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. There is no need to remove the "pre=paid" or "included" tips. *Please see all applicable Terms & Conditions for Promotions. Contact Us Get support by Phone or Email 866-562-7625 Email Your Questions Locate a Travel Agent All of the gratuities are divided equally among the wait staff. 0000722800 00000 n PDF MY TIME DINING - Royal Caribbean International The big advantage to paying cruise tips in advance is that you lock in the current rate. If you want to walk in then you might have to wait for a suitable one to become available, while if youve booked it should be ready for you when you arrive. 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. 0000704363 00000 n You can do this before the cruise, or during your voyage. 0000014730 00000 n 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?! Early dining is around 6 pm, while late dining is closer to 8:30 pm. The standard gratuities of $13.50 per person per day for JS and below, and $16.50 per person per day for GS and better. MY FAMILY TIME DINING MY TIME DINING DAILY RESERVATIONS Awards FOLLOW US JOIN CROWN & ANCHOR SOCIETY CALL US NOW +971 4 331 4299 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. Cheap people have been around for years. Our opinions are our own, and have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by our advertising partners. Privacy Policy | Many smaller and higher-end cruise operators are folding tips and gratuities into their base fares. Hes sailed on more than 150 ships. This also applies to sailings departing from Australia and New Zealand. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Dine as you want, when you want. Instant Real Time Pricing The buffet restaurant doesnt offer reservations and you can visit it whenever you want. Below is a line-by-line look at policies for automatic gratuity charges (called service charges or crew appreciation charges at some lines). There is a $9.75 gratuity per day that is required and this actually covers not only the wait staff but your room steward. You dont really get to know the people you are eating with that well. Royal Caribbeans award winning dining program, My Time Dining, offers flexible and traditional options. Royal Caribbean charges a gratuity of $16.00 per person, per day. How to book My Time Dining on Royal Caribbean (Sponsored). 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. You can save even more $$$ by eating in the Lido on the last evening and avoiding your cabin steward that night also ? Booking MTD on certain ships requires individual checkouts for each night while other ships you can make reservations for the whole cruise and check out once. 2010 Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. If you continue to use this site, you consent to our use of cookies. Your statement You cannot sign up for My Time Dining until you are on board the vessel is incorrect you can do this online when you book the Cruise. 0000021713 00000 n Plus Ups are excluded. Reservations arestronglyrecommended in order to avoid a delay in seating (reservations will be taken once onboard, based on availability). Can guests move between My Time Dining and Traditional Dining during their cruise? If you feel anyone has been particularly helpful you can always tip them extra in cash. What happens if I cancel the gratuities? At most lines, you can pay your service charges in advance of sailing (at the same time you pay your cruise fare). The wait. xdOHTQ7Ho1bJ!IP"th+5ha0P"..\h! hQhE9; 0000014304 00000 n 0000916809 00000 n Powered by Invision Community. 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. 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. Australians typically do not tip because the minimum wage in Australia is $20.33 AUD/hr ($14.56 USD/hr). 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 A lot of people still prefer the idea of traditional dining where you sit for dinner at the same time every evening, with the same party and with the same waiter. The early seating is usually around 5:30pm, while the late seating is around 8:00pm. 0000750166 00000 n Unlike Traditional Dining, My Time Dining is only marked as lasting for fifteen minutes. 0000831970 00000 n To ensure quick seating, we encourage guests who have selected the Flexible option to place a reservation for each evening. |, 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. This may not seem like a big deal if youre new to cruising, but cruise ship waiters are exceptional at their job and they are very good at learning all about you. How Does Royal Caribbeans My Time Dining Work? 0000828837 00000 n 0000419307 00000 n 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. Every Royal Caribbean ship includes meals at many included restaurants, including the main dining room and the buffet. please click here to update it. Thanks Matt- We paid for the cruise at the time of booking. If you do get the same waiter every night, theyll remember your name and your preferences. 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. You can then make reservations for your restaurant, or just turn up at the restaurant between 6 pm and 9.30 pm and wait for a table to be available. 