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OK. Thank you for the correction. I certainly do not want to be the one to spread misinformation. I was going off of Royals FAQ page and they use the word "modify" in regards to the Auto Gratuity, giving the impression the $$ amount was changeable, not an "all or nothing" deal. https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/onboard-service-gratuity-expense "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." No wonder there is so much confusion.

Does NY's WCBS reach your area? If so, you must be talking about Lonnie Quinn. He tries to look like he spent the last 18-24 hours in the office, never leaving his desk, pouring over a mountain of data trying to get the exact forecast. It's been a running joke for years. Some will even say the higher the sleeves are rolled up, the more snow we are getting. 😄 All links are safe https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/lonnies-rolling-his-sleeves-up-for-the-winter-storm/ https://twitter.com/thefrankisola/status/690992542171729920 https://www.reddit.com/r/longisland/comments/sf3hxf/lonnies_sleeves_are_rolled_up_looks_like_its/

That is awesome news and I'm sincerely happy for you, especially that they will welcome you into the family. But there is not going to be a test on the above info, is there? 😉😊

I probably should know that but what are the dates of the Bella cruise? I know pre-production work has started on an epic LIVE thread & I'll be on the look out for it but please mention it here once it's up and running. It's one thread I want to make sure I'm keep up to date with as I'm sure it'll be big and fast moving!

Actually, I think it is possible to lower the amount of automatic daily gratuities that part of the cruise fare (not the 18% F&B gratuity). Here's a question I never see asked: Is it possible to raise the amount you pay in auto-grats? I know you can tip extra in cash to the people you see. But say you just want to double everyone's portion, including the behind-the-scenes people as well as the Big Four (stateroom attendant and dining staff) but maintain the current breakdown that they received. BTW, Royal used to publish the breakdown of the auto-grats but I can't find that breakdown anywhere. Not that I looked all that hard but was curious.

I was going to stand outside the ship & poll the passengers as they disembark.

??? It's the answer to the question. Which is obviously wrong as it's really 10.16545%, give or take .004%. I know this cause I spoke to a guy that knows a guy so just trust me on this! 😉

Thank you. Very interesting. I guess what I called chirping is really chattering. Leonard makes a Trilling noise all the time when running from room-to-room to announce his arrival and say hello!

I love it when Leonard does his meerkat / prairie dog stance. Usually when looking at the window at his "prey". The other day he was crouching by the sliding glass door looking at some of the birds fluttering about in the bushes. All of a sudden, I heard chirping coming from inside the house. For a millisecond, I thought he had brought a bird inside. How he could have opened the slider glass door & screen door, catch a bird, bring it inside, close the screen door & then the glass door never entered my mind. Turns out, it was Leonard making the chirping noises! I've never heard Leonard make this noise or any other cat in my life (growing up, we always had cats in the house). Turns out, cats can chirp when they are happy...or when they are trying to attract their prey.

I would have guess that as well, considering the CC community seems to have more experienced cruisers. Or maybe that's why it's higher as the new and/or casual cruiser might not even know they can remove auto-grats and maybe some of the more, um, "seasoned" cruises may like the traditional system? Just musing out loud.

The only Bruce concert I went to was in the Meadowlands, NJ sometime in the 1990's. There was a mini-New Jersey shore boardwalk set-up in the parking lot, complete with typical boardwalk games and sand. Really enjoyed it! Concert was good too even though I was seated about as far away from the stage as someone can physically get & still be in the stadium.

I love Melissa McCarthy in every thing she does.

I would love to be a CC contestant on either Survivor or Amazing Race. I'd be the first person to be eliminated but that's ok, instead of going home, the show will put you up in a sweet resort for 3+ weeks while the rest of the show is being filmed.

You get an "atta girl" and a pat on the back! 😜 Only took them an extra 1,200 extra posts for them to recognize you. Good thing Crown & Anchor is quicker with awarding cruise points!

Hey, is it okay if I go outside and play? Wait, snow is on the way? Never mind. I come back inside now, please.

Just out of curiosity, do you have a list of the "behind-the-scenes" workers that share in the tip pool? Things like: Job titles, job descriptions and % of tip they receive? Royal doesn't provide this information but as you seem to have several direct sources, you might know. I'm sure it'll go a long way to answering some peoples concerns.

My thoughts: I don't think Royal sees a issue with the current tipping structure so it's unlikely to change. I know in Australia they roll it into the price but on this side of the world where there is a "tipping culture", people like to see & control how much they tip. It's only an issue here on CC as I don't think I've ever had a tip discussion on board a ship. So based on what I've read here on CC, the majority of people leave auto-grats in place and will tip above that. This will offset those that under-tip or don't tip. For those that remove auto-grats & tip cash to the crew member directly, maybe it's pooled and shared with the "behind-the-scenes" people. Or maybe it isn't. Or maybe sometimes it is and sometimes it isn't. I'm sure the "over-tippers" more than offset the "under-tippers" so the employees are getting the compensation they deserve while the passengers can feel satisfied in whatever they decided to do. Choice is good! As for the "handling fee" that Royal may or may not take, I don't have a problem with it. After all, the person(s) tracking, collecting and distributing the tip amounts need to be tipped as well. 🙂

People like to get preachy and tell others how they should live their life's and spend their own hard earned money? Just a guess. Others might join in for the entertainment factor of getting others riled up. 😉

Sorry, poorly worded post. Both flowers are early. Crocuses already bloomed & they are usually a mid-March flower. The Daffodils are about ready to bloom & they are usually 2 weeks behind the Crocuses, around late March/early April.

Family reunions are going to be epic! Oh no. I come to this thread to escape my relatives. 😄

USFL is just around the corner. Go Stars! That would be the Philadelphia Stars, not the NHL Dallas Stars.

Good luck and as @Sea Dog said, follow your heart. I have no real practical or real-world advice other than to ask if there was a trusted person that could act as an intermediary?

It's actually snowing here right now. The crocus and daffodils that started popping up 4-6 weeks early are not happy.

Possible 5-8 inches of snow where I live. First "real" snow fall this year. Might be time to see if I can get the snow blower fired up for the first time this season. I'm sure the fact that it still has last years gas in it won't be a problem 😠

Sounds like the waitress gave you a tip! 😉