On a Royal Caribbean cruise, you need to register for My Time Dining if you don't want a set dining time. I noticed the My Time doesn't offer reservations until 6:45. Also as others have stated, prepaid gratuities and MTD have nothing to do with each other anymore. |, www.royalcaribbean.ae is part of Royal Caribbean Arabia owned by Safeen Tourism LLC the Sole Middle East Representative of Royal Caribbean International, 2023 All Rights Reserved | ROYAL CARIBBEAN ARABIA. It also means you arent limited to eating at 5.30 pm or 8 pm you can choose any time between 6 pm and 9.30 pm for your table. If you keep things as they are, everyone who is supposed to be tipped, WILL be tipped. You can disable the usage of cookies by changing the settings of your browser. The folks who WERVE YOU are the ones who get your tips. The automatic service gratuity is $14.50 USD per person, per day for guests in Junior Suites and below, or $17.50 USD per person, per day for guests in Grand Suites and above, applied to each guest's SeaPass account on a daily basis. Royal Caribbean "My Time Dining" Review. 0000906914 00000 n 0000022522 00000 n Learn more. 0000828394 00000 n Smart cruise advice, cruise deals, and breaking news. 0000019016 00000 n You may request a certain waiter each night, and we will work to seat your party in his or her area depending on availability. Understood, and many passengers also feel this way. HW[U5}@iy% $Q'i'xNg2f(-E2obIcUHQ?/yZ!X}qu`?x %PM-*9:^C^%4eKYT,wybq6hkG7w@N5r~ wj,_u';d'QLOC >g18&fa[2.K\TXHkAnA;C:j>, F nf9|t&ix2KXRlb@}dnMqe@Vc8pXN-:{d2{sPVuINq?1k0BaL ;>9tH4w%E3@NH"e&z j9VMF}|^~*h hXH9K . Please check your email and click the link to confirm, and you're all set! 0000913572 00000 n So by your definition no one should tip because others will make up the difference? From there, you can go ahead and make a reservation for each night of your cruise. 0000026625 00000 n Daily service charges are not the only cruise tips you will pay on board. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 20 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays. 20102023Regal Sea Media LLC. 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. Any amount is fine and will be appreciated by the hard-working crew. If you dislike tipping on cruise ships, but can't afford to sail on an all-inclusive line, look for promotions when cruise lines with service charges throw in free gratuities as a booking incentive. My Time Dining is only applicable to the Main Dining Room on your ship. 0000003555 00000 n Often, even if you do have a reservation you have to wait, but the time is much shorter since they are expecting you. Started June 21, 2021, By But its not strict. Automatic gratuity charge: $16 to $18.50 per . We always choose My Time dinning. My Time Dining is now a choice within the booking process. Get Cruise Savvy with our FREE Newsletter! So if I cancel my gratuities what will be added to my account for my time dining. 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. I will pay for fantastic service but can't stand getting it shoved in my face and HAVE TO pay gratuities. trailer <]>> startxref 0 %%EOF 158 0 obj <>stream 0000418111 00000 n Additionally, several major lines in the past couple of years have begun offering bundle pricing to customers who pay for cruise tips, Wi-Fi charges and an onboard drinks package all at once in advance of sailing, potentially at a discount. 0000891812 00000 n Dont worry: When lines offer such deals, it doesnt mean the crew will receive fewer tips the week you cruise. Itll be one less thing on your final bill at the end of the cruise. If you prefer to pay for tips once you're on board your cruise, youll generally find that the gratuities automatically appear on your bill. If you have an issue with how the crew get paid don't withhold your tips since that will only penalize the crew. 0000005956 00000 n Flexible seating works very much like standard restaurant seating. 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. 0000006358 00000 n If you cancel prepaid gratuities, you can visit Guest Services once you are onboard and request they discontinue automatic gratuties. Whats Included in a Royal Caribbean Cruise? A list of those who do this is available to the staff. My Time Dining usually begins around 6:00pm and lasts until 9:30pm, giving you a wide range of times to choose from. The recommended dress code for the Main Dining Room for traditional dining or My Time Dining is smart casual. Your link has been automatically embedded. Heres how I get the lowest price when I book a cruise. To ensure quick seating, we encourage guests who have selected the Flexible option to place a reservation for each evening. 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. Maximum of 10 guests per reservation. Related: The best cruise booking perks and which ones are actually free. How much to tip on a cruise is a question that trips up many first-timers. However, each ship does also offer specialty dining for an additional fee. You no longer have to prepay gratuities if you select My Time Dining. 0000891423 00000 n On a Royal Caribbean cruise, you need to register for My Time Dining if you dont want a set dining time. Royal Caribbean Gratuities: Everything You Need to Know Traditionally, dinner on a cruise ship has been served at two specific seating times. 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 whenever they like during dining hours, according to availability. When making a reservation you will be offered My Time or traditional dining times (i.e., 5:30 pm & 8:00 pm). Some dont charge a service fee at all. I'm so sorry that this post wasn't useful for you! Note that if you purchase a dining or beverage package, the cruise line will charge you gratuities based on a percentage of the package price. 