I suspect that the automatic tipping is a hidden charge for the customers who already paid to go on the cruise to subsidise the company's wage bill. 0000902188 00000 n 0000418111 00000 n 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. Can they join me in the My Time Dining Room? 0000738858 00000 n On a cruise ship there are so many activities and fun shows, that it can be easy to lose tract of time, and not having to worry about being at diner at a specific time works for some people. Details: Gratuities are included in the fare. If you leave the service charge on your room bill, you are not expected to leave additional cruise tips for your room attendant or waiters. Search Multiple Sites at Once If you would like a specific waiter or table, they are more likely to be able to accommodate your request with advance reservations (however, please note this is based on availability). Also (and I'm probably being the grammar police on this one) do you really mean "you HAVE to pay the gratuities up front at the time of booking" or do you mean they have to be added to your bill at time of booking? *Please see all applicable Terms & Conditions for Promotions. Editorial disclaimer: 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. Passengers in mini-suites pay $17, while those in bigger suites pay $18. Love Cruise Fever?Sign Up to Our FREE Newsletter! That said, some people do leave a little extra for crew members who go above and beyond. 0000027181 00000 n However, as mentioned, it is usually just easier and more convenient to leave the auto-gratuity/service charge/hotel charge (it is called different things on different cruise lines) in place. xbbba`b``0 u B endstream endobj 29 0 obj <>/ViewerPreferences<>/Metadata 6 0 R/AcroForm 30 0 R/Pages 5 0 R/StructTreeRoot 8 0 R/Type/Catalog>> endobj 30 0 obj <>/Encoding<>>>>> endobj 31 0 obj <>/Shading<>/ColorSpace<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageC/ImageI]/Properties<>/MC1<<>>/MC2<<>>/MC3<<>>>>/ExtGState<>>>/Type/Page>> endobj 32 0 obj [/Indexed 47 0 R 162 85 0 R] endobj 33 0 obj [/Indexed 47 0 R 140 80 0 R] endobj 34 0 obj <> endobj 35 0 obj <> endobj 36 0 obj [/Indexed 47 0 R 147 75 0 R] endobj 37 0 obj [/Indexed 47 0 R 120 96 0 R] endobj 38 0 obj [/Indexed 47 0 R 210 122 0 R] endobj 39 0 obj [/Indexed 47 0 R 77 93 0 R] endobj 40 0 obj [/Separation/PANTONE#20281#20CV/DeviceCMYK<>] endobj 41 0 obj [/DeviceN[/Cyan/Magenta/Yellow]/DeviceCMYK 114 0 R 116 0 R] endobj 42 0 obj [/Indexed 47 0 R 128 101 0 R] endobj 43 0 obj [/Indexed 47 0 R 192 121 0 R] endobj 44 0 obj [/Indexed 47 0 R 128 110 0 R] endobj 45 0 obj [/Separation/PANTONE#202727#20C/DeviceCMYK<>] endobj 46 0 obj [/Indexed 47 0 R 3 66 0 R] endobj 47 0 obj [/ICCBased 65 0 R] endobj 48 0 obj <>stream After 23 Royal Caribbean Cruises, What I've Learned About Tipping Theres also a dining hotline you can call from the phone in your stateroom to make changes to your reservations. 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. 0000898322 00000 n %PDF-1.4 % Australians typically do not tip because the minimum wage in Australia is $20.33 AUD/hr ($14.56 USD/hr). How Does Royal Caribbeans My Time Dining Work? But some people just want to eat with their own family. Still, not all lines have service fees that high. Just make sure to turn up at the reserved time. So by your definition no one should tip because others will make up the difference? 0000747552 00000 n Be warned that the receipt often includes a line for an additional gratuity, even when one is automatically added. Im sorry you never received a tip in your years of "slogging your guts out." You can disable the usage of cookies by changing the settings of your browser. 0000419307 00000 n 0000737875 00000 n Still need help? 0000423354 00000 n Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. We always choose My Time dinning. It has its advantages, but for a lot of people, its too restrictive. I'm travelling with guests from another stateroom who selected Traditional Dining. Ive worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and now my blog helps over a million people to plan their cruises each month. Note, however, that this means you may not be able to have as flexible of a dining experience as you might be hoping for, especially if prime reservations have been secured in advance by other guests. $155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card. Pardon? The problem is, I cant see anywhere how to prepay the gratuities? 0000008654 00000 n When you log into the Cruise Planner, all you have to do is navigate to the "Dining" tab and scroll down until you see "My Time Dining.". We'll run a soft credit check to find special offers, but it wont affect your credit score. You can then book dinner in the Main Dining Room for any time you want, or just walk in without a reservation. You can eat anytime between 6:00 pm and 9:30 pm. 0000419103 00000 n To ensure quick seating, we encourage guests who have selected the Flexible option to place a reservation for each evening. Similarly, if youre on a higher-end ship that lists gratuities as being included in the fare, that means just what it says. 0000427335 00000 n At the same time, you will be able to add prepaid gratuities and vacation protection, if you choose to do so. Some guests do not plan on eating in the Main Dining Room each day or would rather do so at the time of their choosing. "=0 2BNX/edbi-:w)ddA(BTec;B&r9mE(!Rp#nZbCE2$*,U3Qg+sm{_`S.c xj"PxglZ%Ter_&8W}.l|2cs='g}:f kyMFNG7xFdI"^Jd\O&+W\^:_6 XEljBWm6jk2Tn)a0jGG\E 0000024527 00000 n please click here to update it. That is not the case anymore but Royal is not great about updating their website information (I've heard they still talk about Dynamic Dining on Quantum class ships which only lasted one year). You need to contact your TA and have her add it to your invoice in order to prepay gratuities. 