Anytime Dining - Prepaid Gratuities

[floridababa]

I've given $20pp for extra special attention in MTD..... including the Head Waiter who on Legend was a real star. I know it's not necessary but they really exceeded expectations.

 

Wegave him $60 for the 2 weeks. No wonder he was happy. :)

[fishtaco]

Let me give you my experience with contacting RCI direct about pre paid Grats for ATD.

 

Pre Paid grats can be adjusted down or removed with ATD but in "Most Instances" no adjustment can be made whilst on the cruise because the accounts cannot be accesses by the ships accounts department to refund because it is a separate department.

 

To remove or adjust down Pre Paid Gratuities for ATM/MTD if such an extreme case was warranted it must be done through RCI accounts on land but reasons must also be documented on the cruise, so thus only removable after your cruise!

 

I called RCI because I was charged Pre Paid Grats even though I chose Traditional dinning, another reason was because I did not want to do ATD by mistake of website booking and even my C&A states Traditional as preference.

 

I can if I wish remove my pre paid grats at any time before sailing because I chose Traditional Dinning but was also told it would not be possible to do so once onboard.

 

I decided to leave the Pre Paids in place but another major concern was why I was charged Pre Paid for TD from an Australian arm of RCI when you are not charged with RCI USA. My phone conversation was with RCI Floria not RCI Australia.

 

I mentioned above "In Most instances" only because a CC member some time ago said they got a refund of Pre Paid for ATD whilst onboard.

 

Your best bet is to call RCI yourself because I can only rely on what RCI told me and given most on CC would not own up to removing any type of Gratuity if they did anyway! I tend to believe what RCI told me:)

Edited July 20, 2014 by fishtaco

[fishtaco]

RCI Australian T&C,s on Grats if anyone is interested taking note that grats are explained as a service charge and that grat are automatically added to our cruise fares (you actually need to call RCI USA to have them removed if you want daily Autos instead) and that groups also need to pre pay?

 

I am still not sure why Australians are forced to pay in Australian Dollars when those dollars are converted back into US Dollars once paid to RCI at our own expense for making a foreign transaction? lol

 

 

21. Gratuities (tips)

On all of our ships, it is customary to offer gratuities (also known as ‘service charge’ or ‘tips’) to staff members who work to enhance your cruise experience. For guests’ convenience we automatically add your onboard gratuities to our cruise fare so that they are pre-paid in Australian Dollars in advance of your holiday. If you do not wish to pre-pay your gratuities you must make this known to us or your travel agent at the time of booking. Where guests are confirmed on My Time DiningSM or guests are booked within a group, pre-paid gratuities are required to be included at time of booking.

 

Pricing in this brochure includes a recommended total of AU$13.63 per guest (AU$16.19 for suite guests) per cruise night, as adequate to cover dining services staff, cabin attendants and other housekeeping services personnel for adults and children. A 15% gratuity is also automatically added to beverages, mini bar items, spa and salon purchases..

[dancinman66]

It's always been MTd has prepaid grats and aus now has them for all dining

Can cancel once in board also though

 

 

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[Adayatatime]

So, it appears, or is my understanding anyway, that its difficult to physically remove or downgrade your tips whilst on board. But, you can remove them when you are on land afterwards. You have to give a reason for doing so, but it is still legitimately possible.

 

If this is the case then it makes sense from a business perspective. It is adhering to the fact that a gratuity by definition is flexible, but that they are not going to make it easy to remove it (which sounds sensible).

 

This allows RCI to advertise their prices without having to include gratuities to make them more competitive.

[fishtaco]

So, it appears, or is my understanding anyway, that its difficult to physically remove or downgrade your tips whilst on board. But, you can remove them when you are on land afterwards. You have to give a reason for doing so, but it is still legitimately possible.

 

If this is the case then it makes sense from a business perspective. It is adhering to the fact that a gratuity by definition is flexible, but that they are not going to make it easy to remove it (which sounds sensible).

 

This allows RCI to advertise their prices without having to include gratuities to make them more competitive.

 

If you have daily auto grats added to your account instead of "Pre Paid" Grats you can go and remove or adjust them anytime when onboard but it is my understanding from contacting RCI that you cannot remove "PrePaid" Gratuities on the ship it has to be done on land.

[fishtaco]

It's always been MTd has prepaid grats and aus now has them for all dining

Can cancel once in board also though

 

 

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I think almost everyone already knows that with MTD you must pre pay your grats but are you saying that with the new Australian approach of "pre paid included in fare price for all dinning options" and pre paid for MTD for others you can simply remove them once onboard? as this is totally contradictory to what I have been told by RCI:)

 

I am sure somebody on CC knows the correct answer given so many prefer to pay cash?

