My Time Dining usually begins around 6:00pm and lasts until 9:30pm, giving you a wide range of times to choose from. 0000907210 00000 n 0000738858 00000 n Traditional seating will mean that guests will keep the same wait staff and dining companions throughout the cruise. Or do they not notice those "add on" charges? please click here to update it. The menu for My Time Dining is still the same, so you will get the same quality meals. When making a reservation you will be offered My Time or traditional dining times (i.e., 5:30 pm & 8:00 pm). 0000914358 00000 n I will HAPPILY pay my gratuities, and feel that having them paid in advance is very convenient, andprobably saves me some money. 0000026625 00000 n 0000883078 00000 n 0000737498 00000 n You also will not be able to switch after the second day, so you'll want to visit Guest Services and/or the Main Dining Room when you embark-- Guests can only participate in one dining style per sailing. Personally, I wouldn't dream of NOT tipping people that are doing me a service. 0000417308 00000 n If you are traveling with more than eight people, My Time Dining might become a hassle. Not every ship has it though, so you should check out their website to see if your ship will offer this service if you are interested. Royal Caribbean gratuities for children and infants Check out Intelligent Cruiser here for a better cruise vacation. 0000736952 00000 n *Please see all applicable Terms & Conditions for Promotions. You no longer have to prepay gratuities if you select My Time Dining. 0000819210 00000 n CC Help Jenn Our opinions are our own, and have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by our advertising partners. Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the authors alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. please click here to update it. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum Card, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu. Can guests move between My Time Dining and Traditional Dining during their cruise? Some people assume that, because My Time Dining offers more flexible dining, it has a more flexible dress code. My Time Dining is one of the options youll get to choose from when you book your cruise. At the same time, you will be able to add prepaid gratuities and vacation protection, if you choose to do so. All sent to your inbox. Flexible seating works very much like standard restaurant seating. If we paid the gratuities up front when onboard would we still have able to do MTD? Those grats are also handed out to WJ staff, cafe staff, etc. xdOHTQ7Ho1bJ!IP"th+5ha0P"..\h! hQhE9; Cheap people have been around for years. Youll be asked to pre-pay your gratuities. They were accurate as of the publishing of this story. Im really asking the opposite - We havent prepaid gratuities, but the agent has booked us in for My Time Dining! You will have to make each reservation individually and add them to your cart one-by-one. Jon got hooked on cruising after his first cruise on his honeymoon, and today he is always looking for cruise deals and reading information about the cruise industry. This allows you to decide when you want to eat, and who you want to sit with, instead of traditional dining where you have set times and sit with the same group each day. Upon checkout, you will be charged $0.00, unless you are also purchasing other add-ons. 0000755470 00000 n However, as mentioned, it is usually just easier and more convenient to leave the auto-gratuity/service charge/hotel charge (it is called different things on different cruise lines) in place. Are you sure that isn't an Iglu Cruise rule? This is an unfair statement. You cannot paste images directly. 0000902670 00000 n 0000909755 00000 n 0000422496 00000 n Ive worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and now my blog helps over a million people to plan their cruises each month. You may request a certain waiter each night, and we will work to seat your party in his or her area depending on availability. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. The old way of MTD had forced you to prepay gratuities but that changed some time ago. Earn 5X Membership Rewards Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. If, for instance, you plan on staying late in port one day but still wish to eat in the Main Dining Room, you could make a reservation for later in the evening, rather than miss out on the experience because you have early dining. Your browser is outdated and does not support many of the modern features of this website, Opinions expressed here are the authors alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Heres how I get the lowest price when I book a cruise. You will be seated with whomever you arrive to the dining room with. We strongly recommend reserving your dining times through Cruise Planner prior to your sailing as dining times may fill up. The problem is, I cant see anywhere how to prepay the gratuities? The guest relations staff will want to know if youve experienced particular service issues. If you pay them onboard, it will be charged automatically each day of the cruise. With your support, we can create more exciting content and share with everyone! Online, you can only book My Time Dining for up to eight guests. Find the right card for you. I think the crew would let it be know if they were not receiving their share of the gratuities. Another method is to just simply show up at the Main Dining Room each night when you are ready to eat. Unlike Traditional Dining, My Time Dining is only marked as lasting for fifteen minutes. trailer <]>> startxref 0 %%EOF 158 0 obj <>stream This is where you'll not only be able to make your My Time Dining reservations, but also where you can reserve shore excursions, drink packages, and more. Reservations are strongly recommended. Breakfast in the Main Dining Room is first come, first serve, regardless on whether or not you selected My Time or Traditional Dining. Related: Use these credit cards to maximize your next cruise vacation. For more cruise guides, news and tips, sign up for TPGs new cruise newsletter. If youre already booked and have chosen the flexible option, you can easily pre-reserve specific days and times online. If you do not prepay gratuities, they will be charged to your onboard account automatically, on a daily basis. With My Time Dining, you can simply walk up to the host stand to be seated or make reservations in advance for your preferred time. Search Multiple Sites at Once TPG values it at $1,600. Your previous content has been restored. Kudos to NCL for no longer allowing grats to be removed onboard. What happens if I cancel the gratuities? You can post now and register later. I'm so sorry that this post wasn't useful for you! A beginners guide to picking a cruise line, Use these credit cards to maximize your next cruise vacation, 9 times you do not need to tip on a cruise, The best cruise booking perks and which ones are actually free, pay $16 for what the line now calls a crew appreciation charge, The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship, The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship, A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines, 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly, 12 best cruises for people who never want to grow up, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. I am not trying to get out of tipping, I would like to be convinced that the automatic charge actually gets passed on to the crew?? To ensure quick seating, we encourage guests who have selected the Flexible option to place a reservation for each evening. 