Australian Cruises

[ijsa]

What  happens  to  RCL's  daily  and  other  gratuities  when  you  are  on  a  cruise  whollly  within  Australia?

[Jasp 0401]

33 minutes ago, ijsa said:

What  happens  to  RCL's  daily  and  other  gratuities  when  you  are  on  a  cruise  whollly  within  Australia?

When booking a cruise in Australia and leaving from Australia .It  has to include all gratuities in the cost of the cruise.It's law over here that the sale price show the true price with no hidden extra's.

I think even the drink prices onboard  has the tips already included  for the same reason.

 

But I am not sure if your not Australian and booking an Australian  cruise from another country if the truth in cruise price law would still amply to you. 

 

Edited April 26, 2022 by Jasp 0401

[twangster]

For cruises down under...

 

If the cruise is booked through the AUS website the cruise fare includes them.

 

Same cruise booked by an American (or Canadian, etc.) on the US(/Canada) website is handled no different than a cruise to the Caribbean.  They are charged daily or can be pre-paid but they still apply just like in North America.

 

Edited April 26, 2022 by twangster

[ijsa]

I  note  that  you  state  booking  the  cruise  in  Australia.   I  live  in  Canada  and  have  booked  an  RCL  cruise  from  Brisbane to  the  Great  Barrier  reef  then  back  to  Brisbane.   What  are  the  rules  for  gratuities  in  this  case?

[Jasp 0401]

13 minutes ago, ijsa said:

I  note  that  you  state  booking  the  cruise  in  Australia.   I  live  in  Canada  and  have  booked  an  RCL  cruise  from  Brisbane to  the  Great  Barrier  reef  then  back  to  Brisbane.   What  are  the  rules  for  gratuities  in  this  case?

You will get your daily gratuities charged to your account like normal. But anything you buy onboard will show the final price including your tip. You can tip extra if you want too

Edited April 26, 2022 by Jasp 0401

[HicksRA]

I have a (US booked) NZ cruise on Quantum leaving from Brisbane which has the same gratuities language as all my other bookings, so the no added grats rule must only apply to those booked in Australia.  

[Jasp 0401]

2 minutes ago, HicksRA said:

I have a (US booked) NZ cruise on Quantum leaving from Brisbane which has the same gratuities language as all my other bookings, so the no added grats rule must only apply to those booked in Australia.  

Yes if your not Australian and have not booked your cruise on the Australian website. You will get charged your  gratuities daily like normal. But the prices on board for drinks etc will include the tip in the price. As New Zealand and Australia have the same law about truth in sale price. 

[Jasp 0401]

9 minutes ago, HicksRA said:

I have a (US booked) NZ cruise on Quantum leaving from Brisbane which has the same gratuities language as all my other bookings, so the no added grats rule must only apply to those booked in Australia.  

Yes if your not Australian and have not booked your cruise on the Australian website. You will get charged your  gratuities daily like normal. But the prices on board for drinks etc will include the tip in the price. As New Zealand and Australia have the same law about truth in sale price. 

[Jasp 0401]

You will also not be expected to tip extra . When going to a bar or restaurant on land  in  both Australia and New Zealand. So  the waitstaff  won't be expecting you  for example to add a 18% tip on top of the bill.Tipping over here is based on if you want  to reward someone for good service. There is no pressure to do so. 

[losfp]

1 hour ago, HicksRA said:

I have a (US booked) NZ cruise on Quantum leaving from Brisbane which has the same gratuities language as all my other bookings, so the no added grats rule must only apply to those booked in Australia.  

What if it's the other way around? ie: An Australian booking a USA or Europe cruise via the Australian site?

 

My understanding was that if you book via the Australian site, then the gratuities are baked into the price you pay. But our travel agent wasn't sure (she is going to check) so I'm confused.

[Missusdubbya]

6 minutes ago, losfp said:

What if it's the other way around? ie: An Australian booking a USA or Europe cruise via the Australian site?

 

My understanding was that if you book via the Australian site, then the gratuities are baked into the price you pay. But our travel agent wasn't sure (she is going to check) so I'm confused.

you understand correctly

 

[T-2]

For any of you that are familiar with sailing out of Sydney or Brisbane, has Royal ever had a ship that sailed during Aug.  I looked at booking one for Aug 2023 and it seemed they are already set to return for the Alaska season here, at least the Quantum class ships like the Quantum and Ovation.  I wasn't sure if this was just because at the time of setting these itineraries, the Covid situation is still such an unknown, or are they just never there year round?  Our best months would be July or August, during our American school summer break, and it looks like the weather is ideal then. We are doing our 5th Alaska cruise this July, I would love to see Australia or the Vanuatu and New Caledonia ports of call, did it ever happen then?  We would make Diamond Plus on that voyage so trying to plan something truly memorable.  

