My time dining and grats

[NEWCRUISER176]

4 hours ago, grapau27 said:

Thanks Little Britain.

Was that for a Southampton departure?

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

Recently booked Jewel out of Dubai on RCCL UK website and had to prepay gratuities to book MTD. Think there has been a change but not publicised! 

[grapau27]

11 minutes ago, NEWCRUISER176 said:

Recently booked Jewel out of Dubai on RCCL UK website and had to prepay gratuities to book MTD. Think there has been a change but not publicised! 

Thank you for letting us know.

Hope you have a great cruise.

[grapau27]

1 hour ago, orla56 said:

When you look at your cruise documents it says service charge and not gratuities.

It should be included in the cost so everyone pays.We got to know to someone who said they were removing them and giving them to special staff but in all honesty I don't think they did at all.

 

You make a good point when you said about people removing tips and giving them to special staff.

'I don't think they did at all'

[NEWCRUISER176]

30 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

Thank you for letting us know.

Hope you have a great cruise.

I'm sure we will, we were thinking of having a couple of days in Dubai on the way to Goa and up popped this cruise, 7 nights cheaper than a 3 night stay, all food and entertainment included and as D+ evening drinks as well. Fan-tas-tic. 👍

Marylyne x

[Norwich Cruiser]

18 hours ago, grapau27 said:

 

You make a good point when you said about people removing tips and giving them to special staff.

'I don't think they did at all'

I agree.

I’m pretty sure they don’t also.

[catugirl]

On 10/18/2019 at 9:15 PM, TinkBellaMom said:

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.

I agree wholeheartedly.  The crew all work very hard.

[LMaxwell]

On 10/18/2019 at 6:43 PM, taglovestocruise said:

 The person you tip individually is required to turn the tips over to the pool.  

 

 

Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong. 

[little britain]

Still global discrepancy....Odyssey in the Med... if you select MTD it automatically adds the gratuity on U.K. site.

 

On the USA site it does not....

 

Has there been an official announcement about this policy change ?

 

 

 

[Biker19]

31 minutes ago, little britain said:

Has there been an official announcement about this policy change ?

That might just be an RCI IT thing - has anyone reported NOT being able to remove grats with MTD if they call? Or is it that all cruises booked under UK rules have grats added.

[little britain]

On 12/18/2019 at 11:56 PM, Biker19 said:

That might just be an RCI IT thing - has anyone reported NOT being able to remove grats with MTD if they call? Or is it that all cruises booked under UK rules have grats added.

Update: RCI UK have just confirmed to me that the requirement to prepay grats for MTD only applies to Anthem, Allure and Jewel. 

This makes sense as I have MTD on Odyssey and I was able to remove the grats.

I guess they are focussing on ships with a high UK guest quota!

 

I wonder if Americans booked on these ships have to prepay?    I bet I know the answer to that one.....

[debgreg]

On 2/18/2020 at 11:32 AM, little britain said:

Update: RCI UK have just confirmed to me that the requirement to prepay grats for MTD only applies to Anthem, Allure and Jewel. 

This makes sense as I have MTD on Odyssey and I was able to remove the grats.

I guess they are focussing on ships with a high UK guest quota!

 

I wonder if Americans booked on these ships have to prepay?    I bet I know the answer to that one.....

I am sure I switched once on board when it wasn't available to book online, just went to the booking booth and asked to change ? 

[little britain]

11 minutes ago, debgreg said:

I am sure I switched once on board when it wasn't available to book online, just went to the booking booth and asked to change ? 

This requirement has been new in the past few months.  Snuck in under the radar with no announcement.  

[debgreg]

1 minute ago, little britain said:

This requirement has been new in the past few months.  Snuck in under the radar with no announcement.  

So if you get onboard and ask to switch to MTD would they let you ? 

[cb at sea]

This thread is about 20 years old!

 

[little britain]

Just now, cb at sea said:

This thread is about 20 years old!

 

Thread was started in Oct 2019 so that is 4 months by my calendar!  About the time they snuck in the MTD grat changes.

[little britain]

2 minutes ago, debgreg said:

So if you get onboard and ask to switch to MTD would they let you ? 

No idea!  If you try it come back and let us know what happens.

 

[debgreg]

On my recent booking for Jewel (Monday) Grats had to be pre paid for MTD. I am unsure why they call them gratuities if they are insisting people pay, as gratuities by definition are discretionary  

[ela05]

We are booked on Brilliance for next august, and I had to prepay  gratuities to have  MTD... cruise booked on italian Royal Caribbean website. Glad to see that gratuities topics are popular in english - speaking forums  too: in Italy there isn’t a tipping culture,  tipping  in  restaurants it’s not so usual( I always tip when  I’ m in the USA, but I do it rarely at home)... I agree     with those saying cruise companies should include gratuities in the cruise fare: people in line to remove gratuities are from all over the world🙄

[rojojacko]

I instigated this thread back in October and am only a few weeks away from this cruise now so fully paid (including pre-payment of gratuities). Looking back now that the thread has been resurrected it is annoying to see how many people assume that removing the pre-payment means that you won't be giving tips!  That is certainly not the case with me. I am still miffed (an English expression!) that I am expected to pay a gratuity before receiving a service but it's probably time to put this thread to bed. Night, night all and thanks for your thoughts, advice and help. 

[Rala]

On 2/19/2020 at 11:31 AM, cb at sea said:

This thread is about 20 years old!

 

What!?  Maybe 4 months.  You're going too fast again, CB.  Slow down and read.