lildawgscottFL

Royal's revenue, or lack thereof, has nothing to do with the income that the individual crew member is, or is not, receiving via gratuities. The question was about gratuities, no? And yes, you should still pay for service! Just remember, one of the ways in which companies, like Disney and Royal, keep the sticker price so low is by making everything a la carte, including service. They underpay their people (to the legal minimum - which I'm not sure even applies in Royal's case) with the understanding that the consumer will make up the difference. I have no problem with this system, by the way. I just have a problem with people stealing service (ie. being served and not paying for it). Never stiff a server, bartender, bellman, car attendant, baggage handler, etc. You're taking something for nothing.

As people in the service industry (especially at Disney), my wife and I can both say, unreservedly, that children are nearly always more time- and energy-consuming than adults. You may not think your children are, but trust me, they are. That's not to say anything bad about your children. They're children. That's the nature of a child, and, as a parent, you know how children can be. I have never met a truly bad child (only bad parents), but even an angel can be unruly or messy or whatever. Unless you, as the parent, are going to make sure there is no additional work caused by your children. If that's the case, then forego the gratuity. That's highly unlikely though. The service fee (which is what it should be called, because it should not be optional) will be well-earned!

Welcome aboard James!

I love this quote that came in today from Cruiseline.com... "Cruise prices are kind of like stocks. Prices start to rise as soon as enough people start buying, so jump on the good deals before it’s too late. Timing is everything!"

I know that for many of you, this is preaching to the choir. Many of us on here are already pretty saavy. Mr. Hochberg attracts only the top talent! ;) However, maybe there's something in my ramblings that will help the newbies. When I have these epiphanies, I just have to get them out of my head. What better place than here, with other Royal fanatics!? ***************************************************************************************************** It's amazing how much prices fluctuate from one day to the next! You can spend A LOT more for the same cruise simply by booking/re-booking today versus waiting for tomorrow, or next week. Just remember, before the penalty dates arrive, you can change your bookings as often as you please. Do it! You'll save big! I've been a big proponent of the Ship Mate app's price alerts ever since I learned about it on here. (Was it DocLC who told me about it?) I then took it one step further and went to the website that supports the Ship Mate app - cruiseline.com. They are not a travel booking site/travel agent. You can, and should, still use your own TA, as you see fit, but please sign up for the alerts on cruiseline.com. There's no cost. It's a completely free service, you're not obligated in any way, and I am in no way affiliated with them. You'll get emails, like the one I've attached, based on your selections. Gmail - Cruise Price Alert_ $419, Enchantment of the Seas, February 08, 2016 (up 17%).pdf You can choose your ship, your itinerary, your dates, and even your cabin type, and it will alert you whether the price goes up or down from the date you first began watching. We saved $94 on our Enchantment cruise in February 2016 (I know others on these boards have saved even more!). We're also monitoring our Navigator cruise in April 2017 - nothing has beaten the price we got so far, but if it does, we'll know instantly! We'll have enough time to take advantage of the price drop. We can use that money for excursions, booze, specialty dining, or other fun stuff! I don't mean to make this a big plug for the website or the app. I just want to stress the importance of due diligence. Staying on top of things can save you quite a bit of money. Understanding the strategies employed by the cruiselines will make you saavy enough to not overpay. They know when the average person is shopping for their vacation, and they raise the prices during those times. For instance, you'll almost always pay less on a Tuesday during the day than you will on a Friday night or weekend day. They know that's when you have the time set aside to shop, so they jack up the price. By having a price alert system in place, like cruiseline.com's, it won't matter what the cruiseline does - you'll be alerted and you'll be able to take advantage of the drop. Also remember what Matt has talked about as regards the so-called "sales" that Royal has. They're not usually sales at all! They're promotions. Price alerts allow you to no longer pay any attention to the advertsing. If it's a good deal, the alert will tell you. If you have a few minutes, read and listen to Jackie Laulainen's advice on getting the best airfare. You'll be able to apply the strategies to booking cruises as well as other travel plans. Article: http://thebudgetmindedtraveler.com/strategies-for-finding-cheap-flights/ Podcast: http://thebudgetmindedtraveler.com/best-deals-on-flights/ There's just so much information out there and so many tools that if you're paying top dollar for cruising, you're just really not paying attention and you're doing yourself a disservice. That's one big reason why everything Matt does is so important. He really is helping to make cruising better for his "friends." Cruiseline.com is just another tool in the box. Hope my ramblings help someone, if even just one person.

The "Yes, I know" comment was supposed to indicate that I knew it's not called MGM. Guess that failed to come through. I do still call it MGM though, and it will always be MGM to me. The world will always be flat. We will always be at the center of the universe. Matt is a seafaring demigod. And DocLC = Doctor Love Connection. That's just the way things are. Believe me, I'm fully aware of the "massive reimagination," as I have to deal with the aggravating traffic and ever-changing shananigans five days a week! The sheep....uh....I mean...the people....wander about lost, trying to find their way, bumping into everything and everyone, as I'm rushing by them in my attempt to be on time. The tourist drivers wreak havoc on the roads, cutting me off, driving 3 miles an hours, and sometimes even driving against traffic! Idiots abound! And then there's all the construction! One day I can park here, the next day I can't. One day this walkway is open, the next it's not. And on and on.... I cannot wait for this shit to be done! (See what you've done!? You've brought my rage on to the page! I try never to talk about work at home. Work stays at work. Doc, you owe me a beer! ;)) Visit me at Dockside in March! :D Nope, that's Luis Patino, otherwise known as El Diablo Sabio de Peru! :ph34r: Looking forward to meeting you, señor! B)

I believe Doc is correct about the name change, but I'm not the best cast member. I know so little about Disney. :( It's a good thing you didn't make it to my bar in April, as we were closed! ;) We were still under construction. And then, shortly after, it was a chaotic scene. It's better you didn't get your first impression then. But I will be holding you to this: "Will have to look for your bar the next time I am there!!" :P Doc, as a loyal cast member, I cannot confirm nor deny any name changes at MGM. ;) (Yes, I know.)