Edited July 20, 2014 by fishtaco

[Adayatatime]

If you have daily auto grats added to your account instead of "Pre Paid" Grats you can go and remove or adjust them anytime when onboard but it is my understanding from contacting RCI that you cannot remove "PrePaid" Gratuities on the ship it has to be done on land.

 

 

Which kinda makes sense as the prepaid would have been done on land also, and there is no reason why RCI cannot have this policy.

 

My question was always that you should be able to remove anything called a gratuity, and it appears that you can, but not particularly easily, which will help distinguish between those who just want to remove tips and those who genuinely feel they have cause to.

 

I still don't like the auto gratuity policy at all, but its obviously cost effective for RCI.

 

I have to phone RCI next week so I will ask them, see what they say to me from the UK.

[evitacruiser]

Who decides/ and using what criteria whether you have a good enough reason to remove them?

[Wilda]

OP, if you book MTD your credit card (or whatever form of payment you use) will be charged immediately for the three of you, including your 1 year old. MTD is certainly convenient when traveling with small children because it does offer you flexibility about when you eat.

 

My understanding is they cannot give you credit for it while on-board the ship because it is from a separate account.

 

Have a fabulous cruise and don't worry about whether or not you will have poor service in the MDR. IF you do have less than acceptable service (only happened to me once) then you can simply sit in a different section for the rest of the cruise. We have found the staff to be excellent when traveling with kids, offering to bring bread and finger foods as soon as you are seated so the little one's don't get antsy:)

[Adayatatime]

Who decides/ and using what criteria whether you have a good enough reason to remove them?

 

I would suggest, but don't know for sure, that there won't be a set criteria as it is subjective. In the same way as you are trusting rcci in advance that the service you will receive in the future will be acceptable, conversely rcci will need to trust the passengers' judgment following the service.

 

I suppose they are hoping that people will sort it out on board and they won't need to be removed and there's plenty of time to put it right. But if you really are not happy it can be recorded for when you come off. Most people I suspect won't bother, or are happy by the time they leave, which is why its a good business move.

Edited July 20, 2014 by Adayatatime

[fishtaco]

I would suggest, but don't know for sure, that there won't be a set criteria as it is subjective. In the same way as you are trusting rcci in advance that the service you will receive in the future will be acceptable, conversely rcci will need to trust the passengers' judgment following the service.

 

I suppose they are hoping that people will sort it out on board and they won't need to be removed and there's plenty of time to put it right. But if you really are not happy it can be recorded for when you come off. Most people I suspect won't bother, or are happy by the time they leave, which is why its a good business move.

 

The question still remains though about MTD, if your entire Grats have always had to be pre paid up front for MTD what does dinning have to do with room steward(House keeping) gratuities:confused: so why really should they be bundled in together just because of your dinning choice?

 

Ease for RCI you might say? but it is just as easy to follow the new Australian model and charge all grats up front?

 

Personally I think it is purely to stop people removing the grats! As all experienced cruisers would know it would be much easier removing them with MTD than it would be with Traditional dinning in the guilt sense, after all nobody feels the need to tip anything extra to the breakfast and lunch waiters in the MDR:)

[Adayatatime]

The question still remains though about MTD, if your entire Grats have always had to be pre paid up front for MTD what does dinning have to do with room steward(House keeping) gratuities:confused: so why really should they be bundled in together just because of your dinning choice?

 

Ease for RCI you might say? but it is just as easy to follow the new Australian model and charge all grats up front?

 

Personally I think it is purely to stop people removing the grats! As all experienced cruisers would know it would be much easier removing them with MTD than it would be with Traditional dinning in the guilt sense, after all nobody feels the need to tip anything extra to the breakfast and lunch waiters in the MDR:)

 

I'm not at all disagreeing, the only thing I can say is that RCI will do what is the most financially sound route for them :)

[harry0]

We should do away with the tipping process all together and Cruise companies, restaurants and hotels just pay the employees better.

I came to this conclusion after a recent visit to Austarailia where tipping is not part of thier culture.

Down under the service was not as personalised and the waiters took more of a team approach-this was fine to me.

I lived here all my life and still think tipping is a big inconsistant mystery.

[CruisinCanadaFamily]

Ill be the first to say it and ill take the wrath for it. I ALWAYS remove my "suggested gratuities". If my end gratuities comes to $400, i take that money and divide it by 3 and pay $400 cash. I pay my room steward and 2 waiters at my table. I know i may be jamming someone else but if RC or CC or any other cruise line wanted to make this apart of the wages, then call it something else. I tip the people who directly effect me.

