Having an ahhh haaa moment over gratuities...

[Clarea]

Seriously? You think RCI knows the limitations of its IT department??:rolleyes::rolleyes::eek::eek:

I'll bet there are many people working at Royal who get incredibly frustrated with the computer systems there. We're on the outside and only see the tip of the iceberg. Can't imagine having to deal with that stuff for 8 hours a day and then explain to the poor customer on the other end of the phone call that they don't know why all their excursions were cancelled.

[Sunflower&Scientist]

Our OBC is from TA, We have not booked any excursions through Royal so will probably use ours for that. Otherwise I'll ask on board if we will get what is not used refunded when we leave.

[jenninlaca]

Re OBC, what about using it for photos? Or do a couple of fun things on board like flow rider lessons or a cupcake decorating class or the behind the scenes ship tour. You also could eat in the speciality restaurants.

 

 

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[schlimazel_traveler]

Is it possible they want to create a disincentive for MTD? It can't accommodate everyone.

 

I think if I had $200 OBC to spend and didn't want a beverage package or shore excursions, I might spend some of it trying the specialty restaurants.

 

And there are a few things in the shops on board that are reasonably-priced--can OBC be used for duty-free cosmetics? I could come home with a year's supply of Clinique stuff, I guess.

[Merion_Mom]

Ooooo, ooooooo, I know the reason!!!

 

 

I know the reason that you pre-pay gratuities for MTD but don't have to for fixed/traditional dining.

 

Wanna know the secret?

 

Come closer.

 

Closer.

 

Closer.

 

Here it is:

 

When RC first "invented" My Time Dining, they decided that the best way to distribute gratuities in that dining room was to collect from the passengers and then give it out according to their formula, since the passengers might not have the same servers every night and would become confused about whom to tip.

 

 

THEN RC decided that instead of putting envelopes in everyone's cabin on the last evening and having tips given out in cash, they would charge each person daily on the SeaPass account for the suggested amount.

 

 

Royal Caribbean is UNABLE to reconcile these two systems. The BRILLIANT and INNOVATIVE and TOP NOTCH technology department cannot figure out that now that EVERYONE can be charged while on board, they don't need to treat MTDiners differently from everyone else.

 

 

They just CAN'T FIGURE IT OUT.

 

 

It is VERY COMPLICATED.

 

 

After all, just charging everyone on board is TOO COMPLEX.

 

 

 

:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[Adayatatime]

Merion mom. You are funny xxx:D

[Biker19]

I see MTD going away in the next few years. With the way they are setting up dining on the Quantum I hear it will go fleet wide if all works well. The first part was the new way they take tips daily.

You mean MTD will be come standard, not go away. There's no traditional dining on the Quantum, it's MTD only, yet you don't have to pre-pay grats.

 

As was mentioned before. RCI is using some old excuse to get the customers to float them money.:rolleyes:

[caribbean sailor]

I see MTD going away in the next few years. With the way they are setting up dining on the Quantum I hear it will go fleet wide if all works well. The first part was the new way they take tips daily.

 

Well if this happen fleet wide,we will not sail Royal again.Guess we would go back to flying to an island for a week or so.We want nothing to do with quantum style dining or the quantum.We don't need the hassle to have to make reservations to eat in the MDR.The new ships are amusement parks.Just are opinion,cruises are changing and that is fine.We don't wish to change with them.Also will not pre pay so called tips. :eek:

[ttnc4me]

Ooooo, ooooooo, I know the reason!!![/size]

Here it is:

 

Royal Caribbean is UNABLE to reconcile these two systems. The BRILLIANT and INNOVATIVE and TOP NOTCH technology department cannot figure out that now that EVERYONE can be charged while on board, they don't need to treat MTDiners differently from everyone else.

 

They just CAN'T FIGURE IT OUT.

 

It is VERY COMPLICATED.

 

After all, just charging everyone on board is TOO COMPLEX.

This must be it. Or, they're just too lazy. If other lines can do it, there's no reason they can't

 

You mean MTD will be come standard, not go away. There's no traditional dining on the Quantum, it's MTD only, yet you don't have to pre-pay grats.

 

As was mentioned before. RCI is using some old excuse to get the customers to float them money.:rolleyes:

More likely.

 

Well if this happen fleet wide,we will not sail Royal again.Guess we would go back to flying to an island for a week or so.We want nothing to do with quantum style dining or the quantum.We don't need the hassle to have to make reservations to eat in the MDR.The new ships are amusement parks.Just are opinion,cruises are changing and that is fine.We don't wish to change with them.Also will not pre pay so called tips. :eek:

That's Royal's problem. MTD on other ships don't require reservations; simply walk up & sit down. Again, no reason why this can't be the case on Royal. They're making it all harder than it has to be.:(

[Envelope21]

We've used MTD several times. We've never made a reservation ahead of time (to us, that defeats the whole purpose of the flexibility of MTD). We've never had to wait longer than just a few minutes to get a table.

Regarding the OBC and pre-paid gratuities, we usually just cash out the amount in the Casino.

[DC2OC]

Just add the tips to the cruise fare and make tipping optional .That way the crew can't get screwed by selfish passengers and we can give extra as we see fit to the ones that exceed expectations

.....................Frank:)

[Rogueperson]

How's this for a theory?

 

There is only a limited amount of space for MTD? The disincentive to signing up for it, is to prepay gratuities. I don't think they could actually charge more for this, as it wouldn't be worth it really.

 

If it was the same across the board, they would have too many people wanting MTD without a "downside", and have to force people to assigned seating.

