You can choose a different time each day, so you can fit dinner around the rest of your onshore and onboard plans. 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. Learn more. You can disable the usage of cookies by changing the settings of your browser. Online, you can only book My Time Dining for up to eight guests. At least, thats how it is supposed to work. Welcome aboard! Related: 9 times you do not need to tip on a cruise. $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Discover the culinary curiosities of Wonderland Imaginative Cuisine. They work very long hours all day long. The agent asked us which dining option wed like and we chose my time. 0000002916 00000 n
On a Royal Caribbean cruise, you need to register for My Time Dining if you dont want a set dining time. When you log into the Cruise Planner, all you have to do is navigate to the "Dining" tab and scroll down until you see "My Time Dining.". You can change your dining time on your Royal Caribbean cruise using the Cruise Planner on Royal Caribbeans website. 0000738858 00000 n
Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Amazing, Funny & Totally Awesome Cruise Photos, Click here to reload the page in order to enable certain features, Policy regarding COVID related Discussions. If anyone on our team wouldnt recommend it to a friend or a family member, we wouldnt recommend it on The Points Guy either. The Amex Platinum comes with access to a premium concierge service that can help you with everything from booking hard-to-get reservations to finding destination guides to help you plan out your next getaway. There is a $9.75 gratuity per day that is required and this actually covers not only the wait staff but your room steward. Note that this only applies to dinner in the Main Dining Room. 0000019459 00000 n
What is Royal Caribbean's service gratuities (tips) price and policy? Guests who have signed up for My Time Dining will have their SeaPass card designated with the dining room and deck number. 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. Do I have to pre-reserve My Time Dining through Cruise Planner? 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. Theres also a dining hotline you can call from the phone in your stateroom to make changes to your reservations. Automatic Gratuities were added to lessen the event of "skipping out" on tips and to make sure MTD waiters were tipped. 0000017159 00000 n
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Would we pay them on the first day onboard? If you continue to use this site, you consent to our use of cookies. A list of those who do this is available to the staff. You do have to prepay your gratuities in order to sign up to My Time Dining. Please view our advertising policy page for more information. My Time Dining is therefore available to anyone who wants to mix things up. Seating can also be reserved while onboard. 0000737498 00000 n
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I'm travelling with guests from another stateroom who selected Traditional Dining. For your convenience, prepaid gratuities are automatically added to your flexible option reservations. You dont really get to know the people you are eating with that well. ( use to happen frequently). 0000021713 00000 n
If you want, you can even try to switch onboard. *Please see all applicable Terms & Conditions for Promotions. Contact Us Get support by Phone or Email 866-562-7625 Email Your Questions My Time Dining is now a choice within the booking process. 0000891696 00000 n
Some guests choose to recognize particularly exceptional service with an additional cash gratuity on the last night of their cruise. 0000418920 00000 n
Have you noticed over the years that daily grats have been increasing almost every year to make up for the non tippers. At the same time, you will be able to add prepaid gratuities and vacation protection, if you choose to do so. 0000750166 00000 n
Main Dining Room on Allure of the Seas but it's so much better to leave the automatic tips in place and just give extra cash to those you feel deserve it. This website uses cookies in order to offer you the most relevant information. 0000841664 00000 n
If you want to use My Time Dining you must pay for tips in advance. The cost of that package is typically $109 per person, per day. 0000433627 00000 n
Flexible seating works very much like standard restaurant seating. At most lines, you can pay your service charges in advance of sailing (at the same time you pay your cruise fare). Compare the cost in points or miles to cash, and see which option is best. Automatic gratuity charge: $16 to $18.50 per . As soon as you place the deposit for your cruise, you will gain access to the Cruise Planner. 0000891423 00000 n
Read on to learn what My Time Dining is, the benefits that it offers, and how to book. 0000006312 00000 n
Suggested read: 6 Things You MUST Know About Formal Night on a Royal Caribbean Cruise. Check here before booking an award fare. You can, of course, request a specific table and waiter, but they may not be able to honor this. The flexibility of My Time Dining comes with responsibility. You will be seated with whomever you arrive to the dining room with. What happens if I cancel the gratuities? All sent to your inbox. I take any thread older than a year (sometimes less) with a grain of salt. It's kind of a runaround to personally get to everyone who is included (my opinion). How much to tip on a cruise is a question that trips up many first-timers. This card is also incredibly rewarding for travel purchases, helping you rack up a ton of Membership Rewards points for your next award trip. Obviously through this conversation you can tell that you can pre-pay your gratuities our they will be added to your onboard account daily as you cruise. If you do get the same waiter every night, theyll remember your name and your preferences. John2195, June 24, 2017 in Royal Caribbean International. 0000003388 00000 n
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. MY FAMILY TIME DINING MY TIME DINING DAILY RESERVATIONS Awards FOLLOW US JOIN CROWN & ANCHOR SOCIETY CALL US NOW +971 4 331 4299 0000011539 00000 n