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. Planning a cruise? $200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year in baggage fees and more at one select qualifying airline. 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. If, for example, two people would like to eat earlier around 6:30pm, you would make them their own reservation. Earn 5X Membership Rewards Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. Its much better if youre someone who likes to play it by ear for dinner, based on how hungry you are. Reservations are strongly recommended. The mandatory 20% gratuity comes out to nearly $22 per day. Started in 2010, Royal Caribbean Blog offers daily coverage of news and information related to the Royal Caribbean cruise line along with other relevant topics of cruising, such as entertainment, news, photo updates and more. 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. The old way of MTD had forced you to prepay gratuities but that changed some time ago. Opinions expressed here are the authors alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. There are even more places your Platinum Card can get you complimentary entry and exclusive perks. 0000006714 00000 n Your previous content has been restored. The annual airline fee statement credit can be complicated to take advantage of compared to the broader travel credits offered by competing premium cards. The longer you wait to arrive, however, the longer you will have to wait for an available table. 0000891696 00000 n How much to tip extra on a cruise is entirely up to you because it is in no way required. The Dining experience was Excellent as were the Waiting Staff, the only gripe, there had to be one, was the cost of the Wine. A beginners guide to picking a cruise line, Use these credit cards to maximize your next cruise vacation, 9 times you do not need to tip on a cruise, The best cruise booking perks and which ones are actually free, pay $16 for what the line now calls a crew appreciation charge, The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship, The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship, A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines, 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly, 12 best cruises for people who never want to grow up, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. January 11, 2019 in Royal Caribbean Discussion. I always prepay my gratuities and do traditional dining. They work very long hours all day long. Note that this only applies to dinner in the Main Dining Room. Pasted as rich text. Royal Caribbean Gratuities: Everything You Need to Know Since you stated that you have already paid you cruise in full I would not go back to your TA just to pay them, I would just pay them at the end of the cruise when you settle your account, there are 2 different rates, one for regular rooms which I believe is $14.50 per day, per person, what you see on my picture is for a suite which is $16.50 PD, PP. Can you opt out of gratuities on Royal Caribbean? - Quora The exact times, however, will vary according to your cruise itinerary. What happens if I cancel the gratuities? Even if you initially booked Traditional Dining, you can call your travel agent or Royal Caribbean directly to change to My Time. 0000427335 00000 n Our Best Royal Caribbean Cruise Tips And Tricks The wait staff will have your table ready for you so can avoid a delay in seating. Suggested read: 6 Things You MUST Know About Formal Night on a Royal Caribbean Cruise. You don't have to tip on these cruises because the line is already paying gratuities to the staff on your behalf. If your My Time Dining reservation is at 7:15pm, do not make any other reservations until 8:30pm or later. 0000422815 00000 n Paste as plain text instead, 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. You can disable the usage of cookies by changing the settings of your browser. 0000910197 00000 n My Family Time Dining is a dining option for families with children ages 3-11 years that aims to help kid's complete dinner within 45 minutes, freeing parents to enjoy coffee and . In exchange for the annual fee, you'll unlock access to the Amex Membership Rewards program that let you access airline and hotel transfer partners, along with new lifestyle and travel credits. Love Cruise Fever?Sign Up to Our FREE Newsletter! For your convenience, prepaid gratuities are automatically added to your flexible option reservations. On a Royal Caribbean cruise, you need to register for My Time Dining if you dont want a set dining time. The current welcome offer on this card is quite lucrative. 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. CC Help Jenn However, a lot of people do uphold the dress code, so if you turn up in a t-shirt and shorts then you may look out of place. 0000003388 00000 n 28 0 obj <> endobj xref 28 131 0000000016 00000 n 0000916414 00000 n If not, you might be stuck eating even later than the second seating! 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. Started August 27, 2021, By 0000905280 00000 n 0000910770 00000 n 0000006002 00000 n 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. 