That's exactly the case with the Amex Platinum card. 0000914358 00000 n Find the right card for you. Regent Seven Seas Cruises. There is no special dress code for My Time Dining it has the same dress code as traditional dining. Can they join me in the My Time Dining Room. You will be able to see the exact times that My Time Dining is offered each evening once you book your cruise. Breakfast in the Main Dining Room is first come, first serve, regardless on whether or not you selected My Time or Traditional Dining. There are even more places your Platinum Card can get you complimentary entry and exclusive perks. My Time Dining is great for guests who wish to experience a flexible dining schedule onboard their cruise. A list of those who do this is available to the staff. *Please see all applicable Terms & Conditions for Promotions. 0000421346 00000 n Also if staff are chastised for receiving cash, why do all the posts advocate tipping over and above the automatic gratuities for good service? Should they have been paid at the time of booking? On a Royal Caribbean cruise, you need to register for My Time Dining if you don't want a set dining time. The old way of MTD had forced you to prepay gratuities but that changed some time ago. The only thing you should HAVE to pay at booking is the deposit. Whether you cruise multiple times per year or you're new to cruising, the goal of Royal Caribbean Blog is for it to bea useful resource for keeping up to date with what's new and exciting with Royal Caribbean. 0000005141 00000 n My Time Dining is now a choice within the booking process. For instance, in recent years, Norwegian has been continuously running free at sea promotions that include not just free crew tips but free shipboard Wi-Fi and a free drinks package, too. Still need help? When you log into the Cruise Planner, all you have to do is navigate to the "Dining" tab and scroll down until you see "My Time Dining.". Australians typically do not tip because the minimum wage in Australia is $20.33 AUD/hr ($14.56 USD/hr). This is an unfair statement. Related: 9 times you do not need to tip on a cruise. Also as others have stated, prepaid gratuities and MTD have nothing to do with each other anymore. Yes, if there is availability in the My Time Dining Room, we would be happy to accommodate the request. 0000844607 00000 n 0000905280 00000 n 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. Could you please tell me how I can improve it? Im sorry you never received a tip in your years of "slogging your guts out." That said, the total number of lines with a service fee has been shrinking over the years. You will be able to see the exact times that My Time Dining is offered each evening once you book your cruise. After sneaking a peek at our dining table the 1st night out & seeing we were seated with 4 elderly women, we decided to consider switching to My Time. Guests may request a special table or waiter. Thanks Matt- We paid for the cruise at the time of booking. 0000916414 00000 n If you plan on spending most of your time in the buffet restaurant anyway, then you might not be concerned about the Main Dining Room and your dining times. But whether My Time Dining works for you or not really depends on what your preferences are. You do have to prepay your gratuities in order to sign up to My Time Dining. The flexible option allows you to select your own dining time and table companions on a daily basis. If you are asking by prepaying gratuities in advance does that force you to do MTD, then the answer is no. The longer you wait to arrive, however, the longer you will have to wait for an available table. Related: Use these credit cards to maximize your next cruise vacation. 0000014874 00000 n Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays. So by your definition no one should tip because others will make up the difference? 0000022110 00000 n You dont have to attend dinner at the same time, and you can arrange a table that works for you. Princess, for example, has added a Princess Plus plan as a booking option. 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. 2011-2023, Cruise Fever . 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. 0000005096 00000 n Seating can also be reserved while onboard. 13 Biggest Mistakes Made by Carnival Cruise Passengers [Carnival Tips], Cruise Ship Room Service: Menus and Fees for Cruise Lines, Carnival Anytime Dining: Tips for Your Time Dining with Carnival, Carnival Bringing a Fourth Cruise Ship to Galveston, Texas, Carnival to Send Newly Upgraded Ship on 14-Day Transatlantic Cruise, Royal Caribbean Updates Perks in Loyalty Program. During peak dinner times, you may have to wait as long as 45 minutes for a table. From there, you can go ahead and make a reservation for each night of your cruise. Card Rating is based on the opinion of TPGs editors and is not influenced by the card issuer. 