Follow along on this incredible voyage! 0000419307 00000 n The exact times, however, will vary according to your cruise itinerary. We strongly recommend reserving your dining times through Cruise Planner prior to your sailing as dining times may fill up. Improve earnings, maximize rewards and track progress toward dream trips. 0000022522 00000 n Still need help? This also applies to sailings departing from Australia and New Zealand. Automatic Gratuities were added to lessen the event of "skipping out" on tips and to make sure MTD waiters were tipped. 0000422260 00000 n 0000911056 00000 n 0000419103 00000 n Perhaps as more and more cheapos remove their grats the cruise lines will finally just increase fares so everyone pays the same in tips. If you continue to use this site, you consent to our use of cookies. If you opt out of daily gratuities your account will not be charged for them. 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. You do have to prepay your gratuities in order to sign up to My Time Dining. View All Cruises The folks who WERVE YOU are the ones who get your tips. Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Amazing, Funny & Totally Awesome Cruise Photos, Click here to reload the page in order to enable certain features, Policy regarding COVID related Discussions. You can choose a different time each day, so you can fit dinner around the rest of your onshore and onboard plans. Daily service charges are not the only cruise tips you will pay on board. That means, if you decide to visit the Main Dining Room on day 3 of your cruise, you wont be able to choose your time. What happens if I cancel the gratuities? 0000011539 00000 n Ships registered in the Bahamas. HW[U5}@iy% $Q'i'xNg2f(-E2obIcUHQ?/yZ!X}qu`?x %PM-*9:^C^%4eKYT,wybq6hkG7w@N5r~ wj,_u';d'QLOC >g18&fa[2.K\TXHkAnA;C:j>, F nf9|t&ix2KXRlb@}dnMqe@Vc8pXN-:{d2{sPVuINq?1k0BaL ;>9tH4w%E3@NH"e&z j9VMF}|^~*h hXH9K Its much better if youre someone who likes to play it by ear for dinner, based on how hungry you are. Many smaller and higher-end cruise operators are folding tips and gratuities into their base fares. All rights reserved. You can wait to make your My Time Dining reservations until you board your cruise ship. Some guests do not plan on eating in the Main Dining Room each day or would rather do so at the time of their choosing. Callummck Our new My Time Dining option allows you the flexibility to choose when you want to dine each evening, giving you the chance to enjoy your meals at your own pace. 0000916095 00000 n Jon can be reached at. KA^tQmy9*yE'6C'VBz@JKz+I_0U{:$asg* \ endstream endobj 157 0 obj <>/Size 28/Type/XRef>>stream There are even more places your Platinum Card can get you complimentary entry and exclusive perks. It can be awkward to eat with a complete stranger, and this dining option also makes it easier for folks who just want to enjoy their getaway at sea. Check out Intelligent Cruiser here for a better cruise vacation. 0000901423 00000 n Those grats are also handed out to WJ staff, cafe staff, etc. There is no special dress code for My Time Dining it has the same dress code as traditional dining. They will be seated in one of the main dining rooms. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Dine as you want, when you want. I understand that once upon a time prepaid gratuities were required for MTD. 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. Planning a cruise? 0000005141 00000 n 0000906128 00000 n 0000014304 00000 n I am looking at cancelling my gratuities when I get on board. When you eat with someone different every night it can be hard to get past the introductions every night and really get to know someone. Then, Norwegian Cruise Line decided to shake things up a bit with "freestyle dining", an innovation that allows guests to eat dinner anytime . 0000828884 00000 n If you opt out of daily gratuities your account will not be charged for them. Start with these stories: The credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which ThePointsGuy.com receives compensation. If we paid the gratuities up front when onboard would we still have able to do MTD? I will pay for fantastic service but can't stand getting it shoved in my face and HAVE TO pay gratuities. Seating can also be reserved while onboard. Do I have to pre-reserve My Time Dining through Cruise Planner? Answer (1 of 4): Fares purchased on the Australian website will always include pre-paid gratuities. Then, contact one with a best-price guarantee and have them beat it! Well, this is NOT the only option and you can still choose to eat in the traditional manner. The best way to fully take advantage of the My Time Dining program is to make your reservations before you board the ship! $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card on one or more of the following: Audible, Disney+, The Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The New York Times. Since they are not . CC Help Jenn Depending on when you go, you may have to wait until there is an available table. The old way of MTD had forced you to prepay gratuities but that changed some time ago. please click here to update it. 0000003836 00000 n Do you know about when you'd like to sail? We have had really wonderful waiters in the WJ, some that even remember my DH loves those ranger cookies and will bring him some when they see us. 0000418111 00000 n 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. Related: Use these credit cards to maximize your next cruise vacation. The others could make a separate My Time Dining reservation for 8:15pm. Just head over to the Main Dining Room to speak with a head waiter, and they will assist you! For guests that want to experience the Main Dining Room without the formality of having a set time, Royal Caribbean, Royal Caribbean offers its guests two choices for enjoying dinner in the main dining room: My Time Dining or. But some people just want to eat with their own family. Unlike Traditional Dining, My Time Dining is only marked as lasting for fifteen minutes. There will be a My Time Dining check-in desk at the entrance to the dining room with wait staff to greet guests. Additionally, an 18% gratuity is added to bar bills, dining room wine purchases and Lotus Spa services. Yes. There is a $9.75 gratuity per day that is required and this actually covers not only the wait staff but your room steward. Can I reserve the same table or waiter at the same time in My Time Dining? Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. Guests who have signed up for My Time Dining will have their SeaPass card designated with the dining room and deck number. A. But even so, it's more likely to keep up with cost of living, not to make up for those who don't tip. Brilliance of the Seas is operated by RCL (UK) Ltd., a subsidiary of Royal . Feel free to leave a comment below to let the community at Cruise Fever know how you feel about My Time Dining in the comment section below. The group we are going with have all chosen the early 5pm dinner reservation. The buffet restaurant doesnt offer reservations and you can visit it whenever you want. 