Do I Need to Tip Anyone Else While On the Ship? So what will happen? Is a drink package worth it for you? 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). B/b. So when you leave the room you dont have to put down any extra cash (unless you want to). I Agree, we always opt out and give tips to our steward and waiter/waitress at the end of the cruise. Enjoy! I had the drink package so I didnt get the answer to this. We rarely buy anything on the ship of value. 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 . Some people like to remove the gratuities and tip staff members individually. Take a look: Royal Caribbean drinks menus with prices. That doesnt seem fair. You definitely dont need a drinks package. I hope that helps, enjoy your cruise! Suggested read: 56 amazing examples of Royal Caribbean customer service. If you have a question that isnt listed here, you can add it in the comments section at the end. Could you please tell me how I can improve it? If the price does drop, you can always call Royal Carribbean to cancel it and book it again at the lower price. The gratuities go to staff that provide passenger-facing services. That said, some cruise lines make exceptions for small kids. 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. Im guessing it does not? 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? 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. Should you prepay gratuities for a Royal Caribbean cruise? 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! Additionally, an 18% gratuity is added to bills at bars, minibars, salons and spas. Can I please get the link to the calculator? 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. 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. How much is the Royal Caribbean drink package? This is also known as a SeaPass account. The calculator estimates the total cost for beverages, including the cost of beverage packages, gratuities, and upcharges. This happens automatically and will be tacked on to the price. The service on Royal Caribbean cruises is generally exceptional. Some muster stations are outside, some are inside with seats. Cruise lines rarely use the word free, instead they use included. Hi Anthony. recommended) gratuities, and the ability to increase or decrease the amounts as you desire. 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. All I can see is my cruise planner prices which are $95+ per day!! How much is charged? Were booked on the Liberty of the Seas cruise in November 2020. We nearly always opt out of tips and tip whom we want directly. With the acquisition of 80 points (equivalent to 80 nights at sea), guests become Diamond members. If traveling with others, enter each guests information separately, resetting the calculator as needed. If you wish to recognise outstanding service by adding extra gratuities onboard the ship, you are welcome to do so. We deposit cash to use for our onboard account. RCCL currently applies an automatic gratuity amount on your onboard account, on a daily basis. Let me know in the comments below. Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. Royal Caribbean no longer offers a wine package. If a drink is over 12 Dollars to I have the entire price or just the difference. To do so, simply head down to Guest Services on the ship to tell them that you want to change your tip amounts. What if service is bad? Thanks for this . You can modify the amount until the morning you get off the ship. Answer (1 of 4): Fares purchased on the Australian website will always include pre-paid gratuities. The amount you pay will vary by cruise line, but they are all in the same ballpark. 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. The default average cost is per beverage and beverage type and can be edited. While the cruise lines might say differently, we think that gratuities arent included in the headline price for marketing purposes. Meanwhile, cruise fares are often shown as dirt-cheap prices. The calculator will also treat nights as equivalent to days for the purposes of per-day beverage calculations. The gratuity is added on at the final checkout so you will see the final price before you commit to buy it. Jenni. What should I do to highlight this so as not to embarrass him on board. The drinks prices vary slightly by ship, with around a $1 difference on some ships. The actual daily package cost can vary depending on the cruise and ship. drink with blended scotch and Drambuie on ice. What do you do about the porters at the ports. We use prepaid drink cards to purchase beverages. So the longer the cruise, the higher the gratuities as well. If you get free gratuities thrown in as an incentive for booking a cruise, then these will be automatically prepaid. 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. Royal Caribbeans Crown & Anchor Society awards loyalty points for every night that guests spend on-board Royal Caribbean ships. 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. 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. For example, you have worked with the XYZ company for a period of 15 years. However, to do so, you must go to Guest Services, before the last evening of the cruise and request that t. Thank you. Fresh squeezed orange juice and sodas etc. If you booked directly with Royal Caribbean, you can either call Royal Caribbean . If gratuities show on our account when we settle at cruise end, we ask for them to be removed. When you book the cruise youll have the ability to prepay gratuities. If thats the case and you decide you want to change the amount you are charged for tips then you can do that. 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 usually pay your gratuities in advance of your cruise, or choose to receive a bill on the last day of your cruise. The advantage here is that you get to hold on to more of your money for longer. You can use my free drinks package calculator to work out what your bar bill would be with no drink package. In April 2022, Carnival Cruise Line raised their gratuities to $14.50 per person, per day for standard staterooms and $16.50 per person, per day for suites. For example I drink a lot of water during the day so I will at least have 6 bottles of water. Last time I cruised with Royal Caribbean in December 2019 you could do both options. Typical increases are around $1 per person, per day and seem to happen about once a year. So no, you wouldnt have to pay any extra gratuities on drinks. Be the first to rate this post. As far as your trip, likely very little. It was quite good to fill up and take off the ship with me. I hope this helps. Jenni. How strict are they on how much bottles you can bring on board? That said, if you dont pay gratuities, then its the staff that will be hurting not the cruise line. To account for this, the drink package limit is matched to it. Since they are not . Use this section of the Royal Caribbean Beverage Package Calculator to adjust assumptions and default pricing for beverage packages. 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. If you order a drink that costs more than the package limit, you would be charged the difference. So you wont have to pay any more for your drinks unless you order something really specialist. What If I Dont Pay Gratuities on my Cruise? It is applicable to all guests, regardless of age. 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/. Royal Caribbean drinks packages include all tips (also known as gratuities). Weve never bought a drink package, always paid per drinkbut are considering this trip. I hope that helps! Included here are the baseline (i.e. I have another question. Doing this is a good way to ensure that youre served first next time! If not, just leave blank, Royal Caribbean increases gratuities for crew members on its cruise ships, Carnival Cruise Line raised their gratuities. Each guest, regardless of age, will be assessed the daily gratuity as recognition for the hard work crew members do each day. The best way to save money on your Royal Caribbean drink package is to buy it a few days after booking your cruise. Royal Caribbean offer discounts to people who buy their drinks packages online in advance of their cruise. Great blog. 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. 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. Select the number of nights for the cruise, from a minimum of two nights to a maximum of thirty nights. 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). 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. If youre a first-time cruiser, then theres little doubt that you have questions about gratuities and tipping on your cruise. On or after September 7, 2022, regardless of when the booking was created, gratuities paid while onboard are subject to the new, increased rates.