My Cruise Line Calls it a Crew Incentive or Service Charge. Im not sure actually. ? Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays. Are tips required? Jenni. Royal Caribbean drinks packages include all tips (also known as gratuities). If you book your cruise during a free drinks offer, then you will get drinks included with your cruise. Our goal has been to provide our readers with expansive coverage of all aspects of the Royal Caribbean experience. How much is the Royal Caribbean drink package? How much extra does Royal Caribbean charge for a double? Gone are the days of simply slipping a waiter some cash or leaving a couple of bills for the room steward at the end of your trip (although you can still do that if you want). Use this section of the Royal Caribbean Beverage Package Calculator to enter general information about the cruise. Click the button above to compare the prices of cruises from all travel agents. Im going on a cruise in October and would like the full drinks package for myself. In my former job managing cruise websites for a travel agent, I saw cruise line campaigns change regularly and prices fluctuate almost daily. Enjoy! So, dont pay the gratuities in advance and wait for the onboard credit to be applied. Use this section of the Royal Caribbean Beverage Package Calculator to enter information about anticipated beverage consumption and pricing information. We are no spring chickens the three of us are just under 70. Im sure intentionally just over the 12.00 limit for the ultimate drink package. This figure reflects the maximum per-alcoholic-beverage cost that is covered with a Deluxe (alcohol) package. Prices for the non-alcoholic drink packages are obviously much cheaper. Its possible to make a saving by doing this if you have the time and energy to track the prices. Gratuity Calculator. Royal Caribbean last raised gratuities January 2, 2018. In Miami the worst place to board the ship. Tipping is out of control everywhere. If not, just leave blank. Thank you so much for such useful and great information. There are some circumstances in which it would be better to prepay and some in which it would be better to pay at the end of your cruise. The calculator was last updated in August 2020. If you book a cruise with free gratuities, it means that Royal Caribbean will pay the gratuities to the staff members for you, so you dont need to worry about paying them. #36. I am curious why some of the same drinks are over $13 in one location and $12 or less in another. For example I drink a lot of water during the day so I will at least have 6 bottles of water. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. 2023 Cruzely.com | Laisman Publishing, LLC. MIAMI - February 13, 2023 - Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE: RCL) (the "Company") today announced that it has closed its private offering of $700 million aggregate principal amount of 7.250% . The daily gratuities are shared among dining, bar & culinary services staff, stateroom attendants and other hotel services teams who work behind the scenes. The tipping rates charged change from time to time. So when youre on the ship, its one less charge to worry about. A cruise which ordinarily costs 699 might go up to 999 with drinks included. All rights reserved. This section of the Royal Caribbean Beverage Package Calculator advises you of the most cost-effective beverage package given your anticipated beverage consumption and pricing inputs. Historically, the onboard price of the Deluxe Beverage Package ranges from $63 to $89 a day (plus gratuity). Whilst some other cruise lines limit the number of drinks you can order to 15 in any 24-hour period, Royal Caribbean has no daily limit. Do we need separate soft drinks packages for the kids or can they share ours? ), I have just updated this post as the gratuity on Royal Caribbeans drinks packages is now 18% for 2021. If you have a package, gratuities are already included in that, you wont pay any more per drink. One other thing. An alternative is to pre-pay the gratuity before the cruise begins. Thanks for this . Guests still have some decisions to make about whether to pay the gratuities before or after the cruise, and whether to tip any extra on top. All of you have great advice. Jenni. Posted 3 hours ago. First of all, if youre feeling a little confused, dont worry you arent alone. Jenni. You can use my free drinks package calculator to work out what your bar bill would be with no drink package. On or after September 7, 2022, regardless of when the booking was created, gratuities paid while onboard are subject to the new, increased rates. And when you leave the dining room, no need to drop down any money on the table. Guests who booked prior to September 7, 2022 can opt to prepay gratuities prior to sailing to take advantage of the current rates. If you want to recognise outstanding service by a particular crew member, then head to the Guest Services desk and fill out a WOW card. Celebrity Cruises Perks Calculator: Are Perks Worth It. Princess: $14.50 per person, per day. For those who drink mostly coffee, Royal Caribbean offers a Cafe Select Coffee Card. RCCL currently applies an automatic gratuity amount on your onboard account, on a daily basis. However, if you want to choose the flexible My Time dining, rather than having a set dining time, you must pre-pay your gratuities. I have a question about the free drinks thoughcan we bring our own reusable water bottles to fill them up with the free lemonade/ice tea or are