My time dining - charges for your whole party???

[dagored]

Excellent.

[peteukmcr]

Charged/Pre Pay - you say tomato I say tomatoe.

It boils down to you cannot do MTD without RCCL imposing you to pre-pay your gratuities which is fine. My only question or concern is how much am I pre-paying? What will my account by charged when I look at my bill?

 

To clarify to someone not familiar with this. You are not "charged" to use MTD, Royal Caribbean just asks that you pre-pay gratuities which you pay upfront in advance.

As I mentioned earlier, if you prepay your gratuities (btw if you book in the UK whether you elect MTD or not, the online booking will include prepaid gratuities automatically and you have to elect to remove them!), then if you are in a cabin category of JS or less, the amount added to your cruise cost will be $11.65 per guest per day, if you are in a GS or higher category cabin it will be $13.90 per guest per day.

 

If these amounts are paid on final payment, and before you sail, no further amounts will be added to your Seapass account whilst you are on your cruise.

 

During your cruise if you elect to prepay the gratuities, then these amounts will be added to your Seapass account.

 

Does that help?

[beachgirls]

So with MTD you do not get the same waiters each night? I have always enjoyed how they get to know you during the week. Last cruise, the waiter would have strawberries waiting on my daughter. It was just all part of the dining experience that we enjoyed. I am trying to decide which way to go.

[BettyPC]

We tried to change from LATE seating to MTD & would have had no issue w/pre-paying the tips - - but our travel agent told us that change would make the Price of our "cruise" go up - so they would also need to charge us $30. more insurance...

 

I said - nevermind - I'll try to change once I am onboard..

[LeeGrant]

Did MTD once - never again.

 

Far too long to wait for a table - 30-40 minutes was normal.

 

Would not recommend it.

[peteukmcr]

So with MTD you do not get the same waiters each night? I have always enjoyed how they get to know you during the week. Last cruise, the waiter would have strawberries waiting on my daughter. It was just all part of the dining experience that we enjoyed. I am trying to decide which way to go.

Not always, depends what time you go to the MDR which is the flexibility of MTD. If you make reservations for the same time each night, chances are you will get the same staff, but not guaranteed. If you dine at different times, possibly not. Although we didn't get the same staff, many, including the head waiter stopped by to see if everything was ok wherever we were seated.

 

Did MTD once - never again.

 

Far too long to wait for a table - 30-40 minutes was normal.

 

Would not recommend it.

Sorry to hear of your experience. On which ship did you experience this? We've never had a problem, never waited more than 5 minutes and that's for tables for just us 2, a party of 4, 6 or 8 on Liberty. Same on Adventure where we did get the same staff every night.

[Amyburns]

We have signed up for MTD. Do I need to call for a reservation for each night or can I make all reservations on day 1 for the whole week? For example, we are on St. Thomas until 5:00. After we depart, we know we'd like to get cleaned up and then eat around 7:30 on day 3, should I make that reservation on day 1 or wait until day 3? And where do we eat...main dining room or do we have a choice? Can you tell it's our first cruise?:)

[akcruz]

We have signed up for MTD. Do I need to call for a reservation for each night or can I make all reservations on day 1 for the whole week? For example, we are on St. Thomas until 5:00. After we depart, we know we'd like to get cleaned up and then eat around 7:30 on day 3, should I make that reservation on day 1 or wait until day 3? And where do we eat...main dining room or do we have a choice? Can you tell it's our first cruise?:)

 

If you know when you would like to eat make your reservations now if thise times are available. You can always change or cancel them once onboard if you find the times no longer work for you. In my mind one less thing to worry about after boarding which allows me more time to enjoy the ship.

[negc]

So with MTD you do not get the same waiters each night? I have always enjoyed how they get to know you during the week. Last cruise, the waiter would have strawberries waiting on my daughter. It was just all part of the dining experience that we enjoyed. I am trying to decide which way to go.

 

You can request the same table or the same servers if you select MTD and they will do their best to accommodate you. Many of us have done so and have been successful.

 

Did MTD once - never again.

 

Far too long to wait for a table - 30-40 minutes was normal.

 

Would not recommend it.

 

Your experience is the exception rather than the rule. Read these boards with any degree of regularity and you will find very few posts registering this complaint. In fact, most posters have indicated that they have never had a wait of more than a few minutes even when they decided to dine during a peak time. If you are concerned about having that long a wait, you can reserve a particular time and avoid even the slight chance that you won't be seated almost immediately. In our experience the longest wait we have ever had (without making reservations, which we rarely do anyway) was five minutes. Now our experiences with Princess' Anytime Dining were much closer to what you have described and were a reason that we were initially skeptical about MTD. Since we have experienced it , My Time Dining has become our favorite style of dining. I would recommend it.

