should i prepay gratuities on royal caribbean

My understanding is that the pre-paid gratuities are global tips and shared equally amongst the employees. Now, if someone goes above and beyond I always throw a little something extra, but that money starts to add up quick. Lots of people say that they understand the service industryAssuming many of those people are from the USA, do they understand that cruise lines are not generally bound to US Federal Minimum Wage laws? The second point causes a fair amount of heated debate on these forums and I have chosen not to share my opinion on this occasion. Now that I know this, I will make a better effort to visit my favorite bartenders more frequently. I have no problem with the cost and tipping but if its required and isnt dependent on what you do for the day why isnt it just rolled into your cost? Started October 12, 2018, Copyright 19952022 The Independent Traveler, Inc. This amounts to about $30,000 a year. A: There is no definitive answer to this question. So take it for what it is, it will be up to you to decide. Typically 15 - 20% of the cost of the dinner/drink is what is expected from bartenders and wait staff. There are pros and cons to doing so, and you should weigh them carefully before making a decision. Last cruise I tipped the room attendant and the concierge with a little something extra, other than that.left it at pre-paid on everything. Apr 10, 2022, 6:42 PM. You can add gratuities to your sail away account balance online, or by calling our Guest Services team. This next cruise alone we are at over $500 in gratuities before stepping on board. You can be confident that you'll receive excellent service on board when tipping ahead of time, whether you prepay or tip onboard. In the USA persons working in the service industry are paid the lowest wage possible (When I waited tables 20 years ago it was half of minimum wage, 2.13 an hour and that barely covered my tax deductions) and are reliant on tips to make up the remainder of their wage. (My wife wants what she wants!). You are free to adjust the amount to whatever you think is fair. So yesyou should pay themeither in advance (then you don't have to worry about it) or it will be added daily to your account. BeGoneSee, This will be my wife and I first cruise. Proudly powered by WordPress This next cruise alone we are at over $500 in gratuities before stepping on board. This is calculated on a per passenger per day basis, and generally ranges from $10 to $15 per person per day. Often the $20 to $55 daily "resort fee" can only be found once your are far into the booking process. Being from the UK i have always prepaid gratuitys as it used to be a requirement for my time dining and it is paid in sterling. How to prepay gratuities on royal caribbean? Can You Remove Prepaid Gratuities On a Cruise? And that's just a cultural thing. Welcome to Cruise Critic. But all that has changed. So that cruise lines can market cruises with lower numbers. He said there are a few that don't tip at all so they notice and appreciate it no matter how the tips are covered. I have every intention on tipping the cabin atte. This is usually in addition to their regular salary or hourly wage and a very small amount. Just a few thoughts on the tipping issue: 1. No, prepaying gratuities doesn't negatively affect the service onboard. I tip everyone in cash along the way, baristas, bartenders, etc. I did notice that my drinks got progressively more and more pale as the days wore on. We are NOT going to main dining room at all and no specialty dining either. , Tips on the receipt might be distributed among all ship employees. 4. Before that is was May 2015 @ 12.00 per guest per day. However, to do so, you must go to Guest Services, before the last evening of the cruise and request that the gratuities be removed. Unrelated but useful tip, the bartenders can break bigger bills with the tip jar money upon request. Cruzely.com. Just a personal preference. You will see for yourself, the wait staff works their ass off so they really appreciates the cash. It is better to tip bartenders, waiters, etcextra in real money instead of adding on the drink ticket. Now, gratuities on a cruise are often automatically added to your bill. I read many a post from US cruisers who give a hefty tip to bar staff at the beginning of the cruise so they are looked after. Re: Royal Caribbean Gratuities. Royal Caribbean last increased gratuities in 2018 and, before that, was in 2016. Other people prefer not to prepay gratuities because they like to have the flexibility to adjust the gratuities based on their experience. We're on Oasis of the Seas in April. 4. Your link has been automatically embedded. Can you take off gratuities on Royal Caribbean? Choosing to tip extra is great. First, as we mentioned, youll save money if you prepay ahead of time. Display as a link instead, Which ones looks cheaper? I thought I read somewhere that bartenders are required to put cash tips into a "tip jar" to be shared. If you don't prepay, then automatic gratuites will be charged to your onboard account. It's our first cruise, and my husband booked everything on his own, as a surprise for me; so, I wasn't able to see all of the fine print. jor689, October 24, 2017 in Royal Caribbean International, My wife and I are going on Oasis of the Seas and we have an option to prepay gratuities before the sail date. A: Yes, it is good to pre pay gratuities on a cruise. They will be charged daily onboard, Sent