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 don't mind tipping for good service. The closer you get to your cruise vacation, the fewer reservations you may find. 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. $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. That is not the case anymore but Royal is not great about updating their website information. My Time Dining uses the same menu as traditional seating. You can then make reservations for your restaurant, or just turn up at the restaurant between 6 pm and 9.30 pm and wait for a table to be available. The problem is, I cant see anywhere how to prepay the gratuities? You can eat anytime between 6:00 pm and 9:30 pm. You cannot paste images directly. 0000891340 00000 n 0000002916 00000 n You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. Even if I opt out of automatic gratuities? 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. My Time Dining usually begins around 6:00pm and lasts until 9:30pm, giving you a wide range of times to choose from. Cruise lines say they pass the money collected from service charges to the shipboard crew. 0000426585 00000 n 0000828837 00000 n Im sorry you never received a tip in your years of "slogging your guts out." You can save even more $$$ by eating in the Lido on the last evening and avoiding your cabin steward that night also ? You will be able to see the exact times that My Time Dining is offered each evening once you book your cruise. 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. Do you plan on dining anywhere except the dining room? Quote tiny260 Members 2.4k LocationOklahoma Posted January 11, 2019 I think you probably have had you questions answered already but I wanted to show an example. 0000016969 00000 n Search Multiple Sites at Once I always prepay my gratuities and do traditional dining. Passengers in mini-suites pay $17, while those in bigger suites pay $18. 0000423354 00000 n Display as a link instead, Flexible seating works very much like standard restaurant seating. The lines that offer these deals say theyll pay a normal gratuity to the crew on your behalf. Online, you can only book My Time Dining for up to eight guests. If you want, you can even try to switch onboard. This dining option requires you to "pre pay" your gratuities. 0000916414 00000 n You dont have to attend dinner at the same time, and you can arrange a table that works for you. 0000426236 00000 n Do I have to pre-reserve My Time Dining through Cruise Planner? 0000418076 00000 n ;p, You will be able to leave a comment after signing in, By 0000722800 00000 n Who knows? Breakfast in the Main Dining Room is first come, first serve, regardless on whether or not you selected My Time or Traditional Dining. 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?? If you opt out of daily gratuities your account will not be charged for them. You do have to prepay your gratuities in order to sign up to My Time Dining. 0000006404 00000 n The traditional dining experience allows you the choice of either early or late seating times for each day of your cruise. Feel free to leave a comment below to let the community at Cruise Fever know how you feel about My Time Dining in the comment section below. 0000015069 00000 n If you are adjusting a gratuity charge downward, expect to be asked about the reasons behind the adjustment. I take any thread older than a year (sometimes less) with a grain of salt. What is Royal Caribbean's service gratuities (tips) price and policy? $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. If you feel anyone has been particularly helpful you can always tip them extra in cash. Alas! Once you have decided on the perfect ship and itinerary, you are ready to move forward with the cruise booking process. 0000901714 00000 n 0000891696 00000 n If you plan on spending most of your time in the buffet restaurant anyway, then you might not be concerned about the Main Dining Room and your dining times. Whether you cruise multiple times per year or you're new to cruising, the goal of Royal Caribbean Blog is for it to bea useful resource for keeping up to date with what's new and exciting with Royal Caribbean. If not, just leave blank, How to book My Time Dining on Royal Caribbean, What you need to know about Royal Caribbean's My Time Dining, Royal Caribbean My Time Dining versus Traditional Dining. 0000916923 00000 n Compare the cost in points or miles to cash, and see which option is best. View All Cruises Depending on the choice of the guests on board, there may be designated restaurants for those on a traditional dining plan and those on a My Time Dining plan. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Dine as you want, when you want. We do not prepay gratuities because we always have OBC and they will be deducted from the OBC daily. The benefits of My Time Dining are that you decide who you eat with, and when. Hi! The dining staff will do all possible to accommodate the request, based on availability. You don't have to tip on these cruises because the line is already paying gratuities to the staff on your behalf. 0000844607 00000 n Reservations arestronglyrecommended in order to avoid a delay in seating. "=0 2BNX/edbi-:w)ddA(BTec;B&r9mE(!Rp#nZbCE2$*,U3Qg+sm{_`S.c xj"PxglZ%Ter_&8W}.l|2cs='g}:f kyMFNG7xFdI"^Jd\O&+W\^:_6 XEljBWm6jk2Tn)a0jGG\E Should they have been paid at the time of booking? 