Gratuity

[Geomom]

We will be going on a British Isles cruise in September. We have already pre-loaded some gift cards and will have some on board credit added to our account by the TA, etc. When we need to tip in cash - either room service or if we choose to tip a little extra in the envelope for some one, should we use US dollars or local money? - In this case, assume British pounds. (Ship sails out of Dover)

I'd do it in USD. Ship currency is USD. And the Magic will be going on the Transatlantic cruise after your cruise, back to the US>

 

[su_A_ve]

We will be going on a British Isles cruise in September. We have already pre-loaded some gift cards and will have some on board credit added to our account by the TA, etc. When we need to tip in cash - either room service or if we choose to tip a little extra in the envelope for some one, should we use US dollars or local money? - In this case, assume British pounds. (Ship sails out of Dover)

US dollars... In fact, you want to bring bills for room service. This is one place were you would tip at the time of service, and if you don't order anything that has a cost, 9 out of 10 times you will not need to sign anything. So in this case, easier to hand dollar bills.

 

[MomOTwins]

When you pre-pay the cost of the gratuities is included in the price you pay for the cruise. That amount is credited to your onboard account. At the end of the cruise you will will get tip envelopes and a sheet of gratuity coupons. You don't tip each time a service is provided.


You separate the coupons and place in the corresponding envelope to hand to the person specified.View attachment 281531 View attachment 281532

Weird, we definitely did not get this on our cruise. Our gratuities were charged each day to our shipboard account, and we got envelopes with directions that we could add additional gratuity if we chose (which I did in cash), but no coupons for the already-paid amount.

 

[dvcdisney]

We will be going on a British Isles cruise in September. We have already pre-loaded some gift cards and will have some on board credit added to our account by the TA, etc. When we need to tip in cash - either room service or if we choose to tip a little extra in the envelope for some one, should we use US dollars or local money? - In this case, assume British pounds. (Ship sails out of Dover)

That's a good question. On our British Isle cruise, we gave US $ for the extra tip. If I was to go to GS and add, it would be in US $.

Plus, I thought it would be more convenient for them to get it in the ships currency.

 

[dvcdisney]

Weird, we definitely did not get this on our cruise. Our gratuities were charged each day to our shipboard account, and we got envelopes with directions that we could add additional gratuity if we chose (which I did in cash), but no coupons for the already-paid amount.

That is strange. We've always received both the envelopes and the notice (with the coupons on the back) on the eve before disembarking.

Even when I go to GS to add because I didn't have any cash, they would print a paper coupon that I could include with the original coupon.

I remember on my first few cruises, they would print the total so you can just provide one slip, but I think that was when it wasn't automatic. We had to fill it out and submit it to GS.

 

[CyndiLouWho]

Our cruise is booked through Costco. Does anyone know if I prepay gratuities or otherwise load our onboard account, will our Costco cash card rebate increase? I seem to recall being told when I booked that anything increasing or decreasing the $ we paid would change the cash card amount.

 

[southerngirl528]

Does anyone know if I prepay gratuities or otherwise load our onboard account, will our Costco cash card rebate increase?

I'm quite sure that those prepaids would NOT increase your Costco cash card. The cash card is paid on the cruise fare, not the incidentals. But I like the way you think! LOL!

 

[Maggie'sMom]

Our cruise is booked through Costco. Does anyone know if I prepay gratuities or otherwise load our onboard account, will our Costco cash card rebate increase? I seem to recall being told when I booked that anything increasing or decreasing the $ we paid would change the cash card amount.

I can't answer the Costco part (and I see someone else did), but I did want to mention that if you have a Disney Visa, anything you pay prior to the cruise gets the 0% for 6 months financing. Whenever I've called and ordered Rainforest Room passes or purchased on board credit, which is essentially what you are doing when you pre-pay gratuities, I've gotten the 0% interest promo on it. But this does not happen when your onboard account is charged to your Disney Visa once onboard.

 

[MomOTwins]

Weird, we definitely did not get this on our cruise. Our gratuities were charged each day to our shipboard account, and we got envelopes with directions that we could add additional gratuity if we chose (which I did in cash), but no coupons for the already-paid amount.

Well, our cruise was pretty recent so maybe it was a trial run. We just got the notice and the envelopes. Seems like they are trying to be more paperless lately (e.g., the option at check-in to get a "short version" of the cruise booklet, and the one-page navigators.