from my BG2-W09 using Forums mobile app. 7. Every order they take, they get a bigger piece of the pie of gratuities for that day MicDay , RCIfan1912 and MattyDubz11 2 1 Quote However, that fee is built into the plan, so yes, you can drink all you want and won't be paying out-of-pocket for tips- that is the built-in plan. It's good to know that more than just the waiters, bartenders, and stateroom attendants get a piece of that pie. If the bartenders are required to put the tips into a tip jar is it really more advantageous to tip them in cash? While I don't reccomend this, you could tip your staff in cash and have your gratuities removed (would take a few weeks after your cruise) - In years gone by the method of tipping was that you were given an envelope for each tipped position on the cruise (Basically your cabin steward and your server) at the end of the cruise you would hand the tips to those people who served you. If the bartenders are required to put the tips into a tip jar is it really more advantageous to tip them in cash? We never prepay unless gratuities go up. Yes, I've been doing that, and the tip goes higher if the brand of alcohol is better! Jacobwlynn, This allows businesses to offer a product at a lower cost and offset the labor budget (typically the most expensive cost of any business) and also (in theory at least) puts pressure on the server/maid/concierge, to do a good job. On certain cruises, Royal Caribbean requires that gratuities are prepaid to be able to request MyTime dining. Insert the bill into a machine and head to the cashier. For those few bad apple cruisers, cruise employees have to serve them throughout the trips. You can always go to Guest Services and have the prepaid gratuities or the daily gratuities taken off your account. I spoke to a bartender about it last week on Rhapsody. Please note that your gratuities cover more than the crew members that you personally interact with i.e. Bottom line - if you have prepaid your gratuities prior to sailing, you are not obliged to tip anyone. Should we prepay gratuities? Guests can pre-pay gratuities by calling 866-562-7625 or logging into www.royalcaribbean.com before* their sailing. You have done your part as a consumer. The first is whether or not you think the service will be good. If I had a bartender or attendant that didn't seem to care much, I probably wouldn't tip them any extra, but I haven't run into that situation. So a couple traveling together will see about $30 per day in gratuities, or about $200+ over the course of a week-long cruise. Other people prefer not to prepay gratuities because they like to have the flexibility to adjust the gratuities based on their experience. Then you can give gratuities to whomever you want. You have to drink a lot to 'break even.'. So if you book over 18 months in advance you may save more by prepaying instead of investing (unless you have a higher than 5% return on your investment). Extra for room attendant, fold some bills and put them in the Seapass slot just inside the door, it will be the first thing they see. They work hard to make sure you have a great cruise, and gratuities are one way to say thank you. What time does royal caribbean disembark? If Royal bundles it in but Carnival does not then on the surface Carnival can advertise a cruise at what appears to be a lower cost. ", https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/onboard-service-gratuity-expense. I dont tip on the cruise. Does anyone know if this is true? These are international waters' ship and crews. No doubt that the cruise employees are grateful. People on CC and in America especially seem to LOVE to tip people copious amounts of. This allows the employees to make a reasonable wage without having to ask (beg?) Royal Caribbean will automatically include gratuity to cover the necessities. Or at the very least why not just have it be one price instead of charging it daily. I just wait and let them add it daily and pay when the charge card bill is due. You can post now and register later. 6.!Do the adjusted gratuities apply to both group and individual reservations? For guests booked through travel advisors, their advisor may add pre-paid gratuities to the guests' booking prior to sailing*. If purchasing the Deluxe Drink Package and paying for the gratuities there, can I assume the bar staff will get part of that 18%? A: There is no definitive answer to this question. If youre unsure about the quality of service, then you might want to wait to see how things go before prepaying. You can do it online, through the Royal Caribbean app, or by calling customer service. Cruise employees are serving us cruisers all day and night. Fewer people carry cash now then ever before. Royal caribbean liberty of the seas vs carnival breeze, Can you bring alcohol on a royal caribbean cruise. Just letting them charge our account as we go, sometimes from our OBC. Your previous content has been restored. Pre-paid gratuities means just that. I don't pre-pay because I don't buy anything on board. But if the first one doesn't include service charges while the second one does, the second could actually be cheaper. For guests booked through travel advisors, their advisor may add pre-paid gratuities to the guests' booking prior to sailing*. OMG! In addition for those "not it the know" it would be embarrasing to get to the end of your trip and have spent all that cash and have nothing left over for the hard working employ (again - whose wages are