The automatic daily gratuity is based on customary industry standards. The latest increase was in 2018 when gratuities went up by $1 per person, per day. Hi Jeff. This occurs in the Australian cruise market. Add them on to the total cost of your cruise when you book, Log on to the Royal Caribbean Cruise Planner before your cruise, Ask your travel agent to arrange to take a payment from you. If you are uncomfortable standing, just let a staff member know and they will be sure to accommodate you. In Miami the worst place to board the ship. 15 Ways To Use Your Royal Caribbean Onboard Credit. I am going on my first cruise in February and found your information very helpful thank you. Thanks! With the acquisition of 80 points (equivalent to 80 nights at sea), guests become Diamond members. While the cruise lines might say differently, we think that gratuities arent included in the headline price for marketing purposes. 2 bottles of wine and 12 cans of soft drinks per stateroom. The price of Royal Caribbeans Deluxe Beverage Package is not fixed. How much extra does Royal Caribbean charge for a double? When it comes time to settle your final bill at the end of the cruise, youll have the gratuity charges to pay as well. Royal Caribbean drinks prices are on the high end when compared to other cruise lines. 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. 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. With MyTime dining you will sit at a different table each night and be served by different crew members. Do Royal Caribbean offer drink packages on three night cruises? Alcoholic beverages that exceed this amount will be charged the difference plus gratuity on the difference. Can I buy unlimited beverage package for 2 days only in a four days cruise , or it has to be for all days ? So when youre on the ship, its one less charge to worry about. In the past, the process used to be that the cruise line would put envelopes in your room on the last day of the cruise. The daily gratuities is in addition to the18% gratuityautomatically added to all beverages, mini bar items, and spa & salon purchases. Is it true that each individual drink purchased an additional 18% is added? Royal Caribbean Gratuities: What you need to know, Royal Caribbean raises its automatic gratuities, Royal Caribbean to raise gratuity amount for guests, Royal Caribbean raises gratuity amount for guests. We are no spring chickens the three of us are just under 70. Some people like to give gifts such as chocolates or wine to the crew members. Why do I have to pay gratuities for my toddler? 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. Jenni. At least Ive got time to think about which package to buy. Then, contact one with a best-price guarantee and have them beat it! As a way to reward our crew members for their outstanding service, tips are shared between dining,bar& culinary services staff, stateroom attendants and other hotel services teams who work behind the scenes to enhance the cruise experience. Instructions and details are included below the calculator. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. No, you would have to buy it for every day of your cruise. A gratuity calculator is a tool to estimate the amount of gratuity that one will earn once he/she leaves a job after completing at least five years in the service of a company. I am considering the deluxe drink package for us both but I am a little concerned that most fun drinks on the menus cost $13 and the limit is $12. Related: TPG's ultimate guide to cruise ship gratuity charges and tipping drink with blended scotch and Drambuie on ice. Finally, if you order anything from room service, then its expected that you give a couple of bucks to the staff member that delivers the food. He would hardly be expected to buy the alcohol package too?? 3 hours ago, Husky1987 said: Percentage of cruisers that remove auto gratuities: 10%. Jenni. Bottom line is that it comes down to personal preference. You are free to adjust the amount to whatever you think is fair. This reduces the price of each coffee from around $4 to around $2. Share. Royal Caribbean Australia introduces streamlined cruise fares that include gratuities. Note that if you live in the UK, youll see your drink packages prices in GBP on the Cruise Planner. But you would still have your standard daily gratuity to pay which covers all other staff members. Whilst it was nice to be able to fill up my drink from the machine, I didnt like that I had to carry the cup everywhere with me. Whether you pay gratuities before or after your cruise is your choice, but its never recommended to remove them. The formula used by our online gratuity calculator is: G = n*b*15/26. would i be charged the difference between a virgin pina colada and a pina colada with alcohol? Thank you! If you get some free onboard credit as an incentive when you book your cruise, then you can use this to pay your