Maximum of 10 guests per reservation. 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. 0000006358 00000 n 0000005866 00000 n If you have multiple people in your stateroom or travel party, you can make multiple reservations each evening to accommodate everyone's preferences. What is Royal Caribbean's service gratuities (tips) price and policy? 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. This dining option requires you to "pre pay" your gratuities. If youre late then your table may be given away, and youll have to wait for another one. 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. Seating can also be reserved while onboard. 0000891587 00000 n If you feel anyone has been particularly helpful you can always tip them extra in cash. 0000006679 00000 n Here is why some people dislike the more informal dining option. Are you sure that isn't an Iglu Cruise rule? Below is a line-by-line look at policies for automatic gratuity charges (called service charges or crew appreciation charges at some lines). Please don't disrupt the system that works that was put in place that is fair to crew and guests . 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 understand that once upon a time prepaid gratuities were required for MTD. 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?? Also as others have stated, prepaid gratuities and MTD have nothing to do with each other anymore. If you want, you can even try to switch onboard. The folks who WERVE YOU are the ones who get your tips. Guests may request a special table or waiter. You dont have to attend dinner at the same time, and you can arrange a table that works for you. 0000883078 00000 n My Time Dining is not available for breakfast, but you can still use it for both lunch and dinner. They work very long hours all day long. 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. Search Multiple Sites at Once Im really asking the opposite - We havent prepaid gratuities, but the agent has booked us in for My Time Dining! 0000024527 00000 n Can a family in one stateroom dine at different times with My Time Dining? 0000902188 00000 n trailer <]>> startxref 0 %%EOF 158 0 obj <>stream 0000019459 00000 n Do you have Cruise Fever too? If you continue to use this site, you consent to our use of cookies. Most of the biggest cruise lines automatically add some type of service or gratuity fee onto passenger bills. 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 . View All Cruises You can then book dinner in the Main Dining Room for any time you want, or just walk in without a reservation. Gratuities haven't been going up "almost every year." 0000421346 00000 n Your statement You cannot sign up for My Time Dining until you are on board the vessel is incorrect you can do this online when you book the Cruise. 0000003836 00000 n If youre already booked and have chosen the flexible option, you can easily pre-reserve specific days and times online. Lines with such charges include both of the two giants of the cruise business, Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line, as well as Norwegian, MSC Cruises and Princess Cruises. If you want to use My Time Dining you must pay for tips in advance. 0000005911 00000 n Some people also like to pay their service charges in advance for budgeting purposes. You can save even more $$$ by eating in the Lido on the last evening and avoiding your cabin steward that night also ? 0000896807 00000 n 0000722800 00000 n Learn the cruise secrets most people don't know and cruise like a boss. Yes, if there is availability in the My Time Dining Room, we would be happy to accommodate the request. $200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year in baggage fees and more at one select qualifying airline. The early seating is usually around 5:30pm, while the late seating is around 8:00pm. Prior to checking out, you will have to make a decision on dining style. My Time Dining usually begins around 6:00pm and lasts until 9:30pm, giving you a wide range of times to choose from. 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. Weve booked a cruise through an agent. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). If you opt out of daily gratuities your account will not be charged for them. ;) Can we opt out of those added on charges also?? So if I cancel my gratuities what will be added to my account for my time dining. CC Help Jenn TPG values it at $1,600. You'd likely pay it at final payment date. I am looking at cancelling my gratuities when I get on board. Do I have to pre-reserve My Time Dining through Cruise Planner? When planning your other evening activities, make sure that you allot yourself at least 75 minutes for your Main Dining Room experience. Your browser is outdated and does not support many of the modern features of this website, When booking a Royal Caribbean cruise, you have two options for dining: My Time Dining and Traditional Dining. The rates listed are per person, per day. Can they join me in the My Time Dining Room. The cost of that package is typically $109 per person, per day. Royal Caribbeans award winning dining program, My Time Dining, offers flexible and traditional options. As soon as you place the deposit for your cruise, you will gain access to the Cruise Planner. Even if you only plan to eat in the Main Dining Room a couple of times during your cruise, it often makes sense to choose My Time Dining so that you can pick the time you want. 0000015069 00000 n LauraS Alternatively, you can have the charges added to your room bill on board. You may find that you are split up at different tables that are not located near each other. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Dine as you want, when you want. 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. 