Cruise lines say they pass the money collected from service charges to the shipboard crew. Yes, if there is availability in the My Time Dining Room, we would be happy to accommodate the request. You can be seated with the party you arrive with or be seated at your own table. 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. Looking for the Best Cruise Deals? 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. But its definitely not for everyone. trailer <]>> startxref 0 %%EOF 158 0 obj <>stream Search Multiple Sites at Once The included tip amount varies by cruise line, but is typically 15% to 20% of the bill. *Please see all applicable Terms & Conditions for Promotions. 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. This also applies to sailings departing from Australia and New Zealand. 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. M&-]f_Le}BXJ.D7CCx. Posted June 24, 2017. When making a reservation you will be offered "My Time" or traditional dining times (i.e., 5:30 pm & 8:00 pm). If you pay them onboard, it will be charged automatically each day of the cruise. She also told us about gratuities added to the Seapss account. My Time Dining usually begins around 6:00pm and lasts until 9:30pm, giving you a wide range of times to choose from. 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. The old way of MTD had forced you to prepay gratuities but that changed some time ago. Still, not all lines have service fees that high. 0000427335 00000 n My Family Time Dining is a dining option for families with children ages 3-11 years that aims to help kid's complete dinner within 45 minutes, freeing parents to enjoy coffee and . This is where you'll not only be able to make your My Time Dining reservations, but also where you can reserve shore excursions, drink packages, and more. When booking a Royal Caribbean cruise, you have two options for dining: My Time Dining and Traditional Dining. How Does Royal Caribbeans My Time Dining Work? CC Help Jenn 0000736746 00000 n I understand that once upon a time prepaid gratuities were required for MTD. Their website explains it as such: "By selecting My Time Dini. The flexibility of My Time Dining comes with responsibility. If you have selected My Time Dining for your next Royal Caribbean Cruise vacation, here's everything you need to know about how to book My Time Dining and secure your nightly dining reservations. The closer you get to your cruise vacation, the fewer reservations you may find. Learn more. So therefore it does not show on our invoice. Would we pay them on the first day onboard? The flexible option allows you to select your own dining time and table companions on a daily basis. 0000021713 00000 n Every Royal Caribbean ship includes meals at many included restaurants, including the main dining room and the buffet. LauraS The Dining experience was Excellent as were the Waiting Staff, the only gripe, there had to be one, was the cost of the Wine. 0000008654 00000 n Below is a line-by-line look at policies for automatic gratuity charges (called service charges or crew appreciation charges at some lines). Many cruise lines will tack an automatic gratuity charge onto the bill for extra-fee drinks, restaurant meals and spa treatments. I don't mind tipping for good service. If you tip personally in cash, those people must turn it in or face dismissal. Royal Caribbeans award winning dining program, My Time Dining, offers flexible and traditional options. Contact Us Get support by Phone or Email 866-562-7625 Email Your Questions For your convenience, prepaid gratuities are automatically added to your flexible option reservations. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. We always choose My Time dinning. Jon can be reached at. Seating can also be reserved while onboard. ( use to happen frequently). If you're wondering how much you should tip on the specific cruise line you're considering or have already looked, we've compiled that information here. 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 want to use My Time Dining you must pay for tips in advance. 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?! This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. #4. Thats the whole point of the service charge. KA^tQmy9*yE'6C'VBz@JKz+I_0U{:$asg* \ endstream endobj 157 0 obj <>/Size 28/Type/XRef>>stream Still, some critics see the charges as a sneaky way for cruise lines to make their fares appear lower than they really are. Check out Intelligent Cruiser here for a better cruise vacation. What is Royal Caribbean's gratuity price and policy? - Cruises 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. Credit ranges are a variation of FICO Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application. We have my time dining and according to the threads it looks like the gratuities are asked to be prepaid. Our goal has been to provide our readers with expansive coverage of all aspects of the Royal Caribbean experience. If you do get the same waiter every night, theyll remember your name and your preferences. So for those who like some solitude, they may find that this more freestyle approach works better, but not everyone likes the NCL style of eating. You may request a certain waiter each night, and we will work to seat your party in his or her area depending on availability. If you want to change to My Time Dining, youll need to speak to Guest Services within the first two days of your cruise. It's kind of a runaround to personally get to everyone who is included (my opinion). If you are adjusting a gratuity charge downward, expect to be asked about the reasons behind the adjustment. If not, you might be stuck eating even later than the second seating! 0000003714 00000 n 0000735845 00000 n 0000906914 00000 n 0000897721 00000 n If youre already booked and have chosen the flexible option, you can easily pre-reserve specific days and times online. 