Table Of Content
- Can You Pay Extra Gratuities?
- Reserve entertainment ahead of time, and stick to shows early in the week
- How Much to Tip Room Service on a Cruise
- Regent Seven Seas Cruises
- Beyond Cash Tips, How Can I Acknowledge Exceptional Service By Crew Members (e.g., Recommendations, Feedback Forms)?
- Card Type
- Are Gratuities Included In Off-Ship Excursions Organized By Royal Caribbean Cruises?
Despite the word "prepay," you don't have to actually have them paid off until the final payment date, along with the rest of your fare. This means that whether you prepay them or not, your deposit amount won't change. Another way to recognize fantastic crew members is by filling out the survey at the end of the cruise. The more positive feedback they receive, the more likely they are to receive a raise and/or promotion.
Can You Pay Extra Gratuities?
The charges are applied per passenger, per sailing night and are added to your cruise account. Children are not usually exempt from auto-tipping (with the exception of infants and toddlers, on some lines). Daily service charges are not the only cruise tips you will pay on board. Many cruise lines will tack an automatic gratuity charge onto the bill for extra-fee drinks, restaurant meals and spa treatments. As it is with most cruise shipping companies, RCI tourists can remove the daily gratuity but know that these tips are for all the housekeeping and dining staff.
Reserve entertainment ahead of time, and stick to shows early in the week
One of the best travel tips, regardless of whether you take paid or unpaid time off, is to always leverage weekends and holidays. For example, let's say your job gives you Good Friday and the Monday after Easter off. By adding a day or two on either side of this window (whether paid or unpaid), you can give yourself a vacation of up to a week in length, even though you're only taking off a few days. This can be valuable if there's a limit to the number of days you can take off at any one time.
How Much to Tip Room Service on a Cruise
In Alaska, on the other hand, you will want to lower your expectations when it comes to weather. It’s challenging to predict whether your cruise will encounter sunny skies and 70 degrees, or seven days of straight rain. Sure, booking your cruise in June usually results in better weather compared to one in September, but weather conditions are never guaranteed. When booking entertainment reservations, we recommend sticking to shows earlier in the week.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Keep in mind that Royal Caribbean’s gratuity amounts might change over time, so it’s wise to prepay gratuities to avoid potential increases. Beyond cash tips, guests can acknowledge exceptional service by crew members on Royal Caribbean cruises through written commendations or mentioning their service to guest relations. Gratuities on Royal Caribbean are shared among various crew members, such as stateroom attendants, waiters, bar staff, culinary staff, and other hotel services team members. Bar service has an automatic gratuity applied on the check (usually 15%). As we said above, though, if you're planning to frequent the same onboard bar (like the ever-popular pool bar), an upfront tip of $10 to $20 just might mean faster service and perfectly crafted cocktails.
Beyond Cash Tips, How Can I Acknowledge Exceptional Service By Crew Members (e.g., Recommendations, Feedback Forms)?
On most cruises, Royal Caribbean tips need to be prepaid to request MyTime dining. With Royal Caribbean gratuities, you will have a daily charge per person. Just multiply this by the number of nights and passengers in your group to find the total gratuity. However, if you decide against linking a card, remember to visit the Guest Services desk to finalize your account using a credit/debit card or cash before leaving the ship. If you opt to link your account to a card, Royal Caribbean will automatically charge it at the end of your cruise. Some staff members, such as casino dealers, kids’ camp workers, and spa workers, aren’t included in the automatic gratuities.
Royal Caribbean Ups Daily Gratuity Charge - Travel Market Report
Royal Caribbean Ups Daily Gratuity Charge.
Posted: Tue, 31 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Use Seattle airport’s port valet service when disembarking in Seattle
No one enjoys navigating crowds, but it’s almost inevitable when cruising to Alaska. If you want to avoid the highest crowds, we recommend disembarking your ship early on each port day. As Alaska cruises have grown in popularity, the crowds have grown as well. It’s not uncommon for there to be three, four, or even five cruise ships docked in Alaska's ports at once. Instead of transporting your luggage to the airport yourself, bags are collected outside your stateroom door in the evening prior to disembarkation.
Card Type
They say the money is shared not just with front-of-house crew, such as room attendants and waitstaff, but also with behind-the-scenes workers. In that sense, the current system is more equitable than the old system of cash tipping, which favored certain workers, lines say. We almost always recommend prepaying gratuities before your cruise begins.
Are Gratuities Included In Off-Ship Excursions Organized By Royal Caribbean Cruises?
The cruise fare was only $240 for an entire week with $293 in taxes and fees. Having booked the cruise only three months before I sailed, it offered a fantastic value. More often than not, flight prices will increase significantly as your travel date approaches. Waiting to see if the price drops almost always results in paying more for your flight, so it’s important to get your flights booked to avoid wasting money.
Cash isn’t used on cruise ships, so all your purchases and gratuities (if not prepaid) will be added to your onboard account. To avoid potential rate increases and extra charges onboard, it’s recommended to prepay gratuities. You're likely interact with your cabin attendant the most during your cruise. While the automatic service charges will cover their basic gratuities, it's generally considered good form to tip them a bit extra for a job well done, especially if you have made any special requests.
But if you’re planning on booking a Star Class suite, it’s definitely a good idea to set aside a small budget for tipping your Royal Genie service. That’s because whether you choose to use the Royal Genie or not, they are made available for you. Prepaying gratuities before your cruise means you pay off that balance early, instead of accruing a higher balance that is owed at the end of the cruise. For guests that like to budget their vacations and spread out the total cost of the cruise, this is a popular choice.
Gratuities, on the other hand, are not automatically added to your final cost. Instead, you have the freedom to decide whether you want to pay them by final payment or have them added to your SeaPass account to be settled at the end of the cruise. Unfortunately, this means that they aren't included like on some luxury lines. Those seeking an all-inclusive experience won't find that onboard a Royal Caribbean cruise, as even those staying in the most expensive suites will be subject to additional expenses, such as shore excursions. If you're wondering how much you should tip on the specific cruise line you're considering or have already booked, we've compiled that information here. Below is a line-by-line look at policies for automatic gratuity charges (called service charges or "crew appreciation" charges at some lines).
Guests who have pre-paid their gratuity will not see a daily charge during their cruise. Princess, for example, has added a Princess Plus plan as a booking option. It gives passengers prepaid gratuities (Princess calls these "crew appreciation" fees), a single-device Wi-Fi plan and a basic beverage package for a single bundled price of $60 per person, per day. Cruise lines say they pass the money collected from service charges to the shipboard crew.
Then there’s the lineup of sports, from rock climbing to ice skating, to surfing on the FlowRider surf simulator on ships like Wonder, Allure, Odyssey, Mariner and Navigator of the Seas. Plus, there’s fun in the form of escape rooms, kids aqua parks and more. The thrills for kids and adults run the gamut, from resort pools and high-speed waterslides to the RipCord by iFly skydiving simulator and the FlowRider surf simulator. Nick Weir and crew ambassador Stephen Burke have a few ideas for you, whether you’re eyeing Ovation of the Seas, Odyssey of the Seas or any other ship.
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