CanHardlyWait4NextYear

If someone is required to get out of the pool every 30 minutes to re-occupy there seat for a brief time, then they are technically being prevented from being in the pool for hours. Just saying.

Wow. I just can't.....Wow.

No, they do not.

I think we got away from topic. It was never to tip or not to tip. It was how to go about it and who it goes to. Again, I've said 100 times I treat service workers on a ship the same as on land. No better, no worse. I live paycheck to paycheck. I don't see there lives and problems that different from my own. So I don't have any need or guilt or whatever. I don't think the person serving your food or making your bed shouldn't get a tip. But if I tip directly to them, I cannot worry about the dishwasher or laundry etc. It's too much financially and emotionally for me to take on. And as my Mother use to say "I ain't here for free". I paid a fee and it's between employer and employee how my fee is divided etc. I'm not there to put the world to rights. I'm saving like a crazy person to have some tip money. Lots of pasta nights cause it's a buck. I get there problems. I have there problems. And many of the people I work with are in this country alone. And they don't even have a company that buys them a ticket home every 9 months they go years without seeing family. I live in there world, they live in mine. We just happen to be on land. People should do what they can when away. But never what others try to guilt them into. Try your best to be a decent person.

Baby it wreaks of drama. Just my opinion. I make less then $45k a year and work with plenty of people in this country that make $7, $8, $9 per hour and know the struggles because I Am One of Them. I don't need you telling me about hard working people in this country or any other. Get over yourself.

No one will suffer from how and who people here decide to tip. That's exactly the drama I'm talking about.

If I'm reading your statement wrong, I apologize in advance. But this is the problem with this topic. You put "Make a wish" in a posting about tipping gainfully employed cruise ship workers. Children dying of cancer and gainfully employed adults are two very different things. The endless tragic stance made about the lives of these fully employed compensated individuals is just too dramatic for some. They are not on a slave ship. They are not suffering a deadly illness. Salary vs salary plus tips is not tragic. Again, I can only do so much. I do not see how a person decides to go about tipping as a tragic situation.

Agreed. Do what you want. What's right for you. Such a simple answer.

I don't give a rat's... about the laundry staff etc. Worrying about there salary and tips or lack there of, is not my job. (It can't be.) I don't have the means or responsibility to set the word to rights. I don't leave tips for laundry workers when I stay at a hotel. And if you think that just because they live and work in America that there set, boy would you be wrong. Nobody leaves money in a hotel room for the people who wash the sheets because they used them. They paid for the room. Clean sheets are expected for that price. It's a ridiculous argument. As I said before. I treat service workers on a ship the same as land. No better, no worse. And that does not make someone a bad person.

No not with a package. 18% is added to your total cost before you check out and pay for your package.

I have $133.99 per person for Wonder next May. (As of right now) week before original poster.

My Wonder is next May and lots of excursions are showing up. 2 sold out already. Just no Costa Maya. (But everyone has complained nothing showing for that location)

Oh, yeah ok. That much I got. Lol. I must be getting tired.

Wait. Any of the 3 beverage packages includes tips right? I'm a little confused now? Lol.

When you say "prepaid gratuities" are you referring to the ad on 18% when you buy a drinks package or the daily tips for staff added to your account daily for the voyage on a whole?

Unless you have a drinks plan or soda plan. Then I think your 18% is a done deal.

I'm not offended and really didn't take it seriously. I thought it was funny that you said "however, like you said using different words". It wasn't a slam or anything. People here will twist your words, so I just think it's safer to quote them as is. Sorry you took it to heart.

Lol. You can't quote someone and use different words. I never mentioned it being an opt out program in my life. Or in my opinion words that could be translated to that effect. Nor ever mentioned paying in advance. Ever. Lol. But go ahead "quote" me. Lol.

I thought many problems were implied. And an add on to what many others have been complaining about lately. However, that aside. I really have to disagree with both parties sharing the responsibility. If I pay full price for full quality, expertly trained staff, that's on the business, not me at all. It doesn't matter how forewarned a customer can be by coming here first, reading news articles, anything really. It's there responsibility to make sure training is done right. I just believe there is enough evidence from message board complaints alone that maybe they went full too fast. When the aqua show isn't ready, they pull it, and add more weeks of training. If the staff is as overwhelmed as many have said they seem to be, maybe they should have held back going 100% for just a few months more. For the sake of both the hard working customers who deserve the best as well as the confused and overwhelmed new staff.

If I pay top dollar I expect top service from people who were properly trained. That includes enough time to get the job done right, before being overloaded with to many customers. That's my opinion. Deal with it.

Calm down. What is your problem.

If that's not being a cheerleader, then I don't know what is. Lol. Money problems or not I think it's beyond fair to criticize Royal in general, but very rightly so in this current time. With so many staffing problems and new staff just getting to know the jobs, it's clear from endless postings Royal jumped the gun on going back to full capacity. These new employees just are not ready to handle it yet. I'm not so sure people are ready either. But that's a different issue. Why should anyone pay full price to be a test that new crew must try and pass. Clearly they aren't ready for numbers this large.

If they add the tip as part of the fee and people have zero control over tips to get good service, many would look elsewhere. And that's why they don't. As far as asking for money back for bad service etc. I have and I will. You never complained in restaurant over something and got money taken off the bill as there way of fixing the situation after the fact? Most folks do. As I've said before I treat service workers (and establishments that serve food) the same on a cruise as I do on land. No better, no worse.

Well, there's death.

You can "Think" it's part of the cruise far all you want. It is not. You can go to guest services and take it away if you wish, at will. You CANNOT go to guest services and take your cruise far away if you want. See the very very basis difference? It's currently on Royal Caribbean Cruise Line an individual's choice. Regardless of who likes it or who does not.