0000906618 00000 n It's also not possible to update every forum discussion when information changes so it can be confusing to read conflicting threads. Some guests do not plan on eating in the Main Dining Room each day or would rather do so at the time of their choosing. My Time Dining Question : r/royalcaribbean - reddit.com 0000016969 00000 n This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). Yes, My Time Dining is flexible. Since they are not . In addition to this, an 18% gratuity is automatically added to all drinks, spa and salon services. How Does Royal Caribbean's My Time Dining Work? - Cruise Fever What is Royal Caribbean's service gratuities (tips) price and policy? 0000014874 00000 n Heres my confusion: I understand prepaid gratuities is required for My Time Dining. And that they aren't simply following the outdated information still present on Royal's website as pointed out above? 0000014730 00000 n You can disable the usage of cookies by changing the settings of your browser. 0000891696 00000 n $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. 0000891999 00000 n How to book My Time Dining on Royal Caribbean You can then book dinner in the Main Dining Room for any time you want, or just walk in without a reservation. Regent Seven Seas Cruises. I'm so sorry that this post wasn't useful for you! 0000026625 00000 n I take any thread older than a year (sometimes less) with a grain of salt. There is no need to remove the "pre=paid" or "included" tips. 0000003388 00000 n We hate spam as much as lounge chair hogs. Related: 9 times you do not need to tip on a cruise. 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. 0000433627 00000 n Piano bar regulars know that a cash tip will increase the chances of the pianist choosing and performing your song request. I think you probably have had you questions answered already but I wanted to show an example. My Time Dining and tips - Royal Caribbean Blog 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. 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. Don't know why you want to do this (are you planning to carry cash every time you go to the WJ?) Royal Caribbeans award winning dining program, My Time Dining, offers flexible and traditional options. The high annual fee is only worth it if youre taking full advantage of the cards benefits. Why is it combined? The traditional dining experience allows you the choice of either early or late seating times for each day of your cruise. Then, Norwegian Cruise Line decided to shake things up a bit with "freestyle dining", an innovation that allows guests to eat dinner anytime . Suggested read: 6 Things You MUST Know About Formal Night on a Royal Caribbean Cruise. If you cancel prepaid gratuities, you can visit Guest Services once you are onboard and request they discontinue automatic gratuties. Your browser is outdated and does not support many of the modern features of this website, This card is also incredibly rewarding for travel purchases, helping you rack up a ton of Membership Rewards points for your next award trip. Brilliance of the Seas is operated by RCL (UK) Ltd., a subsidiary of Royal . Automatic gratuity charge: $16 to $18.50 per . My Time Dining is one of the options you'll get to choose from when you book your cruise. 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. These 9 Drinks Are Free on Royal Caribbean Cruises. It isn't a hidden charge, since we all know about the charge and of course it subsidizes the wage bill. Some people also like to pay their service charges in advance for budgeting purposes. Find the right card for you. Our opinions are our own, and have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by our advertising partners. Search Now If you have a smaller party, you might find that you do not have to wait as long as larger parties. 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. 0000420293 00000 n Royal Caribbean gratuities for children and infants 2010 Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. 0000901423 00000 n 0000417013 00000 n Our points-obsessed staff uses a plethora of credit cards on a daily basis. 0000027181 00000 n Started June 21, 2021, By Powered by Invision Community. 0000005141 00000 n Gratuities haven't been going up "almost every year." The extra cost of the automatic gratuity charges can be a shock to first-time cruisers. Any amount is fine and will be appreciated by the hard-working crew. The mandatory 20% gratuity comes out to nearly $22 per day. On a typical seven-night cruise, thats nearly $600 in fees. John2195, June 24, 2017 in Royal Caribbean International. I'm travelling with guests from another stateroom who selected Traditional Dining. Improve earnings, maximize rewards and track progress toward dream trips. Your previous content has been restored. 0000913572 00000 n 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 need to contact your TA and have her add it to your invoice in order to prepay gratuities. 0000419103 00000 n 0000902188 00000 n You definitely won't go hungry during your sailing, even if you don't purchase any dining extras. Tipping on a cruise does not have to be complicated, but you need to understand the big picture to budget for your vacation appropriately. If you are purchasing a dining package or plan on eating dinner in one of the other complimentary venues, you may not find yourself putting too much thought into what dining style you'd prefer. Could you please tell me how I can improve it? Sorry- Im not expressing myself too well! Two brothers started Cruise Fever in 2011 when they decided they couldn't stop cruising so they might as well write about it. Have our travel agency partner get you a free quote for a Royal Caribbean cruise. Itll be one less thing on your final bill at the end of the cruise. If the gratuities are pre-paid, it should be part of the cruise booking. 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. Rather, you will be seated wherever there is availability. You can post now and register later. 