S.A.M.J.R.

How do we know the bolded? Or are you saying "many people have been denied boarding"? Sorry, I thought you meant many had been denied compensation.

If you're tempted to purchase those, then they're doing exactly what they should. The goal of ANY business is to get customers to spend money.

I have no problem with Royal using the app for check in. I think it's a mistake, at this point in time, to ONLY allow the app for check in. Of course, that and $1.25 will get you a soda from a machine.

I can agree with that. But I would question how much money not having website check in saves. I get every little bit helps.

But, believe it or not, not everyone has a smart phone. Or space on their phone for an additional app. If they don't have home internet, they can go to a public library or a friend's house or a work computer. IMO, it doesn't make sense to limit the options for your customers. If computer based internet was on it's way out, maybe. But that's not going to happen.

So what? Isn't what they make between the employee and the company?

So they make too much?

No, you're receiving 50% less. Doesn't mean the attendants are doing 50% less. If they did 15 cabins 2x/day in the past, that's 30 cleanings. Now they're doing 20 cabins 1x/day. Thats 20 cleanings. So they're doing 30% less. 😄

I think you missed my point. It doesn't matter whether RCI calls it a tip, service charge, or increases the base fare. Think of it as part of the cost of the cruise. IGNORE what RCI calls it.

I don't disagree with what you're saying, but why not just factor the auto-grats as part of the fare? Let's say your room is $1000pp for the week. Now add in auto-grats. That's an additional $126 if I did my math right. What difference does it make whether they say "take your base fare and add auto-grats" or "we've included gratuities in the base fare"? Either way, you're paying $1126. Or, remove the auto grats, hand the room steward $50, head waiter $40, and assistant waiter $36. I think too many people are caught up in "it's called a TIP!" Realistically, what difference does it make? "But if I don't get good service, I don't want to encourage them" What are you going to do if the Flowrider attendants are rude? What if the CD isn't entertaining?

As I understand it, especially at busy airports, it's not easy to change runway directions when the winds change. I was told that by a flight instructor. How true it is...?

I thought shows with no story line were bad and should be taken off Royal ships. 🙂

So in your travel group, 6 people had removed gratuities before. Now 32 people are removing gratuities (I think I have the math right). But, without knowing how many new cruisers there are who keep gratuities and how many people who did remove gratuities have given up cruising, you really don't know how many more (if any more) are opting out. Even assuming no new people, no new dropouts, while 26 more people are opting out, that's a pretty small drop in the bucket on an Oasis class ship, to say nothing about fleet wide.

Were they bumped BECAUSE they were flying on miles? Were they bumped because they checked in late? Were they bumped because they booked the lowest class of cabin? Were they bumped because the airline could get them to their destination on a later flight? Were they bumped because the new aircraft simply didn't have "Seat 23F"?

Why would you not? Room steward has do the same amount of work for kids (if not more) as for adults, as do wait staff and other "hotel services". Now, this is assuming you pay full gratuities for adults. If you opt out for one, opt out for all.

Do you have a source for that, or is that your hope? I'm assuming you're basing that on anecdotal information, not actually hard facts.

They feel they don't need to? They're still filling the ships, with the increased gratutities, decreased service, and increased base costs that people have been lamenting on here. Most people don't care what the gratuity distribution is.

Why would they HAVE to refund the flight? Is that part of the cruise contract? Also, do we KNOW that the folks bumped were picked BECAUSE they had Guarantee cabins, or because they were the last ones assigned? I'd be surprised if there were only 11 GTY cabins sold on the entire ship, so why did these folks get picked?

IMO, if you're going to come on to a public message board and say "Where does the money go?", you should all but expect someone to say "What difference does it make?" Obviously, I can't make them answer.

So if you know your room steward is getting say $4.50/day/person, and you think he's worth $5/day/person, you're going to do the math to figure out how much more you're going to give him? Good for you!

Ok. Please explain. How EXACTLY would it "help"? What would you do with the information?

And I consider it part of the cruise fare. You still don't explain why knowing the breakdown makes an ounce of difference. So you find out the guy folding laundry get a dime (for example) each day out of the $18. That means what exactly? He doesn't deserve it? Does knowing the breakdown change whether you're going to pay it? "If that guy wiping tables gets ANY of my money, I'll throw a fit!"

And the cruise line has NEVER asked me to add a preset arbitrary amount. I've had to tell our TA to add it on. And so what? Answer "no". When they ask you "Do you want a drink package" (a preset arbitrary amount), is your answer "tell me where the money is going"?

When you buy a couch, do you know how much of your money goes to the sales staff? Delivery drivers? As I understand it, if you want to give money directly to an RCI employee, no one is stopping you. And you can opt out of the automatic gratuity. So, problem solved.

I'm curious... are you curious where the extra money is going for your air fare? What about for groceries? Food? Clothing? Cars? Heck, even base cruise fares. A LOT (most?) things are going up in prices. Why are people so worried about the breakdown for gratuities? Heaven forbid some employee is getting an extra 50 cents from me over the course of a one week cruise.