gratuities. Below, weve listed the current tip amounts charged by major cruise lines as of the time of this writing: How do you actually pay tips on the cruise ship? Jenni. When entering the number of beverages per beverage type, the number entered can either be per day or for the entire length of the cruise for each beverage type. If youve never cruised, then there is no doubt that these questions and more might be floating through your head. All I can see is my cruise planner prices which are $95+ per day!! For most sailings, when you buy a drinks package online, an 18% gratuity charge is added at the checkout. We are sailing on Anthem of the seas June for two weeks going for the de lux drinks package offered us 43 per day is that fair price or should I wait in case prices go down. Last drawn basic salary plus Dearness Allowance (DA) G. Gratuity amount you are eligible for. 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. My husband and i are going on our first cruise later this spring and bought a deluxe package. 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. From the passenger perspective, the gratuity amount is simple pay a set amount per person, per day, and be done. The calculator estimates the savings achieved by selecting the most cost-effective beverage package versus Pay As You Go. If purchasing beverages la carte (without a package) is the best option, the calculator will recommend Pay As You Go.. Waiting until the end of your cruise will give you a few more paydays to save up the money. So you wont have to pay any more for your drinks unless you order something really specialist. Is a drink package worth it for you? Instead of one passenger paying a lot and another paying hardly anything, these set amounts ensure that everyone pays their fair share. So when you leave the room you dont have to put down any extra cash (unless you want to). Your positive feedback will go on their permanent file, which can help them to get promotions and pay rises. Royal Caribbean drinks packages include all tips (also known as gratuities). !I just cant afford that and i dont see how its justified. Other major cruise lines already increased their gratuities this year. Jenni. On cruises departing from the UK, the gratuity is included in the price of each drink as shown on the menu, so the menu prices may appear higher. Included here are the baseline (i.e. I was drinking a Rusty Nail on my last cruise and thats a drink small enough where the bartender poured me doubles to keep me from coming back so much. However, prices seem to have increased recently, with an upcoming cruise quoting a sale price of $83.99 and an onboard price of $105! If a drink is over 12 Dollars to I have the entire price or just the difference. Im Diamond and wondered what the upcharge might be since Ill be getting four free drink vouchers per day. Great blog. Theres not a time limit between drinks with Royal Caribbean, but you can only order one drink per person at a time. I hope that helps, enjoy your cruise! $16.50 per person, per day for guests in suites. Simply enter the cruise line, length of trip, and the number of passengers and it will show you precisely how much youll be charged. 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). The newer Strawfish biodegradable straws are much better, but I would still recommend bringing your own metal straw, such as these collapsible straws that you can clip onto your bag or belt. The advantage here is that you get to hold on to more of your money for longer. In this case, youd be charged for the whole drink. For example, you have worked with the XYZ company for a period of 15 years. 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. Just pop your email in the form and Ill send you a link to the calculator. The bar staff were always encouraging me to let them make up drinks rather than stick the menu, so Im sure they wouldnt mind you asking. If two adults are sharing a stateroom then both people must have the same package. If traveling with others, enter each guests information separately, resetting the calculator as needed. What is Royal Caribbean's gratuity price and policy? Percentage of cruisers that remove auto gratuities who tell everyone they tip in cash "to those who serve them": 100%. The service on Royal Caribbean cruises is generally exceptional. Since 2019, Royal Caribbean has been cutting down on single-use plastics onboard its ships. Its possible to make a saving by doing this if you have the time and energy to track the prices. Have our travel agency partner get you a free quote for a Royal Caribbean cruise. You can get the charge out of the way early, or hold onto your money until you actually sail. Royal Caribbeans rules state that each person must have the same package. Royal Caribbean last raised its gratuity fee on Jan. 2, 2018. Tap the for Winter 2024 Caribbean sailings. However, you can order a bottle of water at the bar and put it in your mini bar fridge for later if you like. Tipping on Royal Caribbean Cruises is straightforward - a standard daily rate is charged for all guests (no matter the age). Were booked on the Liberty of the Seas cruise in November 2020. Is there a limit in time how many drinks/baverages I can order. Both Carnival and Norwegian raised gratuity rates earlier this summer. What if service is bad? One other thing. To help explain everything about cruise line gratuities, weve answered a number of common questions that will make everything clearer before you set sail. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 20 cruises. Jenni. You can add an additional tip on to your receipt if you wish. My gf is a big tea drinker and is considering the package purely for that. Overpayment of gratuities is allowed but is not expected. If you do, Royal Caribbean will automatically charge your card at the end of your cruise. Extremely helpful esp0ecially about tipping and what to do. ? When you book the cruise youll have the ability to prepay gratuities. For new reservations, the adjusted gratuity amounts are effective as of September 7, 2022. So, if you do have any issues, you should head to Guest Services as early in your cruise as you can, so that things can be put right for you before it affects the rest of your cruise. We deposit cash to use for our onboard account. Then if I pay another $5 per person each day for room clean-up, thats another $140, for a total of $280. Royal Caribbean's Deluxe Beverage Package is their highest-tier beverage package. What do you do about the porters at the ports. ), Can You Work Remotely While Taking a Cruise? 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. The option to, Royal Caribbean has announced it will raise itsrecommended gratuities for sailings that depart on or after May 01,, Royal Caribbean will be raising its recommended gratuities for sailings that depart on or after July 1, 2015.The new, Royal Caribbean Australia announced today a new fare structure that includesgratuities for stateroom attendants and, When you take a Royal Caribbean cruise, one of the costs to passengers are gratuities (tips) to crew members during. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. The tipping rates charged change from time to time. However, for the majority of mass market cruise lines the gratuities are extra charges on the price of your cruise. Cheers. If you have a package, gratuities are already included in that, you wont pay any more per drink. 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. Enjoy! Royal Caribbean Junior Suite perks: Is it worth the upgrade? Cash isnt used on cruise ships, so all your purchases and gratuities (if not prepaid) will be added to your onboard account. Should you prepay gratuities for a Royal Caribbean cruise? The gratuity is applied automatically to all average beverage costs and beverage packages, as well as applicable upcharges for beverages whose cost is not fully covered by a package. Guests still have some decisions to make about whether to pay the gratuities before or after the cruise, and whether to tip any extra on top. There are also lots of free drinks available including flavoured water, water and milk as well as fruit juices at breakfast time. You were extremely helpful for my upcoming cruise! They will still go out of their way to make your cruise comfortable and enjoyable. Drink Package Calculator. If you want to pay extra, we suggest simply handing cash directly to the people you want to recognize for their service. Want to tip more? The lowest prices can often be found during the Black Friday sale period. Its up to you. Does the menu price already include the per drink gratuity? Then, log into the Cruise Planner regularly to watch the price. We never use a credit card for our on ship account. There are pros and cons to paying your gratuities before or after your cruise, and its very much a personal choice. 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/. How much is the Royal Caribbean drink package? I believe so, yes. Before you go ahead and buy the Coffee Card, here are some things youll want to consider: The tap water on Royal Caribbean cruise ships is perfectly safe to drink and tastes okay, although it may not always be very cold, depending on the weather. To make tipping simpler and fairer, Royal Caribbeans tips policy is to collect this money from all the guests and automatically share it between the crew members. However, for the most part you can expect that every passenger on your trip will see a charge. In addition, prepaying gratuities locks in the current gratuity rate, even if the rate were to go up later. This is extremely helpful. For this reason, a drinks package may be better value on a cruise with lots of sea days, such as a transatlantic sailing. No votes so far! The staff works hard to ensure that your vacation is a great one. 