I'm so sorry that this post wasn't useful for you! 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. Royal Caribbean states the current pricing for 2022 sailings is between $12.99 and $15.00 per day of the cruise. If it doesnt, then Im sorry I dont know about that particular drink. Any frozen drinks too without the alcohol. You can use this to cover the gratuities, or any of the things mentioned in this list: 15 Ways To Use Your Royal Caribbean Onboard Credit, Heres how I get the lowest price when I book a cruise. 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. Note that if you live in the UK, youll see your drink packages prices in GBP on the Cruise Planner. 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. The calculator will also treat nights as equivalent to days for the purposes of per-day beverage calculations. Sure, just pop your email in the box and it will come straight to you. Does the deluxe drink package include adding items to your mini bar? They also do not include the charge for special souvenir or commemorative beverage containers. I detest the idea of: A. not knowing who my tip is going to B. Why do I have to pay gratuities for my toddler? Royal Caribbean's Deluxe Beverage Package is their highest-tier beverage package. It is applicable to all guests, regardless of age. We were exploring ports almost every day. The calculator includes the following beverage types: The calculator will add the mandatory gratuity to the average beverage cost for all beverage types in its calculations. The cost for two people on a week-long cruise can be well above $200. Royal Caribbean charges a gratuity of $16.00 per person, per day. Here are the policies for major cruise lines at the moment: When you book your cruise, the gratuity amount is usually disclosed in full for your trip, with an option to prepay the amount with your cruise fare. 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? All of you have great advice. If you do, Royal Caribbean will automatically charge your card at the end of your cruise. Answer (1 of 7): Yes, you can. Do you know about when you'd like to sail? Norwegian just raised its gratuity rate to $16 from $15.50 in April. All rights reserved. When it comes time to settle your final bill at the end of the cruise, youll have the gratuity charges to pay as well. Ive worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and now my blog helps over a million people to plan their cruises each month. These days, the gratuities are set daily amounts paid by each passenger. 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? You can use the Royal Caribbean Cruise Planner to cancel your drink package online up to two days before your cruise and receive a full refund. Is Every Passenger Charged Gratuities? 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. The daily gratuities are shared among dining, bar . All rights reserved. But RCCL wants to charge $448. Should you prepay gratuities for a Royal Caribbean cruise? 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 . Use this section of the Royal Caribbean Beverage Package Calculator to adjust assumptions and default pricing for beverage packages. Royal Caribbeans Crown & Anchor Society awards loyalty points for every night that guests spend on-board Royal Caribbean ships. We can take on wine and sift drinks ??. So no, you wouldnt have to pay any extra gratuities on drinks. If youre a first-time cruiser, then theres little doubt that you have questions about gratuities and tipping on your cruise. Use the Royal Caribbean Beverage Package Calculator to determine the most cost-effective beverage package to purchase for a cruise, based on anticipated beverage consumption/habits and pricing. We hope you find the gratuity to be an accurate reflection of your satisfaction and thank you for your generous recognition of our staff. This happens automatically and will be tacked on to the price. The daily gratuities is in addition to the18% gratuityautomatically added to all beverages, mini bar items, and spa & salon purchases. For some cruise lines (usually luxury lines), gratuities actually are included in the fare you dont pay anything extra apart from your cruise fare. Thank you so much for such useful and great information. The porter stands there counts the luggage and has told the price for a handling fee. Could you please tell me how I can improve it? However, if you appear to be too intoxicated, the staff wont serve you any more drinks. Notice of suitability: This tip calculator is designed to help you with the cruise tipping recommended by the line. The tip applies to individual guests of all ages and stateroom categories. Guests over 2 years old and under 12 years old pay $7 per day. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. Good luck! Bottom line is that it comes down to personal preference. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The calculator will add the mandatory gratuity to the package cost in its calculations. I'm so sorry that this post wasn't useful for you! If you dont receive good service during your cruise, you can ask for the gratuities to be removed or reduced. If you order a drink that costs more than the package limit, you would be charged the difference. 