Increased gratuities- being grandfathered in?

The tips went up recently but I’m sure there was a post saying if you booked before x date, or if you added the tips before x date you would get the tips at the old rate......

 

Can someone please remind me?

 

 

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The tips went up recently but I’m sure there was a post saying if you booked before x date, or if you added the tips before x date you would get the tips at the old rate......

 

Can someone please remind me?

 

 

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If you added your tips prior to January 2nd you get the old rate. When you booked the cruise is irrelevant.

 

 

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Just remove them and be done with it!

Just remove them and be done with it!

 

 

 

Thank you for your advise, which I will however, ignore.

 

 

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The tips went up recently but I’m sure there was a post saying if you booked before x date, or if you added the tips before x date you would get the tips at the old rate......

 

Can someone please remind me?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

If you booked your cruise before 2018 and add prepaid gratuities prior to setting sail, you will be grandfathered in at the old rate.

 

_______________________

Carnival Paradise - August 2015 - 5 nights

Carnival Splendor - August 2016 - 6 nights

Carnival Magic - August 2017 - 8 nights

Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas - August 2018 - 7 nights (booked)

Royal Caribbean Anthem of the Seas - August 2019 - 9 nights (booked)

If you booked your cruise before 2018 and add prepaid gratuities prior to setting sail, you will be grandfathered in at the old rate.

 

_______________________

Carnival Paradise - August 2015 - 5 nights

Carnival Splendor - August 2016 - 6 nights

Carnival Magic - August 2017 - 8 nights

Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas - August 2018 - 7 nights (booked)

Royal Caribbean Anthem of the Seas - August 2019 - 9 nights (booked)

 

This is correct.

Thank you for your advise, which I will however, ignore.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Why? If you remove the tips you can pay any rate you choose.

If you added your tips prior to January 2nd you get the old rate. When you booked the cruise is irrelevant.

 

This is incorrect information.

 

If you booked your cruise before 2018 and add prepaid gratuities prior to setting sail, you will be grandfathered in at the old rate.

 

This is the correct answer to the OP's question.

Why? If you remove the tips you can pay any rate you choose.

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.

 

If you booked your cruise before 2018 and add prepaid gratuities prior to setting sail, you will be grandfathered in at the old rate.

Thank you - exactly what I was looking for!

If you booked your cruise before 2018 and add prepaid gratuities prior to setting sail, you will be grandfathered in at the old rate.

 

_______________________

Carnival Paradise - August 2015 - 5 nights

Carnival Splendor - August 2016 - 6 nights

Carnival Magic - August 2017 - 8 nights

Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas - August 2018 - 7 nights (booked)

Royal Caribbean Anthem of the Seas - August 2019 - 9 nights (booked)

 

So, I booked our Freedom 2018 Christmas cruise in 2017. Then I can add prepaid gratuities up to the sail date and get the old rate. Is this correct?

I was told it had to be paid at least 48 hours before sailing.

So, I booked our Freedom 2018 Christmas cruise in 2017. Then I can add prepaid gratuities up to the sail date and get the old rate. Is this correct?

 

Yes, this is correct.

This is incorrect information.

 

 

 

This is the correct answer to the OP's question.

I didn't make this information up. I asked Royal Caribbean a few weeks ago and was told that if you add gratuities to your reservation prior to Jan 2nd then you get the old rate.

 

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I was told it had to be paid at least 48 hours before sailing.

Probably also true, they need some time to process and get it into the download of guest data to the ship.

We booked Oasis in May 2017 for an April sail date. We added the gratuities during the booking. Our final payment was around Jan 9 and we paid the original amount for the gratuities.

 

I LOVE the fact you can pay them up front, the staff works incredibly hard to make it a pleasurable vacation for you and we do not ever begrudge them the tip. DH always has cash along for the staff that we interact with and at the end of our cruise, he simply hands cash to them in an inconspicuous manner. I like the "Daddy Warbucks" phrase above, that is not our way of thanking hard working staff for making our cruise enjoyable.

We booked in October 2017 for our April 2018 sailing. The email I received from Royal states in pertinent part:

 

We'd like to extend the opportunity to pre-pay your gratuities before your sail date at the current rate. If you'd like to pay onboard, your gratuity charge applied will be at the new rate.

 

We plan to call our TA and pre-pay our gratuities when funding permits. Not so much so that we can save a few dollars, but more so that we have one less expense to worry about once onboard. I do appreciate that Royal is giving us the opportunity to do so at the rate that was applicable at the time we booked. However, we usually tip our servers, cabin attendant, bar staff, etc. above and beyond what is prepaid, and will certainly do so again on this trip to ensure that they are more fairly compensated and do not lose out because we chose to prepay.

Wow, all this angst over $18 for 2 people on a 9 night cruise. :D

Wow, all this angst over $18 for 2 people on a 9 night cruise. :D

 

What angst? OP simply asked a question.

The tips went up recently but I’m sure there was a post saying if you booked before x date, or if you added the tips before x date you would get the tips at the old rate......

 

Can someone please remind me?

 

 

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Here is the email we got awhile ago. We are on a cruise this March. Hope this helps:

 

We are excited to welcome you onboard for your upcoming Royal Caribbean vacation! As you prepare to set sail, we wanted to notify you of an update to our daily gratuity charges. As of January 2, 2018, Royal Caribbean will be increasing the automatic daily gratuity charge from $13.50 to $14.50 per guest, per day for regular staterooms and from $16.50 to $17.50 per guest, per day for suites. The daily gratuity is shared among dining, bar & culinary services staff, stateroom attendants and other hotel services teams. We’d like to extend the opportunity to pre-pay your gratuities before your sail date at the current rate. If you’d like to pay onboard, your gratuity charge applied will be at the new rate. Other onboard gratuity policies remain the same: an 18% gratuity is automatically added to bar service beverages, spa services, room service and mini bar items, and will be itemized on your receipt. To pre-pay your gratuities, please log onto www.RoyalCaribbean.com, contact your travel agent, or call 1-866-562-7625. We can’t wait to welcome you onboard. Sincerely,

Royal Caribbean International

Wow, all this angst over $18 for 2 people on a 9 night cruise. :D

 

 

 

What angst? I asked a simple question. Hopefully the answers will help others.

 

 

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Just remove them and be done with it!

 

Why? If you remove the tips you can pay any rate you choose.

 

Oh geez, not this again...

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?

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.

Thank you Bob. I will phone them this week. I like the idea of one more item checked off in any case.

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)

 

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