Related: 9 times you do not need to tip on a cruise. This is an unfair statement. So if I cancel my gratuities what will be added to my account for my time dining. That is how it works for those employees who get paid with tips. My confusion is to do with the My Time Dining - If gratuities havent been prepaid, do we still have the My Time Dining thats on the invoice?! A. At many big lines, such as Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line, its not uncommon for a family of four staying in a single cabin to see around $80 a day in service fees added to their bills. It is usually at the very bottom below the dining packages, specialty restaurants, and other exclusive dining experiences. 0000002916 00000 n These 9 Drinks Are Free on Royal Caribbean Cruises. Some guests choose to recognize particularly exceptional service with an additional cash gratuity on the last night of their cruise. Daily service charges are not the only cruise tips you will pay on board. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 20 cruises. I understand that once upon a time prepaid gratuities were required for MTD. Jon got hooked on cruising after his first cruise on his honeymoon, and today he is always looking for cruise deals and reading information about the cruise industry. 0000422815 00000 n On a Royal Caribbean cruise, you need to register for My Time Dining if you don't want a set dining time. Most of the biggest cruise lines automatically add some type of service or gratuity fee onto passenger bills. That means two people sharing a room on a seven-night cruise would pay $308 in tips for an otherwise free drinks package on top of their daily service charge fees. Why is it combined? Kudos to NCL for no longer allowing grats to be removed onboard. Upload or insert images from URL. Cheap people have been around for years. This card comes with a long list of benefits, including access to Centurion Lounges, complimentary elite status with Hilton and Marriott, at least $500 in assorted annual statement credits and so much more. Our points-obsessed staff uses a plethora of credit cards on a daily basis. But some people just want to eat with their own family. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum Card, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu. They work very long hours all day long. If you are traveling with more than eight people, My Time Dining might become a hassle. 0000736952 00000 n I have just booked the allure this afternoon and was told by the iglu cruiserep that if I wanted my time dining then I would HAVE to pay the gratuities up front at the time of booking,but if I had first or second sitting then I didn't need to pay I was imformed that royal had made this part of their booking conditions 2 months ago.this is royal caribeans latest sneaky trick to get you to part with more money than you need to.the gratuities payment are VOLUNTARY you have the choise to pay them or request onboard the ship to take them off of your account . 0000026625 00000 n 0000704363 00000 n Aside from formal nights, there is no enforced dress code except that bare feet and tank tops are not allowed in the Main Dining Room. In addition to this, an 18% gratuity is automatically added to all drinks, spa and salon services. But to the OP's question, we have MTD on Mariner next month and have not prepaid our gratuities. For instance, in recent years, Norwegian has been continuously running free at sea promotions that include not just free crew tips but free shipboard Wi-Fi and a free drinks package, too. 0000892817 00000 n How much to tip on a cruise is a question that trips up many first-timers. If you pay them onboard, it will be charged automatically each day of the cruise. Since you stated that you have already paid you cruise in full I would not go back to your TA just to pay them, I would just pay them at the end of the cruise when you settle your account, there are 2 different rates, one for regular rooms which I believe is $14.50 per day, per person, what you see on my picture is for a suite which is $16.50 PD, PP. When planning your other evening activities, make sure that you allot yourself at least 75 minutes for your Main Dining Room experience. Not every ship has it though, so you should check out their website to see if your ship will offer this service if you are interested. 0000909755 00000 n In exchange for the annual fee, you'll unlock access to the Amex Membership Rewards program that let you access airline and hotel transfer partners, along with new lifestyle and travel credits. All sent to your inbox. One thing Ive read over and over again from people who really like My Time Dining is that they dont have to worry so much about what time dinner is. At least, thats how it is supposed to work. Traditionally, dinner on a cruise ship has been served at two specific seating times. Im sorry you never received a tip in your years of "slogging your guts out." One additional reason that you might pre-pay in the future is that Royal can change these rates at anytime, if you have them pre-paid, you are locked in to that rate. Started October 12, 2018, Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. 2011-2023, Cruise Fever . How Does Royal Caribbeans My Time Dining Work? However, many people now prefer to enjoy more flexibility with dinner, so cruise lines have either done away with traditional dining altogether or set up an alternative option. 0000891587 00000 n %PDF-1.4 % Just head over to the Main Dining Room to speak with a head waiter, and they will assist you! 0000417013 00000 n Member Title: 100,000+ Club. Once you have made your My Time Dining reservations, they will appear in your cruise calendar, both on Cruise Planner tab and Royal Caribbean's app. 0000901714 00000 n For more cruise guides, news and tips, sign up for TPGs new cruise newsletter. If you opt out of daily gratuities your account will not be charged for them. If you cancel prepaid gratuities, you can visit Guest Services once you are onboard and request they discontinue automatic gratuties. 