 

We have signed up for MTD. Do I need to call for a reservation for each night or can I make all reservations on day 1 for the whole week? For example, we are on St. Thomas until 5:00. After we depart, we know we'd like to get cleaned up and then eat around 7:30 on day 3, should I make that reservation on day 1 or wait until day 3? And where do we eat...main dining room or do we have a choice? Can you tell it's our first cruise?:)

With MTD, you can make daily reservations for the same or a different time every evening, either at the start of your cruise or you can make them daily, or you can simply show up each evening at a time when it best suits your schedule. MTD guests are seated in a section of the main dining room (on most, if not all ships, on Deck 5). You will have the same menu that is being served to guests who choose one of the two traditional times. MTD offers the best of both worlds- flexibility to dine when you want, the comfort of having the same wait staff (which is usually possible), and no last minute worries about having the correct dollar amounts to tip the staff.

Don't worry, you will quickly get the hang of everything and your first cruise is likely to become the first of many.:)

[chanpion13]

when do you get charged for MTD since it's prepaid, before the cruise on your credit card?

[MandyMooToo]

when do you get charged for MTD since it's prepaid, before the cruise on your credit card?

 

You are charged for the prepaid gratuity before the cruise. There is no "charge" for MTD, you just have to pay your tips/gratuity beforehand.

[jbrezen]

So with MTD you do not get the same waiters each night? I have always enjoyed how they get to know you during the week. Last cruise, the waiter would have strawberries waiting on my daughter. It was just all part of the dining experience that we enjoyed. I am trying to decide which way to go.

 

We've been lucky that even with MTD, we've almost always have had the same waiters. We tend to eat around the same time each night so were seated at the same table with same waitstaff. They would usually have my kids favorite soup or appetizer brought right out to them without us asking.

[akcruz]

when do you get charged for MTD since it's prepaid, before the cruise on your credit card?

 

You are charged for the prepaid gratuity before the cruise. There is no "charge" for MTD, you just have to pay your tips/gratuity beforehand.

 

Your prepaid tips are added to your final payment. So whenever that is paid is when the tips are paid. If you change to regular dining before final you don't have to pre-pay.

[negc]

So with MTD you do not get the same waiters each night? I have always enjoyed how they get to know you during the week. Last cruise, the waiter would have strawberries waiting on my daughter. It was just all part of the dining experience that we enjoyed. I am trying to decide which way to go.

 

Yours is a common misconception about My Time Dining. With MTD, you CAN get the same waiters each night just like in traditional dining. You can request, and they usually will assign, the same wait staff if you find them to be exceptionally good - which is what we have discovered on our last several cruises. If you are not especially pleased with the wait staff, you can request to be seated at another wait team's table. It is basically up to you, but choosing My Time dining doesn't mean giving up the opportunity to have a wait staff that gets to know your special dining preferences.

[dreadpirate3]

So with MTD you do not get the same waiters each night? I have always enjoyed how they get to know you during the week. Last cruise, the waiter would have strawberries waiting on my daughter. It was just all part of the dining experience that we enjoyed. I am trying to decide which way to go.

 

We had the same servers each night with MTD.

[spookwife]

I've been told this twice, now, so I must believe it is true... but I'm still just kind of incredulous about this policy.

 

As it has been explained to me, if you choose to do My time dining (for 2 kids to eat fast and leave early), your tips are prepaid... ($45 pp). But the charge applies to your entire dining party.

 

So, since we are going with my in-laws (3 of them), and we have 5 in our party (2 adults, one baby, and the 2 "my time" kids), ALL EIGHT of us would be paying $45 per person?? Can someone explain the rationale behind this? For a 4 night cruise, I understand that the recommended tipping for dining staff would be $3.75 pp for waiter, 2.25 for assistant, and .75 for head waiter. For a 4 night cruise that is about $30 pp. So, for 8 people, it is about $120 more to do "my time".

 

I could understand charging per kid. Or even for the 5 of us in my family. But really, for all 8 of us?

 

I must be missing something here. Can anyone set me straight?

 

everyone pays gratuities regardless of age. EVERYONE generates work for the dining staff and room steward which is who gets paid via the grats you pay. in fact children are EXTRA work.

