Understanding the mandatory gratuity

[theapple477]

Hi all,

 

I have never been on a cruise before and just booked one for December. I have watched so many videos which helped me make this decision. However, after booking this cruise with Royal, I stumbled across a video where he said you will get charged a mandatory gratuity fee at the END of your cruise and it might be wise to buy the prepaid gratuity package. While I did understand after doing much research before booking this cruise that there is a mandatory $16 a day per guest gratuity fee, I thought that was part of the "taxes and fees" when I made the booking. This video where he says I will have to pay for it at the END of the cruise suggests otherwise. Is he saying that after I pay the total cost of the cruise with taxes and fees (in my case based on the screenshot below, $736) that I will be charged an additional $16 a day per guest before I get off the ship on the last day? So my total would really be 736 + 80 + 80 (5 day cruise with 2 guests)? Can someone please help me understand.

 

 

Also, for the experienced cruisers out there, could I get your advice on the dining time situation? I chose the "My time" option but some videos I've seen said I should definitely choose the reserved time option. Would it be too late to change?

 

Thank you in advance!

[smokeybandit]

There is no financial benefit to preparing gratuities. The timing of the charge might better fit your planning but it doesn't save money.

[Mturk]

You will be charged the $160 ($80 + $80) by the end of your cruise. Actually, they charge the $16 per person daily. You should go to one of the restaurants as soon as you board to reserve your preferred dining times. I'm not sure if you'll be able to change to a set dining time but it never hurts to ask. 

[SebagoSue]

Hi @theapple477!  Congratulations on booking your first cruise!  You made a great decision booking it on Royal.  This is a great site for asking these types of questions.  
Yes, the gratuities ($80+$80) are in addition to the port fees and taxes.  They will be automatically charged to the credit card you put on file with Royal for onboard expenses. Usually you will see them show up daily as a $16 charge on your onboard account. As @smokeybanditsaid, there is really no reason to pay them in advance, unless you don’t want a bill at the end of your cruise.

As far as dining times, many people like My Time Dining because they either like the flexibility of dining at whatever time they want on a particular day or they don’t like how early or late the traditional dining times are.  These are typically 5/5:30 for early or around 8:00 for late dining. A big benefit of traditional dining is having the same table and wait staff every night.  Even if you have My Time Dining, you can make reservations for a particular time in the app or in the cruise planner. If you decide you would prefer a traditional time, just contact your travel agent or Royal and if they have availability, they can make the change for you.

[ChessE4]

Prepaying gratuities protects you from future increases. When booking far in advance, that can be a small savings. But travel insurance premium might go up if gratuities take you over a boundary. Hence, it may be a wash. My time dining has pros and cons. Main con is reservation time isn't guaranteed. We prefer traditional dining for that reason, having tried both.

[ScottD]

We only pre pay the gratuities because we like to start the cruise with a clean slate but otherwise it's no savings

[smokeybandit]

1 hour ago, ChessE4 said:

Prepaying gratuities protects you from future increases. When booking far in advance, that can be a small savings. But travel insurance premium might go up if gratuities take you over a boundary. Hence, it may be a wash. My time dining has pros and cons. Main con is reservation time isn't guaranteed. We prefer traditional dining for that reason, having tried both.

If there is an increase after you book, you can then choose to prepay at the old rate.

[Biaggio]

I always prepay the gratuities since I book far out on the calendar and avoid price increases which are likely to come. Personally I enjoy the early dining option set time because I enjoy the early shows and activities. To each his own. 

[Montemy2419]

We don't prepay gratuities because I am still salty about the process when I had to cancel 5 cruises due to the shutdown.  I made 2 payments for each cruise,  the deposit and the final payment.  I had to create a spreadsheet because I ended up getting multiple payments from RC which took months to finally receive all the credit.  I am still mad that I made two payments and I ended up with over 70 credits for the cruises.

 

We are shareholders so for each cruise we receive onboard credit.  We  have that credit and any additional obc that we got for booking to have it pay the gratuities.

[Ampurp85]

I always prepay gratuity because I just prefer to start my cruise with a zero balance. But taxes and fees aren't gratuity. The ship has to pay port taxes for each passenger and pretty much everything is taxed. 

[deep1]

I prepay just to get over and done with. I hate a big bill getting off the ship.  A couple nick nacks from the shops on board is ok but Tacking on $32 time 7 days Is $224 that I don't want gnawing at me when I just got done having a great week.