Should you prepay gratuities for a Royal Caribbean cruise? Sterilisers? My hubby-to-be is a non-drinker and he would only want the refreshment package. They will set up the travel cot (pack n play) each night, puree food as requested, clean up at mealtimes and much more. As a way to reward our crew members for their outstanding service, tips are shared . Hi Maria, That said, in theory you could request that tips be removed from your account and not tip at all. For guests staying in Grand Suites and above, the fee is $18.50 per person, per day. Whilst some other cruise lines limit the number of drinks you can order to 15 in any 24-hour period, Royal Caribbean has no daily limit. MyTime dining is when you dont have a set dining time and instead, you can arrive at the main restaurant whenever you like. If it doesnt, then Im sorry I dont know about that particular drink. Be sure to join my email list for my best cruise tips and handpicked deals each week. Im sure intentionally just over the 12.00 limit for the ultimate drink package. For guests booked through travel advisors, their advisor may add pre-paid gratuities to the guests' booking prior to sailing*. Ive worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and now my blog helps over a million people to plan their cruises each month. A cruise which ordinarily costs 699 might go up to 999 with drinks included. Who gets the tips? If you buy the drink package before you board you may be able to get it for cheaper as pre-cruise drink package prices fluctuate before the sailing date. Royal Caribbean no longer offers a wine package. The advantage here is that you get to hold on to more of your money for longer. When you buy the Deluxe Beverage Package or the Refreshment Package, you also get the souvenir cup and so have all the benefits of the Classic Soda Package. First, any time that you buy a drink from the bar, you will be charged an extra tip, usually 18%-20% of the menu price, depending on the cruise line. If purchasing beverages la carte (without a package) is the recommended option, then the calculator estimates the savings achieved by Pay As You Go versus the lowest-cost beverage package, factoring in gratuities and upcharges. If you dont have a lot of money available when you come to pay for your cruise, then dont worry about paying the gratuities right away. Thank you. Should guests opt not to pay gratuities until onboard, they will be subject to the newly suggested gratuity amounts. When you book your cruise, youll be given the opportunity to prepay the gratuities. Jenni. Also, should I bring my own sweetener or do they supply that? If you do, Royal Caribbean will automatically charge your card at the end of your cruise. An alternative is to pre-pay the gratuity before the cruise begins. Instead of one passenger paying a lot and another paying hardly anything, these set amounts ensure that everyone pays their fair share. Automatic gratuity charge: None. Princess: $14.50 per person, per day. What is Gratuity Calculator? May 29, 2022. Ive worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and now my blog helps over a million people to plan their cruises each month. The automatic daily gratuity is based on customary industry standards. While steep on a percentage basis, the increase in gratuity charge at Royal Caribbean is the first at the line in more than four years. Alternatively, you may get some free onboard credit to spend. If youd like to calculate exactly what your gratuity amount will be before you book your trip, then you can use our calculator here. If I am having a soda can i order another right after 10 minutes or to I have to wait a certain time. The bar service personnel still gets their 15% tips from each bar sale. Do you know about when you'd like to sail? If the price does drop, you can always call Royal Carribbean to cancel it and book it again at the lower price. Ill be cruising in November on Oasis of the Seas. If I bought the premium beverage drink do I have to pay an additional gratuites? It is applicable to all guests, regardless of age. Superb article, i am new to cruising and only used NCL which seems to have cheap drink package and this helps me no end, thanks a million, Im so pleased that you found this helpful Jenni. These daily gratuities go towards your dining room staff, as well as your stateroom attendant. Hi Natalie. would i be charged the difference between a virgin pina colada and a pina colada with alcohol? You can then compare this total with the exact price of the drinks package for your cruise (shown on your Royal Caribbean cruise planner) to easily work out whether the drinks package is worth it or not. Other major cruise lines already increased their gratuities this year. Hi Rebecca. To decide whether a Royal Caribbean drink package offers good value for money or not, you need to consider three key questions: Once you know the answers to these, you can do the maths and work out Is the Royal Caribbean drinks package is worth it? It may be cheaper to pay for drinks individually on your cruise. Norwegian Cruise Lines doesnt charge gratuities for kids under three. To work out the total gratuity for your cruise, you should multiply the daily gratuity charge by the number of nights and the number of passengers in your party. I too pay in cash and at times have given extra. Your last drawn basic salary along with dearness allowance was Rs 30,000. Here are the average Royal Caribbean drinks prices: If youd like to know exactly which drinks are available on Royal Caribbean cruise ships and how much they cost, I have taken photos of the bar menus on board Mariner of the Seas. How much is charged? Use the Royal Caribbean Beverage Package Calculator to determine the most cost-effective beverage package to purchase for a cruise, based on anticipated beverage consumption/habits and pricing. With your support, we can create more exciting content and share with everyone! When you take a Royal Caribbean cruise, as well as your cruise fare, youll be expected to pay a little