 

what you are looking at doing is My FAMILY TIME dining. which again generates extra work as the staff rushes the kid's meals instead of everybody at the table getting the same course at a time.

 

anyone on either MTD or MFTD must prepay gratuties. period. it is the policy.

 

you are going to pay the price no matter what. this way you budget for it PRIOR to boarding and have that much less of a bill at the end of the cruise.

[bigque]

everyone pays gratuities regardless of age. EVERYONE generates work for the dining staff and room steward which is who gets paid via the grats you pay. in fact children are EXTRA work.

 

what you are looking at doing is My FAMILY TIME dining. which again generates extra work as the staff rushes the kid's meals instead of everybody at the table getting the same course at a time.

 

anyone on either MTD or MFTD must prepay gratuties. period. it is the policy.

 

you are going to pay the price no matter what. this way you budget for it PRIOR to boarding and have that much less of a bill at the end of the cruise.

 

You do realize you answering a person who posted this back in January 2012 and they have posted anything else since...right???! :cool:

[sharpasice]

Both above posters are correct, the pre paid gratuities are for all members who you should tip, Head waiter, assistant waiter, the person who stands at the desk and smiles at you when you enter the restaurant and your cabin steward. So the $45 covers everyone.

 

At the end of your cruise you will be given the envelopes as usual and you put in a voucher and then hand it to the person. You don't have to do this as their tips have already been paid but it's a way to still say thank you. If you so wish you can still add more to it if you have had some outstanding service.

 

Hope this clears it all up

 

CK x

 

In October we were on Oasis and on the final day we were not given any envelopes at all..we did prepay tips..I sure hope we didn't stiff our cabin steward...OMG ...I would feel sooooo badly since he was the best we ever had. We did tip him immediately on the first day..but that wasn't meant to be his full tip. Can anyone tell me if all the ships give envelopes as we are going on the Oasis again in August (prepaid tips) and certainly don't want to short change any of the hard workers..

Also...the prepaid tips don't include bartenders, do they? I always saw the mandatory tip on the receipt and added an extra $1 ea drink. Am I over tipping? (we got great bartender service)

[MandyMooToo]

In October we were on Oasis and on the final day we were not given any envelopes at all..we did prepay tips..I sure hope we didn't stiff our cabin steward...OMG ...I would feel sooooo badly since he was the best we ever had. We did tip him immediately on the first day..but that wasn't meant to be his full tip. Can anyone tell me if all the ships give envelopes as we are going on the Oasis again in August (prepaid tips) and certainly don't want to short change any of the hard workers..

Also...the prepaid tips don't include bartenders, do they? I always saw the mandatory tip on the receipt and added an extra $1 ea drink. Am I over tipping? (we got great bartender service)

 

No worries, your prepaid tips covered the cabin steward also (though we prepaid our CB gave us envelopes which we gladly added extra to because he was great). As for the bar tenders, if you purchased a package the tips are included, if not then you were right to tip. Some people tip a bit extra even with the package, we did and service was great :D

[MandyMooToo]

when do you get charged for MTD since it's prepaid, before the cruise on your credit card?

 

You do realize you answering a person who posted this back in January 2012 and they have posted anything else since...right???! :cool:

 

 

Someone (as quoted above) revived the thread with a question earlier today;)

[squadron]

everyone pays gratuities regardless of age. EVERYONE generates work for the dining staff and room steward which is who gets paid via the grats you pay. in fact children are EXTRA work.

 

what you are looking at doing is My FAMILY TIME dining. which again generates extra work as the staff rushes the kid's meals instead of everybody at the table getting the same course at a time.

 

anyone on either MTD or MFTD must prepay gratuties. period. it is the policy.

 

you are going to pay the price no matter what. this way you budget for it PRIOR to boarding and have that much less of a bill at the end of the cruise.

 

Why is tipping such a problem for some - everyone tips in restaurants for all diners why not on the ship?? Also people must remember the room attendant, security members etc etc

[sharpasice]

No worries, your prepaid tips covered the cabin steward also (though we prepaid our CB gave us envelopes which we gladly added extra to because he was great). As for the bar tenders, if you purchased a package the tips are included, if not then you were right to tip. Some people tip a bit extra even with the package, we did and service was great :D

 

Thank you MandyMooToo..I feel better now. lol

[MandyMooToo]

Thank you MandyMooToo..I feel better now. lol

 

You are so welcome :)

[woehwdy]

The My Time dining is not the same as My Family Time Dining for the Adventure Ocean staff to pick up your children, you need to have the first seating, not My Time, but you will still pre pay your gratuities.