*Please see all applicable Terms & Conditions for Promotions. They all end up being the same thing a set daily charge to passengers thats passed on to the crew. You can see a full list of those here: List of Free Drinks on Royal Caribbean Cruises. Are the drink prices in US dollars or Australian while on an Australian run. Drink is 15 Dollars so do i have to pay 3 Dollars or 15? Like what you see? Each day there will be a gratuity charge or a lump sum added at the end of the trip. The calculator will also treat nights as equivalent to days for the purposes of per-day beverage calculations. Gratuities on Royal Caribbean are obligatory, so it is a matter of when you prefer to pay them. I rarely drink specialty coffee and prefer a cup of hot tea to end my meals. These days, with the new protocols, Im not sure what the rules will be on refilling our own bottles. Under certain circumstances, you may be able to buy the Deluxe Beverage Package for one guest and the Refreshment Package for another guest. Free Dining Offer FREE SPECIALTY DINING for 2: on select categories, ships and sail dates. Jenni. The breakdown of gratuities is carefully worked out to be fair for all crew members. Lets say the drinks package costs an average of $75 per day. Does anyone know what the difference is between the complimentary coffee and tea vs the premium coffee/tea you get when you buy the Refreshment Package? However, if you want to choose the flexible My Time dining, rather than having a set dining time, you must pre-pay your gratuities. Paying a tip twice C. Paying a standardized tip for poor service. Alcoholic beverages that exceed this amount will be charged the difference plus gratuity on the difference. It comes with fancy coffees, smoothies etc as well as alcohol. Related: TPG's ultimate guide to cruise ship gratuity charges and tipping In fact, your cruise line might leave a few envelopes in your room exactly for this purpose. But, the cup doesnt seal so you have to keep it upright. The daily gratuities are shared among dining, bar & culinary services staff, stateroom attendants and other hotel services teams who work behind the scenes. If traveling with others, enter each guests information separately, resetting the calculator as needed. Is Every Passenger Charged Gratuities? When we researched tipping policy on a recent Princess cruise, we found that the cruise line pools that money and uses it for bonuses, etc. Do we need separate soft drinks packages for the kids or can they share ours? Doing this is a good way to ensure that youre served first next time! Be the first to rate this post. Is it true that each individual drink purchased an additional 18% is added? Royal Caribbean charges a gratuity of $16.00 per person, per day. The lowest prices can often be found during the Black Friday sale period. That doesnt seem fair. We are sailing on Anthem of the seas June for two weeks going for the de lux drinks package offered us 43 per day is that fair price or should I wait in case prices go down. If you buy your drinks package in advance and then see that the price drops due to a promotion, you can cancel your drinks package, get a refund and then buy it again at the lower price. Is that the Same Thing? If youve never cruised, then there is no doubt that these questions and more might be floating through your head. Whilst you could easily drink five cocktails by the pool and then a couple of glasses of wine in the evening on a sea day, how much would you drink if you were off the ship from 9 am until 6 pm most days? I have a general question I am booked on the Adventure of the Sea in February wondering if the muster station is done outside standing or inside able to sit down.. Hi Jill. Drink Package Calculator. The good thing for passengers about automatic gratuities is that this breakdown is done automatically by the cruise line instead of having to give tips to several different staff members at the end of your cruise. First of all, if youre feeling a little confused, dont worry you arent alone. I just purchased the Deluxe Beverage package, for myself, and the refreshement package for my wife. What should I do to highlight this so as not to embarrass him on board. Royal Caribbean offers a discount when you pre-book your drinks package on the cruise planner before you sail. If it drops, cancel the package and re-buy it at the lower price. Each guest, regardless of age, will be assessed the daily gratuity as recognition for the hard work crew members do each day. Instead of handing over the charges well in advance of your sailing, you can keep it until youre actually on your cruise. If you paid $13 for a cocktail and didnt like it, youd be pretty annoyed at yourself for choosing it. With your support, we can create more