0000750166 00000 n When making a reservation you will be offered "My Time" or traditional dining times (i.e., 5:30 pm & 8:00 pm). Details: Gratuities are included in the fare. Click the button above to compare the prices of cruises from all travel agents. I always find that funny when peeps complain about the added on grats listed as a separate charge..do they ever look at their cable bill, electric bill, phone bill.etcetc. You can disable the usage of cookies by changing the settings of your browser. Also, once you have been seated and your meal is being served, no other guests will be sat at your table. Automatic gratuity charge: $16 to $18.50 per . The flexible option allows you to select your own dining time and table companions on a daily basis. And that's before you add in any additional tips you wish to give to your room service or favorite bartender or autogratuities tacked on to bar, restaurant and spa bills. 0000755747 00000 n Read more: Whats Included in a Royal Caribbean Cruise? 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 Breakfast in the Main Dining Room is first come, first serve, regardless on whether or not you selected My Time or Traditional Dining. 0000417807 00000 n 0000735845 00000 n Powered by Cruiseline.com, spoke with royal Carib rep today who said prepaid grats are now out if you are using My Time Dining. 0000891340 00000 n 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. For your convenience, prepaid gratuities are automatically added to your flexible option reservations. My Time Dining is one of the options youll get to choose from when you book your cruise. 0000767892 00000 n That means, if you decide to visit the Main Dining Room on day 3 of your cruise, you wont be able to choose your time. You do have to prepay your gratuities in order to sign up to My Time Dining. Our goal has been to provide our readers with expansive coverage of all aspects of the Royal Caribbean experience. Jon lives in the foothills of North Carolina and wishes there were a cruise port that far inland. 0000006046 00000 n xdOHTQ7Ho1bJ!IP"th+5ha0P"..\h! hQhE9; 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. Contact Us Get support by Phone or Email 866-562-7625 Email Your Questions Locate a Travel Agent You can choose a different time each day, so you can fit dinner around the rest of your onshore and onboard plans. 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. Pasted as rich text. There is no need to remove the "pre=paid" or "included" tips. 0000913926 00000 n Have you noticed over the years that daily grats have been increasing almost every year to make up for the non tippers. Privacy Policy | Yes, if there is availability in the My Time Dining Room, we would be happy to accommodate the request. Youll be asked to pre-pay your gratuities. has written about cruising for more than 25 years and for many years oversaw USA Todays award-winning cruise site. 0000901423 00000 n I take any thread older than a year (sometimes less) with a grain of salt. Get $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings, which requires a minimum two-night stay, through American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card. How Does Royal Caribbeans My Time Dining Work? 2011-2023, Cruise Fever . 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. Learn more. My Time Dining usually begins around 6:00pm and lasts until 9:30pm, giving you a wide range of times to choose from. And that they aren't simply following the outdated information still present on Royal's website as pointed out above? Then, Norwegian Cruise Line decided to shake things up a bit with "freestyle dining", an innovation that allows guests to eat dinner anytime . Compare the cost in points or miles to cash, and see which option is best. Many cruise lines will tack an automatic gratuity charge onto the bill for extra-fee drinks, restaurant meals and spa treatments. If your line raises the rate between the time you pay and the time you sail, you wont pay more. 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 you arrive as soon as the Main Dining Rooms open, you will be able to be seated shortly. Start with these stories: The credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which ThePointsGuy.com receives compensation. Improve earnings, maximize rewards and track progress toward dream trips. If you have a smaller party, you might find that you do not have to wait as long as larger parties. Please view our advertising policy page for more information. A lot of cruisers were actually upset when they heard about My Time Dining and vowed to never sail with Royal Caribbean again if this was the only option. 0000005956 00000 n 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. When making a reservation you will be offered My Time or traditional dining times (i.e., 5:30 pm & 8:00 pm). Perhaps as more and more cheapos remove their grats the cruise lines will finally just increase fares so everyone pays the same in tips. The only real downside beyond having to pay your gratuities in advance is that you arent guaranteed the same waiter every night. Planning a cruise? If you are traveling with more than eight people, My Time Dining might become a hassle. At least, thats how it is supposed to work. 0000891812 00000 n On a typical seven-night cruise, thats nearly $600 in fees. 0000892388 00000 n Royal Caribbean charges a gratuity of $16.00 per person, per day. M&-]f_Le}BXJ.D7CCx. 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. 0000006312 00000 n 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?! Related: The best cruise booking perks and which ones are actually free. 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. I will HAPPILY pay my gratuities, and feel that having them paid in advance is very convenient, andprobably saves me some money. Any amount is fine and will be appreciated by the hard-working crew. 