 

[Mich123]

Well, our cruise was pretty recent so maybe it was a trial run. We just got the notice and the envelopes. Seems like they are trying to be more paperless lately (e.g., the option at check-in to get a "short version" of the cruise booklet, and the one-page navigators.

We just left the Wonder on Monday and we had the tear apart notice and envelopes...

 

[dvcdisney]

Well, our cruise was pretty recent so maybe it was a trial run. We just got the notice and the envelopes. Seems like they are trying to be more paperless lately (e.g., the option at check-in to get a "short version" of the cruise booklet, and the one-page navigators.

For us, the perforated coupons for each gratuity was on the back of the notice. It wasn't a separate piece of paper.

Perhaps there was a printing error and your notice didn't have the gratuity on the back.

I'm, absolutely, in favour of paperless, but I think a lot of cruisers want to be able to physically hand the CMs their gratuity envelope.

 

[Travel60]

So, I don't understand why anyone would prepay anything (except for cruise, which is required). We just put everything on a credit card which we then pay off the next month. Why would you pay out earlier than due? Seems you are just giving someone free use of your money. Is there a discount or other benefit that I'm missing?

 

[Travel60]

Sorry, slow internet=duplicate post

 

[MSPeeler]

We were told that we didn't have to take the envelopes to our servers, so we left our envelopes in our room and our assistant server was less than kind to us on disembarkation morning.

I have slight anxiety with people, so I didn't really want to hand him an envelope with a sheet of paper in it.... seemed weird.

 

[MelSpees]

So, I don't understand why anyone would prepay anything (except for cruise, which is required). We just put everything on a credit card which we then pay off the next month. Why would you pay out earlier than due? Seems you are just giving someone free use of your money. Is there a discount or other benefit that I'm missing?

I think some people do it with their Disney Visa so they can get the 0% for 6 months, like a previous poster said. Otherwise, I see no benefit.

 

[Shanti]

Our cruise is booked through Costco. Does anyone know if I prepay gratuities or otherwise load our onboard account, will our Costco cash card rebate increase? I seem to recall being told when I booked that anything increasing or decreasing the $ we paid would change the cash card amount.

No, your Costco cash card total is strictly based on the cruise fare.

 

[dvcdisney]

We were told that we didn't have to take the envelopes to our servers, so we left our envelopes in our room and our assistant server was less than kind to us on disembarkation morning.

I have slight anxiety with people, so I didn't really want to hand him an envelope with a sheet of paper in it.... seemed weird.

That's unfortunate. It's correct that you don't have to give them the envelope since the gratuity is automatically charged and the servers receive that info. Even if you went to GS and added, they will still receive that info.

We have been giving them the envelope since we started cruising. In the beginning my daughter would write a little thank you note and slip it in so she loves giving them out. Now, I just put a thank you note on the front. My children used to do it and when they don't, my husband shakes their hand and gives it to them. We actually had to track down the Head Server once to give it to him. It wasn't a big deal, our server said he would give it to him, but we saw him at the exit.

I'm surprised that you weren't treated as well. Sometimes the last morning is so rushed, they don't seem as friendly as they were the whole cruise, but I really believe that's the stress of the last morning.

 

[Shanti]

So, I don't understand why anyone would prepay anything (except for cruise, which is required). We just put everything on a credit card which we then pay off the next month. Why would you pay out earlier than due? Seems you are just giving someone free use of your money. Is there a discount or other benefit that I'm missing?

The purpose of prepaying is to get that over with, so you know it's taken care of. Prepaying can also make the trip feel more carefree when you actually take it, because the unpleasantness of paying is in the past and you don't have to think about it.

Saving accounts provide minimal interest these days, and there are few investment options that are going to yield much return for a one year or less investment of the amounts most people spend on vacations, so the "you're letting someone else take away your interest" argument against prepaying a trip doesn't usually hold water.

 

[southerngirl528]

I'm surprised that you weren't treated as well. Sometimes the last morning is so rushed, they don't seem as friendly as they were the whole cruise, but I really believe that's the stress of the last morning.

Agree with this. I have always found the servers to be varying degrees of pretty awesome on DCL. Even on that very rushed last morning.

 

[dvcdisney]

Agree with this. I have always found the servers to be varying degrees of pretty awesome on DCL. Even on that very rushed last morning.

Absolutely! Sometimes I can't believe how perky they can be that early in the morning. I saw a lot more grumpiness from the passengers.