Orange Crush

Joe, I actually find Royal (depending on ship) to be more expensive.  As you know, I'm a suite snob.  I can't afford an Owners Suite or Genie on Royal, but I pay about $2000 less per sailing on Celebrity in a Celebrity Suite or Sky suite, and that includes the 4 perks versus Oasis, Symphony etc .  Hell, I'm not even taking the Drink package on Grandeur in February as it's $1000.  Again, probably if looking at inside or balcony perhaps Rc is less expensive.  I actually love both cruise lines but dollar for dollar when booking a suite, I find Celebrity to best (again they include Premium Drink, Internet, Gratuities and $300 OBC).    

With more widespread legalization (medical and recreational) around the world, I think this is going to happen much more often.  And that $4,000 fine is probably the tip of the iceberg for how much it'll cost in the end after lawyers fees and everything.
You have to abide by the law of the land you're in.  Just because something is legal back home, doesn't mean it's going to be legal abroad!

I think I've got my outfit picked out for my next formal night

 

With more widespread legalization (medical and recreational) around the world, I think this is going to happen much more often.  And that $4,000 fine is probably the tip of the iceberg for how much it'll cost in the end after lawyers fees and everything.
You have to abide by the law of the land you're in.  Just because something is legal back home, doesn't mean it's going to be legal abroad!

Yes, shorts are fine for lunch.

As a business traveler who often spends weeks on the road, I can tell that travel expenses adds up fast and a week on the road even at a modest hotel with a corporate limiting meal plan, the cost to be in a hotel and eat 3 meals a day is way up there.  I'm not talking lavish take clients to dinner so eat great for free business trips, I'm talking places that are 'meh' but you have to go anyways. Companies today don't tolerate that 'anything goes' travel plan anymore.  
With that always in my mind I find great value in cruising.  Is it what it was 10 or 20 years ago?  No, but neither is airline travel when I could lie down in a empty row of seats on plane and sleep.  That just doesn't happen anymore.  
While you may see it a room 'up-charge' I work the system to find great deals on rooms to cruise even cheaper.  I still enjoy the same amenities and outside of the room no one knows I am in a 4D balcony compared to the big shots who paid more for a 6D balcony.  
Yes, times have changed but once you get back into the flow I think you'll find it's still a great vacation experience.  Choose to pay more for certain items like drink packages or photo packages or just cruise like you used 10 years ago before they existed.  

Came across this on Facebook a few weeks ago.

This is what I've seen posted before from when it was the old rate:
The automatic gratuity is $13.50 USD, or $16.50 USD for suite guests, applied to each guest's SeaPass® account on a daily basis. Here's how it is shared between your onboard service team:
Standard Staterooms:
    $6.35 - Dining Services
    $3.45 - Stateroom Attendant
    $3.70 - Other Hotel Services
Suites:
    $6.35 - Dining Services
    $6.10 - Suite Attendant
    $4.05 - Other Hotel Services
The base rate is $14.50 & $17.50 now, and I have a very strong suspicion they don't really split it up that way.  It just goes into a big pot for everybody that gets doled out based on individual performance reviews, survey ratings, where guests scan their cards & get upcharged, etc.  The website just says it's part of their incentive system and doesn't break it down any further anymore.
I flat out asked our bartender about the 18% gratuity that gets added to the drink package price.  He all but confirmed what we suspected--there's a system that tracks where you get drinks and that subsequently gets split up among bar management of the subsequent bars and finally to the servers themselves, but the actual person serving you sees pennies of that.
I hate to say it, but I'm convinced now that any included/pre-charged gratuities are just the cruise industry's way of paying their people less, and as guests we just can't count on any more than a pittance going to the people who actually serve us.  The only way to ensure that is to tip them beyond the pre-arranged amounts.

Correct me if i'm wrong, but I believe what the OP's though process is...is by removing the prepaid gratuities you can reward those who provide great services based accordingly with the tips...much like what we currently have in the U.S. Restaurant industry and those who don't provide a quality service accordingly.
@whenismynextcruise  Comments like yours aren't needed!  What is sad is that there are a select group of people that would choose not to tip at all!  
We all know that tips are used to supplement the low wages that they (Crew/Staff) are paid, thus why the cruise entertainment industry implemented the gratuity system.
What i like about this forum, unlike others... members tend to be more relaxed and don't attack other members base on disagreements.

I think I've got my outfit picked out for my next formal night

 

I think I've got my outfit picked out for my next formal night

 

What's a prime member?
I'm assuming this is totally unrelated to free shipping from Amazon. ?

I think I've got my outfit picked out for my next formal night

 

What's a prime member?
I'm assuming this is totally unrelated to free shipping from Amazon. ?

And here I was thinking @twangster meant this:

I think I've got my outfit picked out for my next formal night

 

CLR = @CruiseLifeRick

Reminds of arriving to check in for our Thanksgiving cruise on Independence a few years ago and being handed the "welcome aboard program" for the day, handed it to my wife while I finished checking us in with the agent.
Wife taps me on the shoulder part way through and is pointing at one of the paragraphs on the page while saying the full version of WTF ....
The paragraph read something like "As a reminder to our guests full nudity is only allowed on open decks and in the designated lounge areas, undergarments are required in all food service areas" .... turns out the week before was a chartered cruise for a clothing optional group and they were handing out the flyers from that cruise in error.

I think I've got my outfit picked out for my next formal night

 

I think I've got my outfit picked out for my next formal night

 

What's a prime member?
I'm assuming this is totally unrelated to free shipping from Amazon. ?

What's a prime member?
I'm assuming this is totally unrelated to free shipping from Amazon. ?

Casino level in that loyalty program.

What's a prime member?
I'm assuming this is totally unrelated to free shipping from Amazon. ?

What's a prime member?
I'm assuming this is totally unrelated to free shipping from Amazon. ?