Prepaid Gratuities

[GoofyKidd]

We have prepaid gratuities for our upcoming cruise-how do the room steward, waiter, etc know that we have prepaid? I don't want it to look like we are not tipping them when we have already paid in advance.

 

[Bishoparc]

We have prepaid gratuities for our upcoming cruise-how do the room steward, waiter, etc know that we have prepaid? I don't want it to look like we are not tipping them when we have already paid in advance.

Regardless of if you prepay, add a credit card on file, or pay your onboard account balance in cash, on the next to the last night your stateroom host will leave a sheet of paper with slips that you tear off for the server, assistant server, head server and stateroom host with the standard amount. You also receive envelopes that you can place those in for each person (and you can include additional cash if you would like) that you then hand to your server. This isn't required as they will get the tip regardless but it's good etiquette. If you had particularly bad service you can deduct from the normal tip at guest services (but that should be a last resort after you have complained and not seen an improvement). We always carry some extra cash onboard to tip above and beyond the normal amount if we exceptional service (which we normally do). If the servers go out of their way for you, make sure to tip them accordingly (example asking for food from other restaurants, more, etc.)

If for some reason your tip form doesn't arrive or goes missing (which ours just did), guest services can reprint the tickets for you.

 

[Dug720]

Everyone - regardless of if they've prepaid or not - gets tear-off slips at the end of the cruise that can be given to the appropriate people in envelopes.

Those who have not pre-paid simply have the amount charged to their account daily.

They only find out during the cruise if tips are removed because odds are if that is done, they will come to ask you what they can do to improve things - or the deck manager or head server will come to find you to find out what is wrong.

 

[GoofyKidd]

Regardless of if you prepay, add a credit card on file, or pay your onboard account balance in cash, on the next to the last night your stateroom host will leave a sheet of paper with slips that you tear off for the server, assistant server, head server and stateroom host with the standard amount. You also receive envelopes that you can place those in for each person (and you can include additional cash if you would like) that you then hand to your server. This isn't required as they will get the tip regardless but it's good etiquette. If you had particularly bad service you can deduct from the normal tip at guest services.

So I fill out the slips with the amount we prepaid and give it to them so they know how much we prepaid?

 

[Dug720]

Regardless of if you prepay, add a credit card on file, or pay your onboard account balance in cash, on the next to the last night your stateroom host will leave a sheet of paper with slips that you tear off for the server, assistant server, head server and stateroom host with the standard amount. You also receive envelopes that you can place those in for each person (and you can include additional cash if you would like) that you then hand to your server. This isn't required as they will get the tip regardless but it's good etiquette. If you had particularly bad service you can deduct from the normal tip at guest services.

Although the better thing to do if service is not to your liking is to first address what is wrong in your eyes with the person or their immediate superior (deck manager or head server). Give them a chance to make things right - especially because they cannot fix what they are doing "wrong" if they don't know they are doing anything "wrong". IMHO it's unfair to punish them by withholding tip without giving them the chance to know you aren't happy and fix it.

 

[Dug720]

So I fill out the slips with the amount we prepaid and give it to them so they know how much we prepaid?

No. They are already filled out. They know what they should be getting.

 

[Bishoparc]

So I fill out the slips with the amount we prepaid and give it to them so they know how much we prepaid?

No, they are pre-printed. Everyone pays the same amount.

 

[GoofyKidd]

Oh so the slips are filled out with the customary amount and it is just automatically charged to your cabin if they are not already prepaid? I think we prepaid $12/person/night-is that the customary amount?

 

[Dug720]

Oh so the slips are filled out with the customary amount and it is just automatically charged to your cabin if they are not already prepaid? I think we prepaid $12/person/night-is that the customary amount?

Yes. If you pre-pay they automatically make that for the standard amount. If you want to add more, you can either add that onto your account at guest services or simply put cash in the envelope with the slip.

 

[GoofyKidd]

Now I got it! Thank you!!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

So I fill out the slips with the amount we prepaid and give it to them so they know how much we prepaid?

You'll receive a gratuity form with the tip envelopes the second to last night onboard:


On the form it indicates who the gratuity is for (by name & position). And the amount of the gratuity. You separate the slips and place them in the appropriate envelopes. Hand out the envelopes the last day/night to the appropriate persons.