Matt Posted March 29, 2016 Report Share Posted March 29, 2016 Royal Caribbean will raise the rate of its automatic gratuities: http://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2016/03/29/royal-caribbean-raises-gratuity-amount-guests Anyone with existing reservations should seriously consider pre-paying gratuities now, because it will lock in today's gratuity rate instead! Jacki_MEI 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted March 29, 2016 Report Share Posted March 29, 2016 Personal peeve: Royal Caribbean should call it a "daily service charge" because that's more akin to what it actually is. To increase the "gratuities" makes me think that we've seen an incremental improvement in service worthy of an increase in the "gratuities", which is rather silly to have done prior to going on the cruise. EmersonNZ, Jerel, jticarruthers and 4 others 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ragman54 Posted March 29, 2016 Report Share Posted March 29, 2016 I always have these money grabs removed and tip as I deem appropriate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Todd Posted March 29, 2016 Report Share Posted March 29, 2016 It is a service charge and not a daily gratuity, and a very healthy service charge. But as long as it stays a recommend daily gratuity I will keep removing from my ship account. If it is really a gratuity who I tip and how much is up to me not the cruise line. Royal and many other cruise lines needs to wake up and start paying their own crews and come clean with full disclosed pricing. I believe this will happen in the future like with airlines no long allowed to advertise a net price. It should be the same for cruise travel. PRC and EmersonNZ 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocLC Posted March 30, 2016 Report Share Posted March 30, 2016 Seems odd to have an increase after just 10 months since the last one. By the way, you have until April 14th to add the gratuities at the old rate. Unfortunately, I can't do this for one of my future cruises as a system glitch has the daily gratuity at nearly $25 and it hasn't been fixed yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Todd Posted March 30, 2016 Report Share Posted March 30, 2016 Seems odd to have an increase after just 10 months since the last one. By the way, you have until April 14th to add the gratuities at the old rate. Unfortunately, I can't do this for one of my future cruises as a system glitch has the daily gratuity at nearly $25 and it hasn't been fixed yet. Well I do not believe you would do what I will say next. But you can always adjust your daily gratuity down to the current level or any level you want. A passenger could go to guest services and say I believe the daily gratuity/surcharge should be (fill in the amount). As passengers and clients we have every right to leave it as is, remove completely, or adjust to any number we see fit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michelle Posted March 30, 2016 Report Share Posted March 30, 2016 Yep I agree DocLC, not sure why they just did not go to this level when they raised it lasttime but at least they are giving you until April 14th to add them on to the bookings that you may currently have. SandyM 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BugsyCruiser Posted March 31, 2016 Report Share Posted March 31, 2016 It is somewhat odd that another increase is coming just ten months after the last one but one of Royal's competitors(NCL) raised them twice in an ever shorter amount of time. But also ever since the new ceo took over there his vision for the company seems to be raise the price on everything as fast as humanely possible. It made me go from wanting to try the line out to now no interest whatsoever Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WHStoneman Posted April 1, 2016 Report Share Posted April 1, 2016 Did I understand the increase is fifty five CENTS a day?....that sure will break the bank for most vacationers! Jacki_MEI and Matt 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocLC Posted April 1, 2016 Report Share Posted April 1, 2016 I haven't sailed NCL recently, but I heard that the daily service fee doesn't all go directly to the crew for the services rendered. That I have a problem with. Fortunately, it is my understanding that all of the money paid, whether you agree with it or not, goes directly to the crew. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Todd Posted April 4, 2016 Report Share Posted April 4, 2016 Did I understand the increase is fifty five CENTS a day?....that sure will break the bank for most vacationers! It is not the amount of the increase. It is more about exactly what these fees are and the number on increases within the last year. Royal really needs to start paying the staff and stop looking at the outdated model of tipping to correct this issue. thefoodguyjamesinasia 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alamode123 Posted April 29, 2016 Report Share Posted April 29, 2016 If you knew how little these hard working people get paid you wouldn't be complaining. Todd 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Todd Posted April 29, 2016 Report Share Posted April 29, 2016 If you knew how little these hard working people get paid you wouldn't be complaining. If you knew how well they are paid compared to what they can earn in their home countries you would say they are overpaid. The Worlds a big place, people need to stop thinking everything revolts around United States standards. PRC, thefoodguyjamesinasia and EmersonNZ 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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