0000006679 00000 n Many smaller and higher-end cruise operators are folding tips and gratuities into their base fares. Or do they not notice those "add on" charges? I'm travelling with guests from another stateroom who selected Traditional Dining. Discover the culinary curiosities of Wonderland Imaginative Cuisine. You can disable the usage of cookies by changing the settings of your browser. Early dining is around 6 pm, while late dining is closer to 8:30 pm. please click here to update it. The best way to fully take advantage of the My Time Dining program is to make your reservations before you board the ship! The only thing you should HAVE to pay at booking is the deposit. We have my time dining and according to the threads it looks like the gratuities are asked to be prepaid. 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. 0000002916 00000 n She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 20 cruises. MY FAMILY TIME DINING MY TIME DINING DAILY RESERVATIONS Awards FOLLOW US JOIN CROWN & ANCHOR SOCIETY CALL US NOW +971 4 331 4299 Your automatic gratuities also cover your cabin steward and other behind the scenes personnel; not just dining room staff. 0000898322 00000 n The big advantage to paying cruise tips in advance is that you lock in the current rate. 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. Learn more. Breakfast in the Main Dining Room is first come, first serve, regardless on whether or not you selected My Time or Traditional Dining. No, no, no, no, no. 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. Should they have been paid at the time of booking? 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. You may find that you are split up at different tables that are not located near each other. Started August 27, 2021, By Another method is to just simply show up at the Main Dining Room each night when you are ready to eat. 0000015069 00000 n Learn the cruise secrets most people don't know and cruise like a boss. 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. What we experienced was that their program is NOT really "My time dining", it is RESERVATION time dining. You can reserve My Time Dining when you first book your cruise, or by logging onto the Royal Caribbean website to amend your booking. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Dine as you want, when you want. You dont have to attend dinner at the same time, and you can arrange a table that works for you. The lines that offer these deals say theyll pay a normal gratuity to the crew on your behalf. When making a reservation you will be offered "My Time" or traditional dining times (i.e., 5:30 pm & 8:00 pm). Can I reserve the same table or waiter at the same time in My Time Dining? They say the money is shared not just with front of house crew, such as room attendants and waitstaff, but also with behind-the-scenes workers. Royal Caribbean has done the latter keeping the option for traditional dining service but also offering My Time Dining. You will be able to see the exact times that My Time Dining is offered each evening once you book your cruise. Depending on when you go, you may have to wait until there is an available table. 0000905656 00000 n It is much simpler, and fairer, to leave them in place. Weve booked a cruise through an agent. We do not prepay gratuities because we always have OBC and they will be deducted from the OBC daily. Details: Gratuities are included in the fare. Hes sailed on more than 150 ships. 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. Australians typically do not tip because the minimum wage in Australia is $20.33 AUD/hr ($14.56 USD/hr). 0000828837 00000 n If, for example, two people would like to eat earlier around 6:30pm, you would make them their own reservation. However, you can still make reservations, based on availability, once onboard. However, spaces may be limited so it may not be possible if you leave it too late. The rates listed are per person, per day. Theres also a dining hotline you can call from the phone in your stateroom to make changes to your reservations. Hi, I'm Jenni. In that sense, the current system is more equitable than the old system of cash tipping, which favored certain workers, lines say. Maximum of 10 guests per reservation. My Time Dining is now a choice within the booking process. Tipping on a cruise ship: Everything you need to know Some dont charge a service fee at all. This website uses cookies in order to offer you the most relevant information. Automatic Gratuities were added to lessen the event of "skipping out" on tips and to make sure MTD waiters were tipped. 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. 0000006236 00000 n Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. If youre not someone who has cruised before, you might not be aware of traditional dining times on cruise ships. 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. $200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year in baggage fees and more at one select qualifying airline. Can I participate in My Time Dining but make a reservation for a specific time? 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. 20102023Regal Sea Media LLC. 0000005096 00000 n You will have to make each reservation individually and add them to your cart one-by-one. 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. If anyone on our team wouldnt recommend it to a friend or a family member, we wouldnt recommend it on The Points Guy either. 0000422815 00000 n No reservation is needed, but Royal Caribbean strongly encourages you to get a reservation if you dont want to spend a lot of time waiting when you go to dinner. Once you have decided on the perfect ship and itinerary, you are ready to move forward with the cruise booking process. Be the first to rate this post. 0000417308 00000 n 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. Do you have Cruise Fever too? 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. A list of those who do this is available to the staff. Welcome aboard! Reservations are strongly recommended. If you are traveling with more than eight people, My Time Dining might become a hassle. If you keep things as they are, everyone who is supposed to be tipped, WILL be tipped.