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). Display as a link instead, 0000736746 00000 n Due to availability, however, you may not have as many times to choose from. It's kind of a runaround to personally get to everyone who is included (my opinion). There is no need to remove the "pre=paid" or "included" tips. Having to arrive early, though, defeats the purpose of being able to dine whenever you'd like. That is really the biggest flaw with My Time Dining. Unlike Traditional Dining, you will not be seated at the same table with the same wait staff if your choose My Time. Discover the culinary curiosities of Wonderland Imaginative Cuisine. Additional cash gifts are not expected. 0000737875 00000 n If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. To request a call back from one of our cruise experts, kindly provide us with the details requested bellow and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Similarly, if youre on a higher-end ship that lists gratuities as being included in the fare, that means just what it says. You can eat anytime between 6:00 pm and 9:30 pm. If you're wondering how much you should tip on the specific cruise line you're considering or have already looked, we've compiled that information here. If you cancel prepaid gratuities, you can visit Guest Services once you are onboard and request they discontinue automatic gratuties. Plus Ups are excluded. On a Royal Caribbean cruise, you need to register for My Time Dining if you dont want a set dining time. Just make sure to turn up at the reserved time. Just head over to the Main Dining Room to speak with a head waiter, and they will assist you! 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. A list of those who do this is available to the staff. Probably because it makes it less confusing than diving up the tips. $200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year in baggage fees and more at one select qualifying airline. Youll be told which restaurant to go to based on your choice. Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. As soon as you place the deposit for your cruise, you will gain access to the Cruise Planner. Thanks Matt- We paid for the cruise at the time of booking. Some guests do not plan on eating in the Main Dining Room each day or would rather do so at the time of their choosing. If you have a smaller party, you might find that you do not have to wait as long as larger parties. 0000767892 00000 n Our new My Time Dining option allows you the flexibility to choose when you want to dine each evening, giving you the chance to enjoy your meals at your own pace. No votes so far! This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. That said, the total number of lines with a service fee has been shrinking over the years. 0000916923 00000 n April 7, 2008. Welcome aboard! 0000910770 00000 n Earn 5X Membership Rewards Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year. This dining option requires you to "pre pay" your gratuities. That is not the case anymore but Royal is not great about updating their website information. Below is a line-by-line look at policies for automatic gratuity charges (called service charges or crew appreciation charges at some lines). They will be seated in one of the main dining rooms. Get $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings, which requires a minimum two-night stay, through American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card. 0000841664 00000 n Some guests choose to recognize particularly exceptional service with an additional cash gratuity on the last night of their cruise. During peak dinner times, you may have to wait as long as 45 minutes for a table. So if I cancel my gratuities what will be added to my account for my time dining. The folks who WERVE YOU are the ones who get your tips. Daily service charges are not the only cruise tips you will pay on board. M&-]f_Le}BXJ.D7CCx. This is why we recommend making reservations for My Time Dining, whether that be in advance via the Cruise Planner or onboard by speaking with a head waiter. When making a reservation you will be offered "My Time" or traditional dining times (i.e., 5:30 pm & 8:00 pm). 0000006679 00000 n My Time Dining is the flexible dining option on Royal Caribbean cruises. The longer you wait to arrive, however, the longer you will have to wait for an available table. Still, some critics see the charges as a sneaky way for cruise lines to make their fares appear lower than they really are. The Amex Platinum comes with access to a premium concierge service that can help you with everything from booking hard-to-get reservations to finding destination guides to help you plan out your next getaway. Your browser is outdated and does not support many of the modern features of this website, Unlike traditional dining - where a dining time is assigned to you - guests who opt for My Time Dining can eat in the Main Dining Room whenever they like during dining hours, according to availability. Royal Caribbean. Compare the cost in points or miles to cash, and see which option is best. However, you can still make reservations, based on availability, once onboard. 0000896900 00000 n Note, however, that this means you may not be able to have as flexible of a dining experience as you might be hoping for, especially if prime reservations have been secured in advance by other guests. 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. Do you know about when you'd like to sail? Be the first to rate this post. If you have multiple people in your stateroom or travel party, you can make multiple reservations each evening to accommodate everyone's preferences. Weve booked a cruise through an agent. My Time Dining is therefore available to anyone who wants to mix things up. Hi! 0000897240 00000 n Gratuities haven't been going up "almost every year." Legal Information | Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. A lot of cruisers were actually upset when they heard about My Time Dining and vowed to never sail with Royal Caribbean again if this was the only option. We have my time dining and according to the threads it looks like the gratuities are asked to be prepaid. We know booking a cruise can be a complicated process, so if you need any help or would even like us to fill out your information for you please get in touch. You can choose a different time each day, so you can fit dinner around the rest of your onshore and onboard plans.