My Time Dining

[LMaxwell]

If everybody has to prepay gratuities, that's one thing, but one dining time shouldn't have to when nobody else does.

 

Nailed it.

[Aquahound]

How is that even argue-able? If everybody has to prepay gratuities, that's one thing, but one dining time shouldn't have to when nobody else does. Why get defensive about that :confused:?

 

I agree. They had a point under the old tipping procedure, but under this new automatic daily procedure, it makes no sense for MTD to be pre-paid. The only thing I can think of, it prevents you from being able to remove the gratuties on board....at least, I think. :confused:

[Pezlady]

I was forced to pay upfront gratuities because my dining choice was not available. But, either way, I'd have to pay those gratuities. Same difference, no?

 

 

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[LMaxwell]

Same difference, no?

 

No. This has been clearly explained and reiterated in here in terms of using OBC to pay gratuities amongst other personal reasons.

[schlimazel_traveler]

I was forced to pay upfront gratuities because my dining choice was not available. But, either way, I'd have to pay those gratuities. Same difference, no?

 

 

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Not really. As others have pointed out, one might have on-board credit available that could be put towards gratuities if they are not prepaid. I'd be more irked about it if I had OBC. And one of our party (#3 in a cabin) is considering not going. I have to assume that if she cancelled before sailing, we'd have been out the cruise fare (and perhaps taxes and fees), but there would be no expectation that we would have to pay gratuities for a passenger who didn't sail. However, since I pre-paid them, I'm out that amount for services that will not be rendered.

 

It's an odd system.

Although, I can't complain because I chose MTD. I was offered traditional seating as an option. I just hadn't thought it through.

[caribbean sailor]

I agree. They had a point under the old tipping procedure, but under this new automatic daily procedure, it makes no sense for MTD to be pre-paid. The only thing I can think of, it prevents you from being able to remove the gratuties on board....at least, I think. :confused:

 

Bingo you broke the code.Royal takes your money and spends how they see fit. :mad:

[kruzerci]

I was forced to pay upfront gratuities because my dining choice was not available. But, either way, I'd have to pay those gratuities. Same difference, no?

 

 

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No. Not the same difference, as has been explained several times already.

[Pezlady]

So tell me....I want 6:00 traditional dining, it wasn't available when we booked and we had to choose an alternative. That alternative was offered as MTD and wait listed for 6:00 traditional. If I am changed to traditional, my gratuities are already paid, no? Do they become onboard credit and I then would be charged for gratuities at the end? I'm confused, sorry

 

 

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[jenninlaca]

I think you're missing the big picture. It is simply unnecessary to have MTD guests prepay gratuities if nobody else is required to.

 

 

 

I don't think any anybody wants them to prevent people from paying gratuities ahead of time, but you shouldn't be forced to prepay just because you are doing MTD. You should have the option to pay them up front and the option to pay them onboard, just like everybody else.

 

 

 

How is that even argue-able? If everybody has to prepay gratuities, that's one thing, but one dining time shouldn't have to when nobody else does. Why get defensive about that :confused:?

 

 

I am not arguing that the policy is equitable. I am just saying that I don't think having to prepay $84 per person 75 days out is that big of a deal. My upcoming cruise cabin is approximately $3200 for two of us with taxes and fees. Having the additional $164 charged at that time is not worth getting hugely worked up over, in my opinion. Obviously others have a right to their opinion that this is a really big deal and horribly unfair unfair and maybe if enough people make a huge stink, RCI will change its policy. Or they might say, if you don't like this policy then you can choose traditional dining. One option may be to choose traditional then switch to My Time when you board. Obviously there is not a guarantee of getting it, though.

 

 

 

 

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[Clarea]

So tell me....I want 6:00 traditional dining, it wasn't available when we booked and we had to choose an alternative. That alternative was offered as MTD and wait listed for 6:00 traditional. If I am changed to traditional, my gratuities are already paid, no? Do they become onboard credit and I then would be charged for gratuities at the end? I'm confused, sorry

If you have prepaid gratuities, then they will not charge you on board and there will be no on board credit. In other words, nothing more to do with regard to gratuities.

[kruzerci]

Theoretically, if 6PM becomes available, you can call and have prepaid gratuities removed. If you are outside of final payment, the that amount will removed from your due balance.

 

If you do not prepay, the daily gratuity amount will be charged to your onboard account every day of the cruise.

[jenninlaca]

No. Not the same difference, as has been explained several times already.

