How do Diamond members use drink vouchers?

[Morecruisesplz]

28 minutes ago, The Fun Researcher said:

I fully admit, that may be true.  🙂  I always tip at least $1 for my diamond drinks and typically return to the same bartenders.  I just don't think of asking for bottled water at the bar.  I'll have to remember that at the end of the night to grab one or two next time

 

Last cruise (July Alaska) I paid $22 for a case of bottled water.  Ended up being about 36 bottles since they were slightly smaller than 12oz.  On top of that were our loyalty water bottles.  Was nice to have them waiting in my room all the time and ready to be placed in the room's fridge.  I think I like that versus getting them piecemeal throughout the cruise.

 

To each their own though.  I fully support folks (including me :D) getting free bottled water!

 

 

Yes, that's understandable. $22 isn't bad for a case and the convenience of having it delivered. I probably spend that much in bar cash tips in a week or slightly more. But I never buy or use a voucher for water. We carry a bag that folds into wallet size and usually are given 6 to 10 bottles of water for the cabin when we stop for a drink at the end of the night to take to the cabin. 

[Morecruisesplz]

On 10/18/2023 at 10:51 AM, shipgeeks said:

????

Bathroom sink water and WJ water are pure and delicious.  We've been drinking them daily for 30+ years.

How big are you ankles by end of the cruise?

[neverbeenhere]

cruise lines use either reverse osmosis processes or steam evaporation to desalinate water (remove the salt content) before adding chlorine and minerals to make it safe for consumption.

[Morecruisesplz]

1 hour ago, neverbeenhere said:

cruise lines use either reverse osmosis processes or steam evaporation to desalinate water (remove the salt content) before adding chlorine and minerals to make it safe for consumption.

Out of the bathroom tap?

[D4]

On 10/18/2023 at 3:43 AM, Airbear232 said:

As others have noted, you can use it any way you choose.  We don’t drink, but we enjoy mock tails, lattes, fresh juice from vitality spa and water.

Unfortunately, the vouchers are not valid for Starbucks.

[shipgeeks]

2 hours ago, fredmdcruisers said:

How big are you ankles by end of the cruise?

Never any different from any other time or place.

[PhillyFan33579]

7 hours ago, loman said:

Doesnt the bill say something to the effect of ....  a service charge is added  ... somewhere on the bottom of the receipt ?

Looking at a receipt right now. The bottom of the receipt has the 18% verbiage, but the top of the receipt shows a gratuity of $0. Like others have stated, 18% of zero is zero. 

[Engineroom Snipe]

On 10/18/2023 at 12:55 PM, island lady said:

 

 

WJ dispensers...yes...bathroom tap...no way.  

 

Yums...you would not have wanted to drink some of the bathroom tap water we have witnessed at times.   😝 And I have had "just a few" cruises from RCI over the years myself.  😉  

 

Came out brown, with an awful smell, and disgusting at times.  Then there are the times they are flushing the lines with a lot of chlorine...was not difficult to smell what they were doing to kill that crap.  

 

I used to refill at the bathroom tap myself, many years ago, but after too may gross experiences with the bathroom tap water...no way.     If I am going to refill my water bottle, I will hit one of the filtered water dispensers, yes as in the WJ (always using a disposable cup to transfer to my bottle).   

One must use discretion, I too have cruised many years. Fortunately, I have not experienced the lows of "portable water systems" onboard a cruise ship.

 

There are no absolutes and one must feel comfortable with the situation they are in at the time.

[loman]

2 hours ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

Looking at a receipt right now. The bottom of the receipt has the 18% verbiage, but the top of the receipt shows a gratuity of $0. Like others have stated, 18% of zero is zero. 

I found this online  . ( i dont know how old it is )  It states at the bottom, a service charge is added to the bill . It doesnt state any amount but i take this to mean that the tip is taken from 14.00 allowance and awarded to the server ? ( I hope it is )

And any additional tip is a bonus for good service.

This was my understanding of the server always getting a tip whether you tip the extra or not .

I always tipped extra in cash regardless. 

Does the receipt still have this verbiage at the bottom?

[neverbeenhere]

All consumed water comes from the same system. The excess sodium comes from the cooking, as they use a lot of salt in their cooking. 

[Morecruisesplz]

15 minutes ago, loman said:

taken from 14.00 allowance and awarded to the server

You are taking the same mistaken leap that many before you have.