0000736746 00000 n Finally, the evening shows are often scheduled around Traditional Dining times with early and late showings. Dont worry: When lines offer such deals, it doesnt mean the crew will receive fewer tips the week you cruise. Can I reserve the same table or waiter at the same time in My Time Dining? Like what you see? I understand that once upon a time prepaid gratuities were required for MTD. 0000891696 00000 n At most lines, you can pay your service charges in advance of sailing (at the same time you pay your cruise fare). With Traditional Dining, you will have the same reserved seating each night of your cruise, and there are two seatings to choose from: first (early) and second (late). Outside of the current welcome bonus, youre only earning higher rewards on specific airfare and hotel purchases, so its not a great card for other spending categories. It is recommended that you book a table though. I don't mind tipping for good service. Royal Caribbean gratuities for children and infants You will see the same helpful crew members waiting on you in the WJ as you did last night in the MDR. If you are unable to book show times in advance via the Cruise Planner when you are making your My Time Dining reservations, you may end up booking a dinner time that clashes with one of the shows. It can be awkward to eat with a complete stranger, and this dining option also makes it easier for folks who just want to enjoy their getaway at sea. 0000005911 00000 n Alas! 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. Check here before booking an award fare. If youre late then your table may be given away, and youll have to wait for another one. 0000019016 00000 n document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); About Us | Online, you can only book My Time Dining for up to eight guests. When making a reservation you will be offered "My Time" or traditional dining times (i.e., 5:30 pm & 8:00 pm). 0000418076 00000 n 0000841939 00000 n For guests that want to experience the Main Dining Room without the formality of having a set time, Royal Caribbean, Royal Caribbean offers its guests two choices for enjoying dinner in the main dining room: My Time Dining or. Related: 9 times you do not need to tip on a cruise. Understood, and many passengers also feel this way. Cruisers should also bring cash to tip the porters who bring their bags onto the ship (usually $2 per bag), as well as tour guides in port ($5 to $10 per person for half-day tours, $10 to $20 for full-day excursions and $2 for non-guide drivers). Maximum of 10 guests per reservation. PDF MY TIME DINING - Royal Caribbean International Please don't disrupt the system that works that was put in place that is fair to crew and guests . Flexible seating works very much like standard restaurant seating. Privacy Policy | Traditionally, dinner on a cruise ship has been served at two specific seating times. 0000891587 00000 n 0000901330 00000 n Still, some critics see the charges as a sneaky way for cruise lines to make their fares appear lower than they really are. 0000897240 00000 n This card comes with a long list of benefits, including access to Centurion Lounges, complimentary elite status with Hilton and Marriott, at least $500 in assorted annual statement credits and so much more. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. Find the right card for you. Speciality restaurants require reservations but they dont have traditional dining times. Seating can also be reserved while onboard. So therefore it does not show on our invoice. Our Best Royal Caribbean Cruise Tips And Tricks Additional cash gifts are not expected. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 20 cruises. She also told us about gratuities added to the Seapss account. Royal Caribbean Dining. Upon checkout, you will be charged $0.00, unless you are also purchasing other add-ons. My Time Dining is great for guests who wish to experience a flexible dining schedule onboard their cruise. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only. Plus, your own feed of TPG content. Automatic gratuity charge: None. Also as others have stated, prepaid gratuities and MTD have nothing to do with each other anymore. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. I am not trying to get out of tipping, I would like to be convinced that the automatic charge actually gets passed on to the crew?? Why is it combined? Royal Caribbean and their "My time dining". - Ask a Cruise Question The guest relations staff will want to know if youve experienced particular service issues. Earn 5X Membership Rewards Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.