Posted June 24, 2017. 0000005866 00000 n 0000819210 00000 n I understand that once upon a time prepaid gratuities were required for MTD. 0000738858 00000 n 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. 0000909755 00000 n She also told us about gratuities added to the Seapss account. Start with these stories: The credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which ThePointsGuy.com receives compensation. Card Rating is based on the opinion of TPGs editors and is not influenced by the card issuer. 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. Getting to know the staff and allowing them to get to know you is also a fun part of cruising for some people and My Time Dining would severely limit activity. xdOHTQ7Ho1bJ!IP"th+5ha0P"..\h! hQhE9; My Time Dining is therefore available to anyone who wants to mix things up. The old way of MTD had forced you to prepay gratuities but that changed some time ago. Rather, you will be seated wherever there is availability. Learn the cruise secrets most people don't know and cruise like a boss. Still, some critics see the charges as a sneaky way for cruise lines to make their fares appear lower than they really are. Most of the biggest cruise lines automatically add some type of service or gratuity fee onto passenger bills. 0000419307 00000 n A world of culinary exploration awaits you onboard Royal Caribbean. Answer (1 of 4): Fares purchased on the Australian website will always include pre-paid gratuities. #4. The lines that offer these deals say theyll pay a normal gratuity to the crew on your behalf. Unlike traditional dining where a dining time is assigned to you guests who opt for My Time Dining can eat in the Main Dining Room anytime they like during dinner hours, according to times availability. We'll run a soft credit check to find special offers, but it wont affect your credit score. Started October 12, 2018, Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Unlike Traditional Dining, you will not be seated at the same table with the same wait staff if your choose My Time. My Time Dining is one of the options you'll get to choose from when you book your cruise. Thats the whole point of the service charge. I understand that once upon a time prepaid gratuities were required for MTD. I'm so sorry that this post wasn't useful for you! Earn 5X Membership Rewards Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. 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.". You post the same made up garbage in every thread. Welcome aboard! *Please see all applicable Terms & Conditions for Promotions. You can choose a different time each day, so you can fit dinner around the rest of your onshore and onboard plans. You can then book dinner in the Main Dining Room for any time you want, or just walk in without a reservation. You dont have to attend dinner at the same time, and you can arrange a table that works for you. 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. 0000750166 00000 n What is Royal Caribbean's service gratuities (tips) price and policy? Even if I opt out of automatic gratuities? The mandatory 20% gratuity comes out to nearly $22 per day. 0000898322 00000 n 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. Royal Caribbean "My Time Dining" Review. You will see the same helpful crew members waiting on you in the WJ as you did last night in the MDR. 0000905280 00000 n 0000901714 00000 n Breakfast in the Main Dining Room is first come, first serve, regardless on whether or not you selected My Time or Traditional Dining. If you plan on spending most of your time in the buffet restaurant anyway, then you might not be concerned about the Main Dining Room and your dining times. If you have an issue with how the crew get paid don't withhold your tips since that will only penalize the crew. 0000897748 00000 n 0000005676 00000 n I think the crew would let it be know if they were not receiving their share of the gratuities. Our goal has been to provide our readers with expansive coverage of all aspects of the Royal Caribbean experience. Have you noticed over the years that daily grats have been increasing almost every year to make up for the non tippers. 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. If youre not someone who has cruised before, you might not be aware of traditional dining times on cruise ships. 0000902161 00000 n Hi! 0000425403 00000 n This may not seem like a big deal if youre new to cruising, but cruise ship waiters are exceptional at their job and they are very good at learning all about you. When making a reservation you will be offered "My Time" or traditional dining times (i.e., 5:30 pm & 8:00 pm). For guests staying in Grand Suites and above, the fee is $18.50 per person, per day. I will pay for fantastic service but can't stand getting it shoved in my face and HAVE TO pay gratuities. Due to availability, however, you may not have as many times to choose from. If you want to use My Time Dining you must pay for tips in advance. Those grats are also handed out to WJ staff, cafe staff, etc. The flexible option allows you to select your own dining time and table companions on a daily basis. 