exciting content and share with everyone! Both Carnival and Norwegian raised gratuity rates earlier this summer. This handy tool lets you see if it's better to pay out of pockets for drinks or to sign up for the drink package. Hi Rebecca. Ditch winter blues for tropical hues on a warm-weather escape. Passengers in higher-level suites pay $18. There are several places where youll find free drinks during your Royal Caribbean cruise. The exact breakdown of how much each staff member gets isnt published, just like their salary isnt published. You have to wait 15 minutes between each drink, so it is technically possible to get drinks for the kids then 15 minutes later, go and get drinks for yourselves. Historically, the onboard price of the Deluxe Beverage Package ranges from $63 to $89 a day (plus gratuity). On the first day of your cruise, you may see signs offering Buy One Get One Free deals on drinks packages. Prices for the non-alcoholic drink packages are obviously much cheaper. Great blog. No votes so far! How strict are they on how much bottles you can bring on board? Just enter your email address below and youll receive a link to it in your inbox asap. Royal Caribbean will be raising its automatic daily gratuity amountthat guests pay night of their cruise beginning on, Royal Caribbean offers guests the choice of prepaying gratuities for select crew members on its ships. Absolutely. Royal Caribbean regularly have promotions to encourage people to book cruises. When you take a Royal Caribbean cruise, as well as your cruise fare, youll be expected to pay a little extra to the crew members. This makes paying for your cruise more manageable. Want to tip more? At least Ive got time to think about which package to buy. Meanwhile, cruise fares are often shown as dirt-cheap prices. You can also take a quick look at the Royal Caribbean Beverage package prices: Deluxe Beverage Package - $44 to $55 per day ($63-$70 for 2019 sailings) Premium Refreshment Package - $26 per . Cruise lines rarely use the word free, instead they use included. Jenni. Royal Caribbean is increasing its automatic daily gratuities by more than 10% next month for passengers in staterooms. Hi Gilbert, youll find that Royal Caribbean crew members are all very friendly and helpful, so if your cousin requires any further assistance from what you can provide, just ask him to let them know and theyll be glad to help. Royal Caribbean no longer offers a wine package. Simply enter the cruise line, length of trip, and the number of passengers and it will show you precisely how much youll be charged. Jenni. You can find more info in this posts: https://www.cruisemummy.co.uk/can-you-take-drinks-on-a-cruise-ship/ and this one: https://www.cruisemummy.co.uk/how-to-sneak-alcohol-on-a-cruise-ship/ I hope that helps! As of September 7 th, 2022, the automatic service gratuity of $16.00 USD per person, per day for guests in non-suites staterooms, or $18.50 USD per person, per day for guests in Suites, will be applied to each guest's SeaPass account on a daily basis. And when you leave the dining room, no need to drop down any money on the table. Royal Caribbean. 3 ways to get free wifi on your Royal Caribbean cruise. Just for comparison, by the old RCCL tipping guidelines, the Royal Caribbean suggested tips/gratuities were a total of USD 11,65 per day per passenger (respectively USD 13,90 for suite passengers) and also guests could pay onboard either in cash or via their shipboard account. Thank you! Celebrity Cruises Perks Calculator: Are Perks Worth It. Then, contact one with a best-price guarantee and have them beat it! How much extra does Royal Caribbean charge for a double? Complimentary is just regular coffee whereas premium includes cappuccino, latte, espresso etc. Click the button above to compare the prices of cruises from all travel agents. Jenni. Typical increases are around $1 per person, per day and seem to happen about once a year. Royal Caribbean shares the gratuities between various crew members including stateroom attendants, waiters, bar staff, culinary staff and other hotel services team members. Depending on your cruise line, you might find different language used than the word gratuities. Weve seen these charges called tips, gratuities, crew incentives, or service charges. What is Royal Caribbean's gratuity price and policy? The calculator estimates the savings achieved by selecting the most cost-effective beverage package versus Pay As You Go. If you celebrate a milestone birthday mid-way through the cruise, you should ask the Guest Services Manager to modify your record to allow you to drink alcohol after your birthday. You can add an additional tip on to your receipt if you wish. The automatic tip is USD 16.00 USD, or USD 18.50 USD for suite guests, applied to each guests SeaPass account on a daily basis. Royal Caribbean is a trademark of Royal Caribbean Group. If you order a drink that costs more than the package limit, you would be charged the difference. With the acquisition of 80 points (equivalent to 80 nights at sea), guests become Diamond members. Fresh squeezed orange juice and sodas etc. So the longer the cruise, the higher the gratuities as well. Bottom line is that it comes down to personal preference. 