0000019459 00000 n E{3bEi_,FdTneL m!TlmJ=&esmh~rqbo)q9V'{7_LA74us i%@MZC1twwBjkC%{'BLTzP64Z{C@gC;qdF\u4:}NiIYmKzuu>k&dOWd1ydzW ]EhWJt*iLAcGMUyhvjw%m&_I;jxt' jg|zn~7_{ksiY15M HHnV6@,,TnMv9GU{$ 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. You may find that you are split up at different tables that are not located near each other. Automatic Gratuities were added to lessen the event of "skipping out" on tips and to make sure MTD waiters were tipped. Even if you initially booked Traditional Dining, you can call your travel agent or Royal Caribbean directly to change to My Time. In exchange for the annual fee, you'll unlock access to the Amex Membership Rewards program that let you access airline and hotel transfer partners, along with new lifestyle and travel credits. 0000425403 00000 n We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. If you have multiple people in your stateroom or travel party, you can make multiple reservations each evening to accommodate everyone's preferences. My Time Dining is only applicable to the Main Dining Room on your ship. My Time Dining usually begins around 6:00pm and lasts until 9:30pm, giving you a wide range of times to choose from. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). | Prior to checking out, you will have to make a decision on dining style. April 7, 2008. Get Cruise Savvy with our FREE Newsletter! 0000424501 00000 n Additionally, an 18% gratuity is added to bar bills, dining room wine purchases and Lotus Spa services. 0000891696 00000 n 0000417807 00000 n You can be seated with the party you arrive with or be seated at your own table. The others could make a separate My Time Dining reservation for 8:15pm. You can disable the usage of cookies by changing the settings of your browser. ?xtp~?f~j)Br$7q,,"Sf%SXAii%1O=]rlsE"V3ueGWY^U?h2/?7>V1yP GoW}wA[5!>0yuoe 0000907210 00000 n This card comes with a long list of benefits, including access to Centurion Lounges, complimentary elite status with Hilton and Marriott, at least $500 in assorted annual statement credits and so much more. "=0 2BNX/edbi-:w)ddA(BTec;B&r9mE(!Rp#nZbCE2$*,U3Qg+sm{_`S.c xj"PxglZ%Ter_&8W}.l|2cs='g}:f kyMFNG7xFdI"^Jd\O&+W\^:_6 XEljBWm6jk2Tn)a0jGG\E Royal Caribbean Dining. 0000006404 00000 n You can choose a different time each day, so you can fit dinner around the rest of your onshore and onboard plans. Main Dining Room on Allure of the Seas (Sponsored). Fortunately, Royal Caribbean still offers both traditional and My Time Dining options. Additionally, if you are traveling with a large party, you might find Traditional Dining to be easier. Why is it combined? This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. 0000909381 00000 n Getting to know the staff and allowing them to get to know you is also a fun part of cruising for some people and My Time Dining would severely limit activity. However, if you dont sign up for My Time Dining within the first two days of your cruise, then youre stuck with traditional dining times. Im pretty sure were 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. Guests who have signed up for My Time Dining will have their SeaPass card designated with the dining room and deck number. 0000898322 00000 n 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. You can change your dining time on your Royal Caribbean cruise using the Cruise Planner on Royal Caribbeans website. u"7QV-gL)qO^>#~r{e7|W(WFAX>B|zj&u{P$LEi7+?X!^ 0000902670 00000 n Privacy Policy | The buffet restaurant doesnt offer reservations and you can visit it whenever you want. |, www.royalcaribbean.ae is part of Royal Caribbean Arabia owned by Safeen Tourism LLC the Sole Middle East Representative of Royal Caribbean International, 2023 All Rights Reserved | ROYAL CARIBBEAN ARABIA. Often, even if you do have a reservation you have to wait, but the time is much shorter since they are expecting you. I'm travelling with guests from another stateroom who selected Traditional Dining. They are per person. 0000901423 00000 n 0000024527 00000 n They work very long hours all day long. Do you plan on dining anywhere except the dining room? 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, I understand that once upon a time prepaid gratuities were required for MTD. That explains it and answers my question- youre right, it does still say it on parts of the website. 