 

 

Yes. The actual amount you are paying for gratuities is the same. With My Time you are charged the $84 pp at the time of Final. Payment. With traditional dining you are charged your gratuities while on board so they become part of what you owe on your account when the cruise is over. There is no difference in the amount of gratuities charged, just the timing of the charges. In your situation if you prepaid and you now switched to traditional, they may just leave your account alone and you will not be charged anything for gratuities on board because you paid them already. If you insisted you may be able to get a refund or an OBC now but the amount will be recharged during your cruise so there may not be much point.

 

 

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[LMaxwell]

So tell me....I want 6:00 traditional dining, it wasn't available when we booked and we had to choose an alternative. That alternative was offered as MTD and wait listed for 6:00 traditional. If I am changed to traditional, my gratuities are already paid, no? Do they become onboard credit and I then would be charged for gratuities at the end? I'm confused, sorry

 

 

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That's a really good question. I will attempt to answer as best I understand.

 

If upon boarding the ship you were switched to traditional seating after you had paid your gratuity, your prepaid gratuity would remain as prepaid; you would not be issued an OBC and then charged gratuity at the end.

 

If at some point before sailing you were switched to traditional dining after you had paid your gratuity, your prepaid gratuity COULD be refunded to you and then you would be charged gratuity at the end. I don't know if they default to doing it in that method or not, but it would certainly seem possible to do that.

 

If you had an OBC that would go towards any charges generated while on board, which is the category that gratuities for traditional dining fall into. If you had $100 OBC, with traditional dining times and being charged gratuity after the cruise your total cost is essentially $100 less. With prepaid tips you essentially are in a position where you have to "spend" the OBC on stuff that may not be as valuable to you as the effective discount of having the OBC pay mandated service charges. Of course one could cash out OBC in the Casino but will also pay a 5% penalty to do so.

[Pezlady]

Thank you to those of you that answered my question nicely. My entire cruise is paid, as are excursions. I just want my dining time changed to 6:00 traditional. I've emailed them and I'm waiting for a reply.

 

 

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[LMaxwell]

Or they might say, if you don't like this policy then you can choose traditional dining. One option may be to choose traditional then switch to My Time when you board. Obviously there is not a guarantee of getting it, though.

 

In theory what you suggests works, but not always in application.

I booked Freedom 13 months in advance. Was told MTD was only option. I could not even book traditional and switch to MTD for convenience onboard or to put my OBC towards gratuities.

 

You say well of course it's not an equitable situation. Is there a reason it shouldn't be an equitable situation?:confused: I don't want to pay less, I just want to be treated to same policy as those with fixed dining times. I hardly think that's asking for the moon and stars.

 

Since the money is of no consequence to you, I kindly ask that you consider paying the $500 in service charges due for my party of 6 at the time of final payment. I will then pay you back the full amount immediately following the cruise. Paypal, Cash, personal check, or certified check; whatever you desire. Deal?

[jenf22]

Since the money is of no consequence to you, I kindly ask that you consider paying the $500 in service charges due for my party of 6 at the time of final payment. I will then pay you back the full amount immediately following the cruise. Paypal, Cash, personal check, or certified check; whatever you desire. Deal?

 

:) Love it! I'm new to RCI so this is my first experience with this. We are sailing in October and were told MTD was the only option. I didn't think anything of it at first. But I agree with most of you here - why am I paying for service up front? And we have $425 OBC that I am now wondering how we're going to spend (I imagine in actuality, it won't be a problem!). I've only ever sailed Disney and they don't charge anything until it happens, so I'm thrown by having to pay for excursions up front too. I'm a planner and can't do the "book them on the ship" method. Oh well, I guess we'll just see how it goes.

[schlimazel_traveler]

:)..we have $425 OBC that I am now wondering how we're going to spend (I imagine in actuality, it won't be a problem!). ... I'm a planner and can't do the "book them on the ship" method. Oh well, I guess we'll just see how it goes.

 

I believe you can opt to purchase your drink packages (if you were going to purchase them) onboard rather than ahead of time. That could take care of some of your OBC and there wouldn't be any risk of missing out on something that needed to be secured ahead of time.

 

(Come to think of it, I now recall we might actually have a small OBC on one of our cabins. Which makes me a tiny bit more chagrined about the pre-paid gratuities than I was a moment ago. But maybe I'll just hold off on getting the soda packages.)

[Ken Greco]

If you use MTD can you pick a different time every night and are you put with a group of strangers so you feel you do not have to dine alone?

