Specialty restaurant charge no longer includes gratuity

[mac_tlc]

Seems like we have a variety of opinions as to what this applies to or does not apply to. I purchased the 4-night package for a January 2018 Oasis cruise. Here is what is still says in my cruise planner, as of 2 minutes ago:

 

*Specialty Dining Packages must be booked at least two days prior to boarding and may not be available for every sail date. One reservation must be used on the first or second night of the sailing. Packages include service charge and food portion only for dinner and, when available, lunch service.

I suppose I should print that out, make 4 copies (one for each night of the package) and bring them with me!

mac_tlc

[Merion_Mom]

Seems like we have a variety of opinions as to what this applies to or does not apply to. I purchased the 4-night package for a January 2018 Oasis cruise. Here is what is still says in my cruise planner, as of 2 minutes ago:

 

 

 

*Specialty Dining Packages must be booked at least two days prior to boarding and may not be available for every sail date. One reservation must be used on the first or second night of the sailing. Packages include service charge and food portion only for dinner and, when available, lunch service.

 

 

 

I suppose I should print that out, make 4 copies (one for each night of the package) and bring them with me!

 

 

 

mac_tlc

 

 

 

I don't think that they are opinions. They are experiences.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Milwaukee Eight]

Maybe but I also stated that it didn't charge it when I went to book a single restaurant as well.

 

 

 

Not positive on this but from what I have heard, it doesn’t yet apply to pre cruise Purshase’s But always subject to change.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[mac_tlc]

I don't think that they are opinions. They are experiences.

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

From a few posts back:

 

"Don’t think it yet applies to the dining packages. "

 

 

 

Doesn't sound like an experience to me.

 

 

 

 

mac_tlc

[Ourusualbeach]

Not positive on this but from what I have heard, it doesn’t yet apply to pre cruise Purshase’s But always subject to change.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Thanks.

[Biker19]

Just in time for the holidays.

 

Biker, who expects the service crew to get a raise in the New Year, via the daily grats.

[audome78]

Much more economical!

 

Except that they have always charged the 18% if you order the Chops steak in the MDR 😢😢😢 or the lobster out surf and turf...

[seabeew]

Next up will be that they will put an 18% tip on when you use your BOGO coupon.

 

 

 

On the Adventure now. We were charged 18% on the bogo. My husband didn't notice and tipped the server out of pocket, too.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[moopetguy]

On the Adventure now. We were charged 18% on the bogo. My husband didn't notice and tipped the server out of pocket, too.

 

Just wanted to confirm, was this the Diamond Plus BOGO coupon or the BOGO 2-night dining package for nights 1 & 2? Thank you.

[Ourusualbeach]

Just wanted to confirm, was this the Diamond Plus BOGO coupon or the BOGO 2-night dining package for nights 1 & 2? Thank you.

I'm going to guess that it was the D+ BOGO as the other one would have been paid for through the cruise planner and they surely would have noticed a charge when the bill should have been 0.

[moopetguy]

I'm going to guess that it was the D+ BOGO as the other one would have been paid for through the cruise planner and they surely would have noticed a charge when the bill should have been 0.

 

I thought about that but perhaps an upcharge item was ordered so the bill wouldn't have been zero, and the 18% added gratuity could have slipped by...?

 

I pre-purchased a BOGO 2-night coming up in 3 weeks so I selfishly wanted to know what to expect ;p

[cruisegirl1]

So if I use my D+ BOGO the meal at Chops is "only" $49 for 2, not $98. Is the 18% ( or is it 19%? - whatever) figured on the $98 . We usually leave $10-20 per meal (for 2) tip to the server, so it is basically a wash for us if we don't leave any additional tip to the server. I always thought it was expected to leave additional tip, so will that still be the case? Will staff be looking for extra gratuities?

 

m

[jr1946]

So if I use my D+ BOGO the meal at Chops is "only" $49 for 2, not $98. Is the 18% ( or is it 19%? - whatever) figured on the $98 . We usually leave $10-20 per meal (for 2) tip to the server, so it is basically a wash for us if we don't leave any additional tip to the server. I always thought it was expected to leave additional tip, so will that still be the case? Will staff be looking for extra gratuities?

 

m

 

 

 

$45 plus 18% or $53.10

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[marci22]

I always thought it was expected to leave additional tip, so will that still be the case? Will staff be looking for extra gratuities?

 

It was never expected.

 

Will staff be looking for extra? I hope not.

[molly361]

On the Adventure now. We were charged 18% on the bogo. My husband didn't notice and tipped the server out of pocket, too.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Were you charged the 18% on both the meal that you paid for (say $49) and the meal that was free? ($49 value) Total of 18% on $98 or was it just 18% on $49 for the one meal.