You can save even more $$$ by eating in the Lido on the last evening and avoiding your cabin steward that night also ? CC Help Jenn We'll run a soft credit check to find special offers, but it wont affect your credit score. Privacy Policy | Not every ship has it though, so you should check out their website to see if your ship will offer this service if you are interested. What happens if I cancel the gratuities? Passengers in mini-suites pay $17, while those in bigger suites pay $18. I noticed the My Time doesn't offer reservations until 6:45. My Time Dining is one of the options you'll get to choose from when you book your cruise. The same applies if you want to switch from My Time Dining back to traditional dining. April 7, 2008. Earn 5X Membership Rewards Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. 0000422496 00000 n
It truly depends, though. Even if you initially booked Traditional Dining, you can call your travel agent or Royal Caribbean directly to change to My Time. 0000910770 00000 n
You cannot paste images directly. It's also not possible to update every forum discussion when information changes so it can be confusing to read conflicting threads. With Traditional Dining, you will have the same reserved seating each night of your cruise, and there are two seatings to choose from: first (early) and second (late). Seating can also be reserved while onboard. Find the right card for you. 0000891340 00000 n
Pasted as rich text. Here is why some people dislike the more informal dining option. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum Card, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu. My Time Dining uses the same menu as traditional seating. If you want to use My Time Dining you must pay for tips in advance. Both Royal Caribbean and Carnival have slightly different daily gratuities. This also applies to sailings departing from Australia and New Zealand. So by your definition no one should tip because others will make up the difference? Start with these stories: The credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which ThePointsGuy.com receives compensation. 0000027181 00000 n
They will be seated in one of the main dining rooms. 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. 0000914358 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. Once you have made your My Time Dining reservations, they will appear in your cruise calendar, both on Cruise Planner tab and Royal Caribbean's app. 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. Royal Caribbean has done the latter keeping the option for traditional dining service but also offering My Time Dining. Why is it combined? I always find that funny when peeps complain about the added on grats listed as a separate charge..do they ever look at their cable bill, electric bill, phone bill.etcetc. She also told us about gratuities added to the Seapss account. 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. The old way of MTD had forced you to prepay gratuities but that changed some time ago. I don't know if you have cruised before, but the gratuities cover more than your wait staff in My Time Dining. Enrollment required. ?xtp~?f~j)Br$7q,,"Sf%SXAii%1O=]rlsE"V3ueGWY^U?h2/?7>V1yP GoW}wA[5!>0yuoe ;p, You will be able to leave a comment after signing in, By If you want to reserve it on-board then visit Guest Services. 0000420293 00000 n
Most of the biggest cruise lines automatically add some type of service or gratuity fee onto passenger bills. You will see the same helpful crew members waiting on you in the WJ as you did last night in the MDR. Join 40,000 cruiserswho readmy email each week Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 0000417807 00000 n
please click here to update it. Dont worry: When lines offer such deals, it doesnt mean the crew will receive fewer tips the week you cruise. Our points-obsessed staff uses a plethora of credit cards on a daily basis. 0000424501 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. However, you can still make reservations, based on availability, once onboard. The only thing you should HAVE to pay at booking is the deposit. Note, however, that this means you may not be able to have as flexible of a dining experience as you might be hoping for, especially if prime reservations have been secured in advance by other guests. Planning a cruise? Remember that all additional tipping is at your discretion. When planning your other evening activities, make sure that you allot yourself at least 75 minutes for your Main Dining Room experience. The traditional dining experience allows you the choice of either early or late seating times for each day of your cruise. 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. Hi! but only parties of 20 or less can be seated at one time. . 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. Heres how I get the lowest price when I book a cruise. Get $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings, which requires a minimum two-night stay, through American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Dine as you want, when you want. Who knows? Then, Norwegian Cruise Line decided to shake things up a bit with "freestyle dining", an innovation that allows guests to eat dinner anytime . When making a reservation you will be offered "My Time" or traditional dining times (i.e., 5:30 pm & 8:00 pm). Weve booked a cruise through an agent. Powered by Invision Community. If you do not prepay gratuities, they will be charged to your onboard account automatically, on a daily basis. 0000906128 00000 n
And, unlike the typical service fee or resort fee found at a land resort, they are not per room. What is Royal Caribbean's service gratuities (tips) price and policy? We do not prepay gratuities because we always have OBC and they will be deducted from the OBC daily. Im sorry you never received a tip in your years of "slogging your guts out." Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Yes, if there is availability in the My Time Dining Room, we would be happy to accommodate the request. The actual times, however, will vary by sailing. Earn 5X Membership Rewards Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. That is really the biggest flaw with My Time Dining. For guests staying in Grand Suites and above, the fee is $18.50 per person, per day. 0000736746 00000 n
