tonyfsu21

You tip both the main attendant & the assistant? We have stayed in CLS a number of times and I guess I never really thought much of this since the main attendant was always the one who was the face of the operation and greeted my family.

Can we differentiate “pre-paid” gratuities vs Auto Gratuities? Both are the same. I believe what most are referring to are the auto deducted daily gratuities per person which can either be pre paid before the cruise departs or added daily to the sea pass account. Personally I think gratuities should added and anything above in beyond should be paid on cash. RC should be more clear on where that tip money gets dispersed though.

This is a question that will generate a whole range of answers. To put it as easy as possible I would say: Auto gratuity per day covers room attendant and main dining room wait staff. If you find a waiter goes above & beyond then on the last day add (enter discretionary amount here) into envelope and hand it to them as an extra thank you. Same goes for room attendant. Personally we add between $100-$200 for room attendant and usually $100 if we end up using the main dining room in place of speciality dining. If you choose not to add any extra then the bare minimum daily gratuity will at least cover you. Bar drinks, speciality dining exc: 18% automatically added to drinks and speciality dining. You don’t have to add anything if you don’t want to. Normally when I find a bartender I like I will tip extra (like maybe $1-$2 per drink) and if a speciality dining server is able to make it through a meal with my kids and their food preferences exc I will normally add $50+ to the 18% which is excessive. Porters at the terminal: $2 per bag is average, $5 per bag great, $10 per bag probably excessive. My wife and kids pack the house so $10 per bag is the least I can do to take care of the porter who has to handle those bags. shore excursions: normally in the islands we tip $10 per person after an excursion. That’s totally optional but appreciated. I would say this would be the only time you will feel kind of pressured to tip. Note: everything mentioned above is discretionary and it’s the straightest answer I can give from our experiences. Hope this helps.

Haha! That’s a great question! I thought maybe I was just not keyed into something that everyone else knew. That’s officially a word I’ve never heard. Maybe Willie Wonka?

No, they don’t toss your bags and no I am not “billy big balls” whatever that means.

Yes, I was very obviously joking.

Sometimes bribe & tip go hand in hand….

I would say all US ports. I also can’t confirm what would be considered standard or excessive tip per bag but I do know there are plenty of people who stiff the porters. IMHO, I would say $2 per bag is average, $5 per bag is good and anything above that is excessively good.

It doesn’t. Tipping is an insurance policy against your bags ending up in the water next to the ship.

Yep. $10 per bag usually insures your bag makes it to your stateroom pretty quick.

Lobster Thermidor at 150 CP is pretty awesome! I would say try both but if you have to choose one it’s 150 CP.

Isn’t it easier to just keep the auto gratuity and add cash as desired? My thought is this money is pooled and many crew members rely on it so to pull it has a ripple effect.

I believe all the lounges have been converted. You can purchase cigars in the Port Mercantile store on promenade (Oasis class) and located in the duty free shop onboard other class ships. Sadly you can only smoke on pool deck in an isolated section it’s not very exciting.

I was on Oasis over Thanksgiving and my BIL was getting blue label from the pub on the promenade. Can’t tell you what he was paying w/ drink package though.

There is more to the story. The pre-pay prior to voyage goes to the room steward, dining room exc and is pooled as a collective tip. I believe there is an option to either pre-pay this or pay daily onboard off room account. Then you have the 18% that’s added to every single purchase onboard (bar drinks, speciality dining exc). If you tip more then the 18% (which many people including myself do) it’s easy to just add in what you wish on the signed sales receipt. When I buy a bar drink I normally add another $1.00 per beer in addition to the 18% gratuity. The bar tenders do not look at this as “cheap” at all. For speciality dining (family of 4) I will add $50.00 on top of the 18%. In the casino after 10+ beers the tips get better and better! Hope this helps.

Invicta is horrific. I enjoy nice quality watches and the word “Invicta” is off limits in my house. I don’t get it.

Perhaps, but this probably isn’t what your swimming through in your backyard. The many positives certainly outweigh maybe a few negatives.

We say the same thing about anyone who does not live in SoFL wondering how people can deal with the cold. It’s jacket weather here if the temp drops below 70F. Hurricanes & humidity aside there’s something to be said about an endless Summer. I’ve left reluctantly a few times and visited somewhere with snow and a real Winter and I find myself kissing the ground when we land back at FLL vowing to never leave again.

I have been in Fort Lauderdale for my entire life and I wouldn’t want it any other way. Once your acclimated to the humidity it’s not even a thing. Hurricanes dodge downtown Fort Lauderdale for some reason we always get lucky! If you invest the money to install impact glass and home solar/generation systems then hurricanes and major storms are almost a non issue. Having access to two major cruise ports is wonderful and gives you the option to book quick weekend cruises year round. The downside is the cost of living in downtown proper is very expensive (well worth it though IMHO). You could always look for something in the surrounding suburbs like Hollywood, Plantation, Miramar or Pompano which offer a lower cost of living (in most cases) and still are in close proximity to Fort Lauderdale/ Miami.

Yes the good loungers in the front fill up quick.

100% true. The Barefoot beach area is nice but it’s not anything special other then the “special access” if that’s your thing. I enjoyed the beach club at Coco Cay and wouldn’t want that to be suite exclusive at all but rather develop a separate area if that was an option. Personally if we sail suite or not (mostly suite) we prefer to hang around at that amazing pool with the swim up bar anyway and not go to the club. Wow, I think I miss Coco Cay and Labadee about now.

Agree, I think they should have a dedicated suite area like at Labadee instead of offering only the beach club as a premium option. As for the sharks, rays and other creatures they are harmless and add an element of nature distracting you from the artificial nature of the island. I personally think overall they did a great job on coco cay and it’s the top tier private island of the cruise industry. I disagree re: refinement after seeing the private islands offered by the competition.

The quick weekend getaways are the best especially on great ships like Indy. Enjoy

I don’t know how I forgot about the boardwalk dog house! That’s our first stop once we get on the ship. +1 for the doghouse.

Great spot! One of our favorites. I’ve mentioned in some previous posts to bring water shoes if you are planning on getting off that lounger and going into the ocean at bare foot beach (RC should consider changing the name). The beach is blanketed with small rocks & shells that make it a painful entry/exit into the pristine water.