0000433627 00000 n Seldom travelers may not get enough value to warrant the cost. 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. Royal Caribbean | MY TIME DINING DAILY RESERVATIONS You can even switch from My Time Dining to Traditional if you booked before understanding the differences, but you might end up with late dining depending on when you make the change, as early tends to book up quickly. Gratuities haven't been going up "almost every year." You can choose a different time each day, so you can fit dinner around the rest of your onshore and onboard plans. 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! Guests can only participate in one dining style per sailing. I'm travelling with guests from another stateroom who selected Traditional Dining. When you are reserving your cruise, you will be given the option to select "Traditional Dining" or "My Time Dining.". Alternatively, you can have the charges added to your room bill on board. Im really asking the opposite - We havent prepaid gratuities, but the agent has booked us in for My Time Dining! $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. If you tip personally in cash, those people must turn it in or face dismissal. Yes, My Time Dining is flexible. I think you probably have had you questions answered already but I wanted to show an example. Related: A beginners guide to picking a cruise line. MY FAMILY TIME DINING MY TIME DINING DAILY RESERVATIONS Awards FOLLOW US JOIN CROWN & ANCHOR SOCIETY CALL US NOW +971 4 331 4299 0000419636 00000 n 0000905656 00000 n This website uses cookies in order to offer you the most relevant information. Automatic gratuity charge: $16 to $18.50 per . Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Upload or insert images from URL. Can a family in one stateroom dine at different times with My Time Dining? If you arrive as soon as the Main Dining Rooms open, you will be able to be seated shortly. I suspect that the automatic tipping is a hidden charge for the customers who already paid to go on the cruise to subsidise the company's wage bill. Alas! 0000005141 00000 n Personally, I wouldn't dream of NOT tipping people that are doing me a service. Throughout the cruise, you may be able to change your My Time Dining reservations on the app or by calling the dining hotline from your stateroom's telephone, but it is dependent on availability. Your automatic gratuities also cover your cabin steward and other behind the scenes personnel; not just dining room staff. Here's how it works on Royal Caribbean: As of September 7 th, 2022, the automatic service gratuity of $16.00 USD per . Find the right card for you. However, if you dont sign up for My Time Dining within the first two days of your cruise, then youre stuck with traditional dining times. What is My Time Dining? | Royal Caribbean Cruises It truly depends, though. ( use to happen frequently). Ships registered in the Bahamas. To ensure quick seating, we encourage guests who have selected the Flexible option to place a reservation for each evening. 0000902670 00000 n 0000755747 00000 n It can be awkward to eat with a complete stranger, and this dining option also makes it easier for folks who just want to enjoy their getaway at sea. If we paid the gratuities up front when onboard would we still have able to do MTD? John2195, June 24, 2017 in Royal Caribbean International. Royal Caribbean Dining. Just head over to the Main Dining Room to speak with a head waiter, and they will assist you! Are you sure that isn't an Iglu Cruise rule? At the same time, you will be able to add prepaid gratuities and vacation protection, if you choose to do so. 0000011539 00000 n We can honor requests to change only once based on availability. By his definition the answer is yes. Most of the biggest cruise lines automatically add some type of service or gratuity fee onto passenger bills. It is possible to snag dining times around 7:00pm every night, but this is a highly desirable dinner time. Clear editor. 0000005676 00000 n The only thing you should HAVE to pay at booking is the deposit. Jon can be reached at. Still, not all lines have service fees that high. The included tip amount varies by cruise line, but is typically 15% to 20% of the bill. 0000737498 00000 n 0000913926 00000 n I'm so sorry that this post wasn't useful for you! Also if staff are chastised for receiving cash, why do all the posts advocate tipping over and above the automatic gratuities for good service? The only real downside beyond having to pay your gratuities in advance is that you arent guaranteed the same waiter every night. $155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card. 0000738152 00000 n Understood, and many passengers also feel this way. 0000005866 00000 n I will HAPPILY pay my gratuities, and feel that having them paid in advance is very convenient, andprobably saves me some money. Still need help? There is no special dress code for My Time Dining it has the same dress code as traditional dining. 0000019459 00000 n Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. You no longer have to prepay gratuities if you select My Time Dining. Looking for the Best Cruise Deals? Prior to checking out, you will have to make a decision on dining style. 