Increased gratuities- being grandfathered in?

They should just add them to the balance. However, if they disagree, just wait and add them at final.

Thank you Bob!

Thank you Bob!

You're welcome and good luck.

Our cruse is this April. We PIF November 2016 through Air Miles' travel agency.

 

Air Miles did not forward an e-mail regarding an increase in gratuities.

 

Am I still allowed to contact the TA and pay the gratuities at the old rate since it's before our sail date? Or because I'm PIF I cannot?

You can still add gratuities at the old rate.

Have you heard from anyone that has successfully done it after the date the new rates started? Just curious (and skeptical)

I did not call my TA that week and then had a further delay with my CC being cancelled after my husband's xbox account was hacked.

Today I phoned Air Miles and yes, I was able to pay the old gratuity rate of $13.50 US.

$13.50 US x 7 days x 4 people = $378 US converted to $488.44 CAN

My RBC app said it would convert to $487.47 so close enough.

Now we just need to get everyone's genders correct. :confused:

I know this is an older thread, but I wanted to provide a relevant update. On 11-5-17, I booked my upcoming 1-6-19 cruise and did not add prepaid gratuities. I booked it with Next Cruise while onboard. Today I received an email from RCCL attaching an updated "cruise vacation receipt." I have not been in contact with RCCL since I booked the cruise, so I assume I received this email because my final payment is due 10-8-18.

Upon reviewing the new cruise vacation receipt, I noticed that my new balance is approximately $230 more than shown on my original receipt. Gratuities of $115.50 per person have been added. Upon doing the math, it comes out to $16.50 per day. We are in a suite. This is obviously at the old gratuity rate which then increased in January of 2018. On the same receipt that I received today, it says that $17.50 will be added daily for suite guests (which obviously won't happen because I now have been charged for prepaid gratuities).

In summary, without my request to prepay, I was charged for prepaid gratuities at the lower rate, which I am fine with. I was going to pay the gratuities onboard with OBC, but I'll just pay it at the time of my final payment next week and save $14.

I'm curious. Has anybody else had this automatically happen?

In summary, without my request to prepay, I was charged for prepaid gratuities at the lower rate, which I am fine with. I was going to pay the gratuities onboard with OBC, but I'll just pay it at the time of my final payment next week and save $14.

Wouldn't it be great if you could pre pay grats with OBC in the planner?

Wouldn't it be great if you could pre pay grats with OBC in the planner?

I would love having that option!

I would love having that option!

Why would you pay ahead of time? It ALL comes out of your pocket that way. Let the OBC offset it. Surely will cost you less than the $14 difference.

Why would you pay ahead of time? It ALL comes out of your pocket that way. Let the OBC offset it. Surely will cost you less than the $14 difference.

If you are going to spend the money on something else on back and anyway it really doesn’t matter. It would only matter if you don’t plan on purchasing anything on board.

Why would you pay ahead of time? It ALL comes out of your pocket that way. Let the OBC offset it. Surely will cost you less than the $14 difference.

I never have trouble spending my OBC.

Because I prefer to pay the full recommended rate that RCI ensures will reach the correct people.

I have no interest in carrying wads of $$ with me and dishing out cash as I go along like some Daddy Warbucks, and I do not want to spend the last day of my cruise rushing round the ship trying to recognise the names and faces of staff that may have served me during my cruise. The prepaid system works so I leave it in place. JMHO.

 

Thank you - exactly what I was looking for!

Why try and save a few bucks?

If you’re so bothered about paying the recommended amount the new rate is the recommended amount..!! JMHO

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I know this is an older thread, but I wanted to provide a relevant update. On 11-5-17, I booked my upcoming 1-6-19 cruise and did not add prepaid gratuities. I booked it with Next Cruise while onboard. Today I received an email from RCCL attaching an updated "cruise vacation receipt." I have not been in contact with RCCL since I booked the cruise, so I assume I received this email because my final payment is due 10-8-18.

Upon reviewing the new cruise vacation receipt, I noticed that my new balance is approximately $230 more than shown on my original receipt. Gratuities of $115.50 per person have been added. Upon doing the math, it comes out to $16.50 per day. We are in a suite. This is obviously at the old gratuity rate which then increased in January of 2018. On the same receipt that I received today, it says that $17.50 will be added daily for suite guests (which obviously won't happen because I now have been charged for prepaid gratuities).

In summary, without my request to prepay, I was charged for prepaid gratuities at the lower rate, which I am fine with. I was going to pay the gratuities onboard with OBC, but I'll just pay it at the time of my final payment next week and save $14.

I'm curious. Has anybody else had this automatically happen?

I don''t remember the details but when RCI raised the gratuities you had a certain deadline to prepay or add them at the old rate.

I remember that too, and I never prepaid. The prepaid gratuities showed up on my invoice out of nowhere, at the old rate, so I was just sharing my experience because I thought it was odd.