extra to the crew members. Applying this charge automatically helps to streamline the recognition process for the crew members that work to enhance your cruise. In fact, we cant think of a place where gratuities are handled the same way as they are on a cruise ship. As of September 7th, 2022, the automatic service gratuity of $16.00 USD per person, per day for guests in non-suites staterooms, or $18.50 USD per person, per day for guests in Suites, will be applied to each guest's SeaPass account on a daily basis. If you booked directly with Royal Caribbean, you can either call Royal Caribbean or log onto their website and access your account to prepay gratuities. If youre caught cheating the Royal Caribbean drink package by giving drinks to people who do not have a package, then you risk having your whole package removed without a refund. When you log into Royal Caribbeans cruise planner, look out for special offers like this one. Guests who have pre-paid their tips will not see a daily charge during their cruise. Their offerings range from classics like a mojito to daiquiri to new takes on traditional cocktails, like a New Fashioned at the Schooner . All rights reserved. Additionally, package holders receive a 40% discount on wines priced up to $100 and a 20% discount on wines priced above $100. Some lines also pool the tips altogether and then distribute them throughout the year. Answer (1 of 4): Fares purchased on the Australian website will always include pre-paid gratuities. ), Can You Work Remotely While Taking a Cruise? After four years, Royal Caribbean is increasing the gratuity rate cruise ship passengers will pay for the service they receive from crew members onboard its ships. Our goal has been to provide our readers with expansive coverage of all aspects of the Royal Caribbean experience. Keep in mind that Royal Caribbean generally requires that if one adult purchases the Deluxe package, that all other adults over the age of 21 traveling in the same cabin purchase the Deluxe package; this requirement may be waived if you contact Royal Caribbean, explain the other adult(s) does not consume alcohol, and request to downgrade the additional package to Refreshment. List of Free Drinks on Royal Caribbean Cruises, 56 amazing examples of Royal Caribbean customer service, The Best Time to Buy A Royal Caribbean Drink Package, 15 Ways To Use Your Royal Caribbean Onboard Credit Like A Pro, https://www.cruisemummy.co.uk/taking-a-baby-on-a-cruise-ship/, https://www.cruisemummy.co.uk/royal-caribbean-drinks-menus-with-prices/, Royal Caribbean Cruise Refreshment Package Review, https://www.cruisemummy.co.uk/can-you-take-drinks-on-a-cruise-ship/, https://www.cruisemummy.co.uk/how-to-sneak-alcohol-on-a-cruise-ship/. Thats just one of the ways that people try to cheat. Royal Caribbean will be raising its automatic daily gratuity amountthat guests pay night of their cruise beginning on, Royal Caribbean offers guests the choice of prepaying gratuities for select crew members on its ships. The staff isnt likely to treat you any differently or even know that you arent tipping (after all, some people still like to pay cash at the end of the cruise). Waiting until the end of your cruise will give you a few more paydays to save up the money. I gave always given them money to take my bags to the ship. Great blog. Im going on a cruise in October and would like the full drinks package for myself. 2023 Cruzely.com | Laisman Publishing, LLC. So well have to pay the difference of $1 on almost every drink. Any frozen drinks too without the alcohol. Meanwhile, cruise fares are often shown as dirt-cheap prices. Royal Caribbean Australia introduces streamlined cruise fares that include gratuities. I have another question. recommended) gratuities, and the ability to increase or decrease the amounts as you desire. We just came back from a Cruise to Nowhere aboard the Quantum of the Seas as well. $15.50 per person, per day staying in mini-suites. Another way to pay extra gratuities is when you buy a drink. Just pop your email in the form and Ill send you a link to the calculator. Automatic gratuity charge: $16 to $18.50 per person, per day. The good thing for passengers about automatic gratuities is that this breakdown is done automatically by the cruise line instead of having to give tips to several different staff members at the end of your cruise. If you like to pay for your cruise monthly, then you can add the gratuities to your monthly payment. I hope this helps. This automatic gratuity does not cover other onboard purchases. Most recently, Disney Cruise Line increased the rate to $14.50 in July 2022. The price of Royal Caribbeans Deluxe Beverage Package is not fixed. If you booked directly with Royal Caribbean, you can either call Royal Caribbean . Plus, as we were sailing from the UK it was easy to bring our own wine and cans of pop on board so we didnt need to buy many drinks on the ship. So Im noticing all the cool mixed cocktail drinks are priced. We can take on wine and sift drinks ??. Starting Sept. 7, Royal Caribbean will charge guests in non-suite staterooms . Hi Anthony. Gratuity = n*b*15 / 26. My question is, what happens if I buy the beverage package of only soft drinks and non-alcoholic beverages, and at some point during the trip I want to order, for example, a pina colada with alcohol? On certain cruises, Royal Caribbean requires that gratuities are prepaid to be able to request MyTime dining. The calculator does not take into account the three beverage vouchers that Crown and Anchor Society members holding Diamond, Diamond Plus, or Pinnacle elite status receive when attending the Exclusive Nightly Diamond Event. My gf is a big tea drinker and is considering the package purely for that. 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. Paying a tip twice C. Paying a standardized tip for poor service. Royal Caribbean offers guests the choice of prepaying gratuities for select crew members on its ships. 2 bottles of wine and 12 cans of soft drinks per stateroom.