Some guests choose to recognize particularly exceptional service with an additional cash gratuity on the last night of their cruise. 0000897170 00000 n Our opinions are our own, and have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by our advertising partners. The menu for My Time Dining is still the same, so you will get the same quality meals. 0000896900 00000 n Related: 9 times you do not need to tip on a cruise. Started June 21, 2021, By Your previous content has been restored. Someone else that pays more will take up the slack for you. This website uses cookies in order to offer you the most relevant information. If the gratuities are pre-paid, it should be part of the cruise booking. You also will not be able to switch after the second day, so you'll want to visit Guest Services and/or the Main Dining Room when you embark-- Guests can only participate in one dining style per sailing. My confusion is to do with the My Time Dining - If gratuities havent been prepaid, do we still have the My Time Dining thats on the invoice?! Our points-obsessed staff uses a plethora of credit cards on a daily basis. You can disable the usage of cookies by changing the settings of your browser. 6 Things You MUST Know About Formal Night on a Royal Caribbean Cruise. Who knows? 0000909381 00000 n 0000005956 00000 n Traditionally, dinner on a cruise ship has been served at two specific seating times. If, for example, two people would like to eat earlier around 6:30pm, you would make them their own reservation. LauraS Contact Us Get support by Phone or Email 866-562-7625 Email Your Questions Locate a Travel Agent However, many people now prefer to enjoy more flexibility with dinner, so cruise lines have either done away with traditional dining altogether or set up an alternative option. On a cruise ship there are so many activities and fun shows, that it can be easy to lose tract of time, and not having to worry about being at diner at a specific time works for some people. I think you probably have had you questions answered already but I wanted to show an example. That said, some people do leave a little extra for crew members who go above and beyond. You will not be able to make your choice until the last step in the booking process; all passenger names will have to be entered first! Or do they not notice those "add on" charges? Never feel pressured to add an extra tip when you've already paid one. When making a reservation you will be offered "My Time" or traditional dining times (i.e., 5:30 pm & 8:00 pm). If you want to use My Time Dining you must pay for tips in advance. All sent to your inbox. There is a $9.75 gratuity per day that is required and this actually covers not only the wait staff but your room steward as well. If you do get the same waiter every night, theyll remember your name and your preferences. The lines that offer these deals say theyll pay a normal gratuity to the crew on your behalf. Outside of the current welcome bonus, youre only earning higher rewards on specific airfare and hotel purchases, so its not a great card for other spending categories. On a Royal Caribbean cruise, you need to register for My Time Dining if you dont want a set dining time. My Time Dining is therefore available to anyone who wants to mix things up. You will have to make each reservation individually and add them to your cart one-by-one. 0000910197 00000 n Im pretty sure were havent prepaid the gratuities, but our invoice from RCL does say that our dining is My Time Dining and the Cruise planner will let us make reservations. When booking a Royal Caribbean cruise, you have two options for dining: My Time Dining and Traditional Dining. You can do this before the cruise, or during your voyage. Have our travel agency partner get you a free quote for a Royal Caribbean cruise. Some guests do not plan on eating in the Main Dining Room each day or would rather do so at the time of their choosing. You will be able to see the exact times that My Time Dining is offered each evening once you book your cruise. To this day it still references dynamic dining in the cruise planner even though that is long gone. And that's before you add in any additional tips you wish to give to your room service or favorite bartender or autogratuities tacked on to bar, restaurant and spa bills. For your convenience, prepaid gratuities are automatically added to your flexible option reservations. Pardon? *Please see all applicable Terms & Conditions for Promotions. You may request a certain waiter each night, and we will work to seat your party in his or her area depending on availability. . If we paid the gratuities up front when onboard would we still have able to do MTD? Welcome aboard! Itll be one less thing