3 hours ago, Husky1987 said: Percentage of cruisers that remove auto gratuities: 10%. After that, you can cancel it when you first embark on the ship, but no later. Their offerings range from classics like a mojito to daiquiri to new takes on traditional cocktails, like a New Fashioned at the Schooner . Notice of suitability: This tip calculator is designed to help you with the cruise tipping recommended by the line. Hi Kristin. Second, any time that you purchase anything service related such as dinner at a specialty restaurant or a service at the spa expect there to be a tip added on to the cost. So a $10 menu price on a cocktail is actually around $12. We are travelling with Royal Caribbean for the first time and are considering purchasing the Deluxe drinks package. If youd like to calculate exactly what your gratuity amount will be before you book your trip, then you can use our calculator here. They also do not include the charge for special souvenir or commemorative beverage containers. On my last Royal Caribbean cruise on Anthem of the Seas, it was a seven-night cruise from Southampton so I didnt get a drinks package. Keep in mind that Royal Caribbean generally requires that if one adult purchases the Deluxe package, that all other adults over the age of 21 traveling in the same cabin purchase . 2 bottles of wine and 12 cans of soft drinks per stateroom. Any frozen drinks too without the alcohol. In my former job managing cruise websites for a travel agent, I saw cruise line campaigns change regularly and prices fluctuate almost daily. Unless you are feeling generous, theres no need to tip more. When you take a Royal Caribbean cruise, one of the costs to passengers are gratuities (tips) to crew members during, Royal Caribbean will be raising its recommended gratuities for sailings that depart on or after July 1, 2015.The new, Royal Caribbean will be raising its automatic daily gratuity amountthat guests pay night of their cruise beginning on, Royal Caribbean has announced it will raise itsrecommended gratuities for sailings that depart on or after May 01,, Royal Caribbean provides excellent service to guests of all ages, and with that service comes an automatic gratuity, Royal Caribbean Australia announced today a new fare structure that includesgratuities for stateroom attendants and. Each passenger pays a daily gratuity that covers the services of the crew members they interact with the most, and this daily rate is charged automatically unless the guest pre-pays it prior to the cruise. You can opt into prepaying gratuities at any time, up to 48 hours prior to your sail date. On the Oasis Class and Quantum Class ships, the drinks package limit is $13 rather than $12 to account for these ships having slightly higher drinks prices. List of Free Drinks on Royal Caribbean Cruises, 56 amazing examples of Royal Caribbean customer service, The Best Time to Buy A Royal Caribbean Drink Package, 15 Ways To Use Your Royal Caribbean Onboard Credit Like A Pro, https://www.cruisemummy.co.uk/taking-a-baby-on-a-cruise-ship/, https://www.cruisemummy.co.uk/royal-caribbean-drinks-menus-with-prices/, Royal Caribbean Cruise Refreshment Package Review, https://www.cruisemummy.co.uk/can-you-take-drinks-on-a-cruise-ship/, https://www.cruisemummy.co.uk/how-to-sneak-alcohol-on-a-cruise-ship/. As a way to reward our crew members for their outstanding service, tips are shared . So if youre planning a cruise with Royal Caribbean, read on for everything you need to know about Royal Caribbean gratuities. Hi Michael. If you booked your Royal Caribbean cruise with a travel agent, you just need to contact them and ask for gratuities to be added to your reservation. This happens automatically and will be tacked on to the price. Royal Caribbean allow you to bring one bottle of wine per person on-board and theyre very strict about that. Just like sneaking your own alcohol on board the ship, this isnt technically allowed, but people do it. Australians typically do not tip because the minimum wage in Australia is $20.33 AUD/hr ($14.56 USD/hr). All rights reserved. This information is brill thanks. MyTime dining is when you dont have a set dining time and instead, you can arrive at the main restaurant whenever you like. That means people like the room steward who cleans your cabin and the dining staff. All rights reserved. Automatic gratuity charge: None. Copyright 2023 Real World Machine LLC. If you have the Deluxe Beverage Package, youll get a 40% discount on bottled wines priced up to $100 and a 20% discount on wines priced over $100. 