However, you can order a bottle of water at the bar and put it in your mini bar fridge for later if you like. Why Arent Gratuities Just Included in the Price of the Cruise? The previous Suite gratuity rate of $17.50 will increase to $18.50 per day per person. The exact breakdown of how much each staff member gets isnt published, just like their salary isnt published. Great observation, Michelle. What do you do about the porters at the ports. Hi Aoife. To begin with, the cruise line gave out paper straws which are sadly not fit for purpose when it comes to frozen cocktails. This calculator is not endorsed by Royal Caribbean Group. 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/. 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. 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. Guests who have pre-paid their tips will not see a daily charge during their cruise. Royal Caribbean states the current pricing for 2022 sailings is between $12.99 and $15.00 per day of the cruise. 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. Some people like to give gifts such as chocolates or wine to the crew members. But I have one question. 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? 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. Last time I cruised with Royal Caribbean in December 2019 you could do both options. Who gets the tips? Royal Caribbean offer discounts to people who buy their drinks packages online in advance of their cruise. However, its always cheaper to buy it before you board. If you booked directly with Royal Caribbean, you can either call Royal Caribbean or log onto their website and access your account to prepay gratuities. You can see a price comparison of drinks across all cruise lines here. Some lines also pool the tips altogether and then distribute them throughout the year. The staff works hard to ensure that your vacation is a great one. They recognize that the staff goes above and beyond to make their vacation enjoyable. For most sailings, when you buy a drinks package online, an 18% gratuity charge is added at the checkout. How do I purchase a drink package for 1 and a soft drinks package for 1 because of a medical condition, Hi Jill, Im considering booking a drinks package with Royal Caribbean. 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. Typical increases are around $1 per person, per day and seem to happen about once a year. For the best price, you should always book your drinks package in advance before your cruise and not wait until you get on board the ship. Both Carnival and Norwegian raised gratuity rates earlier this summer. 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 material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached, or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Royal Caribbean Blog. I just purchased the Deluxe Beverage package, for myself, and the refreshement package for my wife. I hope that helps, enjoy your cruise! This reduces the price of each coffee from around $4 to around $2. Do we need separate soft drinks packages for the kids or can they share ours? Thanks for the comprehensive review! Alternatively, you may get some free onboard credit to spend. If you buy the drink package before you board you may be able to get it for cheaper as pre-cruise drink package prices fluctuate before the sailing date. Carnival made changes to its rates in May: Standard staterooms: $14.50, per person, per day (up from $13.99) Suites: $16.50 . However, theres a chip inside it which means that it will only work with the machine for a certain period of time. Is there a limit in time how many drinks/baverages I can order. hi.We leave from Southampton next month.We can only bring 2 bottles of wine at first day,not allowed any after that apparently.Also for 14 nights for the drinks package for my wife and i is nearly 2000!! Should you prepay gratuities for a Royal Caribbean cruise? With your support, we can create more exciting content and share with everyone! Sterilisers? Hi Maria, 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. 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 depends on your muster station. Royal Caribbean gratuities are a set amount per person, per day. 53 euros per day, 856 for my wife and for 8 nights. Does that include the 16.36% gratuity or will I be charged another 16.36% of 856, which would be another 140 approx ? Jenni. MyTime dining is when you dont have a set dining time and instead, you can arrive at the main restaurant whenever you like. In my former job managing cruise websites for a travel agent, I saw cruise line campaigns change regularly and prices fluctuate almost daily. My husband and i are going on our first cruise later this spring and bought a deluxe package. On the other hand, many people choose to instead pay the gratuity charges automatically through their onboard account once on the ship. Share. Cruise Tip Calculator - Your automated guide to Cruise Tips You simply pay this extra amount in full for your cruise as part of your cruise fare. 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. Hi, I would Like to know something. Guests over 2 years old and under 12 years old pay $7 per day. Like what you see? 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. My two sons are coming on the cruise with me. 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. 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. As of September 7, 2022,the automatic daily gratuity charge will increase: Royal Caribbean last raised gratuitiesJanuary 2, 2018. If Im a simple coffee and tea drinker. Related: TPG's ultimate guide to cruise ship gratuity charges and tipping Royal Caribbean offers guests the choice of prepaying gratuities for select crew members on its ships. Here's how it works on Royal Caribbean: As of September 7 th, 2022, the automatic service gratuity of $16.00 USD per . Carnival Cruise Line also increased . This happens automatically and will be tacked on to the price. Other major cruise lines already increased their gratuities this year. If you dont have a credit card, then youll need to link a debit card to your onboard account, or deposit cash. For most people, the service they receive on a cruise is outstanding. You can see a full list of those here: List of Free Drinks on Royal Caribbean Cruises. 