on your final bill at the end of the cruise. Guests who have signed up for My Time Dining will have their SeaPass card designated with the dining room and deck number. Please view our advertising policy page for more information. One additional reason that you might pre-pay in the future is that Royal can change these rates at anytime, if you have them pre-paid, you are locked in to that rate. Unlike traditional dining - where a dining time is assigned to you - guests who opt for My Time Dining can eat in the Main Dining Room whenever they like during dining hours, according to availability. If anyone on our team wouldnt recommend it to a friend or a family member, we wouldnt recommend it on The Points Guy either. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum Card, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu. 0000422815 00000 n You will be seated with whomever you arrive to the dining room with. For guests that want to experience the Main Dining Room without the formality of having a set time, Royal Caribbean, Royal Caribbean offers its guests two choices for enjoying dinner in the main dining room: My Time Dining or. Depending on the choice of the guests on board, there may be designated restaurants for those on a traditional dining plan and those on a My Time Dining plan. Your browser is outdated and does not support many of the modern features of this website, 0000005141 00000 n Note that if you purchase a dining or beverage package, the cruise line will charge you gratuities based on a percentage of the package price. The only real downside beyond having to pay your gratuities in advance is that you arent guaranteed the same waiter every night. I understand that once upon a time prepaid gratuities were required for MTD. 0000006046 00000 n In this case, no gratuities will be charged to your onboard account. We have had really wonderful waiters in the WJ, some that even remember my DH loves those ranger cookies and will bring him some when they see us. Then, contact one with a best-price guarantee and have them beat it! If you are unable to book show times in advance via the Cruise Planner when you are making your My Time Dining reservations, you may end up booking a dinner time that clashes with one of the shows. has written about cruising for more than 25 years and for many years oversaw USA Todays award-winning cruise site. 0000425403 00000 n Get up to $300 back per calendar year on the Equinox+ digital fitness app, or eligible Equinox club memberships when you pay with your Platinum Card. It is recommended that you book a table though. Still reserve a table if you can otherwise, you might be waiting with a grumbling stomach until a table becomes free if you just walk in. I sailed on the explorer last year and the trick then was we could only cancel them on day 3 of the trip[obviously hopeing for a lot of forgetful customers] its a damn cheek that they are desperately trying to take this right for the customer to cancel ,,after all I never had gratuities for slogging my guts out in the kitchens and bakeries in my career and I don't suppose many ouy there do either. 0000005051 00000 n What is Royal Caribbean's service gratuities (tips) price and policy? 0000737875 00000 n It is much simpler, and fairer, to leave them in place. 0000016969 00000 n My Time Dining Frequently Asked Questions | Royal Caribbean Cruises That means two people sharing a room on a seven-night cruise would pay $308 in tips for an otherwise free drinks package on top of their daily service charge fees. MY FAMILY TIME DINING MY TIME DINING DAILY RESERVATIONS Awards FOLLOW US JOIN CROWN & ANCHOR SOCIETY CALL US NOW +971 4 331 4299 If youre late then your table may be given away, and youll have to wait for another one. 0000015069 00000 n 0000831970 00000 n For your convenience, prepaid gratuities are automatically added to your flexible option reservations. Jon got hooked on cruising after his first cruise on his honeymoon, and today he is always looking for cruise deals and reading information about the cruise industry. You don't have to tip on these cruises because the line is already paying gratuities to the staff on your behalf. Do you know about when you'd like to sail? 0000896807 00000 n 0000422260 00000 n However, as mentioned, it is usually just easier and more convenient to leave the auto-gratuity/service charge/hotel charge (it is called different things on different cruise lines) in place. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Dine as you want, when you want. Youll be asked to pre-pay your gratuities. ;p, You will be able to leave a comment after signing in, By 0000008654 00000 n Hi, I'm Jenni. January 11, 2019 in Royal Caribbean Discussion. You'd likely pay it at final payment date. but it's so much better to leave the automatic tips in place and just give extra cash to those you feel deserve it. 0000844607 00000 n 0000006002 00000 n So by your definition no one should tip because others will make up the difference? Related: Use these credit cards to maximize your next cruise vacation. My time dining and gratuities - Royal Caribbean International - Cruise Details: Gratuities are included in the fare. Cruise lines say they pass the money collected from service charges to the shipboard crew. At some lines, these charges run as high as $25 per day. Compare the cost in points or miles to cash, and see which option is best. Passengers in mini-suites pay $17, while those in bigger suites pay $18. 0000907210 00000 n Royal Caribbean Dining. My Time Dining is not available for breakfast, but you can still use it for both lunch and dinner. Be the first to rate this post. If you continue to use this site, you consent to our use of cookies. Well, this is NOT the only option and you can still choose to eat in the traditional manner. Legal Information | Australians typically do not tip because the minimum wage in Australia is $20.33 AUD/hr ($14.56 USD/hr). If you want to reserve it on-board then visit Guest Services. The dining staff will do all possible to accommodate the request, based on availability. 0000902188 00000 n Search Multiple Sites at Once By We always choose My Time dinning. 0000022110 00000 n We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. I always prepay my gratuities and do traditional dining. Suggested read: 6 Things You MUST Know About Formal Night on a Royal Caribbean Cruise. Regent Seven Seas Cruises. Lines that now cover gratuities in their fares include Azamara, Ponant, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours, Seabourn, SeaDream Yacht Club, Silversea Cruises and Virgin Voyages. Others tip their room service or wait staff at their favorite bar, either early in the cruise in the hope of getting better service or at the end to thank them for enhancing the vacation experience. They work very long hours all day long. As I mentioned, most of the time you will be eating with just your party, but if you prefer to eat with others you can still request it. document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); About Us | Here's how it works on Royal Caribbean: As of September 7 th, 2022, the automatic service gratuity of $16.00 USD per . 0000003836 00000 n That's because some cruise lines tack daily service fees onto passenger bills yet many travelers still hand out additional cash gratuities, either as a matter of course or for exemplary service. 0000005911 00000 n She also told us about gratuities added to the Seapss account. Flexible seating works very much like standard restaurant seating. 0000891999 00000 n 0000828837 00000 n M&-]f_Le}BXJ.D7CCx. There is no special dress code for My Time Dining it has the same dress code as traditional dining. Check here before booking an award fare. 0000433627 00000 n You can choose a different time each day, so you can fit dinner around the rest of your onshore and onboard plans. Join 40,000 cruiserswho readmy email each week Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. This website uses cookies in order to offer you the most relevant information. My Time Dining uses the same menu as traditional seating. We'll run a soft credit check to find special offers, but it wont affect your credit score. 0000736746 00000 n 13 Biggest Mistakes Made by Carnival Cruise Passengers [Carnival Tips], Cruise Ship Room Service: Menus and Fees for Cruise Lines, Carnival Anytime Dining: Tips for Your Time Dining with Carnival, Carnival Bringing a Fourth Cruise Ship to Galveston, Texas, Carnival to Send Newly Upgraded Ship on 14-Day Transatlantic Cruise, Royal Caribbean Updates Perks in Loyalty Program. Perhaps as more and more cheapos remove their grats the cruise lines will finally just increase fares so everyone pays the same in tips. This allows you to decide when you want to eat, and who you want to sit with, instead of traditional dining where you have set times and sit with the same group each day. You dont really get to know the people you are eating with that well. 0000901784 00000 n Cheap people have been around for years. That is really the biggest flaw with My Time Dining. Even if you initially booked Traditional Dining, you can call your travel agent or Royal Caribbean directly to change to My Time. 0000891340 00000 n Best card for premium perks while traveling, Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, The Business Platinum Card from American Express, Disney Cruise Lines Castaway Club loyalty program: Everything you need to know, 21 