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. Royal Caribbean charges a gratuity of $16.00 per person, per day. ?xtp~?f~j)Br$7q,,"Sf%SXAii%1O=]rlsE"V3ueGWY^U?h2/?7>V1yP GoW}wA[5!>0yuoe Started August 27, 2021, By Traditional dining guests may be seated with other parties to form a larger table, which can be fun if youre confident enough to make new friends. document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); About Us | Pardon? We have had really wonderful waiters in the WJ, some that even remember my DH loves those ranger cookies and will bring him some when they see us. 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. TPG values it at $1,600. 0000005676 00000 n For your convenience, prepaid gratuities are automatically added to your flexible option reservations. 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. 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. It is more difficult for the Main Dining Room to accommodate larger groups with My Time Dining, as there are fewer tables set for bigger parties. 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. Cheap people have been around for years. My confusion is to do with the My Time Dining - If gratuities havent been prepaid, do we still have the My Time Dining thats on the invoice?! What is Royal Caribbean's gratuity price and policy? - Cruises 0000005911 00000 n Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. 0000006002 00000 n Our opinions are our own, and have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by our advertising partners. Piano bar regulars know that a cash tip will increase the chances of the pianist choosing and performing your song request. It's also not possible to update every forum discussion when information changes so it can be confusing to read conflicting threads. 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. Royal Caribbeans award winning dining program, My Time Dining, offers flexible and traditional options. This allows you to decide when you want to eat, and who you want to sit with, instead of traditional dining where you have set times and sit with the same group each day. 0000841664 00000 n Due to availability, however, you may not have as many times to choose from. You will be seated with whomever you arrive to the dining room with. On a typical seven-night cruise, thats nearly $600 in fees. If you opt out of daily gratuities your account will not be charged for them. In that sense, the current system is more equitable than the old system of cash tipping, which favored certain workers, lines say. Youll be told which restaurant to go to based on your choice. Be sure to join my email list for my best cruise tips and handpicked deals each week. Looking for the Best Cruise Deals? Are you sure that isn't an Iglu Cruise rule? If you need to change or cancel a reservation for any reason, you will have to go into the specific order and cancel each reservation separately before you are able to rebook. Personally, I wouldn't dream of NOT tipping people that are doing me a service. Our Best Royal Caribbean Cruise Tips And Tricks Can a family in one stateroom dine at different times with My Time Dining? please click here to update it. Hes sailed on more than 150 ships. So therefore it does not show on our invoice. Be the first to rate this post. 0000898322 00000 n Have our travel agency partner get you a free quote for a Royal Caribbean cruise. At least, thats how it is supposed to work. Can they join me in the My Time Dining Room. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only. 0000011539 00000 n Answer (1 of 4): Fares purchased on the Australian website will always include pre-paid gratuities. You can choose a different time each day, so you can fit dinner around the rest of your onshore and onboard plans. Powered by Cruiseline.com, spoke with royal Carib rep today who said prepaid grats are now out if you are using My Time Dining. 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. 0000418920 00000 n I am looking at cancelling my gratuities when I get on board. If anyone on our team wouldnt recommend it to a friend or a family member, we wouldnt recommend it on The Points Guy either. 0000916809 00000 n Reservations are strongly recommended. Sunshine State. My Time Dining - Gratuities?? - Cruise Critic Community We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. We know booking a cruise can be a complicated process, so if you need any help or would even like us to fill out your information for you please get in touch. Breeze through security with CLEAR lanes available at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues and get up to $189 back per calendar year on your membership when you use your Card. Posted June 24, 2017. If youre already booked and have chosen the flexible option, you can easily pre-reserve specific days and times online. A fun part of cruising can be meeting the same people for lunch or diner every day and discussing things about the ship or about the excursions they went on. That said, the total number of lines with a service fee has been shrinking over the years. 0000419103 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. I will HAPPILY pay my gratuities, and feel that having them paid in advance is very convenient, andprobably saves me some money. A world of culinary exploration awaits you onboard Royal Caribbean. By You can post now and register later. 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). They work very long hours all day long. Ive worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and now my blog helps over a million people to plan their cruises each month. Could you please tell me how I can improve it? You can, of course, request a specific table and waiter, but they may not be able to honor this. I understand that once upon a time prepaid gratuities were required for MTD. Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Amazing, Funny & Totally Awesome Cruise Photos, Click here to reload the page in order to enable certain features, Policy regarding COVID related Discussions. 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. 2010 Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. How Does Royal Caribbeans My Time Dining Work? ( use to happen frequently). (Sponsored). Get up to $300 back per calendar year on the Equinox+ digital fitness app, or eligible Equinox club memberships when you pay with your Platinum Card. 0000747552 00000 n Yes, if there is availability in the My Time Dining Room, we would be happy to accommodate the request. 0000014304 00000 n Started in 2010, Royal Caribbean Blog offers daily coverage of news and information related to the Royal Caribbean cruise line along with other relevant topics of cruising, such as entertainment, news, photo updates and more. 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. It is usually at the very bottom below the dining packages, specialty restaurants, and other exclusive dining experiences. The annual airline fee statement credit can be complicated to take advantage of compared to the broader travel credits offered by competing premium cards. Hi, I'm Jenni. That is really the biggest flaw with My Time Dining. You also do not get to know the wait staff as well, since you may be seated in a different area every night. 0000019459 00000 n Royal Caribbean gratuities for children and infants You can be seated with the party you arrive with or be seated at your own table. 2011-2023, Cruise Fever . 0000417078 00000 n 0000422496 00000 n 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. What is Royal Caribbean's service gratuities (tips) price and policy? 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. has written about cruising for more than 25 years and for many years oversaw USA Todays award-winning cruise site. 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. The extra cost of the automatic gratuity charges can be a shock to first-time cruisers. 0000417308 00000 n What happens if I cancel the gratuities? xdOHTQ7Ho1bJ!IP"th+5ha0P"..\h! hQhE9; The actual times, however, will vary by sailing. At the same time, you will be able to add prepaid gratuities and vacation protection, if you choose to do so. 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. . Enrollment required. Details: Gratuities are included in the fare. We always choose My Time dinning. Kudos to NCL for no longer allowing grats to be removed onboard. Pasted as rich text. Also if staff are chastised for receiving cash, why do all the posts advocate tipping over and above the automatic gratuities for good service? She also told us about gratuities added to the Seapss account. Aside from formal nights, there is no enforced dress code except that bare feet and tank tops are not allowed in the Main Dining Room. 0000005141 00000 n You definitely won't go hungry during your sailing, even if you don't purchase any dining extras. Can guests move between My Time Dining and Traditional Dining during their cruise? 0000005096 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. 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. 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. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. We'll run a soft credit check to find special offers, but it wont affect your credit score. *Please see all applicable Terms & Conditions for Promotions. We strongly recommend reserving your dining times through Cruise Planner prior to your sailing as dining times may fill up. 0000021713 00000 n 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. 0000003836 00000 n You post the same made up garbage in every thread. That explains it and answers my question- youre right, it does still say it on parts of the website. 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 . Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. 0000027181 00000 n The rates listed are per person, per day. Im really asking the opposite - We havent prepaid gratuities, but the agent has booked us in for My Time Dining! 0000003714 00000 n See what a point or mile is worth with our appraisals of a loyalty programs currency, based on redemption values. 0000897240 00000 n A lot of people still prefer the idea of traditional dining where you sit for dinner at the same time every evening, with the same party and with the same waiter. 0000897721 00000 n If you are asking by prepaying gratuities in advance does that force you to do MTD, then the answer is no. 0000907210 00000 n Then, Norwegian Cruise Line decided to shake things up a bit with "freestyle dining", an innovation that allows guests to eat dinner anytime . You will see the same helpful crew members waiting on you in the WJ as you did last night in the MDR. When making a reservation you will be offered "My Time" or traditional dining times (i.e., 5:30 pm & 8:00 pm). Click the button above to compare the prices of cruises from all travel agents. Those grats are also handed out to WJ staff, cafe staff, etc. After sneaking a peek at our dining table the 1st night out & seeing we were seated with 4 elderly women, we decided to consider switching to My Time. 0000417807 00000 n KA^tQmy9*yE'6C'VBz@JKz+I_0U{:$asg* \ endstream endobj 157 0 obj <>/Size 28/Type/XRef>>stream $200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year in baggage fees and more at one select qualifying airline.