 

Personally, i think this theory has holes, because I personally LIKE traditional dining, but Royal Caribbean has placed me on a waiting list for late dining and stuck me in MTD while I "waited".

[music]

Okay...I think I'm finally understanding this after reading another thread this morning. I did not get why people did not like prepaying the gratuities using MTD. We've not done MTD before and having that option sounded really good to us this cruise. Prepaying wasn't a big deal, we have to pay it so now or later isn't an issue. What has now hit me is that we have OBC and of course we would have used that.

 

So now what can we do with the OBC? We don't drink, or buy soft drinks or coffee, I'm not a shopper or buy things onboard, what can we use the OBC for? Can we use it for excursions? Anything else?

 

Please tell what the other thread was, I think I missed something! I have a cruise booked with 3 cabins, If there is OBC for prepaying tips, That would be really helpful since I already did.

[CanDMan47]

I know this is one of those highly controversial subjects, but I guess I don't see why. I understand not wanting to spend the, what was it, $186/pp for 7 night cruise in advance, but it's not like you need to spend it the day you book. It's due when 75 days out? With the rest of your $700-$2000 and higher price cruise. It's a service charge they call a tip. Is it so important to those of you that RCI or your TA actually pay for your tips in the form of OBC? Is this the real cause of the angst? You really don't want to pay the tip at all, and have it paid for you? Would you be happier if they charged you $200/pp more for the cruise and you didn't tip anyone if you didn't want to? This seems to be the the most overrated controversy on this board. When anyone brings up the cost of the cruise, the beverage packages, the shore excursions, etc...the standard response is "if you can't afford the vacation, don't take the vacation" type of responses. The same should be said for the under $200 tip for 7 nights.

 

I'm a big boy, go ahead and tell me I'm wrong, but it better make sense. And this wasn't directed at anyone, but everyone that is against this prepaid service charge.

[ttnc4me]

I'm a big boy, go ahead and tell me I'm wrong, but it better make sense. And this wasn't directed at anyone, but everyone that is against this prepaid service charge.

You missed the point of the post. It's not about not paying the service charge. It's about not being able to use OBC for it.

If someone spends extra $$ on a cruise (pics, drinks, dining, etc...) it'd probably be difficult to understand.

[Anguillafan]

I think it's a combination of what a number of you said.

 

1. Originally RCI did not want to overwhelm MTD, so the prepay was a disincentive so not everyone took it. They could easily have charged the gratuity up front on board.

2. Once they learned to manage the program, the prepay improved their cash flow. I don't think it impacts profitability because it does not actually belong to RCI, but rather their employees, but, they get to use the float.

3. It appears that people are quickly wait listed now for traditional dining, which encourages, or forces, more people to MTD, and improve RCI's cash flow.

 

Like the OP, I want to use my OBC'S for gratuities. I'm hoping I can switch to MTD on board. It's important enough to me to use OBC's that way that I'll take the risk that MTD isn't available.

 

I also want to echo the appreciation to cruise critic. I didn't know you could cash out OBC'S for a slight discount at the casino. I would find a way to use my OBC's but it's nice to know about that option.

[ryano]

what was it, $186/pp for 7 night cruise in advance, .

 

More like 84.00 pp. Slightly more for suite passengers

[Guest maddycat]

I wonder if RCI's ultimate repsonse to this issue would ever be to charge everyone up front for gratuities instead of letting fixed time diners have the option to have them added to their seapass accounts? That would prevent any OBC from ever being used to pay gratuities.

 

And no, before anyone jumps on me I am not advocating that RCI do this. I just raise the possibility as a thought.

 

With the new dynamic dining on both the Quantum and the Anthem, gratuities are due with the final payment. There is no traditional (fixed) dining on either ship. There is no option for paying the gratuities once on board. At least that is what we were told when we booked both ships while on board the Explorer.

Edited June 12, 2014 by maddycat

[Bailey & Sophie]

Okay...I think I'm finally understanding this after reading another thread this morning. I did not get why people did not like prepaying the gratuities using MTD. We've not done MTD before and having that option sounded really good to us this cruise. Prepaying wasn't a big deal, we have to pay it so now or later isn't an issue. What has now hit me is that we have OBC and of course we would have used that.

 

So now what can we do with the OBC? We don't drink, or buy soft drinks or coffee, I'm not a shopper or buy things onboard, what can we use the OBC for? Can we use it for excursions? Anything else?

I think the prepaid grats are only for the MTD. You should be able to use the OBC for the other grats like the room steward.

[schlimazel_traveler]

We had to pay the full amount of gratuities--the total meant for everyone including wait staff and room steward--ahead of time when we did MTD.

[Merion_Mom]

I think the prepaid grats are only for the MTD. You should be able to use the OBC for the other grats like the room steward.

 

No, they are not separated out.

 

It's an 'all-in' proposition.

 

$12 per person per day includes your waiter, assistant waiter, headwaiter, cabin steward and other housekeeping services.

 

:)

[leyla]

Re OBC - another option for putting the $200.00 to good use would be to buy next cruise certificates while on board.

[LMaxwell]

Re OBC - another option for putting the $200.00 to good use would be to buy next cruise certificates while on board.

 

I think that is excluded.

 

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[Clarea]

Re OBC - another option for putting the $200.00 to good use would be to buy next cruise certificates while on board.

 

I think that is excluded.

Correct, you would need a credit card to book a cruise or purchase a Next Cruise certificate.

[cruzsnooze]

I don't believe pre-paid gratuities can be removed (or credited) once you are on the ship.

They can be removed. They are suggested, not mandatory.

That idea to remove the gratuity and then allow the OBC to pay them makes a lot of sense.