You bet your ass you are!!! :lol: ;)

This is from a different post on these boards (http://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php/topic/1202-first-timer-in-the-us-cruising-oasis-cruise-in-july/?p=11005), but instead of making you search, here's my thoughts again.... B) First, my disclaimer: I am a bartender at Dockside Margaritas in Disney Springs (formerly Downtown Disney) at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. I live on tips. So, admittedly, I am biased. That said, I can still present an objective argument as to why tips really are not included when you purchase the drink package. Yes, technically, they are. But, it is a set dollar amount regardless of how much you drink or do not drink. For example, let's say that the total gratuity amount is $50 (it's not, but it's close to that - round numbers are just easier, obviously). Then let's say you get 10 drinks over the course of your cruise. Each bartender would get $5 per drink. But, you never would get just 10 drinks, because to break even on the drink package, you would need to drink 5-8 drinks per day (easy for this guy to do! not so easy for others). So now let's say now that you get 50 drinks. Each bartender would get $1 per drink. You see how their tip just dropped a lot? But still, you probably wouldn't get just 50 drinks, because then why buy the package? You didn't come out ahead and you should have just bought the drinks individually. BUT!!! It gets worse. They tip share! Not only do they tip share with the people at their specific bar - let's say R Bar - but they also split with other people at other bars - let's say the On Air Bar. The bars are grouped, so stronger bars will help support the staff at weaker ones. So when you give the bartender $1, you're really giving that bartender $1 divided by the amount of people sharing that $1. In the case of the R Bar and On Air folks, that's split at least 6 ways. So instead of the traditional 15-20% tip a tipped crew member should receive, they're receiving something like 2-3%. I don't know about you, but I think the service I receive from the Royal Caribbean crew is worth far more than 2-3%. So what we do is leave a buck per drink on top of the "included gratuity" - in some cases two bucks for more difficult to make drinks, like mojitos,etc. At the R Bar, the bar we spent the most amount of time at, we ended up giving them a lot more than that. But, we weren't just paying for someone to put liquid in a cup. They provided such a unique experience that we felt the need to say thank you in a big way. Remember, if you do not do the drink package, you still have an included gratuity. We always round that up as well, again because they earn more than they're being given. One contrary point. If the bartender isn't happy to see you, seems to begrudgingly pour the liquid in the cup, and doesn't seem to care if you are there or not, feel free to stiff the guy! Well, okay, maybe not stiff. He still lives on tips. So maybe just a bad tip. ;) Just because I'm in the industry, doesn't mean I don't recognize that there are horrible servers and bartenders out there. Speaking of servers, you should also give them something more. Calculate the amount of money you would have to spend for any meal based on the prices you'd pay on land, and then consider how much of a tip you'd give your land-based server - 15-20%. Then consider how much you're giving your sea-based server. Then, don't be a curmudgeon! If you can afford to spend thousands on a cruise, find a few bucks for the service you're receiving. If you can't afford it, maybe you can't afford the cruise in the first place. Finally, don't forget to tip something anytime someone goes above and beyond for you. If you're stateroom attendant does his job and nothing more, then he is already being tipped. But, if the deck patrol guy does something WOWing for you, give him a few. He probably doesn't get that often - you'll make his day! If he WOWed you, WOW him!!! Instant Karma!!!

That's Scooter to you, mister! Scooter! Lol ;-)

You go into the settings and place it all in the signature area.

When does it become unhealthy? ;) When we have one of those stalker photo walls with Matt's face plastered everywhere? (sometimes I wish I had photoshop - that would have made this post a lot funner - and more frightening)

Welcome aboard, RobWhatley!!! We're nearly neighbors. The Queen and I are in Orlando.

Okay. Just thought of another one as I'm sitting here listening to today's podcast (#123). I'm so addicted to cruising that..... MATT is a household name in our home! :D :lol: Seriously, I can say "Matt said this" or "Matt did that" and my wife knows who Matt is. I don't know too many other people whose name doesn't also require an associated description. Matt is THE Matt. No questions. No discussion. Does that make me a RC addict or a RC BLOG addict!? ;) Is there really any difference though? It's all RC FUN!!!!!

Welcome aboard, babauer2012!

Just one!? ;) :P This is one area my wife has us all beat, hands down. The woman makes it all a science! (Could be she's a little crazy though.)

Best! Ship! Ever!!! (Until I get on Harmony or Anthem ;) )

Hey mbulger and Gill! Welcome to the best RC group around!

With the amount of money you'd pay to park, you could stay at any number of local hotels for JUST ONE NIGHT and have parking for the entire time you're cruising included FOR FREE!! Plus, they'll shuttle you right to the door - also included FOR FREE!! I know a lot of folks like the Radisson. We used La Quinta. They both have the same offering. And there are many others.

You tell them they're wrong, of course. ;) :lol:

I've got an inside man on the Freedom. Let me see what I can find out for you. ;) B)

With the way you can eat, can you blame her? ;-)

Okay, so now this is getting weird. Two more couples are highly considering joining us! Which makes me really have to consider the question about group rates/perks for me, the organizer. I know I've heard Matt address this, but I cannot remember where and when. I'll quickly search the boards, but if anyone knows, please help a brother out! Thanks!

I think the best thing about cruising is that it takes the burden off. It's priced right and it's all-inclusive. You disconnect from your day-to-day life. You don't have to think much about it - it's all planned out for you. You can do everything or nothing, and either way, you're right. It's just such a pressure-free experience. All worries melt away.