Robert Gray

I just received my e-doc’s for my upcoming sailing in August and it looks like gratuities are increasing. It states: Gratuities A $16.00 per guest, per day gratuity will automatically be added to each guest’s SeaPass® account for our dining, bar & culinary services staff, stateroom attendants and other hotel services teams who work behind the scenes to give you the best possible cruise experience. Suite guests will see a $18.50 daily gratuity. Guests who prepaid gratuities prior to boarding their cruise will not see a daily charge onboard. An 18% gratuity is also automatically added to beverages, room service, and the mini bar. Beverage gratuities are pooled and shared by various dining and beverage service staff. An 18% gratuity is also automatically added to spa and salon purchases. Gratuities for other service personnel are at your discretion. *Guests who booked prior to July 15, 2022 can pre-pay gratuities before their sailing at the previous rates, which are $14.50 for standard staterooms and $17.50 for suites. I know of several people on my sailing who have called RC reservations, Crown and Anchor or club royale and have been told that they have no knowledge of an increase in gratuities and they will leave a note on your reservation that you called. Another good reason to have a good travel agent. I don’t have an issue with the increase, except maybe the higher increase on regular rooms in comparison to suites, my issue is the way RC communicated the increase. I would think that a separate email should have been sent out to all existing reservations of the increase. Also, as it appears that no one working the phones at RC know about this, I’d think that it might have been better to inform them first of the change. Especially since they’re giving you the option of prepaying at the booking rate. Still looking forward to cruising no matter the rate.

Does anyone know if Harmony has a separate seating area at breakfast, in the dining room, for Diamond/Diamond Plus/Pinnacle? I remember on one of my past cruises on an Oasis class there was a separate seating area. Thanks in advance to anyone who might know.

I just got off Freedom of the Seas today. This was my 19th cruise with RC. Be advised that this was the first one I’ve been on that a cruise compass was not automatically waiting for you in your room at the end of the night for the next day. Further, guest services does not have them out for you to take on the wall next to their desk. In order for you to receive a printed copy in your room, you must request one from guest services and then your room attendant will deliver one for the rest of the cruise to your room at night. They also keep copies there as well. I see this as a way to push more people into using the RC app, and as a cost savings to RC. This change wasn’t communicated to the guests onboard. Using the app for me isn’t an issue, but my elderly parent it is especially since they are used to having one for the past years. Bob - Diamond Plus

If you’re on a Freedom class ship, does the UDP cover Ben & Jerry’s ice cream?

Hello, I just got off Symphony OTS this past week. During our stop at Coco Cay, I rented a beach cabana at the Beach Club. I asked our attendant if he could fill me in on what was being built at the end of the island. He told me that they are building “Villas.” Basically, it’s going to be an area where you spend the night on the island. Each villa will have their own hot tub and private area. I don’t understand yet the logistics of spending the night on the island. One has to assume a cruise ship would drop you off one day and pick you up the next. Or perhaps a different ship would pick you up if you decide to spend multiple nights? I was told that it’s already started construction and should be completed by 2023. Robert-Diamond+