A hot topic of Debate in the office this week is over pre-paid gratuities. Royal Caribbean/Celebrity Cruises are on a mission to get cruise agents to get a higher percentage of customers to pay their tips upfront. The reason being that apparently the Brits are not as generous as tipping as the Americans, and Royal Caribbean's on board staff are disgruntled at their loss of income. I think part of the issue is that Americans are more regular cruisers and know that you have to tip at certain amounts (Royal Caribbean actually recommend $9.95 per person per day), whereas the Brits are not quite so au-fait with the protocol. Some of our customers are happy to pre-pay - they know it's done and don't have to budget for it as part of their holidays; others however take offence to the thought of tipping before they've received the service. You do get flexible dining times by pre-paying gratuities which is an added benefit. The debate continues though.