Carnival’s Sail Sign® is a cashless onboard credit program that allows guests to charge onboard purchases and gratuities directly to their personal account for convenience. This program allows guests to prepay cruise gratuities at the time of booking or wait to pay them as part of their onboard bill. Gratuities can be added at the time of booking or anytime up to the sail date. Guests who booked a cruise can request to reduce, eliminate, or increase the daily gratuities by going to the passenger services desk.
The daily gratuity can be removed (or reduced) by visiting the Guest Services desk on the ship and asking them to take them off your account. If your cruise is cancelled or you are unable to sail, your prepaid gratuities will automatically be refunded to your original form of payment. However, if you have prepaid gratuities during the cruise booking process, you cannot remove them on board. You may go to Guest Services at any point and request that the gratuities be removed. They will want to know why you wish to do so, as if the gratuities are optional.
Trips are not mandatory. It is best to remove them at the time of booking but you can do it afterwards, up to the final payment if you have booked online. Automatic Teller Machines (ATM) and currency exchange are available for guests to use the Sail Sign kiosk for assistance.
📹 DON’T STIFF THE CRUISE STAFF – Cabin steward knows when you remove the gratuities!
We are often asked does the cruise staff know who prepays gratuities and who removes them. In this video we look at how …
Does Carnival force you to pay gratuities?
The cruise line has provided a definitive answer to an often-asked question. When you book a cruise with Carnival or Royal Caribbean (RCL), you get charged daily for mandatory gratuities that aren’t actually mandatory. If you prepay your gratuities, you agree to pay a daily fee per person in your cabin.
Can you cancel cruise gratuities?
If you have not prepaid gratuities and the service charges show up on your onboard bill, you can go to guest services before the sailing ends and request to have the amounts altered or removed. You’ll be asked to explain why you’re unhappy with the service you received.
However, even if your room steward was sloppy and your waiter was rude (extremely rare occurrences) or if you come from a non-tipping culture, please reconsider removing the automatic gratuity charges. The tips are not merely goodwill gestures; they’re a critical portion of crew members’ pay.
Refuse to pay, and these hardworking cruise employees have less to send home to their families. You don’t have to like the system, but given that it’s the one the cruise companies have chosen, I encourage you not to penalize the crew for it.
Can you decline gratuity on a cruise?
You have the right to refuse this automatic gratuity charge and may compensate cruise staff on your own terms. However, you will need to notify the front desk of this desire. Otherwise it will appear on your bill when your cruise ends and it will be charged to your credit card on file.
Suggested gratuities policies.Before the concept of automatic gratuities was put in place, cruise lines provided guests with tip envelopes and a suggested daily amount for the individuals they are served by every day.
For example, it might be suggested to give the cabin steward and main dining room waiters each $3 per day per person, the Maitre D a $1 a day, $5 for any tour guides, etc.
How do I remove gratuities from my cruise?
Yes, just go to the service desk and ask that gratuities not be charged to your account, as you are going to tip in cash. I usually do that as i do not trust the cruise line to give all the tips to the employees, and some employees I get no direct service from.
How to take off gratuities at Carnival?
Can you opt out of paying gratuities on a Carnival Cruise? Yes, just go to the service desk and ask that gratuities not be charged to your account, as you are going to tip in cash.
Can you adjust gratuities on Carnival?
Sail & Sign:If guests have not pre-paid their gratuities, the recommended, per person, amount will be posted to their Sail & Sign account on the second to last day of the cruise. Should a guest not be satisfied with the service they receive, they can contact the Guest Services desk while on board. This will allow Carnival to address their concerns in a timely and appropriate fashion. At the discretion of the guest, gratuities may be adjusted after they have been posted on the guest’s account, while on board. Gratuities, as posted on a guest’s Sail & Sign account, will be considered final after a guest disembarks and no changes will be made after the cruise.
- Gratuities are assessed on all guests, with the exception of children under the age of 2.
- Gratuities apply regardless of the dining options selected, such as eating at the casual dining restaurant or open seating dining.
- For beverage purchases, an 18% service charge will be added to the bill.
- An 18% service charge will be added to the cover charge for the Chef’s Table and Bonsai Teppanyaki as well as the nominal a la carte fee at Bonsai Sushi, Emeril’s Bistro 1396, Guy’s Pig & Anchor Smokehouse, Brewhouse and Seafood Shack
- additional gratuities can be added at the guest’s discretion.
- A gratuity may be extended to room service staff as service is rendered.
Thank you for your generous recognition of Carnival’s onboard team. The crew works hard to provide you with a great vacation and takes pride in being part of the best team in the cruise industry.
Can you opt out of gratuities?