0000906914 00000 n I'm travelling with guests from another stateroom who selected Traditional Dining. We do not prepay gratuities because we always have OBC and they will be deducted from the OBC daily. I take any thread older than a year (sometimes less) with a grain of salt. 0000911365 00000 n April 7, 2008. When making a reservation you will be offered My Time or traditional dining times (i.e., 5:30 pm & 8:00 pm). Both Royal Caribbean and Carnival have slightly different daily gratuities. Alas! 0000913572 00000 n The annual airline fee statement credit can be complicated to take advantage of compared to the broader travel credits offered by competing premium cards. If anyone on our team wouldnt recommend it to a friend or a family member, we wouldnt recommend it on The Points Guy either. My Family Time dining is currently unavailable throughout our fleet. Contact Us Get support by Phone or Email 866-562-7625 Email Your Questions Locate a Travel Agent You definitely won't go hungry during your sailing, even if you don't purchase any dining extras. On a Royal Caribbean cruise, you need to register for My Time Dining if you dont want a set dining time. 0000916923 00000 n No reservation is needed, but Royal Caribbean strongly encourages you to get a reservation if you dont want to spend a lot of time waiting when you go to dinner. The agent asked us which dining option wed like and we chose my time. Also if staff are chastised for receiving cash, why do all the posts advocate tipping over and above the automatic gratuities for good service? Others tip their room service or wait staff at their favorite bar, either early in the cruise in the hope of getting better service or at the end to thank them for enhancing the vacation experience. So with My Time Dining, you might lose some of that experience, but the flexibility of your own table and time is often preferable anyway. The flexibility of My Time Dining comes with responsibility. Maximum of 10 guests per reservation. Please don't disrupt the system that works that was put in place that is fair to crew and guests . Heres how I get the lowest price when I book a cruise. So therefore it does not show on our invoice. Copyrights |, www.royalcaribbean.ae is part of Royal Caribbean Arabia owned by Safeen Tourism LLC the Sole Middle East Representative of Royal Caribbean International, 2023 All Rights Reserved | ROYAL CARIBBEAN ARABIA. I sailed on the explorer last year and the trick then was we could only cancel them on day 3 of the trip[obviously hopeing for a lot of forgetful customers] its a damn cheek that they are desperately trying to take this right for the customer to cancel ,,after all I never had gratuities for slogging my guts out in the kitchens and bakeries in my career and I don't suppose many ouy there do either. Check out Intelligent Cruiser here for a better cruise vacation. Would we pay them on the first day onboard? If, for instance, you plan on staying late in port one day but still wish to eat in the Main Dining Room, you could make a reservation for later in the evening, rather than miss out on the experience because you have early dining. The others could make a separate My Time Dining reservation for 8:15pm. 0000891812 00000 n We were unaware of the automatic (recommended amount) tipping charge applied to our credit card when we switched to My Time on the 3rd day of our recent 8 day cruise. Additional cash gifts are not expected. 0000892388 00000 n The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached, or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Royal Caribbean Blog. Search Now Some dont charge a service fee at all. Reservations are strongly recommended. American Express has expanded The Centurion Network to include 40+ Centurion Lounge and Studio locations worldwide. Whether you cruise multiple times per year or you're new to cruising, the goal of Royal Caribbean Blog is for it to bea useful resource for keeping up to date with what's new and exciting with Royal Caribbean. It is much simpler, and fairer, to leave them in place. Start with these stories: The credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which ThePointsGuy.com receives compensation. A world of culinary exploration awaits you onboard Royal Caribbean. We hate spam as much as lounge chair hogs. If, for example, two people would like to eat earlier around 6:30pm, you would make them their own reservation. 0000433627 00000 n 0000737875 00000 n Lines with such charges include both of the two giants of the cruise business, Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line, as well as Norwegian, MSC Cruises and Princess Cruises. Automatic Gratuities were added to lessen the event of "skipping out" on tips and to make sure MTD waiters were tipped. We know booking a cruise can be a complicated process, so if you need any help or would even like us to fill out your information for you please get in touch. 156.1k. Royal Caribbean. This may not seem like a big deal if youre new to cruising, but cruise ship waiters are exceptional at their job and they are very good at learning all about you. The extra cost of the automatic gratuity charges can be a shock to first-time cruisers. TPG values it at $1,600. A beginners guide to picking a cruise line, Use these credit cards to maximize your next cruise vacation, 9 times you do not need to tip on a cruise, The best cruise booking perks and which ones are actually free, pay $16 for what the line now calls a crew appreciation charge, The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship, The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship, A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines, 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly, 12 best cruises for people who never want to grow up, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 0000897240 00000 n 0000916095 00000 n By A fun part of cruising can be meeting the same people for lunch or diner every day and discussing things about the ship or about the excursions they went on. Contact Us Get support by Phone or Email 866-562-7625 Email Your Questions 0000902161 00000 n 0000897170 00000 n 0000006404 00000 n You can, of course, request a specific table and waiter, but they may not be able to honor this. My Time Dining is great for guests who wish to experience a flexible dining schedule onboard their cruise. There is a $9.75 gratuity per day that is required and this actually covers not only the wait staff but your room steward as well. Looking for the Best Cruise Deals? Powered by Invision Community. Traditional dining is great for anyone who enjoys the classic cruise dinner experience, meeting new people and enjoying a dedicated waiter for the duration of your sailing. 28 0 obj <> endobj xref 28 131 0000000016 00000 n Our new My Time Dining option allows you the flexibility to choose when you want to dine each evening, giving you the chance to enjoy your meals at your own pace. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. 0000005096 00000 n 0000844607 00000 n The guest relations staff will want to know if youve experienced particular service issues. That said, some people do leave a little extra for crew members who go above and beyond. 0000916809 00000 n Started August 27, 2021, By For example, Norwegian offers a complimentary Open Bar drinks package for travelers who book its "free at sea" promotion. Have you noticed over the years that daily grats have been increasing almost every year to make up for the non tippers. Learn more. A The automatic service gratuity is $16.00 USD per person, per day for guests in Junior Suites and below, or $18.50 USD per person, per day for guests in Grand Suites and above, applied to each guest's SeaPass account on a daily basis.

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