Royal Caribbean Daily Service Charges

Recently received an e-mail from Royal Caribbean regarding an upcoming cruise. It informs us that as of June 1 we will be billed a service charge of $15.95 per person per day for our cruise. Personally, I think this is presumptuous. On Brilliance we have twice had a head waiter who is nasty and for whom we wouldn't tip a cent. We've also had staff who are fantastic and for whom we would tip excessively. Gratuities should definitely be left to the discretion of the guest. If Royal Caribbean has been unhappy with gratuities to the personnel, they should pay higher wages and not have to sock it to the guest. This e-mail states "$15.95 per day for suite." I called Royal Caribbean to ask if it was only $15.95 total for the suite or per person, since the e-mail isn't clear. The answer was that it was per person.

Is anyone else unhappy with this? Are other cruise lines doing the same?

Recently received an e-mail from Royal Caribbean regarding an upcoming cruise. It informs us that as of June 1 we will be billed a service charge of $15.95 per person per day for our cruise. Personally, I think this is presumptuous. On Brilliance we have twice had a head waiter who is nasty and for whom we wouldn't tip a cent. We've also had staff who are fantastic and for whom we would tip excessively. Gratuities should definitely be left to the discretion of the guest. If Royal Caribbean has been unhappy with gratuities to the personnel, they should pay higher wages and not have to sock it to the guest. This e-mail states "$15.95 per day for suite." I called Royal Caribbean to ask if it was only $15.95 total for the suite or per person, since the e-mail isn't clear. The answer was that it was per person.

 

Is anyone else unhappy with this? Are other cruise lines doing the same?

Already being discussed Royal to raise gratuities

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

On Royal Caribbean, you can modify or discontinue automatic gratuities with a visit to Guest Services.

You're booking a suite and are upset over an increase of $0.95 PPPD?

Recently received an e-mail from Royal Caribbean regarding an upcoming cruise. It informs us that as of June 1 we will be billed a service charge of $15.95 per person per day for our cruise. Personally, I think this is presumptuous. On Brilliance we have twice had a head waiter who is nasty and for whom we wouldn't tip a cent. We've also had staff who are fantastic and for whom we would tip excessively. Gratuities should definitely be left to the discretion of the guest. If Royal Caribbean has been unhappy with gratuities to the personnel, they should pay higher wages and not have to sock it to the guest. This e-mail states "$15.95 per day for suite." I called Royal Caribbean to ask if it was only $15.95 total for the suite or per person, since the e-mail isn't clear. The answer was that it was per person.

 

Is anyone else unhappy with this? Are other cruise lines doing the same?

Yes other cruiselines are doing the same.

I´m not unhappy with this, I think it´s the right direction they are heading to.

Higher Wages as you say are always paid by the guests anyway.

Ummmm, definately not new and certainly not unique to RCL.

Coming from a culture where tipping is the norm, no...I don't mind the auto-gratuities at all. In the US model, fare pricing is lower due to labor cost being supplemented by the gratuities. I understand this. When I go to a restaurant or take a taxi or get my haircut, etc., I understand the total cost will be the cost of the service plus the appropriate tip.

When I travel to other countries where the tipping culture might be different, I research it to be sure I am behaving appropriately and not over, or under, tipping.

You're booking a suite and are upset over an increase of $0.95 PPPD?

Gratuities for Suite Guests increased $1.70pp per day. The old rate was $14.25pp per day.

The automatic gratuity is $12.95 USD, or $15.95 USD for suite guests, applied to each guest's SeaPass® account on a daily basis. Here's how it is shared between your onboard service team:

• Dining & Culinary Services: $7.75 USD
  
• Stateroom Attendant: $3.85 USD OR Suite Attendant: $6.10 USD
  
• Other Housekeeping Services: $1.35 USD OR Housekeeping and Suite Services: $2.10 USD
  

Gratuities for Suite Guests increased $1.70pp per day. The old rate was $14.25pp per day.

So you're booking a suite and you're upset over an increase of $1.70 PPPD?

And here we go again....

And here we go again....

Would you like butter on your popcorn Ken?:)

Would you like butter on your popcorn Ken?:)

Could we change to Kettle Korn??:p

Could we change to Kettle Korn??:p

Certainly- I love Kettle Korn:D

Are you from outside the U.S.? I know that people that don't live in the U.S. have trouble adjusting to the tip culture we have. If RC did what you suggested, the company would be like Regent Seven Seas, etc. that include tips. You would be paying a lot more for a cruise and then everyone would be saying why is a Royal Caribbean cruise so expensive. Or perhaps you should look into a Celebrity cruise and book when they have their promotions (which include paid gratuities).

When RC left the amount of gratuities to the discretion of the passenger, some passengers did not tip at all. The crew depend on the tips because their base salary is not equal to the amount of hours they work.

