New $9.95 + 18% grat for room service

[High on the Seas]

This type of charge is why we are thinking of other vacations. Too many charges for incidentals that used to be included all while the base price of their cruises is rising far faster than inflation. 

[Honolulu Blue]

3 hours ago, Elros said:

In the app for some sailings it appears there is now a $9.95 + 18% gratuity for all room service aside from continental breakfast items. This new policy isn’t currently showing up for all sailings yet (this screenshot is from the current reflection sailing in the app). 
 

Sad if this is the policy going forward. Really enjoyed Celebrity for having “everything included” but it looks like they are trying to find more ways to nickel and dime their customers. 

 

Thanks for sharing. This is a disappointing development if it turns out to be true. There has been no official announcement AFAIK, so it could be a glitch or a limited experiment.

 

BTW,  my next Celebrity cruise is on the Summit in February. It's a charter and they haven't yet given me a Celebrity booking number, so I can't check this on the app.

 

2 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

Room service fees arrived to other cruise lines years ago.  Royal Caribbean charges $7.95. NCL charges $9.95. MSC also adds a delivery fee to their lower category rooms. There maybe others, but those are the last three lines I've sailed. This is a one time delivery charge regardless how much food is ordered.

 

IMO, this will soon become the norm across the industry.

A few months ago, Carnival went to an a la carte model for room service (continental breakfast is still free). Princess is still free with some items and most drinks at an extra cost.

[ccqueenanne]

Although the app isn't showing this new charge for our August Solstice cruise, this has me really bummed knowing it's likely to change. I booked this for my mobility impaired mom knowing that she'd be ordering a lot of room service.

[MISTER 67]

1 hour ago, NorthStarStateCruiser said:

Honestly, if it keeps the price we pay for the cruise lower, I'm cool with this change. We only do room service for breakfast. We'd do room service for lunch or dinner if we had a dining room table which only exist in suites. The menu for room service is also not very alluring.

We have been on 69 cruises and have never ordered room service.

[Kelownadon]

Just a question that popped into my mind. Does this extra charge for room service only apply to those people who do not take the All Included fare?

[RichYak]

1 minute ago, Kelownadon said:

Just a question that popped into my mind. Does this extra charge for room service only apply to those people who do not take the All Included fare?

AI is a beverage package, wifi, and standard daily gratuities. I can’t think of any reason why the answer to your question would be yes. 

[SRQbeachgirl]

The charge is showing on our Reflection sailing in three weeks (Jan. 22). Not a biggie, but it's an incentive to get what we want from the buffet and take it back to eat on our balcony.

[AnnaNicole]

1 hour ago, CHEZMARYLOU said:

On Reflection right now and the fee is listed in the daily.

We were on the December 18 Reflection sailing (sunset veranda).   No charge for room service of main dining room dinner menu items.    

[NutsAboutGolf]

If they would use to fee to increase the food quality, I'd be okay with it

[Susanb10567]

This is disappointing…and I don’t even use it that often…

 

only one of my 5 cruises show the cost…currently 

One on the Summit does but the other Summit does not

 

My Apex, Solstice and Beyond do not…

 

 

Edited January 1, 2023 by Susanb10567

[Kelownadon]

49 minutes ago, RichYak said:

AI is a beverage package, wifi, and standard daily gratuities. I can’t think of any reason why the answer to your question would be yes. 

I would think the question relates to an all in fare versus one that is not all in and given that this is a charge never seen before it is easy to see the possiblity that Celebrity may see an opportunity to further entice people to opt for the all in or all included fare. Just a thought on my part. 

[Purplsmurf]

It shows a charge for our March cruise on Reflection, but not our May cruise on Reflection. Might just not be updated for our May cruise

[retird]

I seldom use room service.   But the new charge will not change my cruising habits.    I have an upcoming 9 night southern Caribbean cruise in a midship balcony.   When I was deciding on the cruise, i shopped for an all inclusive land based Island getaway, with an equivalent  rated accommodation.   I found that even  after including airfare and other expenditures I anticipate for the cruise, the land based vacation would have cost me $1000 to $1500 more for the two of us.    I still find cruising a good bang for the buck , even with some of the cutbacks.

[Arubamoose]

We are sailing on the edge in February and the charge is $4.95 between 11 PM and 5 AM

20% gratuity for beverages.

 

[mahdnc]

I just checked my next 3 non-Galapagos sailings (Dec 2023, Apr 2024, Apr 2025) and the room service language is unchanged--for now. I restarted my app to be sure. 

 

We use room service for breakfast on every port day. And sometimes for lunch when we get back to the ship in the mid afternoon 

 

Edited January 1, 2023 by mahdnc

[xxpinksaltxx]

Someone posted a copy of the new breakfast room service menu that they received on the Reflection (I will try and find it), and it is only continental breakfast included now.

