I am looking at cancelling my gratuities when I get on board so I can pay these personally. 0000419103 00000 n Member Title: 100,000+ Club. Learn more. Read on to learn all about cruise ship tipping culture and how much you'll need to tip on your next cruise, based on which cruise line you're sailing. You do have to prepay your gratuities in order to sign up to My Time Dining. If you dont like tipping in advance to your service, and you would rather leave generous tips individually, there is nothing stopping you from going the extra mile to tip your waiter or waitress each night you use the My Time Dining option. 0000892388 00000 n Whats Included in a Royal Caribbean Cruise? If you pay them onboard, it will be charged automatically each day of the cruise. ;) Can we opt out of those added on charges also?? 0000902188 00000 n How much to tip on a cruise is a question that trips up many first-timers. *Please see all applicable Terms & Conditions for Promotions. Legal Information | If you have multiple people in your stateroom or travel party, you can make multiple reservations each evening to accommodate everyone's preferences. Still reserve a table if you can otherwise, you might be waiting with a grumbling stomach until a table becomes free if you just walk in. Since they are not . Our new My Time Dining option allows you the flexibility to choose when you want to dine each evening, giving you the chance to enjoy your meals at your own pace. Yes, if there is availability in the My Time Dining Room, we would be happy to accommodate the request. 0000892817 00000 n Plus Ups are excluded. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). Planning a cruise? $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. This website uses cookies in order to offer you the most relevant information. Paste as plain text instead, Whether you cruise multiple times per year or you're new to cruising, the goal of Royal Caribbean Blog is for it to bea useful resource for keeping up to date with what's new and exciting with Royal Caribbean. That said, if you want to, you can often adjust the charges (either up or down) while youre on board by visiting the guest relations desk. Have you noticed over the years that daily grats have been increasing almost every year to make up for the non tippers. If you arrive as soon as the Main Dining Rooms open, you will be able to be seated shortly. Im really asking the opposite - We havent prepaid gratuities, but the agent has booked us in for My Time Dining! KA^tQmy9*yE'6C'VBz@JKz+I_0U{:$asg* \ endstream endobj 157 0 obj <>/Size 28/Type/XRef>>stream If your line raises the rate between the time you pay and the time you sail, you wont pay more. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only. Even if you initially booked Traditional Dining, you can call your travel agent or Royal Caribbean directly to change to My Time. 0000005096 00000 n No reservation is needed, but Royal Caribbean strongly encourages you to get a reservation if you dont want to spend a lot of time waiting when you go to dinner. Our new My Time Dining option allows you the flexibility to choose when you want to dine each evening, giving you the chance to enjoy your meals at your own pace. They were accurate as of the publishing of this story. Throughout the cruise, you may be able to change your My Time Dining reservations on the app or by calling the dining hotline from your stateroom's telephone, but it is dependent on availability. January 11, 2019 in Royal Caribbean Discussion. What happens if I cancel the gratuities? So if I cancel my gratuities what will be added to my account for my time dining. Reservations are strongly recommended. Unlike Traditional Dining, My Time Dining is only marked as lasting for fifteen minutes. Royal Caribbeans award winning dining program, My Time Dining, offers flexible and traditional options. The others could make a separate My Time Dining reservation for 8:15pm. 0000905656 00000 n document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Dine as you want, when you want. $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card on one or more of the following: Audible, Disney+, The Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The New York Times. Related: 9 times you do not need to tip on a cruise. You also do not get to know the wait staff as well, since you may be seated in a different area every night. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. Once they go to the My Time Dining desk to be seated for dinner, the waiter will look up the guests stateroom and pull any special dietary needs or amenities purchased for them. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 20 cruises. That's because some cruise lines tack daily service fees onto passenger bills yet many travelers still hand out additional cash gratuities, either as a matter of course or for exemplary service. 