Gratuities on a Royal Caribbean cruise are a part of the overall trip price, however they are often confusion, particularly for first-time cruisers.
As a cruise ship passenger, you are anticipated to offer tricks to crew members throughout your voyage. Don’t fret, this is not as awkward or formal because it sounds, however understanding how these gratuities work and what they cowl might be useful.
Not solely will you’ll want to distribute gratuities, you additionally have to plan your cruise finances to account for them.
Royal Caribbean, like all main cruise strains, has a system in place to make sure that the hardworking employees members who improve your trip obtain applicable compensation. Gratuities are usually not included within the cruise fare (aside from Australians), however they’re obligatory.
We offer this information that can assist you perceive how gratuities work on the cruise, who receives them, how they’re charged, and whether or not you may modify them.
How a lot are gratuities on Royal Caribbean?
Royal Caribbean robotically provides a each day cost to every cruise passenger’s SeaPass account.
Every day of your cruise, Royal Caribbean will robotically cost every individual’s SeaPass account a gratuity. It is a solution to acknowledge nice service onboard that you just get from crew members.
The each day gratuities cowl these crew members:
- stateroom attendant
- head waiter
- waiter
- assistant waiter
As of November 11, 2023, the each day gratuity quantity is $16.00 per visitor, per day for these visitors in customary lodging. Visitors in suites can pay $20.50 per individual, per day in gratuities. The each day gratuity quantity is the identical for all passengers, no matter age.
As a substitute of paying them onboard, visitors have the selection to pre-pay their gratuities earlier than their cruise to assist cut up up the price of their cruise trip.
In case you are a My Time Eating visitor, you should prepay your gratuities.
The best way to pre-pay gratuities
There are two good causes to prepay gratuities. Some individuals choose to have every thing paid for earlier than the cruise begins, so they do not have to fret a few huge invoice on the finish of the journey.
The second purpose to prepay gratuities is that your worth is locked in. If Royal Caribbean have been to boost the each day gratuity charges earlier than your crusing, you would be grandfathered into the outdated fee.
Pre-paying gratuities is an easy course of. If you happen to booked immediately with Royal Caribbean, you may pre-pay gratuities by calling 866-562-7625 or logging into Royal Caribbean’s web site earlier than the crusing.
If you happen to booked with a journey agent, merely let the journey agent know your desire and so they can handle the preparations.
There are different gratuities too
The each day gratuities solely cowl some crew members, and there you may have to tip on different purchases.
If this looks like “double dipping”, the truth is the following pointers are for crew members not lined by the each day gratuities.
Bartenders and drink waiters
If you happen to order beverage onboard your Royal Caribbean cruise, reminiscent of soda, beer, or wine, you may be charged an computerized 18% gratuity whenever you obtain the invoice.
If you happen to purchased an limitless drink package deal, gratuities for all drinks you order is included with the drink package deal buy. You will truly get charged a “service charge” whenever you purchase the drink package deal to cowl that.
The gratuity quantity is for the service you obtain from the wait employees to serve your drink. The gratuity quantity is added to what you buy and indicated on the backside of your receipt.
You’ll be able to add a further tip on the receipt if you want.
Specialty eating places
The surcharge you pay to dine at a specialty restaurant aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise consists of the tip.
There is no such thing as a have to pay a tip on prime of the surcharge quantity, until you want to.
Spa
The Vitality Spa on Royal Caribbean ships can have gratuity added onto it as effectively.
Similar to drinks, an 18% gratuity is robotically added.
You’ll be able to tip extra, when you like
If you wish to tip above and past the automated gratuity, you might be at all times welcome to take action.
It is a discretionary tip, and it’s as much as you and never anticipated in all instances. Even crew members who obtain an computerized gratuity can obtain extra gratuities when you really feel it’s warranted.
Some cases the place a discretionary tip could also be applicable are for room service deliveries or baggage service by porters.
You’ll be able to take away the gratuities, however you’ll want to pay them
Royal Caribbean will robotically cost you for each evening of the cruise however that doesn’t imply it’s a must to pay it if you’re not glad with the service.
You’ll be able to go to Visitor Providers at any level in your cruise and have them lowered or eliminated out of your account when you would like to tip a special quantity.
The choice to take away gratuities is a mechanism to rectify poor service, not a price financial savings measure. Crew members work very arduous daily of your cruise to make it a terrific trip, so do not stiff them with a view to lower your expenses.
Why do I’ve to tip?
Cruise ship tipping is an outdated custom that also hangs on, and it is also a product of American tipping tradition.
One profit to maintaining tipping in place is it incentives crew members to go above and past with their service. Even when they’re a crew member that will get a tip robotically, the service they supply will get mirrored in post-cruise surveys. Plus, many visitors elect to tip on prime of the bottom quantity within the case of wonderful service.
By having suggestions as a further price, it is one thing that does not drive up the bottom cruise fare, which helps promote decrease charges.
In reality, Royal Caribbean has stated they will not provide an all inclusive cruise fare that features gratuities as a result of their inner analysis exhibits a majority of consumers don’t need all-in-one pricing.
Royal Caribbean Worldwide President and CEO Michael Bayley stated, “We all know from our analysis that we have to give all people the selection to determine what they do or don’t need included of their trip.”
“We really feel just like the pricing technique that we’ve got on the bundling, unbundling is the fitting path to go.”
The truth is gratuity on Royal Caribbean is an added charge you are anticipated to pay. Maybe sooner or later suggestions can be included with the cruise fare, however that has but to alter.