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. The automatic tip is USD 16.00 USD, or USD 18.50 USD for suite guests, applied to each guest's SeaPass account on a daily basis. Carnival made changes to its rates in May: Standard staterooms: $14.50, per person, per day (up from $13.99) Suites: $16.50 . So you might be charged $15 in tips for a day. I have a question Ive not seen answered. It varies depending on the sailing, and prices also go up and down as the sailing date nears. There are pros and cons to paying your gratuities before or after your cruise, and its very much a personal choice. The calculator estimates the total cost for beverages, including the cost of beverage packages, gratuities, and upcharges. Royal Caribbeans rules state that each person must have the same package. Can I ask there is a limit of bringing drinks on board yourselves but how do they actually know if you have brought more than the allowance? Jenni. 53 euros per day, 856 for my wife and for 8 nights. I have another question. We never use a credit card for our on ship account. or would i be charged for the whole pina colada with alcohol? ), Can You Work Remotely While Taking a Cruise? Before you go ahead and buy the Coffee Card, here are some things youll want to consider: The tap water on Royal Caribbean cruise ships is perfectly safe to drink and tastes okay, although it may not always be very cold, depending on the weather. Cheers. If you do not opt to prepay gratuities, a daily charge will appear on your SeaPass account every day of the cruise for the daily gratuity rate per guest. Can I buy unlimited beverage package for 2 days only in a four days cruise , or it has to be for all days ? If purchasing beverages la carte (without a package) is the recommended option, then the calculator estimates the savings achieved by Pay As You Go versus the lowest-cost beverage package, factoring in gratuities and upcharges. We just came back from a Cruise to Nowhere aboard the Quantum of the Seas as well. Just pop your email in the form and Ill send you a link to the calculator. This will reduce the overall balance you have available to spend. Prepaying gratuities before your cruise means you pay off that balance early, instead of accruing a higher balance that is owed at the end of the cruise. Royal Caribbeans standard gratuity rate of $16.00 per day ($18.50 for suites) applies to guests of all ages, including children and infants. On top of what I already paid for the two unlimited packages? Be the first to rate this post. Any tips taking a 7 mths old . Could you please tell me how I can improve it? That said, its unusual to adjust the gratuity amount, and the staff works extremely hard to make your trip enjoyable. These daily gratuities go towards your dining room staff, as well as your stateroom attendant. Royal Caribbeans daily gratuity rate increases every one to two years. Instead, gratuities on a cruise ship are highly automated, with most people just electing to prepay or being charged a set amount for each day on the ship. In this case, you can simply choose to have them lumped in with your cruise fare, paying them all at once. The amount you pay will vary by cruise line, but they are all in the same ballpark. To decide whether a Royal Caribbean drink package offers good value for money or not, you need to consider three key questions: Once you know the answers to these, you can do the maths and work out Is the Royal Caribbean drinks package is worth it? It may be cheaper to pay for drinks individually on your cruise. You were extremely helpful for my upcoming cruise! Check your Cruise Planner and see if it comes up to purchase. These vouchers expire on the same night that they are issued. There are some exceptions to this rule. Im guessing it does not? This figure reflects the maximum per-alcoholic-beverage cost that is covered with a Deluxe (alcohol) package. If you dont decide to prepay the tips, then the amount is automatically charged to your onboard account each day. If the price does drop, you can always call Royal Carribbean to cancel it and book it again at the lower price. However, if you appear to be too intoxicated, the staff wont serve you any more drinks. All I can see is my cruise planner prices which are $95+ per day!! All non-alcoholic beverages are covered in full, regardless of price, unless otherwise excluded from all beverage packages. Is is possible to buy the package for less days than those of your