new Hyatt hotels where you can get 500 extra points per night, My first cruise to the Galapagos: The good, the bad and the absolutely adorable. This dining option requires you to "pre pay" your gratuities. Additionally, several major lines in the past couple of years have begun offering bundle pricing to customers who pay for cruise tips, Wi-Fi charges and an onboard drinks package all at once in advance of sailing, potentially at a discount. Once they go to the My Time Dining desk to be seated for dinner, the waiter will look up the guests stateroom and pull any special dietary needs or amenities purchased for them. 0000747552 00000 n You definitely won't go hungry during your sailing, even if you don't purchase any dining extras. View All Cruises For instance, in recent years, Norwegian has been continuously running free at sea promotions that include not just free crew tips but free shipboard Wi-Fi and a free drinks package, too. $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. 0000003555 00000 n American Express has expanded The Centurion Network to include 40+ Centurion Lounge and Studio locations worldwide. On a Royal Caribbean cruise, you need to register for My Time Dining if you don't want a set dining time. You can save even more $$$ by eating in the Lido on the last evening and avoiding your cabin steward that night also ? If you are adjusting a gratuity charge downward, expect to be asked about the reasons behind the adjustment. Read on to learn all about cruise ship tipping culture and how much you'll need to tip on your next cruise, based on which cruise line you're sailing. To request a call back from one of our cruise experts, kindly provide us with the details requested bellow and we will get back to you as soon as possible. The guest relations staff will want to know if youve experienced particular service issues. Understood, and many passengers also feel this way. 0000906618 00000 n The actual times, however, will vary by sailing. If you prefer to pay for tips once you're on board your cruise, youll generally find that the gratuities automatically appear on your bill. If you tip personally in cash, those people must turn it in or face dismissal. But to the OP's question, we have MTD on Mariner next month and have not prepaid our gratuities. Alternatively, you can have the charges added to your room bill on board. Here is why some people dislike the more informal dining option. That is not the case anymore but Royal is not great about updating their website information. But I remember the days before MTD and Automatic Tips when, on the last night, TIP Night, people would eat at other venues and skip out on tipping the wait staff. Heres my confusion: I understand prepaid gratuities is required for My Time Dining. What we experienced was that their program is NOT really "My time dining", it is RESERVATION time dining. If you want to use My Time Dining you must pay for tips in advance. However, spaces may be limited so it may not be possible if you leave it too late. Love Cruise Fever?Sign Up to Our FREE Newsletter! If you dont like tipping in advance to your service, and you would rather leave generous tips individually, there is nothing stopping you from going the extra mile to tip your waiter or waitress each night you use the My Time Dining option. So with My Time Dining, you might lose some of that experience, but the flexibility of your own table and time is often preferable anyway. You can, however, always tell your waitstaff that you have other plans, and they will do their best to serve you as quickly as possible. Note that this only applies to dinner in the Main Dining Room. But some people just want to eat with their own family. 0000819210 00000 n My partner and I prefer a later dinner and have selected My Time dining however we'd still like to join them for dinner at least 1-2 nights. I will HAPPILY pay my gratuities, and feel that having them paid in advance is very convenient, andprobably saves me some money. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit. You can wait to make your My Time Dining reservations until you board your cruise ship. Royal Caribbean does make it easy to enjoy flexible dining with My Time Dining, so just make sure you sign up to it if you want to decide when you eat each day. 0000750166 00000 n It is possible to snag dining times around 7:00pm every night, but this is a highly desirable dinner time. I'm so sorry that this post wasn't useful for you! Many cruise lines will tack an automatic gratuity charge onto the bill for extra-fee drinks, restaurant meals and spa treatments. However, each ship does also offer specialty dining for an additional fee. When making a reservation you will be offered My Time or traditional dining times (i.e., 5:30 pm & 8:00 pm). 