Callummck Posted January 11, 2019 Report Share Posted January 11, 2019 Hi! Wondering if anyone can help out with this? We’ve booked a cruise through an agent. The agent asked us which dining option we’d like and we chose my time. She also told us about gratuities added to the Seapss account. Here’s my confusion: I understand prepaid gratuities is required for My Time Dining. I’m pretty sure we’re havent prepaid the gratuities, but our invoice from RCL does say that our dining is My Time Dining and the Cruise planner will let us make reservations. The problem is, I can’t see anywhere how to prepay the gratuities? Would we pay them on the first day onboard? Should they have been paid at the time of booking? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted January 11, 2019 Report Share Posted January 11, 2019 If the gratuities are pre-paid, it should be part of the cruise booking. You'd likely pay it at final payment date. If you pay them onboard, it will be charged automatically each day of the cruise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callummck Posted January 11, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2019 Thanks Matt- We paid for the cruise at the time of booking. My confusion is to do with the My Time Dining - If gratuities haven’t been prepaid, do we still have the My Time Dining that’s on the invoice?! If we paid the gratuities up front when onboard would we still have able to do MTD? Just now, Matt said: If the gratuities are pre-paid, it should be part of the cruise booking. You'd likely pay it at final payment date. If you pay them onboard, it will be charged automatically each day of the cruise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted January 11, 2019 Report Share Posted January 11, 2019 Just now, Callummck said: My confusion is to do with the My Time Dining - If gratuities haven’t been prepaid, do we still have the My Time Dining that’s on the invoice?! If we paid the gratuities up front when onboard would we still have able to do MTD? If you are asking by prepaying gratuities in advance does that force you to do MTD, then the answer is no. I always prepay my gratuities and do traditional dining. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callummck Posted January 11, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2019 Sorry- I’m not expressing myself too well! I’m really asking the opposite - We haven’t prepaid gratuities, but the agent has booked us in for My Time Dining! We want to do MTD, but I’m asking will this stand without finding a way to prepay the gratuities beforehand (I’d guessed it would have been in Cruise Planner but evidently not) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rose City Cruiser Posted January 11, 2019 Report Share Posted January 11, 2019 The gratuities is distributed amongst the entire cruise staff including the dining staff. You may tip extra if you feel you have been "WOW'd" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melski94 Posted January 11, 2019 Report Share Posted January 11, 2019 25 minutes ago, Callummck said: Sorry- I’m not expressing myself too well! I’m really asking the opposite - We haven’t prepaid gratuities, but the agent has booked us in for My Time Dining! We want to do MTD, but I’m asking will this stand without finding a way to prepay the gratuities beforehand (I’d guessed it would have been in Cruise Planner but evidently not) The old way of MTD had forced you to prepay gratuities but that changed some time ago. Now you have a choice to prepay gratuities or not with either Traditional or MTD. You need to contact your TA and have her add it to your invoice in order to prepay gratuities. Callummck 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atlantix2000 Posted January 11, 2019 Report Share Posted January 11, 2019 25 minutes ago, Callummck said: Sorry- I’m not expressing myself too well! I’m really asking the opposite - We haven’t prepaid gratuities, but the agent has booked us in for My Time Dining! We want to do MTD, but I’m asking will this stand without finding a way to prepay the gratuities beforehand (I’d guessed it would have been in Cruise Planner but evidently not) I understand that once upon a time prepaid gratuities were required for MTD. That is not the case anymore but Royal is not great about updating their website information (I've heard they still talk about Dynamic Dining on Quantum class ships which only lasted one year). It's also not possible to update every forum discussion when information changes so it can be confusing to read conflicting threads. I take any thread older than a year (sometimes less) with a grain of salt. To sum up, your reservation is fine! Callummck 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callummck Posted January 11, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2019 Just now, Atlantix2000 said: I understand that once upon a time prepaid gratuities were required for MTD. That is not the case anymore but Royal is not great about updating their website information Just now, melski94 said: The old way of MTD had forced you to prepay gratuities but that changed some time ago. Alas! That explains it and answers my question- you’re right, it does still say it on parts of the website. Thanks. WAAAYTOOO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craig403 Posted January 11, 2019 Report Share Posted January 11, 2019 We always choose My Time dinning. We do not prepay gratuities because we always have OBC and they will be deducted from the OBC daily. So therefore it does not show on our invoice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiny260 Posted January 11, 2019 Report Share Posted January 11, 2019 I think you probably have had you questions answered already but I wanted to show an example. Also as others have stated, prepaid gratuities and MTD have nothing to do with each other anymore. Obviously through this conversation you can tell that you can pre-pay your gratuities our they will be added to your onboard account daily as you cruise. 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. One additional reason that you might pre-pay in the future is that Royal can change these rates at anytime, if you have them pre-paid, you are locked in to that rate. melmar02 and Callummck 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john the baker Posted January 14, 2020 Report Share Posted January 14, 2020 I have just booked the allure this afternoon and was told by the iglu cruise rep 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 . I sailed on the explorer last year and the trick then was we could only cancel them on day 3 of the trip[obviously hopeing for a lot of forgetful customers] its a damn cheek that they are desperately trying to take this right for the customer to cancel ,,after all I never had gratuities for slogging my guts out in the kitchens and bakeries in my career and I don't suppose many ouy there do either Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pooch Posted January 14, 2020 Report Share Posted January 14, 2020 Troll???? But to the OP's question, we have MTD on Mariner next month and have not prepaid our gratuities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveinSC Posted January 14, 2020 Report Share Posted January 14, 2020 2 hours ago, john the baker said: I have just booked the allure this afternoon and was told by the iglu cruise rep 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 . I sailed on the explorer last year and the trick then was we could only cancel them on day 3 of the trip[obviously hopeing for a lot of forgetful customers] its a damn cheek that they are desperately trying to take this right for the customer to cancel ,,after all I never had gratuities for slogging my guts out in the kitchens and bakeries in my career and I don't suppose many ouy there do either Difference of opinion.... Personally, I wouldn't dream of NOT tipping people that are doing me a service. I will HAPPILY pay my gratuities, and feel that having them paid in advance is very convenient, and probably saves me some money. Im sorry you never received a tip in your years of "slogging your guts out." Just more reason to not perpetuate that.... teddy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atlantix2000 Posted January 14, 2020 Report Share Posted January 14, 2020 2 hours ago, john the baker said: I have just booked the allure this afternoon and was told by the iglu cruise rep 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. Are you sure that isn't an Iglu Cruise rule? And that they aren't simply following the outdated information still present on Royal's website as pointed out above? Also (and I'm probably being the grammar police on this one) do you really mean "you HAVE to pay the gratuities up front at the time of booking" or do you mean they have to be added to your bill at time of booking? The only thing you should HAVE to pay at booking is the deposit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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