[LMaxwell]

If you use MTD can you pick a different time every night and are you put with a group of strangers so you feel you do not have to dine alone?

 

You can go a different time every night; you can reserve times or not make any reservations. You can ask to be sat with a group or by yourself. Whatever pleases you that day

[kruzerci]

In theory what you suggests works, but not always in application.

I booked Freedom 13 months in advance. Was told MTD was only option. I could not even book traditional and switch to MTD for convenience onboard or to put my OBC towards gratuities.

 

You say well of course it's not an equitable situation. Is there a reason it shouldn't be an equitable situation?:confused: I don't want to pay less, I just want to be treated to same policy as those with fixed dining times. I hardly think that's asking for the moon and stars.

 

Since the money is of no consequence to you, I kindly ask that you consider paying the $500 in service charges due for my party of 6 at the time of final payment. I will then pay you back the full amount immediately following the cruise. Paypal, Cash, personal check, or certified check; whatever you desire. Deal?

 

Ha ha :D

[BettyPC]

We were on JOS for our anniversary in Feb. We wanted to do OUR time dining..... The person in charge of reservations in the MTD was not happy that we had not made RESERVATIONS for it. So, we dined when he told us he had an available table for 2. Mostly it was 8:00 or later.

 

We booked our next trip on Carnival because of that.:rolleyes: When we go back to RCCL - we will be sure to make a 7:00 reservation for MTD on the first evening - for the entire week.. It will make life much easier

 

Betty

 

 

If you use MTD can you pick a different time every night and are you put with a group of strangers so you feel you do not have to dine alone?

Edited April 14, 2014 by BettyPC

[Cindy]

We were on JOS for our anniversary in Feb. We wanted to do OUR time dining..... The person in charge of reservations in the MTD was not happy that we had not made RESERVATIONS for it. So, we dined when he told us he had an available table for 2. Mostly it was 8:00 or later.

 

We booked our next trip on Carnival because of that.:rolleyes: When we go back to RCCL - we will be sure to make a 7:00 reservation for MTD on the first evening - for the entire week.. It will make life much easier

 

Betty

 

If you have a time you really want, your best bet is to book it on-line ahead of the cruise.

[descotes]

So I've just read this whole thread because I have just started to understand the whole MTD deal and am considering switching from Traditional early seating to MTD during my upcoming cruise in about a month.

 

I definitely agree with those that say it is unfair to be forced to tip for MTD ahead of time when everyone else essentially gets the option. I opted to do it before so I don't have as much of a bill at the end of my cruise. I definitely understand the OBC dilemma and if I had a substantial OBC I would be upset to not be able to use that because of that policy.

 

I know to each their own and I'm still trying to understand MTD but I've always done traditional dining and usually that works for us but on this upcoming trip on the Freedom the early seating is a bit early and the late seating is a bit late so I was thinking of changing. When I called RCCL they told me that I should wait to get on the ship and see what times they had available for dining before switching because the traditional dining times were on waitlist so she wouldn't want me to lose that if the times I did want weren't available. She did tell me that the reservations are like 15min apart... 7:00/7:15/7:30, etc.

 

So my question is - if you are told that only MTD is available (other than the tip reasons) and you really wanted traditional (early or late), couldn't you just make reservations every night in the MDR close to that time? And I thought that I read that you can always request the same section/waiters if possible.

 

I enjoy getting to know the waiter/waitress in the specific area and having the same seat every niight but I'm not sure (for me) that outweighs eating when I want to or not having to rush back to the ship to get ready at an early time for main seating. I am traveling with 2 teens and I'm wondering how MTD would impact what we are accustom to. I want to sit with just my family of 4, at the time I reserve, either wherever they want to put us or in the same waiter/waitress section in the MDR every night.

 

Can that happen with MTD before I opt to switch when I get onboard? Just wondering why everyone wants Traditional Dining so much that there is a waitlist for it or is it just because of the prepaid tip thing?

 

Thanks

[Anung Un Rama]

Here's a new RCI cruiser's .02. I just booked my first Royal Cruise last night, a quick 3 day on the Majesty in August. All dining options were available and this is less than 2 months out. I did notice that it automatically filled in pre-paid gratuities but we always do them anyway. If we get great service, we always tip more on top of our pre-paid.

[Izzziee]

To be honest I'd rather pre pay my gratuities, plus extra paid during the cruise, but the only problem I can see is what if you are extremely unlucky and receive poor service, you've already paid and they can not be removed.