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. They are per person. Additional cash gifts are not expected. Contact Us Get support by Phone or Email 866-562-7625 Email Your Questions It's easy, convenient, and if you wish to recognize outstanding service you can always tip extra cash personally. The mandatory 20% gratuity comes out to nearly $22 per day. Hi! She also told us about gratuities added to the Seapss account. Its much better if youre someone who likes to play it by ear for dinner, based on how hungry you are. Theyll be able to make recommendations based on what youve previously ordered and make sure your favourite drink is waiting for you, if you want them too. 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. Kudos to NCL for no longer allowing grats to be removed onboard. 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. 0000425403 00000 n 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. 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. 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. 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. If you want to reserve it on-board then visit Guest Services. 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. You can even switch from My Time Dining to Traditional if you booked before understanding the differences, but you might end up with late dining depending on when you make the change, as early tends to book up quickly. All of the gratuities are divided equally among the wait staff. Get Cruise Savvy with our FREE Newsletter! Our opinions are our own, and have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by our advertising partners. There are even more places your Platinum Card can get you complimentary entry and exclusive perks. What happens if I cancel the gratuities? 13 Biggest Mistakes Made by Carnival Cruise Passengers [Carnival Tips], Cruise Ship Room Service: Menus and Fees for Cruise Lines, Carnival Anytime Dining: Tips for Your Time Dining with Carnival, Carnival Bringing a Fourth Cruise Ship to Galveston, Texas, Carnival to Send Newly Upgraded Ship on 14-Day Transatlantic Cruise, Royal Caribbean Updates Perks in Loyalty Program. It is usually at the very bottom below the dining packages, specialty restaurants, and other exclusive dining experiences. 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. Daily service charges are not the only cruise tips you will pay on board. Automatic gratuity charge: None. Now you have a choice to prepay gratuities or not with either Traditional or MTD. Your link has been automatically embedded. It isn't a hidden charge, since we all know about the charge and of course it subsidizes the wage bill. 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. 0000003714 00000 n Read on to learn what My Time Dining is, the benefits that it offers, and how to book. I am looking at cancelling my gratuities when I get on board so I can pay these personally. 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. You need to contact your TA and have her add it to your invoice in order to prepay gratuities. This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. For example, Norwegian offers a complimentary Open Bar drinks package for travelers who book its "free at sea" promotion. Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. Royal Caribbeans award winning dining program, My Time Dining, offers flexible and traditional options. When you are reserving your cruise, you will be given the option to select "Traditional Dining" or "My Time Dining.". My Family Time dining is currently unavailable throughout our fleet. Sometimes it's worth a large investment to reap the benefits of a great credit card. The recommended dress code for the Main Dining Room for traditional dining or My Time Dining is smart casual. These 9 Drinks Are Free on Royal Caribbean Cruises. 0000418920 00000 n 0000704363 00000 n Be sure to join my email list for my best cruise tips and handpicked deals each week. 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. The flexible option allows you to select your own dining time and table companions on a daily basis. Just head over to the Main Dining Room to speak with a head waiter, and they will assist you! When making a reservation you will be offered "My Time" or traditional dining times (i.e., 5:30 pm & 8:00 pm). You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. You can post now and register later. 0000897240 00000 n I understand that once upon a time prepaid gratuities were required for MTD. The lines that offer these deals say theyll pay a normal gratuity to the crew on your behalf. 0000737498 00000 n By 0000014874 00000 n Clear editor. ( use to happen frequently). 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. Piano bar regulars know that a cash tip will increase the chances of the pianist choosing and performing your song request. The Amex Platinum comes with access to a premium concierge service that can help you with everything from booking hard-to-get reservations to finding destination guides to help you plan out your next getaway. Then, contact one with a best-price guarantee and have them beat it! But to the OP's question, we have MTD on Mariner next month and have not prepaid our gratuities. 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. Personally, I wouldn't dream of NOT tipping people that are doing me a service. Related: A beginners guide to picking a cruise line. 0000755470 00000 n This card is also incredibly rewarding for travel purchases, helping you rack up a ton of Membership Rewards points for your next award trip. On a Royal Caribbean cruise, you need to register for My Time Dining if you dont want a set dining time. The traditional dining experience allows you the choice of either early or late seating times for each day of your cruise. The exact times, however, will vary according to your cruise itinerary. This website uses cookies in order to offer you the most relevant information. 