Pre-Paid Gratuities

[debster]

Is this recommended? How is it handled, we always have handed envelopes with cash to all our servers on our cruises but it sounds awfully convienent to just pre-pay it.

What are your recommendations>

 

[bobbiwoz]

One thing that DCL does if you charge your tips to your account, is that they give you receipts to give to the recipients in an envelope. We like this idea very much. That's what we did.

Bobbi

 

[inkkognito]

Depends what you mean by "pre-pay." We typically pay our tips on the second day of a three day cruise and add additional cash to the receipt stub before handing out the envelopes. We like avoiding that last-day line.

Once we wanted to pay the standard tips at the beginning of the cruise, with more to be added later (I was curious if this would affect service, as there was a thread debating the topic). But guest services was not set up to do it that early.

Barb

 

[kristen821]

How does it work i wanted to pre-pay also, but i am afraid if i pre-pay that the service i receive won't be as good as if i wait til the end. If i pre-pay do they stop working for the tip. Do they know when you prepay or do they not know until you give them the tip envelope with the receipt?

 

[Regina]

Kristen, when you pre-pay, you're given tickets with your servers/steward's names on them. You still give them the envelopes on the last evening, but you put the ticket stub in it instead of cash.

Since I'm a TA, I'm accustomed to the pre-paid gratuities. TA rates include pre-paid tips so I was automatically charged for them in my cruise price and given the tickets while onboard. Since it's the minimum suggested, I've always supplemented them with cash.

On the occassions when I didn't have a TA offer, I would purchase the tickets while onboard. Again, they're given to the guest to give to the servers.

I hope this explains the process a bit better.

 

[missyoh8]

I think its just easiest to bring the appropriate amount in your own envelopes and transfer to the DCL envelopes on board. We have been told by our servers on previous cruises they would prefer cash. We think this is the least we could do, as we will pay it either way, cash or credit. This way we have the cash and can add to it if we feel the need (or take away I suppose). Make sure you have extra, as our DS6 insisted that we tip the pizza guy, after he wrote a great thankyou note! Some of the people that work on that ship are fabulous and you will be glad if you have some extra cash on hand.


Missyoh8

 

[ivanova]

you'll want cash on hand also for tipping room service

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Some tour operators in the UK automatically include the tips, and when you arrive at port on embarkation it is pre paid. The vouchers come directly to your stateroom during the cruise.

In the UK we do not TIP as a matter of course so its a bit strange to us, and it helps to have the correct amount included.