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Refresh drink package and cost of cruise gratuities

funtimex2
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funtimex2

funtimex2

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I have tried to search and find the answers, but I can't seem to locate for current year.   It's been 5 years since we have cruised.  
 

Several questions: 
1.  What is the current  daily gratuity cost for the cruise?   Is this still a prepaid item? 

2.  On the RCCL website I have tried to locate the current cost of the refreshment package and it doesn't give me a cost,  just a description..... I need cost.   

3.   Are there packages where you can bundle the refreshment package with internet?      Will the cheapest internet allow you to read comments and post on facebook?    I don't need video chat,  but I do need to read and send messages and respond to post.  

Thanks 

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DrProfessor

DrProfessor

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Posted (edited)

1.  Gratuities are $16/day per person if in a Junior suite or below.  Suites are $18.50/day per person.  They can be prepaid or not, but you have to specifically choose that when booking.  It can be prepaid later if you call or have a TA that can handle it.

 

2.  The cost of the refreshment package depends on the sailing which is why you don't see it on the site.  You have to have a cruise booked and then go into the cruise planner to see the cost.  However, these days, the going price is generally between $25 - $32/day per person for the refreshment package (one of my future sailings has it for $33.99/day).  Every sailing has different sales at different times so there is no one price.

 

3.  I think there was before the pandemic, but I haven't seen this since.

Edited by RCFirstTimer
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karena1

karena1

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29 minutes ago, funtimex2 said:

I have tried to search and find the answers, but I can't seem to locate for current year.   It's been 5 years since we have cruised.  
 

Several questions: 
1.  What is the current  daily gratuity cost for the cruise?   Is this still a prepaid item? 

2.  On the RCCL website I have tried to locate the current cost of the refreshment package and it doesn't give me a cost,  just a description..... I need cost.   

3.   Are there packages where you can bundle the refreshment package with internet?      Will the cheapest internet allow you to read comments and post on facebook?    I don't need video chat,  but I do need to read and send messages and respond to post.  

Thanks 

Gratuities are $16 pp per day.  We always prepay so we don't have to worry about it.

 

If you log into your RCCL account, you can see what the refreshment package internet packages cost.

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Merion_Mom

Merion_Mom

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32 minutes ago, funtimex2 said:

I have tried to search and find the answers, but I can't seem to locate for current year.   It's been 5 years since we have cruised.  
 

Several questions: 
1.  What is the current  daily gratuity cost for the cruise?   Is this still a prepaid item? 

2.  On the RCCL website I have tried to locate the current cost of the refreshment package and it doesn't give me a cost,  just a description..... I need cost.   

3.   Are there packages where you can bundle the refreshment package with internet?      Will the cheapest internet allow you to read comments and post on facebook?    I don't need video chat,  but I do need to read and send messages and respond to post.  

Thanks 

 

RCFirstTimer gave you good answers to 1 & 2.

 

3 - no, no refreshment + voom combo.  There is only one "speed" of package now.  It's just called Voom, without any "surf/stream" division.

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Capt_BJ

Capt_BJ

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Posted (edited)

note that the drink package(s) price will probably change a few times before your cruise ... this is normal (assuming your a few months out). AND note that the price they will show is PLUS 18% gratuity of that daily price. The only good part of this is if you buy and the price goes down you can cancel for a full refund and rebuy at the lower price.

 

On our last RCCL cruise the price I eventually paid was $62/person/day plus grat' and frankly I don't think we got our money's worth but it avoided seeing a bar bill at the cruise end. Pre COVID I never bought until price was below $45.

 

The price changes can be very short lived and for weeks leading up to a cruise I check the price every morning!

 

<btw I'm leaving on a different line next week and their booze package is $25/person/day and includes the gratuity ..... the cruise costs more to be sure {small ship} but it is one of those things I look at for total cost of the cruise>

Edited by Capt_BJ
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KroozNut

KroozNut

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1 hour ago, karena1 said:

Gratuities are $16 pp per day.  We always prepay so we don't have to worry about it.

Not sure I understand where the 'worry' comes from. You either pay them when you book, or when you sail. Simply a matter of choice/preference..

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karena1

karena1

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1 hour ago, KroozNut said:

Not sure I understand where the 'worry' comes from. You either pay them when you book, or when you sail. Simply a matter of choice/preference..

I would rather prepay them and have it done.  Did not really mean worry - meant convenience. To me it is easier just to add them on as soon as I book my cruise.  Like you said, personal preference.

 

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KroozNut

KroozNut

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In my opinion, regardless of how you feel about the way gratuities are handled on cruise lines, if you remove gratuities, you’re taking away well earned compensation from those crew members working behind the scenes who may have otherwise received part of the daily gratuity rate.

If you can afford a cruise these days, you can afford to pay gratuities and you should not remove them. Opting out of gratuities is not a way to boycott service charges and save money on your cruise. While many passengers would prefer gratuities be included in the cruise fare, that’s not the way it works for most cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean.

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not-enough-cruising

not-enough-cruising

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1 hour ago, KroozNut said:

In my opinion, regardless of how you feel about the way gratuities are handled on cruise lines, if you remove gratuities, you’re taking away well earned compensation from those crew members working behind the scenes who may have otherwise received part of the daily gratuity rate.

 

If you can afford a cruise these days, you can afford to pay gratuities and you should not remove them. Opting out of gratuities is not a way to boycott service charges and save money on your cruise. While many passengers would prefer gratuities be included in the cruise fare, that’s not the way it works for most cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean.

 

Who said anything about not being able to afford gratuities? Who mentioned opting out of gratuities? Who mentioned trying to save money on a cruise?

 

I myself, am a great tipper, well above average I would guess.

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KroozNut

KroozNut

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1 hour ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Who said anything about not being able to afford gratuities? Who mentioned opting out of gratuities? Who mentioned trying to save money on a cruise?

 

I wasn't implying that anybody said those things, only expressing my opinion on the topic.

But since you brought it up, if the shoe fits...

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