Recently received an e-mail from Royal Caribbean regarding an upcoming cruise. It informs us that as of June 1 we will be billed a service charge of $15.95 per person per day for our cruise. Personally, I think this is presumptuous. On Brilliance we have twice had a head waiter who is nasty and for whom we wouldn't tip a cent. We've also had staff who are fantastic and for whom we would tip excessively. Gratuities should definitely be left to the discretion of the guest. If Royal Caribbean has been unhappy with gratuities to the personnel, they should pay higher wages and not have to sock it to the guest. This e-mail states "$15.95 per day for suite." I called Royal Caribbean to ask if it was only $15.95 total for the suite or per person, since the e-mail isn't clear. The answer was that it was per person.

 

Is anyone else unhappy with this? Are other cruise lines doing the same?

Could we change to Kettle Korn??:p

Count us in!:)

So you're booking a suite and you're upset over an increase of $1.70 PPPD?

The OP did not mention the increase at all, but rather was complaining about the system in general of gratuities being charged automatically.

Recently received an e-mail from Royal Caribbean regarding an upcoming cruise. It informs us that as of June 1 we will be billed a service charge of $15.95 per person per day for our cruise. Personally, I think this is presumptuous. On Brilliance we have twice had a head waiter who is nasty and for whom we wouldn't tip a cent. We've also had staff who are fantastic and for whom we would tip excessively. Gratuities should definitely be left to the discretion of the guest. If Royal Caribbean has been unhappy with gratuities to the personnel, they should pay higher wages and not have to sock it to the guest. This e-mail states "$15.95 per day for suite." I called Royal Caribbean to ask if it was only $15.95 total for the suite or per person, since the e-mail isn't clear. The answer was that it was per person.

 

Is anyone else unhappy with this? Are other cruise lines doing the same?

doesn't bother me in the least and I will not have a problem paying the higher amount whatsoever. and yes we only sail suites.

having stated that, I rarely tip on top of the suggested amount to those that are covered under it. the Concierge and the CL bartender will get cash base don their level of service. once in a while we get a cabin steward who blows us away with little touches and they will get a few extra bucks at the end.

Gratuities are automatically added to your account daily but you do have the option of removing them. Yes, this is a common practice among cruise lines to add gratuities or request pre-payment.

I am tired of popcorn, been eating too much lately. I am going to break the junior mints.

Junior mints for the show, there they go!

Junior mints for me, too! :) I got my email for my B2B on the Vision and no big deal to me. Everyone has their views on this and are entitled to their opinions but paying what I do to cruise (as a single), I can't wrap my head around it. I spend thousands and whine about a few hundred??? Not happening!

...Is anyone else unhappy with this?

Are other cruise lines doing the same?

Does anyone know what wine you pair with popcorn? A white?

You're booking a suite and are upset over an increase of $0.95 PPPD?

You missed the point! I resent tipping anyone upfront for services I have not received. Paying this ahead for what may or may not be clean cabins and polite and efficient dining experiences amounts to $32 a day, so I question why the guest does not have the option of deciding who gets what.

People are all different. You say that you would like to be given the choice of deciding where your tips should go. But if left to people's choice of how much and who to tip, some people would not give any tip (even if the crew gave service above and beyond). These people who do not tip in any circumstance ruined it for the rest of us.

That is why RC went to automatic gratuities. We have been cruising for years and when the tips were given in envelopes, many people would not show up the last night in the dining room (to give their tips).

It would be better if you looked upon it as a service charge For example, when you stay at a resort, you are charged a daily resort fee per person in addition to the room rate.

I worked as a waitress in college and I guess I have sympathy for all working people who have to depend on their tips for their salary.

QUOTE=robintry;46649365]You missed the point! I resent tipping anyone upfront for services I have not received. Paying this ahead for what may or may not be clean cabins and polite and efficient dining experiences amounts to $32 a day, so I question why the guest does not have the option of deciding who gets what.

I'll give this a shot. The compensation for stewards and others covered by the service charge is 'dirt' plus tips. 'Dirt' has been reported as around $75 a month. So most of their compensation was expected to be so called 'tips'. People ran around playing postman on the last night of the cruise, handing envelopes of money to the various employees on the 'dirt' compensation plan. Some people figured out they could save money by not handing out envelopes. The cruise lines added the auto-tip/service charge/whatever, and people no longer had to play postman.

Whether the cruise line did this auto-tip for customer convenience, or to try and make sure the employees on the 'dirt' compensation plan got the appropriate pay, I don't know. Don't much care either. I just pay it, and give extra for superior service.

If you have a problem with the steward or waiters, the appropriate way to deal with it is to mention it to the head of housekeeping or the Maitre D' on the ship when it happens - not at the end of the cruise by not tipping them. By then, it's too late for corrective actions to be made, and you'll have spent the entire cruise with unclean cabins and impolite and inefficient dinning service.

Whether the cruise lines should have the 'dirt' compensation plan is the subject of endless threads with lots of angst and emotion in them. None of those threads is going to impact the cruise lines policies in the least.

Ultimately, you do have the ability to reduce the auto-tip to 0, and hand out envelopes of money if that floats your boat. Note that you will not be able to hand out money to all the employes on the 'dirt' compensation plan that serve you - think of the folks in the Windjammer.

I've decided you can't pair wine with popcorn - popcorn is best paired with beer.