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. Our goal has been to provide our readers with expansive coverage of all aspects of the Royal Caribbean experience. I have cruised many times before and I always order the royal caribbean premium drink package. Be sure to join my email list for my best cruise tips and handpicked deals each week. Superb article, i am new to cruising and only used NCL which seems to have cheap drink package and this helps me no end, thanks a million, Im so pleased that you found this helpful Jenni. If thats the case and you decide you want to change the amount you are charged for tips then you can do that. Royal Caribbean stipulates in the unlikely event that a guest onboard being charged the daily automatic gratuity does not receive satisfactory service, the guest may request to modify the daily amount at their discretion by visiting Guest Services onboard up until the morning of their departure. However, theres a chip inside it which means that it will only work with the machine for a certain period of time. Your last drawn basic salary along with dearness allowance was Rs 30,000. Thats right, each time you order a drink, and 18% gratuity is added on to your bill. All service isnt created equally. It was quite good to fill up and take off the ship with me. However, its always cheaper to buy it before you board. Hi Kristin. Paying a tip twice C. Paying a standardized tip for poor service. When this opted into by the guest, then you'll pay the full gratuity amount before the cruise begins at final payment date. That said, some cruise lines make exceptions for small kids. Do you know about when you'd like to sail? So, in order to calculate the amount your family will owe for gratuities, you would multiply: $14.50 X Number of People in Cabin X Length of Cruise = Amount You Owe. Cruise gratuities are also known as tips. Weve seen instances of multiple increases in a year and other times when rates wont change for a year or two. Some people like to give gifts such as chocolates or wine to the crew members. If a drink is over 12 Dollars to I have the entire price or just the difference. 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. As a way to reward our crew members for their outstanding service, tips are shared . We have two kids. For guests staying in Grand Suites and above, the fee is $18.50 per person, per day. No votes so far! Its a small 2.25 oz. Jenni. For example, of a $15 charge, $7 per day may be distributed to your room steward, $5 to the dining staff, and the remaining $3 is spread among other customer-facing positions on the ship. I did wonder whether you could keep the cup and use it on your next cruise. The advantage here is that you get to hold on to more of your money for longer. Are tips required? Gratuities, which on Royal Caribbean for the standard rooms is $14.50 a day, per person (suites are $17.50 a day, per person). If youd like to calculate exactly what your gratuity amount will be before you book your trip, then you can use our calculator here. While this is intended to make things easier, the honest truth is that having automatic gratuities can actually lead to more questions. Cruise Tip Calculator - Your automated guide to Cruise Tips Both Carnival and Norwegian raised gratuity rates earlier this summer. Finally, if you order anything from room service, then its expected that you give a couple of bucks to the staff member that delivers the food. Instead of one passenger paying a lot and another paying hardly anything, these set amounts ensure that everyone pays their fair share. 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. Hi Sue. I find this to be an outrageous ploy to hide the true costs of a cruise. How Can I Know How Much I Will Be Charged in Tips? 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. What do you do about the porters at the ports. 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? Suggested read: How to pay for a cruise in instalments. Current gratuities breakdown - Royal Caribbean International - Cruise Critic Community. With millions of passengers sailing every year, theres inevitably going to be someone who feels they received poor service. However, if you want to choose the flexible My Time dining, rather than having a set dining time, you must pre-pay your gratuities. 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. Answer (1 of 4): Fares purchased on the Australian website will always include pre-paid gratuities. 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. 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. Jenni. If traveling with others, enter each guests information separately, resetting the calculator as needed. I have a question. Thanks for all the great info. Just like the price of anything else, you should expect over time for these rates to continue to rise slowly but surely. 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. How much are gratuities on Royal Caribbean cruises? I think these amounts are reasonable. Applying this charge automatically helps to streamline the recognition process for the crew members that work to enhance your cruise. The default average cost is per beverage and beverage type and can be edited. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays. Note the wording used. Disney Cruise Line recommends a gratuity amount of $14.50 per person per night. While the name sounds fancy, gratuities are nothing more than a tip paid to the staff members for service during the cruise. 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. I am on Voyagers of the seas in April on repositioning cruise. Having to add in gratuity costs to these advertised rates could make them less attractive to potential cruisers. If you wish to recognise outstanding service by adding extra gratuities onboard the ship, you are welcome to do so. The tips are spread out between the room steward, dining staff, and others. Id suggest asking Royal Caribbean, theyre usually very quick to reply on Facebook. If you have a package, gratuities are already included in that, you wont pay any more per drink. On a recent Royal Caribbean cruise, I bought the drinks package and got my moneys worth. The formula used by our online gratuity calculator is: G = n*b*15/26. In Miami the worst place to board the ship. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 20 cruises. If I am having a soda can i order another right after 10 minutes or to I have to wait a certain time. Hi, I would Like to know something. The calculator will add the mandatory gratuity to the package cost in its calculations. 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. All rights reserved. They will set up the travel cot (pack n play) each night, puree food as requested, clean up at mealtimes and much more. Have our travel agency partner get you a free quote for a Royal Caribbean cruise. 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. I have some photos of the drink menus here: https://www.cruisemummy.co.uk/royal-caribbean-drinks-menus-with-prices/ This may help you to find the answer to your question. This occurs in the Australian cruise market. The calculator was last updated in August 2020. 2023 Cruzely.com | Laisman Publishing, LLC. Just like sneaking your own alcohol on board the ship, this isnt technically allowed, but people do it. Meanwhile, cruise fares are often shown as dirt-cheap prices. This is extremely helpful. Complimentary is just regular coffee whereas premium includes cappuccino, latte, espresso etc. Cheers. On the first day of your cruise, you may see signs offering Buy One Get One Free deals on drinks packages. My two sons are coming on the cruise with me. This is also known as a SeaPass account. Airfare Savings Up to $800 per person . They are often expressed as the rate for a single person (despite having to pay for double occupancy) and dont include port fees or taxes. You may also wish to give some cash to porters who help with your luggage outside of the ship, particularly if you start your cruise in the United States where this is customary. This is my first cruise. If you get some free onboard credit as an incentive when you book your cruise, then you can use this to pay your gratuities. Enjoy! Does the menu price already include the per drink gratuity? You can get the charge out of the way early, or hold onto your money until you actually sail. Let me know in the comments below. These days, with the new protocols, Im not sure what the rules will be on refilling our own bottles. Size of travel cots? There are also lots of free drinks available including flavoured water, water and milk as well as fruit juices at breakfast time. The gratuities go to staff that provide passenger-facing services. In addition, prepaying gratuities locks in the current gratuity rate, even if the rate were to go up later. Here are the average Royal Caribbean drinks prices: If youd like to know exactly which drinks are available on Royal Caribbean cruise ships and how much they cost, I have taken photos of the bar menus on board Mariner of the Seas. If you are caught sharing your drinks with someone who doesnt have a package, you risk having your drink package cancelled without a refund. The option to prepay gratuities means locking in the current gratuity rate, along with spreading out the overall cost of the cruise by integrating it into the cost of the cruise. 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. Guests who have pre-paid their tips will not see a daily charge during their cruise. Be the first to rate this post. Australians typically do not tip because the minimum wage in Australia is $20.33 AUD/hr ($14.56 USD/hr). You can modify the amount until the morning you get off the ship. Royal Caribbean Gratuities,Tipping Policy,Tips | CruiseMapper 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. There are several ways to prepay your gratuities: When you check in for your cruise, your onboard account will be set up. If Im a simple coffee and tea drinker. 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. Gratuity Calculator - Online Gratuity Calculator India - Groww ? One other thing. 3 ways to get free wifi on your Royal Caribbean cruise. Hi Jose. Onboard Gratuity | Price Breakdown | Royal Caribbean Intl. February 11, 2023 Randy Young Bar Menu, drink package, Royal Caribbean. How strict are they on how much bottles you can bring on board? Other major cruise lines already increased their gratuities this year. The service on Royal Caribbean cruises is generally exceptional. This automatic gratuity does not cover other onboard purchases. Mailbag: Why do I have to pay gratuities for my toddler? Hi Maria, On the other hand, many people choose to instead pay the gratuity charges automatically through their onboard account once on the ship. Should you prepay gratuities for a Royal Caribbean cruise? Royal Caribbean Beverage Package Calculator: Most Cost-Effective Gratuity Calculator - Calculate Gratuity Online for 2023 - ClearTax Lets say the drinks package costs an average of $75 per day. This figure reflects the maximum per-alcoholic-beverage cost that is covered with a Deluxe (alcohol) package. Carnival Cruise Line also increased . Gratuity charges are typically not mandatory and can be adjusted. If not, just leave blank, Royal Caribbean increases gratuities for crew members on its cruise ships, Carnival Cruise Line raised their gratuities. Yes, except if you are sailing in the U.S., then NCL tacks on the gratuities on the amount of the beverage package even though the package is free. Cash isnt used on cruise ships, so all your purchases and gratuities (if not prepaid) will be added to your onboard account. So a couple traveling together will see about $30-$40 per day in gratuities, or about $200+ over the course of a week-long cruise. No, it doesnt. Jenni. The lowest prices can often be found during the Black Friday sale period. Gratuity Calculator - Calculate Gratuity Online For India 2023 - ET Money Thank you! On the cruise line side, that money gets cut up to be distributed. The staff works hard to ensure that your vacation is a great one. Gratuities on Royal Caribbean are obligatory, so it is a matter of when you prefer to pay them. Dont do this. We rarely buy anything on the ship of value. 