0000006404 00000 n This is why we recommend making reservations for My Time Dining, whether that be in advance via the Cruise Planner or onboard by speaking with a head waiter. You can be seated with the party you arrive with or be seated at your own table. Many smaller and higher-end cruise operators are folding tips and gratuities into their base fares. The standard gratuities of $13.50 per person per day for JS and below, and $16.50 per person per day for GS and better. 0000898322 00000 n 0000891340 00000 n If youre already booked and have chosen the flexible option, you can easily pre-reserve specific days and times online. With My Time Dining, you can simply walk up to the host stand to be seated or make reservations in advance for your preferred time. Now you have a choice to prepay gratuities or not with either Traditional or MTD. Upon checkout, you will be charged $0.00, unless you are also purchasing other add-ons. . Traditional seating will mean that guests will keep the same wait staff and dining companions throughout the cruise. If anyone on our team wouldnt recommend it to a friend or a family member, we wouldnt recommend it on The Points Guy either. The lines that offer these deals say theyll pay a normal gratuity to the crew on your behalf. Since you stated that you have already paid you cruise in full I would not go back to your TA just to pay them, I would just pay them at the end of the cruise when you settle your account, there are 2 different rates, one for regular rooms which I believe is $14.50 per day, per person, what you see on my picture is for a suite which is $16.50 PD, PP. Ships registered in the Bahamas. At least, thats how it is supposed to work. 0000891587 00000 n You can, however, always tell your waitstaff that you have other plans, and they will do their best to serve you as quickly as possible. This website uses cookies in order to offer you the most relevant information. Read on to learn what My Time Dining is, the benefits that it offers, and how to book. The folks who WERVE YOU are the ones who get your tips. Reservations arestronglyrecommended in order to avoid a delay in seating. 0000906618 00000 n If youre late then your table may be given away, and youll have to wait for another one. 0000911365 00000 n If you have a smaller party, you might find that you do not have to wait as long as larger parties. Smart cruise advice, cruise deals, and breaking news. My Time Dining usually begins around 6:00pm and lasts until 9:30pm, giving you a wide range of times to choose from. Started October 12, 2018, Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Yes, My Time Dining is flexible. The wait staff will have your table ready for you so can avoid a delay in seating. Not every ship has it though, so you should check out their website to see if your ship will offer this service if you are interested. At many big lines, such as Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line, its not uncommon for a family of four staying in a single cabin to see around $80 a day in service fees added to their bills. 0000024527 00000 n When making a reservation you will be offered "My Time" or traditional dining times (i.e., 5:30 pm & 8:00 pm). In this case, no gratuities will be charged to your onboard account. You can choose a different time each day, so you can fit dinner around the rest of your onshore and onboard plans. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached, or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Royal Caribbean Blog. I don't know if you have cruised before, but the gratuities cover more than your wait staff in My Time Dining. You can post now and register later. A world of culinary exploration awaits you onboard Royal Caribbean. trailer <]>> startxref 0 %%EOF 158 0 obj <>stream You can do this before the cruise, or during your voyage. Youll be told which restaurant to go to based on your choice. Check here before booking an award fare. 0000006312 00000 n Please don't disrupt the system that works that was put in place that is fair to crew and guests . Royal Caribbean recently added "My time dining" as a dining option. In exchange for the annual fee, you'll unlock access to the Amex Membership Rewards program that let you access airline and hotel transfer partners, along with new lifestyle and travel credits. John2195, June 24, 2017 in Royal Caribbean International. Just make sure to turn up at the reserved time. Can I reserve the same table or waiter at the same time in My Time Dining? Still, some critics see the charges as a sneaky way for cruise lines to make their fares appear lower than they really are. 20102023Regal Sea Media LLC. However, many people now prefer to enjoy more flexibility with dinner, so cruise lines have either done away with traditional dining altogether or set up an alternative option. Kudos to NCL for no longer allowing grats to be removed onboard. With your support, we can create more exciting content and share with everyone! 0000831970 00000 n A The automatic service gratuity is $16.00 USD per person, per day for guests in Junior Suites and below, or $18.50 USD per person, per day for guests in Grand Suites and above, applied to each guest's SeaPass account on a daily basis. 