 

The eggs, bacon, pancakes etc are all now on the premium menu and included a $9.95 service fee plus tips :(. I think alot of people could make do having to pay after breakfast, but I know alot of people enjoy breakfast on their balcony (or even not having to change from their pjs), and don't want to drag plates of food through the elevators to their room. 

 

Photo taken by guest (not me) on Reflection.

Edited January 1, 2023 by xxpinksaltxx

[hrhdhd]

On what prices is the gratuity calculated? Does each premium menu item have a price?

[RichYak]

2 minutes ago, hrhdhd said:

On what prices is the gratuity calculated? Does each premium menu item have a price?

$9.95 flat charge plus gratuity. 

[mac_tlc]

1 hour ago, MISTER 67 said:

We have been on 69 cruises and have never ordered room service.

We have been on 46 and we have ordered room service many times. Not sure what our comments add to the discussion, but in the interest of balance……

 

 

mac_tlc

[LMaxwell]

It's been a multi-year slide to this; accelerated by the pandemic. 

 

I chose not to fight it on the mainstream lines - too busy, not enough service, too many nickel and dime upsells without enough included options. 

 

I felt the way away from that was to spend a bit more, and get a bit more, stepping up to the premium lines; Celebrity, Holland America, looking at Princess. But they are now in a race to provide less and charge more than even mainstream lines were doing until very recently. 

 

Eventually they'll add so many nickel and dime fees it will feel like work and not a fantasy vacation; and it will become so expensive that will have to consider alternatives to the cruise format. 

[BermudaBound2014]

9 minutes ago, LMaxwell said:

I felt the way away from that was to spend a bit more, and get a bit more, stepping up to the premium lines; Celebrity, Holland America, looking at Princess.

 

I have sailed them all and have never felt that Celebrity, HAL, or Princess were any better than NCL or RCL (although I do find Celebrity a step up for me personally). The entertainment on HAL, celebrity, and Princess is quite lacking compare to NCL and RCL as are the activities to do onboard. NCL offers a 24 hour sit down restaurant where you order off a menu and the brew house with a large selection of craft beer, which DH's loves. I've sailed Princess a bunch and think they excel at is MUTTS so I truly don't believe you will consider them premium, at all. I believe all the main stream lines have more in common than different, just little tweaks to set them apart, and it's up to the guest to decide which things appeal individually.  

 

 

[Pinboy]

I have no problem with the $9.95 delivery charge and especially the 18% gratuity charge , except

for suite customers.

Because there was no charge, some people abused the service- ( order more than they would eat, order too often), makes for extra work for kitchen Staff and cabin Attendants. 

Very smart to add the 18% gratuity --too many people " stiff " the delivery person using a " lame-duck" excuse that all gratuities were prepaid (AI).

( There was a thread on CC awhile ago where Gratuities for room service was discussed and many people expressed that).

LOL-- I just thought of an extra charge for suite customers--- $50 ( US ) for " Drawing the bath " ( filling up the tub)---- So, when the Butler fills the tub-- is the person standing there waiting to jump in before the water gats too cold ? Then what ?? 

 

 

[C-Dragons]

35 minutes ago, mac_tlc said:

We have been on 46 and we have ordered room service many times. Not sure what our comments add to the discussion, but in the interest of balance……

 

 

mac_tlc

We've been on a few more cruises than 46 and have ordered room service breakfast onboard every morning, with the exception of the mornings we disembarked.

We won't be changing our routine now.

[kathynorth]

46 minutes ago, xxpinksaltxx said:

Someone posted a copy of the new breakfast room service menu that they received on the Reflection (I will try and find it), and it is only continental breakfast included now.

 

The eggs, bacon, pancakes etc are all now on the premium menu and included a $9.95 service fee plus tips :(. I think alot of people could make do having to pay after breakfast, but I know alot of people enjoy breakfast on their balcony (or even not having to change from their pjs), and don't want to drag plates of food through the elevators to their room. 

 

Photo taken by guest (not me) on Reflection.

 

Thank you for posting this. I was about to post that the app shows our Feb Infinity cruise without a change to room service, but now I realize there is a service charge. The room service description says, "Room service is available for all non-premium food and beverages only, by dialing 56 from your stateroom phone. For premium items, please chack the hours of availability in your Room Service menu. A 20% gratuity is charged on all premium beverages. A late-hour delivery fee of $4.95 applies from 11pm to 5am, except for Top Tier and Suite Guests." At the bottom it says, "An 18% gratuity will be automatically added to the room service check." This means it would cost us $11.94 each time we have room service bacon and scrambled eggs on the balcony.

[hrhdhd]

57 minutes ago, RichYak said:

$9.95 flat charge plus gratuity. 

But 18% of what? $9.95?