My time dining upgraded to traditional ... gratuities?

[PBHTJ]

I booked my cruise a very long time ago. When I booked my time dining was the only thing available, so I booked that and was waitlisted for traditional. I noticed on my final invoice, that I had indeed gotten into traditional dining (yay!).

 

Here's the thing. I can't remember whether or not I prepaid for gratuities, and it doesn't seem to state that I did on my invoice. Instead, under "passenger requests", along with the fact that I also asked for a crib, it simply says "gratuities" without any amount paid or due.

 

But, if I originally booked My Time, don't they automatically add that to the bill? So wouldn't that mean that I have already paid them? If so, since I'm now in traditional, can I request that they be refunded so that I can use my OBC for gratuities?

 

TIA!

[Ourusualbeach]

If you booked through RCI call them and ask for a copy of your invoice.

 

If you used a TA ask them for a copy of Royals invoice.

 

The invoice will show whether or not you have been charged for prepaid gratuities.

 

If this is the invoice that you have and you don't see a separate line showing the gratuities amount then you did not pay them and they will be added to your Seapass daily.

[Ashland]

If you originally booked MTD (regardless if you were waitlisted for Traditional) you would have had the gratuities included..You would have to request once you were switched to MDR to have these automatic gratuities deleted as RCI doesn't delete them automatically...or so has been the case with our experience.

[brewcrew4]

If you originally booked MTD (regardless if you were waitlisted for Traditional) you would have had the gratuities included..You would have to request once you were switched to MDR to have these automatic gratuities deleted as RCI doesn't delete them automatically...or so has been the case with our experience.

 

It was the same for us earlier this year.

[fishtaco]

I have not passed final yet but we were also MTD with Trad waitlisted, Now we have been assigned late Trad the pre paids remain in place for us but I will be keeping a copy of my original invoice in case there is a mix up once onboard.

 

If you were originally MTD and booked direct your pre paids would have been included in your first email invoice and show in the breakdown on your RCI web booking info under charges.

 

They may have removed them for you? but you would have seen a price reduction at final payment if they were removed.

 

There has been differing opinions on swapping the pre paid to daily or cash once onboard but I was told by a RCI phone rep that pre paids cannot be removed once onboard because they are dealt with by a different accounts department on land, I have never tried but some say they have been successful in removing pre paids once onboard :confused:

 

Best bet is to call them before you sail and ask for your pre paids to be refunded, they will soon let you know if you have not actually paid them:)

[cb at sea]

If you've already paid them, what's the difference if you get an OBC for that amount to be applied to your tips? It's the same thing...same amount..if you've already had them added to your account...you're done! Easy-peezy.

[JessyCruises]

Have you passed final payment yet? If not you likely have not actually paid the gratuities yet. In our case, we just paid the deposit upfront and then when final payment occurred the gratuities were paid at that time. They were not paid at the time we added MTD.

[fishtaco]

If you've already paid them, what's the difference if you get an OBC for that amount to be applied to your tips? It's the same thing...same amount..if you've already had them added to your account...you're done! Easy-peezy.

 

I think the OP already has OBC and would rather pay tips with that OBC?

 

I also do not understand the theory behind paying tips with OBC unless you have too much OBC to spend or you dont spend anything at all whilst onboard so want to use up the OBC?

[fishtaco]

Have you passed final payment yet? If not you likely have not actually paid the gratuities yet. In our case, we just paid the deposit upfront and then when final payment occurred the gratuities were paid at that time. They were not paid at the time we added MTD.

 

They are not actually paid before final payment but they are added to your final payment amount when you choose MTD or if you are allocated MTD due to traditional dinning being on waitlist:)

[LMaxwell]

I think the OP already has OBC and would rather pay tips with that OBC?

 

I also do not understand the theory behind paying tips with OBC unless you have too much OBC to spend or you dont spend anything at all whilst onboard so want to use up the OBC?

 

 

Book high enough category cabin and / or long enough cruise and you can get quite a hefty amount of OBC. Some people have been there, done that for excursions and specialty dining, don't need trinkets, etc. Gratuities can add up on longer itineraries to being able to use OBC to offset that is nice. I know that basically explains what you already know. Actually, I'm not sure what there is to not understand about it? It's basically a realized cost offset.

[Luvfuninthesun]

When we switched from MTD to Traditional directly with Royal Caribbean, the rep offered to refund us the gratuities we already paid. Since we would have paid them later on, I was happy to leave it as is.