0000003388 00000 n The old way of MTD had forced you to prepay gratuities but that changed some time ago. 0000907210 00000 n What happens if I cancel the gratuities? Reservations are highly recommended, as the wait time can be long if you choose to eat during the prime dinner hours of 6:30-8:00pm. Yes. A world of culinary exploration awaits you onboard Royal Caribbean. Here's how it works on Royal Caribbean: As of September 7 th, 2022, the automatic service gratuity of $16.00 USD per . If, for instance, you plan on staying late in port one day but still wish to eat in the Main Dining Room, you could make a reservation for later in the evening, rather than miss out on the experience because you have early dining. Powered by Cruiseline.com, spoke with royal Carib rep today who said prepaid grats are now out if you are using My Time Dining. Please note, you can only choose one dining style per sailing so once they join you they must use My Time Dining for the rest of the cruise. We want to do MTD, but Im asking will this stand without finding a way to prepay the gratuities beforehand (Id guessed it would have been in Cruise Planner but evidently not), The gratuities is distributed amongst the entire cruise staff including the dining staff. Can a family in one stateroom dine at different times with My Time Dining? LauraS Speciality restaurants require reservations but they dont have traditional dining times. 0000027181 00000 n But I remember the days before MTD and Automatic Tips when, on the last night, TIP Night, people would eat at other venues and skip out on tipping the wait staff. My partner and I prefer a later dinner and have selected My Time dining however we'd still like to join them for dinner at least 1-2 nights. Breakfast in the Main Dining Room is first come, first serve, regardless on whether or not you selected My Time or Traditional Dining. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. Jon lives in the foothills of North Carolina and wishes there were a cruise port that far inland. You do have to prepay your gratuities in order to sign up to My Time Dining. 0000014874 00000 n 0000420293 00000 n CC Help Jenn Best card for premium perks while traveling, Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, The Business Platinum Card from American Express, Disney Cruise Lines Castaway Club loyalty program: Everything you need to know, 21 new Hyatt hotels where you can get 500 extra points per night, My first cruise to the Galapagos: The good, the bad and the absolutely adorable. I have just booked the allure this afternoon and was told by the iglu cruiserep that if I wanted my time dining then I would HAVE to pay the gratuities up front at the time of booking,but if I had first or second sitting then I didn't need to pay I was imformed that royal had made this part of their booking conditions 2 months ago.this is royal caribeans latest sneaky trick to get you to part with more money than you need to.the gratuities payment are VOLUNTARY you have the choise to pay them or request onboard the ship to take them off of your account . 0000750166 00000 n Wondering if anyone can help out with this? Brilliance of the Seas is operated by RCL (UK) Ltd., a subsidiary of Royal . Some guests do not plan on eating in the Main Dining Room each day or would rather do so at the time of their choosing. Opinions expressed here are the authors alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. As soon as you place the deposit for your cruise, you will gain access to the Cruise Planner. You'd likely pay it at final payment date. 0000844607 00000 n Every Royal Caribbean ship includes meals at many included restaurants, including the main dining room and the buffet. Note that this only applies to dinner in the Main Dining Room. I sailed on the explorer last year and the trick then was we could only cancel them on day 3 of the trip[obviously hopeing for a lot of forgetful customers] its a damn cheek that they are desperately trying to take this right for the customer to cancel ,,after all I never had gratuities for slogging my guts out in the kitchens and bakeries in my career and I don't suppose many ouy there do either. Others tip their room service or wait staff at their favorite bar, either early in the cruise in the hope of getting better service or at the end to thank them for enhancing the vacation experience. You dont have to attend dinner at the same time, and you can arrange a table that works for you. You will not be able to make your choice until the last step in the booking process; all passenger names will have to be entered first! 0000891812 00000 n Related: The best cruise booking perks and which ones are actually free. (Sponsored). Can they join me in the My Time Dining Room. Start with these stories: The credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which ThePointsGuy.com receives compensation. The extra cost of the automatic gratuity charges can be a shock to first-time cruisers. Our dining options have been reimagined to give you a culinary experience at sea as vast, varied and eye-opening as dining in the worlds most cosmopolitan cities.