[c-leg5]

On the Adventure now. We were charged 18% on the bogo. My husband didn't notice and tipped the server out of pocket, too.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Did you booked and pay on board and was on the 18% on the price of one meal?

 

I assume the charge is automated.

[c-leg5]

So if I use my D+ BOGO the meal at Chops is "only" $49 for 2, not $98. Is the 18% ( or is it 19%? - whatever) figured on the $98 . We usually leave $10-20 per meal (for 2) tip to the server, so it is basically a wash for us if we don't leave any additional tip to the server. I always thought it was expected to leave additional tip, so will that still be the case? Will staff be looking for extra gratuities?

 

m

The tip was never required, it was supposed to be included.

 

I am sure the staff will always be looking for, and grateful for, extra gratituities.

[lele100]

I just bought the normal BOGO, not the D+BOGO and at checkout it was $30 dollars per person, and under Service Charge it said $0. so the total was $60 for two people, I am thinking once I get on board they will charge me the gratuity

[moopetguy]

I just bought the normal BOGO, not the D+BOGO and at checkout it was $30 dollars per person, and under Service Charge it said $0. so the total was $60 for two people, I am thinking once I get on board they will charge me the gratuity

 

They're not supposed to charge the gratuity on board though, because here is an excerpt of the fine print for the BOGO 2-night:

 

*Specialty Dining Packages must be booked at least two days prior to boarding and may not be available for every sail date. Each reservation must be used on the first and second nights of the sailing respectively.

Packages include service charge

and food portion only for dinner. Beverages not included.

[TBone2K]

I don't want to turn this into a tipping thread, but keep in mind that any time you use a coupon on land or sea, you should base your tip on the price before any discount. It isn't the server's fault you reduced the price of your meal and they didn't give you less value, so why would you tip them less?

[mgmigs]

Had dinner in Jamie’s after reading this thread, the 18% additional gratuity is in fine print at the bottom and you’d really have to be looking for it to find it

[Clarea]

Except that they have always charged the 18% if you order the Chops steak in the MDR 😢😢😢 or the lobster out surf and turf...

True, but still significantly less expensive than a trip to Chops, especially now that they add the 18% to Chops too.

[londongal796]

Daily gratuities have never included specialty restaurants.

As far as I was aware, daily gratuities goes to my stateroom attendant (and related services) and for my dining experiences. I appreciate that this covers a range of servers (from Windjammer for breakfast or MDR for lunch, as well as my dinner) but it justifiably should include your dinner experience, whether or not it is in the MDR or a Specialty Restaurant.

 

I was always sold the Specialty Restaurant package as being INCLUSIVE of gratuities. Adding them on after the fact is a real slap in the face. My gratuities are meant to cover all wait staff I encounter, not just those in the MDR!

 

We of course have ALWAYS tipped extra at the end of our meal, generally $20 per meal (or more for exceptional service). This is based on the fact that A) we've already paid for our gratuities and B) we're 'assuming' 20% tip of what is effectively a $100 meal for 2 if we'd been dining out in an upscale restaurant, which is the level of service we're experiencing (even though the meal may cost less than this, particularly if you are on a package).

 

95% of the time when we have eaten at a Specialty Restaurant we have found the experience to be top-notch and are more than happy to pay the gratuities. But I resent a 'forced' gratuity on top of my already forced gratuities which really should include all of my dining experiences.

 

Furthermore, when you move to forced-gratuities, I hate to say this, but I have found the level of service to go down -- at least on many (though not all) of the ships I have been on. I can assure you that the experience I had in 2007/2009 when I first began cruising is completely different to the sort of level of service I get these days. I'm not saying it's bad, but it's a totally different quality. If the quality of the Specialty Restaurant service goes down as well ... I guess we'll be filing a lot of complaints!!!!

 

As an aside, I've just checked the website, and it SPECIFICALLY states that the gratuity portion is for 'dining services' (ie. Room Service, snacks, etc etc), ALL dining services should be inclusive of this fee! There is not * or fine print addendum saying that 'Specialty Restaurants are not inclusive of your daily on board gratuities':

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/onboard-service-gratuity-expense

[seabeew]

Were you charged the 18% on both the meal that you paid for (say $49) and the meal that was free? ($49 value) Total of 18% on $98 or was it just 18% on $49 for the one meal.

 

 

 

Just on the one meal. I will say this. When we were on the Adventure in March-April, Chops was $42. On this sailing it is $35.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[mek]

Makes sense to skip chops and order the steak $$ in the MDR?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Personally, I like that option and do it frequently. Occasionally, the steak and the whole lobster are offered at a lower price n the MDR.