What can be paid for in advance? Gratuities?

zightlight · #1 (**permalink**) January 7th, 2009, 11:36 PM

Hello Friends!

I assume that shipboard credits can't be used for the $10 per day suggested gratuities. I heard someone mention pre-paying gratuities. I would prefer paying for everything possible in advance. How do you pay for gratuities in advance? What else can be paid in advance?

Thanks!
Ann

dina · #2 (**permalink**) January 8th, 2009, 08:27 AM

You can pay for your excursions in advance. You can also buy drink coupons (booze and soda drinks) which you redeem when your on board.

zightlight · #3 (**permalink**) January 8th, 2009, 08:24 PM

Drink coupons? Interesting. I remember a woman telling me years ago that she filled her suitcases with Coca Cola so she wouldn't have to buy it on the cruise! How much do drinks, including water, cost? I assume the meals include beverages...?

dina · #4 (**permalink**) January 9th, 2009, 08:19 AM

Beverages are included in meal except for pop and booze drinks. Those you have to pay extra for on board. So if your enjoy only one or two cocktails on your cruise then I'd skip the coupon. If you want to party then the coupons could be worth your while. If your a heavy pop drinker, the soda card might be worth your time. Or if you like a particular type of pop you may want to bring your own brand on board. I'm not a big pop drinker so I just pick one up every once in a while.

zightlight · #5 (**permalink**) January 9th, 2009, 08:57 AM

Thanks Carolin

Kamloops Cruiser · #6 (**permalink**) January 9th, 2009, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zightlight

Hello Friends!

I assume that shipboard credits can't be used for the $10 per day suggested gratuities. I heard someone mention pre-paying gratuities. I would prefer paying for everything possible in advance. How do you pay for gratuities in advance? What else can be paid in advance?

Thanks!
Ann

On some lines you can prepay your gratuities. When we did the
Caribbean on RCI , we prepaid our gratuities and also put cruise credits on account in advance.

zightlight · #7 (**permalink**) February 2nd, 2009, 08:41 PM

Unfortunately we weren't allowed to pay for the gratuities in advance. However, we did receive a ship board credit and that will pay for most of them.

I would have liked to pay it in advance. Oh well!

jmaul99 · #8 (**permalink**) February 20th, 2009, 05:16 PM

Another option if you want everything paid in advance is to figure out how much you will spend on tips, shore excursions, drinks etc. and purchase a shipboard credit for this amount in advance from the cruise line. I do not have a real credit card only a debit card which I did not want to use on my cruise, in March, so I pre- booked my shore excursions and purchased a shipboard credit equal to the cost of shore excursions and tips.

zightlight · #9 (**permalink**) February 20th, 2009, 08:45 PM

That's a great idea.

I prefer not to use a credit card. I was surprised to hear that we are required to leave as a deposit $100 per person per day whether we're paying cash or debit. Since we won't be drinking much alcohol or soda, and since we don't really do massages, photos and on-board souvenirs, we'll never spend $2800 for the four of us on our trip. I wonder if we can negotiate it when we get there. The only thing I'm certain will be charged on our shipboard credit is the required $12 per person per day gratuity. $2800 is a lot different from $336!