Jon lives in the foothills of North Carolina and wishes there were a cruise port that far inland. Rather, you will be seated wherever there is availability. You need to contact your TA and have her add it to your invoice in order to prepay gratuities. The exact times, however, will vary according to your cruise itinerary. 0000913572 00000 n To ensure quick seating, we encourage guests who have selected the Flexible option to place a reservation for each evening. Should they have been paid at the time of booking? Or do they not notice those "add on" charges? All sent to your inbox. Suggested read: 6 Things You MUST Know About Formal Night on a Royal Caribbean Cruise. There is a $9.75 gratuity per day that is required and this actually covers not only the wait staff but your room steward. Discover the culinary curiosities of Wonderland Imaginative Cuisine. 0000897748 00000 n ;) Can we opt out of those added on charges also?? Have you noticed over the years that daily grats have been increasing almost every year to make up for the non tippers. Tipping on a cruise does not have to be complicated, but you need to understand the big picture to budget for your vacation appropriately. 0000006404 00000 n 0000891696 00000 n They will be seated in one of the main dining rooms. . ;p, You will be able to leave a comment after signing in, By 0000902670 00000 n Then, contact one with a best-price guarantee and have them beat it! It can be awkward to eat with a complete stranger, and this dining option also makes it easier for folks who just want to enjoy their getaway at sea. Click the button above to compare the prices of cruises from all travel agents. $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Instant Real Time Pricing Like what you see? I think the crew would let it be know if they were not receiving their share of the gratuities. You will be able to see the exact times that My Time Dining is offered each evening once you book your cruise. Unlike Traditional Dining, My Time Dining is only marked as lasting for fifteen minutes. You will be seated with whomever you arrive to the dining room with. ( use to happen frequently). The group we are going with have all chosen the early 5pm dinner reservation. Are you sure that isn't an Iglu Cruise rule? Your automatic gratuities also cover your cabin steward and other behind the scenes personnel; not just dining room staff. Often, even if you do have a reservation you have to wait, but the time is much shorter since they are expecting you. If not, you might be stuck eating even later than the second seating! There are even more places your Platinum Card can get you complimentary entry and exclusive perks. Once you have made your My Time Dining reservations, they will appear in your cruise calendar, both on Cruise Planner tab and Royal Caribbean's app. For your convenience, prepaid gratuities are automatically added to your flexible option reservations. Can I participate in My Time Dining but make a reservation for a specific time? 0000426585 00000 n Im really asking the opposite - We havent prepaid gratuities, but the agent has booked us in for My Time Dining! This may not seem like a big deal if youre new to cruising, but cruise ship waiters are exceptional at their job and they are very good at learning all about you. Our points-obsessed staff uses a plethora of credit cards on a daily basis. It truly depends, though. Royal Caribbean charges a gratuity of $16.00 per person, per day. 0000767892 00000 n Breeze through security with CLEAR lanes available at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues and get up to $189 back per calendar year on your membership when you use your Card. A lot of people still prefer the idea of traditional dining where you sit for dinner at the same time every evening, with the same party and with the same waiter. Their website explains it as such: "By selecting My Time Dini. However, a lot of people do uphold the dress code, so if you turn up in a t-shirt and shorts then you may look out of place. 0000024527 00000 n 0000424501 00000 n 0000907210 00000 n document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Dine as you want, when you want. There will be a My Time Dining check-in desk at the entrance to the dining room with wait staff to greet guests. You can disable the usage of cookies by changing the settings of your browser. Itll be one less thing on your final bill at the end of the cruise. Flexible seating works very much like standard restaurant seating. 