be paid on the date of my final payment. He asked if I wanted to put them on now or if I wanted to wait till I got closer to the final cruise pay date. He was kind enough to calculate what that amount would be ( which was what I had already budgeted for ). We are a family of 5 and this will be our first cruise where we are on the concierge level

Is this a normal question? Has something changed and we are now being required to pay for the gratuities before we even set foot on the ship? Has anyone ever been asked this question before?

I have no issue with tipping at all. I just feel that tipping should be done at the end of the cruise not before. I politely declined his request and will wait till I call to make some more requests (i.e. adding money to my onboard account ) and see if that question is asked again by another DCL phone cast member

Thanks

This is exactly the same type of thing that happened to me at the future cruise desk last week. The CM that quoted my cruise automatically included gratuities in the price without telling me that he was doing so.

 

[flick]

The prepaid gratuties are just a question we have to ask. They are not automatically add nor are they supposed to be unless you agree to have them added. If you do not add them to your cruise price before you go, they will be added to your stateroom once on the ship, unless you stop by GS and have them removed.

 

[4 The Love Of Disney]

Did you see my answer?

Tips are added to your onboard account. You can pre-pay tips, if you wish. Either way.

That is what I had thought to, and my two prior cruises on the Dream were what you have mentioned. But like I said in my original post he had said my gratuities had to be paid on the date of my final payment. Perhaps I wasn't clear in my original post - he was indicating that my gratuities were to be included in my cruise reservation costs and needed to be paid along with my cruise outstanding balance on my balance due date ( the date before the cruise )

 

[4 The Love Of Disney]

The prepaid gratuties are just a question we have to ask. They are not automatically add nor are they supposed to be unless you agree to have them added. If you do not add them to your cruise price before you go, they will be added to your stateroom once on the ship, unless you stop by GS and have them removed.

Thank you - that is the impression I was under from my previous cruises - perhaps it was just the CM that I got on the phone. The one I spoke to earlier this morning did not mention it at all

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

I should be a CVP!

Heck my honey says I should get paid, I promote them non stop! All the time to whomever I meet...

Guess that's why a good experience is so important...

Pick me Disney! I'll tell everyone all the great, great things you do and provide and I'm SUPER enthusiastic!

 

[Kendal]

I should be a CVP!

Heck my honey says I should get paid, I promote them non stop! All the time to whomever I meet...

Guess that's why a good experience is so important...

Pick me Disney! I'll tell everyone all the great, great things you do and provide and I'm SUPER enthusiastic!

I am the same way lol I have a salesman here where I work who had been on 2 carnival and I sold him on trying it.... He will be on a 7 day fantasy in December... Now with his grand kids holy cow I hope they love it lol

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[tweis]

The prepaid gratuties are just a question we have to ask. They are not automatically add nor are they supposed to be unless you agree to have them added. If you do not add them to your cruise price before you go, they will be added to your stateroom once on the ship, unless you stop by GS and have them removed.

Someone should tell this to the CM that was at the future cruise desk on the Dream last week. I did not ask for a quote that had gratuities included. I thought the price of the cruise had risen that much and was not going to book it. I had booked another cruise instead until I was looking over my confirmation later and realized gratuities had been added to the total cruise cost. I don't mind paying them before I cruise, I would just prefer to know that they were already factored into the price I was given.

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

Maybe it's a new thing for some or transitional, but like I mentioned, I called two different CVPs the same day. One said it was required at the time of final payment (which of course, 3 weeks booking is PIF) and the other never mentioned it at all.

 

[kventventx]

When we sailed in April the person who signed us in charged us right there before boarding for the gratuities. We are sailing again in June and I have already paid them. I will have to make adjustments to them once we are on board. But in April it was like if we didn't pay the tips we couldn't board the ship.

 

[tweis]

Maybe it's a new thing for some or transitional, but like I mentioned, I called two different CVPs the same day. One said it was required at the time of final payment (which of course, 3 weeks booking is PIF) and the other never mentioned it at all.

Maybe. I did not prepay the gratuities before this last cruise because I was going to use my OBC for them and they were never mentioned by my TA and were not required when I made my final payment. I just checked my bill and they were charged the day after boarding.

I got an email from my TA Monday asking why I had booked a cruise onboard at a higher cost than what I currently had the same cruise booked for? I explained that the CM had included gratuities and she found that odd and the confirmation didn't show that $336 was tips. She had to contact DCL to get it corrected.

When we sailed in April the person who signed us in charged us right there before boarding for the gratuities. We are sailing again in June and I have already paid them. I will have to make adjustments to them once we are on board. But in April it was like if we didn't pay the tips we couldn't board the ship.

After I realized they had been added, I went back to see the CM and called him out about adding gratuities without telling me and he said that yes they were included that it was the new company policy but that he could remove them if I would like. I didn't have a problem with him adding them on to the total cost but I like to know what I am paying for. So yes, he made out like they had to be paid upfront, or atleast he did at first.