pre-paid gratuities

i going on a cruise on a royal caribbean ship, when i bought my tickets it gave me the option to pre pay my tips, i figured it would be easier if i did. will workers on the ship still expect me to pay them? should i try to cancel my pre paid tips? thanks

[MaryLou]

rmj: The staff aboard will not still expect you to tip them personally if you use the auto-tip
option. I always prefer to tip on my own. If you do use the auto tip option, it wouldn't hurt to mention it to the staff if that would make you feel more comfortable. The one and only time I used the auto-tip option, I still put a note and a few extra dollars in the envelopes to hand to the staff. I always like to thank them personally.



Post Edited (04-14-04 05:13)

[Micheled]

If you don't pre pay for tips, can you pay at the end or does Royal carribean do the envelope thing?

Thanks! We are going on our first cruise and we want to handle this the correct way.

Michele

[Donna]

Yes, you can do the "envelope" thing the last nite of your cruise and hand them out personally, nothing wrong with that. We usually have the "tip" money set aside before we even leave, then when its time to tip, we're set, no running around trying to change bills, etc.

[MaryLou]

Donna makes a very valid point. It is always a good idea to have the tip money gathered before the cruise. Like she said, then you do not have to worry about having the correct bills and amount.

I will be a first-time cruiser later this year. I appreciate the idea of preparing for and setting aside the tips before departure. I know that I have read tipping suggestions before, but would someone be able to remind me of the stardard rates? Who should I plan on tipping? From the other postings, it sounds like I should simply place the tips in envelopes and pass them out myself on the last night. Is that correct? From what I've read it is appalling how little some members of the staff are paid.

Thank you for your insights.