Robjame

Hang on to your suspenders: We just spent a half hour talking to a bar tender Bar tenders and assistant bartenders do NOT participate in or share in the gratuities. They are salaried. If you tip within the system, they do not get any of that - none of the 20% drink fee, none of your 18 (23) % daily gratuity, none of the added tip you put on the bar tab when you order a drink. If you give the bar tender cash, he does keep that. The bar waiter DOES participate in the tips which is why a bar tender will encourage you to order through a bar waiter. Lesson - tip in cash - order through a bar waiter

As of this morning info - prestige package costs $30 pp pd after you have acquired the House Select Package whether by OLife or pre purchase or purchase on the ship.

Hang on to your suspenders: We just spent a half hour talking to a bar tender Bar tenders and assistant bartenders do NOT participate in or share in the gratuities. They are salaried. If you tip within the system, they do not get any of that - none of the 20% drink fee, none of your 18 (23) % daily gratuity, none of the added tip you put on the bar tab when you order a drink. If you give the bar tender cash, he does keep that. The bar waiter DOES participate in the tips which is why a bar tender will encourage you to order through a bar waiter. Lesson - tip in cash - order through a bar waiter

Orv I will check on that and report back.

Definitely a bar tender in this case. One thing I would love clarified is - if I am in the club level to get free gratuities, does O actually pony up the money? If you are in a PH that could be a considerable amount of money. No conspiracy theory just curious.

Unless it were to try to get more money in the hands of those for whom it was intended…. But I do get your point.

Pretty much as you say. I guess not really knowing how the $ are distributed, whether o withdraws an administrative fee, who actually pays for prepaid gratuities associated with Oceania Cub levels, all make the process suspect. Last night a Casino Bar, the bar tender placed a tip in a tip box much as you see a restaurants back home. Is this new? We prefer to reward individually though to now we do participate in the suggested group gratuity.

Thank you. You are very generous with my money…..😀 Huge? 50% price increase is huge in my books, especially when there is no way out - I think the pay it and grin is known as the bend over philosophy of money management. For those who have opined without a sound understanding, the House Select package is more than wine and beer at meals, it is the route to the Prestige Package… and the only route. To purchase the Prestige you must have passed through the House Select. This is a major reason some of us take it as our OLife.

With the increase in the packages and the increase in the bar menu prices, I can’t see a continuation of the generous policy of bringing wine and spirits aboard. We’ll see.

New rules. New game. If the House Select is taken as the OLife, what are th charges then and can it now be prepurchased?

No where near Your $54000 US calculation or $73000 CAD

2 people = $20 27 days = $540 100% = $54000 Hmmmmmm

Some have changed already, some start tomorrow. I will photograph all as the time goes on.

We are on the poop deck

I have a feeling this might be a topic at the Meet and Greet this evening! Feel free to contact me.

7009 but it is part of what they call Line 2. they told us that someone on floor 11 is responsible for jamming the toilet and everyone (especially at the lowest level) suffers

Email me and I will reply robertjames7022 at aol dot com

Riviera has arrived Miami - 5:40 - Terminal J

What would you do? Oh I know…. Bow to the extortion of a cost increase breaking the contract. Pretty easy to sit there unaffected, particularly when you don’t even pay your own gratuities. I repeat - the situation is resolved for me.

Here is something to stink about. We are on the Riviera right now and our stateroom is on sewer line #2. In the past 11 days this line has had major blockages 4 times resulting in the toilet filling up with other peoples *****. The smell is gagging. On two occasions the toilet has over-flowed flooding the washroom. Just guessing but I am not sure this is a healthy situation. ‘’It is 3 am, our stateroom stinks and we are waiting for someone to address this - one hour and counting.

Sorry I am being thick. Where do you get the $30 a day from? The differential between OLife OBC and OLife Beverage House Select is not a constant. It varies between cruises

Don’t discount Baristas. It is not how you remember it. You can get a nice little lunch there now.

Yes you are right on FF. I wish I remember. I am guessing $600

Not quite sure how you do the math but for this 12 day leg, the House Select would cost you in dollars 12x40x2 = $960. By choosing the OLife House Select we save this amount. We don’t do O excursions and the OBC OLife is worth nothing. But more than that, it is the gate to the House Prestige which allows us to drink cocktails, enjoy Aperetivo at Baristas, choose when we want to drink, drink at any bar and save the gratuity. For the same 12 day cruise Prestige would have cost us 12x20x2 = $480. For us it is worth it. We don’t mind paying that. You cannot get to Prestige without passing through House Select. BTW Our problem has been solved to our satisfaction.