0000017159 00000 n She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 20 cruises. I always prepay my gratuities and do traditional dining. By his definition the answer is yes. Im pretty sure were havent prepaid the gratuities, but our invoice from RCL does say that our dining is My Time Dining and the Cruise planner will let us make reservations. And, unlike the typical service fee or resort fee found at a land resort, they are not per room. Passengers in mini-suites pay $17, while those in bigger suites pay $18. You can, of course, request a specific table and waiter, but they may not be able to honor this. Can they join me in the My Time Dining Room? Powered by Invision Community. Whats Included in a Royal Caribbean Cruise? The only thing you should HAVE to pay at booking is the deposit. Hes sailed on more than 150 ships. please click here to update it. My Time Dining is great for guests who wish to experience a flexible dining schedule onboard their cruise. From there, you can go ahead and make a reservation for each night of your cruise. The agent asked us which dining option wed like and we chose my time. Some guests choose to recognize particularly exceptional service with an additional cash gratuity on the last night of their cruise. KA^tQmy9*yE'6C'VBz@JKz+I_0U{:$asg* \ endstream endobj 157 0 obj <>/Size 28/Type/XRef>>stream Search Now If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. gratuities amongst the other My Time Dining waiters; feel free to reward your waiter with an extra tip for providing excellent service . 0000423354 00000 n 0000006236 00000 n 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. 0000901714 00000 n 0000011539 00000 n We were unaware of the automatic (recommended amount) tipping charge applied to our credit card when we switched to My Time on the 3rd day of our recent 8 day cruise. but only parties of 20 or less can be seated at one time. In that sense, the current system is more equitable than the old system of cash tipping, which favored certain workers, lines say. Can guests move between My Time Dining and Traditional Dining during their cruise? Flexible seating works very much like standard restaurant seating. One thing Ive read over and over again from people who really like My Time Dining is that they dont have to worry so much about what time dinner is. If you have an issue with how the crew get paid don't withhold your tips since that will only penalize the crew. Your automatic gratuities also cover your cabin steward and other behind the scenes personnel; not just dining room staff. 0000841939 00000 n 0000911365 00000 n 0000014304 00000 n No votes so far! One additional reason that you might pre-pay in the future is that Royal can change these rates at anytime, if you have them pre-paid, you are locked in to that rate. 0000913572 00000 n Ive worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and now my blog helps over a million people to plan their cruises each month. But its definitely not for everyone. 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). 0000427335 00000 n Can I participate in My Time Dining but make a reservation for a specific time? 0000002916 00000 n With your support, we can create more exciting content and share with everyone! 0000417581 00000 n 0000901330 00000 n 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). Our points-obsessed staff uses a plethora of credit cards on a daily basis. Never feel pressured to add an extra tip when you've already paid one. . See what a point or mile is worth with our appraisals of a loyalty programs currency, based on redemption values. 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. My Time Dining is only applicable to the Main Dining Room on your ship. 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. Speciality restaurants require reservations but they dont have traditional dining times. MY FAMILY TIME DINING MY TIME DINING DAILY RESERVATIONS Awards FOLLOW US JOIN CROWN & ANCHOR SOCIETY CALL US NOW +971 4 331 4299 We have my time dining and according to the threads it looks like the gratuities are asked to be prepaid. Royal Caribbean recently added "My time dining" as a dining option. The high annual fee is only worth it if youre taking full advantage of the cards benefits. There is a $9.75 gratuity per day that is required and this actually covers not only the wait staff but your room steward as well. All rights reserved. . 0000008654 00000 n 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. My Time Dining is now a choice within the booking process. We do not prepay gratuities because we always have OBC and they will be deducted from the OBC daily. Both Royal Caribbean and Carnival have slightly different daily gratuities. So therefore it does not show on our invoice. There will be a My Time Dining check-in desk at the entrance to the dining room with wait staff to greet guests. 0000420293 00000 n 2010 Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Discover the culinary curiosities of Wonderland Imaginative Cuisine. A list of those who do this is available to the staff. Theres also a dining hotline you can call from the phone in your stateroom to make changes to your reservations. 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. In this case, no gratuities will be charged to your onboard account. You definitely won't go hungry during your sailing, even if you don't purchase any dining extras. Instant Real Time Pricing 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. Some people assume that, because My Time Dining offers more flexible dining, it has a more flexible dress code. We have my time dining and according to the threads it looks like the gratuities are asked to be prepaid. 0000896900 00000 n 0000916095 00000 n Additionally, an 18% gratuity is added to bar bills, dining room wine purchases and Lotus Spa services. The actual times, however, will vary by sailing. document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); | 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. 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. Youll be told which restaurant to go to based on your choice. Having to arrive early, though, defeats the purpose of being able to dine whenever you'd like. Since they are not . It's kind of a runaround to personally get to everyone who is included (my opinion). 0000418076 00000 n