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Budgeting - general questions

leela14

By leela14,
in Royal Caribbean International

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leela14

leela14

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In order to avoid too much sticker shock once on board, I'm trying to gather info up front. We have done 6 cruises, but the last one was with Celebrity in 2013 and I think a few things have changed. We are booked on Anthem for a 9 night cruise out of Bayonne in June of this year.

 

1) If you do not buy a drink package, what is the amount of the tip they auto charge per drink? Is it 15% or 18% or something else?

 

2) If you do buy the drink package, am I correct to assume the tip is included?

 

3) Are the speciality dining rooms a flat fee per person or do you order off a menu like at a land based restaurant?

 

4) Are all meals in the MDR included in the cost of the cruise fare or do they have some items that you must pay for (I thought I saw prices for a few selections on a MDR menu, but I could be mistaken).

 

Are there other charges I need to know about up front? I'm aware of the obvious things - auto tips, spas, salons, some classes, excursions, wifi, etc. but wondering if other things have changed since 2013 that I should know before going. Of if the Anthem charges for things that are included on other ships.

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Clarea

Clarea

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Drink auto tip is 18%.

 

You pay the 18% at the time of package purchase, no more is added when you order drinks.

 

The prices on the MDR menu are for a few "premium" selections.

 

With regard to specialty restaurants, some are flat fee, one is flat fee plus extra for certain choices, some are a la carte.

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leela14

leela14

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Thanks for your quick reply! Indeed some changes since our last cruise.

 

Drink auto tip is 18%.

 

You pay the 18% at the time of package purchase, no more is added when you order drinks.

 

The prices on the MDR menu are for a few "premium" selections.

 

With regard to specialty restaurants, some are flat fee, one is flat fee plus extra for certain choices, some are a la carte.

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reallyitsmema

reallyitsmema

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OH - does anyone know around what a latte costs in the MDR? I like to have one with dessert. Just curious. Thanks.

 

And a soda/pop if bought individually?

 

Latte costs around $5. Soda is around $3.75 a can but you have a soda package so you can get soda free in the MDR.

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leela14

leela14

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Latte costs around $5. Soda is around $3.75 a can but you have a soda package so you can get soda free in the MDR.

 

Thanks! $3.75 for a can of soda? :o I don't mean to be crude, but ***????????????????

 

So that's $7 CAD for a latte and $5 CAD for a Diet Coke.

 

We booked through Costo who included the soda packages but I'm just curious how badly they hose you lol.

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Clarea

Clarea

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Thanks! $3.75 for a can of soda? :o I don't mean to be crude, but ***????????????????

 

So that's $7 CAD for a latte and $5 CAD for a Diet Coke.

 

We booked through Costo who included the soda packages but I'm just curious how badly they hose you lol.

Actually, the last time we had a soda it was $3.84 with the 18% tip.:loudcry:

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reallyitsmema

reallyitsmema

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Thanks! $3.75 for a can of soda? :o I don't mean to be crude, but ***????????????????

 

So that's $7 CAD for a latte and $5 CAD for a Diet Coke.

 

We booked through Costo who included the soda packages but I'm just curious how badly they hose you lol.

 

Yes, their prices for soda cans are ridiculous even if I was off $0.09 on the price which was why I said "around".

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leela14

leela14

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If you have the soda package, you will get all the FOUNTAIN soda you want...you don't get cans with the package.

 

Yep, knew that one. And I know I'm weird and the exception, but I actually like fountain soda better. So at least I got that going for me lol. :p

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reallyitsmema

reallyitsmema

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Yep, knew that one. And I know I'm weird and the exception, but I actually like fountain soda better. So at least I got that going for me lol. :p

 

Anthem has the Coke Freestyle machines too, so you will have many more choices if you use the machines. There are two in Sorrentos, two in the Windjammer, one at the Doghouse in the Seaplex and one in the teen area. Unfortunately, the machines in Sorrentos were possessed last week and one or the other was not working when we went for soda. I couldn't get one of them to dispense anything, including ice and an officer came over to show me what I was doing wrong.:rolleyes: Well, he couldn't get it to do anything either and said he would call maintenance.

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lbjen

lbjen

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Yep, knew that one. And I know I'm weird and the exception, but I actually like fountain soda better. So at least I got that going for me lol. :p

 

Oh I way prefer fountain to can, but Freestyle is its own beast as it's not the same exact mix as fountain so it never tastes the same :o

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LeeW

LeeW

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Thanks! $3.75 for a can of soda? :o I don't mean to be crude, but ***????????????????

 

So that's $7 CAD for a latte and $5 CAD for a Diet Coke.

 

We booked through Costo who included the soda packages but I'm just curious how badly they hose you lol.

 

But the soda can is a 12 oz/355 ml can, not the little 280 ml guys that you have up there in Canada.

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Clarea

Clarea

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I noticed that Royal Caribbean is about the only cruise line that states you cannot bring soft drinks onboard with you at embarcation. Do they really enforce that?

They rarely enforce it, except around spring break.

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luckyinpa

luckyinpa

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But the soda can is a 12 oz/355 ml can, not the little 280 ml guys that you have up there in Canada.

 

i'm waiting for the demise of the can. it is THE one and only thing i think that is remaining constant. though i did one time see 11.5 oz. tuna has gone from 6.25 oz to 5 or 4 oz. chips have gone from the standard 6 to 8 oz to 3 oz being considered full size, its a disgrace. half gallon of ice cream is what, 56 or less oz? we are going downhill fast

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