Pre-pay tips before we board on RCCL?

[TrvlPro]

Ahhhh yes, at RCCL you can opt to pay the gratuities in cash and run all other expenses on the account. However I don't believe Carnival offers this option. They auto hit your account earlier for gratuities, I believe in some cases they actually run it when you first board the ship. You'll have to check you CC statement from your last cruise to see the date it went through. RCCL doesn't run any charges of any kind until the end of your cruise.

Cheers, Neil

[Cruise Fanatic]

Originally posted by Nat:
We have always tipped at the end of the cruise in cash, but I would like to pre-pay ahead of time and not have to worry about it. My TA can't do it because we are a large group. Can I do this myself before we board? Also, my boys will be in a second cabin right across the hall from us, can I combine tips? Thanks, Nat

Nat,
I don't understand why your TA can't pre-pay your tips for you and your boys. I have worked many groups and pre-paying tips is always an option. I have sailed on many Royal Caribbean and Celebrity cruises where our whole groups tips were pre-paid. It allowed us to do a round-robin for dinner. Meaning, we could switch seats among our groups tables. They frown upon that is tips aren't pre-paid.

[Sandy]

I don't understand why your TA can't pre-pay your tips for you and your boys.

I was wondering that too, and decided maybe the whole group didn't want to pre-pay tips, but Nat does want to for her two cabins.

Sandy

[cruisingUK]

Hi we go on Legend in two weeks time and have prepaid our tips. I believe you can actually arrange to do it online when you check in as well.

[Nat]

I just went back and double checked on what she had said. " within a group I am unable to add them unless I can add them to everyone's bookings". I could ask her again she is wonderful to work with or just have her do everybodys if the rest of the group agrees? I also emailed RCCL to get the scoop if I can do it when I check in (on line) but I have not heard back from them yet, I will keep you posted and thanks for all your help.

[roberto]

Hi I have been on holland america cruise ships and they put a 10 dollor per day gratuity on your bill Does royal do that i am going on a cruise in may

[Nat]

When we went on the Mariner they did not do that? The only time we had an added gratuity was when we purchased a cocktail, they then add the gratuity in right then and there. RCCL did email me back and said that my TA would have to add the pre-paid gratuitys in for us, they did not answer the question as to if I can do it when I check in on line?

[jodiroadie]

This was the only complaint that I put on my Comment Card at the end of my cruise last month...It seems like RCCL complicates this issue (Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many different answers to this question!). I have been on only 3 different RCCL cruises, but each one has handled it diffenently. They need to all get on the SAME PAGE with this. Personally, I like the way that Carnival handles it...they just automatically add it to your Credit Card unless you tell them otherwise. That takes all the guess work out of it. On my first RCCL cruise, I think I actually stiffed my waiters/room stewarts etc. because I thought that my previous experience with Carnival was the norm...I didn't think twice about it. We all know what a great job all these people do for us when we are on our Cruise, and they deserve to be well compensated for it!

Jodi

[luxcruiser]

The boyfriend and I just took the 9 February 2008 cruise from Miami on Liberty of the Seas and I prepaid the tips. When I prepaid, I didn't realize that he would not want to go to the dining room at all for any of the dinners. It wasn't planned that way, but just happened that we were either too tired or not in the mood and never ate in the dining room. The casual atmosphere and dining time flexibility along with the delicious choices at Windjammer and sushi available nightly in the adjoining Jade dining area kept us going back there instead.

So on the last night of the cruise when the tip vouchers arrived in our stateroom, we weren't sure what to do. Why tip people we hadn't even met, we thought? We tried to switch the dining room tips to the Jade and Windjammer staff who'd been very nice to us, but it was not possible.

Finally, we gave the Jade staff smaller cash tips and let the dining room staff have the tip vouchers (we had no choice anyway). I think it all balances out anyway since a discussion with other staff revealed that all the dining staff rotate through the dining room and the Windjammer-Jade... and as nice as Windjammer Jade staff was, they do not serve a full dinner like they do in the dining room.

[Nat]

More info for everyone! I just called RCCL and she said that you can not pre-pay tips when you check in online. She also said that she believes that they are no longer giving out
vouchers to pass out to the crew. Not so sure this is correct info, as "luxcruiser" just went a week or so ago and used them???