Thank you. I sailed with Carnival and they charged the tips to my account. I prefer the envelope system.
Please remind me since it has been a few years though..... I bring the tip money as travelers checks and then cash them on the ship to pay for the tips right?
__________________
Up next ...
Enchantment Of The Seas
Explorer of the Seas Winter Get Away -- back to the aft cabin
I have heard on another website that Celebrity will give you the option of adding tips to your onboard account. It is apparently offered as an option during your cruise. Maybe it is done on some ships and not on others. We have our cruise documents already and there is no indication of adding tips to the onboard account. So I guess we will be prepared to bring extra cash just in case. On the other hand, the option of adding tips to the onboard account may be so new that the information may not be completely available on cruise documents and brochures officially yet. Who knows.... just be prepared for either option.
Hi Philly,
You can also just figure out the tips in cash before you leave, put them aside and you'll be ready, no need to really bring travelers checks to cash for this unless its something you are more comfortable doing.
My big problem with the tips automatically being added to my account.....
I don't feel as though I get the same service as I do when the crew knows that envelope will be coming at the end of the cruise.
Case is point, on my last cruise with Carnival we used the automatic tipping and we NEVER even saw our cabin steward. I personally feel they should make a point of trying to meet me since I am paying them money to take care of my room. The cruise before that, we chatted almost every day with our steward and even had our pictures taken with her.
Does anyone else feel this way too?
__________________
Up next ...
Enchantment Of The Seas
Explorer of the Seas Winter Get Away -- back to the aft cabin
Wine steward and bar "service chgs" are added at each purchase. Option to charge tips to account is given, but has to be done a day ahead of time. Also amount isn't "automatic" in that you may raise the amount if you wish....dunno if you can lower it though!
We chose to have the tips added to our account, it's so much easier. When doing this you are given vouchers to put in the envalopes stating the tip amount. Where we added a few extra dollars we put that amount in the envalope. This is the best of both worlds. You get to hand an envalope to your service people that have helped you throughout you cruise and don't have to worry about having all that cash in the right denomonations. (think I really screwed that word up)
While Celebrity (Century) gave the option to tip individuals with cash or charge to your on board account.
The difference is that you are able to give whom you want with the cash envelopes but when you charge the tip to your onboard account, EVERYONE on the laundry tip form gets tipped, even those you may not ever have come in contact with.
When we asked the Purser to charge only those we wanted, they denied our request. It was all or nothing. Better tip in cash or otherwise buyer beware.
Ann, that certainly wasn't our experience in November. We were given vouchers to give to each person we were tipping with the amount of the tip written on it. If we wanted to tip more than the suggested amount we could either have that put on our voucher as well or just pay the extra in cash. I am surprised at how they handled your situation. NCL does it the way you explained, but Celebrity did not in our case anyway.
Ann, that is a valid point. I hope Nita's exeprience is more in line with the general rule. I certainly don't tip a Chief Housekeeper who in 5 cruises with Celebrity, I have only met once! I do like the control option of who gets what, especially if we decide to seek alternative dining at the buffet in the evening. I believe a lot of servers were being cheated out of well deserved gratuity. I enjoy the direct tipping on Carnival.
Does anyone know what the recommend tip is for the server in the Alternative Buffet for dinner? Looks like we may need to utilize this feature one evening on our upcoming cruise due to a late tour return.
Bon Voyage
If you don't tip the Chief Housekeeper, his tip is taken out of the stewards tip. It is not right but that is the reality of it, so he got the tip anyway.
Nana, I believe it is $2.00: I also have heard the same as Don about tipping the head housekeeper. I don't know how true this is. Like you we resented the tip very much but didn't want to see our cabin stewardess suffer, so we gave the suggested amount. It really isn't very much, it's just the idea that blew my mind. I wonder where this tipping stuff is going to stop?
We just cruised the Horizon for New Years. We chose the option of charging tips to our account. We filled out the form left in our cabin and submitted to purser. You can add or subtract and even delete as you feel necessary on this form.
I was on Constellation a couple weeks ago and they leave you a form to fill out half way through if you want to add the tips to your account. You need to return it by the second to last day.
Personally, I like the envelopes because I know that the people will get the money and nothing got screwed up.
I also like to put aside the tip money if I win in the casino. That way I won't go back and lose it.
I too have heard the "Chief Housekeeper theory" and find it totally unacceptable to give into that type of hype. No other Mass market cruise line does such a thing. Even the assistant cabin steward is not included in the tipping options. That individual deserves to be compensated but there is never mention of him or her!
Thanks for the buffet tip advise. Looks like we won't need to make reservations for that dining alternative like they used to when Millie was on her inaugural. That is a good thing.
Connect with Facebook
Celebrity Tipping??
Linear Mode