0000006404 00000 n The recommended dress code for the Main Dining Room for traditional dining or My Time Dining is smart casual. If you are unable to book show times in advance via the Cruise Planner when you are making your My Time Dining reservations, you may end up booking a dinner time that clashes with one of the shows. Even if you initially booked Traditional Dining, you can call your travel agent or Royal Caribbean directly to change to My Time. "=0 2BNX/edbi-:w)ddA(BTec;B&r9mE(!Rp#nZbCE2$*,U3Qg+sm{_`S.c xj"PxglZ%Ter_&8W}.l|2cs='g}:f kyMFNG7xFdI"^Jd\O&+W\^:_6 XEljBWm6jk2Tn)a0jGG\E Royal Caribbean charges a gratuity of $16.00 per person, per day. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit. The guest relations staff will want to know if youve experienced particular service issues. 0000916809 00000 n 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. The traditional dining experience allows you the choice of either early or late seating times for each day of your cruise. 0000005096 00000 n gratuities amongst the other My Time Dining waiters; feel free to reward your waiter with an extra tip for providing excellent service . That said, some people do leave a little extra for crew members who go above and beyond. Sunshine State. If you want to use My Time Dining you must pay for tips in advance. If you pay them onboard, it will be charged automatically each day of the cruise. Additional cash gifts are not expected. So with My Time Dining, you might lose some of that experience, but the flexibility of your own table and time is often preferable anyway. 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). 0000891340 00000 n You will have to make each reservation individually and add them to your cart one-by-one. Your link has been automatically embedded. American Express has expanded The Centurion Network to include 40+ Centurion Lounge and Studio locations worldwide. Plus Ups are excluded. If you are choosing My Time Dining because you are not a fan of either set dining times, you will need to ensure that you make nightly reservations as soon as possible via the Cruise Planner. The included tip amount varies by cruise line, but is typically 15% to 20% of the bill. This dining option requires you to "pre pay" your gratuities. (Sponsored). 0000896807 00000 n The exact times, however, will vary according to your cruise itinerary. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. 0000897721 00000 n However, you can still make reservations, based on availability, once onboard. Some dont charge a service fee at all. 0000003555 00000 n Automatic gratuity charge: None. Online, you can only book My Time Dining for up to eight guests. 0000916923 00000 n The Dining experience was Excellent as were the Waiting Staff, the only gripe, there had to be one, was the cost of the Wine. If you continue to use this site, you consent to our use of cookies. Then, contact one with a best-price guarantee and have them beat it! You can save even more $$$ by eating in the Lido on the last evening and avoiding your cabin steward that night also ? The folks who WERVE YOU are the ones who get your tips. They will be seated in one of the main dining rooms. Display as a link instead, 0000828884 00000 n | The best way to fully take advantage of the My Time Dining program is to make your reservations before you board the ship! You no longer have to prepay gratuities if you select My Time Dining. Yes, if there is availability in the My Time Dining Room, we would be happy to accommodate the request. 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. 0000891423 00000 n You will be able to see the exact times that My Time Dining is offered each evening once you book your cruise. If you do not prepay gratuities, they will be charged to your onboard account automatically, on a daily basis. You do have to prepay your gratuities in order to sign up to My Time Dining. What happens if I cancel the gratuities? You may find that you are split up at different tables that are not located near each other. A beginners guide to picking a cruise line, Use these credit cards to maximize your next cruise vacation, 9 times you do not need to tip on a cruise, The best cruise booking perks and which ones are actually free, pay $16 for what the line now calls a crew appreciation charge, The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship, The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship, A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines, 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly, 12 best cruises for people who never want to grow up, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Could you please tell me how I can improve it? During peak dinner times, you may have to wait as long as 45 minutes for a table. I noticed the My Time doesn't offer reservations until 6:45. 