0000901423 00000 n So if I cancel my gratuities what will be added to my account for my time dining. You may find that you are split up at different tables that are not located near each other. $155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card. If you pay them onboard, it will be charged automatically each day of the cruise. Hes sailed on more than 150 ships. If you cancel prepaid gratuities, you can visit Guest Services once you are onboard and request they discontinue automatic gratuties. Once they go to the My Time Dining desk to be seated for dinner, the waiter will look up the guests stateroom and pull any special dietary needs or amenities purchased for them. You dont have to attend dinner at the same time, and you can arrange a table that works for you. This dining option requires you to "pre pay" your gratuities. Then, Norwegian Cruise Line decided to shake things up a bit with "freestyle dining", an innovation that allows guests to eat dinner anytime . You dont really get to know the people you are eating with that well. Their memory is incredible and they really do make you feel special. If you are asking by prepaying gratuities in advance does that force you to do MTD, then the answer is no. Someone else that pays more will take up the slack for you. 0000913926 00000 n The traditional dining experience allows you the choice of either early or late seating times for each day of your cruise. Having to arrive early, though, defeats the purpose of being able to dine whenever you'd like. If youre already booked and have chosen the flexible option, you can easily pre-reserve specific days and times online. Can I reserve the same table or waiter at the same time in My Time Dining? It is possible to snag dining times around 7:00pm every night, but this is a highly desirable dinner time. You will be able to see the exact times that My Time Dining is offered each evening once you book your cruise. Another method is to just simply show up at the Main Dining Room each night when you are ready to eat. In exchange for the annual fee, you'll unlock access to the Amex Membership Rewards program that let you access airline and hotel transfer partners, along with new lifestyle and travel credits. Reservations are strongly recommended. You do have to prepay your gratuities in order to sign up to My Time Dining. Below is a line-by-line look at policies for automatic gratuity charges (called service charges or crew appreciation charges at some lines). but it's so much better to leave the automatic tips in place and just give extra cash to those you feel deserve it. Any amount is fine and will be appreciated by the hard-working crew. Speciality restaurants require reservations but they dont have traditional dining times. 0000916095 00000 n View All Cruises Youll be asked to pre-pay your gratuities. Posted June 24, 2017. Would we pay them on the first day onboard? Looking for the Best Cruise Deals? You can then book dinner in the Main Dining Room for any time you want, or just walk in without a reservation. The only thing you should HAVE to pay at booking is the deposit. Daily service charges are not the only cruise tips you will pay on board. My Time Dining is now a choice within the booking process. 0000016969 00000 n Related: A beginners guide to picking a cruise line. I am not trying to get out of tipping, I would like to be convinced that the automatic charge actually gets passed on to the crew?? 2010 Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. 0000417807 00000 n My Time Dining is now a choice within the booking process. You will see the same helpful crew members waiting on you in the WJ as you did last night in the MDR. Please check your email and click the link to confirm, and you're all set! Early dining is around 6 pm, while late dining is closer to 8:30 pm. 0000005676 00000 n Probably because it makes it less confusing than diving up the tips. Also, once you have been seated and your meal is being served, no other guests will be sat at your table. I have just booked the allure this afternoon and was told by the iglu cruiserep that if I wanted my time dining then I would HAVE to pay the gratuities up front at the time of booking,but if I had first or second sitting then I didn't need to pay I was imformed that royal had made this part of their booking conditions 2 months ago.this is royal caribeans latest sneaky trick to get you to part with more money than you need to.the gratuities payment are VOLUNTARY you have the choise to pay them or request onboard the ship to take them off of your account . Some people assume that, because My Time Dining offers more flexible dining, it has a more flexible dress code. Yes, if there is availability in the My Time Dining Room, we would be happy to accommodate the request. If you want to use My Time Dining you must pay for tips in advance. Outside of the current welcome bonus, youre only earning higher rewards on specific airfare and hotel purchases, so its not a great card for other spending categories. Have our travel agency partner get you a free quote for a Royal Caribbean cruise. As soon as you place the deposit for your cruise, you will gain access to the Cruise Planner. The menu for My Time Dining is still the same, so you will get the same quality meals. Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Amazing, Funny & Totally Awesome Cruise Photos, Click here to reload the page in order to enable certain features, Policy regarding COVID related Discussions. You also will not be able to switch after the second day, so you'll want to visit Guest Services and/or the Main Dining Room when you embark-- Guests can only participate in one dining style per sailing. They say the money is shared not just with front of house crew, such as room attendants and waitstaff, but also with behind-the-scenes workers. 