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 . Royal Caribbean charges a gratuity of $16.00 per person, per day. It will show up as a line item on your final payment. All non-alcoholic beverages are covered in full, regardless of price, unless otherwise excluded from all beverage packages. Since 2019, Royal Caribbean has been cutting down on single-use plastics onboard its ships. This may be a Kids Sail Free offer, free gratuities or buy one cruise fare get one half price. That said, its unusual to adjust the gratuity amount, and the staff works extremely hard to make your trip enjoyable. I was wondering. On the cruise line side, that money gets cut up to be distributed. Percentage of cruisers that remove auto gratuities who tell everyone they tip in cash "to those who serve them": 100%. Included here are the baseline (i.e. We were exploring ports almost every day. Tea and coffee are always available for free and you can get sweeteners as well. Passengers would then put cash in the envelope for the crew members. If youd like to calculate exactly what your gratuity amount will be before you book your trip, then you can use our calculator here, many people choose to instead pay the gratuity charges automatically through their onboard account once on the ship, 39 Useful Things to Pack (17 You Wouldn't Think Of), Park & Cruise Hotels for Every Port in America, 107 Best Cruise Tips, Secrets, Tricks, and Freebies, Carnival Gratuities (Tips): Full Guide to Cost & How They Work, Explained: Duty-Free Shopping on a Cruise (Is It Worth It? Royal Caribbean Drink Packages. I am considering the deluxe drink package for us both but I am a little concerned that most fun drinks on the menus cost $13 and the limit is $12. Hi, I have harmony of the seas booked for next may but when I have tried to book a drinks package there is no option for this. 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. They will set up the travel cot (pack n play) each night, puree food as requested, clean up at mealtimes and much more. Whichever package you choose, you must buy it for every adult passenger for every day of your cruise. Passengers in higher-level suites pay $18. 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). So, you can get an alcohol or soft drink package for the adults without being required to buy any kind of package for your children. Your positive feedback will go on their permanent file, which can help them to get promotions and pay rises. We nearly always opt out of tips and tip whom we want directly. Royal Caribbean Beverage Package Calculator: Most Cost-Effective, Calculate Your New December 2020 COVID-19 Stimulus Payment, Celebrity Cruises Beverage Package Calculator: Most Cost-Effective. The advantage here is that you get to hold on to more of your money for longer. Alcoholic beverages that exceed this amount will be charged the difference plus gratuity on the difference. Is the Drink Package Worth it on a Cruise? - High Seas Cruising I'm so sorry that this post wasn't useful for you! Take your pick of 7 world-class ships sailing weeklong adventures to the top-rated shores of the western, eastern, & southern Caribbean. Royal Caribbean last raised its gratuity fee on Jan. 2, 2018. Royal Caribbean Cruises Tipping Policy. Meanwhile, cruise fares are often shown as dirt-cheap prices. 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. Cash isnt used on cruise ships, so all your purchases and gratuities (if not prepaid) will be added to your onboard account. Gratuities, which on Royal Caribbean for the standard rooms is $14.50 a day, per person (suites are $17.50 a day, per person). For cruises that start in North America, the minimum drinking age is 21. For those who drink mostly coffee, Royal Caribbean offers a Cafe Select Coffee Card. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Automatic gratuity charge: None. Enjoy! Is that the Same Thing? How To Prepay Gratuities On Royal Caribbean Website Royal Caribbean last increased gratuities in 2018 and, before that, was in 2016. Royal Caribbean offers a discount when you pre-book your drinks package on the cruise planner before you sail. Thanks for the great information. That adds up. Overpayment of gratuities is allowed but is not expected. Norwegian just raised its gratuity rate to $16 from $15.50 in April. If the price does drop, you can always call Royal Carribbean to cancel it and book it again at the lower price. Were here to help. I hope that helps! Pre-paid gratuities can be added to an individual reservation at any time outside of 48 hours of the sail date. 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. In this case, youd be charged for the whole drink. Why do I have to pay gratuities for my toddler? If you like to pay for your cruise monthly, then you can add the gratuities to your monthly payment. The gratuity is added on at the final checkout so you will see the final price before you commit to buy it. 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. Every so often, Royal Caribbean adjusts the gratuity rate, but if you have opted to prepay, you will be grandfathered into the old rate. As a way to reward our crew members for their outstanding service, tips are shared . Current gratuities breakdown - Royal Caribbean International - Cruise Critic Community. If purchasing beverages la carte (without a package) is the best option, the calculator will recommend Pay As You Go.. Id suggest asking Royal Caribbean, theyre usually very quick to reply on Facebook. Example pool vs Bamboo. To account for this, the drink package limit is matched to it. Here are the others: 4 Ways That People Cheat The Royal Caribbean Drink Package. would i be charged the difference between a virgin pina colada and a pina colada with alcohol? 