My time dining and gratuities

I am not sure if it affects the level of service (because we leave auto tips in place) but there is a list available to staff of the cabins that have opted out of the auto tips. We actually saw this list on an all access behind the scenes tour a few years ago.

If this is truly what that list was for, that's excellent IMO. What did the list look like and how did you recognize it as a list of those who have opted out?

Full disclosure we have always prepaid our tips prior to the cruise, leave them in place, and tip extra for those who stand out. I've wondered if the staff knows that we prepaid, or are getting charged daily, have cancelled tips, or whatever...

Dan

It never ceases to amaze me that every single day I have to endure another gratuity thread complaining.

 

 

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Don't click into them then. New cruisers set sail every day so questions like these will continue to exist if the process for gratuities stays the same.

Dan

If this is truly what that list was for, that's excellent IMO. What did the list look like and how did you recognize it as a list of those who have opted out?

 

Full disclosure we have always prepaid our tips prior to the cruise, leave them in place, and tip extra for those who stand out. I've wondered if the staff knows that we prepaid, or are getting charged daily, have cancelled tips, or whatever...

 

Dan

Several years ago this list was posted on Cruise Critic by someone who saw it on a "behind the scenes tour." It was quickly removed. The cruise line (I think it was Carnival) did not deny the list existed, but they said the list was for the week before.

Also, I have read of people who stated they were asked by the crew what they did wrong, since they were questioned by their superiors as to why cabin xxx removed their tips.

We usually tip extra, leaving the automatic gratuity in place. We tell the staff it is extra, however, they all seem to know this anyway.;)

Several years ago this list was posted on Cruise Critic by someone who saw it on a "behind the scenes tour." It was quickly removed. The cruise line (I think it was Carnival) did not deny the list existed, but they said the list was for the week before.

 

Also, I have read of people who stated they were asked by the crew what they did wrong, since they were questioned by their superiors as to why cabin xxx removed their tips.

 

We usually tip extra, leaving the automatic gratuity in place. We tell the staff it is extra, however, they all seem to know this anyway.;)

Ah, thank you for the reply. I don't think we'll ever get the straight story. So many people contradict each other and they all think they're right. :)

Dan

The way I look at it is if I went out to bfast, lunch and dinner all in one day here in NY, combined would be alot more than $13.50/day in tips and that's just dining out that doesn't include the service of someone who cleans your room twice a day. As far as i'm concerned i'm ahead of the game in terms of tipping with the auto grat in place as opposed to tipping people individually.

$14.50 a day but agree.

We always prepay our tips and then give extra to those who go above and beyond.

My only opinion for those who choose to remove their tips after boarding......

**Be up front and go early in the week to remove your tips so the staff knows you do not intend to tip.

**Don’t let them bust their behinds all week thinking they are getting tipped only to find out you went the very last night and removed them.

Can someone help me please. I am so confused. I have booked to go on a Royal Carribean cruise and opted for My Time dining. The documentation sent to me by RCL states under SERVICE CHARGE states that "service charge for dining attendanrs and stateroom attendants are included in your voyage fare" My TA informed me thst in spite of this being factored into my cruise fare my partner and i will still have to pay a mandatory gratuity of USD 14.50 pp per day for the whole 26 days of the cruise. This will automatically be added to my seapass account dail I usually prefer to tip waiters and room attendants myself but will accept the extra cost factored into my cruisefare and still give them a little extra individually but to gave to also pay the mandatory gratuity is very objectionable. For tjose of you who have been affected by RCLs new gratuity policy and have experienced this please advise me as to whether i can ask for this to be reimbursed before i disembark or will i be left with no choice but to pay it. In previous cruises i could ask for the daily grats notbto be added but i cant now according to my TA.

 

Adding an extra few hundred USD to my fare is not funny when i could be giving it to individuals whom i choose to

You need to ask your travel agent to see if they have already included your gratuities. A long time ago when you booked My Time Dining you were required to prepay your gratuities. Some TA may still be working from old rules/brochures. You do not have to prepay your gratuities.

Your gratuities are now billed per person per day to your Seapass account. If you prefer you can prepay and include with the price of your cruise.

If you choose not to pay the standard gratuities you can request guest services to remove. I would strongly recommend not doing this. If you try to tip people individually you make it more difficult for yourself trying to track people down, carry cash and so on.

The standard billed gratuities include your room steward and all dining areas plus behind the scenes staff. All the staff work very hard to make your vacation a wonderful experience and deserve the standard gratuities. If you choose to tip extra you can do so - usually at the end of the cruise to people you feel are deserving.

You need to ask your TA if you have prepaid or not. Otherwise you will be billed daily.

I can't believe anyone would want to not pay gratuities everyone on the ship works really hard to make sure you have a good time they deserve every penny

 

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Agree! People pay thousands of dollars to vacation but take issue with the $100 to pay the staff that bends over backwards all week.

Even if they eliminated tipping, the fare would just go up by $100.

We prefer to prepay and not give it another thought. It’s incredibly liberating and I highly recommend it.