When you eat with someone different every night it can be hard to get past the introductions every night and really get to know someone. Or do they not notice those "add on" charges? If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. 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. Read more: Whats Included in a Royal Caribbean Cruise? Rather, you will be seated wherever there is availability. 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 . Thats the whole point of the service charge. Its much better if youre someone who likes to play it by ear for dinner, based on how hungry you are. If youre not someone who has cruised before, you might not be aware of traditional dining times on cruise ships. 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. If you keep things as they are, everyone who is supposed to be tipped, WILL be tipped. You can post now and register later. 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. 0000828837 00000 n
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. If we paid the gratuities up front when onboard would we still have able to do MTD? Unsubscribe whenever you want. 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. 0000891587 00000 n
Every Royal Caribbean ship includes meals at many included restaurants, including the main dining room and the buffet. On a typical seven-night cruise, thats nearly $600 in fees. My Time Dining is the flexible dining option on Royal Caribbean cruises. 0000737875 00000 n
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. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached, or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Royal Caribbean Blog. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 20 cruises. 0000006002 00000 n
If you opt out of daily gratuities your account will not be charged for them. Also, once you have been seated and your meal is being served, no other guests will be sat at your table. You can be seated with the party you arrive with or be seated at your own table. Instant Real Time Pricing 0000736952 00000 n
Card Rating is based on the opinion of TPGs editors and is not influenced by the card issuer. I am not trying to get out of tipping, I would like to be convinced that the automatic charge actually gets passed on to the crew?? 0000003714 00000 n
That said, some people do leave a little extra for crew members who go above and beyond. Someone else that pays more will take up the slack for you. 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). Traditional dining guests may be seated with other parties to form a larger table, which can be fun if youre confident enough to make new friends. (Enrollment required for select benefits.). Hi, I'm Jenni. Here's how it works on Royal Caribbean: As of September 7 th, 2022, the automatic service gratuity of $16.00 USD per . 0000005676 00000 n
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document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); About Us | What happens if I cancel the gratuities? You can eat anytime between 6:00 pm and 9:30 pm. However, spaces may be limited so it may not be possible if you leave it too late. 0000417013 00000 n
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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. 0000422260 00000 n
I am looking at cancelling my gratuities when I get on board. I have just booked the allure this afternoon and was told by the iglu cruiserep that if I wanted my time dining then I would HAVE to pay the gratuities up front at the time of booking,but if I had first or second sitting then I didn't need to pay I was imformed that royal had made this part of their booking conditions 2 months ago.this is royal caribeans latest sneaky trick to get you to part with more money than you need to.the gratuities payment are VOLUNTARY you have the choise to pay them or request onboard the ship to take them off of your account . Can I reserve the same table or waiter at the same time in My Time Dining? The included tip amount varies by cruise line, but is typically 15% to 20% of the bill. Legal Information | 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. Also if staff are chastised for receiving cash, why do all the posts advocate tipping over and above the automatic gratuities for good service? We hate spam as much as lounge chair hogs. The big advantage to paying cruise tips in advance is that you lock in the current rate. The best way to fully take advantage of the My Time Dining program is to make your reservations before you board the ship! So if I cancel my gratuities what will be added to my account for my time dining. Reservations are highly recommended, as the wait time can be long if you choose to eat during the prime dinner hours of 6:30-8:00pm. 0000005051 00000 n
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(Sponsored). The high annual fee is only worth it if youre taking full advantage of the cards benefits. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. Please note, you can only choose one dining style per sailing so once they join you they must use My Time Dining for the rest of the cruise. A list of those who do this is available to the staff. 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. The wait. 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. You don't have to tip on these cruises because the line is already paying gratuities to the staff on your behalf. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only. 0000892817 00000 n
6 Things You MUST Know About Formal Night on a Royal Caribbean Cruise. During peak dinner times, you may have to wait as long as 45 minutes for a table. Now you have a choice to prepay gratuities or not with either Traditional or MTD. They were accurate as of the publishing of this story. 0000897721 00000 n
Member Title: 100,000+ Club. 0000747552 00000 n