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). 20102023Regal Sea Media LLC. In that sense, the current system is more equitable than the old system of cash tipping, which favored certain workers, lines say. Started June 21, 2021, By Unsubscribe whenever you want. 0000891340 00000 n 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. By MY FAMILY TIME DINING MY TIME DINING DAILY RESERVATIONS Awards FOLLOW US JOIN CROWN & ANCHOR SOCIETY CALL US NOW +971 4 331 4299 So with My Time Dining, you might lose some of that experience, but the flexibility of your own table and time is often preferable anyway. 0000901330 00000 n I'm travelling with guests from another stateroom who selected Traditional Dining. You need to contact your TA and have her add it to your invoice in order to prepay gratuities. Clear editor. On a cruise ship there are so many activities and fun shows, that it can be easy to lose tract of time, and not having to worry about being at diner at a specific time works for some people. These 9 Drinks Are Free on Royal Caribbean Cruises. Note that this only applies to dinner in the Main Dining Room. CC Help Jenn 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. If you feel anyone has been particularly helpful you can always tip them extra in cash. A The automatic service gratuity is $16.00 USD per person, per day for guests in Junior Suites and below, or $18.50 USD per person, per day for guests in Grand Suites and above, applied to each guest's SeaPass account on a daily basis. The cost of that package is typically $109 per person, per day. Welcome aboard! If you want to change to My Time Dining, youll need to speak to Guest Services within the first two days of your cruise. Still, not all lines have service fees that high. Started in 2010, Royal Caribbean Blog offers daily coverage of news and information related to the Royal Caribbean cruise line along with other relevant topics of cruising, such as entertainment, news, photo updates and more. I suspect that the automatic tipping is a hidden charge for the customers who already paid to go on the cruise to subsidise the company's wage bill. 0000896900 00000 n Theres also a dining hotline you can call from the phone in your stateroom to make changes to your reservations. 0000897170 00000 n How Does Royal Caribbeans My Time Dining Work? This dining option requires you to "pre pay" your gratuities. Instant Real Time Pricing document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); About Us | Our dining options have been reimagined to give you a culinary experience at sea as vast, varied and eye-opening as dining in the worlds most cosmopolitan cities. 0000419103 00000 n M&-]f_Le}BXJ.D7CCx. Thats the whole point of the service charge. If you dont like tipping in advance to your service, and you would rather leave generous tips individually, there is nothing stopping you from going the extra mile to tip your waiter or waitress each night you use the My Time Dining option. Our dining options have been reimagined to give you a culinary experience at sea as vast, varied and eye-opening as dining in the worlds most cosmopolitan cities. It truly depends, though. Best card for premium perks while traveling, Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, The Business Platinum Card from American Express, Disney Cruise Lines Castaway Club loyalty program: Everything you need to know, 21 new Hyatt hotels where you can get 500 extra points per night, My first cruise to the Galapagos: The good, the bad and the absolutely adorable. 0000755747 00000 n When making a reservation you will be offered "My Time" or traditional dining times (i.e., 5:30 pm & 8:00 pm). The standard gratuities of $13.50 per person per day for JS and below, and $16.50 per person per day for GS and better. That is not the case anymore but Royal is not great about updating their website information. Join 40,000 cruiserswho readmy email each week Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. If you are unable to book show times in advance via the Cruise Planner when you are making your My Time Dining reservations, you may end up booking a dinner time that clashes with one of the shows. Can a family in one stateroom dine at different times with My Time Dining? Traditional dining is great for anyone who enjoys the classic cruise dinner experience, meeting new people and enjoying a dedicated waiter for the duration of your sailing. xbbba`b``0 u B endstream endobj 29 0 obj <>/ViewerPreferences<>/Metadata 6 0 R/AcroForm 30 0 R/Pages 5 0 R/StructTreeRoot 8 0 R/Type/Catalog>> endobj 30 0 obj <>/Encoding<>>>>> endobj 