[losfp]

1 hour ago, T-2 said:

For any of you that are familiar with sailing out of Sydney or Brisbane, has Royal ever had a ship that sailed during Aug. 

Most cruise lines send their ships over here between Sept/Oct and Mar/Apr, in our summer.  There's only a small number of options that will sail in our winter. You're basically limited to the P&O fleet and maybe 1-2 Carnival.

[Chiliburn]

6 hours ago, Jasp 0401 said:

Yes if your not Australian and have not booked your cruise on the Australian website. You will get charged your  gratuities daily like normal. But the prices on board for drinks etc will include the tip in the price. As New Zealand and Australia have the same law about truth in sale price. 

I would like to pick you up on something.

 Onboard purchases are treated like being in the U.S.

All onboard purchases attract a %18 gratuity and the purchase slip has a place for additional gratuity.

If a Australian buys something in the cruise planner gratuity is inclusive.

[PeterGavin]

3 hours ago, losfp said:

There's only a small number of options that will sail in our winter. You're basically limited to the P&O fleet and maybe 1-2 Carnival.

This season, Coral Princess is sailing out of Brisbane from June 2022; mainly to North Queensland.

[BekkaW]

2 hours ago, Chiliburn said:

I would like to pick you up on something.

 Onboard purchases are treated like being in the U.S.

All onboard purchases attract a %18 gratuity and the purchase slip has a place for additional gratuity.

If a Australian buys something in the cruise planner gratuity is inclusive.

That’s not true. Drink menu prices onboard already include the 18% gratuity. But, I think (from memory) the spa doesn’t which is odd. 

 

 

[Chiliburn]

Unless things have changed since last time I was on RC  which was a couple of years because of the pandemic.

I’m pretty sure it was plus %18 

[BekkaW]

10 hours ago, Chiliburn said:

Unless things have changed since last time I was on RC  which was a couple of years because of the pandemic.

I’m pretty sure it was plus %18 

This has not changed since covid. I’m Australian (though I now live abroad) and have been sailing RCI for a decade. Gratuities are not added to drinks. The menu price is higher on cruises out of Australia because the gratuity is already rolled into the price. A drink that is $13 will be $14 when cruising out of Australia, and the drink package max is also raised to $14 to accomodate that. 

 

 

[cruzin-again]

21 hours ago, Jasp 0401 said:

Yes if your not Australian and have not booked your cruise on the Australian website. You will get charged your  gratuities daily like normal. But the prices on board for drinks etc will include the tip in the price. As New Zealand and Australia have the same law about truth in sale price. 

We are British and we will be cruising with our son and his partner when we holiday in Sydney, if we book through an AUS TA will the price for all of us include Gratuities?

[cruzin-again]

2 minutes ago, cruzin-again said:

We are British and we will be cruising with our son and his partner when we holiday in Sydney, if we book through an AUS TA will the price for all of us include Gratuities?

Meant to add our son and partner are Australian citizens.

[Biker19]

57 minutes ago, cruzin-again said:

We are British and we will be cruising with our son and his partner when we holiday in Sydney, if we book through an AUS TA will the price for all of us include Gratuities?

Any booking, by anyone, anywhere, booked under Aussie rules (Aussie TA, RCI Aussie site, etc) has a price which includes grats and taxes.

Edited April 27, 2022 by Biker19

[Jasp 0401]

2 hours ago, cruzin-again said:

We are British and we will be cruising with our son and his partner when we holiday in Sydney, if we book through an AUS TA will the price for all of us include Gratuities?

Yes If you book through the Australian website it will include the Gratuities

[Jasp 0401]

18 hours ago, Chiliburn said:

I would like to pick you up on something.

 Onboard purchases are treated like being in the U.S.

All onboard purchases attract a %18 gratuity and the purchase slip has a place for additional gratuity.

If a Australian buys something in the cruise planner gratuity is inclusive.

 On the 9 RCCL cruise we have been on leaving from Sydney .Any Drinks bought onboard already include the 18% gratuity.That's why drink packages and drinks cost more on RCCL cruise ship sailing out of Australia. I am not sure about spa treatments though. 

[bonsai3s]

Has cruising started in Australia?

 

* Hoping to re-book all of our cancelled Aussie cruises. 

[losfp]

1 minute ago, bonsai3s said:

Has cruising started in Australia?

Not quite. The first one back is due to depart late May I believe - Pacific Explorer just arrived, and I think they're fitting her out for that first cruise.

 

EDIT: I mean for big ships.  I believe they have allowed small expedition style ships for a while due to the smaller number of passengers.

Edited April 27, 2022 by losfp