0000819210 00000 n Whats Included in a Royal Caribbean Cruise? Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the authors alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. You can choose a different time each day, so you can fit dinner around the rest of your onshore and onboard plans. Still, some critics see the charges as a sneaky way for cruise lines to make their fares appear lower than they really are. I am looking at cancelling my gratuities when I get on board so I can pay these personally. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). It has its advantages, but for a lot of people, its too restrictive. 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. 0000906128 00000 n 0000909755 00000 n 0000425403 00000 n If you dislike tipping on cruise ships, but can't afford to sail on an all-inclusive line, look for promotions when cruise lines with service charges throw in free gratuities as a booking incentive. Piano bar regulars know that a cash tip will increase the chances of the pianist choosing and performing your song request. 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. Any amount is fine and will be appreciated by the hard-working crew. 0000841939 00000 n Card Rating is based on the opinion of TPGs editors and is not influenced by the card issuer. 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. 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. Their website explains it as such: "By selecting My Time Dini. So if I cancel my gratuities what will be added to my account for my time dining. 0000024527 00000 n Join 40,000 cruiserswho readmy email each week Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. If youre not someone who has cruised before, you might not be aware of traditional dining times on cruise ships. Also (and I'm probably being the grammar police on this one) do you really mean "you HAVE to pay the gratuities up front at the time of booking" or do you mean they have to be added to your bill at time of booking? When making a reservation you will be offered "My Time" or traditional dining times (i.e., 5:30 pm & 8:00 pm). Check out Intelligent Cruiser here for a better cruise vacation. Maximum of 10 guests per reservation. 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. Getting to know the staff and allowing them to get to know you is also a fun part of cruising for some people and My Time Dining would severely limit activity. My Time Dining uses the same menu as traditional seating. 0000897748 00000 n Perhaps as more and more cheapos remove their grats the cruise lines will finally just increase fares so everyone pays the same in tips. At many big lines, such as Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line, its not uncommon for a family of four staying in a single cabin to see around $80 a day in service fees added to their bills. Answer (1 of 4): Fares purchased on the Australian website will always include pre-paid gratuities. You dont have to attend dinner at the same time, and you can arrange a table that works for you. Search Multiple Sites at Once 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. Seating can also be reserved while onboard. 0000911365 00000 n Could you please tell me how I can improve it? Probably because it makes it less confusing than diving up the tips. 0000738858 00000 n Enrollment required. Yes, if there is availability in the My Time Dining Room, we would be happy to accommodate the request. The agent asked us which dining option wed like and we chose my time. You will be able to see the exact times that My Time Dining is offered each evening once you book your cruise. In this case, no gratuities will be charged to your onboard account. This can trick many cruisers into tipping twice. 0000008654 00000 n M&-]f_Le}BXJ.D7CCx. That is how it works for those employees who get paid with tips. My Time Dining is now a choice within the booking process. 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. Rather, you will be seated wherever there is availability. On a typical seven-night cruise, thats nearly $600 in fees. We have my time dining and according to the threads it looks like the gratuities are asked to be prepaid. but only parties of 20 or less can be seated at one time. And that they aren't simply following the outdated information still present on Royal's website as pointed out above? I will pay for fantastic service but can't stand getting it shoved in my face and HAVE TO pay gratuities. Once you have decided on the perfect ship and itinerary, you are ready to move forward with the cruise booking process. If you leave the service charge on your room bill, you are not expected to leave additional cruise tips for your room attendant or waiters. The guest relations staff will want to know if youve experienced particular service issues. 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). After 23 Royal Caribbean Cruises, What I've Learned About Tipping Follow along on this incredible voyage! 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. 0000897170 00000 n
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