31 0 obj <>/Shading<>/ColorSpace<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageC/ImageI]/Properties<>/MC1<<>>/MC2<<>>/MC3<<>>>>/ExtGState<>>>/Type/Page>> endobj 32 0 obj [/Indexed 47 0 R 162 85 0 R] endobj 33 0 obj [/Indexed 47 0 R 140 80 0 R] endobj 34 0 obj <> endobj 35 0 obj <> endobj 36 0 obj [/Indexed 47 0 R 147 75 0 R] endobj 37 0 obj [/Indexed 47 0 R 120 96 0 R] endobj 38 0 obj [/Indexed 47 0 R 210 122 0 R] endobj 39 0 obj [/Indexed 47 0 R 77 93 0 R] endobj 40 0 obj [/Separation/PANTONE#20281#20CV/DeviceCMYK<>] endobj 41 0 obj [/DeviceN[/Cyan/Magenta/Yellow]/DeviceCMYK 114 0 R 116 0 R] endobj 42 0 obj [/Indexed 47 0 R 128 101 0 R] endobj 43 0 obj [/Indexed 47 0 R 192 121 0 R] endobj 44 0 obj [/Indexed 47 0 R 128 110 0 R] endobj 45 0 obj [/Separation/PANTONE#202727#20C/DeviceCMYK<>] endobj 46 0 obj [/Indexed 47 0 R 3 66 0 R] endobj 47 0 obj [/ICCBased 65 0 R] endobj 48 0 obj <>stream 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. Or do they not notice those "add on" charges? You can then make reservations for your restaurant, or just turn up at the restaurant between 6 pm and 9.30 pm and wait for a table to be available. Powered by Invision Community. It also means you arent limited to eating at 5.30 pm or 8 pm you can choose any time between 6 pm and 9.30 pm for your table. The menu for My Time Dining is still the same, so you will get the same quality meals. It gives passengers prepaid gratuities, a single-device Wi-Fi plan and a basic beverage package for a single bundled price of $50 per person, per day. The agent asked us which dining option wed like and we chose my time. Pardon? You dont have to do anything. You can even switch from My Time Dining to Traditional if you booked before understanding the differences, but you might end up with late dining depending on when you make the change, as early tends to book up quickly. Others tip their room service or wait staff at their favorite bar, either early in the cruise in the hope of getting better service or at the end to thank them for enhancing the vacation experience. 0000892388 00000 n What is Royal Caribbean's service gratuities (tips) price and policy? Be sure to join my email list for my best cruise tips and handpicked deals each week. Most of the biggest cruise lines automatically add some type of service or gratuity fee onto passenger bills. 0000003836 00000 n 0000916923 00000 n You will see the same helpful crew members waiting on you in the WJ as you did last night in the MDR. Can they join me in the My Time Dining Room? Have our travel agency partner get you a free quote for a Royal Caribbean cruise. Yes. Another method is to just simply show up at the Main Dining Room each night when you are ready to eat. Someone else that pays more will take up the slack for you. Early dining is around 6 pm, while late dining is closer to 8:30 pm. 0000006450 00000 n We can honor requests to change only once based on availability. A. 0000420293 00000 n There have been both positive and negative reports on Royal Caribbeans My Time Dining. ;p, You will be able to leave a comment after signing in, By Maximum of 10 guests per reservation. When planning your other evening activities, make sure that you allot yourself at least 75 minutes for your Main Dining Room experience. At many big lines, such as Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line, its not uncommon for a family of four staying in a single cabin to see around $80 a day in service fees added to their bills. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Additional cash gifts are not expected. When booking a Royal Caribbean cruise, you have two options for dining: My Time Dining and Traditional Dining. At most lines, you can pay your service charges in advance of sailing (at the same time you pay your cruise fare). I am looking at cancelling my gratuities when I get on board so I can pay these personally. No votes so far! 0000736952 00000 n You do have to prepay your gratuities in order to sign up to My Time Dining. All of the gratuities are divided equally among the wait staff. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit. Be warned that the receipt often includes a line for an additional gratuity, even when one is automatically added. The rates listed are per person, per day. At some lines, these charges run as high as $25 per day. Similarly, if youre on a higher-end ship that lists gratuities as being included in the fare, that means just what it says. please click here to update it. On a typical seven-night cruise, thats nearly $600 in fees. Search Now It is recommended that you book a table though.