Thanks All for your replies. I have no objection at all to prepaying which is what i thought was indicated by RCCL in their Guest Copy doc to me but what confuses me is that i will also have to pay daily compulsory grats when i get onboard . I have called RCCL myself but have been told the policy is unclear and to call back i:eek:n 2 days almost as if the haze will miraculously clear by then !

Thanks All for your replies. I have no objection at all to prepaying which is what i thought was indicated by RCCL in their Guest Copy doc to me but what confuses me is that i will also have to pay daily compulsory grats when i get onboard . I have called RCCL myself but have been told the policy is unclear and to call back i:eek:n 2 days almost as if the haze will miraculously clear by then !

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Can someone help me please. I am so confused. I have booked to go on a Royal Carribean cruise and opted for My Time dining. The documentation sent to me by RCL states under SERVICE CHARGE states that "service charge for dining attendanrs and stateroom attendants are included in your voyage fare" My TA informed me thst in spite of this being factored into my cruise fare my partner and i will still have to pay a mandatory gratuity of USD 14.50 pp per day for the whole 26 days of the cruise. This will automatically be added to my seapass account dail I usually prefer to tip waiters and room attendants myself but will accept the extra cost factored into my cruisefare and still give them a little extra individually but to gave to also pay the mandatory gratuity is very objectionable. For tjose of you who have been affected by RCLs new gratuity policy and have experienced this please advise me as to whether i can ask for this to be reimbursed before i disembark or will i be left with no choice but to pay it. In previous cruises i could ask for the daily grats notbto be added but i cant now according to my TA.

 

Adding an extra few hundred USD to my fare is not funny when i could be giving it to individuals whom i choose to

Did you book in Australia? Our invoices say that because fares include gratuity. Nothing further is added onboard

This is an unfair statement. Gratuities haven't been going up "almost every year." But even so, it's more likely to keep up with cost of living, not to make up for those who don't tip. Automatic Gratuities were added to lessen the event of "skipping out" on tips and to make sure MTD waiters were tipped. But I remember the days before MTD and Automatic Tips when, on the last night, TIP Night, people would eat at other venues and skip out on tipping the wait staff. Cheap people have been around for years.

Yep, I remember that 30yrs ago. Only traditional early and late seating, no specialty restaurants and no buffet like they have now. On the last night the MDR was empty. In those days you could order the MDR food through room service. I'm sure they didn't tip them either.

Yep, I remember that 30yrs ago. Only traditional early and late seating, no specialty restaurants and no buffet like they have now. On the last night the MDR was empty. In those days you could order the MDR food through room service. I'm sure they didn't tip them either.

We always prepay our tips and then give extra to those who go above and beyond.

 

My only opinion for those who choose to remove their tips after boarding......

 

**Be up front and go early in the week to remove your tips so the staff knows you do not intend to tip.

 

**Don’t let them bust their behinds all week thinking they are getting tipped only to find out you went the very last night and removed them.

It is much easier to remove when you close your account - that way you can avoid having to go again to GS because they put wrong charges on your acount....

After all the cruise line advertised top service... so you already paid for that - gratuities are a scam:rolleyes:

Awe so sad that you would consider opting out of prepaid these people work hard for their money and also deserve every extra penny they get

Awe so sad that you would consider opting out of prepaid these people work hard for their money and also deserve every extra penny they get

Awe so sad that you would consider opting out of prepaid these people work hard for their money and also deserve every extra penny they get

It is up to RCI to pay their emloyees!

Gratuities are a scam:rolleyes:

It is up to RCI to pay their emloyees!

Gratuities are a scam:rolleyes:

No gratuities will make you happy.

Okay, so here's a question for everyone that's saying, "The cruise line just needs to pay them more so we don't have to.": are you the same kind of person that loses their mind when someone suggests raising the minimum wage? Are you the same kind of boss that denies raising their employees wages to adjust for inflation because you feel like you'd be taking a hit to your business? If so, you have exactly no business whining about the cruise line not raising their wages to account for tips. You can't have your cake and eat it too.

I don't mind tipping for good service. I suspect that the automatic tipping is a hidden charge for the customers who already paid to go on the cruise to subsidise the company's wage bill. Also if staff are chastised for receiving cash, why do all the posts advocate tipping over and above the automatic gratuities for good service? I am not trying to get out of tipping, I would like to be convinced that the automatic charge actually gets passed on to the crew??

if a passenger removes tips they have to report money received. if the tips are left in place and they receive extra they get to keep the surplus.

It is much easier to remove when you close your account - that way you can avoid having to go again to GS because they put wrong charges on your acount....

After all the cruise line advertised top service... so you already paid for that - gratuities are a scam:rolleyes:

why wait for the cruise line to change. just assume that your cruise fare was higher by the tip amount, which it would be if the cruise lines did what you are advocating.

We think the automatic tipping is a good thing. Actually, we would tip more if it wasn’t in place. Although, I guess we do because we always tip extra for good service.

if a passenger removes tips they have to report money received. if the tips are left in place and they receive extra they get to keep the surplus.

Report to whom? For what purpose?

Report to whom? For what purpose?

If the passenger has not opted out, the employee may keep the tip for him or her self.

There is a daily list that is distributed that notes the auto gratuity status.

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