Yes, just go to the service desk and ask that gratuities not be charged to your account, as you are going to tip in cash. I usually do that as i do not trust the cruise line to give all the tips to the employees, and some employees I get no direct service from.
Can you remove gratuities on Carnival Reddit?
Yes, you can remove them once you get in the boat. Guest Services will take care of that and you can tip cash and so on.
How can we avoid gratuities?
As a preemptive move, you can ask the restaurant if they’ll waive the mandatory gratuity. Why might they do that? Because you have a large party, and they might not be willing to risk losing your business, that’s why.
How do you avoid gratuity?
Can You Refuse to Pay Automatic Gratuity?. No. Customers cannot refuse to pay automatic gratuity since the payment is a service charge. Tips are optional and freely given by customers, but charges on the receipt from the restaurant itself are mandatory fees. Not paying the automatic gratuity is the same as not paying for the food.
However, a recommended or suggested tip is not the same as an auto gratuity. With suggested tips, the percentage is merely a guideline, not a requirement. The customer may choose what tip amount they want to give their server, if any. Restaurants should clearly label suggested tips and automatic gratuities on the bill.
In 2012, the IRS stated that automatic gratuities would be classified as service charges beginning in January 2014. With this update from the IRS, automatic gratuities count toward employees’ regular paychecks and are taxed differently than traditional tips. Employers must also report charges as a wage on payroll reports, not as tips.
Can you refuse to pay gratuities?
Can You Refuse to Pay Automatic Gratuity?. No. Customers cannot refuse to pay automatic gratuity since the payment is a service charge. Tips are optional and freely given by customers, but charges on the receipt from the restaurant itself are mandatory fees. Not paying the automatic gratuity is the same as not paying for the food.
However, a recommended or suggested tip is not the same as an auto gratuity. With suggested tips, the percentage is merely a guideline, not a requirement. The customer may choose what tip amount they want to give their server, if any. Restaurants should clearly label suggested tips and automatic gratuities on the bill.
In 2012, the IRS stated that automatic gratuities would be classified as service charges beginning in January 2014. With this update from the IRS, automatic gratuities count toward employees’ regular paychecks and are taxed differently than traditional tips. Employers must also report charges as a wage on payroll reports, not as tips.
Are cruise gratuity mandatory?
Whilst not usually mandatory, gratuities are expected and encouraged. It is worth remembering that many cruise lines are based in the US where crew salaries are structured around tips. If you decide not to tip, it will likely have an impact on crew pay.
📹 Is Cruise Tipping Culture Out of Control?
Cruise gratuities are part of the tipping culture on cruises. But has it gotten out of control? Cruise passengers speak out about …
The fact that cruise lines admit that automatic “gratuities” are divvied-up among the staff is proof right there that passengers are subsidizing wages. Why would I tip staff members that I have had zero interaction with? For what? For the service they rendered to someone else? I wouldn’t tip someone else’s waiter in a restaurant nor would I tip the dishwasher. The only possible reason would be to subsidize wages across the board…and that I refuse to do. I tip individuals in cash for excellent service they have provided to ME!
I just dont agree with the whole “better cruise experience” because I tip more. I already paid out the ass for this cruise, and then get nickle and dimed even more on the boat. I paid already, for an awesome cruise experience. If that wasnt enough charge more. I’m under the assumption I paid what was due for this type of vacation I shouldn’t have to give a little extra for satisfactory or great experience. I already did that lol that excuse really angers me.
Good points!! I started cruising when we had envelopes and gave cash based on the cruise line recommendations directly to the staff that served us. Much easier now that you can pay on your cc or prepay. That said, you’re totally right that no one should feel guilty for not giving over and above the suggested amounts. Cruise lines are responsible for wages – not guests
I was on the Carnival Vista the week before you and Jenny were on and I prepaid my gratuities and gave cash to my steward the night before the end of the trip. The last day at sea I went around in the morning giving small cash gifts to the grunt workers I came across (i.e. the person sweeping the deck, etc.) and had a lovely conversation with a young Indian man who told me how well Carnival took care of the staff during the recent dry dock. They were put up in a hotel on an island recently hit by hurricanes by the cruise line and were paid their salary as well. The other win in that situation was the hotel was given business to help them through a difficult time when tourists were not coming to the island (sorry I can’t recall the location he told me.) I was glad to know that the cruise line does indeed take care of its staff. During the course of the week my son and his wife had to go to guest services for some reason and dozens of people were in line ahead of them. When it came to their turn they asked the young lady if all those people in line ahead of them had been removing their gratuities, as from the conversations they overheard that was the drift of what they picked up while waiting. The young lady maintained a smile on her face and said yes indeed that was what was happening. It made me feel ashamed of humanity for being so small, you can afford to go on a cruise but you refuse to tip even though you are waited on hand and foot and made to feel like the most important person in the world while on board by staff you encounter.
