I, too, was wondering if the pre-paid bar coupons were a good idea. On Carnival, you get four bar coupons for $19.50. That breaks down to about $4.87 per drink. Well, the coupon says it INCLUDES gratuity. So, if you just buy a glass of the house chardonnay, the cost is $5.46 including gratuity. I wrote down all of the prices of the drinks we had when we went on our last Carnival cruise. All of the drinks, except maybe the "daily special" or beer, were at least what the cost of the wine was. If I bought 4 glasses of wine with the coupons, I would save $2.34 (as opposed to not using the coupons). So, it seems like it would be worth it to me if you are buying drinks that are at least $4.50 with the coupons. I am going to call in the morning and make sure about the gratuity thing. I hope this helps