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However, one might want to add a cash gratuity for the staff. Same effort on their part to make/bring the drink for you, and they work for tips. I budget for this and take enough $1 bills with me.

I'm sure the bartenders are allowed to ring up "promotional" drinks (for lack of a better word). I just don't think what's being proposed on this thread is a good thing to do deliberately.

I actually thought the tip was included, too, until I asked once. That's when I started tipping cash for the vouchered drinks.

I think you and PhillyFan are not familiar about how tightly controlled the liquor is on board the ships. Company policy infractions are taken very seriously by RCCL management, and especially with alcohol. They've had some REALLY, REALLY bad incidents with alcohol over the decades I've been sailing. Just go along with the program, please, because if there is a trend of cheating on the free drink vouchers, RCCL can easily take that perk away.

Twangster is mistaken. I've received the receipts several times over the 58 days of sailing recently on 3 ships. They are all zeroes, including the tip. I keep $1 bills on me when I know I'm going to use the vouchers. Easier than asking for a receipt and adding a tip of your choice.

Sorta/kinda off topic: I felt like I was on one of these CruiseCritic threads about COVID restrictions, etc., this morning while texting with my adult son. He's going to Italy the end of next week. I offered up some of my N95 masks I have in the package. He said Italy lifted it's travel restrictions on 6/1. I started chuckling, because here I was going out, finding an article about the 6/1 changes, copying and pasting the "EU has lifted the airplane mask mandate, except for Italy, who requires them on planes and also crowded indoor venues." I could here him sighing from 4 miles away.................."OK, Mom. Bring the masks when you drive us to the airport". 😄

VERY good point!!!

About the CLIA number: At the get-go, BinaxNOW was who RCCL partnered with for testing. Putting a link on their web site for people to buy the tests. We were all relieved that we had a very convenient way to do this, especially people who were traveling 2 days before the test. Great! It's portable, and you can do it with your phone or a computer. I think RCCL included the CLIA number in their policy statement because BinaxNOW, their testing partner includes it on their test results. It was a convenient way to grab the info required. Today I did an online chat with Test and Trace, and like previously posted above, they follow CDC guidelines for travel testing and the CLIA is not required by the CDC. I think there is no problem about it not being included, because Test and Trace actually partners with the US Government, and clearly states they will do testing with the use of the free tests provided by the US Gov. To test this, I'm going to use both on my next cruise (caveat: I'm not going until September, and the BinaxNOW test kit expires in November). I'll take both results with me, but I think the T&T will be accepted. By that time I'm sure we'll have plenty more feedback on this thread, too.

Seems like a good opportunity to remind everyone that they should tip for the coupon drink. Same labor involved to bring you the freebie as the paid for drink. They work for tips, remember. Your decision about how much, but it seems the right thing to do for the bar staff.......................

I've sailed 58 days since mid-February as a solo. There are far more tables for two than before, but what I would recommend is you also think seriously about the location. Several of my cruises were crowded, and the noise level in My Time Dining was incredibly LOUD. Go into where your dining room location is on embarkation day (main dining room or MTD), and look for "alcove" dining rooms. Almost all ships have them, and usually if you walk in and make a left or right "U" turn, you'll find them. The head waiter usually handles requests around 1pm, and you can ask for a particular table. Have several as choices, too. I had a table for two on one of my recent cruises where I literally could not figure out how to get across the dining room to leave!! The larger table diners had chairs pushed out to the point where there was no clear path to get to the dining room entrance. Seriously.

Re-order after 10 days. I found the ones I ordered 2 weeks ago never went past the acknowledgement step. I ordered them again 2 days ago and they will be delivered today.

I tip extra in cash to crew members that have done something extra for me. I don't like the envelopes. For some reason they seem impersonal to me. I give the tips directly to the person. I also share my casino winnings with them. It's not much: just whatever I walk away with from my free play money. I also cash out my obc in the casino, and give all of that as extra cash tips. We had a group on the Vision in March for happy hour in the DL, and I mentioned what I did, because I gave the bar waitress my winnings: she was from the Ukraine, and her Mom was still there. I noticed the rest of the group took my hint, and started giving her large tips when she served them drinks.

I'm repeating myself, but...................................... This reminds me of going on a family cruise with my adult sons in 2008. They are both generous, and tipped all the bar staff. My older son especially does this: he used to deliver pizza in high school, and knows what it's like to hope about the tips. Well, we were chatting at dinner one night, and Son #1 asked me how much he should tip for the wine. I said the gratuity is included already. He started to laugh and looked at Son #2, who said, "so that's why we get the thundering herd of bar waiters everywhere we go!". I don't think they stopped doing it, either.

It could have been better, but RCCL can never "see" the price I'm looking at on their web site. It was actually about a 50 cent difference in price from the inside to the balcony. But, I am NOT complaining, but explaining.......

I guess you're right. Two subjects in that sentence, and I took the first.

Just point to the item you want on the app, and your waiter will get it for you.

That vegetable tempura is really good as an appetizer.

We should all listen and do what Mom says. I've had 1 price drop for $99, and 1 inside-to-balcony upgrade for $3. Mom knows best............................

Don't quite agree about the rubbish part........................ I ate off the V menu almost every night. The grilled peach salad is wonderful, as well as the vegetable tempura, and the pan roasted asparagus. I suggest you order a double portion if try any of these dishes, since they will be your whole meal. The V soups looked pretty good, also. Yes, all of these are in the app, at the bottom of the dining room and MTD menu.

Refferal to this thread:

Anybody else get this? I think I have a remaining FCC of $8........ ABOUT YOUR UPCOMING TRAVELS Dear Guest, We have exciting news for you! To provide you with additional flexibility to sail with us, we have extended your Future Cruise Credit (FCC). Your FCC will remain active and will never expire. Our systems still require an expiration date on file, so in the next few days we’ll update our records to reflect an expiration date far in the future – rest assured these credits do not expire. No action is needed on your part, we’ll take care of everything for you! Thank you for being a part of our Royal Comeback. We can’t wait to welcome you back onboard soon! Sincerely, Aurora Yera-Rodriguez AVP | Guest Experience Royal Caribbean International

I have been price checking a lot the last few days, and I am being offered solo GTY cabins on many that I'm checking. I hate GTY cabins, and won't book them. I am fussy about my cabin location. I am also wondering if this GTY push is going to turn off potential new bookings. It's not worth it to me to book a GTY and end up over some evening entertainment that goes on until 11pm.

And, the second person becomes a no-show? (Asking for a friend).

And, this is exactly why I have a good reason to move a cruise and pay the $100. Sailing with a friend, the price of the new cruise is lower, I like the itinerary better. Plus, a potential price drop later on. Right now I have received a $99 price drop this morning that cancels all but $1 of my latest change fee.

The solo fare is higher, unless you can use the DP340 promo code. The deposit is the same, but the RD is usually a lot more than the NRD. So, if the difference for a RD is more than $100, I go for the NRD and take my chances on paying that extra $100 later. It's still less than the extra for the RD.