My time dining and grats

[rojojacko]

I have just booked a cruise on Vision of the Seas for next year and requested My Time dining but was told that I must pre-pay the gratuities for MTD. Having just completed a cruise on Explorer with MTD when we did our usual and cancelled the grats and paid cash to those we wished to, when did the policy change, or have I been misinformed by our agent?  Thanks for your help. 

[cruisinfanatic]

10 minutes ago, rojojacko said:

I have just booked a cruise on Vision of the Seas for next year and requested My Time dining but was told that I must pre-pay the gratuities for MTD. Having just completed a cruise on Explorer with MTD when we did our usual and cancelled the grats and paid cash to those we wished to, when did the policy change, or have I been misinformed by our agent?  Thanks for your help. 

By cancelling tips you did not tip all that deserved. UK..........

[Biker19]

28 minutes ago, rojojacko said:

when did the policy change, or have I been misinformed by our agent?

Pretty sure the latter, though it may be coming back.

[taglovestocruise]

32 minutes ago, rojojacko said:

I have just booked a cruise on Vision of the Seas for next year and requested My Time dining but was told that I must pre-pay the gratuities for MTD. Having just completed a cruise on Explorer with MTD when we did our usual and cancelled the grats and paid cash to those we wished to, when did the policy change, or have I been misinformed by our agent?  Thanks for your help. 

By removing auto grats you are shorting behind the scenes workers and those in the Buffett. The person you tip individually is required to turn the tips over to the pool.  When tipping become mandatory it will be because of select tippers like you. 

[luvcruzing]

I’m confused by this thread. There are separate gratuities for MTD?

[Biker19]

19 minutes ago, luvcruzing said:

I’m confused by this thread. There are separate gratuities for MTD?

No. A few years ago, when you chose MTD, you had to prepay the grats - some, especially in the UK, still make people believe that is still the case.

[Billy Baltic]

1 hour ago, cruisinfanatic said:

By cancelling tips you did not tip all that deserved. UK..........

Maybe the service he gets next year will be poor and they won’t deserve a tip. US .....

[Clarea]

There was another very recent thread started by a UK cruiser with the same issue.

 

Fact is that MTD no longer requires prepaid gratuities, even for UK bookings.  There's at least one UK travel agency that is telling customers otherwise.  Just be firm and try to educate them.

[voyager70]

Here we go ... again

 

[normannna]

57 minutes ago, Host Clarea said:

There was another very recent thread started by a UK cruiser with the same issue.

 

Fact is that MTD no longer requires prepaid gratuities, even for UK bookings.  There's at least one UK travel agency that is telling customers otherwise.  Just be firm and try to educate them.

 

When booking on the UK site and you select MTD it forces you to prepay tips.  I just booked 2 cruises last week.  Even calling UK number the agents say the same.

[TinkBellaMom]

When we first began cruising our TA had us pay our grats up front for MTD.  I thought it was still the case, but recently found out it is no longer necessary.  I continue to do it as we like to have everything done before we sail.  We routinely give extra to those who provide extra services ,like cabin steward,room service, bartenders,assistant waiter and our head waiter.  By canceling grats, I would be afraid I wouldn’t tip those behind the scenes.  Our way of doing it ensures everyone gets a share and a few get extra.

[karena1]

3 hours ago, rojojacko said:

I have just booked a cruise on Vision of the Seas for next year and requested My Time dining but was told that I must pre-pay the gratuities for MTD. Having just completed a cruise on Explorer with MTD when we did our usual and cancelled the grats and paid cash to those we wished to, when did the policy change, or have I been misinformed by our agent?  Thanks for your help. 

yes, misinformed.  You do not have to pay tips up front with MTD.  We normally do just to have it out of the way unless we have enough OBC to cover them once on the ship.  

[Mikew0805]

3 hours ago, rojojacko said:

I have just booked a cruise on Vision of the Seas for next year and requested My Time dining but was told that I must pre-pay the gratuities for MTD. Having just completed a cruise on Explorer with MTD when we did our usual and cancelled the grats and paid cash to those we wished to, when did the policy change, or have I been misinformed by our agent?  Thanks for your help. 

I always use MTD, and always just have them bill the gratuities to the on board account. I figure the cruise line knows how to pay the right people, so I let them. It's just easy and convenient. The cruise line says it is the right amount so I do not have to worry about over/under tipping. 

[crazyank]

11 hours ago, cruisinfanatic said:

By cancelling tips you did not tip all that deserved. UK..........