cups readily available for us to use? Jenni. To help explain everything about cruise line gratuities, weve answered a number of common questions that will make everything clearer before you set sail. This happens automatically and will be tacked on to the price. Other than that, your gratuity charges cover the housekeeping and dining staff. Royal Caribbean allow you to bring one bottle of wine per person on-board and theyre very strict about that. Who gets the tips? How to prepay gratuities. Example pool vs Bamboo. Classic Soda Package. When entering the number of beverages per beverage type, the number entered can either be per day or for the entire length of the cruise for each beverage type. They will still go out of their way to make your cruise comfortable and enjoyable. Beverage packages do not cover certain specialty beverages, particularly those purchased at an onboard Starbucks. That means people like the room steward who cleans your cabin and the dining staff. To do this, you would need to go to the Guest Services desk on the morning of your departure and explain your reason. The exception is in certain markets where tipping is not as ingrained as part of their culture, so Royal Caribbean includes daily gratuities as part of the price of the cruise. If youre a first-time cruiser, then theres little doubt that you have questions about gratuities and tipping on your cruise. I want the employee to know they received a tip from me. 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? Free Dining Offer FREE SPECIALTY DINING for 2: on select categories, ships and sail dates. You can get the charge out of the way early, or hold onto your money until you actually sail. As far as your trip, likely very little. Theres little doubt that the extra tips can be expensive. would i be charged the difference between a virgin pina colada and a pina colada with alcohol? 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. If not, just leave blank, Royal Caribbean increases gratuities for crew members on its cruise ships, Carnival Cruise Line raised their gratuities. I hope this helps. Royal Caribbean Cruises Tipping Policy. Is that the Same Thing? 3 ways to get free wifi on your Royal Caribbean cruise. If you get free gratuities thrown in as an incentive for booking a cruise, then these will be automatically prepaid. Hi Maria, While the name sounds fancy, gratuities are nothing more than a tip paid to the staff members for service during the cruise. 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. You can expect to pay about $15-$20 per person, per day. You can usually pay your gratuities in advance of your cruise, or choose to receive a bill on the last day of your cruise. Thats right, each time you order a drink, and 18% gratuity is added on to your bill. Share. He would hardly be expected to buy the alcohol package too?? How To Prepay Gratuities On Royal Caribbean Website Guests can pre-pay gratuities by calling 866-562-7625 or logging into www.royalcaribbean.com before* their sailing. The price of Royal Caribbeans Deluxe Beverage Package is not fixed. So when you leave the room you dont have to put down any extra cash (unless you want to). Royal Caribbean charges a gratuity of $16.00 per person, per day. The daily gratuities are shared among dining, bar . Additionally, an 18% gratuity is added to bills at bars, minibars, salons and spas. Then, contact one with a best-price guarantee and have them beat it! 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. To save you the headache, Ive created a handy tool that does the maths for you. What sucks is the workers then have to pay a tax on the tip where we would rather give the workers a gift of cash. 3 hours ago, Husky1987 said: Percentage of cruisers that remove auto gratuities: 10%. Be the first to rate this post. On most cruises, including cruises departing from the US, an automatic gratuity of 18% is added to the cost of each drink when you receive the bill. $15.50 per person, per day staying in mini-suites. The default amount of $12 can be adjusted. If you prefer to keep some bottled water in the fridge in your room, you can order 6, 12 or 24 cans of water to be delivered to your stateroom. 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. If you tip individuals instead, you may be doing a disservice to staff members who you havent met personally, such as the kitchen staff or cleaners. Hi Jeff. You can opt into prepaying gratuities at any time, up to 48 hours prior to your sail date. If youre caught cheating the Royal Caribbean drink package by giving drinks to people who do not have a package, then you risk having your whole package removed without a refund. Coca-Cola (including diet, zero, caffeine-free and many different flavours like strawberry, cherry and lime), Fanta, Sprite and Dr Pepper (and zero versions), Powerade (and zero version), Vitamin water and Hi C, Barrys root beer and creme soda (and diet versions), Minute Maid orange and lemonade (and light versions), You cannot use a Coffee Card in Royal Caribbeans Starbucks cafes, Brewed coffee is always free from the Windjammer buffet, Specialty coffee is included in both the alcohol and no alcohol drink packages, On the first formal night of the cruise, attend the, Guests who have spent more than 30 nights at sea with Royal Caribbean (Platinum members and above) can attend a, Guests who have spent more than 80 nights at sea with Royal Caribbean (Diamond members and above) get free drinks between 5 pm and 8.30 pm for. Thank you. Ive