partially covered by tips). RCCL currently applies an automatic gratuity amount on your onboard account, on a daily basis. I will prepay, but still toss a dollar or two at the bartenders for my drinks as well as tip the room attendant (and concierge if in a suite) at the end of the cruise. Prepay if: You book far in advance Royal Caribbean's daily gratuity rate increases every one to two years. I think automatic gratuities (rather than cash in an envelope) are more important when eating in the buffet are 'anytime dining' (or whatever the particular line calls it) as, unlike those eating every night at the same table in the main dining room, you won't have the same waiting staff for each meal. Your email address will not be published. Prepay gratuities or not?! Would that be Cru dot com? Theme: News Way by Themeansar. And third, prepaying gratuities is a nice way to show your appreciation for the staff. True you are not obligated to produce an extra tip. I'm paying the Gratuities this payday on Friday and I'm not sure of a Dining Package. Who, when, and how much should I tip people? Pre-paid gratuities can be added to an individual reservation at any time outside of 48 hours of the sail date. Beverage gratuities There are a few things to consider when deciding whether or not to prepay gratuities on a cruise. A. The longer this is discussed, the further I'm confused. Casino on the ship can break larger bills. Started June 21, 2021, By Please PIN to save to your favorite Pinterest board What is Royal Caribbeans gratuity price and policy? Seems pretty simple to me. Cruise employees also wear many hats. | We have prepaid the gratuities on our next cruise however if we decide to for example not eat in the main dining room at all during the cruise is it possible to get refined all or part of our prepay to OBC or is it just gone for good at that point? The only time you will be charged anything when using the package is if you are getting a drink that has a menu price more than the package limit ($13 on most ships, but the older ships the limit is $12). And if you prepay within 7 days of your cruise, youll pay the full gratuity rate. Say the cruise has $1000 in service fee money for the beverage packages. You can usually prepay your gratuity up until 72-24 hours before your cruise, depending on the cruise line. Proudly powered by WordPress to the increased guidelines as long as gratuities are prepaid prior to April 14th, 2016. So to quote others, if you've prepaid, you're good and don't need to tip any extra. If you're using credit, you might as well wait. :D. Since I'm the one who pays for our vacations, each pay I get something out the way. - Royal Caribbean International - Cruise Critic Community. If youre planning on spending a lot on tips, then prepaying gratuities can help you budget for that ahead of time. My wife wants to do Windjammer buffet for dinner. Two different issues. We do eat 2 nights in the MDR, but do not reduce our tips in any way. My wife wants to do Windjammer buffet for dinner. Should guests opt not to prepay the gratuities prior to this date, they will be subject to the new suggested gratuity amounts. A nice big tip with the first drink insures the follow-ups will be stronger and he/she may "forget" to charge you for one or two during your time at the bar. Technically, you're not supposed to modify this gratuity amount unless you're unsatisfied with the services onboard. Royal Caribbean offers guests the choice of prepaying gratuities for select crew members on its ships. This ensures that the gratuities are paid in full and on time. My Cape Codders were barely pink by day 5. "In the unlikely event that a guest onboard being charged the daily automatic gratuity does not receive satisfactory service, the guest may request to modify the daily amount at their discretion by visiting Guest Services onboard and will be able to do so until the morning of their departure.". If you tip over and above, you'll probably be drunk by noon. One will always try to look the lowest by excluding the daily service fees and then the other's have to follow or else they'll appear to have a higher price. Paste as plain text instead, He told me that they see money from the prepaid gratuities but didn't go into detail and I didn't press. I'm not familiar with how that works. A For most sailings, beverage package gratuities of 18% are added at final checkout and not included in the initial cost. Yes, when you buy a drink package, you pay a "service fee" that covers gratuities. The amount of gratuities varies by cruise line, but on Royal Caribbean, the current rate is $14.50 per person, per day. But bottom line is that the persons working in a tipped position on the ship get the minimum wage allowed by law and have to rely on tips to make up the remainder of their salary. A Guests can pre-pay gratuities by calling (UK) 0344 493 4005 or (Ireland) 1800 555 604 or logging into www.royalcaribbean.co.uk before* their sailing. How do I know if Ive prepaid my gratuities? Every order they take, they get a bigger piece of the pie of gratuities for that day. Prepaid gratuities on most non-luxury cruises range upwards of $20 per person, per day. If we have OBC we need to spend, we won't prepay gratuities. Your email address will not be published. January 20 in Royal Caribbean Discussion. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. By Second, its one less thing to worry about while youre on your cruise. I tip very well my food servers, my drink servers, my cabin attendant, and anybody that provides a service. So, many employees may be paid much more than they would in their own countries, but some, like US employees are getting paid less than the US minimum wage. Look, I work in the service industry part-time, so I know how it is, and I am a firm believer in tipping. If you feel this way, then you might want to hold off on prepaying gratuities. If you're talking about the gratuities on the drink package, you will pay 18% gratuity added onto each drink when you don't have a package so for some people it's a cost savings in gratuities alone depending on the value of the drinks they are consuming with the package. For guests booked through travel advisers, their adviser may add pre-paid gratuities to the guests' booking prior to sailing*. Most of the large ship cruise lines (such as Celebrity Cruises, Holland America, Princess, Royal Caribbean and others) have a policy of automatically adding a set gratuity amount to your onboard account. The first one. Is the MDR wait staff? Heres everything you need to know about prepaying gratuities on Royal Caribbean. I'm not convinced they see all that prepaid gratuity money, and the few extra bucks isn't enough to break my vacation and I feel it's noticed and appreciated. You can always go to Guest Services and have the prepaid gratuities or the daily gratuities taken off your account. It does not matter where u eat or if you don't eat at all, you still have to pay gratuities. 1. The prepaid things has always seemed kinda dumb in my opinion. First is whether to pre-pay gratuities, the second is whether to pay gratuities. Bartenders at sea are the same as on land. Gratuities are tips for the staff on a cruise ship. Yes, when you buy a drink package, you pay a "service fee" that covers gratuities. I'd rather go back to the old days when cash tips were given for every service received. Should you prepay gratuities for a Royal Caribbean cruise. If youre sailing on a Royal Caribbean cruise, chances are youre wondering how to prepay gratuities. On 1/21/2022 at 1:02 PM, AshleyDillo said: In the unlikely event that a guest onboard being charged the daily automatic gratuity does not receive satisfactory service, the guest may request to modify the daily amount at their discretion by visiting Guest Services onboard and will be able to do so until the morning of their departure.". Question about Prepaid Gratuities and tipping. We like to prepay so our on board bill at the end of the week isn't quite as painful. My question: I do not use the MDR. Most service industry employees see a customer anywhere from 30 seconds to an hour. Waiter, head waiter, assistant waiter and your stateroom attendant. | FYI just in case you're one of the very few people who don't know, the staff who work the MDR are the same people who work the buffet, and they're not the only ones on ship who get a piece of that money. Cruise ship personnel are professionals and recognize that most cruisers don't remove the recommended gratuities. 2. Let you consciencebe your guide. I believe the OP was asking whether to pre-pay their tips or not, not whether to tip or not tip:). Below, we've listed the current tip amounts charged by major cruise lines as of the time of this writing: Carnival : $13.99 $14.50 per person, per day. You can prepay your gratuities at any time, but the sooner you do it, the better. However, in general, prepaying gratuities is often cheaper than paying them onboard, so it is definitely worth considering. Most recently, Disney Cruise Line increased the rate to $14.50 in July 2022. Should You Prepay Gratuities on a Cruise or Pay Onboard? If you prepay online or through the app, youll need to use a credit or debit card. How do I know if I prepaid gratuities? By my own admission I am a terrible tipper so I pre pay the tips so they are forgotten about by the time I Cruise. I do the pre-paid gratuities thing. Should you prepay gratuities for a Royal Caribbean cruise? Your previous content has been restored. Our first cruise was the cheapest 3 night cruise that we could afford when my wife and I were still in grad school. Unless you have a lot of OBC to use up, I'd probably prepay as I like to get as many expenses paid before leaving, but it's totally your choice. (My wife wants what she wants!) Should You? You cannot do it on day 2 forward. We dont prepay gratuities, unless there is an advantage for us to do so. I've seen the tip jar and I've seen them put it in there immediately and other times I assumed it went in later. But have you totaled up the prepaid gratuities for all the add-ons? Choosing not to is acceptable. Copyright 19952022 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Amazing, Funny & Totally Awesome Cruise Photos, LOGIN ISSUES PLEASE READ Updated -- November 3, 2022 7:20 AM EDT, Click here to reload the page in order to enable certain features, Policy regarding COVID related Discussions, F97AEA45-0709-4B40-8932-FFED132839A3.jpeg, Originally Eastern Europe, now Boston Suburbs, USA. It's mostly caf promenade for my coffees, but with the new drink menus with more "mocktails" I've been in more of the bars, than usual. Guests can pre-pay gratuities by calling 866-562-7625 or logging into www.royalcaribbean.com before* their sailing. If youre not sure if youve prepaid your grat. Tipping bar staff is completely unheard of in Europe and I would expect we all get the same service on board. Correct. Everybody I've talked to about this, has