“We just need to figure out how to make these people a decent living”, no, no we don’t. That’s the CEOS job to “figure”out, and btw he gets paid multiple MILLIONS annually. I have the solution, let’s take a few million from his salary, or his bonus, and spread it around to the “hard working” ship employees. As the customer, it’s not my position to run around paying people who have decided to work for peanuts. And another thing, I get sick of the phrase “they work so hard”, I work hard as well, but the pay is what it is, can’t run to the customer with my hand out. It’s between myself and my employer. This really isn’t rocket science folks! But for whatever reason, no heat whatsoever is placed on the employer…. only the customer.
My first European river cruise was over 30 years ago. We were assigned to a small side dining room which was the domain of Walter, a forty-something Austrian who spoke flawless English, and he was great. He could answer questions about everything onboard as well as provide helpful information and tips at each stop along the way. On the last day we were given an envelope for the staff, and along with a hefty tip I included a note that explained how much we valued Walter and how he enhanced our cruise experience. As we disembarked, the crew was lined up to wave farewell. Walter broke from the line and marched over to us to shake our hands and wish us well. That made me realize that perhaps not many passengers bother to give the crew the recognition that they deserve other than with money.
I remember reading that since prepaying gratuities have become so popular, the crew make less than they did before. I think this comes up so often because a tip is just that and no one should fell guilty. I agree that it is not your stress on your cruise. I always prepay so it’s out of sight and mind and not a worry when traveling.
The gratuity system in the US being applied to cruise ships (when they’re not sailing there quite often) is wrong, in my opinion. I’d rather a more expensive fare & staff being paid fairly. They can use performance objectives to determine their wage. Tipping culture favours things like physical attractiveness or “fake” interactions. I’d rather genuine staff who don’t feel at my mercy because they need my cash. Perhaps it’s what you’re used to because we don’t tip where I’m from.
I did have a travel mate who lowered her gratuities on Carnival after realizing that the tip is the same for infants, you bring every for babies yourself, they can cruise at 6 months and up. They are not able to stay with any of the camps or eat but the tip is added the same. I thought that was very interesting
Gratuities are GRATITUDE for the service you’ve shown. Some of the room stewards are invisible until the end of the cruise. My stewards were around and helped us out, so I paid them, my food staff, bartenders, and baggage staff OUT OF MY POCKET, that way, they don’t have to get the small percentage of the gratuity the cruise lines give them because THEY ARE SIMPLY cheap. If they went by American labour laws, the wages would be much better and the gratuity would be optional.
Hey Tony I have said it before and I will say it again. the American tipping system is stupid. Why can’t people just be payed properly. It really puts me off coming to your great country again. Not to mention when wait staff hear my aussy accent they fight over who is going to serve us. It’s really uncomfortable for all of us. 😃😃😃
I don’t like to pre pay. I take it off on the last day and pay them in cash. From my understanding about tipping is it’s better to pay in cash. I’ve always been told by restaurant staff it’s better to pay tips in cash for tax reasons. My cabin staff always seems to be more appreciative when getting an envelope of cash and I over tip.
We always do the prepaid, but if we feel someone, such as the room steward goes above and beyond we will give them more at the end of the cruise. Our recent cruise in October on the Celebrity Equinox we had a great cabin steward for the 8 days. We took care of him with more tips on the last evening. keep up the good work and vids Tony and Jen!
The room stewards are key to smooth cruising. They CAN take any requests from keeping your ice bucket full, changing linens daily, adding extra pillows/towels, laundry services, and even making sure to vacuum your shoes after a shore excursion to the beach. When a room steward does these things without being asked shows a great service and tipping them 100.00 at the end is what we usually do. We have been super lucky on Royal Caribbean, we never have to ask, our stewards just volunteer.
This is why I love P & O—the gratuities are included in the price, as are the taxes/port fees. Their European cruises are very economical when you consider the gratuities & taxes/port fees are included. Plus, most of those European cruises go in and out of London, making them much cheaper for us to fly to via Vancouver, BC. However, their Caribbean and Canadian cruise prices are ghastly. Still, I love the way P & O handles the gratuities. No muss, no fuss.
I am worried that, if I pay $100 In gratuities, how much of that is kept by the cruise line to improve their profits and how much goes to those cruise employees who go above and beyond the duties that they are paid for. What do you think of tipping either as you go, every few days or at the end, in cash directly to the crew member?
The crew won’t find out until you’re already out of the cruise. Besides, many don’t revoke their gratuities until the last night. I decided the pandering for gratuities to be too much. I will only give the standard daily amount and nothing additional to the room attendant and the main dining room staff.