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. When making a reservation you will be offered "My Time" or traditional dining times (i.e., 5:30 pm & 8:00 pm). However, each ship does also offer specialty dining for an additional fee. 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. The wait staff will have your table ready for you so can avoid a delay in seating. 0000006046 00000 n Check here before booking an award fare. 0000008654 00000 n The group we are going with have all chosen the early 5pm dinner reservation. 0000704363 00000 n Sometimes it's worth a large investment to reap the benefits of a great credit card. These 9 Drinks Are Free on Royal Caribbean Cruises. You can eat anytime between 6:00 pm and 9:30 pm. Enrollment required. Royal Caribbeans award winning dining program, My Time Dining, offers flexible and traditional options. At most lines, you can pay your service charges in advance of sailing (at the same time you pay your cruise fare). 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. Another method is to just simply show up at the Main Dining Room each night when you are ready to eat. 0000841664 00000 n My Time Dining usually begins around 6:00pm and lasts until 9:30pm, giving you a wide range of times to choose from. 0000417807 00000 n No, no, no, no, no. It's also not possible to update every forum discussion when information changes so it can be confusing to read conflicting threads. My Family Time dining is currently unavailable throughout our fleet. John2195, June 24, 2017 in Royal Caribbean International. Can they join me in the My Time Dining Room. Royal Caribbean does make it easy to enjoy flexible dining with My Time Dining, so just make sure you sign up to it if you want to decide when you eat each day. Details: Gratuities are included in the fare. This also applies to sailings departing from Australia and New Zealand. We always choose My Time dinning. 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. Their website explains it as such: "By selecting My Time Dini. If you opt out of daily gratuities your account will not be charged for them. You can disable the usage of cookies by changing the settings of your browser. I don't mind tipping for good service. 0000901423 00000 n You also will not be able to switch after the second day, so you'll want to visit Guest Services and/or the Main Dining Room when you embark-- Guests can only participate in one dining style per sailing. You can then book dinner in the Main Dining Room for any time you want, or just walk in without a reservation. It has its advantages, but for a lot of people, its too restrictive. 28 0 obj <> endobj xref 28 131 0000000016 00000 n You dont have to do anything. Understood, and many passengers also feel this way. So if I cancel my gratuities what will be added to my account for my time dining. Unsubscribe whenever you want. Related: A beginners guide to picking a cruise line. 0000910197 00000 n Probably because it makes it less confusing than diving up the tips. Automatic Gratuities were added to lessen the event of "skipping out" on tips and to make sure MTD waiters were tipped. Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. The early seating is usually around 5:30pm, while the late seating is around 8:00pm. That's exactly the case with the Amex Platinum card. Should they have been paid at the time of booking? Prior to checking out, you will have to make a decision on dining style. LauraS 0000006450 00000 n As I mentioned, most of the time you will be eating with just your party, but if you prefer to eat with others you can still request it. 0000891084 00000 n There are even more places your Platinum Card can get you complimentary entry and exclusive perks. Lines that now cover gratuities in their fares include Azamara, Ponant, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours, Seabourn, SeaDream Yacht Club, Silversea Cruises and Virgin Voyages. Booking MTD on certain ships requires individual checkouts for each night while other ships you can make reservations for the whole cruise and check out once. If you do get the same waiter every night, theyll remember your name and your preferences. The longer you wait to arrive, however, the longer you will have to wait for an available table. To request a call back from one of our cruise experts, kindly provide us with the details requested bellow and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Suggested read: 6 Things You MUST Know About Formal Night on a Royal Caribbean Cruise. 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. Additionally, if you are traveling with a large party, you might find Traditional Dining to be easier. Having to arrive early, though, defeats the purpose of being able to dine whenever you'd like. Automatic gratuity charge: $16 to $18.50 per . Read on to learn what My Time Dining is, the benefits that it offers, and how to book.
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