just used $USD in this guide to keep things consistent for most readers. Crown & Anchor Diamond status entitles you to attend an Exclusive Nightly Diamond Event between 5 pm and 8 pm each evening where you can receive three free drinks from a list of beers, wines, spirits and sodas. Im Diamond and wondered what the upcharge might be since Ill be getting four free drink vouchers per day. The staff isnt likely to treat you any differently or even know that you arent tipping (after all, some people still like to pay cash at the end of the cruise). Here are the others: 4 Ways That People Cheat The Royal Caribbean Drink Package. N/n. Waiting until the end of your cruise will give you a few more paydays to save up the money. Alcoholic beverages that exceed this amount will be charged the difference plus gratuity on the difference. Is there a limit in time how many drinks/baverages I can order. They also do not include the charge for special souvenir or commemorative beverage containers. With the acquisition of 80 points (equivalent to 80 nights at sea), guests become Diamond members. If you are caught sharing your drinks with someone who doesnt have a package, you risk having your drink package cancelled without a refund. Yet with a drinks package, youre free to work your way down the menu, trying new things. In addition to this, an 18% gratuity is automatically added to all drinks, spa and salon services. If a drink is over 12 Dollars to I have the entire price or just the difference. Royal Caribbean no longer offers a wine package. Dont ask you dont get! Great blog exactly the sort of information I was looking for to make in informed decision. Notice of suitability: This tip calculator is designed to help you with the cruise tipping recommended by the line. Copyright 2023 Real World Machine LLC. Whilst they dont call it a sale, the prices do go up and down. So, if you do have any issues, you should head to Guest Services as early in your cruise as you can, so that things can be put right for you before it affects the rest of your cruise. Not to split them across all the employees equally. On the first day of your cruise, you may see signs offering Buy One Get One Free deals on drinks packages. 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. With your support, we can create more exciting content and share with everyone! Could I buy only 4 of the 8 days of my trip, for example? This equates to: Obviously, if you like to drink cocktails, it will be much easier to break even than if you drink beers and soft drinks. Likewise, carrying large amounts of cash isnt recommended for safety reasons. This reduces the price of each coffee from around $4 to around $2. That doesnt seem fair. ), Can You Work Remotely While Taking a Cruise? From the passenger perspective, the gratuity amount is simple pay a set amount per person, per day, and be done. Check your Cruise Planner and see if it comes up to purchase. I too pay in cash and at times have given extra. Guests that booked directly with Royal Caribbean can pre-pay gratuities by calling 866-562-7625 or logging into www.royalcaribbean.com before their sailing. Where did you see the cheaper prices for the new cruise bookings? Whipped cream etc. Instead of one passenger paying a lot and another paying hardly anything, these set amounts ensure that everyone pays their fair share. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Its a small 2.25 oz. However, for the most part you can expect that every passenger on your trip will see a charge. However, the feedback from them is that they always prefer cash. However, the cruise line no longer offers these discounts. Current gratuities breakdown - Royal Caribbean International - Cruise Critic Community. To work out if a drinks package is worth it, you need to work out how many drinks you would need to drink each day to break even. Royal Caribbean last increased gratuities in 2018 and, before that, was in 2016. Use this section of the Royal Caribbean Beverage Package Calculator to adjust assumptions and default pricing for beverage packages. Royal Caribbean offer discounts to people who buy their drinks packages online in advance of their cruise. On Royal Caribbean cruises it costs $29 for 24 16-oz cans of water to be delivered to your stateroom, although this price will usually be discounted if you book this service before your cruise. Heres Everything to Know, 21+ Best Cruise Cabin Tips, Secrets, & Things to Know (Read Before Sailing), 25+ Fun Must-Do Things on a Norwegian Cruise, 29 Must-Have Things to Pack for an Alaskan Cruise (11 Youd Never Think Of), Carnival Is Fixing a MAJOR Issue With Sailing from Galveston, Princess Cruise Gratuity (Tips) Full Guide: How Much, How They Work, and More, Hotels With Cruise Shuttles For Every Major Port in America, 107 Best Cruise Tips, Tricks, Secrets, and Freebies, 39 Useful Things to Pack For Your Cruise (Including 17 Youd Never Think Of). Even Babies? What is Gratuity Calculator? Instructions and details are included below the calculator. Both Royal Caribbean and Carnival have slightly different daily gratuities. There may be other areas for tipping while on a cruise that are not covered by this page, including shore excursions, land tours, sightseeing, land based transportation including taxis, charter busses or limousines, tour guides, luggage handlers, room service delivery, land based . The actual daily package cost can vary depending on the cruise and ship. The service on Royal Caribbean cruises is generally exceptional.