their own idea of how the tip packages work, but seldom do any two people understand it the same, including employees on a ship. Again.. personal preference. After all, gratuities can add up, and its always nice to have them taken care of in advance. I don't see any other reason to prepay for us. I am British and work in France so tipping is not something I do well. Your email address will not be published. We are NOT going to main dining room at all and no specialty dining either. The automatic service gratuity is $14.50 USD per person, per day for guests in Junior Suites and below, or $17. But I generally tip them with cash when I order one and/or catch them at the end of the cruise to give them one lump tip. January 13, 2019 in Royal Caribbean Discussion. Envelopes were left in your guest room for cash tips you wanted to leave. Required fields are marked *. A: If you do not prepay gratuities, you will be charged the standard gratuity rate automatically at the end of your cruise. Personally, I like to not pre-pay but allow gratuities to be added my on board account. Required fields are marked *. Housekeeping, other than your steward. Are gratuities included in the Royal Caribbean beverage package cost? Why put more on my charge sooner than I need to. If you don't prepay, the gratuities will be added daily to your onboard account. It is better to tip bartenders, waiters, etcextra in real money instead of adding on the drink ticket. A. I like to pay for everything now that the cruiselines are making it easier to prepay for services. In most parts of the world tipping is what you give to someone who goes out of their way to help you out or does a job better than expected. But those who have the DBP wrack up what would have been $1500 in gratuities if billed per drink. I had always wondered how that worked when we buy a package. The daily gratuities covers every meal in included venues and the cabin attendants. For example when we were in Australia the servers we interacted with there got a decent hourly wage and the few tips they received were above and beyond that. Royal Caribbean offers a discount for guests who prepay their gratuities before they sail. Is a portion of my gratuities still going to them? This is from the Royal Caribbean website: Q What is Royal Caribbean's service gratuities (tips) price and policy? if its required and isnt dependent on what you do for the day why isnt it just rolled into your cost? When you prepay by phone, you can use a credit or debit card, or you can give customer service your cruise reservation number and they can bill your gratuities to your onboard account. The gratuities cover your cabin attendant, waiters, ass't waiters and head waiterthat includes those in the WJ, too! There's a better chance the tips in cash is shared with just the bar staff, - mandatory tips (famous 18%) are shared amongentire food and bar division, - cash tips (in the jar) are shared among particular bar stuff, - additional tip on the receipt goes directly to the person who serves you. Upload or insert images from URL. A: Pre-paying gratuities is easy with Royal Caribbean! I usually bring a large amount of 1's and 5's with me on the boat. A: There is no definitive answer to this question, as it can vary depending on the cruise line and the specific sailing. There are a few reasons to prepay your gratuities. You do NOT have to pay any additional tips to anyone on the cruise. It depends on you. By Cruise employees are NOT like a regular waiter or barista. The lump sum is added to passengers' onboard accounts, and can vary depending on the type of cabin in. Plus, pre-paying locks in gratuities at the current rate. For example, the current rate is 13.50 per day. Quote Broons77 Members 62 LocationThe Woo, MA USA Posted January 15, 2019 Full disclosure - I used to work in the restaurant biz and as such have a soft spot in my heart for waitstaff, or anyone that has to deal with feeding or cleaning up after the general public. These will be distributed to stateroom attendant and helpers and Windjammer crewmembers. By cruiselover19811981, July 16, 2019 in Royal Caribbean International. $15.99 $16.50 per person, per day for guests in suites. By There once was a time when you tipped crew members if they were especially helpful. Yes, you can. CC Help Jenn Your husband paid 18% on the cost of the package which covers the gratuities. The option to prepay gratuities means locking in the current gratuity rate, along with spreading out the overall cost of the cruise by integrating it into the cost of the cruise. CC Help Jenn Prepaying gratuities is easy to do. So far, for our upcoming Oasis cruise, we have the Beverage Package and Internet paid for. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The only folks that know for sure if they're being tipped, are the folks that receive cash in their hand. Granted, that hasn't happened in a while. If purchasing the Deluxe Drink Package and paying for the gratuities there, can I assume the bar staff will get part of that 18%? Another thing to consider is how much youll be spending on tips during the cruise. Can you use carnival onboard credit for cheers, Disney cruise onboard credit for booking online. Or do they divide it amongst the people who actually 'serve' me? Bottom Line: In general, we opt to prepay gratuities on a cruise simply because we like not having to worry about them creating a higher bill once on the ship.

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