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. Should you prepay gratuities for a Royal Caribbean cruise? ? Each day there will be a gratuity charge or a lump sum added at the end of the trip. There are two good reasons to prepay gratuities before your cruise. % of guests who remove gratuities - Page 2 - Royal Caribbean I detest the idea of: A. not knowing who my tip is going to B. recommended) gratuities, and the ability to increase or decrease the amounts as you desire. First of all, if youre feeling a little confused, dont worry you arent alone. The tipping rates charged change from time to time. Click the button above to compare the prices of cruises from all travel agents. How to prepay gratuities. I want the employee to know they received a tip from me. Beverage packages may not be available for purchase for cruises of less than four nights departing from Southampton, England. Your last drawn basic salary along with dearness allowance was Rs 30,000. I leave from Miami and happy to pop to a Walmart beforehand to pick up some things to save money on board. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. Our goal has been to provide our readers with expansive coverage of all aspects of the Royal Caribbean experience. In the unlikely event that a guest onboard being charged the daily automatic tip does not receive satisfactory service, the guest may request to modify the daily amount at their discretion by visiting Guest Services onboard and will be able to do so until the morning of their departure. 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. However, the feedback from them is that they always prefer cash. Ill be cruising in November on Oasis of the Seas. Could you please tell me how I can improve it? The onboard prices are inflated, and its still always cheaper to buy your package before your cruise. However, you can get all-inclusive cruise package deals that have drinks included. Most cruise lines require that EVERYONE who is in the cabin and 21 or older to purchase the package. To help explain everything about cruise line gratuities, weve answered a number of common questions that will make everything clearer before you set sail. If you are experiencing blank or invalid results, try refreshing your browser. Im Diamond and wondered what the upcharge might be since Ill be getting four free drink vouchers per day. Do Royal Caribbean offer drink packages on three night cruises? Suite gratuity rate will change from $17.50 to $18.50 per day per person. How much are gratuities on Royal Caribbean cruises? The gratuity is applied automatically to all average beverage costs and beverage packages, as well as applicable upcharges for beverages whose cost is not fully covered by a package. Why wouldnt they have the limit at $13 or do I have incorrect info? Can I please get the link to the calculator? We never use a credit card for our on ship account. I have cruised many times before and I always order the royal caribbean premium drink package. Royal Caribbean Drink Package Guide & Tips | Cruise.Blog Instead of handing over the charges well in advance of your sailing, you can keep it until youre actually on your cruise. Its not a great idea to link a debit card to your cruise account because Royal Caribbean will place a hold on some of the money. Last drawn basic salary plus Dearness Allowance (DA) G. Gratuity amount you are eligible for. Without your contribution, the compensation for the staff members will decrease. Royal Caribbean Drink Menus for 2023 - Cruise Spotlight If not, just leave blank. The prices that are on the menus are reasonable if in Au Dollars. The discount is increased by up to 30% during promotional periods such as Black Friday. Both Royal Caribbean and Carnival have slightly different daily gratuities. Tipping on a cruise ship: Everything you need to know Daily gratuities: Junior suites or below - $14.50 p.p. Full Guide to Cruise Ship Gratuities for 2021 (Amounts, Etiquette, and Additionally, package holders receive a 40% discount on wines priced up to $100 and a 20% discount on wines priced above $100. Royal Caribbean charges a gratuity of $16.00 per person, per day. Yet with a drinks package, youre free to work your way down the menu, trying new things. Thats right, each time you order a drink, and 18% gratuity is added on to your bill. If you wish to reward one or two crew members in particular, you could pay the standard gratuity fee and also hand cash to any crew members who you feel are particularly deserving. You can use my free drinks package calculator to work out what your bar bill would be with no drink package. The daily gratuities are shared among dining, bar & culinary services staff, stateroom attendants and other hotel services teams who work behind the scenes. On the first day of your cruise, you may see signs offering Buy One Get One Free deals on drinks packages. I had it on a 4-night cruise. After that, you can cancel it when you first embark on the ship, but no later. You are free to adjust the amount to whatever you think is fair. 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. 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. However, for the majority of mass market cruise lines the gratuities are extra charges on the price of your cruise. Royal Caribbean. We are travelling with Royal Caribbean for the first time and are considering purchasing the Deluxe drinks package. Jenni. You have to call Royal and they will book it for you. All service isnt created equally. Like what you see? If it doesnt, then Im sorry I dont know about that particular drink. These days, everything is automatic. In the formula, the values are the following. 3 ways to get free wifi on your Royal Caribbean cruise. This will reduce the overall balance you have available to spend. It comes with fancy coffees, smoothies etc as well as alcohol. Are you able to advise how much shots were roughly? 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.