[PhillyFan33579]

8 hours ago, loman said:

I found this online  . ( i dont know how old it is )  It states at the bottom, a service charge is added to the bill . It doesnt state any amount but i take this to mean that the tip is taken from 14.00 allowance and awarded to the server ? ( I hope it is )

And any additional tip is a bonus for good service.

This was my understanding of the server always getting a tip whether you tip the extra or not .

I always tipped extra in cash regardless. 

Does the receipt still have this verbiage at the bottom?

I talked to one of the bartenders at Playmaker’s last night after the Phillies lost (not happy about that but that is another story). He said they don’t get tipped automatically on free drinks provided to Diamonds and above, but guests tend to tip more often when getting free drinks. 

[Biker19]

6 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

He said they don’t get tipped automatically on free drinks provided to Diamonds and above

while others have reported just the opposite when asking the same question.

[PhillyFan33579]

37 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

while others have reported just the opposite when asking the same question.

Probably posted by the same people who say they remove gratuities so they can tip who they want in person. 

[Ourusualbeach]

14 hours ago, neverbeenhere said:

cruise lines use either reverse osmosis processes or steam evaporation to desalinate water (remove the salt content) before adding chlorine and minerals to make it safe for consumption.

Besides removing the salt it also removes all the other minerals that naturally occur in water which includes potassium which helps the body get rid of excess salt.

[OCSC Mike]

47 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Besides removing the salt it also removes all the other minerals that naturally occur in water which includes potassium which helps the body get rid of excess salt.

 

Don't think I've read that before. That makes sense. I'm one of those "my legs swell up like balloons from eating/drinking so much when I cruise" people if I don't take water pills (diuretic).

[shipgeeks]

2 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

 

Don't think I've read that before. That makes sense. I'm one of those "my legs swell up like balloons from eating/drinking so much when I cruise" people if I don't take water pills (diuretic).

Stated here fairly recently by Chief Engineer.

[OCSC Mike]

Just now, shipgeeks said:

Stated here fairly recently by Chief Engineer.

 

OK? Obviously I didn't see that. Are you telling me I should go read it twice now or just pointing out that I missed something?

[shipgeeks]

14 hours ago, fredmdcruisers said:

Out of the bathroom tap?

Of course.  Cruise ships are not Third World hotels, with a sign in the bathroom stating "non-potable water".

[shipgeeks]

Just now, OCSC Mike said:

 

OK? Obviously I didn't see that. Are you telling me I should go read it twice now or just pointing out that I missed something?

I can't remember which forum it was on; RC or other?

[Biker19]

Just now, OCSC Mike said:

Obviously I didn't see that.

If you read through the posts by @chengkp75 you'll see he posts about the ship's water just about every time the issue comes up.

[OCSC Mike]

1 minute ago, Biker19 said:

If you read through the posts by @chengkp75 you'll see he posts about the ship's water just about every time the issue comes up.

 

Thanks but I wasn't looking to read up on the subject. All I cared about was finding a remedy for my legs swelling which I did many years ago after it first happened. I just found the potassium comment interesting, that's all.

[shipgeeks]

2 hours ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

Probably posted by the same people who say they remove gratuities so they can tip who they want in person. 

Well, I resent that assumption!  Our experience:

Us, to server: "Does RC "take care of you" with Diamond drinks?"

Server: "Yes, sir."

Us: Continue to slip $1 per drink, or occasional $$$ to regular server, throughout the cruise.  Prepay all gratuities at booking.  Add additional $$ to other crew as appropriate.  Never ever remove.

[crzndeb]

13 hours ago, loman said:

I found this online  . ( i dont know how old it is )  It states at the bottom, a service charge is added to the bill . It doesnt state any amount but i take this to mean that the tip is taken from 14.00 allowance and awarded to the server ? ( I hope it is )

And any additional tip is a bonus for good service.

This was my understanding of the server always getting a tip whether you tip the extra or not .

I always tipped extra in cash regardless. 

Does the receipt still have this verbiage at the bottom?

They don’t have separate registers to print out $0 receipts and Charged receipts, so it will say that on every transaction that comes out. It’s there for those that are being charged. As others mentioned, a $0 charge is a $0 charge.

As far as what a server may tell you, ask 5 bartenders or servers, and get 5 different answers. Sort of like the reps you call on the phone. 😉

Edited October 20, 2023 by crzndeb

[Morecruisesplz]

1 hour ago, crzndeb said:

As far as what a server may tell you, ask 5 bartenders or servers, and get 5 different answers. Sort of like the reps you call on the phone. 😉

Exactly! So ridiculous to assume the waiter even knows what you are asking with that rude question.