 

In your opinion

[cruisinfanatic]

22 minutes ago, crazyank said:

 

In your opinion

Tell myself and the forum why that statement is wrong.

[Billy Baltic]

Am I the only one who’s bored of the tipping topic on CC? Once the question was answered the thread should be closed. 
 

Why? Because tipping is a cultural thing and this is a multi cultural forum. There will never be agreement on it and it just leads to pointless over and back. 

Edited October 19, 2019 by Billy Baltic

[Biker19]

27 minutes ago, Billy Baltic said:

Am I the only one who’s bored of the tipping topic on CC?

But think of all the entertainment we might miss.

[BND]

1 hour ago, Billy Baltic said:

Am I the only one who’s bored of the tipping topic on CC? Once the question was answered the thread should be closed. 
 

Why? Because tipping is a cultural thing and this is a multi cultural forum. There will never be agreement on it and it just leads to pointless over and back. 

No one makes you read these threads.

 

So, you're saying you don't follow the local culture when you travel?  If that's how RCI does business, then that's how they do business.  

 

BTW, I follow a couple of UK and Irish youtubers and many of them talk about tipping at restaurants when eating out in their own country.  

[little britain]

12 hours ago, normannna said:

 

When booking on the UK site and you select MTD it forces you to prepay tips.  I just booked 2 cruises last week.  Even calling UK number the agents say the same.

I have just tried a dummy booking on the RCI UK site and this is now correct...sadly.

 

When you select MTD you CANNOT then toggle to the 'Don't pay now and pay gratuities while on board'option.

 

That was a sneaky change they kept quiet!  Must be a recent change too.

 

@Host Clarea FYI!

Edited October 19, 2019 by little britain

[Clarea]

38 minutes ago, little britain said:

I have just tried a dummy booking on the RCI UK site and this is now correct...sadly.

 

When you select MTD you CANNOT then toggle to the 'Don't pay now and pay gratuities while on board'option.

 

That was a sneaky change they kept quiet!  Must be a recent change too.

 

@Host Clarea FYI!

 

Thanks for the update.  Someone who is affected should be contacting corporate.  Maybe an email to mbayley@rccl.com asking if this is a change in MTD / gratuity policy?

[rojojacko]

Thanks to everyone for their comments. I didn't realise what a can of worms I was opening with a simple query!  As someone said, tipping is a cultural thing and, I hasten to add, I do tip but I tend to tip after the service has been provided, not before.  If you're required to pay up front then surely that is a service charge and not a gratuity but I do not wish to prolong this discussion as there are so many diverse views on what is really a First World issue. 

 

Really looking forward ward to Cruising on Vision of the Seas next year. 

[grapau27]

17 hours ago, Biker19 said:

Pretty sure the latter, though it may be coming back.

I think it should come back.

The number of people stopping their gratuities on our last 2 Southampton cruises this year on Independence and Explorer was shocking and for MTD entry with usually different waiters every night  tips should be prepaid otherwise the waiters will lose out.

[grapau27]

2 hours ago, Host Clarea said:

 

Thanks for the update.  Someone who is affected should be contacting corporate.  Maybe an email to mbayley@rccl.com asking if this is a change in MTD / gratuity policy?

Unfortunately a few of us on here have seen the long queues of people stopping autogratuities at GS on Southampton UK sailings.

We always pre-pay gratuities and for anyone who wants the flexible benefit of MTD from Southampton should pre-pay because of the way MTD works.

[grapau27]

3 hours ago, little britain said:

I have just tried a dummy booking on the RCI UK site and this is now correct...sadly.

 

When you select MTD you CANNOT then toggle to the 'Don't pay now and pay gratuities while on board'option.

 

That was a sneaky change they kept quiet!  Must be a recent change too.

 

@Host Clarea FYI!

Thanks Little Britain.

Was that for a Southampton departure?

I wonder if this applies to all UK bookings departing from other ports?

[grapau27]

2 hours ago, rojojacko said:

Thanks to everyone for their comments. I didn't realise what a can of worms I was opening with a simple query!  As someone said, tipping is a cultural thing and, I hasten to add, I do tip but I tend to tip after the service has been provided, not before.  If you're required to pay up front then surely that is a service charge and not a gratuity but I do not wish to prolong this discussion as there are so many diverse views on what is really a First World issue. 

 

Really looking forward ward to Cruising on Vision of the Seas next year. 

You usually have different waiters every night on MTD and unless you tip nightly some waiters will lose out if people who don't pre-pay then stop their autogratuities.