Interesting Tidbit found on RCI APP

[Engineroom Snipe]

So others can follow me to a statement I have not seen before on my cruise using the RCI App on my phone:

 

Under "Welcome Aboard"  taking you to another screen saying "Hints and tips to help you get ready for your cruise"

 

Scroll down to "Gratuities".

 

Last paragraph:

 

"Please note that guests using My Time Dining may not opt out of gratuities."  (emphasis added by OP).

 

I do not remember seeing this before. Did I just miss it or is this something new they added?

 

I cannot find anything online on RCI's sites which mention this.

 

🤔

[Ourusualbeach]

Just now, Engineroom Snipe said:

So others can follow me to a statement I have not seen before on my cruise using the RCI App on my phone:

 

Under "Welcome Aboard"  taking you to another screen saying "Hints and tips to help you get ready for your cruise"

 

Scroll down to "Gratuities".

 

Last paragraph:

 

"Please note that guests using My Time Dining may not opt out of gratuities."  (emphasis added by OP).

 

I do not remember seeing this before. Did I just miss it or is this something new they added?

 

I cannot find anything online on RCI's sites which mention this.

 

🤔

Typical RC.  Old verbiage from years ago when ppg were mandatory with MTD.  Has not been in effect in years

[Engineroom Snipe]

7 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Typical RC.  Old verbiage from years ago when ppg were mandatory with MTD.  Has not been in effect in years

I guess I never noticed it before. RCI pushes the APP so hard, there is not much in it. One would think it would not be hard to delete the language from it.

[Ourusualbeach]

1 minute ago, Engineroom Snipe said:

One would think it would not be hard to delete the language from it.

One would think....

[orville99]

1 hour ago, Engineroom Snipe said:

I guess I never noticed it before. RCI pushes the APP so hard, there is not much in it. One would think it would not be hard to delete the language from it.

But you can now watch promotional videos for Icon on the app😱

[little britain]

2 hours ago, Engineroom Snipe said:

So others can follow me to a statement I have not seen before on my cruise using the RCI App on my phone:

 

Under "Welcome Aboard"  taking you to another screen saying "Hints and tips to help you get ready for your cruise"

 

Scroll down to "Gratuities".

 

Last paragraph:

 

"Please note that guests using My Time Dining may not opt out of gratuities."  (emphasis added by OP).

 

I do not remember seeing this before. Did I just miss it or is this something new they added?

 

I cannot find anything online on RCI's sites which mention this.

 

🤔

That has been the norm on UK bookings since they reintroduced it ( without any notification) for at least the past five years.  Perhaps they are standardising this across the world? 

Edited October 27, 2023 by little britain

[cruiseboy89130]

5 hours ago, little britain said:

That has been the norm on UK bookings since they reintroduced it ( without any notification) for at least the past five years.  Perhaps they are standardising this across the world? 

Are you 100% sure about this? I think it turned out to be just a myth...

I remember how they announced you could only remove until day 3 of the voyage on Indi to stop people from removing grats....but they never enforced it!

[Biker19]

26 minutes ago, cruiseboy89130 said:

You could only remove until day 3 of the voyage on Indi to stop people from removing grats....but they never enforced it!

Once you sail, it is almost impossible to remove prepaid grats - you can only usually remove them if they are being added daily. 

[Ourusualbeach]

6 hours ago, little britain said:

That has been the norm on UK bookings since they reintroduced it ( without any notification) for at least the past five years.  Perhaps they are standardising this across the world? 

It used to be the same for NA bookings but it was removed years ago

[cruiseboy89130]

1 hour ago, Biker19 said:

Once you sail, it is almost impossible to remove prepaid grats - you can only usually remove them if they are being added daily. 

Was not talking about prepaid grats - talked about daily added grats

[Tatka]

12 hours ago, Engineroom Snipe said:

I guess I never noticed it before. RCI pushes the APP so hard, there is not much in it. One would think it would not be hard to delete the language from it.

App has a ton of information. We use it all the time instead of daily program 

[little britain]

4 hours ago, cruiseboy89130 said:

Are you 100% sure about this? I think it turned out to be just a myth...

I remember how they announced you could only remove until day 3 of the voyage on Indi to stop people from removing grats....but they never enforced it!

I always have MTD and whenever my booking is made in England I am forced now to prepay the tips. 
As I said it was reinstated a few years back. I’ll try and find the posts…

 

 

Edited October 28, 2023 by little britain

[Biker19]

7 hours ago, cruiseboy89130 said:

Was not talking about prepaid grats - talked about daily added grats

This thread is about prepaid grats forced at booking. 

[deliver42]

The reason should be fairly obvious. You probably get a different table and wait staff each night with my time, as opposed to set dining where the table and wait staff are the same. People are less likely to opt out of daily gratuities if the have the same people for an entire cruise.

[Engineroom Snipe]

1 minute ago, deliver42 said:

The reason should be fairly obvious. You probably get a different table and wait staff each night with my time, as opposed to set dining where the table and wait staff are the same. People are less likely to opt out of daily gratuities if the have the same people for an entire cruise.

When MTD was originally introduced, your statement was the rationale. When there was only one dining room aboard the ship, for example, Nordic Prince, 1988, the only time you were not seated and served by your assigned waiter and busboy was Tea Time about 4pm and the Midnight Buffet.

 

The introduction of the Windjammer and alternate free eating venues created a void where tips were not expected but service was still needed.

[Biker19]

1 hour ago, deliver42 said:

You probably get a different table and wait staff each night with my time

Most here would probably tell you the MTD host tries to put you in the same section with the same wait staff (unless you say otherwise).