 

I find it wrong that cruise lines pay them so little and expect people to pay their wages. If that were the case, charge more for the cruise in advance and make gratuities what they really are! TIPS.

 

 

 

Carnival Glory 2007

RC Freedom of the Seas 2013

Carnival Breeze 2014

RC Grandeur of the Seas 2014

RC Oasis of the Seas ..... coming 2014

[Adayatatime]

We should do away with the tipping process all together and Cruise companies, restaurants and hotels just pay the employees better.

I came to this conclusion after a recent visit to Austarailia where tipping is not part of thier culture.

Down under the service was not as personalised and the waiters took more of a team approach-this was fine to me.

I lived here all my life and still think tipping is a big inconsistant mystery.

 

 

You are opening an almighty floodgate :eek: I agree.

[evitacruiser]

I agree too. Just because something has happened for a long time doesn't make it right in 2014. Pay the going rate, and let cruisers genuinely reward good service personally.

[FLACRUISER99]

We should do away with the tipping process all together and Cruise companies, restaurants and hotels just pay the employees better.

I came to this conclusion after a recent visit to Austarailia where tipping is not part of thier culture.

Down under the service was not as personalised and the waiters took more of a team approach-this was fine to me.

I lived here all my life and still think tipping is a big inconsistant mystery.

Sounds like a great idea. However you will always run across someone with more money than brains who will think he/she will get treated better if they slip them a few bucks. After a while tips will be expected. HAL a few years ago tried no tipping, tips included in the price and I just did not work.

[Deptacon]

We should do away with the tipping process all together and Cruise companies, restaurants and hotels just pay the employees better.

 

 

Everyone keeps sayin this like its that simple.... Its not. It has to so with taxes.

 

If the cruise company just cranks ip the cruise price and pays employees better with no tipping... The cruise has to pay higher tax on income...

 

When you pay through gratuity... The cruise-line does not touch the money as income only a avenue for gratuity to the employee... So its not taxed as income for the company.

 

Get it?

 

 

 

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Edited July 21, 2014 by Deptacon

[BekkaW]

We should do away with the tipping process all together and Cruise companies, restaurants and hotels just pay the employees better.

I came to this conclusion after a recent visit to Austarailia where tipping is not part of thier culture.

Down under the service was not as personalised and the waiters took more of a team approach-this was fine to me.

I lived here all my life and still think tipping is a big inconsistant mystery.

 

 

This is true, tipping is not really part of our culture although many of us will leave the change or something similar. That said, we pay easily double for a restaurant meal compared to what it would cost in the US as the owner has to cover the staff costs somehow. How did you feel about the higher prices when you were in Australia?

[Adayatatime]

Everyone keeps sayin this like its that simple.... Its not. It has to so with taxes.

 

If the cruise company just cranks ip the cruise price and pays employees better with no tipping... The cruise has to pay higher tax on income...

 

When you pay through gratuity... The cruise-line does not touch the money as income only a avenue for gratuity to the employee... So its not taxed as income for the company.

 

Get it?

 

 

 

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I certainly get it, but. Think the cruise lines should accept it. There is so much talk about pax stuffing staff, when really its the cruise lines trying to minimise their tax bill.

[evitacruiser]

So, they pay more tax, is that a bad thing? I agree with the poster above, they need to suck it up.

[harry0]

This is true, tipping is not really part of our culture although many of us will leave the change or something similar. That said, we pay easily double for a restaurant meal compared to what it would cost in the US as the owner has to cover the staff costs somehow. How did you feel about the higher prices when you were in Australia?

 

Good point, I have to admit-I was very glad I ate 95% of my meals on the ship. The restaurant prices were much higher than here in NJ ( I dont know about double)

[fishtaco]

Everyone keeps sayin this like its that simple.... Its not. It has to so with taxes.

 

If the cruise company just cranks ip the cruise price and pays employees better with no tipping... The cruise has to pay higher tax on income...

 

When you pay through gratuity... The cruise-line does not touch the money as income only a avenue for gratuity to the employee... So its not taxed as income for the company.

 

Get it?

 

 

 

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So how come the same cruise companies can include the grats in the fare on all Australian cruises plus Australia has for a few years now had the biggest cruising growth:confused:

[fishtaco]

Good point, I have to admit-I was very glad I ate 95% of my meals on the ship. The restaurant prices were much higher than here in NJ ( I dont know about double)

 

Thats why we all now come to US:D

 

You should try West Australian prices:eek: The highest in the country and one of the highest in the world! Not too sure how I can afford to live here after my recent 4 weeks in The States?