cruise? Airfare Savings Up to $800 per person . For most sailings, when you buy a drinks package online, an 18% gratuity charge is added at the checkout. If gratuities show on our account when we settle at cruise end, we ask for them to be removed. You can expect to pay about $15-$20 per person, per day. There are three of us going on the cruise May 22nd my self, my wife, and a cousin. Other major cruise lines already increased their gratuities this year. Hello we r doing a three night cruise out of Brisbane in November. So when you leave the room you dont have to put down any extra cash (unless you want to). Royal Caribbeans Crown & Anchor Society awards loyalty points for every night that guests spend on-board Royal Caribbean ships. While this is intended to make things easier, the honest truth is that having automatic gratuities can actually lead to more questions. My Cruise Line Calls it a Crew Incentive or Service Charge. Hi, I would Like to know something. If Im a simple coffee and tea drinker. Tea and coffee are always available for free and you can get sweeteners as well. Should you prepay gratuities for a Royal Caribbean cruise? The drinks prices vary slightly by ship, with around a $1 difference on some ships. For most people, the service they receive on a cruise is outstanding. When booking a Royal Caribbean cruise, one very important question to consider is Should I get a drinks package or not?. That said, in theory you could request that tips be removed from your account and not tip at all. If you plan to be off the ship exploring ports most days, then not only will you not have as much time on board to drink your drinks, but youre also less likely to want a hangover! Whether you cruise multiple times per year or you're new to cruising, the goal of Royal Caribbean Blog is for it to bea useful resource for keeping up to date with what's new and exciting with Royal Caribbean. If you booked your Royal Caribbean cruise with a travel agent, you just need to contact them and ask for gratuities to be added to your reservation. Some people like to give gifts such as chocolates or wine to the crew members. Other than that, your gratuity charges cover the housekeeping and dining staff. But RCCL wants to charge $448. However, to do so, you must go to Guest Services, before the last evening of the cruise and request that t. These drinks are included in your drink package, which is great, as on MSC Cruises ships, drinks made by the MSC robotic bartender are not. If you do absolutely nothing, then you can expect an automatic charge on your SeaPass account each day of the cruise. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. The two common rationales for not prepaying are if you have a substantial amount of onboard credit that could offset your SeaPass account charges, or if you prefer to give crew members their automatic gratuity rate in cash. Pre-existing bookings confirmed prior to September 7th , 2022 will not be subject to the increased guidelines as long as gratuities are paid in advance of sailing. $16.50 per person, per day for guests in suites. Sure, just pop your email in the box and it will come straight to you. Gratuity = n*b*15 / 26. So you would need to let someone else be served and then order again. Im going on a cruise in October and would like the full drinks package for myself. They scan your bags. 15 Ways To Use Your Royal Caribbean Onboard Credit. Cash isnt used on cruise ships, so all your purchases and gratuities (if not prepaid) will be added to your onboard account. The drinks package is active on the island as well as the ship and we spent a lot of time on-board drinking cocktails in the hot tub. Below, weve listed the current tip amounts charged by major cruise lines as of the time of this writing: How do you actually pay tips on the cruise ship? On cruises departing from the UK, the gratuity is included in the price of each drink as shown on the menu, so the menu prices may appear higher. Can I please get the link to the calculator? She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 20 cruises. If you have a question that isnt listed here, you can add it in the comments section at the end. We are cruising with NCL later this year & we have a beverage package included & gratuities included does that mean we will not pay any more gratuities at end of cruise? Should you prepay gratuities for a Royal Caribbean cruise? This is extremely helpful. Norwegian Cruise Line also raised their gratuities in April, when they changed their rates: In July, Disney Cruise Line increased their gratuities to$14.50 per night, per person for standard rooms and $15.50 per night, per person for suite guests. On a recent Royal Caribbean cruise, I bought the drinks package and got my moneys worth.