0000019016 00000 n Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Youll be told which restaurant to go to based on your choice. 0000891423 00000 n You do have to prepay your gratuities in order to sign up to My Time Dining. Should they have been paid at the time of booking? Royal Caribbean. Cruisers should also bring cash to tip the porters who bring their bags onto the ship (usually $2 per bag), as well as tour guides in port ($5 to $10 per person for half-day tours, $10 to $20 for full-day excursions and $2 for non-guide drivers). The longer you wait to arrive, however, the longer you will have to wait for an available table. The problem is, I cant see anywhere how to prepay the gratuities? Please don't disrupt the system that works that was put in place that is fair to crew and guests . If you want to change to My Time Dining, youll need to speak to Guest Services within the first two days of your cruise. Posted June 24, 2017. Main Dining Room on Allure of the Seas Some people also like to pay their service charges in advance for budgeting purposes. 0000418076 00000 n I'm travelling with guests from another stateroom who selected Traditional Dining. Feel free to leave a comment below to let the community at Cruise Fever know how you feel about My Time Dining in the comment section below. Reservations arestronglyrecommended in order to avoid a delay in seating. The actual times, however, will vary by sailing. Yes, if there is availability in the My Time Dining Room, we would be happy to accommodate the request. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. It gives passengers prepaid gratuities, a single-device Wi-Fi plan and a basic beverage package for a single bundled price of $50 per person, per day. Princess, for example, has added a Princess Plus plan as a booking option. 0000005676 00000 n Privacy Policy | The recommended dress code for the Main Dining Room for traditional dining or My Time Dining is smart casual. Just head over to the Main Dining Room to speak with a head waiter, and they will assist you! We want to do MTD, but Im asking will this stand without finding a way to prepay the gratuities beforehand (Id guessed it would have been in Cruise Planner but evidently not), The gratuities is distributed amongst the entire cruise staff including the dining staff. The old way of MTD had forced you to prepay gratuities but that changed some time ago. My Time Dining is the flexible dining option on Royal Caribbean cruises. Our goal has been to provide our readers with expansive coverage of all aspects of the Royal Caribbean experience. We were unaware of the automatic (recommended amount) tipping charge applied to our credit card when we switched to My Time on the 3rd day of our recent 8 day cruise. This also applies to sailings departing from Australia and New Zealand. 0000006358 00000 n Maximum of 10 guests per reservation. A fun part of cruising can be meeting the same people for lunch or diner every day and discussing things about the ship or about the excursions they went on. 0000022522 00000 n Credit ranges are a variation of FICO Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application. 0000841664 00000 n You can choose a different time each day, so you can fit dinner around the rest of your onshore and onboard plans. Whats Included in a Royal Caribbean Cruise? Unlike Traditional Dining, you will not be seated at the same table with the same wait staff if your choose My Time. If you would like a specific waiter or table, they are more likely to be able to accommodate your request with advance reservations (however, please note this is based on availability). You no longer have to prepay gratuities if you select My Time Dining. 2010 Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Tipping on a cruise ship: Everything you need to know 0000427335 00000 n But its definitely not for everyone. 0000891587 00000 n Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. The extra cost of the automatic gratuity charges can be a shock to first-time cruisers. The high annual fee is only worth it if youre taking full advantage of the cards benefits. Follow along on this incredible voyage! April 7, 2008. The folks who WERVE YOU are the ones who get your tips. TPG values it at $1,600. By That's exactly the case with the Amex Platinum card. Royal Caribbean | MY TIME DINING DAILY RESERVATIONS 0000916923 00000 n It truly depends, though. Our new My Time Dining option allows you the flexibility to choose when you want to dine each evening, giving you the chance to enjoy your meals at your own pace. You post the same made up garbage in every thread. 