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. Applying this charge automatically helps to streamline the recognition process for the crew members that work to enhance your cruise. What sucks is the workers then have to pay a tax on the tip where we would rather give the workers a gift of cash. Hi Natalie. Royal Caribbean doesnt offer free drinks packages. N/n. However, the feedback from them is that they always prefer cash. The daily gratuities are shared among dining, bar . To do this, you would need to go to the Guest Services desk on the morning of your departure and explain your reason. Is Every Passenger Charged Gratuities? The gratuity is added on at the final checkout so you will see the final price before you commit to buy it. These vouchers expire on the same night that they are issued. They are often expressed as the rate for a single person (despite having to pay for double occupancy) and dont include port fees or taxes. 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. Dont ask you dont get! No, it doesnt. If you paid $13 for a cocktail and didnt like it, youd be pretty annoyed at yourself for choosing it. I'm so sorry that this post wasn't useful for you! If you celebrate a milestone birthday mid-way through the cruise, you should ask the Guest Services Manager to modify your record to allow you to drink alcohol after your birthday. Since they are not . Our goal has been to provide our readers with expansive coverage of all aspects of the Royal Caribbean experience. The onboard prices are inflated, and its still always cheaper to buy your package before your cruise. For example, a family of four who is taking a seven-night cruise would owe $406 for gratuities. 20102023Regal Sea Media LLC. When you log into Royal Caribbeans cruise planner, look out for special offers like this one. There are some exceptions to this rule. Beverage packages do not cover certain specialty beverages, particularly those purchased at an onboard Starbucks. If I am having a soda can i order another right after 10 minutes or to I have to wait a certain time. Suite gratuity rate will change from $17.50 to $18.50 per day per person. Thats right, each time you order a drink, and 18% gratuity is added on to your bill. Mailbag: Why do I have to pay gratuities for my toddler? Do check out our Royal Caribbean Cruise Refreshment Package Review for more information! The tip applies to individual guests of all ages and stateroom categories. Grand suites and above - $17.50 p.p. Our goal has been to provide our readers with expansive coverage of all aspects of the Royal Caribbean experience. There are two ways to buy a Royal Caribbean drink package: Royal Caribbean drink package sharing is not allowed. Some people like to remove the gratuities and tip staff members individually. You may get reduced kids prices, included drinks or free gratuities. On certain cruises, Royal Caribbean requires that gratuities are prepaid to be able to request MyTime dining. What is Royal Caribbean's service gratuities (tips) price and policy? Thanks for this . Automatic gratuity charge: $16 to $18.50 per person, per day. When we researched tipping policy on a recent Princess cruise, we found that the cruise line pools that money and uses it for bonuses, etc. If you order a drink that cost more than $12, youll just pay the difference. Where n = Tenure of service completed in the company. I just purchased the Deluxe Beverage package, for myself, and the refreshement package for my wife. Carnival Cruise Line also increased . I rarely drink specialty coffee and prefer a cup of hot tea to end my meals. You can see a full list of those here: List of Free Drinks on Royal Caribbean Cruises. My hubby-to-be is a non-drinker and he would only want the refreshment package. b = Last drawn basic salary + dearness allowance. This also applies to sailings departing from Australia and New Zealand. 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. I know that some people get away with putting one bottle in the main suitcase and one in hand luggage. I have a question about the free drinks thoughcan we bring our own reusable water bottles to fill them up with the free lemonade/ice tea or are cups readily available for us to use? Copyright 2023 Real World Machine LLC. 53 euros per day, 856 for my wife and for 8 nights. Making feeds? Use this section of the Royal Caribbean Beverage Package Calculator to enter information about anticipated beverage consumption and pricing information. Hi Michael. The tip applies to individual guests of all ages and stateroom categories. Royal Caribbean drinks package: Is it worth it? What the real deal? In your article are you saying that on a cruise out of Southampton uk. Under certain circumstances, you may be able to buy the Deluxe Beverage Package for one guest and the Refreshment Package for another guest. That said, its unusual to adjust the gratuity amount, and the staff works extremely hard to make your trip enjoyable.