0000909755 00000 n Enrollment required. If, for example, two people would like to eat earlier around 6:30pm, you would make them their own reservation. 0000417308 00000 n Unlike Traditional Dining, you will not be seated at the same table with the same wait staff if your choose My Time. Since you stated that you have already paid you cruise in full I would not go back to your TA just to pay them, I would just pay them at the end of the cruise when you settle your account, there are 2 different rates, one for regular rooms which I believe is $14.50 per day, per person, what you see on my picture is for a suite which is $16.50 PD, PP. 0000722800 00000 n If a guest requests My Time dining, can wine be ordered through Royal Gifts to be delivered to the dining room? You can eat anytime between 6:00 pm and 9:30 pm. My Family Time dining is currently unavailable throughout our fleet. When making a reservation you will be offered My Time or traditional dining times (i.e., 5:30 pm & 8:00 pm). Started June 21, 2021, By Learn more. You dont have to do anything. 0000898322 00000 n 0000905656 00000 n Yes, if there is availability in the My Time Dining Room, we would be happy to accommodate the request. Related: The best cruise booking perks and which ones are actually free. If you leave the service charge on your room bill, you are not expected to leave additional cruise tips for your room attendant or waiters. Powered by Cruiseline.com, spoke with royal Carib rep today who said prepaid grats are now out if you are using My Time Dining. Both Royal Caribbean and Carnival have slightly different daily gratuities. Legal Information | 0000006358 00000 n However, each ship does also offer specialty dining for an additional fee. However, many people now prefer to enjoy more flexibility with dinner, so cruise lines have either done away with traditional dining altogether or set up an alternative option. I understand that once upon a time prepaid gratuities were required for MTD. Callummck 0000006312 00000 n Alternatively, you can have the charges added to your room bill on board. You definitely won't go hungry during your sailing, even if you don't purchase any dining extras. These 9 Drinks Are Free on Royal Caribbean Cruises. It gives passengers prepaid gratuities, a single-device Wi-Fi plan and a basic beverage package for a single bundled price of $50 per person, per day. 0000901330 00000 n If you would like a specific waiter or table, they are more likely to be able to accommodate your request with advance reservations (however, please note this is based on availability). You cannot paste images directly. Here is why some people dislike the more informal dining option. HW[U5}@iy% $Q'i'xNg2f(-E2obIcUHQ?/yZ!X}qu`?x %PM-*9:^C^%4eKYT,wybq6hkG7w@N5r~ wj,_u';d'QLOC >g18&fa[2.K\TXHkAnA;C:j>, F nf9|t&ix2KXRlb@}dnMqe@Vc8pXN-:{d2{sPVuINq?1k0BaL ;>9tH4w%E3@NH"e&z j9VMF}|^~*h hXH9K Our dining options have been reimagined to give you a culinary experience at sea as vast, varied and eye-opening as dining in the worlds most cosmopolitan cities. 0000896900 00000 n The only real downside beyond having to pay your gratuities in advance is that you arent guaranteed the same waiter every night. Enrollment required. A world of culinary exploration awaits you onboard Royal Caribbean. 0000017159 00000 n 0000027181 00000 n If you are unable to book show times in advance via the Cruise Planner when you are making your My Time Dining reservations, you may end up booking a dinner time that clashes with one of the shows. Once you have decided on the perfect ship and itinerary, you are ready to move forward with the cruise booking process. Theres also a dining hotline you can call from the phone in your stateroom to make changes to your reservations. 0000905280 00000 n It is more difficult for the Main Dining Room to accommodate larger groups with My Time Dining, as there are fewer tables set for bigger parties. 0000891999 00000 n One thing Ive read over and over again from people who really like My Time Dining is that they dont have to worry so much about what time dinner is. My Time Dining is one of the options you'll get to choose from when you book your cruise. 0000883078 00000 n 0000021713 00000 n The problem is, I cant see anywhere how to prepay the gratuities? CC Help Jenn My Time Dining is therefore available to anyone who wants to mix things up. 156.1k. Aside from formal nights, there is no enforced dress code except that bare feet and tank tops are not allowed in the Main Dining Room. If youre late then your table may be given away, and youll have to wait for another one. My Time Dining uses the same menu as traditional seating. On a cruise ship there are so many activities and fun shows, that it can be easy to lose tract of time, and not having to worry about being at diner at a specific time works for some people. Thanks Matt- We paid for the cruise at the time of booking. LauraS Thats the whole point of the service charge. 0000419103 00000 n So for those who like some solitude, they may find that this more freestyle approach works better, but not everyone likes the NCL style of eating.