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. 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. Do check out our Royal Caribbean Cruise Refreshment Package Review for more information! After four years, Royal Caribbean is increasing the gratuity rate cruise ship passengers will pay for the service they receive from crew members onboard its ships. I want the employee to know they received a tip from me. To make tipping simpler and fairer, Royal Caribbeans tips policy is to collect this money from all the guests and automatically share it between the crew members. If you book your cruise during a free drinks offer, then you will get drinks included with your cruise. Is that the Same Thing? The price of Royal Caribbeans Deluxe Beverage Package is not fixed. Hi Jeff. For this reason, a drinks package may be better value on a cruise with lots of sea days, such as a transatlantic sailing. But you would still have your standard daily gratuity to pay which covers all other staff members. For example, a family of four who is taking a seven-night cruise would owe $406 for gratuities. When you buy the Deluxe Beverage Package or the Refreshment Package, you also get the souvenir cup and so have all the benefits of the Classic Soda Package. Both Royal Caribbean and Carnival have slightly different daily gratuities. The number of years you have worked in the concerned organisation. The daily cost is per guest. or would i be charged for the whole pina colada with alcohol? 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? May 29, 2022. In this section, Ill answer the most commonly-asked questions about Royal Caribbean drink packages. So if youre planning a cruise with Royal Caribbean, read on for everything you need to know about Royal Caribbean gratuities. We use prepaid drink cards to purchase beverages. 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. (Of course Ill be waiting for a discount before booking it as you have advised! The automatic daily gratuity is based on customary industry standards. Royal Caribbean Australia introduces streamlined cruise fares that include gratuities. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. I gave always given them money to take my bags to the ship. Share. Do I Need to Tip Anyone Else While On the Ship? Check your Cruise Planner and see if it comes up to purchase. We have decided to use your tip and buy the soda package with the intention of buying shots on board. These daily gratuities go towards your dining room staff, as well as your stateroom attendant. However, the cruise line no longer offers these discounts. With the introduction of automatic gratuities, its much more difficult to avoid paying tips on your cruise. The advantage is that you get your payment out of the way ahead of time. Why Arent Gratuities Just Included in the Price of the Cruise? Im Diamond and wondered what the upcharge might be since Ill be getting four free drink vouchers per day. This information is brill thanks. To begin with, the cruise line gave out paper straws which are sadly not fit for purpose when it comes to frozen cocktails. Thanks! Beverage packages can be used at CocoCay, Royal Caribbeans private island in the Bahamas and at Labadee, Royal Caribbeans private beach in Haiti. In this case, youd be charged for the whole drink. Royal Caribbean has some of the largest cruise ships in the world that can have 15 - 20 different places to get drinks while on board. This is because the drinks packages are not actually free, its just that the ticket price is adjusted to include drinks. Jenni. On or after September 7, 2022, regardless of when the booking was created, gratuities paid while onboard are subject to the new, increased rates. First of all, if youre feeling a little confused, dont worry you arent alone. Do we need separate soft drinks packages for the kids or can they share ours? But I have one question. That said, its unusual to adjust the gratuity amount, and the staff works extremely hard to make your trip enjoyable. Jenni, Hi Jose, A cruise which ordinarily costs 699 might go up to 999 with drinks included. 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). The exact breakdown of how much each staff member gets isnt published, just like their salary isnt published. If you dont have a lot of money available when you come to pay for your cruise, then dont worry about paying the gratuities right away. In major fee increase, cruise giant Royal Caribbean to hike gratuity Royal Caribbean always price in US dollars no matter the itinerary. Daily gratuities: Junior suites or below - $14.50 p.p. Royal Caribbean Drink Packages. 2 bottles of wine and 12 cans of soft drinks per stateroom. In the formula, the values are the following. You simply pay this extra amount in full for your cruise as part of your cruise fare. Have our travel agency partner get you a free quote for a Royal Caribbean cruise. Celebrity Cruises Perks Calculator: Are Perks Worth It. I am going on my first cruise in February and found your information very helpful thank you. That means people like the room steward who cleans your cabin and the dining staff. For guests booked through travel advisors, their advisor may add pre-paid gratuities to the guests' booking prior to sailing*. 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. Hi, I'm Jenni. The prices that are on the menus are reasonable if in Au Dollars. But thats not always the case. I had the drink package so I didnt get the answer to this. My question is, what happens if I buy the beverage package of only soft drinks and non-alcoholic beverages, and at some point during the trip I want to order, for example, a pina colada with alcohol?