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. You can, however, always tell your waitstaff that you have other plans, and they will do their best to serve you as quickly as possible. Please view our advertising policy page for more information. Paste as plain text instead, If you have a smaller party, you might find that you do not have to wait as long as larger parties. You may find that you are split up at different tables that are not located near each other. 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. If youre already booked and have chosen the flexible option, you can easily pre-reserve specific days and times online. There have been both positive and negative reports on Royal Caribbeans My Time Dining. 0000897170 00000 n You don't have to tip on these cruises because the line is already paying gratuities to the staff on your behalf. Please note, you can only choose one dining style per sailing so once they join you they must use My Time Dining for the rest of the cruise. Here is why some people dislike the more informal dining option. From there, you can go ahead and make a reservation for each night of your cruise. 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. 0000892388 00000 n Started June 21, 2021, By What we experienced was that their program is NOT really "My time dining", it is RESERVATION time dining. xdOHTQ7Ho1bJ!IP"th+5ha0P"..\h! hQhE9; Our points-obsessed staff uses a plethora of credit cards on a daily basis. The actual times, however, will vary by sailing. Traditional dining guests may be seated with other parties to form a larger table, which can be fun if youre confident enough to make new friends. Someone else that pays more will take up the slack for you. You may request a certain waiter each night, and we will work to seat your party in his or her area depending on availability. Plus Ups are excluded. TPG values it at $1,600. That means two people sharing a room on a seven-night cruise would pay $308 in tips for an otherwise free drinks package on top of their daily service charge fees. Can I participate in My Time Dining but make a reservation for a specific time? 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 has done the latter keeping the option for traditional dining service but also offering My Time Dining. 0000831970 00000 n These 9 Drinks Are Free on Royal Caribbean Cruises. Reservations arestronglyrecommended in order to avoid a delay in seating. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached, or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Royal Caribbean Blog. But its not strict. Fortunately, Royal Caribbean still offers both traditional and My Time Dining options. Once they go to the My Time Dining desk to be seated for dinner, the waiter will look up the guests stateroom and pull any special dietary needs or amenities purchased for them. I did find My Time Dining rather a contradiction as theoretically you could dine anytime between the hours of 6.30 9.30, but, its best to make a reservation, as it turned out the waiting time was approximately the same for both cases. A world of culinary exploration awaits you onboard Royal Caribbean. It is usually at the very bottom below the dining packages, specialty restaurants, and other exclusive dining experiences. Often, even if you do have a reservation you have to wait, but the time is much shorter since they are expecting you. My Time Dining usually begins around 6:00pm and lasts until 9:30pm, giving you a wide range of times to choose from. Clear editor. 0000914358 00000 n 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. Princess, for example, has added a Princess Plus plan as a booking option. Another method is to just simply show up at the Main Dining Room each night when you are ready to eat. Looking for the Best Cruise Deals? 0000750166 00000 n Be warned that the receipt often includes a line for an additional gratuity, even when one is automatically added. . You do have to prepay your gratuities in order to sign up to My Time Dining. You will have to make each reservation individually and add them to your cart one-by-one. 0000907210 00000 n 28 0 obj <> endobj xref 28 131 0000000016 00000 n 0000902188 00000 n Related: 9 times you do not need to tip on a cruise. Instant Real Time Pricing Please note, you can only choose one dining style per sailing so once they join you they must use My Time Dining for the rest of the cruise. How much to tip extra on a cruise is entirely up to you because it is in no way required. If you continue to use this site, you consent to our use of cookies. Started October 12, 2018, Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. You can, of course, request a specific table and waiter, but they may not be able to honor this. When making a reservation you will be offered "My Time" or traditional dining times (i.e., 5:30 pm & 8:00 pm). However, each ship does also offer specialty dining for an additional fee. Cheap people have been around for years. If your My Time Dining reservation is at 7:15pm, do not make any other reservations until 8:30pm or later. Related: The best cruise booking perks and which ones are actually free. This dining option requires you to "pre pay" your gratuities. In many cases, the service charges are adjustable. Theres also a dining hotline you can call from the phone in your stateroom to make changes to your reservations. Discover the culinary curiosities of Wonderland Imaginative Cuisine. By To ensure quick seating, we encourage guests who have selected the Flexible option to place a reservation for each evening. I think the crew would let it be know if they were not receiving their share of the gratuities. 0000005051 00000 n Have our travel agency partner get you a free quote for a Royal Caribbean cruise. Please don't disrupt the system that works that was put in place that is fair to crew and guests . My Time Dining is not available for breakfast, but you can still use it for both lunch and dinner. I don't mind tipping for good service. If not, just leave blank, How to book My Time Dining on Royal Caribbean, What you need to know about Royal Caribbean's My Time Dining, Royal Caribbean My Time Dining versus Traditional Dining. 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? My Time Dining is one of the options youll get to choose from when you book your cruise. By We always choose My Time dinning. Search Multiple Sites at Once 156.1k. ;) Can we opt out of those added on charges also?? CC Help Jenn You will be able to see the exact times that My Time Dining is offered each evening once you book your cruise.