0000906128 00000 n Display as a link instead, Theres also a dining hotline you can call from the phone in your stateroom to make changes to your reservations. Still, some critics see the charges as a sneaky way for cruise lines to make their fares appear lower than they really are. Some dont charge a service fee at all. If you want, you can even try to switch onboard. Read more: Whats Included in a Royal Caribbean Cruise? In this line of thinking, lines with these charges are essentially breaking out a good chunk of onboard labor costs as a separate line item on your bill. Can I participate in My Time Dining but make a reservation for a specific time? Enrollment required. 0000418920 00000 n Those grats are also handed out to WJ staff, cafe staff, etc. 0000722800 00000 n Tipping on a cruise does not have to be complicated, but you need to understand the big picture to budget for your vacation appropriately. 0000003388 00000 n But its not strict. Theyll be able to make recommendations based on what youve previously ordered and make sure your favourite drink is waiting for you, if you want them too. 0000891812 00000 n When you are reserving your cruise, you will be given the option to select "Traditional Dining" or "My Time Dining.". Like what you see? On a typical seven-night cruise, thats nearly $600 in fees. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. The agent asked us which dining option wed like and we chose my time. ;) Can we opt out of those added on charges also?? Discover the culinary curiosities of Wonderland Imaginative Cuisine. That means, if you decide to visit the Main Dining Room on day 3 of your cruise, you wont be able to choose your time. If you plan on spending most of your time in the buffet restaurant anyway, then you might not be concerned about the Main Dining Room and your dining times. Copyrights |, www.royalcaribbean.ae is part of Royal Caribbean Arabia owned by Safeen Tourism LLC the Sole Middle East Representative of Royal Caribbean International, 2023 All Rights Reserved | ROYAL CARIBBEAN ARABIA. Started August 27, 2021, By Due to availability, however, you may not have as many times to choose from. Yes, My Time Dining is flexible. The flexibility of My Time Dining comes with responsibility. Do you have to pay gratuities on Royal Caribbean Australia? 0000911365 00000 n 0000417078 00000 n Plus, your own feed of TPG content. So for those who like some solitude, they may find that this more freestyle approach works better, but not everyone likes the NCL style of eating. Daily service charges are not the only cruise tips you will pay on board. Can I reserve the same table or waiter at the same time in My Time Dining? 0000704363 00000 n xbbba`b``0 u B endstream endobj 29 0 obj <>/ViewerPreferences<>/Metadata 6 0 R/AcroForm 30 0 R/Pages 5 0 R/StructTreeRoot 8 0 R/Type/Catalog>> endobj 30 0 obj <>/Encoding<>>>>> endobj 31 0 obj <>/Shading<>/ColorSpace<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageC/ImageI]/Properties<>/MC1<<>>/MC2<<>>/MC3<<>>>>/ExtGState<>>>/Type/Page>> endobj 32 0 obj [/Indexed 47 0 R 162 85 0 R] endobj 33 0 obj [/Indexed 47 0 R 140 80 0 R] endobj 34 0 obj <> endobj 35 0 obj <> endobj 36 0 obj [/Indexed 47 0 R 147 75 0 R] endobj 37 0 obj [/Indexed 47 0 R 120 96 0 R] endobj 38 0 obj [/Indexed 47 0 R 210 122 0 R] endobj 39 0 obj [/Indexed 47 0 R 77 93 0 R] endobj 40 0 obj [/Separation/PANTONE#20281#20CV/DeviceCMYK<>] endobj 41 0 obj [/DeviceN[/Cyan/Magenta/Yellow]/DeviceCMYK 114 0 R 116 0 R] endobj 42 0 obj [/Indexed 47 0 R 128 101 0 R] endobj 43 0 obj [/Indexed 47 0 R 192 121 0 R] endobj 44 0 obj [/Indexed 47 0 R 128 110 0 R] endobj 45 0 obj [/Separation/PANTONE#202727#20C/DeviceCMYK<>] endobj 46 0 obj [/Indexed 47 0 R 3 66 0 R] endobj 47 0 obj [/ICCBased 65 0 R] endobj 48 0 obj <>stream How to book My Time Dining on Royal Caribbean Enrollment required. I noticed the My Time doesn't offer reservations until 6:45. Our dining options have been reimagined to give you a culinary experience at sea as vast, varied and eye-opening as dining in the worlds most cosmopolitan cities. You can change your dining time on your Royal Caribbean cruise using the Cruise Planner on Royal Caribbeans website. 0000011539 00000 n That said, the total number of lines with a service fee has been shrinking over the years. By his definition the answer is yes. If you continue to use this site, you consent to our use of cookies. If you opt out of daily gratuities your account will not be charged for them. You can be seated with the party you arrive with or be seated at your own table. The others could make a separate My Time Dining reservation for 8:15pm. That said, if you want to, you can often adjust the charges (either up or down) while youre on board by visiting the guest relations desk.